Written Answers of 7 May 1991

CIVIL SERVICE

  Non-governmental Organisations
  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service what was the total cost of running the Government quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations in the two most recent years for which figures are available.

  Mr. Renton
  Details of total expenditure by non-departmental public bodies can be found in "Public Bodies 1990", copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

ENERGY

  Renewable Energy Programmes
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list his Department's current and planned renewable energy programmes in Scotland by type, cost, site location and capacity.

  Mr. Moynihan
  A total of 38 renewable energy projects currently being carried out under my Department's research, development and demonstration programme have a contractor or site located in Scotland. They comprise:

  Technology

  Projects

  Contract Value

  £ million

  Wind

  14

  15·5

  Biomass

  13

  2·8

  Solar

  6

  0·8

  Geothermal

  1

  0·6

  Wave/Hydro

  4

  0·3

  Wind

  3MW Aerogenerator at Burgar Hill

  60 WTG performance monitoring phase 4

  Additional monitoring of Shetland HWP 750

  Wind turbine control systems modelling and design

  The influence of noise on wind turbine design

  Yaw system loads of HAWTS

  Evaluation of the concept of a stall limited rotor

  Fast acting control of wind turbines

  Wind energy resource in Caithness and Sutherland

  MS-3 for NEL test site

  Feasibility of testing WT incorp advanced tip cont rotor

  Aerodynamic braking and control devices HAWTS

  Development of MW-rated WTS using WEG LS-1 orkney

  Design/test controller for variable speed turbine

  Biomass

  Elucidation of interspecies interactions

  Peat as fuel

  RDF combustion

  Straw ash chemistry study

  Straw combustion—Fluid bed boiler

  Harvesting processing and storing trials

  Support services in forestry for energy

  Development of fuelwood harvesting systems

  Forest residue communition and screening

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  Single stem trees as energy crops

  Large scale trials of short rotation coppice

  Trials of single stem energy plantations

  Trials of short rotation coppice phase 2 and 3

  Solar

  Development bredem for passive solar application

  Consultancy for the CEC Passys test cell project

  Internal convective heat transfer coefficients

  Continued participation with CEC Passys project

  ESP support and enhancement

  Operation of an extended pilot DAS

  Geothermal

  Seismic monitoring in South West England

  Wave/Hydro

  Telemetry demonstration

  Small scale low cost wave power device phase 2

  Transfer of PDP2 tapes

  Consultancy on review of NEL—OWC

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how much has been allocated in research and development moneys by his Department to cover(a) nuclear power and (b) renewable energy in each year from 1979.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The figures are given in the table:

  Nuclear energy

  Renewables

  £ million

  £ million

  1979–80

  145·5

  8·2

  1980–81

  188·0

  11·3

  1981–82

  203·2

  15·3

  1982–83

  212·4

  12·7

  1983–84

  203·8

  11·9

  1984–85

  196·2

  14·9

  1985–86

  189·6

  13·6

  1986–87

  159·7

  12·5

  1987–88

  141·0

  16·1

  1988–89

  159·3

  16·3

  1989–90

  135·9

  17·9

  1990–91

  133·5

  20·3

  11991–92

  93·4

  24·5

  1 Estimate.

  Nuclear Reactors (Decommissioning)
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what research is under way to establish the cost and feasibility of full decommissioning of nuclear reactors;

  (2) how many nuclear reactors are fully decommissioned; and at what cost;

  (3) what information he has as to whether Nuclear Electricity has a fully costed strategy for decommissioning its remaining Magnox reactors.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  No commercial reactors in the United Kingdom have yet been fully decommissioned. Nuclear Electric and AEA Technology have programmes of research relating to the decommissioning of nuclear reactors which have the objectives to ensure the continued safety of the public, work force and the environment; to minimise environmental impact; to release land for other use as appropriate; and, consistent with the foregoing, to minimise expenditure.

  AEA Technology is proceeding with a programme to fully decommission the prototype advanced gas-cooled reactor at Windscale by 1998 to demonstrate both decommissioning capabilities and costs involved.

  Nuclear Electric's current strategy for decommissioning its nuclear power stations is set out in its report and

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  accounts for 1989–90, which also identified the accounting provisions made for future decommissioning costs, which were based upon Nuclear Electric's estimates of those costs.

  Windfarm Developments
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make it his policy to introduce revised procedures and modify the requirements for detailed site-specific information for windfarm developments of less than 5 MW.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The procedures to select projects to be contracted in fulfilment of a non-fossil fuel obligation are a matter for the Non-Fossil Purchasing Agency Ltd.—NFPA—as the agent of the regional electricity companies on which the obligation is placed. The procedures adopted by the NFPA take into account the statutory requirement to make arrangements which "will secure" the specified amounts of non-fossil generating capacity and the need for advice from the Office of Electricity Regulation on whether the draft contracts available to the NFPA would be likely to meet this requirement.

  Electricity Privatisation
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if he will give details of the cost incurred in debt write-off prior to the privatisation of the electricity generation and distribution companies in England; and what percentage of the total debt this is;

  (2) if he will give details of the cost incurred in debt write-off for the electricity generating and distribution companies prior to privatisation; and what percentage of the total debt this is.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  No debt write-off occurred in connection with the privatisation of the electricity industry in England and Wales. On flotation, moreover, the companies bore new debt to Government totalling £3·583 billion overall, which will accrue to the taxpayer in addition to the proceeds from the sales.

  Initial Nuclear Feasibility Study
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy on how many occasions since February 1989 officials from his Department have met representatives from British Nuclear Fuels to discuss the initial nuclear feasibility study; and if he will make a statement on the outcome of these discussions.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The study is still at an early stage. My officials have been kept informed of its progress in the course of their regular meetings with British Nuclear Fuels plc.

  National Grid Company
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what consultations he has had with the chairman of the National Grid Company concerning the environmental health implications of electro-magnetic radiation from overhead supergrid lines on nearby residential properties.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The Department's engineering inspectorate is in regular contact with the National Grid Company in respect of electromagnetic fields and keeps me fully informed on the matter.

  Power Failures
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the number of power failures that have occurred in the Doncaster area during the past 12 months giving(a) location, (b) reason for breakdown and (c) the duration of the breakdown until supply was resumed; and what were the figures 12 months ago.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Only supply interruptions of a major nature are required to be reported to the Secretary of State under regulation 35 of the Electricity Supply Regulations 1988. Essentially these interruptions involve 20 MW or more, or 5 MW for one hour or longer or more than 5,000 consumers for one hour or longer. During the past two years no such interruptions involving the Doncaster area have been reported by Yorkshire Electricity other than the blizzard of 8 and 9 December 1990 which affected major parts of Doncaster.

  Oil Fires (Kuwait)
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on his talks in Kuwait in relation to British, American and Saudi action to extinguish oil fires.

  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on his visit to Kuwait, including his meeting with the Kuwaiti Prime Minister on 27 April; and what discussions were held regarding putting out the fires in oil wells caused by the Iraqi armed forces prior to the liberation of Kuwait.

  Mr. Wakeham
  I visited Kuwait on 26 to 28 April with a team of British business men. This visit was part of our response to the request made by the crown prince to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister that Britain should play a substantial part in the reconstruction of Kuwait. My meetings with the crown prince and with Kuwaiti Ministers were very positive and encouraging and I believe that United Kingdom industry will he able to make a significant contribution both to solving the urgent problem of extinguishing the fires and capping the wells and to the reconstruction of Kuwait's oil industry. The most immediate effect of my visit is the Kuwait Oil Company's intention to commission the Kuwaiti British Fire Group, a joint venture of AMEC, Taylor Woodrow and Wimpey, to undertake a damage assessment survey of a number of wells in northern Kuwait. If the Kuwaiti authorities are satisfied with the findings of this survey the fire group is likely to be appointed to put out the fires and cap the wells in that part of Kuwait.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what estimate he made of the ferocity and consequences of oil fires in Kuwait in(a) October 1990, (b) November 1990, (c) December 1990, (d) January 1991, (e) February 1991(f) March 1991 and (g) April 1991, (i) pre and (ii) following his official visit to Kuwait to assess the extent of the conflagration.

  Mr. Wakeham
  The Government's latest view of the consequences of the oil fires in Kuwait remains as stated in the assessment by the Departments concerned, entitled "The Potential Impact of the Burning Oil Wells in Kuwait on the Environment and Human Health" a copy of which was placed in the Library of the House on 15 April 1991.
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  The main purpose of my visit to Kuwait was part of the follow-up to the request made to the Prime Minister by the crown prince on 6 March that Britain should play a substantial part in the reconstruction. I led a team of business men, most of whom had specialist expertise in the oil and gas industries, to investigate opportunities for British industry, as a result of which I have every reason to believe that a group of United Kingdom companies will be awarded a contract to carry out a damage assessment of one of the oilfields.

  This is expected to lead to major opportunities for British industry to work on extinguishing and capping burning wells and restoring oil production.

TRANSPORT

  Rail Freight
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the level of United Kingdom use of rail for freight relative to other members of the European Community.

  Mr. Freeman
  The UIC's "International Railway Statistics 1989" gives the following figures for freight carried by rail.

  Rail traffic lifted Tonnes

  Rail traffic moved Tonnes kms

  (millions)

  (millions)

  Belgium

  81·1

  9,400

  Denmark

  7·9

  1,700

  France

  153·8

  54,600

  Germany

  621·5

  121,500

  Great Britain

  143·1

  16,700

  Greece

  n/a

  n/a

  Holland

  21·5

  3,300

  Italy

  66·7

  21,300

  Luxembourg

  17·8

  700

  Portugal

  7·3

  1,800

  Republic of Ireland

  n/a

  n/a

  Spain

  38·3

  14,400

  Train Accidents
  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many people are recorded as having fallen from British Rail trains in each year from 1981 to 1991;

  (2) how many people have died as a result of falling from British Rail trains, in each year since 1981.

  Mr. Freeman
  The information requested is as follows. The figures for 1990 are provisional. Information for 1991 is not yet available.

  Number of persons fallen from British Rail trains

  Year

  Total

  Killed

  Major injury

  Minor injury

  1981

  60

  16

  11

  33

  1982

  55

  11

  7

  37

  1983

  75

  13

  6

  56

  1984

  82

  14

  11

  57

  1985

  66

  16

  8

  42

  1986

  61

  12

  15

  34

  1987

  70

  26

  16

  28

  1988

  64

  19

  13

  32

  1989

  47

  19

  16

  12

  1990

  31

  19

  4

  18

  1 Provisional.

LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

  CSCE
  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what part the United Kingdom Parliament played in the conference of parliamentary representatives from the member states of the conference on security and co-operation in Europe held on 1 to 3 April.

  Mr. MacGregor
  The President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Spanish Parliament, Senor Felix Pons, wrote to Mr. Speaker inviting six members of the United Kingdom Parliament to attend this conference. Following discussion through the usual channels, a delegation led by my right hon. Friend the Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale (Mr. Jopling) attended the conference. The other members of the delegation were:

  Mr. Frank Cook

  Mr. Patrick Duffy

  Sir Geoffrey Finsberg

  Sir Michael Marshall

  Lord Montgomery of Alamein

  Delegations from all 34 CSCE participating states attended the conference and agreed to establish a CSCE parliamentary assembly in which the United Kingdom Parliament will have 13 seats. I am placing in the Library of the House a copy of the final resolution agreed by the delegates.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Vagrants
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Don Valley on 29 January,Official Report, column 455, when the branding of vagrants was abolished from the Justices of the Peace Act 1361; what sections of this Act are still in force; and if he has any plans to bring in new legislation within this Act.

  Mr. John Patten
  On the first part of the question, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to him on 29 January at column 455. As to the remainder, the Justices of the Peace Act 1361 is not organised into sections. The extant power from the 1361 Act is for magistrates to make binding-over orders. We have no present plans for legislation in this area.

  Data Protection
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the review committee exploring the wider use of police criminal records to report; whether the committee explored the practice of employers and local authorities forcing data subjects, prior to employment, to exercise their right of subject access under the terms of the Data Protection Act with respect to personal data held by the police; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The report of the efficiency scrutiny into criminal records was received on 24 April. It deals with various aspects of the question of disclosure from the criminal records, including the issue of enforced subject access for the purpose of job applications. The report is being considered in accordance with the interdepartmentally agreed arrangements for the conduct of efficiency scrutinies.

  Prisons (Heating)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those of Her Majesty's prisons that have coal-fired boiler heating.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  The list of prisons which have heating supplied via coal-fired boiler houses is as follows:

  Ashwell, Nottingham

  Deerbolt, Norwich

  Feltham, Onley

  Full Sutton, Rudgate

  Gartree, Risley

  Garth, Stoke Heath

  Highpoint, Standford Hill (Part)

  Hindley, Stocken

  Long Lartin, Thorn Cross

  Littlehey, Thorpe Arch

  Lowdham Grange, Wayland

  The Mount, Wymott

  Police Cells
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list by police stations in South Yorkshire how many(a) males and (b) females were held in police cells for the latest date he has available; and if he will show in his answer for each police station the longest length of stay a prisoner in each category has been held;

  (2) what is the longest period (a) a male and (b) a female has been held in a police cell in South Yorkshire due to shortage of prison space following the Strangeways prison riot.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  On Thursday 2 May a total of 24 prisoners were held in police cells in the South Yorkshire police area. All were male and all were held at Doncaster police station. No female prisoners have been held in South Yorkshire police cells as a consequence of the prison disturbances in April 1990. Information about the length of time which individual prisoners have spent in police cells is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Firearms Offences
  Sir Eldon Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information is collected by(a) the Home Department and (b) police forces on the number of persons convicted of firearms offences who were in possession of a firearms certificate at the time when their offence was committed; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  Police forces would incur disproportionate cost in collating this information. It is, therefore, not available centrally.

  Pucklechurch Remand Centre
  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects Pucklechurch remand centre to be brought back into use.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  I am considering a range of prison estate planning issues, including the future of Pucklechurch remand centre. I hope to be in a position to reach a decision in the near future.

  Prisons (Baby Food)
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department is he will take steps to ensure that women in mother and baby units in prisons are allowed to prepare fresh foods for their babies.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list by women prison establishment those that(a) do and (b) do not allow mothers who are in prison with their babies to prepare fresh food for their babies other than manufactured baby food.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  The provision of food in the three mother and baby units varies with the nature of the accommodation and the age of the children.

  At HM prison Askham Grange, where mothers may keep their babies with them to the age of 18 months, fresh food is prepared for all the babies by one of the mothers.

  At HM prison Styal, where babies may stay until nine months old, a range of both proprietary baby food and fresh food is available and mothers may choose in consultation with the nursing sister how to feed their babies. The food is prepared by the cook on the unit.

  At HM prison Holloway, where the age limit is also nine months, mothers are provided with a range of propriety brands of food for their babies, supplemented by fruit juice and milk. Consideration is being given to extending the range of food available. Mothers may also purchase fresh fruit for their babies from the prison canteen.

  Strip Searches
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give details of the number of strip searches carried out on females sentenced category A and remand prisoners being held in Her Majesty's prisons Durham and Brixton since November 1989; if any prison contraband, smuggled item or illegal correspondence was discovered in any search, indicating which items; in how many cases prisoners refused to be searched and had to be restrained while the search was being conducted; and what were the reasons for the search.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  Between 1 November 1989 and 30 April 1991, category A women prisoners held in Durham and Brixton prisons were strip-searched on a total of 244 occasions. No unauthorised article was found. On no occasion did the prisoners refuse to be strip-searched. Strip searching is a routine security measure to which all prisoners—male and female—are subject, both for its deterrent effect and as a means of discovering unauthorised articles.

  Press and Public Relations
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 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 Office of the Data Protection Registrar.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  I understand that the Office of the Data Protection Registrar does not have a press and public relations office. The registrar is advised by a public relations agency on public relations matters generally.

  Motoring Offences
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there have been in each of the past five years for offences committed by motorists in yellow box junctions; and what evaluation his Department has made of their effectiveness.

  Mr. John Patten
  Separate figures for offences committed in yellow box junctions are not available centrally. The Home Office has not carried out any evaluation of yellow box junctions recently.

  Squatters
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 6 February,Official Report, column 143, what conclusions he has reached on plans to revise the law relating to squatters and second homes; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  We expect to announce the outcome of our review as soon as possible.

  Thamesmead Estate
  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan police on the policing of the Thamesmead estate, with particular reference to the police response to allegations of racial harassment.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  No. The Metropolitan police continue to give a priority response to racial incidents, as the 1991 strategy statement makes clear.

  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will obtain for his Department's Library a recording of the LWT "London Programme" broadcast on Friday 26 April, about law and order in Thamesmead; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The Home Office monitors recordings or transcripts of all television programmes dealing with substantive law and order issues. The specific policing matters raised in the LWT "London Programme" broadcast on 26 April are for the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.

  Forensic Science Services
  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long it takes on average for forensic science laboratories to analyse blood samples from the date of arrival at the laboratories concerned.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The information is not readily available in the form requested. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list, by police authority in England and Wales, the average time in 1990–91 for forensic science laboratories to analyse blood samples from the date of arrival at the laboratories concerned.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The information is not available in the form requested.

  Drug Trafficking
  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to receive a report from the working group set up to review the provisions on the confiscation of drug traffickers' assets.

  Mr. John Patten
  I am pleased to announce that the working group has now completed its consideration of the provisions of the Drug Trafficking Offences Act 1986. Its report, a copy of which has been placed in the Library, was published today. It contains a number of important proposals designed to make it easier for the courts to apply the confiscation provisions and to enforce confiscation orders once they are made. In view of the innovatory nature of some of these proposals, it is important that we should give the public and key interest groups an opportunity to comment on what has been proposed. We shall therefore welcome comments on any of the issues raised. In the light of responses to the document, which we are seeking by 12 June, we shall consider what legislative measures need to be taken to strengthen the existing procedures.

  The working group is now examining the parallel confiscation provisions contained in part VI of the Criminal Justice Act 1988.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Capital Gains Tax
  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the yield for capital gains tax for the years 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90 and 1990–91; and what is the anticipated yield for 1991–92.

  Mr. Maude
  The following table shows the receipts of capital gains tax and the estimated total liability to capital gains tax arising on gains realised in each of the years since 1987–88. Capital gains tax receipts in any year reflect liabilities for the previous and earlier years.

  Capital gains tax receipts in the year

  Estimated capital gains tax liabilities on gains realised in the year

  Year

  £ million

  £ million

  1987–88

  1,379

  2,500

  1988–89

  2,323

  1,900

  1989–90

  1,854

  12,100

  1990–91

  21,855

  11,200

  1991–92

  11,400

  11,500

  1 1991–92 Financial Statement and Budget Report forecast.

  2 Provisional.

  These figures exclude capital gains of companies taxed within corporation tax.

  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of capital gains tax paid was paid at 40 per cent. in(a) 1988–89, (b) 1989–90 and (c) 1990–91.

  Mr. Maude
  Capital gains tax receipts in 1988–89 correspond to gains realised in 1987–88 and earlier years which were taxed at a flat rate of 30 per cent.: no capital gains tax was paid at 40 per cent. in 1988–89.

