Written Answers of 2 May 1991

HOME DEPARTMENT

  National Association of Probation Officers
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last met representatives of the National Association of Probation Officers to discuss the new framework for the probation service.

  Mr. John Patten
  The then Home Secretary met the National Association of Probation Officers on 3 August 1987 to discuss "Probation—The Next Five Years", a statement produced jointly by the Central Council of Probation Committees, the Association of Chief Probation Officers and NAPO.

  Cars (Anti-Theft Measures)
  Mr. Allen McKay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now discuss with representatives of the motoring organisations, consumer associations and motor manufacturers the desirability of fitting laminated glass in cars to enhance their anti-theft properties.

  Mr. John Patten
  We are considering this matter, in consultation with others. In doing so, we must take account of both the security and safety implications of fitting laminated glass.

  Mr. McWilliam
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will next meet representatives of the motor manufacturers to discuss increasing anti-theft standards in automobiles.

  Mr. John Patten
  My right hon. Friend met the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders on 24 April and he and I met representatives from 11 motor manufacturing companies on 29 April to discuss car security. At these meetings we discussed measures that could be taken by the manufacturers further to improve car security and the individual manufacturers and SMMT will provide an update on how progress can be made in about three months' time.

  Prisoners (Visits)
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that prisoners are imprisoned at a convenient distance for regular visits from their families.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  Nearness to the prisoner's home or that of his or her likely visitors is a factor taken into account when sentenced prisoners are allocated to training establishments in England and Wales. But prison staff also take into account other factors, including the availability of places and security and control considerations, as well as any other needs the prisoner may have.

  Civil Defence
  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has made any decision on the reviews of civil defence and civil emergency planning undertaken by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  We hope to be able to make an announcement shortly.

  Magistrates Courts, Devon
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when he will announce his decision on changes in the magistrates courts in Devon;

  (2) when he expects to announce that a decision has been made on the future of the magistrates court in South Molton.

  Mr. John Patten
  We hope to make an announcement as soon as possible.

  Police Officers
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many female police officers there were in England and Wales on 1 January 1990; what percentage of them were promoted during 1990; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  On 1 January 1990, there were 13,829 women police officers in England and Wales. Information on the total numbers of officers promoted is not centrally held.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many male police officers there were in England and Wales on 1 January 1990; and what percentage of them were promoted during 1990.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  On 1 January 1990, there were 112,281 male police officers in England and Wales. Information on the total numbers of officers promoted is not centrally held.

  Prison Suicides
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number of prison suicides in each of the years 1987 to date in which the coroner identified lack of medical care as a material factor; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  There have been five cases of self-inflicted death in prison service establishments since 1987 in which the inquest verdict on the cause of death made reference to a lack of care. Of these, one death was in 1987, three were in 1990 and one in 1991.

  The verdicts concerned did not distinguish between medical care and other means of providing care for prisoners. The duty of care is shared by all prison staff, not only medical or nursing staff. The Government are concerned to ensure that proper standards of care are achieved in prisons. We are giving very serious consideration to the recommendations made about this in the report on suicide and self-injury by Her Majesty's chief inspector of prisons.

  Data Protection Register
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total sum paid out in fees by the office of the Data Protection Registrar to management consultants in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  I set out below the registrar's expenditure on specialist advice, other than public relations, in the years since his office was established in1984:

  £

  1984–85

  15,302

  1985–86

  37,383

  1986–87

  6,558

  1987–88

  9,764

  1988–89

  36,788

  1989–90

  17,416

  1990–91

  31,229

  The budget for 1991–92 is £30,000.

  I understand separate figures for management consultancies could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Departmental Property, London
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much land his Department owns in London; and how much of that land is unused.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  The most recent available information is that the Home Office owns about 230 acres of land in the Greater London area. The departmental register of unused and underused land, which is available for inspection by any member of the public, shows that the only unused portion of that land is an area of approximately 10 acres at Feltham, in the London borough of Hounslow.

  National Sporting Events
  Sir Alan Glyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from members of the public seeking an assurance that national sporting events will continue to be available on the main television channels as well as on cable and satellite.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  Since the revised list of events drawn up under section 182 of the Broadcasting Act 1990 was published on 17 April, the Home Office has received 42 letters from members of the public about it. Events on the list may not be shown on pay-per-view terms; but there has never been any guarantee that particular sporting events, whether or not included on the list, will be shown on terrestrial television services.

  Police Force Numbers
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list, for each police authority in Wales, for each of the past five years, 1991 and 1992, the recommendation made by the chief constable as to the number of police officers needed by that force to maintain an adequate level of cover.
  268
  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Since 1986 the four Welsh police authorities have made applications to the Secretary of State for increases in establishment as shown in the table:

  Dyfed-Powys

  Gwent

  North Wales

  South Wales

  1986–87

  1

  nil

  nil

  nil

  1987–88

  nil

  17

  nil

  nil

  1988–89

  nil

  42

  41

  66

  1989–90

  nil

  33

  31

  77

  1990–91

  8

  11

  21

  67

  1991–92

  nil

  9

  nil

  nil

  1992–93

  50

  10

  30

  44

  Wolds Remand Prison
  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the standard of service which will be expected of a private sector company contracted to run Wolds remand prison.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  Work has now been completed on the specification for the operation of Wolds remand prison under private sector management and the selection and training requirements for prisoner custody officers. This forms part of the invitation to tender being issued to potential contractors today and a copy has been placed in the Library. Subject to the passage of the Criminal Justice Bill through Parliament and the receipt of satisfactory tenders, we would aim to award a contract in the autumn.

CIVIL SERVICE

  Work Experience
  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service to what degree civil service trade unions have co-operated in secondment for work experience placements in the civil service.

  Mr. Renton
  Participation in work experience arrangements in the civil service, including the unions' interest in this, is a matter for individual Departments.

  In my own Department we have arranged work experience placements for a number of years with the support of unions.

ENERGY

  Brown Book
  Mr. Hague
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he will publish his next report on the development of the oil and gas resources of the United Kingdom, the Brown Book.

  Mr. Wakeham
  I have today published the latest edition of the Brown Book, and have arranged for copies to be placed in the Library of the House and the Vote Office. The report provides a detailed account of the development of oil and gas resources during 1990.

ENVIRONMENT

  Urban Development Corporations
  Ms. Gordon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will supply for each financial year since 1981 the amount of grant in aid given by his Department to each urban development corporation.

  Grant in aid to UDCs

  £ million

  UDC

  1981–82

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  London Docklands

  30·183

  40·587

  62·954

  58·639

  53·616

  Merseyside

  6·107

  20·676

  31·870

  29·723

  28·325

  UDC

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  London Docklands

  64·881

  82·800

  116·415

  255·750

  332·975

  Merseyside

  27·604

  20·942

  20·535

  23·000

  24·000

  Black Country

  —

  2·443

  23·000

  38·000

  32·000

  Teesside

  —

  5·000

  20·697

  36·009

  42·135

  Trafford Park

  0·031

  10·450

  15·500

  13·300

  24·200

  Tyne and Wear

  —

  4·000

  24·016

  35·800

  37·750

  Bristol

  —

  —

  0·283

  5·000

  13·425

  Central Manchester

  —

  —

  2·500

  11·000

  14·000

  Leeds

  —

  —

  2·743

  8·750

  14·000

  Sheffield

  —

  —

  7·958

  9·500

  18·967

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is his estimate of the total cost to date of the publication and distribution of poll tax registration forms;

  (2) what is his estimate of the total cost of printing and distributing poll tax reminder forms;

  (3) what is his estimate of the staffing costs of poll tax registration officers;

  (4) what is his estimate of the cost of computer equipment for the administration of poll tax registers.

  Mr. Portillo
  The Department does not have this information. The Government provided a total of £117·5 million in the 1988–89 and 1989–90 rate support grant settlements in England for community charge preparation costs, including £55 million by way of specific grant. In addition, allocations amounting to a total of £170·3 million were made for capital expenditure in 1988–89 and 1989–90. The cost of collecting the charge was allowed for in the revenue support grant for 1990–91 and will continue to be supported in 1991–92.

  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total cost of (i) producing and (ii) distributing the booklet sent to all households describing the working of the community charge.

  Mr. Portillo
  The costs of producing the leaflet "The Community Charge (the so-called poll tax): How it will work for you" which was distributed to every household in England during May 1989 were approximately £370,000. The distribution costs were approximately £600,000.

  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the cost to date of the printing and issuing of poll tax collection books; and what was the cost of reissuing new poll tax collection notices and books following the Budget changes in poll tax levels.

  Mr. Portillo
  Information on the cost of printing and issuing community charge collection books is not
  270
  Mr. Key
  The table supplies the information.

  available. Information on the cost of re-billing following the Community Charges (General Reduction) Act is not yet available, but the Government have undertaken to meet the reasonable additional costs which local authorities incur.

  Council Tax (Great Grimsby)
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing for Great Grimsby the numbers in each band qualifying for a reduction in council tax on income grounds in addition to a 25 per cent. discount.

  Mr. Key
  The information requested is not available.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the nature of the calculation by which he arrived at an average council tax of £496 for Grimsby; and if he will list the factors which accounted for only 24 of the 29 authorities with a higher percentage spending over standard spending assessment than Grimsby having higher estimates of tax in each band.

  Mr. Key
  [holding answer 30 April 1991]: The method used to calculate the illustrative council tax bills published on 23 April is set out on the sheet covering the tables.

  The main factors which determine the level of bills shown for each area are the level of spending in relation to standard spending assessment by all authorities providing services in the area; the proportion of properties in each of the seven bands; and the number of discounts assumed to be given in each area.

  The exemplifications published on 23 April show over half of domestic properties in Great Grimsby falling in band A, with a bill for two or more adults of £402. Single adult households will receive a 25 per cent. reduction.

  Countryside Commission
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total sum paid out in fees by the Countryside Commission to management consultants in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mr. Trippier
  The following table gives the available information. No figures are available prior to 1 April 1982.

  Fees paid to management consultants

  Year

  £

  1982–83

  —

  1983–84

  22,057

  1984–85

  —

  1985–86

  48,161

  1986–87

  49,974

  1987–88

  38,928

  1988–89

  12,763

  1989–90

  15,496

  1990–91

  146,837

  1991–92

  2100,000

  1 Estimate.

  2 Budget.

  Nature Conservancy Council
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total sum paid out in fees by the Nature Conservancy Council to management consultants in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mr. Trippier
  Expenditure on management consultants is not recorded separately. However, expenditure on all consultancies since 1986–87 is listed. No figures are available for previous years.

  £'000

  1986–87

  71

  1987–88

  52

  1988–89

  150

  1989–90

  168

  1990–91

  175

  1991–92

  190

  1 Nature Conservancy Council for England.

  Ordnance Survey
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total sum paid out in fees by the Ordnance Survey to management consultants in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mr. Baldry
  Records in the detail required to provide the information are not available prior to 1985–86. The available information is as follows:

  Fees paid to management consultants

  Year

  £000s

  1985–86

  276·9

  1986–87

  200·6

  1987–88

  236·8

  1988–89

  220·5

  1989–90

  242·4

  1990–91

  241·1

  The budget for 1991–92 makes provision of £374,000 for management consultants' fees.

  London Population
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment(a) what is the current level of population density per acre in London boroughs for planning purposes and (b) when it was last reviewed.

  Sir George Young
  The most recent estimates of population for each London borough are those prepared by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (OPCS) for mid—1989. The population densities for each borough on that basis are given in column(A) of the table. The mid-year population estimates are revised annually by OPCS.

  The calculation of population densities for the urban areas of each London borough, excluding the main areas of open land and green belt, are available from the 1981 census. Figures on that basis are given in column (B).

  Borough

  Population density (persons/acre)

  (A)

  (B)

  Barking and Dagenham

  106

  114

  Barnet

  86

  104

  Bexley

  89

  111

  Brent

  143

  141

  Bromley

  49

  84

  Camden

  210

  183

  Croydon

  91

  101

  Ealing

  131

  124

  Enfield

  79

  119

  Greenwich

  111

  121

  Hackney

  242

  227

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  227

  220

  Haringey

  156

  165

  Harrow

  94

  116

  Havering

  49

  111

  Hillingdon

  52

  69

  Hounslow

  82

  84

  Islington

  282

  262

  Kensington and Chelsea

  269

  259

  Kingston

  89

  99

  Lambeth

  215

  222

  Lewisham

  161

  163

  Merton

  106

  106

  Newham

  141

  146

  Redbridge

  101

  124

  Richmond

  74

  69

  Southwark

  188

  180

  Sutton

  96

  106

  Tower Hamlets

  205

  175

  Waltham Forest

  131

  146

  Wandsworth

  180

  178

  Westminster

  198

  188

  City of London

  40

  42

  Sources:

  (A) is 1989 mid-year estimate of borough population by OPCS divided by the total area of the borough.

  (B) is the 1981 population density of the urban area, ie the "usually resident population" in 1981 divided by the area defined as urban by OPCS in the 1981 census.

  Caravan Sites
  Sir George Gardiner
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the local authorities in England which have not yet been designated under the Caravan Sites Act 1968.

  Sir George Young
  Sixty-three per cent. of local authorities in England are not designated under the Caravan Sites Act 1968. For brevity, I list those authorities which are designated by type of authority.
  273
  LONDON BOROUGHS

  Barking

  Bexley

  Camden

  Croydon

  Enfield

  Greenwich

  Hammersmith & Fulham

  Harrow

  Havering

  Hillingdon

  Islington

  Kensington & Chelsea

  Kingston upon Thames

  Lambeth

  Lewisham

  Merton

  Newham

  Redbridge

  Richmond upon Thames

  Sutton

  Waltham Forest

  Wandsworth

  Westminster

  METROPOLITAN DISTRICTS

  Bolton (CB)

  Bradford

  Bury (CB)

  Doncaster

  Gateshead

  Leeds (CB)

  Manchester (CB)

  Oldham

  Rochdale

  St. Helens (CB)

  Trafford

  Wolverhampton (CB)

  COUNTY AND DISTRICT COUNCILS

  Avon

  None

  Bedfordshire

  Luton

  Mid Bedfordshire

  North Bedfordshire

  South Bedfordshire

  Berkshire

  Windsor and Maidenhead

  Buckinghamshire

  Aylesbury Vale

  Chiltern

  Milton Keynes

  South Buckinghamshire

  Cambridgeshire

  East Cambridgeshire

  Huntingdonshire

  Peterborough

  Cheshire

  Chester

  Cleveland

  Hartlepool

  Middlesbrough

  Stockton-on-Tees

  Cornwall

  None

  Cumbria

  None

  Derbyshire

  Bolsover

  Chesterfield

  274

  High Peak

  North East Derbyshire

  South Derbyshire

  Devon

  Plymouth (CB)

  Dorset

  Bournemouth

  Christchurch

  East Dorset

  North Dorset

  Poole

  Purbeck

  West Dorset

  Weymouth and Portland

  Durham

  Chester-le-Street

  Darlington

  Derwentside

  Durham

  Easington

  Sedgefield

  Teesdale

  Wear Valley

  East Sussex

  Eastbourne

  Hastings

  Lewes

  Rother

  Wealden

  Essex

  None

  Gloucestershire

  None

  Hampshire

  None

  Hereford and Worcester

  None

  Hertfordshire

  Broxbourne

  Dacorum

  Hertsmere

  Watford

  Welwyn Hatfield

  Humberside

  None

  Isle of Wight

  None

  Kent

  Ashford

  Canterbury

  Dartford

  Dover

  Gravesham

  Maidstone

  Shepway

  Tonbridge and Malling

  Lancashire

  Hyndburn

  Lancaster

  Leicestershire

  Blaby

  Oadby and Wigston

  Lincolnshire

  Boston

  Lincoln (CB)

  West Lindsey

  275
  Norfolk

  Great Yarmouth

  Northamptonshire

  East Northamptonshire

  Kettering

  Northampton

  South Northamptonshire

  Wellingborough

  Northumberland

  Alnwich

  Berwick-Upon-Tweed

  Blyth Valley

  Castle Morpeth

  Tynedale

  Wansbeck

  North Yorkshire

  Richmondshire

  Ryedale

  Selby

  Nottinghamshire

  None

  Oxfordshire

  Cherwell

  Oxford (CB)

  Shropshire

  Oswestry

  Somerset

  None

  Staffordshire

  Stoke-on-Trent (CB)

  Suffolk

  Babergh

  Ipswich

  Mid-Suffolk

  Suffolk Coastal

  Surrey

  Epsom and Ewell

  Runnymede

  Warwickshire

  Nuneaton and Bedworth

  West Sussex

  Adur

  Arun

  Chichester

  Crawley

  Horsham

  Mid Sussex

  Worthing

  Wiltshire

  Kennet

  North Wiltshire

  Salisbury

  Thamesdown

  West Wiltshire

  Note: Those districts marked (CB) were designated as county boroughs and there have been subsequent boundary changes.

