Written Answers of 19 March 1991

ENVIRONMENT

  Business Rate Arrears
  Mr. Ron Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many companies are currently in arrears in payment of the business rate in 1990–91; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  This information is not available. However by 31 December 1990, charging authorities in England had collected 76 per cent. of their estimated non-domestic rate income for 1990–91. My Department, which is responsible for collecting non-domestic rates in respect of hereditaments entered on the central rating list, has now collected the whole of the amount payable for 1990–91.

  Loan Charges
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the loan charge proportion of each pound of rent charged by each local authority in the last available financial year; and what are the regional and national averages.

  Mr. Yeo
  I cannot strictly say what proportion of rent is attributable to loan charges because local housing authorities also have other sources of income, particularly that of housing revenue account subsidy. Nevertheless, I have today placed in the Library a copy of a table showing, for each local authority, the proportion of rental income and subsidy spent on loan charges.

  Wakefield
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from Wakefield metropolitan district council with regard to the difficulties facing the authority in attempting to collect standard community charge payments from individuals who do not have the financial resources to make such payments.

  Mr. Key
  I am not aware of any representations having been made by the council, although officials in my Department meet on a regular basis officers from Wakefield metropolitan district council in the group with which matters of this kind are discussed with the local authority associations.

  Rents-to-Mortgages Scheme
  Mr. Walden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when a rents-to-mortgages scheme for the new town tenants at Milton Keynes will come into operation.

  Mr. Yeo
  Milton Keynes development corporation is today writing to its tenants inviting them to consider 48
  buying their homes under rents to mortgages. Sales will be completed before the transfer of the corporation's housing stock to new landlords.

  I warmly welcome this further opportunity for new town tenants at Milton Keynes to own their homes.

  Community Charge
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average poll tax for 1990–91 in England and Wales; how many people are registered for the poll tax; and how much extra central Government finance would be necessary for the average poll tax to be reduced by(a) 10 per cent., (b) 25 per cent., (c) 50 per cent., (d) 75 per cent. and (e) 100 per cent.

  Mr. Key
  [holding answer 15 March 1991]: In 1990–91 there are 36 million charge payers in England and the average community charge is £357. Authorities have budgeted to raise £10·2 billion from the charge net of community charge benefits and transitional relief grant. This can be reduced without any extra central Government finance if authorities control their expenditure and improve their efficiency.

  Information for Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Departmental Publicity
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report a list of all documents, advertisements, promotion or events undertaken by his Department to publicise elements of his Department's work, showing the cost in each case for each year since 1987, including the budget for 1991–92.

  Mr. Heseltine
  [holding answer 15 March 1991]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, Central (Mr. Fisher) on 12 December 1990, Official Report, column 442. The outturn for 1990–91 is not yet available and the budget for 1991–92 has not yet been finalised. A list of each item which has contributed to the publicity programmes could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.

  Environmental Protection Act 1990
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to publish a timetable for implementation of the Environmental Protection Act 1990; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  [pursuant to the reply, 28 November 1990, c. 404]: My right hon. Friend has today laid before the House the Litter Etc (Transitional Provisions) Regulations 1991.

  These provide that, where an authority has assigned its street cleaning work to its own work force or DSO under part I of the Local Government Act 1988, and it needs to undertake additional work to comply with the duties imposed on it by the Environmental Protection Act, the authority will be able to assign that additional work to the DSO, provided that it is accounted for separately from the work originally assigned to the DSO. If the cost of the additional work carried out between 1 April and 30 September 1991 is more than 20 per cent. of the cost of the work originally assigned to the DSO over that period, the

  49
  authority will be required to expose its street cleaning services to further competition in accordance with the following timetable:

  Date by which work first had to be exposed to competition

  Date by which work has to be retendered

  1 August 1989

  1 October 1992

  1 January 1990

  1 January 1992

  1 August 1990

  1 August 1993

  Where an authority has assigned street cleaning services to an independent contractor it will be taken as complying with the duties imposed by the Environmental Protection Act if it can demonstrate that it has used its best endeavours to negotiate any necessary variations in the contract with the contractor concerned, but he is either not prepared to agree such variations or is prepared to do so only on unreasonable terms.

  The regulations also contain provisions relating to the transfer of highway cleaning responsibilities from county to district councils under the Environmental Protection Act. They allow district councils to assign such work to their DSO, provided that they account for it separately and that they first use their best endeavours to enter into an agreement with any contractor who previously carried out this work under contract with the county council. They also facilitate the making of works contracts between district councils to which this responsibility has been transferred and the authorities who were carrying it out before 1 April 1991.

  The regulations apply also to Scotland and Wales except that regulations 5 and 6 dealing with the transfer of highway cleaning responsibilities from county to district councils are not applicable in Scotland.

  Community Charge
  Mr. Speed
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the community charge figures declared by each district in England for the forthcoming year in ascending values.

  Mr. Heseltine
  [pursuant to the reply, 18 March 1991, Official Report, column 40]: As my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer told the House today in his Budget speech, the Government are providing £4·3 billion of extra grant to local authorities in Great Britain in 1991–92 to permit a major reduction in community charges.

  Accordingly, my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales and I shall shortly be introducing a Bill which, on enactment, will mean that the community charges which authorities have set for 1991–92 will be replaced by new lower charges. Each new charge will be £140 lower than the one it replaced, or zero in those cases where the original charge was less than £140. The Bill will suspend the liability of charge payers to pay any 1991–92 charges until a charge bill has been received reflecting the reduced charges.

  The community charge reduction scheme will continue to help those who would still face large increases over their previous rate bills. Although the total help that will need to be given through this scheme will be much reduced by the lower charges announced today, I expect that, together with the effect of community charge and other benefits, it will mean that the average charge actually paid in England will be less than £170.
  50
  The Bill will also require grants to be paid to charging authorities in England and Wales, and to local authorities in Scotland. It is our intention that the grants paid under these provisions should provide full compensation for the community charge income forgone and should also fully reimburse authorities for their reasonable additional administrative costs as a result of the reduction in charges. I also intend in England to advance the distribution of the non-domestic rates pool to offset the inevitable cash flow losses which authorities will incur as a result of this measure. Broadly similar funding arrangements are intended for Scotland and for Wales.

  All this means that where authorities have already issued their charge bills for 1991–92–which many have already done—they will need after the Bill's enactment to issue fresh bills reflecting the new lower charges. Until fresh bills are issued authorities may think it best not to enforce payment from their charge payers. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I propose to amend the regulations on the community charge demand notice slightly to provide the basis for the new bills, but we believe not in ways that would result in significant changes to authorities' computing arrangements. Where authorities have not yet issued their bills, they may think it right to suspend action until bills complying with the new arrangements can be issued.

  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland will be advising Scottish authorities about the details for billing and collecting charges.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Mortgage Repossessions
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Attorney-General how many court actions relating to mortgage repossessions there were in Cardiff county court in each year since 1979.

  The Attorney-General
  The number of mortgage actions for possession entered and orders made for possession in Cardiff county court in each year since 1986, the first year for which figures are available, are shown in the table.

  Number of mortgage possession actions entered

  Number of mortgage possession orders made

  1986

  518

  358

  1987

  750

  327

  1988

  685

  262

  1989

  622

  295

  1990

  973

  630

ENERGY

  Independent Generation
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list, stating size, fuel and ownership, all the independent generating projects of which his Department is aware.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  My Department is aware of 20 proposed major independent electricity generating projects which have been made public. The following is the information requested by the hon. Member:
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  Promoter/Consortium

  Location

  Estimated output (MW)

  Fuel

  Barking Power Ltd.

  Barking, London

  1,000

  Gas

  East Midlands Electricity plc/British Coal Corporation

  Bilsthorpe

  150

  Coal

  Berisford Bristar plc

  Brigg, South Humberside

  240

  Gas

  British Nuclear Fuels plc

  Calder Hall, Sellafield

  160

  Gas

  Corby Power Ltd.

  Corby, South Humberside

  350

  Gas

  Coryton Cogen Ltd.

  Coryton, Essex

  460

  Gas

  Deeside Power Development Co. Ltd.

  Deeside, Clywd

  450

  Gas

  MetroPower Ltd.

  Greenwich, London

  370

  Gas

  Energy Resources Ltd.

  Keadby, Humberside

  720

  Gas

  MetroPower Ltd.

  Lots Road, Chelsea, London

  370

  Gas

  Forth Energy Ltd.

  Newcastle

  150

  Gas

  Texaco Ltd./Mission Energy

  Pembroke, Dyfed, (Angle Bay)

  1,100–1,280

  Gas

  Peterborough Power Ltd.

  Peterborough

  355

  Gas

  Lakeland Power

  Roosecote, Cumbria

  235

  Gas

  Rugby Power Co. Ltd.

  Rugby, Warwickshire

  380

  Gas

  Kelt (UK) Ltd.

  Ryedale (Claypit Plantation)

  50–60

  Gas

  Sheffield Heat & Power

  Sheffield

  160

  Gas

  Shell UK Exploration Ltd.

  Shellhaven, Essex

  524

  Gas

  Neptune Consortium

  Teesside

  1,050

  Gas

  Tesside Power Ltd.

  Wilton, Cleveland

  1,725

  Gas

  Energy Efficiency
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy which of his Ministers has been given responsibility for energy use by his Department; and what is his brief regarding energy efficiency.

  Mr. Wakeham
  I chair the ministerial group on energy efficiency which is composed of a Minister from each major Government Department. My hon. Friend the Member for Wells (Mr. Heathcoat-Amory) represents the Department of Energy.

  Each Minister on the group is expected to take forward the energy efficiency campaign on the Government estate and secure 15 per cent. annual savings in their Department's energy bill by 1995–96. In addition, all Ministers on the group have agreed to consider how energy efficiency can be incorporated into their Department's policy and publicity initiatives. The group intends to promote and raise awareness of energy efficiency in all sectors of the economy.

  My hon. Friend and I also have specific responsibility for the work of the Energy Efficiency Office within the Department of Energy, which has the following main objectives:

  (i) to encourage consumers and buildings professionals to take action which will lead to improved energy efficiency, by stimulating their interest and providing them with specific and authoritative guidance on what can be achieved;

  (ii) to stimulate the development and application of energy management skills and techniques;

  (iii) to tackle market barriers such as the obstacles to public sector use of private sector expertise, and the inability of some low-income householders to raise funds and manage projects;

  (iv) to help develop technical standards.

  (v) to help the energy efficiency industry develop, and encourage it and the energy suppliers to develop and market goods and services which help consumers improve their energy efficiency;

  (vi) to promote combined heat and power where it is cost effective.

  Electricity Privatisation
  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what estimates were made, in preparing for privatisation of the electricity generating companies, of the 52
  average costs per tonne or equivalent (a) of transporting coal (i) by road and (ii) by rail from ports to power stations, (b) by tranche of coal supplied by British Coal to power stations, (c) of heavy fuel oil supplied to power stations, (d) of orimulsion supplied to power stations and (e) of imported coal by country of origin.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Fuel procurement is a commercial matter for the companies concerned. All material information relating to the companies is included in the prospectus, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

  Electricity Transit
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (i) what discussions he has had with organisations representing electricity consumers in the United Kingdom concerning the principle of third-party access prior to his negotiations with his EC counterparts on the EC's proposed regulation on electricity cross-border transit;

  (2) when he next expects to meet his EC counterparts regarding third-party access to electricity grids; and what considerations underlie his policy in these negotiations;

  (3) what consultations he has had with the chairmen of the regional electricity distribution companies, generating companies and Gridco, regarding the principle of third-party access in negotiations with the European Commission.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The directive on electricity transit was adopted by the Energy Council on 29 October 1990 and is to be implemented by 1 July 1991. Third-party access would go much further in contributing to an open and competitive market in electricity. The Commission has established two consultative committees to advise on third-party access: a member states committee and a parallel professional committee which includes the chairman of NGC and representatives from the generators and large consumers. My right hon. Friend will consider with his colleagues in the Energy Council any proposals which the Commission may bring forward.

TRANSPORT

  Buttermere Valley (Parking)
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received about the decision of Cumbria county council to restrict parking in the Buttermere valley; and what response he intends to make.

  Mr. Chope
  Including those that the hon. Member has sent me, the Department has received 16 separate representations about this matter. I understand that my right hon. Friend Secretary of State for the Environment has received a similar number.

  As I indicated in my previous reply on 11 March, this is essentially a local highways issue well within the management responsibilities of the county council as the locally elected highway authority.

  I shall arrange for all representations received to be passed to the county council for its information and action as it considers necessary.

  Energy Efficiency
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which of his Ministers has been given responsibility for energy use by his Department; and what is his brief regarding energy efficiency.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I am the Minister within the Department of Transport responsible for promoting energy efficiency and I represent the Department on the ministerial group on energy efficiency.

  My brief is to see that the Department meets the Government's target of a 3 per cent. annual saving in energy costs on its estate through to 1995–96, and to ensure that the Department promotes greater energy efficiency in its policy and publicity initiatives.

  International Leisure Group
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) at what point his Department was in a position to warn passengers of the problems they faced in relation to the financial difficulties confronting the International Leisure Group; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) when his Department became aware of the financial difficulties facing Air Europe; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  It is the responsibility of the Civil Aviation Authority to monitor the financial fitness of air carriers and air travel organisers. The Department of Transport was kept informed of the position as it developed and of the attempts to maintain trading. To have made public statements about the companies' financial affairs while there was still a serious prospect of rescue would simply have precipitated the crisis.

  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has met the chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority to discuss Air Europe.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Civil Aviation Authority has kept my right hon. and learned Friend informed of developments concerning Air Europe.

  Cyclists (Crash Helmets)
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Government are currently considering any proposals to make the wearing of crash helmets by cyclists compulsory.

  Mr. Chope
  No, but we do advise cyclists to wear safety helmets.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what statistics he has regarding the beneficial effects of the wearing of crash helmets by cyclists in the prevention of serious head injuries.

  Mr. Chope
  The standard road injury accident report provides no information on cyclist crash helmets, but hospital-based research suggests that if those seriously injured had worn helmets 11 per cent. would have been uninjured and 18 per cent. would have been only slightly injured.

  BR Rolling Stock
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last met the chairman of British Rail to discuss the performance of British Rail rolling stock during the recent severe weather; and what the results of that meeting were.