  It is estimated that the proportion of capital gains tax receipts attributable to liabilities charged at the higher rate

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  of 40 per cent. was about a half in 1989–90 and three quarters in 1990–91. The increase in the proportion mainly reflects the reduction between 1989–90 and 1990–91 in receipts attributable to gains realised in 1987–88 and earlier which were taxed at 30 per cent.

  These figures exclude gains realised by companies which are chargeable to corporation tax.

  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the number of staff employed by the Inland Revenue in regard to capital gains tax; and what was their cost for the latest year available.

  Mr. Maude
  The estimated staff usage on capital gains tax work in 1989–90 was 1,261 man years, with a direct cost of some £27.5 million.

  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the revenue cost for the latest year available of the loss allowance provisions within the capital gains tax system.

  Mr. Maude
  I regret that appropriate information is not available centrally on which to base a reliable estimate.

  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the breakdown for capital gains tax receipts as between equities, property, Iand and other capital gains for 1990–91.

  Mr. Maude
  The provisional estimate of receipts from capital gains tax in 1990–91 is £1,855 million. It is estimated that about two thirds of these receipts arose from gains on shares and other financial assets with the remainder attributable to gains on land, property and other tangible assets. For a more detailed breakdown by asset type of net chargeable gains arising from disposals made in 1987–88, I refer my hon. Friend to table 11.6 of "Inland Revenue Statistics 1990". The figures exclude gains realised by companies which are chargeable to corporation tax.

  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current capital gains tax percentage change on equity gains in (i) the United States of America, (ii) Germany, (iii) Japan and (iv) France; and what information he has as to whether there is a time limit to the application of any equity change on gains in these countries.

  Mr. Maude
  The latest available information is given in the table, which is supplemented by notes.

  The general rule in these countries is that if gains are taxed at all they are added to income and taxed at the ordinary income or corporation tax rate as appropriate, but various reliefs and exemptions may apply.

  None of these countries has the equivalent to indexation which substantially reduces the effective rate of tax in the United Kingdom. Apart from Japan, none of the countries has an equivalent of the United Kingdom annual exemption.

  Nominal rates of tax on equity gains of

  Country

  Individuals Per cent.

  Companies Per cent.

  USA1

  15 or 28 plus state tax

  15–34 plus state tax

  Germany2

  19–53

  50

  10–50 plus local

  37·5 plus local taxes

  Japan3

  taxes 5–15

  17–20

  France4

  16 or 5–56·8

  34

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  Notes:

  USA Most states impose a state tax on both individuals and companies. In California, the most populous state, the top rate of 9·3 per cent. produces effective maximum rates of approximately 34 per cent. for individuals and 40 per cent. for companies. The tax rates are the same for long-term gains (i.e. on assets held for more than one year) and short-term gains (on assets held for less than one year).

  Germany Private gains for individuals are not subject to income tax unless they arise from sale of equities within 6 months of date of acquisition or from disposal of more than 1 per cent. of shares in a corporation in which the individual owned a substantial interest (more than 25 per cent. of share capital). Companies' gains are taxable however long an asset has been held.

  Japan The first 500,000 yen (£1,527 at latest available purchasing power parities rate) of gains of individuals in a year are exempt. Only one half of long-term gains (on assets held more than 5 years) is taxable. Individuals may elect to be taxed on equity gains at 20 per cent. (plus local taxes), in which case the special deduction does not apply and the whole gain is taxable. Companies' gains are taxable however long an asset has been held.

  France Special 16 per cent. rate applies where individual has long-term gain (on assets held for at least 2 years) or gain on sale of shares which constitute part of a substantial interest in a company. Long-term gains of companies are taxed at 19 or 25 per cent. depending on the type of security held.

  Press and Public Relations
  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 Department for National Savings.

  Mr. Maples
  The full complement of staff including vacant posts employed in the press office of the Department for National Savings on 1 April each year 1979–91 was as listed in the table. There is no record of how many posts were vacant at these dates.

  Numbers

  1 April 1979

  6

  1 April 1980

  6

  1 April 1981

  5

  1 April 1982

  5

  1 April 1983

  4

  1 April 1984

  4

  1 April 1985

  4

  1 April 1986

  4

  1 April 1987

  4

  1 April 1988

  4

  1 April 1989

  4

  1 April 1990

  4

  1 April 1991

  3½

  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 Inland Revenue.

  Mr. Maude
  The information is as follows:

  Year

  Complement

  Staff in post

  1981

  6

  6

  1982

  6

  6

  1983

  6

  6

  1984

  6

  6

  385

  Manyears

  1985

  14

  1986

  16

  1987

  18

  1988

  21

  1989

  22

  1990

  22

  1991

  21

  No figures are available for the years prior to 1 April 1981. The figures shown for the years 1981 to 1984 relate only to the Inland Revenue press office. Since 1984 both press and external public relations activitities have been part of the wider duties undertaken by the Department's communications group. There are thus no complements for these later years, and the figures are estimates of the manyears employed on the functions in question. The increase in numbers from 1985 onwards is due to an increase in activity on public information services, including local radio phone-ins, a mobile inquiry centre and the schools education service.

  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 Her Majesty's Stationery Office.

  Mr. Maples
  HMSO has had no press and public relations office from 1979 to the present date. Press and public relations reponsibilities have formed a small part of the duties of one nominated officer.

  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 HM Customs and Excise.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The number of staff in the press and information office of HM Customs and Excise is as follows:

  Complement

  Staff actually employed

  1979–80

  8

  4

  1980–81

  7

  6

  1981–82

  7

  6

  1982–83

  7

  6

  1983–84

  7

  6

  1984–85

  7

  5

  1985–86

  7

  6

  1986–87

  8

  7

  1987–88

  8

  5

  1988–89

  9

  7

  1989–90

  9

  5

  1990–91

  11

  9

  1991–92

  11

  9

  Pensions
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has any plans to review the indexation of public sector pensions.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  I have no plans to do so.

  European Coal and Steel Community
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what(a) grants, (b) loans and (c) at what rates of interest for loans, have been made by the European Coal and Steel Community to retail organisations in the United Kingdom in each of the last three years; and what is his estimate of the effect on the competitiveness of the receiving companies and/or bodies as compared to their rivals in the market place for their goods and/or services.

  Mr. Leigh
  I have been asked to reply. There have been no such grants, but one "conversion" loan in 1990 and one in 1991. There may have been sub-loans made under global loans through financial intermediaries but information about these is not available.

  The purpose of ECSC conversion loans is to assist with the creation of employment for people made redundant from the coal and steel industries. The loans are available in designated areas throughout the European Community. The criteria applied are set by the Commission. I cannot estimate the effect on the competitiveness of the recipients.

  The rates of interest attached to any individual line are a matter of commercial confidentiality between the borrower and the Commission.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Sheep Scab
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many representations he has received on the new controls relating to sheep scab; and how many of these representations are critical of the self-regulatory nature of the controls.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Department has received a number of representations about the self-certification arrangements which applied during last autumn's compulsory national dip for sheep scab and all contained some criticisms of the move to owner declarations by farmers.

  We have completed our assessment of the 1990 national dip and the success of the self-certification arrangements and it is clear that large numbers of owner declarations were not returned to local authorities at the end of the dipping period, as required by the legislation. All comments from interested organisations on the national dip have been carefully considered and, as a result, we have decided to streamline the arrangements to apply during this year's compulsory national dip for sheep scab which will take place during the period Sunday 22 September to Saturday 2 November.

  The requirement in the Sheep Scab (National Dip) Order 1990 for undipped sheep moved during the dipping period to be accompanied by an owner declaration will be dropped. This will reduce the number of forms that farmers are required to complete and will scale down the involvement of market authorities in countersigning forms at markets.

  I hope that the Government's positive response to suggestions from those involved in the national dip on how to improve the arrangements will result in greater commitment from the industry on sheep scab control measures. Last year's response was disappointing and we shall be looking for a much better response from farmers this year on the completion of owner declarations.

  Feline Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cats have been diagnosed as suffering from feline spongiform encephalopathy.

  Mr. Maclean
  Spongiform encephalopathy has been confirmed in 15 cats in Great Britain and one in Northern Ireland.

  Brown Hare Syndrome
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) whether he has any evidence linking European brown hare syndrome with oilseed rape;

  (2) what is his estimate of the mortality levels caused by European brown hare syndrome.

  Mr. Maclean
  Although the grazing of "double low" varieties of oilseed rape was initially suspected as one of the possible causes of European brown hare syndrome, there is no evidence linking oilseed rape with the disease. A virus is now considered to be the likely cause. Mortality may be high in any one incident, but the proportion of diseased animals is unknown and it is not yet possible to assess the wider impact on the hare population.

  Rhizomania
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many incidents of rhizomania have been reported in the United Kingdom in the last three years; and what action he has taken to combat the disease.

  Mr. Curry
  Two cases of rhizomania were found in 1989 and three cases, on adjoining farms, in 1990. These cases, which were all in Norfolk, were identified in the extensive survey for rhizomania which we carry out annually. The only previous identification of the disease in this country was at a farm in Suffolk in 1987.

  We operate a range of controls, including import controls, to combat this disease. Where it is found, we require strict hygiene measures to prevent spread of the disease by movements off the farm and restrictions are placed on cropping on the farm. These normally involve grassing down infected fields, some limitations on root crops on other parts of the farm and a ban on growing sugar beet or planting material. The exact nature of these restrictions will depend on the circumstances of the case.

  Wool
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement concerning his assessment of the prospects of British wool producers in 1991 and 1992.

  Mr. Curry
  Returns from wool production form, on average, 5 to 10 per cent. of individual producers' total returns from sheep farming. Prospects for wool producers thus depend on a range of factors, including market prices and input costs. Prices for finished lambs in 1991 so far have been following the usual seasonal trends and prices for British wool, although weak, have shown some improvement in recent sales. In addition, United Kingdom sheep farmers enjoy significant financial support through the EC sheep regime and hill livestock compensatory allowances. This support, which takes account of both market prices and income levels, is likely to total some £394 million in 1990.

  EC Surplus Food
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how subsidised foodstuffs from EC surplus stocks are now distributed round the United Kingdom; what are the criteria used; how frequently such distributions are made; and what are his plans for the future of these distributions.

  Mr. Curry
  The distribution of surplus butter and beef relies on the voluntary participation of charitable and other non-profit-making organisations. The method and timing of distributions are matters for these organisations themselves to decide according to local needs and their own resources. In order to meet the requirements of European legislation, only the homeless and destitute, people in receipt of income support or family credit and people living in welfare hostels are eligible to receive produce under the United Kingdom scheme.

  We will shortly announce the future arrangements for distribution.

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will prohibit breeding from the offspring of BSE-affected cattle.

  Mr. Maclean
  No.

  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations his Department has received from local authorities regarding the case for national policy guidance in respect of the need for, and situation of, additional incinerator capacity for bovine spongiform encephalopathy-infected carcases.

  Mr. Maclean
  We have received a number of representations from local authorities which are considering planning applications for incineration plants seeking advice on the disposal of suspect bovine spongiform encephalopathy carcases. The State Veterinary Service will provide advice and information to any local authority which seeks it.

  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment his Department has made of the effects of disposal of bovine spongiform encephalopathy-infected carcases by means of incineration.

  Mr. Maclean
  Incineration is a safe, effective means of disposal, leaving only sterile ash.

  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will make a statement on his policy relating to the transport and processing of carcases affected by bovine spongiform encephalopathy and the recommended means of disposal;

  (2) if he will make a statement of his Department's policy relating to the scale and distribution of additional incinerator capacity for the disposal of bovine spongiform encephalopathy-infected carcases in the south-west peninsula;

  (3) what assessment his Department has made of the number of bovine spongi form encephalopathy-infected carcases that will require disposal by incinerator annually in the south-west peninsula over the next (a) five years and (b) 10 years.
  389
  Mr. Maclean
  The carcases of suspect bovine spongiform encephalopathy cases are disposed of by burial or incineration. Although both are safe, well-established methods, incineration in plants which comply with strict conditions laid down by the Ministry for storage and incineration is preferable. Carcases are moved under licence to these incineration plants, and the vehicles used must comply with the licence conditions.

  Within the south-west region there are two incineration plants in which suspect bovine spongiform encephalopathy carcases are incinerated. However the disposal of carcases is handled on a national basis and is not restricted by regional or other boundaries. Carcases that originate in the south-west are not necessarily incinerated there.

  At the moment over 90 per cent. of carcases are incinerated. Our aim is to deal with all carcases in this way and we hope shortly to have sufficient capacity to do so. Nevertheless, we would consider contracting with any incineration plant which can meet our standards and has obtained the necessary local authority planning consents and approvals.

  Baby Food
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will bring forward proposals to require manufacturers of baby food to declare the meat content of the products, just as manufacturers of ordinary meat products do.

  Mr. Maclean
  The European Commission has issued a draft directive that lays down compositional and labelling requirements for cereal-based and other processed foods for infants and young children. The proposals contain minimum content levels for meat and certain other characterising ingredients. Negotiations in Brussels are scheduled to commence early in June. The Commission also intends to introduce proposals on quantitative ingredients declaration of foodstuffs shortly.

  Irrigation
  Mr. Onslow
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps his Department has taken to ensure that the leaflet "Good Irrigation Practice, Make Every Drop Count" is made available to every holder of a spray irrigation licence in England and Wales.

  Mr. Curry
  The leaflet, which concentrates on an early warning system for farmers of impending restrictions by the National Rivers Authority, was intended to go to every licence holder in England and Wales. In the event, the

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  11991–92

  £'000

  £'000

  £'000

  £'000

  Food Safety

  409

  1,263

  1,104

  2,700

  Environment

  7

  94

  139

  310

  Imports (Control of Imported Animal and Plant Disease)

  232

  213

  282

  325

  Animal Welfare

  27

  50

  82

  150

  Grant Aid Schemes

  194

  90

  70

  87

  Research and Development

  0

  4

  54

  74

  Miscellaneous Campaigns

  135

  659

  648

  500

  (e.g. MAFF Touring Exhibition)

  1 Forecast.

  Publicity material produced by this department, other than modest amounts of press advertising, consists of
  390
  authority was unable to introduce the warning system outside its Anglian region this season, and leaflets have therefore gone to licence holders in that region only.

  Aluminium
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the progress of research on bioavailability of aluminium from food and water at the trace metabolism unit at Southampton.

  Mr. Maclean
  The work being carried out at Southampton university, which is being funded by the Ministry, is an initial pilot study to investigate the feasibility of measuring differences in aluminium absorption from different foods and beverages. Results are expected later this year and will be assessed to see whether further work should be commissioned.

  Pesticides
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he will take to ensure the safe disposal of alphachloralose and other pesticides which are held by individuals but which no longer have approved use under the pesticide regulations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  Advice on disposal of unwanted pesticides is given in a code of practice for the safe use of pesticides by this Department and the Health and Safety Commission, which was issued last year. Detailed consideration is now being given to a scheme to offer the collection and disposal of unwanted pesticides held on farms, which would be run by trade associations. This will complement the long-term campaign, launched in March, to persuade those who abuse pesticides such as alphachloralose to kill wildlife that this practice is wrong and unnecessary.

  Advertising
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food further to his answer to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Mr. Dobson) on 25 April,Official Report, column 556, if he will give a further breakdown of his Ministry's expenditure on other publicity materials for each year between 1984–85 and 1991–92; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  [holding answer 3 May 1991]: The information available is as follows:

  publications, exhibitions and audio visual/video, as well as associated market research and distribution. Individual

  391
  projects employ a mixture of these media as appropriate. Figures provided for the period 1988–89 to 1991–92 are available following a change in the way expenditure is recorded. Comparable figures for 1984–85 to 1987–88 could only be made available at disproportionate cost.

  Official Meetings
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will list the number of occasions during the last 12 months on which he has held official meetings with (i) the National Farmers Union, (ii) the Food and Drink Federation, (iii) the Retail Consortium, (iv) the Consumers Association and (v) the National Consumer Council.

  Mr. Gummer
  I have held six official meetings with the National Farmers Union on bovine spongiform encepathology and allied subjects, at which the main issue was the responsibility of the farming community to the consumer. I have had four meetings with the National Farmers Union to discuss the technicalities of the price fixing and other EC issues of direct concern to farmers. In addition, I have held the three formal consultation meetings involving the National Farmers Union on the wool guarantee, the autumn hill review and the price fixing, and three on specific subjects (the milk marketing boards, salmonella compensation and landlord/tenant law). I addressed the National Farmers Union annual general meeting on 12 February and will send a copy of my speech to the hon. Gentleman. I also had a courtesy visit from the new National Farmers Union president after his election.

  The Consumers Association and the National Consumer Council both nominate members to the Ministry's consumers' panel and their senior officers attend the regular meetings held with leaders of consumer organisations. These bodies have met on seven occasions either under my chairmanship or that of my hon. Friend the Member for Penrith and The Border (Mr. Maclean), the Parliamentary Secretary.

  I have met the Food and Drink Federation on two occasions and the Retail Consortium on one occasion.

PRIME MINISTER

  Engagements
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 7 May.

  The Prime Minister
  This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. Immediately after questions I shall depart the House to attend a guard of honour for the Prime Minister of Spain. I shall be having further meetings later today.

  World Bank (Forest Policy)
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Prime Minister which Department has responsibility for instructing the United Kingdom's World Bank executive director regarding World Bank forest policy.

  The Prime Minister
  The Overseas Development Administration.

  Oil Fires (Kuwait)
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 25 April 1991,Official Report, column 1208, if he will make a further statement on United Kingdom action in relation to oil fires in Kuwait.

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy gave today to him and to my hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton (Mr. Latham).

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Data Protection Registrar
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what discussions he has had with the Data Protection Registrar as to the number of boards of governors and head teachers that are not registered under the terms of the Data Protection Act; and whether he will make a statement concerning the outcome of those discussions.

  Mr. Fallon
  Information is not available on registration under the Data Protection Act by boards of governors and headteachers. Officials of the Department are in discussion with the office of the Data Protection Registrar on the scope of registration by schools and guidance will be issued in the summer.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has made any estimate of the cost of registration of each school under the Data Protection Act should boards of governors, head teachers and each local education authority need to register under the Act; and whether he plans to increase grants in order to cover these costs.

  Mr. Fallon
  I have nothing to add to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member on 19 February 1991, at column 76.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the general items of personal information that are held in relation to individuals in list 99; if he will indicate the number of entries in list 99; whether the individual has the right to challenge the accuracy of the information held against him on list 99; whether he has had discussions with the Data Protection Registrar concerning list 99; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Fallon
  List 99 contains the names, dates of birth, and departmental reference numbers of 1,540 persons who are currently wholly or partially excluded from teaching or work with children or young persons on grounds of misconduct. Before directing that any person shall be excluded, my right hon. and learned Friend offers him or her the opportunity of making representations. List 99 is outside the scope of the Data Protection Act and has not therefore been the subject of any discussion with the Data Protection Registrar.

  Schools (Debt Charges)
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if his Department keeps any record of the debt charge of schools leaving local authority control.
  393
  Mr. Eggar
  As the liability of an authority in respect of the principal of, or any interest on, any loan held by the authority for the purposes of a school which becomes grant maintained is not transferred to the governing body of a grant-maintained school, the Department has no need to keep a record of such debts.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what advice his Department gives local authorities in respect of debt charge incurred from capital investment in schools which subsequent to the investment leave local authority control; and what account is taken of any such debt charge when assessing the Department's revenue support for the local authority.