  Planning Applications
  Mr. Gorst
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of local authority planning refusals have been overruled by an inspector in the last 12 months for which figures are available.
  276
  Sir George Young
  In the 12-month period ending February 1991, 32·3 per cent of appeals to the Secretary of State, following a local authority decision to refuse a planning application, were allowed.

  Mr. Gorst
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any plans to afford the same rights to those who object to a planning application as apply to property developers when an appeal by the developers is made to him following refusal of planning consent by a local authority.

  Sir George Young
  My right hon. Friend is required by statute to take into account any representations about planning appeals made to him by third parties, so long as they are relevant to the case, regardless of the procedure followed. Although most third parties appear at a public local inquiry only at the inspector's discretion, inspectors are instructed not to refuse to hear such parties without good reason, particularly if the result of the inquiry could adversely affect their interests.

  Mr. Gorst
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he has any plans to compensate local authorities for the money they spend to defend their planning decisions;

  (2) what steps he takes to ensure that the amount of money spent by local authorities to defend their decisions is justified and reasonable; and if he will give figures for the amount spent by each local authority for 1988, 1989 and 1990.

  Sir George Young
  It is for local authorities to decide how much to spend on defending their planning decisions at appeal. Information is not available about the amount spent by each authority in the last three years. Fees for planning applications are set to recover about 50 per cent. of authorities' development control costs, which include costs incurred at appeal, and those fees are being raised progressively with the aim of covering 100 per cent. of development control costs. Where unreasonable behaviour by another party at a public local inquiry results in unnecessary expense to a local planning authority my right hon. Friend may award costs to the authority. Fifty-four such awards were made in 1989–90.

HEALTH

  Female Circumcision
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make funding available for courses for doctors and nurses for in-service training to help deal with the physical and psychological consequences of female circumcision.

  Mr. Dorrell
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Liverpool, Mossley Hill (Mr. Alton) on 25 March, at columns 322–24. It is for the health authorities concerned to provide funding for in-service training.

  Medical Staff (South Manchester Health Authority)
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) junior doctors, (b) consultants and (c) nurses were employed by the South Manchester health authority in March 1979 and March 1991, respectively.
  277
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The table shows the figures for 1982 and 1989, the earliest and latest years for which comparable information is available.

  South Manchester health authority as at 30 September each year1

  1982

  1989

  Junior Doctors2

  230

  260

  Consultants

  140

  150

  Nursing and Midwifery Staff3

  3,030

  3,110

  Notes:

  All figures are rounded to the nearest 10 whole-time equivalents.

  2 Staff included
  Registrars, Senior House Officers, House Officers (excluding all locum staff). Senior Registrar figures are not available at a district level.

  3 Includes Agency Staff.

  Hospital Beds, South London
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the number of beds available (i) to NHS patients and (ii) private patients in (a) Guy's hospital, (b) King's College hospital, (c) St. Thomas's hospital, (d) Lewisham and North Southwark health authority, (e) Camberwell health authority and (f) West Lambeth health authority at the beginning of each financial year since 1979.

  Mr. Dorrell
  I shall let the hon. Member have such information as is available as soon as possible.

  Departmental Land, London
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much land his Department owns in London; and how much of that land is unused.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The Department does not own land in London. At 31 March 1990-the latest figures available

  the NHS owned approximately 1,700 hectares of land in the Greater London area, of which approximately 400 hectares had been identified as surplus to requirements.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to commission a report on the likely total job losses in opting-out hospitals in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  No. Trusts are in the vanguard of the shift away from central control. They have the capacity and capability to use their new-found freedoms for the benefit of their patients.

  Patient Referrals
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what machinery exists to deal with disputes between purchasing health authorities and non budget-holding general practitioners over the appropriateness or otherwise of referrals of patients for treatment by hospitals with which the purchasers do not have contracts.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  It has always been recognised that GPs will sometimes wish to refer a patient to a hospital or service with which the patient's district health authority (DHA) has no contract in place. District health authorities have been asked to plan to take account of this and are holding reserves of funds to meet the cost of expected levels of these referrals.
  278
  Mrs. Bottomley
  District health authorities would not generally be expected to challenge such referrals, unless they were clearly perverse or wholly unjustified on clinical grounds. However, DHAs would have to make a judgment on the relative priority of providing funding for the treatment. In an emergency, treatment will always be provided immediately and the cost met by the DHA. In non-urgent cases, DHAs will be expected to fund treatment as quickly as available resources allow, taking account of the clinical priority of the individual case.

  Clinical Treatment
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are his Department's plans for dealing with those cases whereby national health service patients registered with budget-holding general practitioners are denied access to clinical treatment which is still available to those registered with non budget-holding practitioners; if he will take steps to prevent further such occurrences; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Fundholding practices are responsible for purchasing a defined range of hospital treatment for their patients. For treatment not included in this range, their patients are covered by the relevant district health authority's contract. Fundholding practices are allocated budgets which have as their starting point previous hospital usage and prescribing patterns. They are neither preferentially funded nor disadvantaged compared with district health authorities.

WALES

  Computerised Systems
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if general practitioners have achieved the target set by his Department of 80 per cent. making use of computerised systems by April 1991.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  It is believed that the target set, in "Agenda for Action", to have 80 per cent. of general practices in Wales computerised, has not been achieved. The current estimate is 60 to 65 per cent. computerised. The position will be confirmed through a survey of general practice computerisation presently being undertaken in England and Wales by the Department of Health. To achieve the target figures, GPs will need to be encouraged to computerise their practices. Computerisation is being promoted by:

  (a) the two GP computing advisers for Wales and family health service authority (FHSAs) IT officers.

  (b) proposed changes to the direct reimbursement scheme for GP practice computerisation to make it more flexible, and by devolving funds for managing the scheme from the Welsh Office to FHSAs.

  (c) the GP computing project which aims, over a three-year period, to increase and co-ordinate the spread and utilisation of general practice computing in Wales.

  Open-heart Surgery Centre
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a list of those hospitals currently being considered as the second open-heart surgery centre in south Wales.
  279
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  Information concerning the provision of a second cardiac facility will be announced when we have fully considered all appropriate options.

  Earlswood Roundabout (Traffic Lights)
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish the criteria he has used to determine delaying the installation of temporary traffic lights at the Earlswood roundabout until 1993.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The traffic signals are to be provided as part of an improvement to Earlswood roundabout and will be permanent, operating on a part-time basis at peak periods. The roundabout is being used as a temporary access for the M4 construction between Earlswood and Lonlas. Should the improvement and the traffic lights be installed now, serious contractual problems would result.

  Road Improvements
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the estimated total spending on major improvement schemes by his Department on (a) the A55 trunk road and (b) the M4 for each year since 1979.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Expenditure on major improvement schemes, including schemes completed, in progress and in preparation, for each year since 1979 is:

  £ million

  A55

  M4

  1979–80

  6·3

  25·2

  1980–81

  17·4

  21·6

  1981–82

  15·0

  16·0

  1982–83

  57·0

  8·3

  1983–84

  63·4

  7·6

  1984–85

  39·4

  3·5

  1985–86

  30·6

  3·1

  1986–87

  34·7

  1·1

  1987–88

  63·6

  2·7

  1988–89

  86·2

  1·8

  1989–90

  60·7

  1·8

  1990–911

  72·1

  2·2

  Total

  546·4

  94·9

  1 Provisional.

  Unfit Meat
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place in the Library, for each of the last five years, the number of bovine animals that his veterinary officers have found to contain prohibited artificial substances rendering the meat unfit for human consumption; what is the nature of the substances; and what is the number of prosecutions which followed.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Information on this matter is held centrally. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food will be placing a note in the Library of the House containing the details for Great Britain.

  Agriculture Prices
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a table showing the price levels of primary agricultural products in Wales over the last 15 years.
  280
  Mr. David Hunt
  Prices for five products are shown in the following tables:

  Calendar year

  Wheat

  Barley

  Average price (£ per tonne)

  1976

  n/a

  n/a

  1977

  78·00

  75·20

  1978

  81·30

  77·10

  1979

  94·00

  90·80

  1980

  95·50

  91·50

  1981

  106·00

  98·40

  1982

  110·70

  107·80

  1983

  121·80

  118·70

  1984

  108·37

  116·16

  1985

  110·01

  105·67

  1986

  113·65

  108·34

  1987

  112·38

  103·74

  1988

  109·14

  103·04

  1989

  121·83

  106·89

  1990

  1133·69

  1113·78

  Financial year

  Milk Average net price paid to wholesale producers (p per litre)

  Finished cattle

  Finished sheep

  Average market price (p per kg—deadweight)

  1976–77

  9·16

  n/a

  n/a

  1977–78

  9·72

  n/a

  n/a

  1978–79

  10·31

  68·34

  142·26

  1979–80

  11·28

  75·97

  138·02

  1980–81

  12·44

  76·24

  125·88

  1981–82

  13·46

  91·37

  155·48

  1982–83

  14·60

  95·38

  145·88

  1983–84

  14·87

  94·82

  143·45

  1984–85

  14·97

  94·05

  167·33

  1985–86

  15·63

  93·75

  169·85

  1986–87

  16·05

  93·79

  170·32

  1987–88

  16·60

  99·01

  185·19

  1988–89

  17·94

  110·71

  171·71

  1989–90

  19·14

  113·15

  182·80

  1990–91

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  1 = provisional

  n/a = Not available. In 1976 and 1976–77 this indicates the figures are not available on a comparable basis; when indicated for 1990–91 the figures are not yet available.

  Mentally Handicapped People
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has for public consultation on his second phase of the review of the all-Wales strategy for the development of services for people with a mental handicap; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  We intend to publish shortly outline proposals for the future development of services for people with mental handicaps in Wales. There will be a period of public consultation on them until the late summer, including discussions with each county planning team during June and July. We will very much welcome comments from service users and their families and all others with an interest.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the timetable for the review of the all-Wales strategy for his development of services for people with a mental handicap.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The formal review of the all-Wales strategy for the development of services for people with mental handicaps was launched on 26
  281
  November 1990, and comments were invited by 22 February 1991. Almost 120 written responses were received, and we are currently considering how the strategy might be taken forward beyond the original 10 years, which will end in March 1993.

  The second round of public consultation, following the publication shortly of our outline proposals, will last until the late summer. We intend to make a final announcement about the arrangements for further development of services before the end of the year.

  Employment Statistics
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will list(a) the total number of jobs created or safeguarded in Wales and (b) the location and number of jobs between June 1987 and May 1990;

  (2) what is his estimate of (a) the total number of jobs created or safeguarded in Wales and (b) the locations and numbers of jobs since May 1990.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The information requested is not held centrally by my Department. However, the following table shows, for each county. the total jobs expected to be created and/or safeguarded on projects associated with offers of regional selective assistance (RSA) and revised regional development grants (RDG) made during the periods 1 June 1987 to 31 May 1990 and 1 June 1990 to 29 April 1991.

  The table also shows totals of jobs achieved on projects which have attracted regional selective assistance since 1972 and revised regional development grants since 1984.

  1 June 1987 to 31 May 1990 forecast

  1 June 1990 to 29 April 1991 forecast

  Totals achieved

  Clwyd

  19,745

  2,124

  30,244

  Dyfed

  4,121

  325

  7,113

  Gwent

  13,113

  2,885

  36,371

  Gwynedd

  1,118

  725

  3,511

  Mid Glamorgan

  21,178

  8,253

  35,806

  Powys

  332

  2

  3,140

  Staff in post (numbers) as at 31 March 1991

  District general hospital

  Senior nurses and nurse managers1

  Other qualified nursing and midwifery staff

  Nursing and midwifery auxiliaries

  Ancillary staff

  MLSOs

  Other staff

  Total

  Ysbyty Glan Clwyd

  3

  408

  97

  242

  47

  396

  1,193

  Ysbyty Maelor

  5

  826

  207

  299

  49

  536

  1,922

  Bronglais General

  —

  202

  47

  107

  18

  152

  526

  West Wales General

  2

  392

  196

  287

  31

  300

  1,208

  Royal Gwent

  3

  751

  210

  428

  77

  559

  2,028

  St. Woolos

  1

  314

  191

  234

  —

  240

  980

  Nevill Hall

  12

  447

  124

  248

  35

  360

  1,226

  Ysbyty Gwynedd

  1

  474

  124

  311

  —

  317

  1,227

  Princess of Wales/Bridgend General

  3

  548

  142

  302

  47

  357

  1,399

  East Glamorgan General

  1

  559

  116

  271

  62

  320

  1,329

  Prince Charles

  1

  361

  56

  225

  39

  300

  982

  Withybush

  —

  266

  49

  —

  29

  212

  556

  University Hospital of Wales/Dental Hospital

  5

  959

  219

  641

  2

  974

  2,800

  Cardiff Royal Infirmary

  2

  470

  146

  265

  —

  244

  1,127

  Llandough

  1

  358

  131

  259

  —

  368

  1,117

  Singleton

  2

  361

  46

  316

  —

  231

  956

  Morriston

  4

  987

  217

  173

  39

  524

  1,944

  Neath

  1

  417

  52

  248

  29

  265

  1,012

  1 Includes midwives.

  Notes: Not all staff will work wholly at the hospitals with which they are included and staff in other units may work part of their time at the hospitals listed.
  282

  1 June 1987 to 31 May 1990 forecast

  1 June 1990 to 29 April 1991 forecast

  Totals achieved

  South Glamorgan

  6,727

  630

  9,278

  West Glamorgan

  9,443

  1,670

  14,300

  Total

  75,507

  16,614

  139,763

  Ambulance Service
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has any plans to change the structure and organisation of the ambulance service in Wales, and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The structure and organisation of patient transport services in Wales are currently being examined by independent consultants commissioned by the Department. I will consult widely on their recommendations before deciding whether to make any changes.

  District General Hospitals
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list all district general hospitals in Wales and provide for each (a) the total establishment and (b) the actual number of employees in post on 1 April, in each case giving the total figure and the breakdown by categories including (i) consultants, (ii) junior hospital doctors, (iii) senior nurses and nurse managers, (iv) nurses, (v) auxiliary staff, (vi) MLSOs and (vii) other categories of staff.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The available information, which relates to staff in pay units associated with DGHs, is given in the table. Staff establishment figures are not available centrally and medical and dental staff in post figures are not available below district health authority level.

  Welsh Development Agency
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total sum paid out in fees by the Welsh Development Agency to management consultants in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave him on Wednesday 1 May 1991.

  Advertising
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total expenditure by the Welsh Office in 1990–91 on (a) press advertising, (b) television advertising and (c) other advertising and promotion.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Mr. Dobson) on 25 April 1991, at columns 537–40.

  Dentists
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many dentists were employed in the national health service in each county in Wales in each of the last five years; and how many are currently employed.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  Information on the number of dentists1 employed in the national health service in the years 1985 to 1989—the latest available data—is given in the table.

  County

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  Clwyd

  113

  114

  122

  122

  137

  Dyfed

  104

  107

  112

  118

  115

  Gwent

  139

  139

  145

  146

  151

  Gwynedd

  81

  81

  81

  77

  80

  Mid-Glamorgan

  149

  151

  158

  160

  164

  Powys

  39

  44

  44

  44

  45

  South Glamorgan

  221

  214

  219

  215

  220

  West Glamorgan

  146

  142

  145

  153

  157

  1 General dental practitioners, including assistants, as at 1 October, community dental staff as at 30 September and hospital dental staff, excluding hospital practitioners and clinical assistants, as at 30 September.

  Wind Farms
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will provide policy guidelines on the creation, siting and construction of wind farms in rural Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Detailed planning guidance on renewable energy, including wind farms, is being prepared.