  Mr. Freeman
  Yesterday. British Rail has been carrying out a review of the railway's performance during the recent snow and it plans to announce the results shortly.

  M54
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in respect of the M54 in Shropshire what was the original cost, the cost of subsequent repairs and the lowest tender for the orginial construction to have been in tarmacadam rather than concrete.

  Mr. Chope
  The original construction cost was £26,248,992. Had the lowest tenders for blacktop construction been accepted the extra cost would have been £881,883.

  Repair costs to date including those programmed for 1990–91 total £5,303,500. The latter includes bridgeworks and covers part of the Staffordshire section for which Shropshire county council is responsible.

  Offshore Standby Vessels
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the names of all standby vessels currently certificated engaged in the offshore oil and gas industries, the year of build and the date of the last survey of each vessel.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I am placing in the Library a list of the names of all standby vessels currently certificated engaged in the offshore oil and gas industries, the year of build and the date of the last survey of each vessel.

  Motorway Driving
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to improve lane discipline in motorway driving.

  Mr. Chope
  My Department continues to attach high importance to improving standards of motorway driving.
  55
  As part of the "Safety on the Move" campaign we shall be mounting a fresh publicity initiative later this year about safe motorway driving practice, including lane discipline. This will complement the major police national motorway campaign to be launched in July, aimed at improving motorway driving standards. We have also commissioned research to investigate driver behaviour on motorways to help explore the further scope for improving safety and traffic flows on those roads.

  Headlight Dazzle
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to warn motorists of the danger of headlight dazzle.

  Mr. Chope
  The "Highway Code" advises drivers to dip their headlamps when meeting other vehicles or road users and before they dazzle the driver of a vehicle travelling in the same direction in front of them. The code emphasises that badly adjusted headlamps can dazzle road users and lead to accidents.

  Dazzle is also reduced if headlamps are correctly aimed on the vehicle. As I announced last year, the Department is introducing stricter arrangements for checking that new vehicles come off the production line with correctly aimed headlamps. We are also introducing a stricter check of headlamps aim into the MOT test.

  A12
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on progress to date on upgrading the A12 from Ipswich to Great Yarmouth including dualling and bypasses.

  Mr. Chope
  The proposals to upgrade the A 12 in Norfolk and Suffolk have been split into seven schemes. The Gorleston relief road is the most advanced with construction work scheduled to start on 5 April 1991. A preferred route for the Lowestoft relief road, extending the route southward to the Kessingland bypass, was announced on 9 November 1990 and the normal design and statutory procedures are now in hand. We expect to announce preferred routes for all the remaining schemes by 1993 and anticipate that the whole programme of improvements will be completed by the end of the decade.

PRIME MINISTER

  Camden
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his oral answer to the hon. Member for Hendon, South (Mr. Marshall) of 21 February,Official Report, column 434, what place is occupied by Camden in the list of authorities with (a) the highest community charge, net of safety net, (b) the worst education results and (c) the largest rent arrears; and if he will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  After it had been capped, reducing its charge by £34, Camden set a community charge of £500 in 1990–91, the third highest in England. After allowing for the effect of the safety net, Camden's charge after capping is £425, the 27th highest in England.

  Camden took over responsibility for education in April 1990. Before that it was part of the Inner London
  56
  education authority which, despite the highest spending per pupil in England, ranked 91st out of 96 local education authorities in terms of education results.

  As at 31 March 1990, Camden had arrears of rent of £7·45 million, representing approximately 18 per cent. of the rent roll, the 10th highest level in England.

  Engagements
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 19 March.

  The Prime Minister
  This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today. This evening I hope to have an audience of Her Majesty the Queen.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Books
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what assessment he has made concerning the availability of books for the national curriculum;

  (2) how many representations he has received concerning the availability of books for the national curriculum.

  Mr. Eggar
  The latest report from Her Majesty's senior chief inspector of schools says that most classrooms are adequately provided with books. But some schools will need to offer a wider range of books if they are to meet the full requirements of the national curriculum. That is why the Government are deploying specific grant to support £15 million expenditure on books for the national curriculum in the financial year 1991–92. My right hon. and learned Friend and I meet representatives of the educational publishers from time to time and over the last year have also received six letters about the availability of books from schools and members of the public.

  Primary Pupils (Testing)
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many representations he has received concerning primary testing in schools.

  Mr. Eggar
  Since 1 January this year the Department has received 187 letters from hon. Members and the general public, specifically concerned with the testing of primary school pupils.

  CTC/CCTA Funding Agreement
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what guidance or undertakings have been issued, in the event of the provisions of section 105(5) of the Education Reform Act 1988 and paragraph 24A(iv) of the model city technology college/Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency funding agreement being brought into operation on termination of a CTC/CCTA funding agreement, with respect to limitations on the percentage of the then market value of the relevant assets to be repaid to him.

  Mr. Eggar
  None.

  School Governors
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on his future plans for the training of school governors.

  Mr. Fallon
  Legal responsibility for the training of school governors rests with local education authorities, which plan in the light of local needs. This work is encouraged through central grants which will have supported some £17 million of expenditure in the three years to 1992. Grants are expected to continue at least at the same level in 1992–93. The Department will also continue to provide written information and advice to all governors free of charge, including a personal copy of the guide to the law which is regularly updated, and to support and subsidise the production of nationally available training materials.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has carried out any review of the effectiveness of expenditure under the education support grants for training of school governors; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Fallon
  In seeking approval for further instalments of central grant support all LEAs have since 1989 had to report on progress towards their school governor training targets. A survey by the National Foundation for Educational Research in summer 1990 showed that almost all governors had been offered training and over two thirds had attended training sessions. Her Majesty's inspectors of schools published a report in October 1989 on the early experiences of school governor training in a number of LEAs. A further HMI review is now under way and its findings will be published in the early autumn.

  Nuclear Structure Facility
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has as to whether the nuclear structure facility will be subject to peer review before any final decision is made on its future.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  At its meeting on 13 March, the Science and Engineering Research Council confirmed its decision to close the nuclear structure facility at its Daresbury laboratory, probably at the beginning of 1993. In reaching this decision the council took full account of the views of its Nuclear Physics Board as well as the representations it had received from the scientific community.

  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will be represented at the Nuclear Physics European Collaboration Committee meeting in Ruthin in the week beginning 18 March in connection with discussion on the future of the nuclear structure facility at Daresbury.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to be represented at this meeting.

  Birmingham City Action Team
  Mr. Terry Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many meetings of Birmingham city action team were held in 1990; and how many meetings have been held in the current year.
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  Mr. Alan Howarth
  The Birmingham city action team meets approximately once a month. It had 10 meetings in 1990 and has had four meetings in the first three months of 1991.

  Nursery Schools
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the spending for each local education authority in ranking order for the provision of nursery school places for the last year that figures are available.

  Mr. Eggar
  [holding answer 18 March 1991]: The last year for which expenditure on nursery schools was collected separately was 1986–87. For later years, authorities' returns of expenditure do not identify separate figures for nursery and primary schools.

  The table shows school-based recurrent spending on nursery schools. The figures do not include expenditure on nursery classes in primary schools.

  Net institutional expenditure1 in nursery schools 1986–872

  LEA

  £000

  ILEA

  7,623

  Lancashire

  2,481

  Birmingham

  1,987

  Durham

  1,917

  Staffordshire

  1,676

  Avon

  1,628

  Berkshire

  1,516

  Humberside

  1,481

  Hertfordshire

  1,337

  Salford

  1,166

  Bedfordshire

  1,021

  Derbyshire

  938

  Manchester

  929

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  862

  Sheffield

  744

  Sunderland

  715

  Rochdale

  666

  Stockport

  633

  Bradford

  611

  Cumbria

  591

  Cambridgeshire

  554

  Liverpool

  548

  Walsall

  541

  Cheshire

  525

  Nottinghamshire

  514

  Ealing

  512

  Brent

  491

  South Tyneside

  475

  Warwickshire

  456

  Wolverhampton

  438

  Dudley

  435

  Bolton

  434

  Kirklees

  422

  Northamptonshire

  386

  Oxfordshire

  385

  Surrey

  355

  Coventry

  345

  Barnet

  344

  Wakefield

  341

  Croydon

  339

  Tameside

  327

  Buckinghamshire

  325

  Waltham Forest

  290

  North Yorkshire

  243

  Norfolk

  244

  Lincolnshire

  240

  West Sussex

  230

  Wirral

  230

  Rotherham

  230

  North Tyneside

  219

  59

  LEA

  £000

  Northumberland

  213

  Leeds

  211

  Kingston upon Thames

  208

  Sandwell

  205

  East Sussex

  199

  Sefton

  195

  Essex

  184

  Sutton

  169

  Devon

  158

  Hampshire

  157

  Haringey

  157

  Wigan

  154

  Bury

  142

  Bexley

  124

  Barnsley

  112

  Shropshire

  111

  Suffolk

  103

  Cornwall

  94

  Calderdale

  90

  Cleveland

  90

  Hillingdon

  81

  Kent

  63

  St. Helens

  60

  Gateshead

  55

  Merton

  53

  Richmond upon Thames

  45

  Leicestershire

  31

  Somerset

  7

  Barking and Dagenham

  0

  Bromley

  0

  Enfield

  0

  Harrow

  0

  Havering

  0

  Hounslow

  0

  Redbridge

  0

  Solihull

  0

  Knowsley

  0

  Oldham

  0

  TrafTord

  0

  Doncaster

  0

  Dorset

  0

  Gloucestershire

  0

  Hereford and Worcester

  0

  Isle of Wight

  0

  Wiltshire

  0

  Newham

  n/a

  Notes:

  1 Net institutional spending includes the cost of salaries and wages, premises and certain supplies and services. The cost of central administration and of financing of capital expenditure is not included.

  2 The figures are taken from authorities' expenditure returns to Government.

  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish the number of nursery school places made available by each local education authority in ranking order for the last year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Eggar
  [holding answer 18 March 1991]: Information on the number of nursery places is not available centrally. The number of pupils in maintained nursery schools in each local education authority in rank order as at January 1990 is given in the table. This excludes pupils in nursery classes in maintained primary schools.

  Number of pupils in maintained nursery schools in rank order January 1990

  Number on roll

  1. Inner London

  4,187

  2. Lancashire

  3,397

  3. Durham

  2,519

  4. Birmingham

  2,371

  60

  Number on roll

  5. Berkshire

  2,119

  6. Staffordshire

  1,916

  7. Avon

  1,685

  8. Hertfordshire

  1,633

  9. Derbyshire

  1,549

  10. Bedfordshire

  1,356

  11. Humberside

  1,007

  12. Sunderland

  996

  13. Newham

  965

  14. Rochdale

  922

  15. Salford

  900

  16. Cumbria

  881

  17. Oxfordshire

  870

  18. Cheshire

  839

  19. South Tyneside

  827

  20. Wolverhampton

  820

  21. Stockport

  816

  22. Walsall

  780

  23. Warwickshire

  758

  24. Sheffield

  692

  25. Newcastle-upon-Tyne

  689

  26. Cambridgeshire

  669

  27. Nottinghamshire

  658

  28. Kirklees

  619

  29. Northamptonshire

  597

  30. Ealing

  572

  31. Liverpool

  533

  32. Barnet

  527

  33. Manchester

  521

  34. Buckinghamshire

  519

  35. Bradford

  518

  36. Bolton

  507

  37. Wakefield

  469

  38. West Sussex

  455

  39. Croydon

  432

  40. Coventry

  426

  41. Surrey

  410

  42. Norfolk

  399

  43. Rotherham

  357

  44. Hampshire

  338

  45. North Yorkshire

  334

  46. Tameside

  328

  47. Waltham Forest

  325

  48. Sefton

  319

  49. Dudley

  310

  50. Wirral

  308

  51. Leeds

  299

  52. Lincolnshire

  299

  53. East Sussex

  298

  54. North Tyneside

  292

  55. Devon

  276

  56. Brent

  267

  57. Essex

  252

  58. Haringey

  245

  59. Sutton

  240

  60. Kingston upon Thames

  233

  61. Sandwell

  209

  62. Bexley

  180

  63. Barnsley

  177

  64. Wigan

  170

  65. Shropshire

  162

  66. Bury

  162

  67. Cleveland

  156

  68. Northumberland

  147

  69. Hillingdon

  120

  70. Cornwall

  118

  71. Suffolk

  97

  72. Kent

  80

  73. St. Helens

  75

  74. Gateshead

  68

  75. Richmond upon Thames

  62

  76. Leicestershire

  50

  77. Isle of Wight

  0

  78. Barking

  0

  79. Calderdale

  0

  80. Harrow

  0

  81. Hounslow

  0

  61

  Number on roll

  82. Isles of Scilly

  0

  83. Redbridge

  0

  84. Bromley

  0

  85. Doncaster

  0

  86. Somerset

  0

  87. Dorset

  0

  88. Gloucestershire

  0

  89. Enfield

  0

  90. Trafford

  0

  91. Havering

  0

  92. Solihull

  0

  93. Oldham

  0

  94. Merton

  0

  95. Hereford and Worcester

  0

  96. Wiltshire

  0

  97. Knowsley

  0

  England

  51,678

  Note:

  (i) Includes full time and part time pupils

  (ii) Zeros indicate authorities with no nursery schools.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Value Added Tax
  Mr. French
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the required level of value added tax if the amount of tax levied through the community charge were collected through the VAT system.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge (Mr. Shersby) on 13 March at columns 553–54.

  Mr. Gregory
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the additional revenue that would be generated by raising to 25 per cent. the VAT rate on those products which were historically subject to a 25 per cent. purchase tax levy.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Around £5 billion at 1990–91 levels of expenditure.

  Company Cars
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the basis of environmental considerations concerning the cost of subsidies by the Exchequer towards the costs of company cars; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  I have received a number of such representations.

  Interest Rates
  Mr. Lawson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide a table showing for each year from 1979 to 1991 to date, the average real short-term interest rate in(a) the United Kingdom and (b) the Group of Seven as a whole, measuring the real United Kingdom interest rate in each case on the basis of the underlying rate of inflation.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  Following is the information:62

  Per cent.

  Year

  United Kingdom

  G7

  1979

  1·2

  0·0

  1980

  -0·1

  0·1

  1981

  2·1

  3·6

  1982

  3·6

  4·5

  1983

  4·9

  4·6

  1984

  5·3

  5·0

  1985

  6·9

  4·6

  1986

  7·4

  4·9

  1987

  6·0

  3·8

  1988

  5·7

  3·8

  1989

  7·8

  4·5

  1990

  7·1

  4·3

  Sources:

  OECD, CSO and national sources.