  Mr. Eggar
  The statutory provisions on debt charges relating to schools which become grant maintained are set out in section 74 of the Education Reform Act 1988. Those debt charges are treated in the same way as other local authority debt charges for the purpose of calculating standard spending assessments.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has for financing the debt charge paid by local authorities in respect of schools which adopt grant-maintained status.

  Mr. Eggar
  Authorities receive an appropriate allowance for the financing of their capital debt liabilities, including relevant liabilities relating to schools in their area that are grant maintained, within their standard spending assessments.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the debt charge to local authorities in regard to capital spend on schools which have subsequently opted out of local authority control; and if he will list the debt charge by local authority, indicating in each case the number of schools which have taken grant-maintained status.

  Mr. Eggar
  As the responsibility and the financing for any debt charge attributable to a grant-maintained school

  Name of Body

  Next appointment due, and length of appointment

  Salary

  Business and Technician Education Council

  Chairman and all 12 members in 1992

  Chairman part-time £7,500

  Three-year appointments

  Members unpaid

  Centre for information on Language Teaching and Research

  Three members in 1991 Four members in 1992 Appointed for up to three years

  Unpaid

  Central Bureau for Educational Visits and Exchanges

  Six members in 1991 Four-year appointments

  Unpaid

  Education Assets Board

  Chairman and all six members in 1992 Two-year appointments

  Chairman part-time £20,310 Members unpaid

  National Council for Educational Technology

  New Chairman appointed on 1 April 1991 Nine members in 1991 Three1year appointments

  Chairman part-time £6,030 Members unpaid

  Council for National Academic Awards

  25 members in 1991 New Chairman appointed in April 1991

  Members unpaid Chairman part-time salary still under negotiation

  394
  remains with the former maintaining authority, the Department has no need to keep a record of the debt charges. The information requested is therefore not available.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if his Department takes account of the debt charge on a local authority in regard to a school which adopts grant-maintained status when determining the allocation of revenue funding between the school and the local authority.

  Mr. Eggar
  The responsibility for meeting debt charges that relate to the period before a school is incorporated as grant-maintained remains with the school's former local authority. Authorities receive an allowance for capital financing within their standard spending assessments. A grant-maintained school's annual maintenance grant, which is recouped from its former maintaining authority, does not include provision to meet such charges.

  Educational Psychological Service
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the local education authorities that do not provide an educational psychological service from their retained percentage of the budget.

  Mr. Fallon
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to him on 30 April 1991, at columns 141–42.

  Quangos
  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the individual appointments excluding casual vacancies he is scheduled to make to quasi autonomous non-governmental organisations in(a) 1991 and (b) 1992 indicating in each case the title of the post, the salary if any and the duration of the appointment.

  Mr. Eggar
  The information is as follows:
  395

  Name of Body

  Next appointment due, and length of appointment

  Salary

  Further Education Unit Board of Management

  All 11 members in 1991

  Unpaid

  Normally three-year appointments

  Advisory Board for the Research Councils

  Two members in 1991 Two members in 1992

  Members £4,000 honorarium

  Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education

  Eight members in 1991 10 members in 1992

  Unpaid

  Up to two-year appointments

  Computer Board for Universities and Research Councils

  Chairman and all 10 members in 1991

  Chairman £4,000 honorarium

  Chairman four-year appointment

  Members part-time daily fee £65

  Members three-year appointments

  Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council

  Chairman and Chief Executive in 1991

  Chairman part-time £14,000

  13 members in 1992

  Members £2,100 honorarium

  Three-year appointments

  School Examinations and Assessment Council

  Four members in 1991

  Unpaid

  Two2 members in 1992

  One, two, and three-year appointments

  Sports Council

  Chairman and 35 members in 1991

  Chairman part-time £17,362

  31 members in 1992

  Members unpaid

  Three-year appointments

  United States/United Kingdom Educational Commission (Fulbright Commission)

  One member in 1992 Two members in 1992

  Unpaid

  Four-year appointments

  Universities Funding Council

  Chairman and one member in 1991 New Chief Executive appointed from 1 July 1991

  Chairman £14,000 Members £2,120 honorarium

  Nine members in 1992

  Appointed for two or three years

  Agricultural and Food Research Council

  Five members in 1991

  £4,000 honorarium

  Three members in 1992

  Three-year appointments

  Economic and Social Research Council

  Four members in 1991 Chairman and five members in 1992

  Members £4,000 honorarium Chairman £53,420

  Three-year appointments although charter provides for four years

  Medical Research Council

  Six members in 1991

  £4,000 honorarium

  Four members in 1992

  Four-year appointments

  Natural Environment Research Council

  Five members in 1991

  £4,000 honorarium

  Four members in 1992

  Three-year appointments

  National Curriculum Council

  Seven members in 1991

  Unpaid

  Four members in 1992

  Science and Engineering Research Council

  Four members in 1992

  £4,000 honorarium

  Four-year appointments

  1 Eight new members appointed on 1 April 1991.

  2 One new member appointed on 1 April 1991.

  3 One new member appointed on 1 April 1991.

  396

  Natural Environment Research Council
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what super-computing facilities are available to the Natural Environment Research Council.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  The National Centre supercomputers available to the Natural Environment Research Council include the joint research councils' Cray XM P-48 at the Science and Engineering Research Council's Rutherford Appleton laboratory, the Cray XMP-28 at the university of London computer center and the VP1200 at the Manchester computer centre. Time on other supercomputers in the USA and at the Meteorological Office has been obtained on an ad hoc basis for collaborative research projects.

  Global Climate Model
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what priority he attaches to a global climate model.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  The Natural Environment Research Council has given high priority to the development of global and regional models of the oceans and atmosphere. The science budget also supports a wide range of related research aimed at improving understanding of climate change processes and impacts.

  Ocean Studies
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will provide a supercomputer for Natural Environment Research Council work for ocean forecasting.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  Decisions on the provision of supercomputing facilities are based upon the advice which my right hon. and learned Friend receives from the Advisory Board for the Research Councils. No advice on this matter has yet been received.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what facilities he provides for world ocean calibration development.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  The Natural Environment Research Council James Rennell centre at the university of Southampton is actively involved with the British National Space Centre and the European Space Agency in observations designed to calibrate instruments on the European remote sensing satellite—ERS-1—which is used
  to study temperatures, currents and winds at the ocean surface.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proposals he has to finance the work on plants in the ocean at the James Rennell centre of the Natural Environment Research Council marine atmospheric sciences unit.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  The Natural Environment Research Council is already supporting research at the James Rennell centre for ocean circulation at the university of Southampton, in collaboration with Princeton university in the USA and the United Kingdom climate prediction centre—the Hadley centre—in the development of mathematical models of the seasonal 398
  variation in the production of microscopic planktonic plants in the oceans, with special reference to their role in the absorption of carbon dioxide.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what requests he has received from the National Rivers Authority for more information facilities in the Western ocean.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  My right hon. and learned Friend has received no such request.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what action he is taking to improve relationships with the Japanese in relation to(a) deep ocean technology, (b) the study of the micro-structure of the ocean and (c) global climate weather forecasting.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  Working relationships are generally established at a personal level in the course of an individual scientist's work. Scientists supported by the Natural Environment Research Council maintain good relations with the Japanese in relation to both deep-ocean technology and the study of the micro-structure of the ocean. The links between the United Kingdom and Japan relating to global climate weather forecasting are primarily made through the Meteorological Office. Recently visits have been made to Japan to discuss operational meteorological and oceanographic forecasting.

  In 1989, a round table meeting of senior Government scientists from Japan and the United Kingdom was held in London. Marine technology was one of the many items discussed. A further meeting will be held in Tokyo later this year.

  East Birmingham Task Force
  Mr. Terry Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Science has met or visited the East Birmingham task force.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  I visited the task force area on 21 December 1989, 23 April 1990, 3 September 1990, 30 January 1991 and 1 May 1991. I held meetings with the task force leader on 20 March 1990 and 18 March 1991 to discuss the annual action plan.

  Teachers' Pensions
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) whether he has any plans to review the indexation of teachers' pensions and what action has been taken in the last six months in regard to indexation of teachers' pensions;

  (2) what plans his Department has for determining future increases in teachers' pensions; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Fallon
  In common with other public service pensions, teachers' pensions are increased at the same time and by the same percentage as the earnings-related element of the state retirement pension. The amount of the annual uprating each April reflects the movement in the retail prices index during the 12-month period ending the previous September. There are no plans to change these arrangements.

  The Pensions Increase (Review) Order 1991 announced that public service pensions would be increased from 8

  399
  April 1991. For pensions which began before 24 April 1990 the increase is 10.9 per cent. For pensions which began on or after 24 April 1990 a proportion of the full increase is paid.

ENVIRONMENT

  Water Supply Failure
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the number of times there was a failure of water supplies in the Doncaster area during the last 12 months by(a) location, (b) reason for breakdown, and (c) the duration of the breakdown until supply was resumed; and what were the figures for the previous year.

  Mr. Baldry
  Monitoring the level of service by water companies to customers is the responsibility of the Director General of Water Services.

  Phosphate Waste
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the names and locations of companies that are known to discharge phosphate waste into coastal and river waters in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Baldry
  The control of discharges of phosphate waste into coastal and river waters in the United Kingdom is a matter for the National Rivers Authority. The Department does not keep lists of names and locations of companies making such discharges.

  Palace of Westminster
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the current position on the project for cleaning the stonework of the Palace of Westminster; and if he will take action to speed up the project.

  Mr. Yeo
  The contract for the current stage of the programme to repair and restore the stonework, which covers the south elevation and the Victoria Tower is scheduled for completion in 1994. Before the stage is completed, plans will be drawn up and agreed with the Houses so that the next phase of the work, covering the internal courtyards, can continue without a break.

  Drinking Water
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will list in rank order the water companies with the highest level of purity and lowest level of contamination of the drinking water they supply.

  Mr. Baldry
  Because of the number and diversity of the parameters used in regulating the quality of drinking water, and also because some companies supply water from a number of different sources, it would not be possible to rank companies in the way suggested.

  Rights of Way
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his Department's current policy on showing the location of public rights of way on Forestery Commission land on its Landranger and Pathfinder maps.
  400
  Mr. Baldry
  Ordnance Survey policy has not changed. All rights of way which appear on local authority definitive maps are shown on the Landranger and Pathfinder series of maps.

  Press and Public Relations
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment 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 Nature Conservancy Council.

  Mr. Trippier
  The Nature Conservancy Council employed two people in its press and public relations office from 1979–80 to 1989–90. This was increased to three in 1990–91. The Nature Conservancy Council for England employs two people on this work.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment 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 Ordnance Survey.

  Mr. Baldry
  The information requested is as follows:

  Staff Complement

  Staff in Post on 1 April

  1979

  7

  7

  1980

  7

  7

  1981

  7

  7

  1982

  8

  8

  1983

  6

  6

  1984

  7

  6

  1985

  6

  6

  1986

  6

  6

  1987

  6

  6

  1988

  6

  6

  1989

  6

  6

  1990

  6

  6

  1991

  6

  7

  Over the same period, the total number of staff employed by Ordnance Survey reduced from 3,587 to 2,482.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment 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 Countryside Commission.

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

  Press and PR Staff1

  1982–83

  3

  1983–84

  3

  1984–85

  3

  1985–86

  3

  1986–87

  3

  1987–88

  3

  1988–89

  3

  1989–90

  5

  1990–91

  5

  1991–92

  5

  1 Staff figures are at 1 April, and staff in post equals the staff complement.

  Golf Courses
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many planning applications for golf courses have been made to local planning authorities in each of the last five years; how many have been granted; how many have been refused; how many included a hotel; how many went to appeal; and, of these, how many were granted.

  Mr. Yeo
  Information about planning applications is not collected in a form which enables those for golf courses to be identified separately. The position on appeals involving golf courses is as follows:

  Year

  Appeals received (number including hotels)

  Appeals decided

  Appeals granted

  1986–87

  21(2)

  14

  2

  1987–88

  12(2)

  17

  6

  1988–89

  27(5)

  10

  2

  1989–90

  50(3)

  37

  9

  11990–91

  95(11)

  51

  17

  1 provisional

  Construction Products Directive
  Mr. Page
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the regulations appertaining to the construction products directive due to be implemented on 27 June are to be published.

  Mr. Yeo
  The drafting of construction products regulations to implement the EC construction products directive is nearing completion. It is hoped to lay the regulations on or about 27 June.

  Development Corporation Officers
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any plans to extend to cover the officers of development corporations the provisions of the Local Government Act 1988 which restrict involvement in party political affairs for those local government officers earning above a particular level; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  We have no plans to do so.

  Local Government Finance
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment by how much in real terms, and taking account of any changes in responsibilities, the total income of local authorities increased in the first year of operation of the community charge as against the last year of the rating system; and what steps he is taking to ensure that there is no similar increase in the first year of operation of the council tax.

  Mr. Key
  Total demands and precepts in 1990–91, after capping, showed an increase of 15·1 per cent. in cash terms over adjusted net revenue income in 1989–90, a real terms increase of 6·7 per cent. The Government have said that they will ensure, through capping, that the substantial increase in spending which accompanied the transition to the community charge is not repeated.
  402
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy that calculation of the central provision of support for local authority expenditure should, from 1992, include economic and employment factors to reflect the particular needs of localities facing above average need.

  Mr. Key
  My right hon. Friend will make known his proposals for the distribution of revenue support grant for 1992–93 in the autumn. The consultation paper about the new council tax, issued on 23 April, made it clear that the Government are not proposing any major changes to the present standard spending assessments which are based on extensive research.

  Public Sector Land
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will introduce further measures to encourage the bringing into use of vacant public sector land in the light of responses to his Department's consultation paper; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir George Young
  There was widespread agreement with our proposal to give statutory backing for public sector owners' registers of their unused and underused land. Pending any longer-term decision to introduce new primary legislation to this effect, we propose now to require local authorities under section 230 of the Local Government Act 1972 to supply the Department with aggregate information about their registers. Compliance with this aspect of the 1989 code of practice has been particularly disappointing. We propose also to give local authorities clear notice that, if the provisions of the code on making such registers available to the public are not properly met this year, we intend to make regulations under section 3 of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 to make these provisions to a binding requirement for 1992. My officials are writing to the local authority associations today on these points. They are also writing to other bodies about compliance with the code.

  We have decided not to proceed with the other main proposals in the consultation paper for directing disposals to named persons and for experimental local franchises of packages of sites. Strong objections were raised against these possibilities during consultation.

  There was general recognition of the desirability of further action to bring vacant public sector land into use. Existing measures include derelict land grant, follow-up of the Audit Commission's report on local authorities' property management and directions to dispose of land entered on my right hon. Friend's register. For their part, Government Departments and other bodies face pressure to dispose of vacant land in their possession through the annual public expenditure survey and related discussions. My right hon. Friend is considering what further measures might be appropriate and our conclusions will be announced in due course.

  Aggregates
  Sir Geoffrey Finsberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the long-term forecast of demand for aggregates.

  Mr. Yeo
  New forecasts of the demand for aggregates for the next 20 years have been prepared by independent consultants. These have been published today. They are not Government plans or targets to be met.
  403
  The forecasts are based on the longer-term prospects for construction investment and indicate a rising trend in demand for betweeen 421 million tonnes per annum and 490 million tonnes per annum by 2001—about 4 per cent. a year.

  The Government are publishing the forecasts now so that the environmental implications of the rising demand for aggregates can be fully considered. These are a matter for serious concern. The forecasts do not mean that the demand must be met from new sources of land-won aggregates. Nor do they mean that targets are set for production by the minerals industry.

  Aggregates are needed to meet the demand for improvements to transport infrastructure, house building, improvements in water quality and hospitals. The Government are currently revising the present guidelines for aggregates provision in England and Wales which were published in mineral planning guidance note No. 6—MPG6—in March 1989.

  The Government recognise that the mining of aggregates is a matter of considerable public concern and that there is a widespread view that the industry's operations lack sufficient regard for the environment. Before new guidelines are published the Government will wish to hear from the industry what practical steps they intend to take to improve their environmental performance and their standing with the public.

  The Government will expect the industry to make greater use of alternative sources of supply. These include the potential from marine dredged sand and gravel; the greater use of materials such as china clay, sand and colliery minestone; and the increased exploitation of waste and recycled materials including power station ash, blast furnace slag and crushed concrete. We shall also consider the contributions that can be made from coastal super quarries. The Government have research in hand to examine all these options.

  The publication of the forecasts will enable the Government to consider the view of local authorities, the industry and the general public about the future demand for aggregates, before publishing draft guidelines for public consultation.

  The Government will consider whether the present policy of ensuring a steady supply for the construction industry remains appropriate and whether it encourages efficiency in aggregates use. The regional aggregates working parties have been asked to consider the medium and long-term implications of the forecasts on their regions.

  While the forecasts provide general background information about trends in demand, their use in relation to the consideration of a particular application on development plan is necessarily limited until the revised guidelines are published. MPG6 remains the Government's policy for aggregates provision until it is revised. Mineral planning authorities should have regard to the statement made by the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Southampton, lichen (Mr. Chope) in July 1989 which made it clear that MPG6 should be implemented as a matter of priority.

  Interest Rate Swaps
  Sir Trevor Skeet
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement in the light of the House of Lords' judgment on local authority interest rate swaps.

  Mr. Heseltine
  [pursuant to his answer, 24 January 1991, columns 275–76]: My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer and I have given careful consideration to the implications of this judgment. The Government have received a number of representations favouring a variety of different schemes of legislation to enable local authorities to make payments under past arrangements which have been found to be unlawful. The Government have concluded, however, that it is best not to seek to alter the existing legal obligations of the parties to these arrangements.

  As the Government have already made clear, there is specific legislation enabling local authorities to borrow money and protecting those who lend to local authorities. This legislation was not in issue in the recent litigation on interest rate swaps.

  Merseyside (Ministerial Visit)
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will make a statement on the recent visit of the Minister for Local Government and Inner Cities to Merseyside;

  (2) if he will make a statement on the recent meeting of the Minister for Local Government and Inner Cities with the hon. Member for Liverpool, Riverside concerning extra funding for Liverpool city council.

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 2 May 1991]: I met the honourable Members for Liverpool, Riverside (Mr. Parry) and for Liverpool, Garston (Mr. Loyden) on 17 April to discuss additional financial assistance for Liverpool city council. I reminded them of a range of Government programmes which are benefiting Liverpool, such as the urban programme, estate action, the city action team, the Merseyside development corporation and the Granby/ Toxteth task force. I explained that we were not prepared to help the council resolve problems arising from its spending programmes of the mid-80s which were in opposition to Government policies. We are however keen to encourage the council to participate fully in our initiatives for inner-city regeneration and to benefit from the additional resources that come with them.

  I took the opportunity to emphasise these points when I visited Liverpool on 26 April and had discussions with the city council. I impressed on the council the need for a constructive approach to working in partnership with the Government, the private sector and other agencies. I also visited Cable Communications Ltd. in Brunswick business park, where I saw the company's operations to deliver cable television to the region.

  London Docklands
  Ms. Gordon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people from the unemployment registers in the London boroughs of Southwark, Tower Hamlets and Newham have secured employment in new businesses in the London Docklands UDA.