  Health Service (Advertising)
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was(a) the amount devoted to the national health service in Wales and (b) the percentage of expenditure under each heading that was devoted to the national health service in Wales in each of the six years 1985–86 to 1990–91 in respect of his Department's expenditure on (i) press and advertising, (ii) television advertising and (iii) other advertising and promotion.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The information is as follows:
  284

  Gross expenditure on the NHS

  Years

  £ million

  1985–86

  953

  1986–87

  1,025

  1987–88

  1,135

  1988–89

  1,270

  1989–90

  1,376

  1990–91

  1,554

  Health advertising expenditure as a percentage of total Welsh Office advertising expenditure

  Percentage

  1989–90

  1990–91

  (i) Press

  0·85

  —

  (ii) TV

  92·98

  41·18

  (iii) Other

  17·01

  31·01

  Note: Figures for expenditure on advertising for the years prior to 1989–90 are not available.

  Hospitals (Trust Status)
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list all those hospitals in Wales which have(a) asked for information about the process and implications of transfer to trust status, (b) expressed interest in transferring to trust status and (c) communicated to him or his officials a wish or intention to seek approval for transfer to trust status.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The decision on whether to apply for self-governing status is a matter for individual health service units. To date, only Pembrokeshire has indicated its intention to apply to become a national health service trust. The potential development of trusts elsewhere in Wales will become known only when formal expressions of interest have been submitted.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Additionality
  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the outcome of the ministerial meeting concerning additionality of funds held between himself and European Commissioner Millan on 25 April.

  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what conclusion he came to after his meeting with Commissioner Bruce Milian on additionality.

  Mr. Lilley
  With my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland, and other Ministers, I met Mr. Bruce Milian, European Commissioner with responsibility for regional policies, on Thursday 25 April to discuss issues relating to the Community's structural funds.

  We discussed a range of issues concerning the funds' grants in the United Kingdom, as well as broader matters relating to the future of the funds.

  The proposed RECHAR programmes of grants for United Kingdom coalfield areas were one of the subjects discussed. The meeting helped reduce the misunderstanding there has been about the additionality of Community grants. I remain in touch with the Commission and hope that agreement will now soon be reached to enable these useful programmes to proceed.

  Export Credits Guarantee Department
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the total sum paid out in fees by the Export Credits Guarantee Department to management consultants in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The figures are as follows:

  £000

  1986·87

  382

  1987·88

  365

  1988·89

  719

  1989·90

  691

  11990·91

  581

  21991·92

  673

  1 Provisional.

  2 Budget (provisional).

  Notes:

  1. Comparable figures for the years before 1986–87 are not readily available.

  2. The figures exclude fees paid to professional advisers in connection with the proposed privatisation of the short term insurance business of ECGD.

  Personal Sequestration
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on progress being made by his Department on its investigation on the operation of the system of personal sequestration in Scotland; and if he will list those persons and organisations so far consulted.

  Mr. Redwood
  The evaluation is in its final stages. Officials have discussed the operation of the Bankruptcy (Scotland) Act 1985 with various organisations and individuals, but there has been no formal consultation process. Those who have helped include:

  Citizens Advice Scotland

  Money Advice Scotland

  The Consumer Credit Association of the UK

  The Credit Services Association

  The Scottish Courts Administration

  The Accountant in Bankruptcy

  Professor William McBryde of Dundee University

  A. M. Hamilton of McGregor Donald

  Messrs. Pannell Kerr Foster

  Messrs. Cork Gully

  Adam Berkley of Watson Personal Finance

  The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland

  I have also received, or had forwarded to me, representations on the subject from other organizations and individuals, including:

  The Radio, Electrical and Television Retailers Association

  Geoffrey Ognall of Legal & Trade

  Mrs. Maria Stepek

  N. Firestone, Firestone Wilson

  Soviet Union Export Credits
  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement about the availability of medium-term cover to the Soviet Union from the Export Credits Guarantee Department for the use of British exporters.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  ECGD cover for medium-term export credits for the Soviet Union is currently being reviewed and new commitments are not being undertaken pending the outcome of the review.
  286
  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list those Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries which at present offer medium-term cover export credits for business with the Soviet Union and those which do not.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  As far as is known, all OECD members are presently offering cover for medium-term export credits for the Soviet Union with the exception of Sweden, which is postponing decisions on new applications.

  Insurance Services Group
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what contacts he has had with the chairman and chief executive of Sun Alliance regarding its proposed bid for the Insurance Services Group of ECGD.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had no such contacts.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what provision he made to establish a reserve price for net proceeds to the Exchequer from the sale of the Insurance Services Group of ECGD.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Price will be an important but not the sole criterion in decisions about the sale of the short-term business of ECGD.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has on the dates on which the management team of(a) Assicurazioni Generali, (b) NCM, (c) Trade Indemnity and (d) any other bidders visited Cardiff with a view to preparing bids for the Insurance Services Group of ECGD.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Visits to Cardiff were offered to each of the management teams of the companies invited to tender for the short-term business of ECGD. The dates on which those visits took place were as follows:

  Date

  Trade Indemnity

  3 April

  Sun Alliance

  4 April

  Assicurazioni Generali

  10 April

  NCM

  16 April

  COBAC

  17 April

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what facilities were given to representatives of the appropriate trade unions to meet the management of Assuricazioni Generali, NCM, COBAC, Eagle Star, Sun Alliance and Trade Indemnity during their exploratory visits to ECGD, Cardiff, prior to finalising their bids for the Insurance Services Group.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Each of the shortlisted companies invited to bid for the short-term business of ECGD was invited by Government to meet representatives of the appropriate trade unions during their visit to Cardiff. Each company which visited Cardiff had such a meeting.

SCOTLAND

  Scottish Natural Heritage
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what conveniently available figures he has of the number of contract staff currently working for Scottish Natural
  287
  Heritage; and what steps are being taken to ensure that the reservoir of expertise among those who worked on contract for the Nature Conservancy Council in Scotland has been kept available for Scottish Natural Heritage.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  At present there are 65 contract staff working for the Nature Conservancy Council in Scotland and 19 contract staff working for the Countryside Commission for Scotland.

  Subject to parliamentary approval of the Natural Heritage (Scotland) Bill, it is hoped that Scottish Natural Heritage will be established on 1 April 1992. Staff on contracts with the predecessor bodies with termination dates after 1 April 1992 will have their contracts honoured. Scottish Natural Heritage will also be able to appoint or re-appoint contract staff where appropriate. Decisions on staff levels and structures will be taken later this year.

  Local Tax Exemplifications
  Mr. Maxton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a detailed note on the methodology and valuation estimates used to produce his recent local tax exemplifications for Scotland.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  Details of the basis of calculation of the exemplifications were provided in a note that accompanied the figures. If the hon. Member has any specific queries not covered in the note, I would be happy to respond to them.

  Mr. Maxton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information is held by the district valuer on capital valuation of domestic properties in(a) the public and (b) the private sector in Scotland; and if any other section of the Inland Revenue provided capital valuation information for his recent exemplifications for a local tax in Scotland.

  Mr. Maples
  I have been asked to reply.

  The valuation office Scotland holds for valuation and land ownership purposes information about various types of property, including a record of all sales of heritable property obtained from the public records or the Department of Registers of Scotland. No other part of the Revenue provided capital valuation information to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.

  Urban Motorways
  Mr. David Marshall
  to ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total mileage of urban motorway in each urban area of Scotland(a) already constructed and in operation, (b) under construction at present and (c) planned for the future.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Details of public road lengths by region and class as at 1 April 1990 are given in table 5·2 of "Scottish Transport Statistics 1989". The figures for Strathclyde region include 47 km of motorway within the Glasgow city boundary. As urban motorways are the responsibility of local roads authorities, their construction and planning are dependent on local authority processing of statutory procedures and availability of finance. These plans are subject to change. Currently under construction by Strathclyde region is 4·6 km of non-trunk urban motorway—part of the M80 Stepps bypass, which is a joint scheme with the Scottish Office.

  Forestry Commission
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total sum paid out in fees by the Forestry Commission to management consultants in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The Forestry Commission does not keep a separate record of fees paid to consultants. A general search of the relevant files has identified only one occasion when consultants were employed to advise on management questions. That was in 1984, at a cost of £17,000. The commission has no current plans to employ management consultants.

  Scottish Development Agency
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total sum paid out in fees by the Scottish Development Agency to management consultants in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise, which succeeded the Scottish Development Agency on 1 April 1991, and I have asked the chairman to write to the hon. Member.

  Legal Aid
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  to ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of the Scottish population is today eligible for(a) legal advice and assistance and (b) civil legal aid; and what was the figure in 1979.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information requested is not available.

  Pupil Expenditure
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing the expenditure per pupil on (i) books and (ii) equipment in(a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools in cash and real terms since 1976.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 29 April 1991]: Information from 1977, the earliest year for which details are available in the form requested, is given in the tables, which have been compiled from local authority financial returns. Expenditure on equipment was not separately identified in these returns until 1982–83. There have been some variations from year to year in the recording of expenditure under these two headings. It is therefore possible that some expenditure on books may be included under expenditure on equipment and vice versa.

  Expenditure per pupil on text and library books and on educational tools equipment and materials at outturn prices

  Books

  Education Tools, Equipment and Materials

  Year

  Primary

  Secondary

  Primary

  Secondary

  (£)

  (£)

  (£)

  (£)

  1977–78

  3·27

  5·80

  n/a

  n/a

  1978–79

  4·54

  8·31

  n/a

  n/a

  1979–80

  5·49

  9·61

  n/a

  n/a

  1980–81

  5·84

  9·29

  n/a

  n/a

  1981–82

  6·54

  9·77

  n/a

  n/a

  1982–83

  7·03

  10·03

  8·18

  27·33

  289

  Books

  Education Tools, Equipment and Materials

  Year

  Primary

  Secondary

  Primary

  Secondary

  (£)

  (£)

  (£)

  (£)

  1983–84

  8·99

  3·35

  7·28

  25·36

  1984–85

  9·55

  13·83

  8·91

  30·09

  1985–86

  8·91

  13·47

  8·33

  30·26

  1986–87

  10·93

  16·67

  8·92

  33·85

  1987–88

  9·25

  12·93

  11·71

  44·42

  1988–89

  11·23

  18·56

  13·24

  50·18

  Expenditure per pupil on text and library books and on educational tools, equipment and materials adjusted to 1989–90 prices using the GDP deflator

  Books

  Education Tools, Equipment and Materials

  Year

  Primary

  Secondary

  Primary

  Secondary

  (£)

  (£)

  (£)

  (£)

  1977–78

  8·49

  15·06

  n/a

  n/a

  1978–79

  10·63

  19·46

  n/a

  n/a

  1979–80

  11·02

  19·28

  n/a

  n/a

  1980–81

  9·90

  15·75

  n/a

  n/a

  1981–82

  10·11

  15·11

  n/a

  n/a

  1982–83

  10·15

  14·48

  11·81

  39·46

  1983–84

  12·41

  18·42

  10·05

  35·00

  1984–85

  12·54

  18·16

  11·70

  39·52

  1985–86

  11·10

  16·78

  10·38

  37·69

  1986–87

  13·16

  20·07

  10·74

  40·75

  1987–88

  10·57

  14·78

  13·38

  50·77

  1988–89

  11·95

  19·74

  14·08

  53·38

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Management Consultants
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the total sum paid out in fees by the Overseas Development Administration to management consultants in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mrs. Chalker
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State on 1 May.

  Food Aid (EC)
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons Her Majesty's Government's representative opposed the European Commission proposal on the funding of the EC's 400,000 tonnes of food aid for Africa, at the meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives of Member States on 23 April; and if he will make it his policy to end Her Majesty's Government's opposition to the proposal in order to secure a COREPER decision on funding at its meeting on 2 May.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We endorsed during last week's discussions in COREPER the proposal of the EC Commission to make available an extra 400,000 tonnes of EC food aid for the relief of famine in Africa. We proposed that the food aid should be sent to Africa this week and the funding sorted out later. I wrote to Commissioner Marin earlier this week making the same point. I hope that agreement can be reached at COREPER today.

  Kurds
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Derbyshire, North-East, on 25 April,Official Report, columns 507–8, if he will list those supplies which were donated to the Overseas Development Administration and give details of the organisations which made such donations.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The following relief supplies on aircraft chartered by ODA were donated:

  Supplies

  Donor

  2,500 groundsheets

  Salvation Army Mersey Regional

  120,000 blankets

  Health Authority

  216,000 multivitamin capsules

  Nature Slim UK

  The other supplies on ODA flights were purchased by the ODA from various suppliers, including some non-governmental organisations. The ODA also paid the costs of chartering the Oxfam flight on 22 April, carrying two Land Rovers and drinking water supply equipment. In addition, a further flight has gone to Iran carrying goods donated by the public.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Kuwait
  Mr. Prescott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs at what time, GMT and local, the British ambassador to Kuwait first learnt of the invasion of Kuwait by the Iraqi forces on 2 August 1990; at what time, GMT and locally, he was aware of the attack on the royal palace; and how far the palace is from his residence.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 14 November 1990, at column 136. At approximately 03.00 GMT, 06.00 Kuwait local time, on 2 August the ambassador became aware of an Iraqi attack on the royal palace, which is less than a quarter of a mile from the ambassador's residence.

  Trilogue Meeting
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is Her Majesty's Government's policy on how the 1 billion ecu of new resources for EC external purposes should be allocated by the trilogue meeting on 2 May.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  The trilogue on 2 May will discuss proposed revisions to the financial prespectives for both 1991 and 1992. We are participating constructively in the Council perparations for this trilogue. We shall continue to press the need for additional provisions to be fully justified.

  Safe Havens
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy of widening safe havens.
  291
  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We are continuing with our policy for the establishment of safe havens. Work on the camp at Zakho is well advanced and preparations are being made for further safe havens.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Post
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will take steps to ensure that post which arrrives for an hon. Member at the House Post Office is delivered the same say at hon. Members' offices outside the main building.

  Mr. MacGregor
  I have asked the Serjeant at Arms to look into the matter and he will contact the hon. Member.

DEFENCE

  Recruits (Minimum Age)
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the minimum age for recruits for the Royal Marines and RAF; and how long this has been so.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The minimum age for recruitment to the Royal Marines and RAF is as follows:

  Males

  Females

  Royal Marines

  Officers

  17 years 6 months

  —

  Servicemen

  16 years

  —

  Royal Air Force

  Officers

  17 years 6 months

  18 years

  Servicemen

  16 years 6 months

  17 years

  In the time available, it has not been possible to ascertain precisely how long the age limits have been in force. The minimum age for RM service men is believed to have increased to 16 with the raising of the school leaving age in 1972. In the RAF, the current minimum age limits for officers and airwomen have been in place since at least 1967. The minimum recruitment age for airmen has been 16 years 6 months since 1981. Between 1967 and 1980 it varied between 16, 16 years 6 months and 17.

  Nuclear Submarines
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will list the sites currently being considered for interim disposal of(a) HMS Warspite (b) HMS Churchill and (c) HMS Conqueror;

  (2) what research his Department currently is undertaking into cutting up reactors from decommissioned nuclear fleet submarines in a contained environment.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  A number of options are currently under consideration for the method and location of the interim storage and eventual disposal of decommissioned nuclear submarines.

  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he had with his NATO counterparts regarding the disposal of nuclear fleet submarines after decommissioning.
  292
  Mr. Alan Clark
  There is a regular exchange of information between the United States and United Kingdom Governments under the 1958 mutual defence agreement and we are generally aware of each other's views. The only other NATO member operating nuclear submarines is France, with whom we have held no substantive discussions on the subject.

  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the independent expert members of the nuclear-powered warship safety committee who have specific expertise in(a) reactor safety and (b) decommissioning of nuclear-powered submarines.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The membership of the nuclear-powered warship safety committee is confidential.

  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he makes it his policy to rule out the disposal of decommissioned nuclear fleet submarines at sea.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  A number of options are currently under consideration for the method and location of the interim storage and eventual disposal of decommissioned nuclear submarines. But the Government are keeping under review whether the option of disposing of large decommissioned items at sea needs to be maintained.

  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what joint research with other NATO countries his Department has commissioned in the last 10 years regarding disposal of nuclear fleet submarines.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  None.