  Inflation
  Mr. Lawson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide a table for each year from 1970 to 1990 inclusive, showing(a) the average underlying rate of inflation in the United Kingdom, (b) the average rate of inflation in the United States and (c) the amount by which underlying United Kingdom inflation exceeds United States inflation.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  There are various ways of measuring underlying inflation. The following table shows the United Kingdom figures as measured by the RPI excluding mortgage interest payments and the community charge/rates. These figures are available only from 1976.

  Average annual increase in consumer prices

  United Kingdom1 Per cent.

  United States of America Per cent.

  Difference Per cent.

  1976

  16·9

  5·7

  11·2

  1977

  16·0

  6·5

  9·5

  1978

  8·5

  7·6

  0·9

  1979

  12·5

  11·3

  1·2

  1980

  16·7

  13·5

  3·2

  1981

  11·7

  10·3

  1·4

  1982

  8·3

  6·1

  2·2

  1983

  5·1

  3·2

  1·9

  1984

  4·4

  4·3

  0·1

  1985

  5·0

  3·5

  1·5

  1986

  3·3

  1·9

  1·4

  1987

  3·5

  3·7

  -0·2

  1988

  4·4

  4·1

  0·3

  1989

  5·7

  4·8

  0·9

  1990

  7·2

  5·4

  1·8

  1 All items RPI excluding mortgage interest payments and community charge/rates.

  Mr. Lawson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the average annual underlying rate of United Kingdom inflation for the periods(a) from July 1983 to October 1989 inclusive, (b) from July 1984 to October 1990 inclusive, (c) from July 1985 to October 1991 inclusive, using as a proxy for October 1991 the forecast for the fourth quarter of 1991 published in the 1991 FSBR, adjusted to provide a forecast for the underlying rate, and (d) from July 1985 to the latest available month, inclusive.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The average the RPI excluding mortgage interest community charge was:

  (i) 4·4 per cent. between July 198 inclusive;

  (ii) 4·4 per cent. between July 198 inclusive;

  63

  (iii) 4·8 per cent. between July 1985 and January 1991 inclusive.

  No forecast is published for underlying inflation.

  Public Sector Borrowing
  Mr. Lawson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total public sector borrowing requirement for(a) the period from June 1979 to June 1983 inclusive, (b) the period from July 1983 to October 1989 inclusive and (c) the period from November 1989 to the latest available month, inclusive.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The figures are as follows:

  £ million

  (a) June 1979 to June 1983

  40·5

  (b) July 1983 to October 1989

  4·6

  (c) November 1989 to February 1991

  -8·3

WALES

  Special Schools
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how the weighting accorded to the number of statemented pupils on the rolls of special schools is expected to influence the integration of pupils with special educational needs into ordinary schools.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The Education Act 1981 places a duty on local education authorities to secure that children with statements are educated in ordinary schools, subject to certain conditions. Wherever a child with a statement is placed, it is the responsibility of the LEA to ensure that the special educational provision specified in the statement is made and to allocate resources accordingly.

  Toxic Waste
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the ports in Wales currently registered for the import of toxic waste and the amount of such waste imported, by port, for the last available year; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  There is no requirement for ports to be registered for the importation of waste. The following amounts of hazardous waste were imported through ports in Wales for the year to March 1991: 156 tonnes through Holyhead, 1,346 tonnes through Newport and 5 tonnes through Swansea.

  Perinatal Mortality
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the perinatal mortality rate for the years 1986–87 to the present for (1) West Wales general hospital, Carmarthen, (2) Withybush hospital, Haverfordwest., (3) Singleton hospital, Swansea, (4) Morriston hospital and (5) Wales; and what information he has on comparable figures for Great Britain.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  Perinatal mortality rates on a hospital basis are not available centrally.

  Data from the registration system which are routinely published on an area of residence basis are reproduced in the following table with equivalent rates for Great Britain.
  64

  Perinatal Mortality Rates1

  Area of mother's usual residence2

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  Great Britain

  9·6

  8·9

  8·7

  8·4

  Wales

  10·3

  9·2

  8·6

  8·3

  District Health Authority Area

  East Dyfed

  12·5

  10·1

  9·1

  9·5

  Pembrokeshire

  38·0

  38·2

  313·4

  38·9

  West Glamorgan

  10·1

  9·5

  8·4

  7·6

  Source: Office of Population Censuses and Surveys

  1 Rates are perinatal deaths (stillbirths and deaths within the first week after birth) per 1,000 total (live and still) births.

  2 Not necessarily the area of delivery or death.

  3 Care should be taken in interpretation of these rates calculated from fewer than 20 events.

  Equal Opportunities
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many and what percentage of officers in each grade, 1 to 7, and overall in his Department are women.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I refer the hon. Lady to the reply that I gave to the hon. and learned Member for Leicester, West (Mr. Janner) on 7 March 1991 at columns 233–34.

  Air Pollution
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has any plans to operate air pollution monitoring sites in Wales on behalf of the Government in respect of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, atmospheric hydrocarbon, trace germs, atmospheric chemistry and multi-element sites; and if he will list other monitoring by independent organisations.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The coverage and density of the United Kingdom monitoring networks for airborne pollutants is kept under continual review. We are now planning to expand the network, as announced in the White Paper, "This Common Inheritance". As a first step we propose an improved urban system which will monitor carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and a range of atmospheric hydrocarbons, and will include a site in Wales.

  There is no centrally maintained list of monitoring by independent organisations.

  Housing Association Consultancy and Advisory Service
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many draft reports by HACAS in respect of Corlan Housing Association were presented to Tai Cymru before the final version; and what was the final fee paid to HACAS.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  I will ask the chairman of Tai Cymru to write to the hon. Gentleman.

  Rehabilitation Seating
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairman of the Welsh Health Common Services health auhority regarding(a) waiting lists, (b) funding requirements and (c) the method of transfer payment appropriate from 1 April, for rehabilitation seating provided by the rehabilitation engineering unit at Rookwood hospital.
  65
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  None. Management and financial responsibility for the rehabilitation engineering unit rests with the South Glamorgan health authority.

  South Glamorgan Hospitals
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what consideration he gave, prior to his approval of South Glamorgan health authority's proposals to transfer services provided at Glan Ely hospital to the Prince of Wales hospital at Rhydlafar to(a) the capacity of the foul drains at the Prince of Wales hospital to accept sluicings from the disposable bed pan mashing equipment currently used at Glan Ely hospital and (b) the cross-infection risk between geriatric and non-geriatric patients in physiotherapy and occupational therapy departments;

  (2) what consideration he gave, prior to his approval of South Glamorgan health authority's proposals to transfer services provided at the children's ENT hospital, Ely, to the University Hospital of Wales, to (i) the recent medical audit report on the relative costs of children's ENT operations at the children's ENT hospital, Ely, and (ii) the involuntary departures of the unit general manager, chief nursing officer, chief finance officer and chief personnel officer from the University Hospital of Wales.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The considerations given to the authority's proposals are set out in the decision letter issued on 7 March.

  Changes in senior personnel at University Hospital of Wales are a matter for South Glamorgan health authority, which advises that a number of staff are moving as part of an agreed programme to strengthen financial and clinical management as the authority prepares for the NHS changes in April.

  I regret that the hon. Gentleman has used parliamentary privilege to make careless, unfounded insinuations against public officials. I hope that in future he will ensure that any statements he makes have been verified.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will visit Glan Ely hospital and St. David's hospital, Cardiff.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  At present, neither my right hon. Friend nor I have any plans to visit these hospitals.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will visit the children's ward at Prince of Wales hospital, Rhydlafar.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  I visited the ward on 15 March.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Maternity Provision
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the cost per annum of Britain's current maternity provision; and what this figure is as a percentage of the national payroll.

  Mr. Jack
  The total estimated cost of financial provision for maternity in the 1990–91 year is £395 million made up as follows:

  £million

  Statutory Maternity Pay

  340

  State Maternity Allowance

  34

  Social Fund Maternity payments

  21

  66
  In addition, there are costs to industry resulting from the right of those women employees who meet the relevant qualifying conditions to return to work after maternity absence. It is difficult to estimate these costs, but they may reasonably be expected to be in the range £200 million to £300 million per annum.

  It is estimated that the cost to industry and the state is in the range 0·17 to 0·2 per cent. of total labour costs over the economy as a whole which are running at well over £300 billion.

  Occupational Pensions
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to increase the £35 disregard in income from occupational pensions above which unemployment benefit is reduced for people over the age of 55 years.

  Mr. Jack
  We have no plans to increase the disregard.

  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the real-term value of the £35 disregard on income from occupational pensions above which unemployment benefit is abated for people over the age of 55 years in relation to its level in 1981.

  Mr. Jack
  If the disregard had been increased in line with the RPI at January 1991 it would be £61·50.

  Disability Working Allowance
  Mr. Hannam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will give details of the functions to be assessed by the functional test on the disability working allowance; and which disability organisations he has consulted regarding the details of the test;

  (2) whether his Department has drafted details of the functional test on the disability working allowance.

  Mr. Scott
  The test of functional disability for the disability working allowance—DWA—will be based upon the method of assessing disability developed by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys for its survey of disabled people in Great Britain. Research is currently under way to ensure that the test, which will use claimants' own assessment of their abilities, works satisfactorily. Very early indications are that a large majority of disabled people are happy to complete a self-assessment form similar to the one we have in mind for DWA. The research should be completed in April 1991.

  Our proposals were developed in the light of discussions between officials and representatives of a number of disability organisations and other experts in the field.

  Pensions
  Mr. Bernie Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to reach a social security agreement with Caribbean countries to enable those retiring there to receive annual increments to their old age pension.

  Mr. Jack
  The United Kingdom has a reciprocal social security agreement with Jamaica which provides for the payment of annual pension increases. Negotiations for an agreement with Barbados are nearly complete. This will provide for future pension increases to be paid after the agreement comes into force. We have no plans to negotiate agreements with any of the other Caribbean countries.
  67
  Mr. Bernie Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list those countries which have a reciprocal agreement with Britain which ensures that retired people who are entitled to a British pension receive an annual increase.

  Mr. Jack
  The United Kingdom has reciprocal social security agreements, providing for the payment of annual pension increases, with the following countries:

  Austria

  Jamaica

  Belgium

  Jersey

  Bermuda

  Luxembourg

  Cyprus

  Malta

  Finland

  Mauritius

  France

  Netherlands

  Germany

  Philippines

  Gibraltar

  Portugal

  Guernsey

  Spain

  Iceland

  Sweden

  Ireland

  Switzerland

  Isle of Man

  Turkey

  Israel

  United States of America

  Italy

  Yugoslavia

  Pension increases are also paid to pensioners living in Sark by virtue of a provision of the Social Security (Persons Abroad) Regulations 1975.

  Darnley Estate, Glasgow
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the visit by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Fylde (Mr. Jack), to Darnley housing estate in Glasgow on 1 March and on the conditions and problems he encountered there.

  Mr. Jack
  The Darnley housing estate was one of a number of locations visited within the catchment area of the Glasgow Southside social security office. These brief visits provided a useful insight into the social and economic conditions being faced by those receiving various forms of benefits from this well-run local office.

  Care Home Trusts
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what guidance he has given to local adjudication officers dealing with claims for income support to enable them to determine whether or not a local authority has placed the claimants in a care home trust.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Eligibility for income support is defined by regulations and is available in respect of fees, up to certain limits, to residents of registered residential care homes and in certain other types of homes. Independent ajudication officers receive guidance on the interpretation of the regulations by the chief adjudication officer in the "Adjudication Officers Guide", a copy of which is available in the Library.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the hon. Member for Walsall, North will receive a reply to his letter of 12 February concerning Mr. Walker.

  Mr. Scott
  I have replied to the hon. Member today.

  Social Fund
  Dr. Twinn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish the 1991–92 discretionary social fund budget, giving details of the allocations that will be made to each of the district offices.

  Mr. Scott
  The 1991–92 gross budget for the discretionary part of the social fund will be £227·7 million, comprising £160 million for loans and £67·7 million for community care grants. In accordance with the Department's published commitment to move to a formal cash limit on the discretionary part of the fund, agreement has been reached with the Treasury that, with effect from the start of the financial year, it will be subject to a formal cash limit of £100 million net. I have placed a list of all district office allocations in the Library.

  Mr. Sumberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many payments were made from the social fund in 1988–89 and 1989–90 analysed by type of payment.

  Mr. Scott
  [pursuant to his reply, 5 March 1991, c. 124]: I regret that the answer given was incomplete. The full answer should have been:
  Payments were as follows:

  thousands

  1988–89

  1989–90

  Maternity payments

  170

  175

  Funeral payments

  40

  45

  Community care grants

  155

  230

  Budget loans

  505

  580

  Crisis loans

  380

  450

  Cold weather payments

  1

  45

  It should be noted that the figures for payments in 1988–89 given in the recent social security departmental report—Cm. 1514—were incorrect; the figures given above should be substituted. Arrangements have been made for a correction slip to be produced. This will be inserted in remaining HMSO stocks of the departmental report and sent to all known purchasers. Copies will also be sent to the Vote Office and Printed Paper Office.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Broadcasting
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the EC directive on transfrontier broadcasting will be incorporated into the United Kingdom law.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Article 25 of the directive requires member states to bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to implement its provisions not later than 3 October 1991. We shall comply with this requirement. To the extent that new statutory powers are necessary for this purpose these were included in the Broadcasting Act 1990.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultations he has held with the Advertising Standards Authority regarding the EC directive on transfrontier broadcasting.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The Home Office consulted a wide range of advertising interests about the relevant provisions
  69
  of the EC directive while it was under negotiation, but since television advertising is not within the remit of the Advertising Standards Authority it was not appropriate to include the authority in these consultations.

  Circuses
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he plans to introduce legislation concerning the treatment of animals in circuses.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Circus animals are protected by the Protection of Animals Act 1911 as well as the Performing Animals (Regulation) Act 1925. These Acts together provide for, among other things, the registration of trainers, the inspection of premises by local authorities and the prosecution of anyone who causes any animal unnecessary suffering. This gives circus animals both general and specific protection and we have no plans for further legislation.