  Mr. Jackson
  I have been asked to reply.
  405
  Questions on operational matters in the Employment Service executive agency are the responsibility of Mike Fogden, the agency's chief executive, to whom have referred this question for reply.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Food Aid (Africa)
  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much food aid has been contributed by Her Majesty's Government to meet the food aid needs in Africa; and what have been the bilateral donations from EC member states, the United States and other bilateral donors.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Since September 1990 Britain has committed 158,000 tonnes of food aid to Ethiopia, Sudan, Mozambique, Angola and Malawi. The United States of America and European Community, the largest donors, have so far pledged 815,000 tonnes and 685,000 tonnes respectively to these same countries. On 2 May the European Community agreed to provide a further 400,000 tonnes for Africa as a whole. Full details of individual contributions made by other donors are not yet available on the same basis.

  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give his assessment of food aid needs to meet the current famines in Africa; and what are the comparable figures produced by the European Commission and the World Food Programme.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The European Commission's most recent assessment suggests a total emergency food aid requirement of some 4·5 million tonnes for the whole of 1991 based on an estimated 31 million people affected in 12 countries in Africa. According to the Commission this estimate has been checked with the FAO, the World Food Programme, Canada and the United States of America. We agree broadly with it.

  Kurdish Refugees
  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has about the availability of Harir airport for use to transport supplies to the Kurdish refugees.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Although we understand that Har:Lr may be serviceable, I am not aware of any plans to use it at present.

  Press and Public Relations
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 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 Overseas Development Administration.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The number of press and public relations posts in the Overseas Development Administration has been 12 from 1979–80 to the present. All posts were occupied on 1 April each year, except in 1983 when there was one vacancy.

  Ethiopia
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the capacity of the joint relief partnership to meet the needs of the people of Wollo and Gonder for emergency assistance; and whether the British Government will provide financial help to the Ethiopian relief organisation to implement its programme of internal purchase to allow Ethiopians in these areas to feed themselves.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The joint relief partnership, using the southern line, should be able to meet substantially the emergency needs of the people of Wollo and Gondar. This will depend however on continued supplies of food arriving at Assab and on securing conditions allowing the southern line to be kept open. We are providing assistance through the southern line. We have no plans at present to finance internal purchase arrangements.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the provision of aid for the Wollo and Gondar regions of Ethiopia; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The emergency needs of the people of Wollo and Gondar should be able to be met substantially through the operations of the joint relief partnership, using the southern line. This will depend however on continued supplies of food arriving at Assab and on security conditions allowing the southern line to be kept open. We are providing assistance through the southern line.

  Vietnam
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to give Vietnam financial assistance to help pay arrears owed to the IMF.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The United Kingdom strongly supports the internationally agreed strategy for assisting developing countries with their arrears to the IMF and World bank, demonstrated by our active role in clearing Guyana's and Zambia's arrears. We have no direct bilateral aid programme with Vietnam and hence at present are not in a position to offer a financial contribution in the context of the settlement of Vietnam's arrears. We are keeping the position under review.

  African Countries
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what quantity of seeds the ODA has supplied or has plans to supply to(a) Sudan, (b) Ethiopia and (c) other African countries facing famine; when the seeds are expected to arrive; and when they will be distributed to farmers.

  Mrs. Chalker
  In response to the famine in Africa the ODA has funded supplies of seeds, at a total cost of over £2·505 million, as follows:

  (a) Sudan

  630 tonnes millet through SCF for May 1991 planting (£490,000.)

  £510,000 through CARE towards cost of mixed grains for May 1991 planting.

  407

  £125,000 through ACORD towards cost of mixed grains for May 1991 planting.

  (b) Ethiopia

  No seed supplied recently, but we are willing to look sympathetically at requests as a famine relief measure.

  (c) Other African countries affected by famine:

  Angola

  13 tonnes white maize sent through CAFOD to arrive September 1990—£13,700.

  300 tonnes millet and sorghum sent through Christian Aid to arrive September 1990—£177,700.

  £17,000 through CAFOD towards cost of 4 tonnes vegetable seeds sent to arrive October-November 1990.

  £25,000 through OXFAM towards cost of 100 tonnes sorghum to arrive March-April 1991.

  Visits by CAFOD and Christian Aid are now in progress to report on distribution and use of seed.

  Liberia

  US$50,000 through UNDRO for vegetable and rice seeds for mid-1991 planting.

  Malawi

  £45,950 through World Vision towards cost of vegetable/ grain seeds for mid-1991 planting.

  20Mozambique

  £439,000 through NGOs towards costs of seeds for planting April 1991.

  £634,000 through NGOs towards costs of 2,447 tonnes vegetable/grain seeds for planting October 1991.

  Brazil
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to increase the provision of aid to the indigenous peoples of Brazil; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We are already financing a health project for the Yanomami Indians through Oxfam. We are currently discussing with the Brazilian authorities the possibility of providing further help for indigenous people and I will be very happy to do so from within our bilateral programme for Brazil if suitable activities can be identified. Support has also been made available under the joint funding scheme to British non-governmental organisations undertaking development projects in Brazil and, subject to the availability of resources, new proposals from non-governmental organisations will be considered.

  Glendon Hospital, Montserrat
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when it is expected that the roofless part of Glendon hospital in Montserrat, which was damaged by Hurricane Hugo in 1989, will be repaired; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Glendon hospital is functioning normally albeit with less space available because the roofless part is not currently in use. Work on rehabilitation and redevelopment, including construction of a new roof, will go ahead as soon as the accommodation required to house the hospital temporarily is ready to be occupied.

  Iraqi Refugees
  Mr. Gerald Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements his Department will make to send out to the Iraqi refugees relief goods donated by the public.
  408
  Mrs. Chalker
  We have already helped voluntary bodies, including British Aid for the Kurds, with the costs of transport of relief supplies generously donated by the public. We have now reached an agreement with CARE Britain under which they are responding to requests for assistance from voluntary bodies by screening and collecting priority relief items. The ODA will then take responsibility for their onward transport. Voluntary bodies interested in this arrangement should contact the ODA's disaster unit first.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  European Political Union
  Sir Richard Body
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he is in possession of the draft treaty on European political union; and when he expects that copies will be available for hon. Members.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  Yes. I understand the Library is taking steps to obtain a copy.

  This text does not have any formal standing. As a negotiating document, it may quickly become out of date. I do not intend to make it formally available to the House. There will, however, be ample opportunity for hon. Members to debate the issues with which it deals, for example during the regular EC debate in the run-up to the next European Council in June.

  Mr. Favell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the draft treaty on political union submitted by the Luxembourg presidency on 15 April.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  The document is in the public domain. I understand that the Library is taking steps to obtain a copy.

  Khmer Rouge
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many letters he has received from(a) the Khmer Rouge and (b) Pol Pot, by year for the last four years to date; and if he will make a statement on their contents and his replies.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Hertford and Stortford (Mr. Wells) on 26 July 1990, at column 475. Apart from these, no other letters from the Khmer Rouge, or Pol Pot, have been addressed to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.

  Iran
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has had about the number of executions which have taken place in Iran in the last 12 months.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We continue to receive reports from various sources of large numbers of executions in Iran. We have on many occasions expressed our concern about allegations of human rights abuses there, in particular the large numbers of executions.

  East Germany
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foriegn and Commonwealth Affairs what is the cost of bringing the agriculture of the former East Germany into the European Community.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  The European Commission has estimated the additional cost to the Community agriculture budget in a full year resulting from German unification at 1,414 mecu or £985 million. A total of 1,315 mecu—£916 million—has been provided in the 1991 Community budget for this purpose, which represents slightly less than a full year's cost.

  British Consulate, Patras
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foriegn and Commonwealth Affairs what report he has received from Her Majesty's ambassador in Athens about the public speech by the Greek Minister of Public Order on 27 April regarding an alleged Palestinian terrorist threat to the British consulate in Patras; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs was informed of the Greek Minister of Public Affairs' speech on the day it was made. Her Majesty's embassy in Athens is in close touch with the Greek authorities. Her Majesty's representatives in Greece take any terrorist threat to British interests very seriously. They have taken suitable security measures, including the temporary closure of all British consulates and vice-consulates in Greece outside Athens.

  United Nations Children's Rights Convention
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs further to his answer to the hon. and learned Member for Burton (Mr. Lawrence),Official Report, 26 April 1991, column 598, when he expects to conclude his consultation with the United Nations islands and dependent territories on the United Nations convention on the rights of the child.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We are continuing our consultations with the dependent territories and the United Kingdom islands. We shall ratify the convention on the rights of the child as soon as possible.

  Kurdish Refugees
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foriegn and Commonwealth Affairs if he has made any representations to the Government of Turkey concerning their refusal to grant refugee status to Iraqi Kurds.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  The Turkish authorities have allowed Iraqi displaced persons to come down from the mountains to more accessible areas inside Turkey where immediate relief aid can be provided. The Turkish Governmen1 share the longer-term objective of the relief effort to ensure that they can eventually return to their own homes in Iraq in peace and security.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made any representations to the Turkish Government concerning 410
  the placement of Kurdish refugee camps in Turkey under United Nations supervision; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  No representations have been made to the Turkish Government regarding the supervision of camps in Turkey for Iraqi displaced persons: these camps are at present under the control of the Turkish authorities. They are not administered by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on violations of article 1 of the Geneva convention 1951 and the 1967 protocol on refugees by the Turkish Government in their dealings with refugees from Iraqi Kurdistan.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  We have received no reports of any violations of article 1 of the 1951 Geneva convention or the 1967 protocol on refugees by the Turkish Government.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  South Africa (Sanctions)
  Mr. Quentin Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the economic sanctions against South Africa, including the withdrawal of export credit and trade promotion facilities which would otherwise be available, still being enforced by(a) Her Majesty's Government and (b) other Governments of the European Community.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The economic sanctions applied by Her Majesty's Government are included in the list of sanctions set out in annex C of appendix 2 to volume II of the Foreign Affairs Committee report, "UK Policy towards South Africa and other States of the Region", 14 February 1991, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

  Since that report was submitted, EC Foreign Ministers have agreed in principle to lift the measures imposed in September 1986. The Government have also notified the Commonwealth of their intention to lift the ban on Government funding of trade missions to, and participation in trade fairs and exhibitions in, South Africa.

  Other EC countries are known to apply additional economic sanctions against South Africa at national level, but details are not available.

  Chancery Group
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) who is responsible for making an announcement, and at what time he expects it to be made, concerning the safety and security of money placed by investors with the Chancery Group;

  (2) what information he has on the current position of the Chancery Group, and the safety of investors' money.

  Mr. Redwood
  I understand that the administrator, Price Waterhouse should be able to help the hon. Member on these points.

  Bankruptcy Protection
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will bring forward proposals to establish a system of bankruptcy protection similar to chapter 11 used by firms in the United States of America to reorganise their finances without liquidation.

  Mr. Redwood
  I have no plans at present to do so.

  Receives (Charges)
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will bring forward proposals to require receivers put in by banks to provide the firms they are put into with a breakdown and explanation of their charges.

  Mr. Redwood
  I have no plans at present to do so.

  Bankruptcy Court
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will bring forward proposals to establish a bankruptcy court on the lines suggested by Sir Kenneth Cork.

  Imports of waste paper (SITC 251.1) from Germany

  Year

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  Month

  Tonnes

  Value pound

  Tonnes

  Value pound

  Tonnes

  Value pound

  Tonnes

  Value pound

  January

  312

  36,034

  263

  31,402

  51

  14,638

  184

  42,476

  February

  539

  75,467

  152

  18,489

  234

  38,476

  67

  8,910

  March

  454

  45,837

  161

  20,305

  251

  42,013

  —

  —

  April

  317

  37,834

  67

  8,549

  138

  19,033

  —

  —

  May

  1,610

  128,857

  283

  32,253

  1,256

  83,393

  —

  —

  June

  1,326

  99,246

  1,175

  90,489

  119

  18,371

  —

  —

  July

  1,218

  89,843

  144

  23,759

  1,429

  76,094

  —

  —

  August

  1,227

  132,311

  1,215

  104,930

  184

  28,197

  September

  158

  21,421

  2,047

  162,178

  1,035

  57,620

  —

  —

  October

  2,266

  225,905

  1,096

  109,706

  1,050

  65,416

  —

  —

  November

  927

  76,985

  156

  33,232

  585

  93,686

  —

  —

  December

  133

  16,791

  1,004

  94,088

  97

  12,532

  —

  —

  Source: British Paper and Board Industry Federation. (based on Customs and Excise figures).

  Notes:

  1. From January 1991 the figures are for United Germany. Earlier figures are for the Federal Republic of Germany.

  2. Imports are on a country of consignment basis. The country from which the goods arc consigned is not necessarily the country of shipment, origin or manufacture.

  Press and Public Relations
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 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 post in the press and public relations office of the Export Credits Guarantee Department.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The information is available only for the years 1984 to 1991 inclusive, and is as follows:

  ECGD—Press and Public Relations Branch

  Full complement including vacant posts

  Staff employment

  1 April 1984

  6

  6

  1 April 1985

  6

  6

  1 April 1986

  6

  6

  1 April 1987

  6

  5

  1 April 1988

  7

  7

  1 April 1989

  7

  6

  412
  Mr. Redwood
  I have no plans at present to do so.

  Insolvency
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations have been made to him about the case for reform of insolvency procedures.

  Mr. Redwood
  My right hon. Friend and I have received various approaches about aspects of insolvency policy. The working of the Insolvency Act 1986 is kept under review by the insolvency service executive agency.

  Waste Paper Imports
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the monthly value and quantity of imports of waste paper from Germany for 1988 to the latest available month.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The information requested is as follows:

  Full complement including vacant posts

  Staff employment

  1 April 1990

  7

  7

  1 April 1991

  7

  7

  Business Statistics
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many businesses(a) began trading and (b) went into receivership in each of the last 10 years in (i) Suffolk and Norfolk, (ii) England and (iii) the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Redwood
  Information is not readily available in the form requested. The following table gives estimates of the number of companies whose registered offices are in the areas shown:
  413

  Norfolk and Suffolk

  England and Wales

  Great Britain

  Companies incorporated in financial year 1990–91

  1,200

  108,700

  113,700

  Active companies on register at 31 March 1991

  16,900

  978,300

  1,030,200

  Of which: In receivership

  168

  8,430

  9,120

  England and Wales

  Great Britain

  Year

  Incorporations

  Receiverships

  Incorporations

  Receiverships

  (000s)

  (000s)

  (000s)

  (000s)

  1981

  68·9

  1·3

  72·4

  1·7

  1982

  83·0

  2·7

  87·2

  2·9

  1983

  91·5

  2·8

  96·2

  3·1

  1984

  92·9

  2·2

  97·9

  2·3

  1985

  99·2

  1·9

  104·6

  2·1

  1986

  111·3

  1·9

  117·3

  2·1

  1987

  122·1

  1·3

  128·0

  1·5

  1988

  122·1

  1·1

  128·9

  1·2

  1989

  123·5

  1·7

  130·3

  1·8

  1990

  113·9

  4·3

  120·9

  4·4

  Insurance Services Group

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his written answer of 1 May, if all of the bidders have tabled an offer to pay for the acquisition of Export Credits Guarantee Department's Insurance Services Group in Cardiff.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Both NCM and Assicurazioni Generali have tabled an offer to pay for the acquisition of the short-term business of ECGD, subject to contract. Trade Indemnity has submitted an alternative proposal. Each response is now being evaluated by the Government and their advisers.

  EC Regional Funds
  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give figures for the total amount of assistance received from EC regional funds to each standard planning region of the United Kingdom since the accession of the United Kingdom to the European Community.

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

  Bankruptcies
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the number of bankruptcies and liquidations categorised by size in each month of 1989, 1990 and 1991 to date; and in how many cases banks put in receivers.

  Mr. Redwood
  Statistics on the number of bankruptcies and company insolvencies are maintained quarterly and are not categorised by size. Administrative receivers are appointed under powers given in debentures by debenture holders, the vast majority of whom are banks. Statistics are maintained on a quarterly basis showing the number of receivers appointed by debenture holders, but are not held of the proportion of such appointments made by banks.

  Quarterly figures for the period requested are as follows:
  414
  It should be noted that the location of companies in receivership may depend on the location of the offices which carry out receivership duties and that companies can be in receivership for a number of years.

  The number of companies which were incorporated and which went into receivership during the last 10 years is as follows (data for Norfolk and Suffolk are not available):

  Year

  Q1

  Q2

  Q3

  Q4

  Total

  Bankruptcies

  1989

  1,972

  2,103

  1,837

  2,226

  8,138

  1990

  2,514

  2,804

  3,018

  3,722

  12,058

  1991

  14,835

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Company insolvencies:

  Compulsory liquidations

  1989

  854

  1,103

  548

  1,515

  4,020

  1990

  1,267

  1,286

  985

  2,439

  5,977

  1991

  12,076

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Creditors voluntary liquidations

  1989

  1,712

  1,711

  1,479

  1,533

  6,435

  1990

  2,060

  2,070

  2,316

  2,628

  9,074

  1991

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Receiverships

  1989

  358

  477

  324

  547

  1,706

  1990

  918

  925

  1,045

  1,430

  4,318

  1991

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1 Provisional.

  2 Not yet available.

  COCOM Talks
  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the progress of the COCOM talks on exports to eastern Europe.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answer 2 May 1991]: Subject to the satisfactory resolution of some outstanding issues on telecommunications and computers during the next two weeks, discussions on a major revision of COCOM's industrial list, which commenced in autumn 1990, are scheduled to be concluded at a COCOM high-level meeting on 23 and 24 May 1991. The current industrial list, comprising 80 separate items, will then be reduced to a core list of 10 categories covering only the most strategic and sensitive goods and technologies.

SCOTLAND

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Maxton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will set out the total amounts paid by central Government as rates rebates, community charge rebates
  415
  and transitional relief for every year since 1975, including an estimate for 1990–91 and 1991–92, in cash and real terms and as a proportion of total local government spending.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  Figures for transitional relief, community charge reduction and total local government spending since 1 April 1989 are provided in the table. Rates rebates and community charge rebates are a matter for the Department of Social Security.

  Local government spending1

  Cash

  Real Terms (1991–92 prices)

  £ million

  £ million

  1989–90

  4,728

  5,451

  1990–91

  5,179

  5,541

  1991–92

  5,666

  5,666

  1 Figures are of total current expenditure financed by grants, community charge, non-domestic rate income and balances. The 1989–90 figure is the final outturn. The 1990–91 figure is the provisional outturn. The 1991–92 figure is the budget estimate.

  Transitional relief/community charge reduction1

  Cash

  Real Terms (1991–92 prices)

  Percentage of Local government spending

  £ million

  £ million

  1989–90

  7·9

  9·1

  0·2

  1990–91

  63·0

  63·0

  1·2

  1991–92

  43·0

  43·0

  0·7

  1 In Scotland the transitional relief scheme has been replaced, with backdated effect to 1 April 1990, by the personal community charge reduction scheme. The 1989–90 figure shows payments to date and may be subject to variation. The 1990–91 figure is an estimate of expenditure on the reduction scheme and updates expenditure already made on transitional relief. The 1991–92 figure is an estimate which takes account of the £140 general reduction in charges.