  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the locations of all Z-berth sites in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  United Kingdom Z-berths, including buoys and anchorages, are at:

  Barrow-in-Furness

  Barry

  Broadford Bay

  Brodick Bay

  Campbeltown

  Cardiff

  Coulport

  Dales Voe

  Devonport and Plymouth Sound

  Faslane

  The Firth of Forth

  Glen Mallan

  Holy Loch

  Lamlash Bay

  Lerwick

  Liverpool

  Loch Ewe

  Loch Fyne

  Loch Goil

  Loch Long

  Loch Na Beiste

  Loch Striven

  Portland

  Portree

  Portsmouth

  Raasay

  Rosyth

  Rothesay

  Southampton

  Spithead

  Thurso Bay

  Torbay

  In addition, we have decided to establish a Z-berth at Swansea.
  293
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the longest estimated half-life of components inside the reactors of(a) HMS Conqueror, (b) HMS Churchill and (c) HMS Warspite.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Components as such do not have half-lives. The term half-life is associated with the radioactive decay of individual isotopes.

  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the maximum number of decommissioned nuclear fleet submarines which can be laid up at(a) Devonport and (b) Rosyth without taking away berths which would otherwise be used by operational ships at those sites.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  There would be sufficient berths at Rosyth and Devonport to store all decommissioned nuclear submarines for the foreseeable future without penalty to operations.

  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the moratorium of the London dumping convention is binding in respect of disposal of decommissioned nuclear fleet submarines.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  No.

  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the formal decommissioning of HMS Conqueror will now take place.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  HMS Conqueror was formally decommissioned from Royal Navy service on 31 December 1990. The first stage of decommissioning, in the separate sense that the word is applied to radioactive facilities, will begin shortly.

  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what aspects of the material condition of(a) HMS Warspite, (b) HMS Churchill and (c) HMS Conqueror contributed to the decision to decommission them.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  It is not our normal practice to comment on the material state of individual submarines. Whilst the material state of ships and submarines is taken into account when decisions are taken to decommission them, it was not a major factor in the decisions to decommission Warspite, Churchill and Conqueror except in the general sense that they were among the Royal Navy's older and therefore less capable submarines.

  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration his Department is giving to the potential safety implications of the technical defect discovered in HMS Warspite at the end of 1989 in respect of the options for interim disposal of decommissioned nuclear fleet submarines.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The technical defect discovered in HMS Warspite has no bearing on the options for the decommissioning and disposal of the Royal Navy's nuclear-powered submarines.

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which of the existing Z-berth sites are being considered as options for interim disposal of decommissioned nuclear fleet submarines.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  None.

  Ministry of Defence Land (London)
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much land his Department owns in London; and how much of that land is unused.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The Ministry of Defence currently holds the freehold interest to 1,232 hectares—3,045 acres—in the Greater London area, of which 20 hectares—42 acres—is unused and available for disposal. A further 32 hectares—79 acres—is occupied by the Ministry of Defence on leasehold terms.

  Foxhunter Radar
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Foxhunter radar systems have been delivered to the RAF, and how many of the delivered systems meet the RAF's minimum operational requirement.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Of a total of 200 radars on order, 183 have been delivered to the RAF for installation in Tornado F3s, all of which have been cleared for service use.

  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current status of the Foxhunter radar procurement programme; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Development of stage 1 of the two-stage improvement programme has now been completed and modification of in-service radars is well under way. Development of stage 2 is expected to be completed this year.

  Defence Budget
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy regarding the release of information on the long-term costings of the defence budget.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The 10-year costing of the defence programme—known as the long-term costing—is designed for internal planning purposes. Approval to commit expenditure is subject to separate procedures and endorsement by Ministers as appropriate. To avoid giving a misleading impression as to the firmness of our plans we would not therefore normally provide details of the contents of the long-term costing.

  "Options for Change"
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by when it is intended that the results of the "Options for Change" study will be fully implemented.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  We intend to move to new force structures by the mid-1990s.

  EH101 Helicopters
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to procure a utility variant of the EH101 helicopter; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  We are considering the results of the project definition phase of the utility EH101. As I explained to the House on 22 January this year, the analysis is taking longer than expected because of the need to take into account the implications of changes in Europe.

  International Arms Register
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration has been given by his Department to the possibility of establishing an international arms register.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has stated his support for a United Nations arms transfer register. My Department is working with all other interested Departments to further this important initiative. In parallel, my Department has supplied the chairman for a United Nations experts study group which will be reporting shortly to the Secretary General on measures to promote arms transfer transparency including the setting up of an international arms transfer register.

  Ballykelly Army Base
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether a file has been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions in Northern Ireland regarding allegations that a fraud ring operated at Ballykelly Army base in recent years during contract work for the Army.

  Mr. Yeo
  I have been asked to reply.

  I understand that police inquiries are continuing.

EMPLOYMENT

  Offshore Pipeline Valves
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many of the 193 valves required to be fitted as a result of Offshore Installations (Emergency Pipe-line Valve) Regulations 1989 were fitted as at 31 March.

  Mr. Forth
  As at 31 March 1991, 164 of the total 192 emergency shutdown valves had been fitted or relocated in compliance with the Offshore Installations (Emergency Pipeline Valve) Regulations 1989. Of the 28 valves remaining at 31 March, 25 of them are in the Brent field and all the associated pipelines are shut down pending installation of the valves.

  British Tourist Authority
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total sum paid out in fees by the British Tourist Authority to management consultants in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mr. Forth
  These matters are the responsibility of the board of the British Tourist Authority, and I am asking the chairman to write directly to the hon. Gentleman.

  Ford Car Factory
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will assess the effect on the level of unemployment on Merseyside of the proposed reduction in employment in the Ford car factory.

  Mr. Forth
  I have no plans to make such an assessment. The company has announced a reduction in staffing of 2,800 at its Halewood plant to be phased in over several years, and to be achieved in the main by natural wastage, early retirement and voluntary redundancy.
  296
  The normal range of services and facilities of the Department and of the employment service will be available to Ford employees who lose their jobs.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Income Tax
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing the change in income tax in 1991–92 as against the 1978–79 indexed regime, broken down into the top 1 per cent., 5 per cent., 10 per cent. and bottom 50 per cent. of taxpayers showing the total change and the average gain.

  Mr. Maude
  Latest estimates of the annual change in income tax liability resulting from the changes in tax rates, allowances, and thresholds are in the table. The 1978–79 income tax regime has been indexed to 1991–92 levels by reference to the statutory formula, and allowing for independent taxation.

  For the purposes of these calculations, the indexed regime 1978–79 has been applied directly to the income base of 1991–92. In practice, retention of the 1978–79 regime, indexed as appropriate, for the intervening years would have led to changes in the income base.

  Reductions in income tax per individual1 in 1991–92 compared with the 1978–79 indexed regime

  Quantile group of individual taxpayers

  Total reductions 1991–92 prices

  Average reduction at 1991–92 prices

  £ million

  £

  Top 1 per cent.

  8,600

  30,900

  Top 5 per cent.

  12,500

  9,000

  Top 10 per cent.

  15,000

  5,400

  Bottom 50 per cent.

  4,000

  300

  All taxpayers

  28,700

  1,000

  1 Individuals liable to income tax under the 1978–79 indexed regime.

  I regret that my reply to a related question on 15 April 1991, at columns 13–14, was incorrect. The corrected table is as follows.

  Average reduction in income tax per individual in 1991–92 compared with 1978–79 indexed regime

  Range of individual's income in 1991–92

  Average reduction at 1991–92 income levels

  £

  £

  Under 5,000

  130

  5,000–10,000

  350

  10,000–15,000

  650

  15,000–20,000

  950

  20,000–25,000

  1,300

  25,000–30,000

  1,700

  30,000–40,000

  2,400

  40,000–50,000

  3,800

  50,000–60,000

  6,300

  60,000–70,000

  9,800

  over 70,000

  38,600

  Total

  1,000

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the effect on Treasury revenues in 1991–92 and in a full year of introducing an
  297
  alternative minimum tax of (a) 20 per cent. and (b) 25 per cent. of gross income on all taxpayers with a gross income over (i) £40,000, (ii) £45,000 and (iii) £50,000 a year.

  Mr. Maude
  The information is as follows:

  Additional tax liability arising from introduction of alternative minimum tax on gross income 1991–92

  Rate of minimum tax

  Gross income of individual taxpayer (£)

  20 per cent. £ million

  25 per cent. £ million

  Over 40,000

  40

  225

  Over 45,000

  30

  115

  Over 50,000

  25

  80

  The estimates do not take account of any behavioural effects which might result from the introduction of the new arrangements.

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the effect on Treasury revenues in 1991–92 and in a full year of a 1 per cent. cut in the basic rate of income tax; and what would be the cumulative effect after five years of an additional 1 per cent. cut each year, assuming indexation of the current structure of income tax.

  Mr. Maude
  A one penny cut in the basic rate of income tax in 1991–92 would have a direct revenue cost of about £1·9 billion in 1991–92 and £2·0 billion in 1992–93. The cost in a full year at 1991–92 levels of income would also be about £1·9 billion. Costs of changes in later years will depend on the growth of income.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the effect on Treasury revenues in 1991–92 of introducing higher rate bands of income tax equal to 45 per cent. on taxable incomes from £30,200 to £36,700 and 50 per cent. on taxable incomes over £36,700.

  Increase1 in personal allowances2

  Direct revenue effect (cost(-)/yield(+))

  Receipts in 1991–92

  In a full year at 1991–92 income levels

  Compared with 1990–91 allowances

  Compared with statutory indexation

  Compared with 1990–91 allowances

  Compared with statutory indexation

  £ million

  £ million

  £ million

  £ million

  (i) 5 per cent.

  -0·9

  +0·8

  -1·1

  +1·0

  (ii) 10 per cent.

  -1·7

  -0·1

  -2·2

  -0·1

  (iii) 15 per cent.

  -2·5

  -0·9

  -3·2

  -1·2

  1 Percentage increases are based on the 1990–91 levels of allowances.

  2 Excluding married couple's allowance for those aged under 65, additional personal allowance, and widows bereavement allowance.

  Value Added Tax
  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what items of safety equipment used to prevent accidents both at home arid at work are exempt for VAT; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will list the items of safety equipment used in work places on which a refund of VAT can be claimed;

  (3) if he has any proposals to introduce VAT exemptions on items of home safety equipment; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The only items of safety equipment specifically zero rated for VAT are supplies of protective boots and helmets to industry for the purchaser's own personal use. VAT on other safety items supplied for use in respect of taxable business activities may be reclaimed in the normal way. It would be contrary
  298
  Mr. Maude
  [Pursuant to his reply, 1 May 1991]: The answer should have read as follows:

  The yield at 1991–92 levels of income of introducing the rates of income tax shown in the table is estimated to be about £1 billion in 1991–92, and about £2 billion in a full year.

  Taxable income

  Rate

  £

  per cent.

  1 to 23,700

  25

  23,700 to 30,200

  40

  30,200 to 36,700

  45

  36,700 and over

  50

  Taxable income is income subject to tax from all sources after deducting allowances and reliefs. The estimate does not take account of the consequential effect on capital gains tax, nor does it allow for any behavioural effects that might result from such an increase.

  Personal Allowances
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the effect on tax revenues in 1991–92 and in a full year of (i) a 5 per cent., (ii) a 10 per cent. and (iii) a 15 per cent. increase in the personal allowances and age-related personal allowances for income tax, not including the married couple's, widow's and additional personal allowances, assuming the benefit of the increase is limited to the basic rate of tax.

  Mr. Maude
  The information is given in the table, which assumes that the changes are restricted to the basic rate of income tax:

  to European Community law to extend our current VAT zero-rating provisions. Although member states may retain zero rates which were in force on 31 December 1975, they may neither widen the scope of existing provisions nor introduce new ones.

  Volunteer Drivers
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to ensure that no volunteer drivers will be made liable for tax on their mileage during the financial year 1991–92.

  Mr. Maude
  The position in law is that, if drivers for a voluntary car service receive mileage allowances which do no more than reimburse the expenses they have actually incurred, there will be no liability to income tax. But if they receive allowances which exceed their expenses, the profit may be taxable.
  299
  The great majority of drivers cover modest mileages each year and receive modest allowances providing no or minimal profit; and there is no question of taxing these. However, some volunteer drivers receive very significant amounts of allowances. With my approval, the Inland Revenue is considering whether any advice needs to be given to organisations involved with volunteer drivers. Until that review is completed, neither organisations using volunteer drivers nor the drivers themselves will be expected to take any action so far as income tax is concerned, in relation to mileage allowances for voluntary work. Drivers who are in business as taxi, hire car or minibus operators, and do some driving for voluntary car schemes, are regarded as driving in the course of their businesses and should therefore have included any allowances they receive in their business accounts.

  I have noted the hon. Gentleman's suggestion about tax liabilities for the year 1991–92. Any new arrangements which may be introduced for what is expected to be the small proportion of drivers who may have a tax liability will be applied only from a current date; and there will be no question of reopening earlier years. I cannot yet say when the Inland Revenue's review will be completed.

  Inland Revenue
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total sum paid out in fees by the Inland Revenue to management consultants in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mr. Maude
  Information relating to the financial years 1979–80 to 1987–88 inclusive is not readily available and

  Permanent staff in post: statistics division

  1979–85

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  Grade

  SIP

  SIP

  Comp1

  SIP

  Comp

  SIP

  Comp

  SIP

  Comp

  SIP

  Comp

  SIP

  Grade 32

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  Grade 52

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  Grade 6–72

  17·5

  19·5

  17

  18·5

  17

  17

  17

  15

  17

  17

  17

  17

  SEO

  8

  8

  6

  8

  6

  7

  7

  8

  6

  8

  7

  6

  HEO

  26

  28·5

  29

  29·5

  31

  29

  29

  31

  29

  29

  31

  28·5

  Senior assistant statistician

  3

  3

  7

  3

  7

  4

  7

  3

  7

  2

  7

  2

  EO

  54

  59

  62

  54

  60

  49

  49

  47

  42

  46

  39

  36

  Assistant statistician

  2

  1

  0

  1

  0

  2

  0

  0

  0

  1

  0

  3

  AO

  95

  91

  65

  73

  44

  45

  37

  38

  29

  35

  27

  27

  AA

  43·5

  42

  29

  37

  19

  21

  17

  18

  13

  12

  13

  11

  Total

  253

  256

  220

  229

  189

  179

  168

  165

  148

  155

  146

  135·5

  1986–91

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  Grade

  Comp

  SIP

  Comp

  SIP

  Comp

  SIP

  Comp

  SIP

  Comp

  SIP

  Comp

  SIP

  Grade 32

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  Grade 52

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  Grade 6–72

  17

  18

  18

  17

  18

  16

  20

  18

  22

  21

  22

  22

  SEO

  7

  6

  8

  8

  8

  8

  10

  9

  10

  10

  11·5

  11

  HEO

  31

  27

  31

  27

  31

  33

  35

  33

  37

  32

  37

  34

  Senior assistant statistician

  7

  2

  8

  3

  8

  3

  8

  4

  5

  5

  5

  5

  EO

  39

  46

  42

  48

  42

  50

  42

  39

  46

  51

  45·5

  51

  Assistant statistician

  0

  5

  0

  3

  0

  2

  0

  2

  3

  2

  3

  2

  AO

  26

  26

  26

  23

  26

  27

  26

  27

  28

  26

  26·5

  25

  AA

  14

  13

  14

  13

  14

  14

  14

  13

  14

  13

  14

  11

  Total

  146

  148

  152

  147

  152

  158

  160

  150

  170

  165

  169·5

  166

  300
  cannot be obtained without disproportionate cost. The spend on management consultants—excluding computer-related consultancies—for the remaining years is as follows:

  Year

  £K

  1988–89

  1,253

  1989–90

  1,468

  11990–91

  2,741

  21991–92

  1,892

  1 Forecast outturn.

  2 Budget.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give for each year from 1979–80, including 1991–92, the number of staff actually employed on 1 April and the full complement of staff, including vacant posts, by grade, in the statistical divisions in the Inland Revenue; and if he will differentiate between staff in statistical posts and staff in administrative posts.

  Mr. Maude
  [holding answer 1 May 1991]: The information is in the table.