  Animals (Scientific Procedures)
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many members of his Department's inspectorate of scientific procedures on living animals on 31 December 1990 were based in(a) England, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  These figures are routinely given in the "Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals Great Britain"—table 28 in 1989: Cm. 1152. On 31 December 1990, there were 19 members of the Home Office animals (scientific procedures) inspectorate in post. Sixteen inspectors were based in London and the regional offices in England; and three in the office in Scotland. There is no office in Wales.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to publish annually the number of designated places for scientific procedures on living animals in each of(a) England, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Statistics on the number of certificates of designation issued each year under section 6 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, and of the number of such certificates in force in Great Britain, are published annually in the "Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals"—table 29 in 1989: Cm 1152—and in chapter 2 of the annual reports of the Animal Procedures Committee. There are no plans to disaggregate this information on a more localised basis.

  Mr. Gale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if his Department has evaluated or will evaluate the number of additional animals, by species, that will be used in medical research in order to meet the regulatory requirements for the licensing of new human medical products imposed by EC draft directive (III 9026/90/Rev 1) if implemented;

  (2) if his Department has evaluated or will evaluate the number of additional animals, by species, that will be used in medical research in order to meet the regulatory requirements for the licensing of new veterinary products imposed by EC draft directive (III 9026/90/Rev 1) if implemented.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The task of the Home Office is to license and regulate scientific procedures on living animals under 70
  the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. My right hon. Friend is not in a position to estimate in advance the number of project licences which may be sought, or the number of procedures authorised by those licences which may be carried out, for any particular purpose.

  Animal Cruelty
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals about the case for new legislation to prevent those convicted of cruelty to animals being able lawfully to own domestic pets.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  We have recently received a letter giving notice that the society will be seeking a mandatory ban on keeping animals in future for those convicted of certain types of offences of cruelty to animals. I understand that such a ban might well go beyond disqualifying offenders from keeping domestic pets.

  Trevi Group
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost of United Kingdom involvement in the Trevi Group in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  The information could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Trevi Group will produce a policy paper for public discussion on the interpretation of police practices in the EC.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  There are no such proposals. The purpose of Trevi is to develop practical police co-operation among European Community member states. A range of measures currently under consideration in Trevi is outlined in the programme of action approved in Dublin on 15 June 1990, a copy of which is in the Library.

  Siobhan McKane
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will change the category of Siobhan McKane from A to B; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Siobhan McKane has been placed temporarily in category A in the light of the offence with which she is charged. This categorisation will be kept under review. No prisoner is held in category A for any longer than is considered necessary.

  Bedding Material
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children under the age of five years have been involved in fires due to bedding material in each year since 1980; and what proportion of the children died as a result of the fires.

  Mr. John Patten
  The readily available information is shown in the table.
  71

  Children aged under 5 injured in accidental dwelling fires attended by local authority fire brigades, where the material first ignited was bedding1 1981–89 (United Kingdom)

  Year

  Number of casualties

  Percentage of casualties leading to death

  Fatal

  Non-fatal

  Total

  1981

  6

  45

  51

  12

  1982

  9

  55

  64

  14

  1983

  5

  67

  72

  7

  1984

  5

  90

  95

  5

  1985

  10

  77

  87

  11

  1986

  14

  86

  100

  14

  1987

  16

  86

  102

  16

  1988

  10

  73

  83

  12

  1989

  12

  97

  109

  11

  1 Bedding is defined as all bedding on the bed including mattress covers, but not beds or mattresses or cases where the electrical insulation of an electric blanket first ignited.

  Source: Home Office Fire Statistics.

  Foreign Prisoners
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of the whole prison population convicted of drugs and related offences at 1 February were foreign nationals; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The latest information which is readily available centrally relates to sentenced prisoners, excluding fine defaulters, on 30 June 1990 convicted of drugs offences. Of 3,160 such prisoners about 1,260–40 per cent.—were recorded as foreign nationals; nationality was not recorded for some 80–3 per cent.

  We are planning to publicise abroad the long prison sentences which drug smugglers can expect on conviction in this country in the hope that this may dissuade some foreign nationals from bringing drugs into the United Kingdom.

  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, from the convicted prison population on 1 February, what were the total numbers and percentages of the whole of(a) non-British EC nationals and (b) non-EC nationals.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The latest information which is readily available centrally relates to sentenced prisoners, excluding fine defaulters on 30 June 1990. Of 34,880 such prisoners about 630–1·8 per cent.—were recorded as non-British EC nationals and about 2,540–7·3 per cent.—were recorded as non-EC nationals; nationality was not recorded for some 2,600–7·4 per cent. Around 420 of the EC nationals were recorded as nationals of the Republic of

  Numbers of passengers refused leave to enter at Heathrow by nationality and month, 1990

  Geographical region/Nationality

  Jan

  Feb

  Mar

  Apr

  May

  Jun

  Jul

  Aug

  Sep

  Oct

  Nov

  Dec

  Total

  European Community

  Belgium

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Denmark

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  3—

  France

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  3—

  Germany1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  3—

  Greece

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  3—

  Italy

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  3—

  Luxembourg

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  72
  Ireland, but the information is not completely reliable because it depends upon information provided by the prisoner.

  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make it his policy to return to country of origin all convicted foreign nationals in prisons unless there are compelling reasons to hold them in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will bring forward a scheme for automatic repatriation of convicted drugs offenders who are non-British nationals with a lifetime ban on return to the United Kingdom.

  Mr. John Patten
  Arrangements already exist under the Council of Europe convention on the transfer of sentenced persons, to which most European countries, the United States of America and Canada are party, for the repatriation of prisoners to complete custodial sentences in their own countries. We expect to be in a position before long to join the Commonwealth scheme which will provide for prisoners to be transferred between the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries which may join the scheme. However, repatriations under these and any other international arrangements to which we may subscribe under the Repatriation of Prisoners Act 1984 require the consent of the prisoner and of both governments concerned.

  The Immigration Act 1971 provides powers to deport those subject to immigration control who are convicted of criminal offences in this country. In particular, the courts may recommend deportation in addition to imposing a term of imprisonment. A deportation order, once made, bars re-entry to the United Kingdom for as long as it remains in force.

  The Gulf
  Mr. Ron Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the International Communist party about the arrest of any of its members during an anti-Gulf war demonstration in London on 27 January; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  None. There were no arrests.

  Immigration
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons, by nationality, were refused entry to the United Kingdom at(a) Heathrow, (b) Gatwick and (c) Dover in each month in 1990.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 12 March 1991]: The available information is given in the tables. Not all the passengers have been removed from the United Kingdom.
  73

  Geographical region/Nationality

  Jan

  Feb

  Mar

  Apr

  May

  Jun

  Jul

  Aug

  Sep

  Oct

  Nov

  Dec

  Total

  Netherlands

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  3—

  Portugal

  2—

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  5

  2—

  2—

  14

  Spain

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3—

  Western Europe (excluding EC)

  Austria

  2—

  2—

  5

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  32

  Cyprus

  8

  13

  7

  2—

  5

  10

  7

  6

  13

  15

  8

  2—

  99

  Finland

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  —

  22

  Malta

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  3—

  Norway

  6

  —

  2—

  2—

  6

  2—

  2—

  2—

  7

  5

  2—

  —

  36

  Sweden

  8

  7

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  5

  7

  8

  2—

  —

  57

  Switzerland

  2—

  7

  2—

  2—

  —

  5

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  7

  —

  35

  Turkey

  50

  40

  33

  22

  15

  25

  24

  17

  19

  15

  15

  20

  295

  Yugoslavia

  41

  28

  38

  39

  22

  26

  43

  37

  31

  40

  24

  34

  403

  Eastern Europe

  Bulgaria

  —

  13

  2—

  2—

  —

  9

  2—

  5

  2—

  5

  —

  2—

  41

  Czechoslovakia

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  5

  7

  —

  22

  G.D.R.

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3—

  Hungary

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  9

  10

  10

  42

  Poland

  2—

  10

  7

  6

  5

  2—

  2—

  2—

  5

  2—

  2—

  2—

  47

  Romania

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  13

  USSR

  7

  2—

  2—

  2—

  13

  —

  19

  8

  10

  8

  10

  10

  91

  Americas

  Argentina

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  29

  Barbados

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  20

  Brazil

  26

  40

  55

  34

  33

  40

  23

  38

  31

  42

  33

  38

  433

  Canada

  8

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  6

  7

  5

  10

  7

  9

  6

  70

  Chile

  —

  —

  5

  2—

  —

  5

  7

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  5

  30

  Colombia

  10

  9

  22

  31

  25

  17

  24

  16

  11

  19

  21

  23

  228

  Cuba

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Guyana

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  6

  2—

  2—

  —

  6

  11

  6

  5

  46

  Jamaica

  32

  27

  33

  28

  31

  29

  30

  26

  35

  41

  10

  7

  329

  Mexico

  2—

  —

  5

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  5

  2—

  26

  Peru

  12

  5

  2—

  5

  6

  5

  2—

  2—

  6

  5

  6

  2—

  61

  Trinidad & Tobago

  7

  9

  7

  6

  8

  2—

  9

  2—

  14

  11

  5

  8

  92

  USA

  57

  41

  43

  51

  35

  32

  38

  31

  39

  43

  34

  30

  474

  Uruguay

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3—

  Venezuela

  2—

  2—

  2—

  6

  2—

  5

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  9

  38

  Africa

  Algeria

  148

  139

  153

  9

  15

  5

  17

  11

  8

  7

  7

  6

  525

  Egypt

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  5

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  5

  27

  Ethiopia

  2—

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  8

  5

  5

  5

  8

  38

  Ghana

  29

  23

  17

  16

  19

  25

  21

  24

  32

  21

  15

  34

  276

  Kenya

  13

  11

  16

  16

  13

  14

  16

  9

  16

  20

  17

  13

  174

  Libya

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  6

  2—

  2—

  2—

  6

  2—

  —

  2—

  26

  Mauritius

  16

  11

  13

  13

  9

  12

  12

  14

  9

  14

  15

  9

  147

  Morocco

  27

  30

  59

  15

  12

  12

  18

  15

  14

  13

  6

  12

  233

  Nigeria

  46

  37

  35

  29

  24

  33

  46

  33

  42

  59

  64

  80

  528

  Sierra Leone

  6

  8

  2—

  5

  6

  2—

  2—

  12

  6

  2—

  5

  12

  74

  Somalia

  2—

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  5

  5

  2—

  2—

  6

  —

  33

  South Africa

  18

  22

  26

  22

  18

  17

  16

  22

  21

  12

  15

  11

  220

  Sudan

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  3—

  Tanzania

  10

  2—

  8

  6

  5

  2—

  7

  2—

  9

  2—

  8

  6

  72

  Tunisia

  8

  15

  16

  7

  9

  11

  5

  5

  2—

  5

  8

  8

  99

  Uganda

  2—

  7

  19

  18

  18

  21

  12

  17

  21

  18

  14

  23

  190

  Zambia

  9

  7

  8

  9

  9

  6

  5

  2—

  2—

  10

  6

  7

  83

  Zimbabwe

  7

  9

  5

  8

  10

  15

  12

  14

  6

  8

  9

  17

  120

  Asia

  Indian sub-continent

  Bangladesh

  25

  24

  11

  27

  26

  25

  16

  28

  29

  26

  19

  54

  310

  India

  35

  18

  49

  19

  40

  38

  32

  31

  32

  26

  20

  27

  367

  Pakistan

  19

  17

  26

  13

  20

  24

  47

  20

  34

  30

  14

  22

  286

  Middle East

  Iran

  25

  13

  18

  6

  24

  39

  48

  26

  38

  30

  16

  38

  321

  Iraq

  2—

  —

  5

  2—

  2—

  2—

  5

  9

  22

  2—

  2—

  2—

  53

  Israel

  6

  2—

  8

  6

  9

  5

  2—

  10

  9

  2—

  2—

  2—

  72

  Jordan

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  20

  Kuwait

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3—

  Lebanon

  —

  6

  8

  8

  6

  5

  2—

  2—

  8

  11

  11

  7

  78

  Saudi Arabia

  2—

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  —

  2—

  14

  Syria

  13

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  5

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  42

  74 75

  Geographical region/Nationality

  Jan

  Feb

  Mar

  Apr

  May

  Jun

  Jul

  Aug

  Sep

  Oct

  Nov

  Dec

  Total

  Remainder of Asia

  China

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  10

  —

  10

  —

  2—

  7

  5

  41

  Indonesia

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  13

  21

  Japan

  12

  6

  12

  8

  6

  12

  2—

  5

  6

  7

  2—

  2—

  86

  Malaysia

  10

  29

  17

  42

  34

  33

  20

  30

  35

  24

  28

  51

  353

  Philippines

  2—

  12

  8

  2—

  10

  6

  7

  9

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  70

  Singapore

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  6

  2—

  6

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  36

  Sri Lanka

  9

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  5

  8

  2—

  5

  5

  12

  58

  Thailand

  2—

  5

  —

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  10

  2—

  —

  —

  28

  Hong Kong BDTC

  2—

  6

  8

  10

  9

  11

  8

  13

  10

  6

  9

  6

  99

  Australasia

  Australia

  10

  2—

  16

  5

  11

  10

  5

  12

  8

  2—

  9

  2—

  97

  New Zealand

  5

  6

  7

  2—

  14

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  7

  6

  2—

  61

  British Overseas Citizens

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  6

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  28

  Other countries not specified elsewhere

  40

  34

  55

  36

  29

  52

  65

  55

  62

  56

  43

  48

  575

  Stateless

  17

  17

  23

  22

  23

  31

  32

  24

  15

  21

  28

  35

  288

  All nationalities

  886

  815

  953

  658

  691

  759

  810

  740

  818

  794

  678

  832

  9,434

  1 Unified Germany from 3 October 1990.

  2—Between 1 and 4.

  3—Between 1 and 9.