  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he proposes to take in the light of local authorities' budgets for 1991–92; and if he will make a statement.

  Rate fund services: Revenue income1

  Domestic rates2 3

  Non-domeslic rates2 3

  Government grants

  Rents, local charges and other income4

  Total income

  per cent.

  per cent.

  per cent.

  per cent.

  per cent.

  1974–75

  11

  14

  60

  15

  100

  1975–76

  14

  19

  62

  5

  100

  1976–77

  12

  18

  64

  6

  100

  1977–78

  13

  19

  62

  7

  100

  1978–79

  10

  21

  61

  8

  100

  1979–80

  10

  21

  60

  8

  100

  1980–81

  11

  23

  59

  7

  100

  1981–82

  12

  26

  55

  7

  100

  1982–83

  13

  27

  53

  7

  100

  1984–84

  11

  26

  56

  8

  100

  1984–85

  11

  26

  55

  8

  100

  1985–86

  12

  27

  53

  8

  100

  1986–87

  12

  28

  51

  8

  100

  1987–88

  13

  29

  51

  7

  100

  1988–89

  14

  27

  51

  8

  100

  1 Totals may not be exactly equal to the sum of their constituent parts due to rounding.

  2 Excluding rate rebates and domestic element of rate support grant. Includes net cost of collection of rates.

  3 The breakdown of rate income into domestic and non-domestic rate income is estimated pro-rata to rateable values.

  4 Includes rents, sales, fees and charges.

  Source: Scottish Local Government Financial Statistics (various years).
  416
  Mr. Lang
  Local authorities in Scotland have budgeted to increase their expenditure this year by £420 million or 9·4 per cent. over the provisional outturn figures for last year. Overall authorities plan to spend £119 million or 2·5 per cent. in excess of the 1991–92 grant-aided expenditure—GAE—figures.

  While this represents an improvement on the position last year when the average excess over GAE was 4·6 per cent., I remain concerned about the burden facing local taxpayers in certain areas as a result of the spending plans of the authorities concerned. Among the regional councils—which, of course, account for the bulk of local government expenditure in Scotland—the authority planning by far the most substantial spending excess—12·18 per cent. above GAE—is Lothian. I have accordingly decided to initiate action in terms of schedule 3 to the Abolition of Domestic Rates Etc. (Scotland) Act 1987 in respect of that authority, on the grounds that its planned expenditure for 1991–92 is excessive and unreasonable. A letter has today been sent to the council proposing a reduction of £50—that is, from £310 to £260—in its personal community charge for this year—the equivalent of a reduction in its planned expenditure of £25 million. The letter invites the council to make representations.

  Mr. Maxton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the proportion of total local government spending financed by(a) the rates/community charge, (b) non-domestic rates, (c) Government grants and (d) rents and local charges in Scotland in each year since 1974.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  The percentages of total local government income from each source to finance rate fund services is shown in the table. Figures for 1989–90 and 1990–91 are not yet available. Figures exclude transactions on housing revenue accounts. Total local government income shows slight differences from total local government expenditure because of the use of balances in financing expenditure.

  Local Tax Exemplification
  Mr. Maxton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if any information was available to his Department in his recent local tax exemplification on market values of residential property in each local authority area in Scotland.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  Yes. Estimates of the distribution of the housing stock by capital value in each local authority area were provided to the Scottish Office by the Inland Revenue Valuation Office.

  Mr. Maxton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how he arrived in his recent local tax exemplifications for Scotland at(a) the total valuation of the Scottish housing stock, (b) the total valuation of the public sector stock, (c) the total valuation of the private sector stock and (d) the distribution of properties in each proposed band in each local authority area in Scotland.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  The estimates were based on information provided by the Inland Revenue Valuation Office on the distribution by capital value of the housing stock in each local authority area. This information does not separately distinguish public and private sector stock.

  Community Charge
  Mr. Maxton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the estimated local income tax rates required to replace the gross income, including rebates, raised from the community charge in each region and district authority on the basis of planned expenditure in 1991–92; what those rates are net of rebates; and what those rates are equalised and unequalised.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  Approximate rates of local income tax required to replace the budgeted income from the community charge in 1991–92, including rebates and after receipt of community charge grant, are given in the table. The calculations assume resources equalisation—that the yield of 1p in the pound is the same per adult in all areas. It is not possible to calculate equivalent figures net of rebates, nor on the basis of an unequalised local income tax base.

  Note:

  The local income tax rate for Scotland has been estimated for 1991–92 by dividing the total amount to be raised from the community charge, net of community charge grant, by an estimate of the yield of 1 p in the pound on the basis rate of income tax for Scotland. Income from the community water charge is not included.

  Local Income Tax Rate

  Pence in pound

  Borders

  3·1

  Berwickshire

  0·2

  Ettrick and Lauderdale

  0·6

  Roxburgh

  0·5

  Tweeddale

  0·4

  Central

  4·5

  Clackmannan

  2·1

  Falkirk

  0·5

  Stirling

  2·0

  Dumfries and Galloway

  3·4

  Annandale and Eskdale

  1·0

  Nithsdale

  1·0

  Stewartry

  0·5

  Wigtown

  0·9

  418

  Pence in pound

  Fife

  5·0

  Dunfermline

  1·2

  Kirkcaldy

  1·2

  North East Fife

  1·4

  Grampian

  3·3

  Aberdeen city

  2·1

  Banff and Buchan

  1·0

  Gordon

  0·6

  Kincardine and Deeside

  0·1

  Moray

  0·4

  Highland

  3·5

  Badenoch and Strathspey

  0·3

  Caithness

  0·1

  Inverness

  0·1

  Lochaber

  0·9

  Nairn

  0·2

  Ross and Cromarty

  0·8

  Skye and Lochalsh

  0·4

  Sutherland

  0·5

  Lothian

  7·2

  East Lothian

  1·5

  Edinburgh City

  2·5

  Midlothian

  1·3

  West Lothian

  0·8

  Strathclyde

  4·0

  Argyll and Bute

  1·8

  Bearsden and Milngavie

  1·4

  Clydebank

  2·3

  Clydesdale

  1·7

  Cumbernauld and Kilsyth

  0·9

  Cumnock and Doon Valley

  1·0

  Cunninghame

  1·9

  Dumbarton

  2·8

  East Kilbride

  2·1

  Eastwood

  0·5

  Glasgow City

  2·0

  Hamilton

  1·8

  Inverclyde

  1·4

  Kilmarnock and Loudoun

  1·2

  Kyle and Carrick

  2·2

  Monklands

  1·8

  Motherwell

  1·3

  Renfrew

  2·1

  Strathkelvin

  1·9

  Tayside

  4·7

  Angus

  0·7

  Dundee City

  1·9

  Perth and Kinross

  0·9

  Islands

  Orkney

  0·1

  Shetland

  —

  Western Isles

  0·7

  Capital Valuation (Domestic Properties)
  Mr. Maxton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if his Department used any building society information in reaching its conclusions on the capital valuation of domestic properties in Scotland.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  No.

  Community Charge Reduction Scheme
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much money his Department has made available for the operation of the community charge reduction scheme in Scotland in 1991–92.
  419
  Mr. Lang
  A sum of £43 million has been made available to cover payments to charge payers under the community charge reduction scheme in respect of the 1991–92 financial year. The Government have also undertaken to meet reasonable costs incurred by local authorities in administering the scheme.

  Departmental Expenditure
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how long on average it takes for each department of the Scottish Office to pay contractors and suppliers from receipt of invoices; and what representations he has received on this matter during the last five years.

  Mr. Lang
  In making payments to contractors and suppliers, all my departments observe the guidance in "Government Accounting". This means that, once liability to pay has matured, payments are made in accordance with the terms and conditions of payment as specified in contracts or purchase orders or, in the absence of such contractual arrangements, within 30 days of receipt. Generally, it is our practice to make payments as early as possible in line with the Government's support of the "prompt payment" initiative.

  In the last five years, three representations have been received on this issue. One arose from a dispute over the goods supplied; the second was the result of incorrectly addressed correspondence; and the third was directed to the department in error.

  Strathclyde Fire Service
  Mrs. Irene Adams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will publish a table showing the figures for call-outs to actual fires for Strathclyde fire service for the last available quarter for(a) the whole of Strathclyde fire service, (b) each division of Strathclyde fire service and (c) each station within Strathclyde fire service;

  (2) if he will publish a table showing the call-out figures for Strathclyde fire service for the last available quarter for (a) the whole of Strathclyde fire service, (b) each division of Strathclyde fire service and (c) each station within Strathclyde fire service;

  (3) if he will publish a table quantifying the mobilising time from all fire stations in Strathclyde fire service and the attendance time for all fire stations in Strathclyde fire service.

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

  Number of crimes and offences recorded by the police and percentage change for each year since 1980 X division, Strathclyde region police authority

  Number of recorded crimes and offences

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  Total crimes and offences

  16,769

  16,907

  16,658

  16,135

  15,224

  15,176

  15,932

  15,856

  15,671

  18,572

  19,022

  Total crimes

  7,217

  8,007

  8,150

  7,579

  6,765

  7,201

  7,825

  7,897

  7,568

  7,993

  7,680

  Group 1 Non-sexual crimes of violence

  203

  213

  261

  261

  286

  324

  259

  278

  314

  287

  242

  Group 2 Crimes of indecency

  82

  89

  70

  47

  76

  77

  64

  72

  62

  50

  31

  Group 3 Crimes of dishonesty

  4,532

  5,460

  5,629

  5,157

  4,486

  4,866

  5,310

  5,476

  5,157

  5,469

  5,435

  Group 4 Fire-raising, vandalism, etc.

  2,185

  2,094

  1,937

  1,736

  1,548

  1,603

  1,908

  1,756

  1,690

  1,704

  1,513

  Group 5 Other crimes

  215

  151

  253

  378

  369

  331

  284

  315

  345

  483

  459

  Total offences

  9,552

  8,900

  8,508

  8,556

  8,459

  7,975

  8,107

  7,959

  8,103

  10,579

  11,342

  Press and Public Relations
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 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 Forestry Commission.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The complement of staff in the public information division of the Forestry Commission is given in the table. Before 1982, the division was responsible for preparing exhibitions for shows, but this work was then delegated to local offices, leading to the reduction of four posts. No posts are recorded as being vacant on 1 April in any year.

  Year

  Complement

  1980

  12

  1981

  12

  1982

  8

  1983

  9

  1984

  9

  1985

  10

  1986

  13

  1987

  12

  1988

  11

  1989

  13

  1990

  13

  1991

  14

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 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 Scottish Development Agency.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise, and I have asked the chairman to write to the hon. Member.

  Crime, Strathclyde
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the percentage change in the number of recorded crimes in X division of Strathclyde police for each year since 1980 and for each category of crime.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information is given in the following table:
  421

  Number of recorded crimes and offences

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  Group 6 Miscellaneous offences

  4,516

  4,155

  4,067

  3,997

  3,980

  3,824

  3,285

  3,415

  3,073

  3,098

  3,049

  Group 7 Motor vehicle offences

  5,036

  4,745

  4,441

  4,559

  4,479

  4,151

  4,822

  4,544

  5,030

  7,481

  8,293

  Annual percentage change

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  Total crimes and offences

  —

  1

  -1

  -3

  -6

  0

  5

  0

  -1

  19

  2

  Total crimes

  —

  11

  2

  -7

  -11

  6

  9

  1

  -4

  6

  -4

  Group 1 Non-sexual crimes of violence

  —

  5

  23

  0

  10

  13

  -20

  7

  13

  -9

  -16

  Group 2 Crimes of indecency

  —

  9

  -21

  -33

  62

  1

  -17

  13

  -14

  -19

  -38

  Group 3 Crimes of dishonesty

  —

  20

  3

  -8

  -13

  8

  9

  3

  -6

  6

  -1

  Group 4 Fire-raising, vandalism, etc.

  —

  -4

  -7

  -10

  -11

  4

  19

  -8

  -4

  1

  -11

  Group 5 Other crimes

  —

  -30

  68

  49

  -2

  -10

  -14

  11

  10

  40

  -5

  Total offences

  —

  -7

  -4

  1

  -1

  -6

  2

  -2

  2

  31

  7

  Group 6 Miscellaneous offences

  —

  -8

  -2

  -2

  0

  -4

  -14

  4

  -10

  1

  -2

  Group 7 Motor vehicle offences

  —

  -6

  -6

  3

  -2

  -7

  16

  -6

  11

  49

  11

  Source: Reports to the chief constable of Strathclyde.

  Health Service
  Mr. Douglas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the appropriate figure for the annual uprating for inflation in relation to Scottish health service costs for each year since 1979.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  No such index is maintained. Detailed information of the costs of hospital and community health and family services is published annually in "Scottish Health Service Costs".

  Ravenscraig and Clydesdale Steelworks
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has anything to add to his reply of 22 April,Official Report, column 338, concerning the information he received from the European Commissioner, Sir Leon Brittan, relating to the statements made by Sir Robert Scholey to the Select Committee on Trade and Industry concerning the attitude of the Commission to a possible sale of Ravenscraig and Clydesdale steelworks.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  I have nothing to add to the reply which I gave the hon. Member on 22 April.

  War Crimes
  Sir Nicholas Fairbairn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what investigation the Lord Advocate has directed to attempt to identify persons resident in the United Kingdom who may have been involved in the murder of Germans in Berlin in 1945 by Russian soldiers;

  (2) what investigations the Lord Advocate has directed to attempt to identify persons resident in the United Kingdom who may have been involved in the murder of partisans in southern France in 1945;

  (3) what investigation the Lord Advocate has directed to attempt to identify persons resident in the United Kingdom who may have been involved in the massacre of the Russian officer corps or any of those murdered in Stalin's purges;
  422
  (4)what investigation the Lord Advocate has directed to attempt to identify persons resident in the United Kingdom who may have been involved in the massacre of Polish officers at Katyn;

  (5) what investigation the Lord Advocate has directed to attempt to identify persons resident in the United Kingdom who may have been involved in the murder of Cossacks in Yugoslavia, Russia and Austria in 1945;

  (6) what investigation the Lord Advocate has directed to attempt to identify persons resident in the United Kingdom who may have been involved in the murder of Poles in the Warsaw uprising in 1944.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  So far as the Government are aware, no allegations have been made that persons resident in this country participated in any of these murders.

  Planning Procedures
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement of his consideration of the appeal by East Lothian district council against the decision of Lothian regional council to call in the planning consent for the restoration of Archerfield house and the development of the surrounding estate.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 1 May 1991]: I am considering this appeal case and will issue my decision shortly. I shall send the hon. Member a copy of the decision letter.

  Management Consultants (Fees)
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total sum paid out in fees by his 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. Lang
  [holding answer 1 May 1991]: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answers that my predecessor gave him on 13 March 1990 at column 114 and 13 March 1989 at column 35. Additional information is as follows:
  423

  £

  11989–90

  374,620

  11990–91

  807,343

  21991–92

  664,139

  1 Outturn

  2 Estimated figure

HEALTH

  Breast Care Nurses
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many breast care nurses appear on the national register of breast care nurses.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Department does not hold a register of breast care nurses.

  Health Systems (Employment)
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list the total number of persons employed in(a) private health systems, (b) NHS or equivalent and (c) the overall total in (i) the United Kingdom, (ii) Germany and (iii) France;

  (2) if he will list the number of nurses employed in (a) private health systems, (b) the national health service or equivalent and (c) the overall totals in (i) the United Kingdom with those employed, (ii) Germany and (iii) France.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The available information for England is given in the table. Information relating to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales, for Scotland and for Northern Ireland. Information regarding Germany and France is not collected by this Department. My hon. Friend may wish to approach the embassies concerned for details.

  Total staff and nursing and midwifery staff employed in NHS and private sector—England: 19891

  Number

  WTE

  Nursing and midwifery staff:

  National health service2

  486,700

  405,300

  Private health systems3 4

  109,500

  78,500

  Total staff:

  National health service5

  970,900

  796,600

  Source: Department of Health (SMI3) Censuses of medical and non-medical manpower and (SMI2) K036 return.

  1All figures are independently rounded to the nearest hundred (100).

  2Includes agency staff, qualified nurses and midwives, learners and unqualified staff.

  3The only data collected centrally on private sector staff relates to private hospitals, homes and clinics registered under section 23 of the Registered Homes Act 1984.

  4"Whole time equivalent" relates to the contracted hours of employment in the individual establishments and does not equate to the 37·5 hour standard week worked by NHS nursing staff.

  5Includes staff at the Dental Estimates Board, Prescription Pricing Authority, London Post-Graduate Special Health Authorities and Family Practitioner Committees and other statutory authorities, agency staff, permanent paid and honorary staff and locums.

  Chainsaw Accidents
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds on the number and nature of non-work accidents through the use of chainsaws over each of the past 10 years.

  Mr. Dorrell
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Prescription Charges
  Mr. Lee
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people claiming exemption from prescription charges were(a) investigated and (b) prosecuted in the last 12 months of which figures are available.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  In 1989, a total of 52,968 claims for exemption from prescription charges were referred for investigation. The decision to prosecute in any individual case is the responsibility of the family health services authority and such information is not available centrally.

  Hospital Trusts
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what general assurances on financial solvency he seeks when considering applications to establish hospital trusts; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Financial viability is one of the criteria considered when deciding whether to establish a unit as a trust. The unit's management has to have a clear perception of the financial challenges facing it and the plans and ability to deal with them.

  Louth County Hospital
  Sir Peter Tapsell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the capital expenditure on Louth county hospital in Lincolnshire since April 1979 and since April 1975.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The information requested is not held centrally. My hon. Friend may wish to contact Sir Michael Carlisle, the chairman of Trent regional health authority, for details.

  Sign Language Interpreters
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those health authorities that provide British sign language interpreters for deaf and hard of hearing patients; and which make a charge for the service.

  Mr. Dorrell
  This information is not held centrally.

  Walsall NHS Trust
  Mr. George
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the future funding of Walsall NHS trust.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Walsall hospitals' national health service trust, like all other trusts and directly managed units, obtains its income from contracts to provide health services to health authorities which purchase such services on behalf of their residents. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mrs. M. Foden, the chairman of the trust, for details.

  Disaster Counselling
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has received the report of the working party on disaster follow-up and counselling; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We have received a copy of the report of the independent working party on disaster follow-up and counselling, which was published today and which is entitled "Disasters: Planning for A Caring Response". Copies are available in the Library.

  The Government will he studying the report carefully and will welcome the views of interested organisations.

  Air Pollution
  Mr. Summerson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether any recommendations have been made by the advisory group on the medical aspects of air pollution episodes about the advice that should be given to the public during periods of high ozone concentrations.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The advisory group has recently completed a detailed report on ozone and its effects on health and this will be published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office as soon as possible. The executive summary of the report is published today and copies have been placed in the Library. Copies of the summary are available to the public from the Department.

  The main conclusion of the group is that the ozone levels experienced in the United Kingdom during hot summer weather are unlikely to produce any permanent lung damage and general warnings to the public are not justified. However, during periods of high ozone concentration some individuals sensitive to ozone may experience respiratory symptoms while taking vigorous exercise out of doors, and these symptoms may be more troublesome in those with some impairment of lung function. The group has recommended that advice should be made available so that individuals who are particularly sensitive to ozone can take steps to reduce exposure.