  Complements are not available for years before 1981.

  At the senior level of the service, where management forms a major component of most jobs, there are servicewide common pay and grading arrangements. These unified grades 1 to 7 are known as the open structure and cover grades from permanent secretary level to grade 7 level. Within the unified grades there are no formal barriers to movement between the former occupational groups—for example, scientists, administrators, statisticians. Each post should be filled by the person best equipped in terms of skills, ability and experience.

  Customs and Excise
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total sum paid out in fees by HM Customs and Excise to management consultants in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91 and budget for 1991–92.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Customs and Excise estimates that expenditure on management and computer consultancies from 1979–80 to 1990–91 to be as follows:

  £ million

  1979–80

  Nil

  1980–81

  Nil

  1981–82

  Nil

  1982–83

  Nil

  1983–84

  0·02

  1984–85

  0·19

  1985–86

  1·34

  1986–87

  2·04

  1987–88

  1·44

  1988–89

  3·53

  1989–90

  3·25

  1990–91

  2·51

  The budget for 1991·92 is £3·86 million.

  Valuation Office
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will place a copy of the valuation office's rating circulars numbers 53 and 58 in the Library;

  (2) if he will publish details of the valuation exercise carried out by the valuation office in preparation for publication of the Government's council tax proposals.

  Mr. Maude
  The Inland Revenue valuation office has been working with other Government Departments to provide policy advice to Ministers in connection with the Government's proposals for a new council tax in the usual way. It is not the practice to disclose the basis or the details of such advice.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the cost of the exercises being undertaken by the valuation office in relation to rating circulars 53 and 58; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  The estimated cost of these exercises is about £275,000.

  Finance Bill
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the notes on those clauses of the Finance Bill to be taken in Committee of the whole House will be made available to hon. Members.

  Mr. Mellor
  Yes. The appropriate notes on clauses were placed in the Vote Office earlier today.

  Tax Avoidance
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a further statement about measures to combat tax avoidance.

  Mr. Maples
  The Government intend to bring forward measures in the current Finance Bill aimed at preventing 302
  the circumvention of the corporation tax ring fence around profits from North Sea oil, by schemes involving the use of stapled stock.

  Section 497 of the Taxes Act 1988 prevents a company from setting off advance corporation tax on distributions made to an associated company against corporation tax on its ring fence profits—broadly the profits from exploring for and producing oil and gas in the United Kingdom and United Kingdom continental shelf. The Government propose to extend this provision to cover distributions made to any shareholder in respect of securities the ownership of which is linked in the form of stapled stock or otherwise to the ownership of shares in an associated company. The proposals will take effect for distributions made on or after today.

  Press and Public Relations Staff
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give for each year from 1979–80, including 1991–92, the number of staff actually employed on 1 April and the full complement of staff, including vacant posts in the press and public relations office of the Central Office of Information.

  Mr. Maples
  [holding answer 26 April 1991]: The number of staff employed in the press office of the Central Office of Information, which has always equalled the full complement, on 1 April since 1979–80 is as follows:

  Number

  1979–80

  2

  1980–81

  1

  1981–82

  1

  1982–83

  1

  1983–84

  1

  1984–85

  2

  1985–86

  1

  1986–87

  1

  1987–88

  1

  1988–89

  1

  1989–90

  1

  1990–91

  1

  1991–92

  1

  Research Projects
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list all the research projects(a) currently under way and (b) planned by his Department, giving the title of the research and its completion date in each case.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  [holding answer 30 April 1991]: Research commissioned by my Department and planned commissions are as follows:

  Project title

  Estimated completion date

  In progress:

  Competitiveness of United Kingdom financial services

  June 1991

  Econometric modelling of labour and products market

  September 1991

  ESRC Macroeconomic Modelling Consortium (contribution)

  Ongoing

  Indirect taxation research

  March 1992

  IT for the disabled

  December 1991

  Valuation of overseas direct investment

  August 1991

  Vintage capital project

  June 1991

  303

  Project title

  Estimated completion date

  Planned:

  Applicability to Government of new accounting techniques and concepts

  March 1992

  Career management

  March 1992

  Effects of the Social Charter

  March 1992

  Employee and potential employee opinion research

  March 1992

  Literature search on performance pay

  March 1992

  HMSO
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give for each year from 1979–80, including 1991–92, the number of staff actually employed on 1 April and the full complement of staff, including vacant posts, by grade, in the statistical divisions in HMSO; and if he will differentiate between staff in statistical posts and staff in administrative posts.

  Statistician (Grade 7)

  Senior assistant statistician

  Assistant statistician

  HEO

  EO

  AO

  AA

  1 April 1984

  Complement

  1

  1

  —

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  Actual

  1

  —

  —

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  1 April 1985

  Complement

  1

  1

  —

  1

  2

  2

  1

  Actual

  1

  1

  —

  1

  3

  3

  1

  1 April 1986

  Complement

  1

  1

  —

  2

  2

  2

  1

  Actual

  1

  —

  —

  2

  2

  2

  1

  1 April 1987

  Complement

  1

  1

  1

  2

  2

  2

  1

  Actual

  1

  —

  1

  2

  2

  2

  1

  1 April 1988

  Complement

  1

  —

  1

  1

  2

  2

  1

  Actual

  1

  —

  1

  1

  2

  2

  1

  1 April 1989

  Complement

  1

  —

  1

  1

  1

  2

  1

  Actual

  1

  —

  1

  1

  1

  2

  1

  1 April 1990

  Complement

  1

  —

  1

  1

  1

  2

  1

  Actual

  —

  —

  1

  1

  1

  2

  1

  1 April 1991

  Complement

  1

  —

  1

  1

  1

  2

  1

  Actual

  1

  —

  1

  1

  1

  2

  1

  n/a = not available.

  Tax Allowance
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish figures showing, for the most recent available date, the value in current prices of all tax reliefs and allowances claimed, on average, by taxpayers with gross incomes between(a) £0–£5,000, (b)£5,000–£10,000 (c) £10,000–£15,000, (d) £15,000–£20,000, (e) £20,000–£25,000, (f) £25,000–£30,000, (g) £30,000–40,000, (h) £40,000–£50,000 and (i) over £50,000 a year.

  Mr. Maude
  [holding answer 1 May 1991]: Latest estimates for taxpayers in 1990–91 are as follows:
  304
  Mr. Maples
  [holding answer 1 May 1991]: HMSO has had no separate statistical divisions or statistical posts from 1979 to the present date.

  National Savings Department (Staff)
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give for each year from 1979–80, including 1991–92, the number of staff actually employed on 1 April and the full complement of staff including vacant posts, by grade, in the statistical divisions for the Department for National Savings; and if he will differentiate between staff in statistical posts and staff in administrative posts.

  Mr. Maples
  [holding answer 1 May 1991]: The numbers of staff employed in the statistical branch of the Department for National Savings in the years 1984–91 were as detailed in the table. Figures for the years 1981–83 are no longer available. There were no statistical posts before July 1981.

  Gross Income £ per year

  Amount of tax reliefs and allowances set against income £

  0–5,000

  3,200

  5,000–10,000

  4,200

  10,000–15,000

  5,300

  15,000–20,000

  6,300

  20,000–25,000

  7,000

  25,000–30,000

  7,400

  30,000–40,000

  7,600

  40,000–50,000

  8,400

  over 50,000

  10,800

  Average

  5,200

  Petrol Duties
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the effect on Treasury revenues in 1991–92 and in a full year of a 1 per cent. increase or decrease in the duties on(a) leaded petrol, (b) unleaded petrol and (c) derv.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  [holding answer 1 May 1991]: The revenue effects include the effect of consequential VAT on excise duty where appropriate. They are as follows:

  £ million

  Revenue Gain/Loss

  1991–92

  1992–93 (Full year)

  Leaded Petrol

  45

  45

  Unleaded Petrol

  30

  40

  Derv

  20

  25

  There is not yet sufficient evidence on which to base reliable estimates of the amount of switching between leaded and unleaded petrol in response to a tax change. As a result, the figures above do not allow for any additional switching.

  Business Expansion Scheme
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his forecast for the cost to the Exchequer in 1991–92 and in a full year of the business expansion scheme.

  Mr. Maude
  [holding answer 1 May 1991]: The cost of income tax relief for BES in 1990–91 is provisionally estimated as £120 million. It is too early to make a reliable estimate for 1991–92.

TRANSPORT

  Drink Driving
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will consider whether earlier and systematic public information on whether a driver killed in a road crash had consumed alcohol would help to maintain awareness of the dangers of drink driving.

  Mr. Chope
  We publish aggregated figures based on coroners' data about drivers who were over the legal limit which show that the number of people killed in drink-related accidents has been reduced by 50 per cent. in the past 10 years. I do not believe it would assist in our continuing campaign against drinking and driving to publish details of whether or not an individual driver killed in a road crash had consumed alcohol.

  Road Drainage
  Mr. McWilliam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give an estimate of the increased length of repair-free life of a motorway built using modern drainage techniques as opposed to those constructed using traditional techniques.

  Mr. Chope
  There is no firm evidence to suggest that modern drainage systems are more effective than properly 306
  constructed traditional systems. The main objectives of incorporating modern drainage systems are to separate surface water and sub-surface drainage, improve value for money, reduce the demand for scarce aggregate resources and reduce stone scatter.

  Mr. McWilliam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will investigate the reasons for the reluctance of building contractors to fit modern drainage systems in new road building programmes.

  Mr. Chope
  I am not aware of any reluctance on the part of contractors to fit modern drainage systems, but am willing to look at any examples which the hon. Member can provide.

  Cars (Anti-Theft Measures)
  Mr. McWilliam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) when he will next meet representatives of the motor manufacturing industry to discuss the raising of standards of car design to combat theft of and from cars;

  (2) when he will next meet representatives of the AA, RAC and National Breakdown to discuss ways in which automobiles can be better designed to combat theft of and from cars.

  Mr. Chope
  The Government attach a high priority to the need to improve the design of cars to prevent the theft both of cars themselves and of objects from them.

  For this reason, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department has recently met representatives from vehicle manufacturers and the insurance industry. My Department was represented at both these meetings. Further meetings with interested parties will be arranged in future.

  Urban Motorways
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the total mileage of urban motorway in each urban area of England(a) already constructed and in operation, (b) under construction at present and (c) planned for the future.

  Mr. Chope
  Information is not held in this form, but there are 350 miles of motorways in the London boroughs and English metropolitan districts.

  Airport Security
  Mr. Prescott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if his Department has discussed with British Airways, BAA or the Metropolitan police the allegations made by Mrs. Victoria Tregartha about inadequate security cover at Heathrow.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Department of Transport has discussed Mrs. Tregartha's allegations with British Airways who had no evidence that the firm, which was the subject of Mrs. Tregartha's allegations, was not carrying out its duties satisfactorily. The Department has also been in contact with the Metropolitan police who are still investigating these allegations. There have been no discussions about the allegations with BAA.

  Mr. Prescott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will reconsider his response to the recommendation of the House of Commons Select
  307
  Committee on Transport for an independent airport security inspectorate with a separate aviation security fund and levy.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to change the present arrangements whereby, within the Department of Transport, the Aviation Security Inspectorate is independent of the aviation policy divisions. That arrangement is in line with the Select Committee's recommendation. The Government's reasons for rejecting the Select Committee's recommendation that an aviation security fund should be established and paid for by a levy on passengers remain valid. The fund which was abolished in 1983 was bureaucratic, complicated and costly to administer.

  Mr. Prescott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action his Department has taken arising out of the allegations of Mrs. Victoria Tregartha about inadequate security cover by the BA Securiplans company at Heathrow; when the Department was first aware of the allegations; whether it has yet interviewed Mrs. Tregartha; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Department first became aware of the allegations made by Mrs. Tregartha when the article appeared in the Observer of 7 April. Arrangements were then immediately made for one of the Department's aviation security inspectors to inspect Securiplan's operations at Heathrow. There was no evidence during the period of the inspection that departmental requirements were not being met.

  The Department has not interviewed Mrs. Tregartha because the Metropolitan police are still investigating the allegations in the article. If it turns out that they are true, the Department will take whatever further action is necessary.

  The Department requires airports and airlines to meet the requirements of the national aviation security programme. If airports and airlines use private security firms, they must ensure that the standards required by the programme are met.

  DVLA Records
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will quantify the number of disclosures of personal data that have taken place in the last year from driver and vehicle licensing agency records to those people who show reasonable cause as outlined in section 15(1) of the Road Vehicle (Registration and Licencing) Regulations 1971; whether he will describe the procedures that he adopts to satisfy himself of the reasonableness of that cause; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  During the 12 months ended March 1991 the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has answered 303,618 reasonable cause inquiries about names and addresses of current or past vehicle keepers recorded at DVLA.

  "Reasonable cause" is not defined in law. For the purposes of the 1971 regulations the DVLA generally interprets this to mean an inquiry about a vehicle which has been involved in an incident such as an accident or an offence under the road traffic law and the information is essential to resolving the matter. Requests are carefully vetted to ensure a balance is maintained between releasing
  308
  information where it is justified and protecting the privacy of individual motorists as required under the principles of the Data Protection Act 1984.

  Taxi Drivers
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action is taken to ensure that(a) new taxi driver licence applicants and (b) current taxi driver licence holders have declared any past criminal offences.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Outside London, section 59 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 requires district councils, which license taxi drivers, to satisfy themselves that an applicant is a fit and proper person to hold a licence. The majority of councils will require both new applicants and those seeking to renew their licences to declare any past criminal offences, and local authorities sometimes request police corroboration of such declarations. However, information from police records is not generally made available for these purposes.

  Departmental Land, London
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much land his Department owns in London; and how much of that land is unused.

  Mr. Chope
  The Department of Transport owns 220 miles of trunk road in the London area. In addition it has acquired 1,203 dwellings, 103 business premises and approximately 15·5 acres of land in connection with trunk road improvement schemes in the area.

  At present 142 of these dwellings are vacant; 66 are now surplus and are to be sold, 61 are due to be demolished soon and 15 are in the process of being let.

  Twenty of the business premises are vacant and tenants are being sought.

  Of the land acquired for road schemes, 11·5 acres are undeveloped; 2·2 acres have been let and 1·8 acres are now surplus to requirements and are to be sold.

  DVLC, Swansea
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what steps he is taking to provide compensation to those driving schools whose business has been adversely affected by the failure of the DVLC, Swansea, to process heavy goods vehicle provisional licence applications within one week;

  (2) how much money will be saved now that the work of the area licensing offices has been transferred to the DVLC, Swansea;

  (3) what steps he is taking to reinforce the heavy goods vehicle provisional licence department at DVLC, Swansea, now that it is handling all the provisional licence applications previously dealt with by the area offices;

  (4) what steps he is taking to ensure that the DVLC, Swansea, provides an equivalent or better service than that previously provided by the area licensing offices; and if he will indicate the number of days it will now take to process a provisional heavy goods vehicle licence application;

  (5) how many additional staff were employed at DVLC, Swansea, to cope with the increased work load once the 11 area licensing offices stopped handling heavy goods vehicle provisional licence applications.

  Mr. Chope
  DVLA assumed full responsibility for the licensing of lorry and bus drivers from 1 April. Around 40
  309
  staff have been trained to deal with applications from lorry and bus drivers, with a further 20 staff in those areas dealing with medical cases and inquiries.

  Because DVLA inherited some 5,000 uncompleted cases from the traffic area offices, 16 additional staff have been temporarily drafted in from other parts of DVLA to help out, and some overtime is being worked. The inquiry unit's opening hours have also been extended.

  The new lorry and bus driver licensing system at DVLA should be more efficient and quicker. The new system is expected to cost around £1 million a year less to run. DVLA is already dealing with most applications in eight to nine working days, which compares well with the target of 10 working days set for the traffic area offices.

  I regret that some cases, which were caught up in the transfer of work from the traffic area offices to DVLA, have taken longer. There is no provision for compensation, but when a driver or driving school has asked for a licence urgently, action has been taken whenever possible to resolve any problem and to arrange for the speedy issue of the licence. Provisional vocational driving licences are given the highest priority at DVLA.