  Numbers of passengers refused leave to enter at Gatwick by nationality and month, 1990

  Geographical region/Nationality

  Jan

  Feb

  Mar

  Apr

  May

  Jun

  Jul

  Aug

  Sep

  Oct

  Nov

  Dec

  Total

  European Community

  Belgium

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  3—

  Denmark

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3—

  France

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3—

  Germany1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  3—

  Greece

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Italy

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Luxembourg

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Netherlands

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Portugal

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  3—

  Spain

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  3—

  Western Europe (excluding EC)

  Austria

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  24

  Cyprus

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3—

  Finland

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Malta

  2—

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  3—

  Norway

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  12

  Sweden

  6

  2—

  2—

  —

  7

  2—

  5

  2—

  —

  6

  5

  2—

  37

  Switzerland

  2—

  5

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  5

  —

  2—

  22

  Turkey

  10

  2—

  2—

  9

  5

  5

  7

  10

  11

  14

  27

  11

  116

  Yugoslavia

  7

  9

  18

  14

  22

  20

  14

  10

  12

  21

  23

  13

  183

  Eastern Europe

  Bulgaria

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Czechoslovakia

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  3—

  G.D.R.

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Hungary

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  3—

  Poland

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  3—

  Romania

  —

  —

  —

  —.

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  3—

  USSR

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  3—

  Americas

  Argentina

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  13

  Barbados

  2—

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  12

  Brazil

  6

  2—

  8

  5

  13

  5

  2—

  9

  8

  10

  9

  2—

  85

  Canada

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  25

  Chile

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  14

  Colombia

  9

  2—

  8

  11

  21

  9

  14

  2—

  2—

  11

  13

  13

  117

  Cuba

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  3—

  Cuyana

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  10

  Jamaica

  16

  21

  19

  12

  21

  16

  15

  6

  19

  23

  50

  41

  259

  Mexico

  6

  2—

  6

  —

  2—

  9

  6

  5

  8

  7

  2—

  6

  64

  Peru

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  —

  22

  Trinidad & Tobago

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  —

  15

  76 77

  Geographical region/Nationality

  Jan

  Feb

  Mar

  Apr

  May

  Jun

  Jul

  Aug

  Sep

  Oct

  Nov

  Dec

  Total

  USA

  50

  33

  47

  40

  49

  40

  47

  31

  50

  65

  38

  32

  522

  Uruguay

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  3—

  Venezuela

  2—

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  3—

  Africa

  Algeria

  7

  2—

  12

  6

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  39

  Egypt

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  3—

  Ethiopia

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  3—

  Ghana

  20

  2—

  11

  18

  16

  13

  7

  14

  10

  7

  8

  15

  141

  Kenya

  2—

  —

  2—

  —

  2—

  —

  6

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  16

  Libya

  2—

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  3—

  Mauritius

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  —

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  17

  Morocco

  32

  15

  63

  13

  2—

  2—

  9

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  11

  164

  Nigeria

  18

  13

  20

  21

  30

  14

  21

  30

  36

  46

  39

  46

  334

  Sierra Leone

  13

  6

  2—

  9

  11

  10

  18

  19

  15

  35

  13

  24

  177

  Somalia

  19

  7

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  36

  South Africa

  8

  5

  18

  7

  9

  8

  13

  12

  7

  10

  8

  5

  110

  Sudan

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3—

  Tanzania

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  10

  Tunisia

  7

  5

  10

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  33

  Uganda

  22

  26

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  62

  Zambia

  10

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  31

  Zimbabwe

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  9

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  7

  2—

  2—

  34

  Asia

  Indian sub-continent

  Bangladesh

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  3—

  India

  2—

  5

  2—

  17

  5

  2—

  2—

  12

  8

  7

  2—

  9

  76

  Pakistan

  5

  15

  2—

  2—

  5

  7

  9

  17

  19

  17

  16

  16

  131

  Middle East

  Iran

  5

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  7

  2—

  7

  9

  7

  2—

  12

  59

  Iraq

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  5

  2—

  —

  2—

  —

  11

  Israel

  9

  2—

  5

  6

  8

  5

  7

  12

  5

  10

  6

  7

  84

  Jordan

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  3—

  Kuwait

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Lebanon

  2—

  12

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  25

  Saudi Arabia

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3—

  Syria

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  3—

  Remainder of Asia

  China

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  10

  2—

  20

  Indonesia

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  —

  3—

  Japan

  13

  2—

  2—

  5

  7

  7

  2—

  11

  7

  2—

  2—

  6

  72

  Malaysia

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  9

  6

  7

  13

  2—

  2—

  52

  Philippines

  —

  2—

  —

  2—

  19

  2—

  10

  7

  9

  2—

  2—

  11

  68

  Singapore

  2—

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  3—

  Sri Lanka

  2—

  9

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  5

  8

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  41

  Thailand

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  3—.

  Hong Kong BDTC

  5

  6

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  5

  2—

  5

  2—

  8

  43

  Australasia

  Australia

  6

  5

  2—

  5

  2—

  5

  2—

  8

  7

  12

  5

  6

  69

  New Zealand

  2—

  2—

  10

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  5

  2—

  2—

  40

  British Overseas Citizens

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  5

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  18

  Other countries not specified elsewhere

  32

  9

  26

  25

  29

  43

  28

  21

  25

  35

  33

  34

  340

  Stateless

  6

  7

  13

  16

  16

  13

  13

  12

  27

  21

  17

  32

  193

  All nationalities

  395

  271

  353

  280

  367

  290

  324

  327

  361

  450

  390

  408

  4,216

  1 Unified Germany from 3 October 1990.

  2—Between 1 and 4.

  3—Between 1 and 9.

  Numbers of passengers refused leave to enter al Dover by nationality and month, 1990

  Geographical region/Nationality

  Jan

  Feb

  Mar

  Apr

  May

  Jun

  Jul

  Aug

  Sep

  Oct

  Nov

  Dec

  Total

  European Community

  Belgium

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  3—

  Denmark

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  France

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  13

  Germany1

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  3—

  78 79

  Geographical region/Nationality

  Jan

  Feb

  Mar

  Apr

  May

  Jun

  Jul

  Aug

  Sep

  Oct

  Nov

  Dec

  Total

  Greece

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3—

  Italy

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  3—

  Luxembourg

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Netherlands

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  19

  Portugal

  5

  5

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  2—

  5

  —

  —

  2—

  21

  Spain

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  3—

  Western Europe (excluding EC)

  Austria

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  5

  2—

  2—

  6

  2—

  2—

  2—

  31

  Cyprus

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  14

  Finland

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  3—

  Malta

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  3—

  Norway

  2—

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  3—

  Sweden

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  5

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  26

  Switzerland

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  22

  Turkey

  2—

  2—

  2—

  6

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  7

  7

  11

  52

  Yugoslavia

  15

  19

  18

  19

  30

  13

  34

  22

  22

  14

  12

  8

  226

  Eastern Europe

  Bulgaria

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  6

  15

  Czechoslovakia

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  6

  34

  14

  7

  75

  G.D.R.

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  34

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  43

  Hungary

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  19

  10

  6

  47

  Poland

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  23

  Romania

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  3—

  USSR

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  5

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  16

  Americas

  Argentina

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  7

  2—

  2—

  24

  Barbados

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3—

  Brazil

  9

  16

  7

  16

  24

  22

  19

  10

  19

  35

  23

  21

  221

  Canada

  2—

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  5

  2—

  27

  Chile

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  5

  2—

  5

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  18

  Colombia

  17

  19

  16

  31

  23

  53

  19

  34

  10

  28

  10

  7

  267

  Cuba

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Guyana

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  2—

  3—

  Jamaica

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  —

  10

  Mexico

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  5

  6

  8

  2—

  2—

  38

  Peru

  2—

  2—

  5

  2—

  5

  2—

  2—

  5

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  36

  Trinidad & Tobago

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3—

  USA

  13

  2—

  9

  14

  19

  21

  16

  24

  27

  28

  22

  12

  207

  Uruguay

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  3—

  Venezuela

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  3—

  Africa

  Algeria

  74

  56

  46

  2—

  11

  13

  2—

  2—

  2—

  10

  9

  8

  222

  Egypt

  —

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3—

  Ethiopia

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3—

  Ghana

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  6

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  24

  Kenya

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  3—

  Libya

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Mauritius

  6

  2—

  2—

  5

  2—

  7

  5

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  9

  51

  Morocco

  28

  19

  17

  7

  6

  2—

  9

  10

  10

  2—

  2—

  2—

  118

  Nigeria

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  35

  Sierra Leone

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  17

  Somalia

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  3—

  South Africa

  6

  11

  15

  15

  9

  11

  18

  15

  14

  18

  16

  12

  160

  Sudan

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  3—

  Tanzania

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3—

  Tunisia

  2—

  2—

  6

  2—

  —

  2—

  8

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  34

  Uganda

  —

  5

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  17

  Zambia

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  3—

  Zimbabwe

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3—

  Indian sub-continent

  Bangladesh

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  3—

  India

  —

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  6

  17

  Pakistan

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  —

  5

  2—

  2—

  —

  —

  13

  Middle East

  Iran

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3—

  Iraq

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Israel

  5

  2—

  2—

  2—

  5

  2—

  6

  10

  2—

  7

  9

  2—

  54

  Jordan

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  3—

  Kuwait

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Lebanon

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  3—

  80 81

  Geographical region/Nationality

  Jan

  Feb

  Mar

  Apr

  May

  Jun

  Jul

  Aug

  Sep

  Oct

  Nov

  Dec

  Total

  Saudi Arabia

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Syria

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Remainder of Asia

  China

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  5

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  3—

  Indonesia

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Japan

  2—

  2—

  2—

  5

  2—

  5

  6

  9

  7

  7

  —

  2—

  51

  Malaysia

  2—

  8

  6

  16

  43

  34

  20

  11

  40

  24

  5

  18

  226

  Philippines

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  2—

  Singapore

  —

  2—

  —

  2—

  —

  2—

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  10

  Sri Lanka

  2—.

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  2—

  3—

  Thailand

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  3—

  Hong Kong BDTC

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  21

  2—

  8

  10

  11

  2—

  2—

  72

  Australasia

  Australia

  —

  —

  —

  2—

  6

  7

  5

  2—

  8

  8

  5

  2—

  50

  New Zealand

  2—

  —

  —

  2—

  2—

  2

  5

  2—

  2—

  2—

  —

  2—

  20

  British Overseas Citizens

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  5

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  5

  Other countries not specified elsewhere

  9

  17

  18

  21

  51

  25

  12

  18

  24

  12

  12

  17

  236

  Stateless

  28

  42

  5

  51

  57

  46

  53

  47

  49

  55

  63

  73

  569

  All nationalities

  253

  263

  214

  275

  378

  340

  311

  322

  321

  389

  278

  286

  3,630

  1 Unified Germany from 3 October 1990.

  2—Between 1 and 4.

  3—Between 1 and 9.

HEALTH

  Food Safety
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library details of written representations received on(a) food safety and food hygiene, and (b) hygiene training in relation to the Food Safety Act 1990.

  Mr. Dorrell
  All regulations and codes of practice made under the Food Safety Act 1990 have been published in draft form for consultation with interested parties. We have received large numbers of responses to these consultation exercises. It is not normally our practice to make public details of the responses received. A list of organisations which responded to last year's consultation exercise on hygiene training for food handlers has been placed in the Library.

  West Suffolk District Health Authority
  Sir Eldon Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funds have been made available to West Suffolk district health authority in each of the past five financial years; what approximate percentage of these new resources has been used for hospital services; what are the numbers of medical and other NHS staff employed in hospitals in the area in each of the last five years; and how many patients have been treated.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Information about funds made available to individual district health authorities is held centrally only in terms of expenditure. Details of total expenditure on hospital and community health services—HCHS—in West Suffolk district health authority and of the percentage used for hospital services are as follows:82

  Total revenue and capital expenditure

  Revenue expenditure

  Capital expenditure £000 cash

  Total

  Hospital services as a percentage of total

  £ cash

  £ cash

  1985–86

  33,173

  82·97

  3,469

  1986–87

  36,121

  82·91

  3,008

  1987–88

  40,215

  79·44

  1,796

  1988–89

  44,974

  79·29

  2,503

  1989–90

  49,164

  79·14

  2,619

  Staff Numbers

  The numbers of medical and other NHS staff employed in hospitals in the West Suffolk area are given in the table. Figures given are for whole-time equivalents, as at 30 September each year. Numbers of staff at senior doctor level, for example, consultants, employed in hospitals in the West Suffolk area are not held centrally since the contracts for these staff are held by the East Anglian regional health authority. My hon. Friend may wish to contact Sir Colin Walker for district-level information.

  West Suffolk DHA—Hospital Junior Medical Staff

  Year

  Number

  1985

  74·8

  1986

  77·4

  1987

  70·3

  1988

  76·5

  1989

  73·0

  Figures exclude all locum staff.

  East Anglian RHA—Hospital Senior Medical Staff

  Year

  Number

  1985

  517·6

  1986

  561·7

  1987

  518·4

  1988

  586·7

  1989

  612·0

  83
  Figures exclude all locum staff.

  West Suffolk DHA—NHS Hospital based Non-Medical Staff

  Year

  Number

  1985

  2,580

  1986

  2,580

  1987

  2,640

  1988

  2,640

  1989

  2,700

  Figures include nursing and midwifery agency staff.

  Number of patients treated

  The information requested is as follows:

  Finished hospital stays: West Suffolk health authority

  Year

  Discharges and deaths

  1985

  25,426

  1986

  25,503

  1987–88

  26,401

  1988–89

  27,046

  Year

  Finished consultant episodes

  1988–89

  31,904

  1989–90

  33,942

  Pharmaceutical Companies (Sponsorship)
  Mr. Grylls
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his policy towards initiatives by a family health services authority in seeking financial sponsorship from pharmaceutical companies for updates of its local formulary for general practitioners at the same time as it is asking the companies for information about their products for possible inclusion in the formulary; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We would not expect family health services authorities (FHSAs) to seek sponsorship

  Perinatal mortality, 2Northern Region, 1989

  Total births

  Perinatal deaths

  Perinatal rate

  Tyne and Wear

  14,569

  146

  10·0

  Gateshead

  2,600

  34

  13·1

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  3,504

  29

  8·3

  North Tyneside

  2,377

  22

  9·3

  South Tyneside

  2,043

  19

  19·3

  Sunderland

  4,045

  42

  10·4

  Cleveland

  8,015

  73

  9·1

  Hartlepool

  1,297

  10

  17·7

  Langbaurgh on Tees

  1,950

  21

  10·8

  Middlesbrough

  2,245

  21

  9·4

  Stockton on Tees

  2,523

  21

  8·3

  Cumbria

  5,819

  46

  7·9

  Allerdale

  1,083

  16

  114·8

  Barrow in Furness

  1,003

  7

  17·0

  Carlisle

  1,291

  7

  15·4

  Copeland

  1,001

  5

  15·0

  Eden

  494

  3

  16·1

  South Lakeland

  947

  8

  18·4

  Durham

  7,397

  64

  8·7

  84
  from pharmaceutical companies for locally produced formularies. We are aware that there was a suggestion of this in the area of the hon. Member's constituency, but the relevant FHSA has since made clear that it is not seeking financial support.