  The group's recommendations have been accepted by Government and will be implemented immediately. Information and advice about ozone levels and their effects and how to minimise exposure to ozone is available on the air quality help line set up by the Department of the Environment and the Meteorological Office. The Chief Medical Officer has written to all doctors setting out the report's main conclusions.

  Pregnancy Services
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish figures for 1989–90 of the number of clinics in England offering(a) IVF, GIFT and other procedures and (b) GIFT and other procedures but excluding IVF.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The information requested is not available centrally. However, some information on these matters is expected to be published in the Interim Licensing Authority's 1991 annual report later this year.

  Eye Hospitals
  Mr. Loyden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the regional health authorities that have a specialist eye hospital in their region.
  426
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The location of specialist eye services is a matter for the health authority concerned. The information requested is as follows:

  Northern

  Eye Infirmary, Sunderland

  North Riding Infirmary (ENT and Eye)

  North West Thames

  Western Ophthalmic Hospital

  South East Thames

  Sussex Eye Hospital

  Kent County Ophthalmic and Aural Hospital

  Wessex

  Southampton Eye Hospital

  Oxford

  Oxford Eye Hospital

  South Western

  Bristol Eye Hospital

  West of England Eye Infirmary

  Royal Eye Infirmary, Plymouth

  West Midlands

  Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital, Shrewsbury

  Wolverhampton and Midlands Counties Eye Infirmary

  Paybody Hospital, Coventry

  Worcester Eye Hospital

  Birmingham and Midland Eye Hospital

  Mersey

  St. Paul's Eye Hospital

  North Western

  Manchester Royal Eye Hospital

  Special Health Authorities

  Moorfield's Eye Hospital

  Births
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish figures showing the number of(a) twins, (b) triplets, (c) quadruplets, (d) quintuplets and (e) sextuplets born in England and Wales in 1990; what was the total number of maternities in that year; and what was the total number of multiple cases of each type which were conceived as a result of (i) IVF, (ii) GIFT and (iii) other forms of assisted births.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  In 1990, there were 701,130 maternities in England and Wales. These included:

  Numbers

  Twins

  7,934

  Triplets

  201

  Quadruplets

  10

  Quintuplets or over

  0

  Total number of maternities with multiple births

  8,145

  Data on the number of births which occurred following IVF, GIFT or other procedures to assist conception are not yet available.

  Female Circumcision
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he is going to issue new interdepartmental guidelines on inter-agency working in cases of child protection, with special reference to female genital mutilation.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Guidelines on inter-agency working in cases of child protection are to be issued under the title of "Working Together" in Autumn 1991. This will draw attention to the Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act 1985.

  Manchester Hospital Trusts
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on further plans for changes in the provision of services and jobs within the opted-out hospitals in central and south Manchester; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  National health service trusts in central and south Manchester will ensure that they respond to priorities set by district health authorities and fund holders.

  Health Care, London
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he received a copy of a report published by the Health Economics Consortium at York university called a "Review of the Evidence of Higher Costs of Health Care Provision in Inner London and a Consideration of Implications for Competitiveness."

  Mr. Dorrell
  We received a copy of this report on 24 April from the Inner London Health Authorities Group who commissioned it. We are studying it carefully and will be discussing any implications with the Thames regional health authorities.

  Regional Health Authorities (Expenditure)
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the expenditure by each regional health authority in each year since 1978–79 in cash terms and adjusted for changes in input unit costs.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 16 April 1991]: Tables showing the total revenue and total capital expenditure by regional health authorities for the years since 1978–79 have been placed in the Library.

  The figures for RHAs are influenced by the extent to which they directly manage and account for services, including capital schemes; the balance of such responsibility between the RHA and the district health authorities comprising each region varies from one region to another and has been subject to changes over the period. Additional tables showing expenditure by health regions—RHAs and DHAs—have therefore been provided.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Doncaster Office
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many items of post are outstanding currently at his Department's offices in the Doncaster area;

  (2) what are his current plans to alter the structure and staffing levels of his Department's offices in the Doncaster area;

  (3) how many staff are employed and at what level in each of his Department's offices covering the Doncaster area; and what were the comparable figures (a) 12 months ago and (b) 24 months ago.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The administration of social security benefits 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.

  Pensioners, Plaistow
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners in the E6 and E13 postal districts served by the Plaistow office have not received pensions for up to five or more weeks due to non-receipt of pension books; and if he will make a statement concerning the visit of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Maidstone (Miss Widdecombe), to the office on 30 April.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The information is not available in the form requested, since local social security offices do not keep statistical records of delay in issuing instruments of payment. When this problem occurs, it is dealt with on an individual basis. The manager of the Plaistow office is aware of a number of cases of non-receipt of new order books in time for the next pay day.

  I visited Newham district, which comprises the offices at Stratford, Plaistow and Canning Town, on 30 April. I saw the problems associated with accommodation in the district. The situation is being addressed urgently and a number of options are being pursued to improve the service to our customers.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Language Studies
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to ensure that French or German will continue to be offered in primary schools after the modern language option in primary B. Ed courses in Northern Ireland has been discontinued.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Language studies is not a compulsory area of study within the common curriculum at primary level; it is, therefore, a matter for schools to decide whether to offer a modern language to their pupils.

  The proportion of primary schools which teach French is small and there is no evidence that this provision is constrained by a shortage of teachers. The Department of Education for Northern Ireland is not aware of German being offered by any primary schools; nor was this language available as an option in the B.Ed.

  The Department has recently established a working group on modern languages, which will prepare programmes of study and attainment targets for key stages 3 and 4. It is expected that the working group will offer comment on the introduction of modern languages at earlier stages.

  Northern Ireland Electricity
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he will publish details of regulations and licences to cover generators, transmission, distribution and supply and the grid code for successor companies to Northern Ireland Electricity.

  Mr. Needham
  I expect to be able to place preliminary drafts of licences for the generation, transmission and supply of electricity in the Libraries of both Houses and in the Assembly Vote Office at Stormont before the end of June 1991. Details of a grid code will be available later in the year.

  Limavady-Aghinaloo Road
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects work to begin on upgrading the road between Limavady and the industrial site at Aghinaloo.

  Mr. Needham
  No proposals exist for such upgrading.

  Fair Employment
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the names of the executive directors in each of the four area health and social services boards; whether their appointments comply with the provisions of the fair employment guidelines; if these appointments reflect the religious breakdown of the work forces in their respective areas; and if he will make a statement about the proportion of Protestants employed by the area health and social services boards.

  Mr. Hanley
  The names of the officer members of each health and social services hoard, appointed to date, are as follows:

  Eastern board:

  Mr. P. G. Kinder

  Mr. I. R. Reid

  Northern board:

  Mr. D. D. Smyth

  Mr. R. S. Ross

  Miss M. S. Irwin

  Mr. J. S. MacDonnell

  Miss E. M. McNair

  Dr. J. D. Watson

  Southern board:

  Mr. J. E. Lamb

  Mr. B. P. Cunningham

  Mr. R. Blair

  Mr. M. Doris

  Dr. P. Kilbane

  Mr. F. A. Rice

  Mr. T. J. Frawley

  Mr. S. Cuddy

  Mr. D. Burke

  Dr. W. W. McConnell

  1990

  1991

  Number of searches

  June

  July

  August

  September

  October

  November

  December

  January

  February

  March

  Total number of searches carried out

  27

  28

  25

  37

  56

  39

  37

  21

  16

  37

  Total number of inmates searched

  19

  22

  17

  26

  31

  21

  21

  15

  16

  27

  Number of prisoners searched once

  13

  17

  9

  18

  23

  15

  13

  10

  16

  18

  Number of prisoners searched twice

  5

  4

  8

  6

  7

  4

  6

  4

  nil

  8

  Number of prisoners searched more than twice

  1

  1

  nil

  2

  1

  2

  2

  1

  nil

  1

  Reasons for search

  First admission on remand/ awaiting trial

  11

  7

  4

  7

  13

  7

  2

  4

  4

  10

  First admission on sentence/final discharge

  5

  12

  13

  13

  15

  14

  8

  7

  5

  15

  Attending remand court

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  1

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  Attending trial

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  1

  1

  nil

  nil

  Inter-prison visit

  3

  2

  nil

  5

  1

  2

  7

  4

  3

  5

  Pre-release home leave

  7

  7

  6

  9

  4

  3

  8

  2

  3

  2

  Compassionate home leave

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  Visits to outside hospital

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  2

  nil

  nil

  nil

  Returning from bail application

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  Attendance at court for bail

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  1

  nil

  Fines paid

  1

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  nil

  2

  nil

  nil

  Working out scheme

  nil

  nil

  nil

  2

  19

  13

  9

  nil

  nil

  nil

  Bail granted

  nil

  nil

  2

  1

  3

  nil

  nil

  1

  nil

  5

  No prohibited article was found during these searches and no prisoner refused to be searched.

  430
  Members of health and social services boards are holders of an office; in that capacity they do not act as officers or employees of the boards, and their appointments as members of the boards do not fall within the scope of the Fair Employment Acts 1976 and 1989. As for their capacity as officers—that is, as employees—of the boards, I am satisfied that the procedures for appointment are such that any appointments since 1976 have been made with due and proper regard for the law relating to fair employment.

  With regard to the request for a statement on the proportion of Protestants employed by the boards, I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the recent publication by the Fair Employment Commission, "A Profile of the Workforce in Northern Ireland: A Survey of the 1990 Monitoring Returns", copies of which are in the Library. This shows that the employees of the four health and social services boards were composed of 50·9 per cent. Protestants, 39·3 per cent. Roman Catholic and 9·8 per cent. non-determined. Excluding those for whom a community was not determined, the proportion of Protestants was 56·5 per cent.

  Strip Searches
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will detail the number of strip searches made on female persons in Her Majesty's prison Maghaberry monthly since May 1990, giving the number of persons involved and the number of times each person was searched; if any prison contraband, smuggled item, or illegal correspondence was discovered in any search, indicating which items; in how many cases prisoners refused to be searched and had to be restrained while the search was being conducted; and what were the reasons for the search.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Details of the number of, and reasons for, strip searches of female prisoners in Her Majesty's prison Maghaberry from December 1989 to May 1990 were provided on 4 July 1990, at columns 601–4. The statistics from June 1990 to March 1991 are as follows:

  Births
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish figures showing the number of(a) twins, (b) triplets, (c) quadruplets, (d) quintuplets and (e) sextuplets born in Northern Ireland in 1990; what was the total number of maternities in Northern Ireland for that year; and what was the total number of multiple cases of each type which were conceived as a result of (i) IVF, (ii) GIFT and (iii) other forms of assisted births.

  Mr. Hanley
  The information on multiple births and maternities will be included in the Registrar General's annual report which will be published in June 1992. However, figures will be available in unpublished form by the end of May 1991 and I will send a copy to the hon. Member when they are available. In 1990, seven sets of twins and two sets of triplets were conceived following IVF treatment. There were no multiple births resulting from other forms of specialist infertility treatments.

  Press and Public Relations Staff
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 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 his Department.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [holding answer 26 April 1991]: It would require disproportionate time and cost to provide data on staff complements from 1979.

  The available information including vacant posts is as follows:

  Staff complement

  Staff in post as at 1 April

  1989–90

  52

  50

  1990–91

  61

  54

  1991–92

  60

  58

  Stock of PRC Houses (at 1 April 1989)1

  LA stock

  Private sector

  Total

  Additional allocation

  £

  Brecknock

  228

  28

  256

  120,000

  Cardiff

  172

  16

  188

  500,000

  Ceredigion

  146

  34

  180

  400,000

  Dinefwr

  143

  29

  172

  150,000

  Glyndwr

  191

  21

  212

  66,000

  Monmouth

  529

  260

  789

  1,200,000

  Newport

  166

  177

  343

  750,000

  Port Talbot

  650

  80

  730

  500,000

  Ogwr

  774

  142

  916

  175,000

  Swansea

  1,343

  29

  1,372

  430,000

  1 Latest available verified information.

  Wool
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement concerning his assessment of the prospects in 1991 and 1992 for the Welsh wool-producing sector of agriculture.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Returns in Wales from wool production form, on average, 4 to 6 per cent. of individual producers' total returns from sheep farming. Prospects for wool producers thus depend on a range of factors, including market prices and input costs. Prices for finished lambs in 1991 so far have been following the usual seasonal trend and prices for British wool, although weak,

WALES

  Press and Public Relations
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 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 Welsh Development Agency.

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

  Prefabricated Reinforced Concrete Houses
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the 10 Welsh housing authorities which share the £4·29 million for prefabricated reinforced concrete houses; how much each received for which purposes; and how many prefabricated reinforced concrete houses are involved in each housing authority.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  [holding answer 3 May 1991]: The 10 authorities which share the additional allocation are shown as follows, together with the amounts made available, and the numbers of precast concrete houses in each authority's area.

  The additional resources are mainly to help homeowners who are eligible for assistance under the housing defects legislation. The allocation for Glyndwr and Port Talbot is to assist in dealing with particular difficulties over system built houses in their own stock. The additional funds are allocated against ongoing reinstatement programmes and not specific dwellings.

  have shown some improvement in recent sales. In addition, Welsh sheep farmers enjoy significant financial support through the EC sheep regime and hill livestock compensatory allowances. This support, which takes account of both market prices and income levels, is estimated to total some £96 million in 1990.

  Craft Industry
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the funding of the craft industry in Wales by the Welsh Office, the Welsh Development Agency and the Development Board for Rural Wales respectively.
  433
  Mr. David Hunt
  The Welsh Development Agency and Development Board for Rural Wales contribute a grant to the Wales Craft Council, employ craft business advisers and undertake a range of marketing activities. Also, craft producers are able to apply for a range of general grants, loans and business services offered by the agencies. The development board estimates support will amount to more than £220,000 in the current financial year. WDA support is estimated at £518,500. Craftspeople may also apply for the services and grants offered by the Welsh Office.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement concerning the extent of any public funding of the Wales Craft Council for 1991–92, including any conditions upon which such funding will be based.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The Welsh Development Agency and the Development Board for Rural Wales have agreed to provide a total of £40,000 a year for two years to the Wales Craft Council to cover specific activities. The funding will be subject to normal conditions.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place in the Library a copy of the report which he received recently from the Welsh Development Agency concerning the craft industry in Wales.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I have received no such report. I have, however, received an evaluation of the craft initiative, prepared by my Department in consultation with the Welsh Development Agency, among others, and I have placed a copy of this in the Library.

  Births
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish figures for 1990 showing the estimated percentage of women delivering in Wales whose deliveries were(a) spontaneous, including abnormal presentation of head and breech spontaneous, (b) instrumental, including forceps, vacuum and breech extractions, (c) caesarean section and (d) other and unspecified means.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The information requested is not yet available for 1990. Figures for 1989 are given in the table.

  Estimated percentages of hospital deliveries by type of delivery: Wales 1989

  Type of delivery

  Estimated percentage

  Spontaneous

  80·0

  Instrumental

  7·0

  Caesarean

  13·0

  Note: The information is based on OPCS 4th revision codes for the classification of surgical operations and procedures which were introduced in 1988.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish figures for 1990 showing the estimated percentage of women delivering in Wales(a) whose labours were induced, (b) whose labours were of spontaneous onset and (c) who had elective caesarean section.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The information requested is not yet available for 1990. Figures for 1989 are given in the table.
  434

  Estimated percentages of hospital deliveries by type of onset of labour: Wales 1989

  Type of onset of labour

  Estimated percentage

  Induced

  3·0

  Spontaneous

  85·0

  Elective caesarean

  5·0

  Other caesarean

  7·0

  Note: The information is based on OPCS 4th revision codes for the classification of surgical operations and procedures which were introduced in 1988.

  Fast Glamorgan District General Hospital
  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the date upon which construction work will commence on the replacement East Glamorgan district general hospital.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  It is for Mid Glamorgan health authority to decide the date in which construction work commences.

  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many beds are to be included in the replacement East Glamorgan district general hospital.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  This new hospital development is being planned on the basis of a district general hospital of 640 beds. Initially it is proposed that 533 beds will be provided.

  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will ensure that sufficient revenue capital will be available to ensure that the existing level of health provision at East Glamorgan district general hospital will be maintained until the opening of the replacement East Glamorgan hospital; and if he will make a statement as to the likely cost, per annum, of ensuring that provision.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  Until such time as the new hospital is open, services will continue to be provided from East Glamorgan hospital. The extent to which services are provided will depend upon the contracts placed with the hospital by the purchasers of its services—mainly Mid Glamorgan health authority and the local GP fund-holding practices. Health authorities and GP fund holders have a duty to secure the best quality and value for money in the services they obtain with the funds provided to them. They will have to satisfy themselves that East Glamorgan hospital meets these criteria if the existing level of provision is to be maintained or increased.

  Cardiac Patients
  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many health authorities in Wales, besides Mid Glamorgan, have issued directives or recommendations that patients of 70 year of age or over, suffering from cardiac conditions, should be treated differently from patients who have not reached that age.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  This information is not held centrally. Admission policies and the provision of health care are matters for health authorities to determine in the light of local circumstances and in the best interest of patients.

  Asthma
  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list, by health authority district, the number of in-patients admitted to hospitals in Wales who were diagnosed as suffering from asthma in 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1991.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The number of in-patient deaths and discharges from NHS hospitals in Wales, by district health authority of treatment, with a principal diagnosis of asthma is shown in the table for 1987, 1988 and 1989. Information for 1990 and 1991 is not yet available.

  In-Patient deaths and discharges with principal diagnosis of Asthma1 2

  1987

  1988

  1989

  Clwyd

  640

  686

  690

  East Dyfed

  365

  388

  311

  Gwent

  825

  901

  793

  Gwynedd

  440

  409

  339

  Mid Glamorgan

  1,102

  1,147

  881

  Powys

  87

  90

  135

  South Glamorgan

  1,108

  1,299

  1,108

  West Glamorgan

  786

  907

  902

  Pembrokeshire

  192

  218

  217

  1 Excludes day cases.

  2 The information may understate the true position in that not all hospitals provide complete clinical details relating to patient discharges and deaths.

  Neath and Port Talbot Hospital
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give a date upon which work will begin on the new Neath and Port Talbot hospital.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  It is for the West Glamorgan health authority to decide the date on which work commences.

  Conwy Tunnel
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the cost to the tourism industry of the delays in opening the Conwy tunnel; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  There has been no significant delay in the construction of the A55 Conwy crossing scheme, which is planned for completion this autumn. The upgrading of 51 of the 60 miles of the A55 to dual carriageway standard has already greatly enhanced prospects for the economy of north Wales, including the tourism industry.

  Pregnancy Services
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish figures for 1990 of the number of clinics in Wales offering(a) in vitro fertilisation—IVF—gamete inter-fallopian transfer—GIFT—and other procedures and (ii) GIFT and other procedures but excluding IVF.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  This information is not available centrally.

  Archaeological Remains
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will introduce legislation to require planning authorities in Wales to inform solicitors making their local searches if there are archaeological remains present on the land.
  436
  Sir Wyn Roberts
  No. Archaeological remains scheduled as being of national importance under the provisions of the Ancient Monuments Archaeological Areas Act 1979 are registered as land charges and can be identified during local searches. Details of other archaeological remains are not registered as land charges but information on these is held by the four Welsh archaeological trusts which may be consulted.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he intends to issue a policy planning guidance document in Wales, similar to the PPG 16 issued by the Department of the Environment in November 1990, on archaeology and planning.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Yes. A draft PPG on archaeology and planning in Wales was issued for consultation in September 1990. A copy is available in the Library of the House. We have had a positive response and expect to issue this guidance shortly.