  Airports (Flying Hours)
  Dr. Hampson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the airports in England which have restrictions on flying hours together with the hours during which landing and take-off is permissible.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Department does not have information on flying hour restrictions at all airports in England. Information about the hours during which United Kingdom airports are open is given in such publications as "Pooley's Flight Guide", which is produced annually with the assistance of the Civil Aviation Authority.

AGRICUL'T'URE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Unfit Meat
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will place in the Library, for each of the last five years, the number of bovine animals that his veterinary officers have found to contain prohibited artificial substances rendering the meat unfit for human consumption; what is the nature of the substances; and what is the number of prosecutions which followed.

  Mr. Maclean
  Yes. The information is being placed in the Library of the House.

  Rodenticides
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Caerphilly of 19 April,Official Report, column 271, if he will list those seven products approved under the Control of Pesticides Regulations as rodenticides.

  Mr. Maclean
  The seven products approved for use by professionals as rodenticides are:

  Alphachloralose (pure)

  Alphachloralose 4 per cent. ready mixed

  Klearwell Alphacloralose Bait

  310

  Rentokil Alphachloralose Concentrate

  Rentokil Alphalard

  Rodextron Mouse Bait

  Townex Mouse Poison

  There is a further approved rodenticide containing alphacloralose, Rentokil Alphakil, available for use by non-professional users.

  Veterinary Investigation Centre
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what level of financial support has been granted to each veterinary investigation centre in England in each year from 1979 onwards; and whether he has any plans to increase the level of financial assistance.

  Mr. Curry
  It is not possible to supply this information at the level requested. The information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Emergency Food Stocks
  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether all the foodstuffs held in his Ministry's emergency food stocks are fit for human consumption.

  Mr. Maclean
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 30 January 1991, at column 545. Food stocks no longer fit for human consumption are removed from the strategic food stockpile.

  Hague Preference
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will meet a deputation from the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations to discuss the Hague preference.

  Mr. Curry
  We have already had a number of exchanges on this issue with the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations. We are quite willing to include the items in the agenda in future meetings with the NFFO.

  Livestock
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has any proposals for the improvement of the quality of British livestock; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  The primary impetus for the improvement of the quality of British livestock must come from the marketplace where quality products will receive a premium return if they are marketed effectively.

  The Government encourage quality production directly by aiding specialist beef production through the suckler cow premium scheme currently worth over £71 million per year to the industry. In addition, the Government fund a programme of research and development projects costing over £1 million per year to improve techniques for the selection of breeding stock and for the transmission of desirable genetic characteristics from one generation to the next.

  Fish Imports
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which countries have exported fish to the United Kingdom since 1974; and how much these exports are as a proportion of all United Kingdom fish imports.

  Mr. Curry
  [holding answer 25 April 1991]: The table shows, for the years 1985 to 1990, the main countries

  United Kingdom imports of fish and fish products (tonnes)

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  Number

  Per cent, of total

  Number

  Per cent, of total

  Number

  Per cent, of total

  Number

  Per cent, of total

  Number

  Per cent, of total

  Number

  Per cent, of total

  Total trade of which:

  384,925

  100

  415,448

  100

  419,490

  100

  440,805

  100

  482,623

  100

  497,353

  100

  Netherlands

  26,572

  6·90

  21,889

  5·27

  17,548

  4·18

  17,388

  3·94

  20,155

  4·18

  18,283

  3·68

  FR of Germany

  9,148

  2·38

  6,776

  1·63

  7,118

  1·70

  7,042

  1·60

  12,899

  2·67

  10,952

  2·20

  Irish Republic

  32,050

  8·33

  30,482

  7·34

  42,907

  10·23

  39,105

  8·87

  25,049

  5·19

  27,289

  5·49

  Denmark

  55,366

  14·38

  53,923

  12·98

  50,412

  12·02

  54,530

  12·37

  62,491

  12·95

  53,052

  10·67

  Portugal

  5,911

  1·54

  5,339

  1·29

  3,849

  0·92

  5,484

  1·24

  16,952

  3·51

  16,078

  3·23

  Iceland

  73,885

  19·19

  93,584

  22·53

  94,608

  22·55

  101,504

  23·03

  98,028

  20·31

  115,022

  23·13

  Faroe Islands

  10,792

  2·80

  9,543

  2·30

  7,623

  1·82

  9,652

  2·19

  11,587

  2·40

  14,047

  2·82

  Norway

  46,960

  12·20

  43,349

  10·43

  41,831

  9·97

  43,488

  9·87

  42,391

  8·78

  34,818

  7·00

  Thailand

  8,521

  2·21

  24,394

  5·87

  28,004

  6·68

  36,327

  8·24

  45,831

  9·50

  37,442

  7·53

  Japan

  11,143

  2·89

  6,960

  1·68

  4,247

  1·01

  2,199

  0·50

  4,770

  0·99

  3,657

  0·74

  Canada

  19,814

  5·15

  22,234

  5·35

  22,821

  5·44

  16,883

  3·83

  18,555

  3·84

  26,919

  5·41

  USA

  17,049

  4·43

  20,038

  4·82

  16,255

  3·87

  16,947

  3·84

  15,467

  3·20

  23,986

  4·82

  Source:Her Majesty's Customs and Excise.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Local Education Authority (Finances)
  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish a table showing(a) the capital bid for 1990–91 and (b) the capital allocation for 1990–91 for each local education authority in England.

  Mr. Fallon
  Details of local authority plans and education annual capital guidelines for 1990–91 are set out below, together with bids and allocations for voluntary aided and special agreement schools.

  Education annual capital guidelines and LEA plans for 1990–91

  LEA

  Total plans £000s 1990–91

  Total ACG £000s 1990–91

  Barking

  1,415

  485

  Barnet

  4,484

  888

  Bexley

  4,892

  1,242

  Brent

  6,332

  687

  Bromley

  6,612

  1,684

  Croydon

  19,319

  1,061

  Ealing

  14,683

  889

  Enfield

  30,222

  1,315

  Haringey

  5,245

  1,132

  Harrow

  3,345

  1,073

  Havering

  8,589

  5,881

  Hillingdon

  7,692

  1,140

  Hounslow

  7,000

  539

  Kingston

  4,475

  268

  Merton

  11,257

  3,608

  Newham

  16,733

  6,461

  Redbridge

  5,787

  1,577

  Richmond

  7,290

  1,490

  Sutton

  14,161

  2,974

  Waltham

  11,771

  6,661

  City

  0

  0

  Camden

  5,369

  1,421

  Westminster

  5,613

  465

  Greenwich

  10,823

  3,849

  Hackney

  9,218

  2,690

  312
  exporting fish and products to the United Kingdom, the quantities involved in tonnes, and the percentage shares. Countries exporting less than 10,000 tonnes in each of the years are not listed, though those appearing accounted for some 80 per cent. of the total trade in the years shown. Comparable data for the years before 1985 are not readily available.

  LEA

  Total plans £000s 1990–91

  Tolal ACG £000s 1990–91

  Hammersmith

  3,662

  1,047

  Islington

  8,670

  1,079

  Kensington

  9,172

  2,145

  Lambeth

  4,858

  1,480

  Lewisham

  8,762

  1,382

  Southwark

  17,740

  5,429

  Wandsworth

  17,305

  1,677

  Tower Hamlets

  33,246

  17,629

  Birmingham

  15,407

  10,494

  Coventry

  12,758

  2,429

  Dudley

  6,308

  5,083

  Sandwell

  8,493

  1,647

  Solihull

  6,365

  1,561

  Walsall

  4,911

  1,369

  Wolverhampton

  3,353

  936

  Knowsley

  6,594

  2,080

  Liverpool

  16,861

  9,742

  St. Helens

  6,610

  5,066

  Sefton

  7,111

  4,176

  Wirral

  7,099

  3,354

  Bolton

  5,619

  802

  Bury

  1,476

  815

  Manchester

  29,168

  4,397

  Oldham

  7,707

  5,942

  Rochdale

  12,529

  4,278

  Salford

  6,461

  3,961

  Stockport

  3,385

  1,500

  Tameside

  2,438

  1,470

  Trafford

  11,268

  9,448

  Wigan

  7,748

  4,378

  Barnsley

  2,276

  1,933

  Doncaster

  1,269

  860

  Rotherham

  3,712

  1,589

  Sheffield

  6,068

  2,828

  Bradford

  28,814

  9,731

  Calderdale

  2,845

  1,514

  Kirklees

  6,876

  1,216

  Leeds

  15,768

  3,546

  Wakefield

  6,860

  5,394

  Gateshead

  8,776

  1,345

  Newcastle

  8,438

  1,564

  North Tyneside

  5,138

  1,895

  South Tyneside

  10,019

  1,894

  313

  LEA

  Total plans £000s 1990–91

  Total ACG £000s 1990–91

  Sunderland

  10,205

  3,183

  Isle's of Scilly

  300

  221

  Avon

  20,049

  5,653

  Bedfordshire

  12,767

  2,409

  Berkshire

  15,932

  4,500

  Buckinghamshire

  14,902

  6,444

  Cambridge

  34,854

  13,229

  Cheshire

  15,935

  5,814

  Cleveland

  7,761

  4,929

  Cornwall

  18,786

  6,522

  Cumbria

  13,051

  7,930

  Derbyshire

  26,701

  14,743

  Devon

  28,679

  12,984

  Dorset

  11,414

  3,853

  Durham

  19,564

  4,924

  East Sussex

  23,967

  8,773

  Essex

  42,364

  14,063

  Gloucester

  18,734

  7,917

  Hampshire

  37,095

  13,325

  Hereford and Worcester

  12,740

  6,248

  Hertford

  16,526

  6,526

  Humberside

  17,795

  9,004

  Isle of Wight

  6,275

  1,912

  Kent

  33,849

  16,370

  Lancashire

  36,022

  18,524

  Leicester

  16,794

  11,154

  Lincoln

  23,274

  7,387

  Norfolk

  10,044

  3,040

  North Yorkshire

  7,735

  4,105

  Northampton

  10,076

  6,182

  Northumberland

  5,601

  2,382

  Nottinghamshire

  12,952

  3,716

  Oxfordshire

  15,443

  3,751

  Shropshire

  10,272

  6,319

  Somerset

  13,498

  5,563

  Staffordshire

  16,421

  6,375

  Suffolk

  15,754

  7,921

  Surrey

  11,805

  4,128

  Warwick

  6,355

  1,507

  West Sussex

  12,754

  3,633

  Wiltshire

  19,214

  6,256

  Notes:

  1 All figures are in £000s in cash terms.

  2 All figures include initial allocations and Supplementory Credit Approvals (SCA) issued in the course of the year.

  Bids and allocations for capital expenditure by governors of voluntary aided and special agreement schools for 1990–91

  Submitted bids

  Allocations

  LEA

  £000s

  £000s

  Barking

  1,940

  1,940

  Barnet

  1,504

  912

  Bexley

  1,868

  437

  Brent

  883

  394

  Bromley

  200

  80

  Croydon

  1,101

  1,066

  Ealing

  257

  93

  Enfield

  846

  344

  Haringey

  2,790

  2,336

  Harrow

  208

  0

  Havering

  357

  357

  Hillingdon

  1,063

  232

  Hounslow

  327

  0

  Kingston

  390

  26

  Merton

  674

  449

  Newham

  305

  0

  Redbridge

  401

  314

  Richmond

  1,403

  505

  Sutton

  842

  612

  Waltham

  100

  0

  City

  0

  0

  Camden

  1,706

  1,097

  Westminister

  311

  110

  314

  Submitted bids

  Allocations

  LEA

  £000s

  £000s

  Greenwich

  324

  0

  Hackney

  432

  71

  Hammersmith

  661

  452

  Islington

  123

  38

  Kensington

  5,462

  4,775

  Lambeth

  946

  411

  Lewisham

  412

  52

  Southwark

  1,814

  1,186

  Wandsworth

  131

  26

  Tower Hamlets

  702

  632

  Birmingham

  1,527

  1,172

  Coventry

  1,206

  453

  Dudley

  1,005

  632

  Sandwell

  752

  176

  Solihull

  1,441

  1,191

  Walsall

  193

  50

  Wolverhampton

  20

  0

  Knowsley

  724

  169

  Liverpool

  5,897

  4,487

  St. Helens

  638

  128

  Sefton

  2,272

  1,527

  Wirral

  352

  304

  Bolton

  965

  137

  Bury

  1,008

  641

  Manchester

  1,434

  744

  Oldham

  957

  184

  Rochdale

  1,492

  669

  Salford

  540

  327

  Stockport

  573

  472

  Tameside

  103

  20

  Trafford

  551

  292

  Wigan

  1,605

  699

  Barnsley

  0

  0

  Doncaster

  345

  215

  Rotherham

  170

  0

  Sheffield

  678

  120

  Bradford

  1,374

  1,150

  Calderdale

  426

  204

  Kirklees

  313

  144

  Leeds

  9,379

  7,107

  Wakefield

  451

  145

  Gateshead

  203

  57

  Newcastle

  941

  597

  North Tyneside

  1,017

  835

  South Tyneside

  145

  51

  Sunderland

  230

  6

  Isles of Scilly

  0

  0

  Avon

  3,174

  2,311

  Bedfordshire

  175

  15

  Berkshire

  1,134

  438

  Bucks

  2,661

  763

  Cambridge

  1,450

  58

  Cheshire

  3,454

  1,736

  Cleveland

  723

  0

  Cornwall

  1,487

  1,201

  Cumbria

  1,313

  654

  Derbyshire

  1,847

  1,132

  Devon

  1,019

  465

  Dorset

  6,795

  4,847

  Durham

  760

  277

  East Sussex

  2,492

  1,725

  Essex

  653

  529

  Gloucester

  3,610

  923

  Hampshire

  4,115

  3,664

  Hereford and Worcester

  1,771

  1,081

  Hertford

  970

  202

  Humberside

  927

  508

  Isle of Wight

  87

  87

  Kent

  3,351

  2,756

  Lancashire

  11,748

  4,970

  Leicester

  833

  459

  Lincoln

  911

  125

  Norfolk

  1,074

  184

  North Yorkshire

  913

  69

  Northampton

  309

  0

  Northumberland

  556

  194

  Notts

  2,186

  1,036

  315

  Submitted bids

  Allocations

  LEA

  £000s

  £000s

  Oxfordshire

  2,911

  1,920

  Shropshire

  496

  120

  Somerset

  1,749

  1,562

  Staffs

  1,499

  1,068

  Suffolk

  425

  256

  Surrey

  2,021

  819

  Warwick

  2,043

  1,097

  West Sussex

  3,239

  2,527

  Wiltshire

  1,026

  767

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  Local education authority

  Budgeted expenditure on education

  Education standard spending assessment

  Inner London education grant1

  £m

  £m

  £m

  City of London

  3·419

  0·824

  0·210

  Camden

  58·548

  52·762

  6·781

  Greenwich

  100·792

  82·257

  11·345

  Hackney

  100·189

  91·828

  6·523

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  56·10

  45·602

  6·812

  Islington

  77·262

  64·211

  7·841

  Kensington and Chelsea

  40·437

  29·783

  3·694

  Lambeth

  n.a.

  105·484

  9·475

  Lewisham

  97·766

  86·010

  10·565

  Southwark

  94·457

  85·168

  9·480

  Tower Hamlets

  102·740

  91·292

  9·102

  Wandsworth

  111·839

  84·149

  10·974

  Westminster

  75·208

  44·456

  7·198

  Barking and Dagenham

  55·159

  48·338

  —

  Barnet

  87·401

  88·054

  —

  Bexley

  68·961

  67·800

  —

  Brent

  94·655

  108·138

  —

  Bromley

  80·827

  79·378

  —

  Croydon

  110·736

  102·781

  —

  Ealing

  103·709

  100·586

  —

  Enfield

  92·865

  88·524

  —

  Haringey

  n.a.