  Electoral Statistics
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish in the Official Report the number of electors in each parish, town and city council ward in the county of Hampshire.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Returns containing numbers on the 1991 electoral registers in Hampshire are still being processed by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys. An analysis of local government electors by county and district will be published in "OPCS Monitor EL 91/1" at the end of April. An analysis of parliamentary electors by constituency will be placed in the Library by 10 May and published in "Electoral Statistics 1991"—Series EL No. 18—by the end of July. This year, to facilitate the work of the parliamentary boundary commissions, an analysis of parliamentary electors is being prepared by ward. These figures will be placed in the Library as soon as practicable after 10 May.

  Perinatal Mortality
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is the rate per thousand of perinatal deaths for each district within the county of Cumbria;

  (2) what is the average rate per thousand for perinatal deaths for those districts which comprise the Northern region.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The overall perinatal death rate for the northern region is 9·2. The table gives the number of births, perinatal deaths and the perinatal death rate for each component district. It also includes the arithmetic average of these rates, unadjusted for the number of births.
  85

  Total births

  Perinatal deaths

  Perinatal rate

  Chester le Street

  622

  5

  18·0

  Darlington

  1,352

  12

  18·9

  Derwentside

  1,008

  12

  111·9

  Durham

  882

  10

  111·3

  Easington

  1,322

  9

  16·8

  Sedgefield

  1,127

  6

  15·3

  Teesdale

  269

  2

  17·4

  Wear Valley

  815

  8

  19·8

  Northumberland

  3,497

  33

  9·4

  Alnwick

  321

  3

  19·3

  Berwick upon Tweed

  284

  0

  10

  Blyth Valley

  1,005

  10

  110·0

  Castle Morpeth

  481

  4

  18·3

  Tyneside

  655

  6

  19·2

  Wansbeck

  751

  10

  113·3

  1 Denotes a rate of less than 20 events.

  2 Number of deaths 0–6 days plus stillbirths per 1,000 total births.

  The arithmetic average of these rates is 8·7.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department has collected on the factors which account for the disparity in statistics covering the rate per thousand perinatal deaths for Allerdale district and other districts in the Northern region.

  Mr. Dorrell
  This is a matter for the regional health authority in the first instance. The hon. Member may wish to contact the chairman of the Northern regional health authority, Mr. Peter Carr. Clinicians in the northern region have operated a very successful perinatal mortality survey on a voluntary basis for the last 10 years, and an annual report of their findings is published each year by the authority. In addition, the RHA is to undertake a more detailed analysis to look for any local clustering of deaths using data now available for the period 1981–90.

  In the meantime the hon. Member will be pleased to note that although the perinatal figures for Allerdale were disappointing in 1989, they were based on a relatively small sample and the figures for West Cumbria as a whole for the three years 1987–89 show a perinatal mortality rate of 7·7 per thousand population compared with a national average of 8·7 per thousand and a Northern regional average of 8·9 per thousand.

  AIDS
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funds the Government will be making available in the coming financial year for research into AIDS.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Subject to parliamentary approval the following sums will be available for AIDS research in 1991–92:

  £

  Medical Research Council

  12,800,000

  Other research councils (Economic and Social Research Council; Agricultural and Fisheries Research Council; Scientific and Engineering Research Council; Natural Environment Research Council)

  2,549,000

  Department of Health

  632,000

  Health Education Council

  804,000

  National Institute of Biological Standards and Control

  517,000

  Public Health Laboratory Service

  404,000

  86

  £

  Scottish Office of Home and Health

  88,000

  Overseas Development Administration (estimated expenditure)

  528,000

  Cot Deaths
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the incidence of sudden infant death syndrome in each year since 1982.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The information is shown in the table.

  Number of infant deaths with any mention of sudden infant death1 on the death certificate, and rate per 1.000 livebirths England and Wales 1982–89

  Number

  Rate per 1,000 livebirths

  Males

  Females

  Persons

  Males

  Females

  Persons

  1982

  822

  510

  1,332

  2·6

  1·7

  2·1

  1983

  827

  488

  1,315

  2·6

  1·6

  2·1

  1984

  716

  526

  1,242

  2·2

  1·7

  2·0

  1985

  787

  514

  1,301

  2·3

  1·6

  2·0

  1986

  945

  559

  1,504

  2·8

  1·7

  2·3

  1987

  918

  610

  1,528

  2·6

  1·8

  2·2

  1988

  991

  602

  1,593

  2·8

  1·8

  2·3

  1989

  811

  515

  1,326

  2·3

  1·5

  1·9

  1 Includes "cot death" or similar term

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects(a) to receive and (b) to publish the report of the group of independent experts asked in March 1990 to investigate the claim that the emission of toxic gases from fungal growth on cot mattresses can be a cause of cot death; what form the inquiry took; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The report of the working group of independent experts set up by the chief medical officer has been given to him and will be published shortly. The form of inquiry is explained in the report.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if any blood tests done on babies which suffered sudden infant death syndrome show an elevated level of arsenic, antimony or phosphorous.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  There are no reports of elevated blood levels of any of these chemicals from
  87
  pathologists who have carried out post-mortem examinations on infants who suffered from sudden infant death syndrome—SIDS. Such tests would be done only if specifically indicated.

  We are aware that an independent researcher has reported that blood tests in three infants who suffered SIDS had antimony levels above the background levels measured by his laboratory in 100 healthy infants. As the normal range of blood antimony levels in infants is uncertain, it is not possible to say whether these findings are clinically significant.

  This matter is considered in the report of the expert working group which will be published shortly.

  Prescriptions (Fraud)
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on the steps his Department takes to prevent fraud when patients do not take all items on a multi-itemed general practitioner-written prescription;

  (2) what information he has on the incidence of prescription-based fraud in the past five years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Checking procedures undertaken by the Department to prevent prescription fraud are not made public. Cases of suspected prescription-based fraud are referred by the Prescription Pricing Authority to the Family Health Services Authority for investigation. No centrally held information is available on the number of established cases of fraud.

  Achondroplasia
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines he has issued to district health authorities concerning charging for fixators for achondroplasiac children from outside their area.

  Mr. Dorrell
  No specific guidelines have been issued on this matter. From 1 April, health authorities wishing to purchase limb lengthening for achondroplasiac children will be able to arrange contracts for this operation with hospitals or other units providing this service. General guidance on the purchase of services from 1 April to meet the health needs of local populations has been issued to health authorities.

  Senior Citizens
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what definition of senior citizen the Government use in respect of guidance issued to local authorities and other bodies.

  Miss Widdecombe
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Government do not issue guidance of this kind. Local authorities are best placed to decide such a definition for themselves, according to local circumstances and the purpose for which it is required.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Sudan
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations are being made to the Sudanese Government to facilitate the 88
  transport of further food aid to rebel-held areas; and what account has been taken of problems arising at the advent of the rainy season in southern Sudan.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We take every opportunity to urge the Government of Sudan to facilitate the provision of relief supplies to the south of the country. The European Community issued a declaration on 7 February. The United Nations Assistant Secretary General, Mr. James Jonah, made representations on 18 February.

  The United Nations co-ordinated Operation Lifeline Sudan takes into account the difficulties of transporting relief supplies in southern Sudan where it is recognised that conditions deteriorate in the rainy season.

  Malaysia
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much aid has been offered under the aid and trade provision for the Pergau project in Malaysia; and whether any appraisal measures additional to the regular appraisal procedure were carried out for this project.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We have offered to support from the aid and trade provision a soft loan of up to £308 million for eligible United Kingdom and other EC goods and services for this project. This compares with our original aid and trade provision offer in 1989 of a grant of up to £68·25 million as part of a mixed credit for eligible United Kingdom and other EC goods and services costing an estimated £195 million. The soft loan, like the originally proposed mixed credit, will have a grant element of 35 per cent. of the value of eligible goods and services provided. In accordance with our normal procedures a full appraisal of the project was undertaken.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Minors (Financial Institutions)
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proposals he has to make unlawful the soliciting of minors for business by financial institutions and companies.

  Mr. Leigh
  The Government intend, as soon as legislative time is available, to amend the Consumer Credit Act 1974 to tighten up the prohibition on the sending of credit circulars to minors. It also proposes to make regulations requiring persons licensed under the Act to take reasonable precautions to ensure that minors are not included on mailing lists for credit circulars.

  Retention of Title
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received regarding the adequacy of the law on retention of title in the light of successor companies inheriting goods from an insolvent company which the latter has not paid for; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  I have received a few representations about the adequacy of the law on retention of title, but only one referring to the circumstances described in the question. In general, the Government are satisfied that the law on retention of title clauses is effective.

  Chambers of Commerce
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what support his Department plans to provide to assist the development strategy of the Association of British Chambers of Commerce.

  Mr. Leigh
  I announced on 4 October 1990 that I would offer chambers of commerce support towards the implementation of their strategy, as set out in "Effective Business Support: a UK Strategy", to strengthen the ability of the chambers' movement to provide a consistent, quality assured and comprehensive service for members throughout the United Kingdom by the end of 1994. This support, at a cost of £1·2 million over four years, will involve meeting up to 50 per cent. of the salary costs of an extra member of staff in some 30 chambers for a maximum of two years. Additionally I have offered the Association of British Chambers of Commerce up to £130,000 to help with the costs of establishing an electronic information network.

  Parliamentary approval for this service will be sought in the 1991–92 main estimates for the Department of Trade and Industry--class IV, vote 2. Pending that approval, urgent expenditure estimated at £31,000 will be met by repayable advances from the Contingencies Fund.

  Task Force Expenditure
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the expenditure of each task force set up by his Department for the year 1989–90.

  Mr. Leigh
  On the basis that this question relates to inner city task forces, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks) on 23 January 1991 at columns 195–96. I have nothing to add.

DEFENCE

  The Gulf
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will provide his best available estimate of the number of casualties suffered by(a) Iraqi civilians, (b) Iraqi forces, (c) Kuwaiti civilians and (d) coalition forces.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Her Majesty's Government are not in a position to provide an overall estimate of the number of people killed during the Gulf conflict. A total of 25 British service men were killed in action.

  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the approximate distance and direction travelled by the 1st Armoured Division after 23 February.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  From its assembly area south of the Iraq-Saudi Arabian border, the ground campaign to liberate Kuwait took 1st (British) Armoured Division northwards on a course roughly parallel to but west of the Wadi al Batin, then east to a position just north of Kuwait city. In all, the division covered a distance of some 350 km.

  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the operations of the 1st Armoured Division undertaken to re-take Kuwait.
  90
  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The 1st (British) Armoured Division played a significant role in the allied operation to liberate Kuwait. The division proper went into battle late in the afternoon of Monday 25 February when it engaged elements of an Iraqi armoured division. The speed and success of this operation was typical of land engagements in Desert Storm. By the early hours of 27 February, the Iraqi troops had been rendered ineffective and around 200 tanks, 100 armoured personnel carriers and 100 guns had been captured or destroyed and some 6,000 prisoners of war had been taken. The skill, courage and speed with which the division achieved its objectives are an achievement of which all involved can feel justly proud.

  "Options for Change"
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make a statement on the future of the departmental review known as "Options for Change", following the Gulf war.

  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to revise "Options for Change" in the light of the Gulf war and the suppression of the Baltic states.

  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will review defence strategy in the light of the experience from the Gulf war.

  Mr. Tom King
  I hope it will be possible to publish the annual defence White Paper before the summer recess and in this to make clear the way ahead on 'Options for Change'.

  Main Battle Tank
  Mr. Batiste
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will announce a decision on the competition for the replacement of the Chieftain tank.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  I hope that a decision on the equipment for our future main battle tank will not have to be delayed too long.

  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to award the contract for new battle tanks to Vickers Defence Systems and Challenger 2.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  No decision on the equipment for our future main battle tank fleet has yet been taken.

  Arms Sales
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the role of his Department in the sale of arms abroad; and what information he has about where arms have been sold in the last three years.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The Defence Export Services Organisation exists within my Department to assist United Kingdom defence industries to promote and sell their equipment abroad. Statistics of British defence exports by broad geographic region are set out in volume 2 of the annual Statement on the Defence Estimates.

  Trident
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the current cost of the Trident nuclear weapons programme.
  91
  Mr. Alan Clark
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 12 February at column 383.

  Ministry Houses
  Mr. Ashton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many houses owned by the Ministry of Defence are standing empty.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  As at 31 December 1990, the latest date for which figures are available, 10,760 MOD-owned houses and fiats were vacant. Many of these properties were either undergoing or awaiting major maintenance work or modernisation, some were already allotted to service families who were due to move in shortly and others were being considered for disposal. In addition, 1,701 dwellings were in the process of being sold.

  UN Peacekeeping Force
  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has any plans to make a British contribution to any United Nations peacekeeping force.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The arrangements for the security of the Gulf states are primarily a matter for the states of the region themselves. Any proposal for a United Nations peacekeeping or observer role would need to be considered carefully by the Security Council in the light of the wishes of the nations concerned.

  Nuclear Test Veterans
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a further statement on compensation to nuclear test veterans.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Paisley, South (Mr. McMaster) on Friday 22 February 1991 at column 319.

  Gulf Victory Parade
  Mr. Jessel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the participation of the armed services in the proposed victory parade.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Arrangements to mark our involvement in the Gulf conflict remain under consideration. An announcement will be made shortly.

  Tornado
  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many export orders now exist for variants of the Tornado.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  My Department continues to receive inquiries relating to the potential future sale of Tornado aircraft. My hon. Friend will, of course, be aware that it has been the consistent policy of successive Administrations not to comment on individual defence exports or prospects.

  Defence Establishments
  Mr. Trimble
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he intends to alter the regional balance of defence establishments.
  92
  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Alyn and Deeside (Mr. Jones) on 11 February 1991 at column 324.