  Public Bodies
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the executive non-departmental public bodies in Wales scheduled for financial management and policy reviews during the current financial year.

  Mr. David Hunt
  In accordance with the arrangements for undertaking regular, five-year reviews of NDPBs announced by the then Prime Minister on 28 January 1988 the Welsh Office will be undertaking financial management and policy reviews of the Welsh Development Agency, Development Board for Rural Wales, Iand Authority for Wales, Sports Council for Wales and the Wales tourist board during 1991–92.

  Welsh Language
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the outcome of his recent consultation on exemptions from, and implementation timetable for, teaching Welsh in the national curriculum; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The implementation of the national curriculum and any exemption from it must be considered in the context of my overall policy for the teaching of Welsh in schools. The Education Reform Act 1988 provided that Welsh is an integral part of the curriculum for schools in Wales. I reaffirm the general policy aim, which I announced to the House on 22 January, that Welsh should be studied by all pupils in schools in Wales between the ages of five and 16, though not necessarily to full GCSE level.

  The consultation document on exemptions which I issued last November set out specific criteria and circumstances under which I was prepared to consider a limited range of exemptions from the national curriculum requirements to teach Welsh.

  I propose that there should be an exemption of incoming pupils who transfer late in their school careers to schools in Wales and who had little or no opportunity for studying the language in school in the previous three years. These draft regulations were widely supported. The regulations will also apply to pupils who meet these criteria and who transfer between schools in Wales. All pupils to whom this exemption will apply, will retain the right to

  437
  study the language if they wish and schools will be encouraged to offer them this option. I now intend to proceed to make the relevant regulations.

  There was general approval for my proposals to allow an extended implementation timetable for some schools in four LEAs—Dyfed, Gwent, Powys and South Glamorgan. Two of the schools in Dyfed—Tasker-Millward and Pembroke—have now indicated that they will introduce the national curriculum requirements for Welsh earlier than proposed. I welcome this positive approach. Six other schools requested deferment. Each case has been carefully considered and of these, Fitzalan high school, Cardiff, will be added to the draft order which I am now issuing for consultation.

  My proposals set out two very specific sets of criteria for the exemptions of a small number of schools from the key stage 4 requirements for Welsh. The Curriculum Council for Wales and a number of organisations, including some teacher associations, were opposed o any exemption in key stage 4. In view of this response, and the advice received from the Curriculum Council for Wales I have reviewed both sets of proposals strictly in line with the criteria set out in my consultation document.

  The first of the exemption proposals related to the five secondary schools in the South Pembrokeshire area covering the period up to 1996–97 by which time all of these schools, in line with the agreement with the LEA, will be expected to introduce fully the key stage 3 requirements. A further 12 schools sought deferment on grounds of similar area characteristics. None was supported by their LEAs and since my proposals applied only to the schools in South Pembrokeshire, the exemptions to he included in a draft order will be limited to these schools.

  Secondly, in the consultation document of November 1990, exemption from the key stage 4 requirements was also proposed for a group of seven schools—six in Clwyd and one in Gwent—with catchment areas or potential catchment areas for pupils across the English border. These proposals reflected the concerns expressed by the headteachers and governing bodies of the schools about the potential loss of pupil numbers. Subsequently a further 11 schools requested similar consideration.

  I have carefully considered the position in the light of the review to which I referred above. I have taken into account the significant number of requests for further exemptions on grounds of catchment areas and the impact such exemptions would have on Welsh education in these areas and on my overall policy for teaching Welsh in schools. As a result of the representations made and by consideration of all the factors, I have decided to reduce the number of exemptions in this category. It will be limited to three schools in Clwyd and two in Gwent. These schools are: Darland high school; St. David's high school, Saltney; the Maelor school, Penley; Chepstow and Monmouth comprehensive schools. They will be included in the draft order which I am now issuing for consultation. I should stress that all exempted schools will be encouraged to make arrangements for Welsh to be an option at key stage 4 for those pupils who choose it.

  Some secondary schools also requested exemption from the key stage 3 requirements. I made no proposals for such exemption and do not intend to do so. All secondary schools in Wales will be required to introduce the key stage 3 requirements for the teaching of Welsh.
  438
  The Curriculum Council for Wales and other bodies expressed the view that all exemptions should be subject to review. I accept that advice. A review will be carried out in the 1996–97 academic year to consider all exemptions. By that time I will expect all schools and LEAs to have established implementation plans to introduce the teaching of the language in all key stages in line with my overall policy for Welsh which I outlined earlier.

  Veterinary Investigation Centre, Bangor
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many representations he has received concerning the future of the veterinary investigation centre at Bangor since November 1990; and how many of the representations are opposed to the closure.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Sixteen representations indicating opposition to the closure of the Bangor centre have been received since November 1990.

  Farm Costs
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish figures showing the variable input costs accrued on farms in Wales in each of the last 15 years according to farm size and farm type.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Information showing the variable input costs for farms of the same types and sizes is only readily available since 1984–85 and is as follows:

  Variable costs by type and size

  Small

  Medium

  Large

  All sizes

  Specialist Dairy

  1984–85

  —

  —

  —

  23,679

  1985–86

  —

  —

  —

  23,259

  1986–87

  —

  —

  —

  27,464

  1987–88

  —

  —

  —

  22,354

  1988–89

  —

  —

  —

  23,750

  1989–90

  —

  —

  —

  26,299

  Mainly Dairy

  1984–85

  —

  —

  —

  26,711

  1985–86

  —

  —

  —

  27,374

  1986–87

  —

  —

  —

  29,330

  1987–88

  —

  —

  —

  26,900

  1988–89

  —

  —

  —

  28,273

  1989–90

  —

  —

  —

  31,242

  All Dairy

  1984–85

  11,299

  28,108

  69,248

  24,458

  1985–86

  11,275

  27,684

  69,905

  24,317

  1986–87

  11,706

  29,492

  69,876

  25,672

  1987–88

  10,052

  26,026

  64,263

  23,545

  1988–89

  11,140

  26,421

  67,419

  25,133

  1989–90

  11,882

  28,930

  72,161

  27,721

  Hill and Upland SDA sheep

  1984–85

  —

  —

  —

  13,362

  1985–86

  —

  —

  —

  13,769

  1986–87

  —

  —

  —

  13,943

  1987–88

  —

  —

  —

  14,804

  1988–89

  —

  —

  —

  14,886

  1989–90

  —

  —

  —

  15,068

  Hill and Upland SDA Cattle and Sheep

  1984–85

  —

  —

  —

  13,188

  1985–86

  —

  —

  —

  13,068

  1986–87

  —

  —

  —

  15,260

  1987–88

  —

  —

  —

  14,874

  1988–89

  —

  —

  —

  15,067

  1989–90

  —

  —

  —

  19,108

  439

  Small

  Medium

  Large

  All sizes

  All Hill and Upland LFA Livestock

  1984–85

  6,861

  19,167

  42,853

  13,304

  1985–86

  6,944

  20,361

  59,168

  13,577

  1986–87

  8,115

  21,798

  44,017

  14,952

  1987–88

  6,917

  20,707

  52,451

  14,132

  1988–89

  7,643

  19,578

  49,441

  14,732

  1989–90

  7,534

  20,855

  54,748

  15,133

  All Dairy and Livestock

  1984–85

  8,312

  24,338

  58,194

  17,354

  1985–86

  8,353

  24,373

  56,924

  17,315

  1986–87

  9,337

  25,052

  58,228

  18,514

  1987–88

  7,694

  22,895

  58,997

  17,247

  1988–89

  8,485

  22,278

  58,525

  17,712

  1989–90

  8,803

  24,135

  63,991

  19,075

  Farm Incomes
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish the net farm income figures, excluding breeding livestock appreciation, for farms in Wales according to farm size and farm type in each of the last 15 years.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Consistent information on net farm incomes by farm type and farm size is only available since 1984–85 and is as follows:

  Net farm income by size and type

  Small

  Medium

  Large

  All sizes

  Specialist Dairy

  1984–85

  —

  —

  —

  6,346

  1985–86

  —

  —

  —

  10,614

  1986–87

  —

  —

  —

  10,932

  1987–88

  —

  —

  —

  16,073

  1988–89

  —

  —

  —

  21,328

  1989–90

  —

  —

  —

  21,628

  Mainly Dairy

  1984–85

  —

  —

  —

  8,507

  1985–86

  —

  —.

  —

  10,109

  1986–87

  —

  —

  —

  12,554

  1987–88

  —

  —

  —

  17,096

  1988–89

  —

  —

  —

  20,496

  1989–90

  —

  —

  —

  21,836

  All Dairy

  1984–85

  3,075

  7,835

  20,537

  6,901

  1985–86

  5,106

  12,143

  27,981

  10,485

  1986–87

  5,342

  13,198

  29,266

  11,335

  1987–88

  9,459

  16,804

  40,482

  16,341

  1988–89

  10,262

  21,893

  54,660

  21,099

  1989–90

  10,370

  22,402

  54,032

  21,688

  Hill and Upland SDA sheep

  1984–85

  —

  —

  —

  10,223

  1985–86

  —

  —

  —

  7,026

  1986–87

  —

  —

  —

  9,792

  1987–88

  —

  —

  —

  9,380

  1988–89

  —

  —

  —

  15,283

  1989–90

  —

  —

  —

  9,468

  Hill and Upland SDA Cattle and Sheep

  1984–85

  —

  —

  —

  7,754

  1985–86

  —

  —

  —

  9,041

  1986–87

  —

  —

  —

  9,348

  1987–88

  —

  —

  —

  12,491

  1988–89

  —

  —

  —

  16,381

  1989–90

  —

  —

  —

  10,881

  440

  Small

  Medium

  Large

  All sizes

  All Hill and Upland LFA Livestock

  1984–85

  3,374

  14,153

  29,409

  8,721

  1985–86

  2,632

  14,256

  16,161

  7,616

  1986–87

  3,216

  13,101

  24,739

  7,906

  1987–88

  3,770

  14,929

  31,692

  9,453

  1988–89

  6,454

  19,251

  54,207

  14,250

  1989–90

  2,198

  13,762

  43,363

  8,805

  All Dairy and Livestock

  1984–85

  2,752

  10,665

  24,252

  7,026

  1985–86

  3,357

  12,320

  23,031

  7,914

  1986–87

  3,609

  12,433

  27,225

  8,508

  1987–88

  5,077

  19,970

  33,115

  11,243

  1988–89

  7,277

  19,749

  54,436

  15,767

  1989–90

  4,019

  16,405

  48,085

  12,277

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish figures showing the net income from management and investment in farms in Wales in each of the last 15 years according to farm size and farm type.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Details of management and investment income are only available for years since 1986–87 and are as follows:

  (£000)

  Farm type

  Management and investment income

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  Specialist Dairy

  6·4

  9·5

  13·5

  Mainly Dairy

  6·6

  10·5

  13·2

  All Dairy

  6·4

  9·8

  13·5

  Hill and Upland Sheep

  2·8

  4·6

  9·1

  Hill and Upland Cattle Sheep

  1·7

  4·3

  8·6

  All Hill and Upland (LFA) Livestock

  1·6

  3·8

  7·9

  Farm Investment
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish figures showing the level of investment in new buildings, plant and machinery in farms in Wales in each of the last 15 years according to farm size and farm type.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Investment details by farm type and size are not available. Figures for aggregate capital formation in plant and machinery are however published in "Farm Incomes in Wales", volume 4, table 3.11, and average investment per farm, by type and tenure is collected as part of the farm business survey and published annually in the same source.

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish figures showing the amount of total interest bills and outstanding bank advances secured by farms in Wales in each of the last 15 years according to farm size and farm type.

  Mr. David Hunt
  This information is not available for the number of years or in the form requested. Data collected since 1985–86 shows average bank advances outstanding and interest payments made per farm to be as follows:
  441

  £000

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  LFA Livestock Farms

  Average Bank Advance

  17·9

  23·2

  35·7

  23·9

  Interest Payments

  2·6

  3·7

  4·9

  3·6

  All Dairy Farms

  Average Bank Advance

  39·6

  29·1

  32·3

  30·0

  Interest Payments

  4·8

  5·1

  4·3

  4·2

  Forestry
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much money has been allocated by his Department to Coed Cymru in each year since 1985; and what is the estimated allocation to be granted for 1991–92.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Coed Cymru does not receive any financial support from the Welsh Office but is jointly funded by the Forestry Commission, the Countryside Council for Wales and local authorities.

  Unfit Dwellings
  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a table of the most recent available data showing the number of unfit dwellings in each local

  Unfit dwellings in Wales, 1986

  Total

  Local authority

  New Town corporation

  Housing association1

  Private sector2

  Alyn and Deeside

  1,253

  62

  —

  —

  1,192

  Colwyn

  257

  85

  —

  —

  173

  Delyn

  450

  95

  —

  —

  355

  Glyndwr

  623

  43

  —

  —

  580

  Rhuddlan

  537

  —

  —

  —

  537

  Wrexham Maelor

  1,665

  857

  —

  —

  807

  Carmarthen

  1,216

  91

  —

  —

  1,125

  Ceredigion

  3,499

  111

  —

  41

  3,348

  Dinefwr

  1,902

  36

  —

  —

  1,867

  Llanelli

  2,960

  707

  —

  —

  2,253

  Preseli

  2,908

  104

  —

  —

  2,804

  South Pembrokeshire

  832

  63

  —

  —

  769

  Blaenau Gwent

  2,903

  399

  —

  —

  2,504

  Islwyn

  771

  44

  —

  —

  727

  Monmouth

  2,199

  220

  —

  81

  1,898

  Newport

  953

  78

  —

  —

  875

  Torfaen

  976

  66

  —

  —

  910

  Aberconwy

  281

  122

  —

  —

  160

  Arfon

  1,285

  239

  —

  —

  1,047

  Dwyfor

  1,611

  94

  —

  —

  1,517

  Meirionnydd

  310

  —

  —

  —

  310

  Ynys Mon

  966

  110

  —

  —

  857

  Cynon Valley

  3,882

  167

  —

  —

  3,715

  Merthyr Tydfil

  2,271

  150

  —

  42

  2,079

  Ogwr

  3,107

  323

  —

  —

  2,783

  Rhondda

  4,533

  279

  —

  141

  4,113

  Rhymney Valley

  2,006

  157

  —

  58

  1,791

  Taff-Ely

  2,492

  202

  —

  —

  2,289

  Brecknock

  929

  18

  —

  31

  880

  Montgomeryshire

  1,591

  —

  —

  —

  1,591

  Radnor

  461

  —

  —

  —

  462

  Cardiff

  8,315

  1,561

  —

  —

  6,754

  Vale of Glamorgan

  1,389

  271

  —

  —

  1,118

  Port Talbot

  1,354

  558

  —

  —

  796

  Lliw Valley

  1,881

  108

  —

  —

  1,773

  Neath

  1,799

  256

  —

  —

  1,543

  Swansea

  5,320

  767

  —

  —

  4,553

  WALES

  71,687

  8,440

  —

  394

  62,853

  1 Includes charitable trusts

  2 Owner occupied and private rented

  Source: 1986 Welsh House Condition Survey
  442
  authority area in Wales, for the categories (a) unfit local authority properties, (b) unfit housing association properties, (c) unfit public sector properties, other than local authority-owned and (d) unfit private sector properties, other than housing association owned.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The 1986 Welsh house condition survey estimated the number of unfit dwellings in each local authority area in Wales for the following categories:

  (a) local authority properties

  (b) Housing Association properties

  (c) New Town Corporation properties

  (d)private Sector properties

  as shown in the following table:

  Abattoirs
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has any plans to increase resources for the smaller abattoirs of Wales.

  Mr. David Hunt
  No.

  Experimental Husbandry Farm, Pwllpeiran
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will make a statement on the future of the experimental husbandry farm at Pwllpeiran.

  Persons accepted as homeless 1979–1990 by district

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  11987

  1988

  1989

  21990

  Aberconwy

  151

  203

  159

  130

  99

  167

  74

  153

  177

  108

  162

  137

  Alyn and Deeside

  301

  250

  205

  237

  251

  239

  427

  366

  330

  485

  528

  474

  Arfon

  80

  59

  51

  55

  61

  38

  62

  51

  102

  63

  65

  77

  Blaenau Gwent

  333

  361

  388

  464

  459

  454

  447

  489

  463

  595

  695

  841

  Brecknock

  69

  114

  86

  160

  152

  134

  217

  162

  180

  176

  243

  269

  Cardiff

  690

  1,410

  973

  1,053

  730

  862

  1,646

  1,751

  1,592

  2,971

  3,334

  2,483

  Carmarthen

  187

  160

  152

  127

  192

  138

  218

  165

  255

  213

  164

  137

  Ceredigion

  94

  102

  92

  103

  149

  203

  149

  140

  188

  187

  180

  331

  Colwyn

  55

  40

  42

  72

  55

  60

  71

  102

  104

  87

  93

  103

  Cynon Valley

  898

  1,018

  965

  985

  1,207

  959

  840

  942

  603

  710

  530

  623

  Delyn

  175

  151

  264

  240

  197

  255

  297

  391

  712

  679

  1,002

  825

  Dinefwr

  49

  34

  35

  108

  31

  67

  104

  93

  141

  185

  124

  181

  Dwyfor

  138

  60

  106

  74

  69

  124

  126

  142

  163

  119

  178

  162

  Glyndwr

  56

  54

  63

  39

  37

  52

  64

  55

  63

  30

  43

  46

  Islwyn

  189

  175

  159

  68

  118

  143

  142

  139

  121

  204

  313

  370

  Llanelli

  133

  100

  140

  179

  219

  213

  227

  371

  408

  302

  343

  297

  Lliw Valley

  113

  129

  134

  140

  119

  204

  158

  205

  254

  143

  288

  338

  Meirionnydd

  369

  489

  235

  145

  159

  106

  106

  147

  137

  210

  230

  250

  Merthyr Tydfil

  454

  392

  272

  238

  253

  232

  225

  179

  207

  191

  359

  496

  Monmouth

  515

  380

  532

  437

  475

  447

  717

  664

  618

  576

  357

  281

  Montgomeryshire

  124

  110

  125

  89

  83

  58

  52

  97

  100

  156

  127

  188

  Neath

  481

  483

  624

  3..