  79·308

  —

  Harrow

  66·381

  65·387

  —

  Havering

  78·109

  71·015

  —

  Hillingdom

  76·904

  69·110

  —

  Hounslow

  75·420

  68·774

  —

  Kingston-upon-Thames

  42·769

  36·275

  —

  Merton

  51·652

  47·164

  —

  Newham

  94·770

  98·510

  —

  Redbridge

  67·729

  71·225

  —

  Richmond-upon-Thames

  42·581

  35·997

  —

  Sutton

  54·087

  47·633

  —

  Waltham Forest

  85·671

  81·744

  —

  Bolton

  88·646

  87·298

  —

  Bury

  59·888

  51·895

  —

  Manchester

  168·338

  163·642

  —

  Oldham

  78·665

  76·526

  —

  Rochdale

  74·362

  71·852

  —

  Salford

  78·842

  71·245

  —

  Stockport

  89·917

  81·829

  —

  Tameside

  70·678

  69·741

  —

  Trafford

  65·837

  64·046

  —

  Wigan

  108·976

  95·977

  —

  Knowsley

  64·282

  64·361

  —

  Liverpool

  178·294

  177·391

  —

  St. Helens

  67·267

  60·740

  —

  Sefton

  92·415

  87·681

  —

  Wirral

  110·738

  112·387

  —

  Barnsley

  66·229

  66·121

  —

  Doncaster

  103·921

  96·030

  —

  Rotherham

  90·187

  82·575

  —

  Sheffield

  169·837

  148·560

  —

  Gateshead

  68·542

  58·160

  —

  Newcastle-upon-Tyne

  93·963

  82·930

  —

  North Tyneside

  64·480

  58·226

  —

  South Tyneside

  55710

  49·543

  —

  Sunderland

  99·941

  98·289

  —

  316
  Notes:

  1. All figures are in £000s in cash terms.

  2. Allocations allow governors to complete work up to the limit set.

  3. The Secretary of State pays grant aid at the rate of 85 per cent.

  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish a table showing(a) the revenue budget for 1990–91 and (b) the standard spending assessment for 1990–91 for each local education authority in England.

  Mr. Fallon
  The information requested is given in the table below, together with the amounts of inner London education grants for the relevant authorities.
  317

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  Local education authority

  Budgeted expenditure on education

  Education standard spending assessment

  Inner London education grant1

  £m

  £m

  £m

  Birmingham

  352·808

  399·449

  —

  Coventry

  111·908

  102·007

  —

  Dudley

  94·456

  89·474

  —

  Sandwell

  118·953

  104·460

  —

  Solihull

  63·314

  60·504

  —

  Walsall

  98·685

  90·329

  —

  Wolverhampton

  94·992

  94·320

  —

  Bradford

  174·669

  179·653

  —

  Calderdale

  66·947

  63·530

  —

  Kirklees

  137·344

  128·823

  —

  Leeds

  231·235

  211·450

  —

  Wakefield

  102·228

  91·139

  —

  Avon

  303·570

  254·787

  —

  Bedfordshire

  184·802

  175·531

  —

  Berkshire

  225·469

  229·252

  —

  Buckinghamshire

  214·468

  206·348

  —

  Cambridgeshire

  202·693

  193·391

  —

  Cheshire

  318·739

  294·559

  —

  Cleveland

  214·430

  202·966

  —

  Cornwall

  138·336

  140·824

  —

  Cumbria

  159102

  142·882

  —

  Derbyshire

  326·789

  271·798

  —

  Devon

  290·463

  276·355

  —

  Dorset

  169·468

  157·560

  —

  Durham

  199·467

  183·819

  —

  East Sussex

  176·212

  168·819

  —

  Essex

  472·463

  458·657

  —

  Gloucestershire

  163·654

  148·565

  —

  Hampshire

  461·580

  453·266

  —

  Hereford and Worcester

  197·342

  196·842

  —

  Hertfordshire

  320·460

  293·468

  —

  Humberside

  296·792

  277·145

  —

  Isle of Wight

  38·047

  36·532

  —

  Kent

  434·043

  456·635

  —

  Lancashire

  467·334

  445·622

  —

  Leicestershire

  305·248

  276·819

  —

  Lincolnshire

  177·303

  179·312

  —

  Norfolk

  212·391

  209·872

  —

  Northamptonshire

  190·199

  179·549

  —

  Northumberland

  100·350

  89·824

  —

  North Yorkshire

  211·188

  196·440

  —

  Nottinghamshire

  338·799

  311·592

  —

  Oxfordshire

  169·252

  151·459

  —

  Shropshire

  138·087

  128·216

  —

  Somerset

  146·238

  128·613

  —

  Staffordshire

  321·768

  302·935

  —

  Suffolk

  188·230

  172·628

  —

  Surrey

  266·984

  257·425

  —

  Warwickshire

  151·144

  142·196

  —

  West Sussex

  181·805

  183·940

  —

  Wiltshire

  174·677

  163·364

  —

  Isles of Scilly

  1·126

  0·946

  —

  1 Inner London education grants are paid to provide, through the support of expenditure on education, transitional help to charge-payers in Inner London boroughs and in the City of London where the authorities inherited responsibility for the education service from the Inner London Education Authority.—

  Note:—

  Information on budgeted expenditure is taken from local authorities' returns to the Department of the Environment on forms RA90/91 and RA(SG)90/91. Figures have been repriced to out-turn.—

  Research Councils (Expenditure)
  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much money, and what percentage of total resources, was spent in the last year for which figures are available by each of the research councils on (a) research into management development,(b) management training and (c) training overall,
  318
  excluding the employment costs of the trainees; and how the training expenditure is divided between courses provided internally and those provided externally.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  The details are as follows:

  (a) Research into management development

  In 1990–91 the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) made 15 awards totalling £419,000 for research projects into various aspects of management development. This represented 5 per cent. of the total of research grants made in that year.
  319
  (b) Management training

  In 1990–91, the ESRC was supporting 359 students on courses relating to management training at a cost of £1,443,000. This represented some 15 per cent. of the total ESRC expenditure on postgraduate awards.

  Expenditure by the research councils on management training of their own staff was as follows:

  Agricultural and Food Research Council (AFRC)

  In 1990–91 the AFRC spent £70,313 on management training, £60,000 internally and £10,313 on external management courses.

  Economic and Social Research Council

  In 1990–91 the ESRC spent some £7,000 on management training, of which £700 was spent externally.

  Medical Research Council (MRC)

  This information (and also at (c) below) is not collected centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)

  In 1990–91 NERC spent £260,000 on management training, of which £140,000 was spent internally.

  Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC)

  For the period 1 August 1989 to 31 July 1990, SERC spent £193,000 on management training, all of which was undertaken by the research council's joint training service (JTS).

  (c) Training overall

  AFRC's total expenditure on staff training in 1990–91 was £270,133, of which £150,000 was undertaken internally or through the JTS. The total of science budget resources devoted to training was about 0·3 per cent.

  ESRC's total expenditure on staff training in 1990–91 was £32,100 of which £23,000 was undertaken by JTS. This total represents about 0·1 per cent. of the council's resources from the science budget.

  NERC's total expenditure on staff training in 1990–91 was £650,000, of which £220,000 was undertaken internally or by JTS. Total expenditure represented 0·37 per cent. of the council's resources from the science budget.

  In the period 1 August 1989 to 31 July 1990, SERC estimates that its total expenditure on staff training amounted to about £707,000. Of this some £420,000 was

  HMI visits to grant-maintained schools made between September 1989 and March 1991

  Visit

  Number of visits

  Total number of HMI involved in visits

  Length of each visit (days)

  Cost (£)

  Hendon

  2

  4

  1

  960

  Queen Elizabeth's Barnet

  2

  5

  1

  1,200

  Queensbury

  3

  8

  1, 4

  5,040

  Baverstock

  3

  9

  1, 2, 4

  6,480

  Small Heath

  3

  8

  1

  1,440

  St. James

  6

  6

  1

  1,440

  Colyton Grammar

  3

  3

  1

  720

  Old Swinford Hospital

  3

  4

  1

  960

  London Oratory

  4

  4

  1

  960

  Wilmington GS for Girls

  3

  4

  1

  960

  Castle Hall

  3

  3

  1

  960

  Heckmondwike GS

  4

  6

  0·5, 1, 1, 2

  2,280

  Bacup and Rawtenstall

  2

  4

  1

  960

  King's, Grantham

  3

  5

  1

  1,200

  Queen Elizabeth's GS

  3

  4

  1

  960

  Skegness GS

  2

  3

  1

  960

  Wilson's

  2

  2

  0·5, 1

  600

  Audenshaw

  3

  3

  1

  720

  Bankfield

  2

  7

  1, 4

  5,280

  St. Francis Xavier

  2

  3

  1

  720

  Beechen Cliff

  1

  1

  1

  240

  Southlands

  1

  1

  1

  240

  Claremont

  2

  2

  1, 2

  720

  Netherthorpe

  1

  2

  0·5

  240

  Ribston Hall

  1

  1

  1

  240

  London Nautical

  1

  3

  2

  1,440

  Cardinal Vaughan

  2

  5

  1

  1,200

  Lancaster RGS

  1

  1

  1

  240

  Southfield

  2

  3

  1

  720

  Bridgewater Hall

  1

  1

  1

  240

  320
  estimated to have been spent internally. The total training expenditure represents some 0·17 per cent. of the science budget resources made available to SERC.

  Grant-maintained Schools
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what has been the cost so far of ballots of parents held under section 61 of the Education Act.

  Mr. Eggar
  The Electoral Reform Society conducts all parental ballots for grant-maintained status and claims its costs for each individual ballot from the Department of Education and Science. The total of these costs currently stands at some £175,000.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science for each of the financial years 1989–90 and 1990–91, what have been the total levels of (i) liability for VAT, (ii) relief from liability for rates and (iii) special purpose grant (VAT) for grant-maintained schools.

  Mr. Eggar
  Details of grant-maintained schools' actual liability for VAT are not available. The total level of newly acquired rates relief for ex-county schools was some £141,000 in 1989–90 and some £1,103,000 in 1990–91. Total special purpose grant (VAT) paid to grant-maintained schools was £231,000 in 1989–90 and £639,000 in 1990–91.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science which grant-maintained schools have been visited by Her Majesty's inspectors, and in each case (i) by how many inspectors, (ii) for how long, (iii) at what cost and (iv) whether a report will be published.

  Mr. Eggar
  At the end of March 1991, there were 50 schools operating under grant-maintained status and HMI had visited 46 of them. Listed below are details of the visits made to each school.
  321

  Visit

  Number of visits

  Total number of HMI involved in visits

  Length of each visit (days)

  Cost (£)

  Brindley Hall

  1

  1

  1

  240

  Ecclesbourne

  1

  2

  1

  480

  Bournemouth GS

  2

  3

  1

  720

  Stroud High

  1

  1

  1

  240

  Marling

  1

  1

  1

  240

  Pate's GS

  1

  2

  1

  480

  Rickmansworth

  1

  2

  1

  480

  Bishopshalt

  1

  1

  1

  240

  Long Field High

  2

  2

  1, 2

  720

  Carre's GS

  1

  3

  1

  720

  Adams GS

  1

  1

  1

  240

  Guildford

  1

  1

  1

  240

  Wolverhampton High

  1

  1

  2

  480

  Handsworth GS

  1

  1

  1

  240

  Buller's Wood

  1

  1

  1

  240

  Francis Bacon

  1

  2

  1

  480

  In all cases the inspectors' findings were reported orally to the head and to the chairman of governors where he or she was able to attend. None of these inspections was planned to lead to a published report. My right hon. and learned Friend will therefore not be publishing the findings of these individual school inspectors.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what would be the total full-year cost of grant payable to schools as (i) transitional grant, (ii) special purpose grant (development) and (iii) capital grant if all eligible schools became grant-maintained at the current levels of each(a) during 1991–92 and (b) over a five-year period.

  Mr. Eggar
  Given the statutory timetable it is not possible for all schools to become grant-maintained in the financial year 1991–92.

  These levels of payment are reviewed annually in the light of the Government's spending priorities for

  Publication

  Total printing cost (all editions)

  Number of copies distributed

  Postage costs

  £000

  (all editions)1

  £000

  School Governors: How to become a grant-maintained school

  46·9

  80,000

  2n/a

  Grant-maintained schools: Questions parents ask

  51·6

  140,000

  3n/a

  Grant-maintained schools: What it means for staff

  9·8

  100,000

  14·0

  1 The recorded figures are for initial block distributions. Figures for further distributions to individual schools following ad hoc requests are not available.

  2 Postage costs for the block distribution of the first edition were not recorded separately. It cost £870 to post an initial block distribution of the second edition. The third edition has not been block distributed as yet.

  3 It cost £3,700 to post an initial block distribution of the first edition. It cost £8,400 to post a further block distribution of that edition for primary schools with less than 300 pupils when they became eligible for grant-maintained status. Included in that distribution were copies of the second edition of "School Governors: How to Become a Grant-Maintained School".

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science for each of the financial years 1990–91 and 1991–92, what have been the average total allocations of capital grant to grant-maintained schools(i) per school and (ii) per pupil.

  Mr. Eggar
  Total grant for capital expenditure by grant-maintained schools in 1990–91 was £6·5 million. The planned grant expenditure for 1991–92 is £10·5 million. The average per school for 1990–91 was £130,186 and per pupil £181 based on total school and pupil numbers in that year. Figures for 1991–92 will depend upon the total number of schools and pupils in the sector this year.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science for each of the financial years 1989–90 and 1990–91, what was(i) the amount available and (ii) the amount paid to grant-maintained schools as special purpose grant (development).
  322
  education and other services. It is therefore not possible to project a figure for the total cost if all schools became grant-maintained over a five-year period.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many copies have been distributed and, in each case, at what cost of all the editions of the booklet (i) "School Governors—How to Become a Grant-Maintained School", (ii) "Grant-Maintained Schools—Questions Parents Ask" and (iii) "Grant-Maintained Schools—What it Means For Staff".

  Mr. Eggar
  The information requested is given in the table:

  Mr. Eggar
  Special purpose grant (development) of £177,573 was available to grant-maintained schools in 1989–90. The amount actually paid in that year was £171,190. In 1990–91, special purpose grant (development) of £705,126 was available. This amount will be adjusted during the course of the current financial year if financial returns from schools show that the full amount of grant was not required for the purposes for which it has been made available.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what payments have been made from public funds to the Grant-Maintained Schools Trust in each year since its creation.

  Mr. Eggar
  Payments of central Government grant in each financial year have been as follows:
  323

  £

  1988–89

  25,000

  1989–90

  250,000

  1990–91

  448,000

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science for each of the financial years 1989–90 and 1990–91, what has been(a) the total and (b) the average per pupil of (i) annual maintenance grant and (ii) all other grant aid paid to grant-maintained schools.

  Mr. Eggar
  Total annual maintenance grant—AMG—paid was £14·9 million in 1989–90 and £59·2 million in 1990–91. A simple average per pupil can be derived by dividing these figures by pupil numbers recorded in the previous January by all schools that were grant-maintained in that year. On this basis, average AMG paid per pupil was £1,083 in 1989–90 and £1,645 in 1990–91. These figures take no account of the fact that some schools were incorporated as grant-maintained at different times during the year in question.

  The total of other grants paid was £2,466,000 in 1989–90 and £8,128,000 in 1990–91. These figures exclude transitional grant which in these years was paid to schools before incorporation as GM schools. It makes little sense to relate the totals of other grants to pupil numbers since these grants are paid on a number of different bases. However, these totals divided by the same pupil numbers produce per pupil figures of £179 in 1989–90 and £226 in 1990–91.

  Schools Branch 4
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many staff are employed in schools branch 4, division B at his Department; and what is the annual cost of running this Department.

  Mr. Eggar
  There are 26 staff employed in schools 4 division B. The cost of running this division in the 1990–91 financial year was approximately £368,000.

  Teachers (Assessment)
  Mr. Rowe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he is taking to accredit prior learning among staff currently employed as teachers; and if he will ensure that teachers who have not had their skills assessed will not be made redundant on grounds of lack of qualification until an assessment has been made.

  Mr. Fallon
  It is for the LEA or, in a school with a delegated budget, the governing body to determine whether any teacher should be dismissed. If it behaves unreasonably, a dismissal may be found unfair by an industrial tribunal. LEAs and schools are responsible for deciding what induction and other training should be provided for the individual teachers whom they employ. They also share responsibility with other bodies that provide or accredit training for deciding on the scope for accrediting teachers' prior learning.

  Children (Assessment)
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science of those children subject to assessment at seven years as part of the national curriculum(a) how many are in mixed age classes and (b) how many are in classes of over 30 in size.
  324
  Mr. Eggar
  Information on the number of seven-year-old children in mixed age classes and in classes of over 30 in size is not collected regularly. In January 1990, 24 per cent. of all pupils in maintained primary schools in England were in classes of over 30 taught by one teacher.