  Nuclear Weapons
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration has been given to British participation in international negotiations on reductions in short-range nuclear weapons.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  As was noted in the London declaration, negotiations on the reductions of short-range nuclear forces will be bilateral between the United States and Soviet Union. In conjunction with other NATO allies concerned, the United Kingdom will play an active part in the preparations for the negotiations.

  Ceremonial Troops
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has any plans to cut the budget for ceremonial troops and horses; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  All areas of the Army are being considered under "Options for Change", but we are not yet in a position to take final decisions.

  RAF Married Quarters
  Sir John Hunt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he now expects to be in a position to commence the disposal of the officers' married quarters at RAF Biggin Hill.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  It is our intention to commence sale soon after the RAF has vacated the site, currently planned for early 1993.

  Sir John Hunt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether sufficient married quarters accommodation will be available in Greater London to meet the expected demand when the RAF service families return from their postings in Germany.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Very few, if any, personnel returning from Germany are likely to be posted to London and the position with regard to availability of accommodation therefore remains as I explained to my hon. Friend on 20 November 1990,Official Report, column 79.

  Radiation
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department is investigating the merits of a compensation scheme for radiation-linked disease similar to the scheme operated by British Nuclear Fuels.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  Yes.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Arms Reduction
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the likelihood of ratification of the CFE and START treaties.
  93
  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  It is difficult to assess the prospects for ratification of the CFE treaty while key issues concerning its implementation by the Soviet Union remain unresolved. These issues were set out in my hon. and learned Friend the Minister of State's answer of 15 March to the hon. Member for Clackmannan (Mr. O'Neill). The CFE treaty will not enter into force until it has been ratified by all 22 signatories. We hope that a START treaty can be signed later this year. Ratification will be a matter for the two Governments concerned.

  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations Her Majesty's Government have made to the Soviet Union concerning the CFE and START treaties.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We have made a number of representations to the Soviet Union about proper implementation of the CFE treaty. These include representations by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister during his visit to Moscow on 5 March, and at ministerial and senior official level, bilaterally and jointly with our allies. The START treaty is a bilateral one between the US and USSR and we understand discussions are continuing.

  India
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received from Her Majesty's high commissioner in India about the political situation in that country.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We receive regular reports from our high commissioner in New Delhi about the political situation in India.

  Cartagena Convention
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government will be represented at the forthcoming meeting of the Cartagena convention in Kingston, Jamaica.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Yes.

  Germany
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met representatives of the German Government; and what was discussed.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs met Chancellor Kohl, Herr Genscher and other German Ministers in Bonn during the Anglo-German summit on 11 March. They had excellent discussions on a wide range of topics including the Gulf, the Soviet Union and eastern Europe and issues affecting the European Community and the NATO alliance.

  Kuwait
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with Kuwait's ambassador in London concerning the rebuilding programme in that country.
  94
  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We have brought to the attention of the Kuwaiti ambassador the range of experience and capabilities available from British industry to assist in the reconstruction of Kuwait. Similar action has been taken by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary with senior members of the Kuwaiti Government.

  Yugoslavia
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received from Her Majesty's ambassador in Yugoslavia about civil unrest in that country.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Her Majesty's ambassador at Belgrade reports regularly on all aspects of Yugoslav politics.

  Soviet Union
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will detail plans for financial aid to the Soviet Union.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We have no plans to provide financial aid to the Soviet Union. With our EC partners we have agreed to provide £177 million in food assistance and £350 million as a credit for food purchases. We also aim to offer technical assistance from our know-how fund, to the sum of £20 million over two years.

  European Common Defence Policy
  Mr. Favell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the intergovernmental conferences' discussions about a common defence policy.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  There are a range of views among our partners on whether the Twelve should take on a defence role. In our view European defence, although it must become increasingly self-sufficient, will continue to depend on the alliance and the north American role. We do not believe that the common foreign and security policy of the Twelve should be expanded to include defence.

  Indonesia and East Timor
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list and number the resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council which relate to Indonesia and East Timor; if he will summarise their demands and indicate the action Britain took when the voting occurred; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  United Nations Security Council resolution 384 of 22 December 1975 deplored the armed Indonesian intervention in East Timor. United Nations Security Council resolution 389 of 22 April 1976 confirmed the right of the East Timorese to self-determination and called on the Indonesians to withdraw. The United Kingdom supported both resolutions.

  With most European Community partners, the United Kingdom abstained on resolutions in the fourth committee on East Timor between 1976 and 1982.

  United Nations General Assembly resolution No. 37/30 of 1982 invited the United Nations Secretary General to encourage a bilateral settlement and initiate discussions with the parties concerned.
  95
  The United Kingdom has welcomed the United Nations Secretary-General's initiative, which began in 1982, to promote contacts between Indonesia and Portugal to achieve a just settlement.

  Tibetan Refugees
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will detail the nature and extent of any assistance extended by Her Majesty's Government to Tibetan refugees since May 1979; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Tibetan refugees in the United Kingdom are treated in exactly the same way as any other refugees in this country. Our assistance to refugees overseas is channelled through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. In the financial year 1989–90 we contributed £19·1 million to the UNHCR.

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  (d)

  (e)

  Total

  Northern Ireland

  Great Britain

  Republic of Ireland

  Other EC

  Elsewhere

  Full-time

  Part-time

  Full-time

  Part-time

  Full-time

  Part-time

  Full-time

  Part-time

  Full-time

  Part-time

  Full-time

  Part-time

  Belfast

  534

  16

  67

  —

  71

  —

  11

  6

  —

  —

  689

  16

  Coleraine

  1,896

  428

  327

  4

  526

  30

  119

  1

  49

  —

  2,917

  463

  Jordanstown

  4,116

  3,186

  92

  2

  400

  42

  43

  2

  79

  8

  4,730

  3,240

  Magee

  651

  566

  41

  —

  158

  118

  10

  1

  9

  —

  869

  685

  Total

  7,197

  4,196

  527

  6

  1,155

  190

  178

  4

  148

  8

  9,205

  4,404

  Farm Effluent
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what educational facilities on environmentally safe methods for disposal of farm effluent are available to farmers.

  Mr. Hanky
  The Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland uses a wide range of extension education methods. These include meetings, demonstrations, farm walks, radio and television broadcasts, press articles, booklets, leaflets, advisory letters, agricultural shows, training courses and individual advice.

  ACE Schemes
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which action for community employment schemes are being supported in the Portavogie district of the Ards peninsula.

  Mr. Needham
  There are currently no ACE schemes based in the Portavogie district. However, I understand that an ACE scheme, Donaghadee community workforce, plans to establish an out-centre in Portavogie later this year.

  Fish Processing
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many fish processing plants there are in Northern Ireland; and how many of these plants comply with the EC hygiene regulations due in 1992.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Wildlife Investigation Scheme
  Mr. Clifford Forsythe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he intends to adopt in Northern Ireland a scheme along the lines of the wildlife investigation scheme in England, Scotland and Wales.

  Mr. Hanley
  It is intended to have a wildlife incident investigation scheme introduced in Northern Ireland later this year. This will be similar to a scheme in operation in other parts of the United Kingdom.

  New University of Ulster
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table to show the number of students on each campus of the new university of Ulster who are from(a) Northern Ireland, (b) Great Britain, (c) the Irish Republic, (d) other EC countries and (e) elsewhere, or as much of such information as is available.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The information is as follows for the 1990–91 academic year:

  Mr. Hanley
  There are some 30 main fish processing plants in Northern Ireland. Most are likely to need some improvements in order to comply fully with the proposed directive.

  Marenco Ltd.
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when Marenco Ltd. was incorporated as a limited company; when the company's annual returns were last lodged with the companies office; to what years did these returns refer; and what is the last record in the companies office of sale of shares in Marenco Ltd. by Queen's university, Belfast, and by QUBIS Ltd.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 18 March 1991]: The information about this company and its annual returns is held by the Registrar of Companies for Northern Ireland at 64 Chichester street, Belfast and is available to the public during office hours. Records of sales of shares in a company are held on the company's registrar of shareholdings which can be inspected at the company's registered office.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Salmonella Enteriditis
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to what factors he attributes the increase in cases of salmonella enteriditis and PT4 over the past 12 months; what steps he plans to take to reverse this trend; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  Reported isolations of salmonella enteriditis in poultry flocks increased by about I per cent. in 1990 compared with 1989. The increase is likely to reflect the level of bacteriological monitoring which increased in 1989 when compulsory testing was introduced. For broiler breeder flocks in particular, the introduction of compulsory monitoring through the hatchery in October 1989 led to a substantial increase in the number of reported isolations of salmonella enteriditis. For laying flocks producing eggs for human consumption, there was a reduction of 38 per cent. in reports of salmonella entertidis between 1989 and 1990.

  The Government's policy on control of salmonella was explained in the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Ludlow (Mr. Gill) on 14 January.

  Veterinary Investigation Centre
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what consultations he has entered into with farmers' unions and professional organisations prior to his decision to close the veterinary investigation centre in Bangor, north Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  The review of the veterinary investigation service which my right hon. Friend the Minister commissioned was an internal review. Initial discussions were held with the trade unions and during the period of the review views were submitted from a number of interested parties, including the British Veterinary Association and the National Farmers Unions. These views were carefully considered before any final decisions were taken.

  We believe that the implementation of these recommendations of the review team will result in significant improvements in the quality, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the veterinary investigation service. This is important if we are to have a VI service which is well equipped to meet our national needs over the years ahead.

  Fallen Animals
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what records he keeps concerning the location of sites used for the burial or other disposal of farm animals which die or are destroyed as a result of the outbreak of notifiable disease; and whether any constraints are placed on the subsequent use of such sites.

  Mr. Maclean
  My Department records the location of premises where outbreaks of certain notifiable diseases, such as foot and mouth disease, which require the compulsory slaughter of animals, occur. It also keeps information on anthrax outbreaks, including the method of disposal of carcases and burial sites.

  It is illegal to dig up any buried carcase, except under licence from this Department, but if a burial pit is
  98
  uncovered accidentally, the local divisional veterinary officer will make arrangements for the safe removal and disposal of the remains.

  Bovine Somatotropin
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if it is possible for BST-free milk to be identified at point of sale.

  Mr. Maclean
  No. All cows milk contains BST in minute but variable quantities.

  Fishing Nets
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has on the mortalities caused to sea birds by synthetic gill nets.

  Mr. Curry
  Our local sea fisheries inspectorate staff report on significant bird mortalities arising from fishing operations. I have received no such reports of incidents since the winter of 1988, when some 500 birds were reported killed, until February this year when some dead birds were found on a Cornwall beach in plastic bags and their deaths were claimed to be caused by monofilament gill nets but have not been substantiated as such. There is little evidence to suggest that these nets are threatening the survival of any species.

  Mr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture Fisheries and Food, further to his answer to the hon. Member for South Shields of 14 December 1990,Official Report, column 540, whether he now intends to support the proposed EC regulation 3094/86 to ban driftnets over 2·5 km in length; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  The proposed addition to regulation 3094/86 to ban the use of drift nets over 2·5 km in length and four other separate measures contained in the proposed 11th amendment package are being examined in the working group for their scientific and legal basis, practical effect, operational feasibility and enforceability. Recommendations to the Council of Ministers from the working group on the proposal have not yet been made.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what criteria are used to determine whether synthetic gill nets may be used in areas of high marine wildlife value.

  Mr. Curry
  No. Regulations governing the use of these nets are imposed as byelaws by either the sea fisheries committees or the National Rivers Authority (NRA) within the 3-mile coastal zone. My own scientists and sea fisheries inspectorate are also active in monitoring the use of these nets and incidental catches. On the evidence available to us these nets are not endangering any species and can serve fish conservation because of their high degree of selectivity.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has consulted the Nature Conservancy Council over the use of synthetic gill nets and their effect on marine wildlife.

  Mr. Curry
  For fisheries conservation and management purposes these nets are already subject in many inshore areas to local restrictions imposed as byelaws by either sea
  99
  fisheries committees or the National Rivers Authority. Our current scientific advice is that gill nets, when set properly, can be beneficial in fish conservation terms through their high selectivity.

  Hunts
  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations have been made to him by hunts in the New Forest regarding the recording of their activities by video camera.

  Mr. Curry
  No such representations have been received.

  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if any advice has been given to Forestry Commission keepers in the New Forest regarding the use of video cameras to record the activities of local hunts.

  Mr. Curry
  The Forestry Commission's keepers in the New Forest have been advised that the use of video cameras by members of the public lawfully on commission land is permitted under the commission's byelaws, provided that such use does not cause annoyance to any other person.

  Meat Inspection Charges
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on progress on the implementation of harmonised meat inspection charges in other European Community member states.

  Mr. Maclean
  No. This question is properly the concern of the other European Community member states and of the European Commission.

  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what guidance he intends to give to local authorities about implementation of the new meat inspection charges.

  Mr. Maclean
  Guidance on the implementation of the new meat inspection charges has already been given to local authorities in the form of a circular, FSH 3/90, issued in December. I am arranging for a copy of this circular to be placed in the Library of the House.

  We will also be issuing shortly to local authority associations and the main trade associations a brief guide to the appeals procedure provided for in the regulations.

  Pesticide Residues
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the number of samples of food analysed since 1988 by his pesticide residue monitoring programme which have exceeded the levels set in the Pesticide (Maximum Residue Levels in Food) Regulations 1988, giving the name of the pesticide in each case; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  The full results of monitoring for pesticide residues in food were published in September 1990 in the "Report of the Working Party on Pesticide Residues 1988–89." A copy of the report is available in the Library of the House.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the numbers of 100
  prosecutions made in each year since 1988 which have been taken as a result of the maximum pesticide residue levels in food having been exceeded; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  No prosecutions have been taken under the Pesticides (Maximum Residue Levels in Food) Regulations 1988, but one consignment of Chinese rabbit has been refused entry into the United Kingdom because it was found to contain residues in excess of United Kingdom limits.

  Where residues above United Kingdom or international maximum residue levels have been found in monitoring, action has been taken as described in the "Report of the Working Party on Pesticide Residues 1988–89." A copy of the report is available in the Library of the House.

  Fisheries Conservation
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the EC technical conservation measures he intends to support at the forthcoming EC Fisheries Council; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  The agenda has not yet been settled. My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary intends to press for action in particular to improve the selectivity of nets to reduce discards of fish and improve the conservation of key fish stocks of interest to our fishermen.

  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) when he expects to make an interim assessment of the 1991 fishing catch restrictions; amd what comparison he will make of such an assessment with other EC countries;

  (2) if he will make a statement on the work his Department is doing now in preparation for the 1992 plans to reduce fishing effort in advance of information on the effectiveness of the 1991 measures and in advance of the views of the European Commissioner.

  Mr. Curry
  The effects of the 1991 restrictions will be assessed by the advisory committee on fisheries management, which includes representatives of other member states, when it meets in November. Decisions on 1992 will not be taken until the Council of Ministers meets at the end of the year.

  Beam Trawling
  Mr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the effects of beam trawling on the ocean environment; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  It is apparent from the research to date that beam trawling can cause significant transient disturbance of the seabed. However, it is not clear whether long-term damage results and further work is being done in this area in which United Kingdom scientists will participate. The many benthic species respond differently to disturbance of the seabed and while some may suffer other thrive. When the further work has been done, the impact on benthic species and maintenance of sustainable use of our renewable marine resources will be considered.

SCOTLAND

  Housing
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will show, for each constituency in Glasgow or other convenient sub-city defined area, the amount of central Government housing repairs grants in the private sector for each year from 1980 to 1990 or the latest convenient date; and if he will express each constituency's or sub-area's expenditure as a percentage of the whole city total.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  This information is not available centrally.

  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish figures showing the capital allocation allowed to Glasgow district council for its public sector housing stock in each year from 1978 to 1989, using 1978 as the base for expressing all subsequent years in real terms.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Gross housing capital allocations issued to Glasgow district council for investment in its own stock for each year from 1978–79 to 1988–89 are set out in the table. The figures incorporate any supplementary allocations made during the year and are expressed in 1978–79 prices.

  City of Glasgow District Council Gross HRA Capital Allocations (1978–79 prices)

  Year

  (£m)

  1978–79

  54·6

  1979–80

  52·7

  1980–81

  45·3

  1981–82

  40·1

  1982–83

  35·8

  1983–84

  38·3

  1984–85

  26·2

  1985–86

  30·9

  1986–87

  34·5

  1987–88

  41·3

  1988–89

  40·6

  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing the housing stock held by Glasgow district council in each year from 1978 to 1989.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information supplied by Glasgow district council for each year from 1979 onwards at 31 March is set out in the table. A comparable figure for 1978 is not available.

  Glasgow district council local authority stock

  Year

  Stock

  1979

  180,209

  1980

  180,974

  1981

  177,141

  1982

  176,500

  1983

  173,673

  1984

  171,640

  1985

  170,548

  1986

  171,554

  1987

  169,548

  1988

  166,429

  1989

  161,019

  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing the number of sheltered 102
  house completions by district councils, housing associations and purely private sector development, in the period 1978 to 1989, and if he will show the figures by district council area.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Information on housebuilding by user category is not available for the years prior to 1986 and could be extracted only at disproportionate cost. I will write to the hon. Member to advise him of the information available for subsequent years.

  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing the amount of Government grant in real terms, taking 1978 as the base year, provided to Glasgow district council for private sector housing repairs and maintenance grants for each year from 1978 to 1990; and if he will also express Glasgow's share as a percentage of the Scottish allocation.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Gross housing capital allocations to Glasgow district council for investment in private sector housing for each year from 1978–79 to 1989–90, expressed in 1978–79 prices and also as a percentage of the total Scottish allocation, are set out in the table. The figures for 1987–88 to 1989–90 include additional resources made available to deal with the backlog of pre-1984 improvement and repairs grants. Apart from these additional resources, the council is free to use the capital allocations for any investment in private sector housing according to local priorities.

  City of Glasgow district council Non-HRA gross capital allocations (1978–79 prices)

  Year

  £ million

  Percentage share

  1978–79

  12·4

  24·7

  1979–80

  11·5

  27·5

  1980–81

  12·4

  26·6

  1981–82

  12·8

  24·5

  1982–83

  17·0

  26·8

  1983–84

  117·1

  30·5

  1084–85

  45·2

  50·0

  1985–86

  21·0

  34·4

  1986–87

  21·1

  34·2

  1987–88

  26·5

  35·5

  1988–89

  23·2

  32·1

  1989–90

  23·4

  33·8

  1 Special arrangements applied in 1983–84 when authorities were allowed to exceed the allocation subject to certain conditions.

  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish for each district council area in Scotland the number of private and public sector house completions respectively in the period 1974 to 1989.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Tables giving details on house completions from 1978 to 1989 have been placed in the House Library.

  Comparable information for the years 1974–77 is not available.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many local authority dwellings(a) were vacant and available for letting on 1 April 1989 and (b) became available for letting between 1 April 1989 and 31 March 1990, by way of (i) new build, (ii) acquisition, modernisation or conversion and (iii) other means in (1) Inverclyde district council area, (2) Strathclyde and (3) Scotland as a whole.
  103
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [Holding Answer 18 March 1991]: Information on vacant local authority dwellings is collected at 31 March each year. The numbers of such dwellings available for letting at 31 March 1989 were published in table 10 of Statistical Bulletin HSU No. 13. Table 15 of Statistical Bulletin HSU No. 17 gives comparable figures for 1990. Copies of these bulletins are available in the House Library.

  No reliable information is held centrally on the number of houses which became available for letting over the period in question.

  Fire Advisory Pannel
  Mr. Ken Hargreaves
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many members serve on the fire advisory panel for Scotland; and how many of those members are also members of the Society of Fire Safety Engineers.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  There is no separate fire advisory panel for Scotland, but the Scottish Office is represented by an official on the Department of the Environment's panel.

  Health Board Chairmen
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the six chairmen of health boards who are continuing in office until 1992 or 1993 and give for each their profession.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The health board chairmen whose current term of office runs until 1992 or 1993 and their professions are:
  Chairman Health Board Profession

  Chairman

  Health Board

  Profession

  Mr. W. S. Fyfe OBE

  Ayrshire and Arran

  Company Chairman and Management Consultant

  Dr. D. H. Pringle CBE

  Borders

  Applied Scientist and Businessman (retired)

  Mr. J. A. Mclntyre OBE JP

  Dumfries and Galloway

  Farmer

  Mrs. J. I. D. Isbister

  Forth Valley

  Mental Welfare Commissioner

  Mr. J. Kyle CBE

  Grampian

  Consultant Surgeon (retired)

  Mrs. F. B. Grains

  Shetland

  Housewife

  Channel Tunnel Rail Services
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with British Rail about the location of a freight terminal offering trunk rail services to the channel tunnel.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Regular contact is maintained with British Rail by both Scottish Office Ministers and officials. Such contacts cover a wide range of topics concerning rail services in Scotland, including the possible location of a Scottish terminal for channel tunnel freight traffic.

  Geriatric Psychiatric Services
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what provision exists for geriatric psychiatric services in the south side of Glasgow; and what are the present waiting lists.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  There are 466 long-term care beds at Leverdale hospital and 90 long-term care beds at the Southern general hospital for geriatric psychiatry patients. On 13 march the waiting list for long-term psychogeriatric care was 11.

  There are two psychogeriatric day hospitals providing a total of 40 places. The waiting list for day beds was 14 on 13 March.

  In addition, there are outpatient clinics and the area is served by four community psychiatric nurses for the elderly.

  Inverclyde Initiative
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Greenock and Port Glasgow of 6 March,Official Report, column 219, how the figure of the number of jobs created as a result of the period of operation of the Inverclyde initiative was calculated; and if he will list these jobs, by occupational classification.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  The figure is based on information provided to the Inverclyde Initiative by the companies it assisted and its own records of placements under the training and employment grants scheme. The figures were checked to exclude any element of double counting.

  The occupational classification of these jobs is not available.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Greenock and Port Glasgow of 6 March,Offical Report, column 219, if he will indicate how the figure of jobs created, the figure of existing jobs secured and the figure of new jobs forecast by companies as a result of the establishment of the Inverclyde enterprise zone were arrived at; and if he will list these jobs by occupational classification.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  The figures are based on information provided to the Inverclyde Initiative by the companies it assisted to locate in the zone and its own records of placements under the training and employment grants scheme. The figures were checked to exclude any element of double counting.

  The occupational classification of these jobs is not available.

  Skye Bridge
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has on the number of short listed companies which retain an active interest in the Skye bridge project; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Scottish Office Environment Department's roads directorate, in consultation with Highland regional council, is in the final stages of negotiation of a preliminary concession agreement for the Skye bridge. An announcement will be made shortly.

  Fishing Vessels
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to enforce the requirement in fishing vessel licences that fishing vessels fishing between ICES IV (North Sea) and VI (West of Scotland) have to call in.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Information on vessel movements is collected from a variety of sources including air and sea surveillance and is compared with records of vessels which have reported in. Where sufficient evidence exists to show that a vessel has crossed the 4 deg. west line without reporting in, the case is referred to the prosecuting authorities.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he still requires fishing vessels crossing the 4 deg. line to call in; and when enforcement policy for this requirement was last changed.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The requirement for fishing vessels holding North sea and west of Scotland white fish or herring licences to report by radio when crossing the 4 deg. west line was introduced in March 1989 and remains in force. The reporting-in requirement continues to be vigorously enforced.

  Historic Buildings Council for Scotland
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the functioning of the Historical Buildings Council for Scotland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Historic Buildings Council for Scotland has the statutory responsibility for advising my right hon. Friend on the discharge of certain of his powers in relation to listed buildings, most notably the making of historic building repair grants. The council's terms of reference, membership and activities over the years since 1953 when it was set up are set out in its annual reports, which are laid before both Houses of Parliament.

  My right hon. Friend is grateful for the sound advice which the council provides.

  Ambulances
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of emergency and urgent patients in the Largs area have been required to travel in single-manned ambulances in each of the past three years; and if he has any proposals to reduce this figure.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Figures have not been collected routinely by the Scottish ambulance service on the number of emergency and urgent journeys undertaken by single-manned ambulances. However, the practice of single-manning is undesirable and over the years I have increased the resources for the Scottish ambulance service. For the coming year I have given an additional £2 million to be specifically targeted at a reduction in the number of single-manned ambulances.

  Argyll and Clyde Health Board
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many paramedical staff were employed by the Argyll and Clyde health board in(a) 1979, (b) 1986 and (c) 1990;
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  (2) how many consultants were employed in hospitals within the Argyll and Clyde health board in (a) 1979, (b) 1986 and (c) 1990;

  (3) how many nursing staff were employed in the Argyll and Clyde health board in (a) 1979, (b) 1986 and (c) 1990;

  (4) how many ancillary staff were employed by the Argyll and Clyde health board in (a) 1979, (b) 1986 and (c)

  Mr Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 18 March 1991]:The number of whole-time equivalent staff for each year ending 30 September is set out in the following table.

  Year

  WTE

  Paramedical Staff

  1979

  210·8

  1986

  260·1

  1990

  307·4

  Hospital Consultants

  1979

  90·0

  1986

  106·8

  1990

  129·9

  Nursing Staff

  1979

  4,371·5

  1986

  4,695·6

  1990

  4,775·8

  Ancillary Staff

  1979

  2,115·9

  1986

  1,739·1

  1990

  1,349·6

  Forestry Commission
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about his plans for privatisation of the organisation of the Forestry Commission.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 18 March 1991]: The plans for the internal reorganisation of the Forestry Commission announced by my right hon. Friend on 6 March, columns 220–21, do not involve privatisation.

  Tree Planting
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what area of land was planted with trees in 1990 under grant-aided schemes; what proportion represented the restocking of felled woodland; and what proportion represented planting of land not formerly under trees.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 18 March 1991]In the year ended 31 December 1990, the Forestry Commission grant-aided some 22,700 hectares of tree planting, including planting carried out under the farm woodland scheme. Of this total, 31 per cent. comprised restocking and 69 per cent. new planting.

  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what area of land was planted by the Forestry Commission in 1990; what proportion represented the restocking of felled woodland; and what proportion represented planting of land not formerly under trees.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 18 March 1991]In the year ended 31 December 1990, the Forestry Commission carried out some 11,100 hectares of planting, 65 per cent. of which was restocking and 35 per cent. new planting.

  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what area of land was planted in 1990 under the
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  woodland grant scheme; what proportion represented the restocking of felled woodland; and what proportion represented a carry forward into the woodland grant scheme from a former dedication scheme or forestry grant scheme.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 18 March 1991]: In the year ended 31 December 1990, the Forestry Commission grant-aided 15,900 hectares of planting under the woodland grant scheme, of which 34 per cent. was for the restocking of felled woodland. Some 3,000 hectares of new planting were also grant-aided under that scheme in association with the farm woodland scheme.

  The commission's records do not show what proportions of these areas of planting were previously included in a dedication scheme or in the forestry grant scheme.

  Student Loans
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total number of students attending all designated courses for all student loans who are potentially eligible for student loans in Scotland.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 18 March 1991]: It is estimated that some 70,000 students domiciled in Scotland are eligible for a loan in the academic year 1990–91. The estimate may be revised as further data become available.

  Loan-bearing courses do not require designation if they are at institutions receiving support from public funds. The Secretary of State may designate as loan-bearing
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  courses of higher education at other institutions under regulation 4 of the Education (Student Loans) Regulations 1990.

  State Hospital, Carstairs
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many mentally ill patients at the state hospital at Carstairs, who have not committed offences, come from each health board region in Scotland.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 18 March 1991]: Information on patients who have not been convicted of any criminal offence is as follows:

  Number

  Argyll and Clyde

  7

  Ayr and Arran

  —

  Borders

  1

  Dumfries and Galloway

  —

  Fife

  2

  Forth Valley

  2

  Grampian

  2

  Greater Glasgow

  9

  Highland

  3

  Lanarkshire

  —

  Lothian

  12

  Orkney

  —

  Shetland

  —

  Tayside

  4

  Western Isles

  —

  42

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  IRAQ: UK POLICY TOWARDS REBELS
  IRAQ: UK POLICY TOWARDS REBELS
  MIDDLE EAST: SECURITY AND VERIFICATION MEASURES
  MIDDLE EAST: SECURITY AND VERIFICATION MEASURES
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  DOMESTIC PROPERTY: VALUATION FOR RATING PURPOSES
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  PRISONER NUMBERS AND CNA DATA 1979–90
  PRISONER NUMBERS AND CNA DATA 1979–90