  Further Education
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to his statement on the future of further education 21 March,Official Report, columns 432–448, whether local' authorities will be required to seek his consent for contracts exposed to competitive tendering arrangements under the Local Government Act 1988.

  Mr. Eggar
  No. The application of compulsory competitive tendering to contracts affecting further education and sixth form colleges remains that described in DES circulars 7/88 and 9/88, copies of which are in the Library.

PRIME MINISTER

  Whaling
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Prime Minister what action the British Government intend to take at the International Whaling Commission this year to ensure that the moratorium on commercial whaling is maintained.

  The Prime Minister
  We shall continue to support the moratorium on commercial whaling.

  Promis Software
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Prime Minister which Government Departments have purchased Promis software.

  The Prime Minister
  Departments have delegated authority from the Treasury to purchase proprietary software packages to meet their own needs. Information on such procurements is not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Engagements
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 2 May.

  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 this House, I shall be having further meetings later today.

  International Arms Register
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had regarding the establishment of an international arms register.

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 29 April to the hon. Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell) at column 32.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Magistrates
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Attorney-General what percentage of all magistrates are women; what percentage of magistrates appointed in each of the past 10 years have been women; what percentage of women magistrates are under the age of 40 years; what is the average age of magistrates; what is the average age of all women magistrates; and if he has any proposals to appoint more(a) women magistrates and (b) women magistrates under 40 years.

  The Solicitor-General
  As at January 1991, in the Lord Chancellor's area of responsibility, women represented 45 per cent. of the total number of active lay magistrates. The percentage of women magistrates appointed in each of the past 10 years, rounded to the nearest point was as follows:

  Per cent.

  1981

  42

  1982

  43

  1983

  45

  1984

  48

  1985

  44

  1986

  46

  1987

  51

  1988

  48

  1989

  49

  1990

  51

  Approximately 4 per cent. of women magistrates are under the age of 40.

  The average age of magistrates and the average age of all women magistrates, could only be ascertained at disproportionate cost.

  The answer to whether there are any proposals to appoint more (a) women magistrates and (b) women magistrates under 40 years is yes.

  Legal Profession (Remuneration)
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Attorney-General if the review by the Lord Chancellor of the legal aid system in the United Kingdom will consider means to harmonise levels of remuneration payable to the legal profession, and to remove existing anomalies between rates of remuneration paid to legal advisers, north and south of the Scottish border.

  The Attorney-General
  The current review is addressing the financial conditions for the grant of legal aid. It is not considering the levels of remuneration payable to the legal profession.

  Legal Aid
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Attorney-General what is the policy of the Government towards reducing the number of persons eligible for legal aid.

  The Attorney-General
  The Government's policy is to target legal aid to meet need. The Lord Chancellor is conducting a review of the financial conditions for legal aid to see how this can best be achieved.

  The number of full civil legal aid certificates issued compared with figures for five and 10 years ago indicates that more people than ever before are taking up legal aid. The figures are in the table:
  326

  Number

  1979–80

  190,677

  1984–85

  221,209

  1989–90

  262,581

  The estimated figure for 1990–91 is about 300,000. Over the same period, expenditure on legal aid as a whole increased some five fold.

  Court of Protection
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Attorney-General what is the cost to the Exchequer of the Court of Protection; and what is its fee income.

  The Attorney-General
  The operation of the Court of Protection is financed by those who use it. During the financial year ending 31 March 1991 there was no cost to the public purse.

  The fee income for that year was £7,750,423·01.

  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Attorney-General how many patients the Court of Protection is currently handling.

  The Attorney-General
  The total number of patients whose affairs are currently being administered by the Court of Protection is 30,842 as at 30 April 1991.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Armagh Four
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress there has been in the review of the convictions of the Armagh Four; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mawhinney
  A dossier on this case is receiving detailed examination. In the meantime, the Chief Constable of the RUC has been asked to make further inquiries about a number of points. Until the results of these further inquiries are known, it will not be possible for my right hon. Friend to consider whether he would be justified in referring the case back to the Court of Appeal.

  Religious Tolerance
  Mr. Falnnery
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take steps to hold a representative delegate conference to raise issues conducive to religious tolerance and peace in Ireland.

  Mr. Mawhinney
  I have no plans at present to hold such a conference. I am pleased to report, however, that the Government have given substantial support to a number of conferences, including a major conference in September 1990, on the role of the churches in community relations in Northern Ireland.

  Political Parties (Talks)
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information he has on who will be representing the Conservative party at the talks on the future of Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Brooke
  My hon. Friend the Minister of State and I will represent the Government in the forthcoming talks.

  Political Devolution
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent representations he has received concerning the subject of political devolution in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dickens
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the prospects for a political solution to resolve conflict in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Brooke
  I refer the hon. Member and my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Falkirk, West (Mr. Canavan).

  Recession
  Mr. Kilfedder
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to deal with recession in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Needham
  The latest economic indicators suggest that any downturn in the economy has had less effect in Northern Ireland than in the United Kingdom as a whole. The Government's economic development strategy for Northern Ireland aims to improve the competitiveness of Northern Ireland industry and thereby promote economic growth and a sustained increase in employment.

  Irish Prime Minister
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he next expects to meet the Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland.

  Mr. Brooke
  I have no present plans to meet the Taoiseach.

  Self-Employed People
  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people are currently self-employed in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  At June 1990, the latest date for which figures are available, there were an estimated 75,800 self-employed persons in Northern Ireland. This represents a growth in self-employment of some 16,600–28 per cent.—since June 1983.

  Health and Social Services Boards
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the composition of the non-executive directors of the four area health and social services boards and the membership of the new health and social services councils.

  Mr. Hanley
  Each health and social services board includes six non-executive members plus a chairman. They were appointed from 1 April this year.

  The names of the chairmen of the health and social services councils were announced on 4 April 1991. Nominations for membership of the councils have been invited from district councils, voluntary and community groups and, through public advertisement, from other interested groups and individuals. It is hoped to announce the names of the members shortly.

  Teachers' Pay and Conditions
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he has any plans to review teachers' pay and conditions bargaining arrangements; and if he will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  At present my right hon. and noble Friend the Paymaster General has no plans to review the teachers' pay and conditions of service negotiating arrangements. Following the recommendations of the Northern Ireland Teachers' Salaries and Conditions of Service Committee, the Department of Education makes regulations prescribing the rate of salaries and conditions of service.

  Employment Trends
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on employment trends in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Needham
  At June 1990 the estimated number of persons in employment in Northern Ireland—including the self-employed—stood at 605,400, which is some 7,000 higher than the previous peak level in 1979. Annual estimates also show that the level of employment has increased consistently since June 1983. Between June 1983 and June 1990 employment in Northern Ireland grew by almost 51,000–9·2 per cent.—mainly due to an increase in employment in private sector services and self-employment.

  Higher Education
  Mr. Hague
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many students are currently studying in universities and institutions of higher education in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The answer is 25,559 full-time and part-time students. Institutions of further education also provide higher education courses and in 1989–90 total enrolments on such courses—full time and part time—amounted to 3,444 students.

  Construction Industry
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table in the Official Report showing the number of persons employed in the construction industry in each of the last five years for which figures are available in Northern Ireland and also list for each of those years (a) the number of dwellings constructed and (b) the number of construction workers unemployed.

  Mr. Needham
  The information requested is as follows:

  Employees in employment in construction industry1

  Number of unemployed construction workers1

  Number of dwellings completed2

  1986

  24,550

  23,307

  10,145

  1987

  25,840

  21,964

  9,761

  1988

  26,360

  19,251

  9,941

  1989

  25,990

  17,938

  10,304

  1990

  25,940

  16,959

  7,912

  329
  1 Figures relate to June of each year.

  2 Figures relate to the calendar year.

  Trust Ports
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to announce the privatisation of the trust ports.

  Mr. Needham
  It is my intention to bring forward next spring a draft Order in Council which would provide the necessary powers to enable any of Northern Ireland's trust ports to be privatised.

  Clenbuterol
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the highest level of clenbuterol found in cattle from County Laois in the Republic of Ireland which were presented for slaughter in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Hanley
  The answer is 27·2 parts per billion (ppb).

  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many clenbuterol-treated cattle from County Laois in the Republic of Ireland have been presented for slaughter in Northern Ireland in the past 12 months;

  (2) how many clenbuterol-treated animals from County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland have been presented for slaughter in Northern Ireland in the past 12 months.

  Mr. Hanley
  In the last 12 months two cattle from County Laois and 24 from County Donegal presented for slaughter in Northern Ireland have been found to contain residues of clenbuterol.

  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what arrangements exist for action against beef producers in the Republic of Ireland who present clenbuterol-treated animals for slaughter in meat plants in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Hanley
  All such cases are communicated to the appropriate authorities in the Republic of Ireland arid it is for them to decide on what, if any, action is taken against the producers concerned.

  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make it his policy that all animals originating from a farm in one of whose animals clenbuterol has been detected at a slaughterhouse should have their urine tested; and if he will bring forward proposals for acquiring powers to detain animals which have tested positive for clenbuterol.

  Mr. Hanley
  I am considering such a policy under the powers available when the Food Safety Order comes into effect on 21 May 1991.

  Salbutamol
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make it his policy to carry out tests for salbutamol in animals, and to condemn meat in which salbutamol is found.

  Mr. Hanley
  Yes, if it becomes apparent that there is abuse of salbutamol. At present we are only aware of abuse of clenbuterol.

  Beta Agonist Drugs
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many post-mortem tests are carried out each year on the eyeballs of bovines suspected of treatments with beta agonist drugs.

  Mr. Hanley
  Post-mortem tests concentrate on liver, as this is the edible tissue in which the highest levels of residue are found relative to the rest of the carcase. It also gives the most consistent results. The potential use of other tissue is being studied.

  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in which part of an affected animal have residues of beta agonist drugs most frequently been found by official inspections in the past 12 months.

  Mr. Hanley
  Residues of beta agonists have been found most frequently in the liver.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Community Charge Rebates
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the cost of introducing a 100 per cent. rebate for community charge payers on income support and equivalent incomes in 1991–92.

  Miss Widdecombe
  A maximum community charge benefit of 100 per cent. of liability would affect all people receiving community charge benefit, including those on income support and equivalent incomes. The total cost in 1991–92 of 100 per cent. maximum community charge benefit would be some £380 million at current benefit levels.

  This estimate assumes that no reductions are made in the income-related benefit levels which were adjusted in April 1989 to include help towards the 20 per cent. contribution to the community charge at an estimated cost of £500 million.

  Source: Modelled using data drawn from 1986/7/8 family expenditure surveys.

  Child Benefit
  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (I) how much will be saved from the clawback of the increase in child benefit of £1 from parents' income support;

  (2) how many (a) single parents and (b) parents did not receive the child benefit increase of £ 1 because they are in receipt of income support and have had the increase deducted from their income support.

  Miss Widdecombe
  It is estimated that approximately(a) 850,000 single parents and (b) 400,000 other families on income support have received the £1 increase in child benefit for the only, eldest or elder child from April. The payment of this extra amount has been taken into account for income support purposes in the normal way. It is estimated that the extra cost of disregarding the increase in child benefit in income support would be £65 million a year.

  Income support rates were also increased from April, and it is estimated that over 99 per cent. of income support recipients will have seen an overall increase in their

  331
  benefits. Families will receive a further increase in child benefit in October and, exceptionally, the family premium and child allowances will be increased at the same time so that those on income-related benefits gain the advantage of that increase.

  Source: 1989 ASE uprated to 1991–92 price and benefit levels.

  Pensions
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when is the appointed day for the imposition of new requirements for pension increases included in the Social Security Act 1990.

  Miss Widdecombe
  No final decision has yet been made.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the implementation of the provision in the Social Security Act 1990 which requires pension schemes to increase the deferred pensions of anyone leaving by 5 per cent. per annum for all of their pensionable service.

  Miss Widdecombe
  This provision came into force on 1 January 1991.

  Benefits (Manchester)
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people are receiving(a) income support, (b) family credit and (c) housing benefit; and what percentage of the Manchester population this represents.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The administration of benefits is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available and copies will be placed in the Library and the public information office.

  Bad Mustard Gas Disaster
  Mr. Robert Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to the answer,Official Report, 4 February, column 63, if he will publish in the Official Report how many of the survivors of the Bari harbour mustard gas disaster in 1943 died of (a) lung cancer and (b) other forms of cancer.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The information requested is not available.

  Income Support
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his Department's target for clearing income support claims at each Edinburgh office(a) in 1991 and (b) in 1992; and what is the actual time taken to clear such claims at present.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The administration of income support is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member and copies will be placed in the Library and the public information office.

  Departmental Land (London)
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much land his Department owns in London; and how much of that land is unused.

  Mr. Jack
  The Department owns 1·05 hectares of land in London, of which 0·2 hectares is unused. Disposal of this recently vacated site is being actively pursued.

  Pension Schemes
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the total cost to the national insurance fund, in the financial year 1991–92 and in a full year, of allowing people to contract out of SERPs into a money purchase personal pension scheme giving figures separately for(a) people contracting out of SERPs in 1991–92 and (b) all schemes, giving figures also for Great Britain and the United Kingdom.

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 30 April 1991]: The amount of revenue forgone by the national insurance fund is made up of the contracted-out rebate which was first introduced in April 1978, and the 2 per cent. incentive payment introduced in April 1988.

  The Government Actuary estimates that about 0·5 million people will receive payments towards personal pensions for the first time during 1991–92 and the estimated amount of revenue forgone by the national insurance fund in respect of those people will be £260 million for Great Britain, made up of £190 million rebate and £70 million incentive.

  The estimated amount of revenue forgone in respect of the total of 4·5 million who will receive payments during 1991–92 will he £2,350 million for Great Britain, made up of £1,740 million rebate and £610 million incentive.

  Information relating to Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the total cost to the national insurance fund in the financial year 1991–92 and in a full year of the 2 per cent. banded earnings offered as an incentive to opt out of SERPs, giving figures for Great Britain and the United Kingdom.

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 30 April 1991]: In the year 1991–92 the Government Actuary estimates that the amount of revenue forgone by the national insurance fund as the result of the incentive payment will be £750 million for Great Britain. This is in respect of an estimated 4·5 million personal pension optants and 1 million members of contracted-out occupational pension schemes who are eligible for incentive payments.

  The estimated amount of revenue forgone by offering the incentive in 1991–92 amounts to about 2 per cent. of the total income of the national insurance fund.

  It is also estimated that encouraging people to plan for their retirement in this way will result in a reduction in gross public expenditure of £2 billion a year in 2010 rising to £14 billion a year in 2035.

  Information relating to Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

  THE ARMAGH FOUR: POSSIBLE APPEAL
  THE ARMAGH FOUR: POSSIBLE APPEAL
  WOLDS REMAND PRISON: OPERATIONAL SPECIFICATION
  WOLDS REMAND PRISON: OPERATIONAL SPECIFICATION
  CRIME TRENDS: RESEARCH FINDINGS
  CRIME TRENDS: RESEARCH FINDINGS
  PRISONERS: ACCESS TO INTEGRAL SANITATION
  PRISONERS: ACCESS TO INTEGRAL SANITATION
  PRISON WORKSHOPS
  PRISON WORKSHOPS
  WIDOWED FATHERS AND MOTHERS: BENEFIT VARIATIONS
  WIDOWED FATHERS AND MOTHERS: BENEFIT VARIATIONS
  INCOME SUPPORT: DEDUCTION FOR INCOME FROM CAPITAL
  INCOME SUPPORT: DEDUCTION FOR INCOME FROM CAPITAL
  ESTONIA: POSTAL LINKS WITH UK
  ESTONIA: POSTAL LINKS WITH UK
  BRITISH TECHNOLOGY GROUP: REPORT
  BRITISH TECHNOLOGY GROUP: REPORT
  TOBACCO PRODUCTS AND THE RPI
  TOBACCO PRODUCTS AND THE RPI
  WILD BIRDS AND ANIMALS: TRAINING OF CUSTOMS OFFICERS
  WILD BIRDS AND ANIMALS: TRAINING OF CUSTOMS OFFICERS