  1,016

  965

  806

  793

  629

  636

  496

  610

  Newport

  864

  1,110

  1,358

  1,300

  1,218

  1,199

  1,513

  1,258

  1,550

  1,635

  2,460

  2,696

  Ogwr

  338

  343

  517

  736

  599

  448

  826

  1,667

  994

  1,193

  1,176

  1,332

  Port Talbot (Afan)

  170

  133

  94

  112

  160

  226

  164

  304

  357

  327

  442

  303

  Preseli Pembrokeshire

  135

  164

  130

  97

  96

  78

  148

  108

  176

  194

  153

  209

  Radnorshire

  19

  38

  45

  14

  19

  34

  54

  23

  31

  60

  36

  64

  Rhondda

  569

  834

  1,164

  1,049

  852

  479

  317

  320

  268

  270

  292

  166

  Rhuddlan

  237

  139

  172

  257

  268

  204

  242

  249

  296

  256

  273

  293

  Rhymney Valley

  534

  720

  510

  284

  418

  344

  629

  643

  410

  580

  655

  439

  South Pembrokeshire

  143

  188

  181

  202

  230

  280

  224

  165

  210

  271

  241

  248

  Swansea

  1,604

  1,838

  2,820

  1,887

  1,416

  1,396

  762

  685

  654

  439

  345

  450

  Taff-Ely

  390

  253

  200

  188

  158

  176

  186

  278

  321

  395

  442

  568

  Torfaen

  1,049

  978

  723

  790

  675

  426

  531

  958

  708

  881

  968

  1,216

  Vale of Glamorgan

  620

  749

  636

  1,329

  896

  726

  570

  427

  293

  755

  1,042

  1,160

  Wrexham Maelor

  235

  471

  353

  212

  238

  441

  411

  567

  522

  717

  740

  863

  Ynys Mon

  137

  83

  33

  26

  44

  54

  50

  62

  65

  106

  49

  97

  Wales Total

  12,698

  14,315

  14,738

  13,626

  13,418

  12,631

  13,802

  15,311

  14,402

  17,105

  19,168

  19,623

  1 Excludes data for Islwyn for the October to December quarter.

  2 Figures exclude those made homeless in Colwyn as a result of the major flooding incident in February 1990. No breakdown by number of persons is available.

  3 = Not available.

  Farm Diversification
  Mr. leuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total number of representations received by his Department concerning the axeing of grant aid for converting farm buildings into tourist accommodation under the farm diversification grant scheme; and how many representatives have been critical of this decision.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The statutory instrument ending capital grant assistance for tourist accommodation, other than for camping and bunkhouse barns, under the farm diversification grant scheme came into operation on 16
  444
  Mr. David Hunt
  I will write to the hon. Gentleman and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

  Homelessness
  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a table showing, for each local authority in Wales, the number of persons accepted as homeless in each year since 1979 inclusive.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The numbers of persons accepted as homeless by each local authority for each year since 1979 are shown in the table.

  January 1991. As of 30 April my Department had received 11 letters concerning the withdrawal of this grant assistance, of which 10 questioned the decision.

  Education Spending
  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 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 Wales.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The standard spending assessment for each county council in Wales relates to the totality of
  445
  services it provides and is not hypothecated to individual services. The following table gives the 1990–91 standard spending assessment for each county, together with the comparable estimated revenue expenditure:

  1990–91

  £ million

  Estimated net revenue expenditure1

  Standard spending assessment

  Clwyd

  244·9

  225·4

  Dyfed

  208·5

  202·3

  Gwent

  256·4

  248·4

  Gwynedd

  145·5

  142·2

  Mid Glamorgan

  328·7

  320·1

  Powys

  78·0

  77·7

  South Glamorgan

  234·7

  228·7

  West Glamorgan

  221·4

  205·4

  1 Net of sales, fees, charges and specific grants.

  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 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 Wales.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Capital resources for Welsh local authorities, including those allocated to education authorities are distributed mainly by means of formulae which have been endorsed by the local authority associations. They are not hypothecated to particular services and are not subject to bids. At the all-Wales level I set the total assumed gross expenditure for education in 1990–91 at £53·7 million. The latest available projection, at October 1990, by local authorities of their planned spending was £49·3 million.

  WDA Industrial Units
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many Welsh Development Agency industrial units are empty awaiting tenants in each of the counties of Wales.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The information is as follows:

  Number of units vacant and available for letting (as at 30 April 1991)

  County

  Number

  Clwyd

  55

  Dyfed

  42

  Gwent

  87

  Gwynedd

  62

  Mid Glamorgan

  76

  South Glamorgan

  3

  West Glamorgan

  38

  These vacancies represent 11 per cent. of the agency's total portfolio.

  Housing Investment Programme
  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of Stale for Wales if he will publish a table showing, for each local authority in Wales, the(a) 1990–91 housing investment programme bid and (b) 1990–91 housing investment programme allocation of capital spending.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  Local authorities were not asked to specify in their housing strategy and investment programmes the level of central Government input they 446
  required towards their 1990–91 housing programmes. Details of housing annual capital guidelines—ACG—and supplementary credit approvals—SCA—for discretionary home renovation grants and special projects for each authority in 1990–91 are given in the table. The figures exclude resources for old style home improvement grants and mandatory home renovation grants for which final claims have yet to be submitted.

  £ million

  Authority

  Housing ACG

  SCA

  SCA

  Discretionary Grants

  Other

  Alyn and Deeside

  1·752

  0·157

  0·130

  Colwyn

  1·077

  0·137

  0·286

  Delyn

  1·611

  0·143

  0·850

  Glyndwr

  1·093

  0·125

  —

  Rhuddlan

  1·053

  0·164

  1·904

  Wrexham Maelor

  5·925

  0·298

  0·230

  Carmarthen

  1·277

  0·202

  0·306

  Ceredigion

  1·227

  0·248

  0·520

  Dinefwr

  0·996

  0·189

  2·015

  Llanelli

  3·757

  0·335

  —

  Preseli Pembroke

  2·004

  0·327

  1·576

  South Pembroke

  1·066

  0·116

  —

  Blaenau Gwent

  3·597

  0·433

  0·267

  Islwyn

  1·884

  0·180

  1·750

  Monmouth

  2·150

  0·290

  1·624

  Newport

  2·971

  0·312

  2·834

  Torfaen

  3·580

  0·213

  2·183

  Aberconwy

  1·279

  0·158

  0·400

  Arfon

  2·206

  0·233

  2·537

  Dwyfor

  0·915

  0·186

  0·415

  Meirionnydd

  0·696

  0·108

  1·534

  Ynys Mon

  1·675

  0·203

  1·151

  Cynon Valley

  2·328

  0·522

  5·257

  Merthyr Tydfil

  2·167

  0·210

  0·997

  Ogwr

  3·306

  0·351

  0·220

  Rhondda

  2·325

  0·548

  3·931

  Rhymney Valley

  4·035

  0·373

  0·300

  Taff Ely

  2·602

  0·229

  —

  Brecknock

  1·051

  0·166

  0·965

  Montgomeryshire

  1·260

  0·242

  2·395

  Radnorshire

  0·418

  0·119

  0·344

  Cardiff

  7·089

  0·949

  6·090

  Vale of Glamorgan

  2·487

  0·314

  —

  Port Talbot

  3·085

  0·204

  1·070

  Lliw Valley

  2·222

  0·263

  0·342

  Neath

  2·157

  0·181

  —

  Swansea

  6·608

  0·571

  1·090

  Wales

  86·929

  10·000

  45·513

  Right to Buy
  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a table showing the number of right-to-buy sales completed in each local authority in Wales since the Housing Act 1980 came into force.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The information is given in the table:

  Total Right to Buy Sales1

  Welsh Districts

  October 1980—December 1990

  Aberconwy

  1,712

  Alyn and Deeside

  1,509

  Arfon

  1,369

  Blaenau Gwent

  2,322

  Brecknock

  1,435

  Cardiff

  7,607

  Carmarthen

  171

  Ceredigion

  1,417

  447

  Welsh Districts

  October 1980—December 1990

  Colwyn

  0

  Cynon Valley

  1,481

  Delyn

  1,215

  Dinefwr

  872

  Dwyfor

  385

  Glyndwr

  1,244

  Islwyn

  3,654

  Llanelli

  3,352

  Lliw Valley

  1,895

  Meirionnydd

  871

  Merthyr Tydfil

  2,193

  Monmouth

  1,859

  Montgomeryshire

  1,333

  Neath

  2,398

  Newport

  4,077

  Ogwr

  4,520

  Port Talbot

  3,455

  Preseli Pembrokeshire

  2,269

  Radnorshire

  571

  Rhondda

  741

  Rhuddlan

  912

  Rhymney Valley

  3,675

  South Pembrokeshire

  833

  Swansea

  4,010

  Taff-Ely

  3,820

  Torfaen

  3,706

  Vale of Glamorgan

  2,578

  Wrexham Maelor

  3,488

  Ynys Mon

  1,634

  Wales Total

  80,583

  1 Excludes right to buy sales from New Towns.

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

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The only length of motorway in Wales fitting this definition is the 1·5 mile M4 Port Talbot bypass in West Glamorgan. No additional urban motorways are either under construction or planned.

  Official Visits
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the cost to his Department of his visit to Fishguard and west Wales on 1 May.

  Mr. David Hunt
  On Wednesday 1 May 1991, I was received by the mayor of Fishguard and Goodwick town council at the town hall Fishguard where I was introduced to county, district, and local representatives.

  I was then taken on a tour of Fishguard and Goodwick area by coach with the town clerk, Mr. Harold Rees, including a visit to the Fishguard factory of Slimma (Wales) Limited.

  At a formal meeting later in the town hall I received presentations from the following speakers:

  Mr. C. B. Fenemore—Route Director, Sealink Stenna, Fishguard harbour.

  Mr. A. Daniels—Executive Director, Welsh Development Agency.

  Mr. D. K. Jones—County Engineer and Surveyor, Dyfed County Council.

  Mr. R. Anderson—Planning Officer, Preseli Pembrokeshire District Council.

  Chief Inspector Horne—Dyfed Powys police.

  448

  Councillor W. Lloyd Evans—County/District/Town Council.

  Mrs. M. Griffiths—Chairman, Fishguard and Goodwick Chamber of Trade.

  Councillor A. Allison—District/Town Council.

  Councillor B. Colnet—Fishguard and Goodwick Town Council.

  Councilor D. Davies—District/Town Council.

  Mr. Geraint Howells—MP, Ceredigion and North Pembrokeshire.

  At the conclusion of the meeting, I visited Fishguard harbour and attended lunch aboard the Stenna Felicity hosted by Sealink Stenna. During the afternoon I had meetings with local NFU and FUW representatives, Carningli rural initiative, the Fishguard music festival, the spirit of youth festival, Gwyl Gwaun, the chamber of trade, including political meetings at Fishguard Bay hotel. As soon as the cost of the visit to the Welsh Office is known, I shall write to the right hon. Gentleman and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

  Mumbles (Development)
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he will inform Swansea city council and other interested parties of which procedures he has decided to adopt in relation to his determination of the Bright and Pepper/Fairclough development at Mumbles, Swansea.

  Mr. David Hunt
  [holding answer 3 May 1991]: I shall announce the procedures as soon as I am content that the environmental assessment submitted by the applicants is complete.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will take steps to inform Swansea city council and other interested parties of the procedures which are to be followed in relation to the environmental impact study by(a) the developer, Bright and Pepper/Fairclough, and (b) the independent consultants appointed by Swansea city council to ensure that all information necessary to determine the application for development at Mumbles, Swansea, is available to him.

  Mr. David Hunt
  [holding answer 3 May 1991]: My officials are scrutinising the environmental statement and supplementary information submitted by the developers and others. Should the environment information provided be considered inadequate to complete a full assessment, the developers will be required to supply further information under regulation 20 of the Town and County Planning (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations 1988. In this event, Swansea city council and the other statutory consultees will be informed.

DEFENCE

  Atomic Weapons Establishment (Cardiff)
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those occasions since 1979 on which incidents have occured at AWE, Cardiff, involving a release of argon gas contaminated with beryllium powder into the atmosphere.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  There have been no such occurrences.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give details of the standard procedure to be
  449
  followed at AWE, Cardiff if the steel vessel containing beryllium powder were to burst within the furnace under pressure; whether that standard procedure has been altered during the past 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  It would not be in the national interest to give details of AWE Cardiff's processing operations. However, during the site's many years of work with beryllium the most stringent health and safety procedures have been developed including careful control and monitoring. In the event of an abnormal occurrence the systems are designed to safeguard the work force, the public and the environment against potential hazard.

  Gulf War
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many under-18s were injured or killed whilst serving in the armed forces during the Gulf war.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  According to our records, no service personnel under 18 years of age were injured during hostilities in the Gulf, but one soldier aged 17 was killed.

  Premature Voluntary Release
  Sir Geoffrey Johnson Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the latest figures for the rate of premature voluntary release in(a) the Royal Navy, (b) the Army and (c) the Royal Air Force.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The latest premature voluntary release—PVR—annual exist rates are for the year to 31 March 1991 and are given in the table.

  Percentage rate

  Officers

  RN/RM

  3·24

  Army

  4·19

  RAF

  2·31

  Service men

  RN

  6·21

  RM

  6·42

  Army

  2·83

  RAF

  4·22

  PVR figures for females are not currently available, but are being collated for future publication. The figures in the table therefore relate to males only.

  Army Helicopters
  Mrs. Maureen Hicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make further resources available to improve the defence capability of Army helicopters in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The defensive capabilities of Army helicopters are kept under review.

  Schools (Efficiency Exercise)
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much money has been awarded under the Ministry of Defence's efficiency exercise incentive scheme to private schools; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  I will write to the hon. Member.

  Grenadier Guards
  Mr. Churchill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the three Grenadier guardsmen who lost their legs and sustained other injuries in the course of their duties on a live firing range in Canada in July 1989 have received the automatic payments to service men when they are invalided out of the service including a tax-free war pension, a tax-free service pension and a tax-free lump sum and terminal grant; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Only one of the guardsmen has been discharged from the Army. He was awarded an immediate service invaliding pension and terminal grant by the Ministry of Defence. A war disablement pension, which is administered by the Department of Social Security and is payable following discharge from the armed forces only where a disability is due to or aggravated by military service, has been awarded at the 100 per cent. rate and a payment issued. This is tax free. As a result, his service invaliding pension, which has been in issue from the date of discharge, has been converted to a higher, tax-free, service attributable pension. He has also been awarded an additional tax-free lump sum.

  Armed Forces (Crown Proceedings) Act
  Mr. Churchill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the operation of the Armed Forces (Crown Proceedings) Act 1987.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Since the repeal of section 10 of the Crown Proceedings Act 1947 by the Armed Forces (Crown Proceedings) Act 1987, we have received 2,249 claims for compensation from members of the armed forces. A total of 271 claims have been settled at a cost of £3,433,414. Nine hundred and thirty seven claims have been repudiated and 1,041 are still under investigation.

  Chieftain Tank
  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what specific factors still remain to be settled before the decision on the replacement for Chieftain tanks.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The hon. Member would not expect me to give details at this stage of a competition.

  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what effect consideration of the potential use of helicopter gunships is having on the timing of his announcement of the replacement for Chieftain tanks.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  We are considering all relevant factors before making a decision on the equipment for our future main battle tank fleet.

  Service Men (Compensation)
  Mr. Churchill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether it remains the policy of Her Majesty's Government to ensure that compensation available to service personnel should be in line with awards by the courts to civilians in comparable cases.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Yes.

  Mr. Churchill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence where responsibility for paying compensation will rest in
  451
  the event of a member of Her Majesty's forces currently being provided to serve under contract to a private company, namely Royal Ordnance, for mine-clearance duties in Kuwait, suffering injury or death in the course of his duties; and whether he will ensure that such compensation will be no less favourable than that payable to a British civilian employed by a British company.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  We are still discussing the details of this deployment with Royal Ordnance, and appropriate compensation arrangements are one of the matters under consideration.

  Live Ammunition (Training)
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the practice adopted by the Army in training with live ammunition; and if he will state the number of serious injuries suffered in the last five years both in the United Kingdom and outside on such training exercises.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  [holding answer 2 May 1991]: Use of live ammunition in training exercises is covered by a variety of range, safety and weapon systems instructions.

  A number of serious injuries arising from training using live ammunition is set out in the table:

  Number of serious injuries caused by training with live ammunition

  Year

  Number

  1986

  16

  1987

  14

  1988

  23

  1989

  20

  1990

  12

  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what policy is adopted by his Department in compensating those service men seriously injured as a result of training where live ammunition is used; and if he will make a statement on how many cases remain outstanding in the past three years.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  [holding answer 2 May 1991]: Since the Crown Proceedings (Armed Forces) Act 1987 became law, service personnel have had the right to pursue common law claims for damages against the Crown for any injury they suffer which they believe to have been caused through a negligent act or omission on the part of the Ministry of Defence, its servants or agents. Such claims are considered on a strict legal liability basis. It is not possible to give the number of cases which involved training with live ammunition and where claims are still outstanding as statistics are not held in a manner that can show this.

  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the practice of using live ammunition in training exercises is being reviewed by the Army; and when it was last reviewed.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  [holding answer 2 May 1991]: The regulations regarding the use of live ammunition in training exercises and range safety instructions are kept under constant review.

EMPLOYMENT

  Tourism
  Mr. Day
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on his official visit to the United States to promote Britain as a tourist destination.

  Mr. Howard
  The purpose of my visit was to lend support to the efforts of the British Tourist Authority and the tourism industry to impress upon north Americans that this is an ideal time to visit Britain. While I was in the United States I addressed the World Travel and Tourism Council, the only Government Minister from outside the United States to do so.

  Strikes
  Mr. Squire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any proposals to change the procedures for calling strikes.

  Mr. Howard
  I have no proposals to announce at this stage, but the law on strikes is a matter which the Government keep under active review. Unlike the Labour party, we have no intention of changing the law to make striking easier.

  Manual Workers
  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the average number of hours worked per week for people engaged in manual occupations,excluding overtime, in the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Jackson
  It is estimated from the labour force survey that the average basic usual hours worked per week by people in manual occupations, excluding overtime, was 35·6 hours in Great Britain in the spring of 1990.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his current estimate of the total of people employed in more than one job who are counted more than once in the employment statistics.

  Mr. Jackson
  Precise information on the number of people with more than one job included in the published work force in employment estimates is not available. However, the labour force survey estimated that 724,000 people held a second job as an employee in the spring of 1990.

  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest figures for unemployment; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Howard
  In March 1991 seasonally adjusted unemployment in the United Kingdom was 2,092,700, a fall of 26 per cent. since the June 1987 election.

  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many 16 and 17-year-olds are included in the most recent unemployment statistics.

  Mr. Jackson
  In January 1991 the number of unemployed claimants in the United Kingdom aged under 18 was 2,709.

  Low Wages
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has on the number of workers employed at wage rates below 50 per cent. of the male median wage.

  Mr. Forth
  We estimate the number to be around 3 million.

  Trade Unions (Sequestration)
  Mr. Dunn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he has any proposals to restrict the power of the courts to sequestrate union assets.

  Mr. Forth
  No. Sequestration is a penalty which may be imposed on any organisation which commits contempt of court. To restrict the powers of the court to sequestrate union assets would, therefore, be to give a special, and totally unjustifiable, privilege to trade unions.

  Training and Enterprise Councils
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many training and enterprise councils became operational in April.

  Mr. Howard
  Twenty-three training and enterprise councils became operational in April 1991 which brings the total of operational TECs up to seventy-four. The remaining eight TECs will be operational later this year.

  Textiles and Clothing
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the textile and clothing industries about employment levels.

  Mr. Jackson
  Employment Ministers meet representatives of the textile and clothing industry from time to time, but there have been no recent discussions on this subject.

  Retraining (Cumbria)
  Mr. Franks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to improve retraining schemes in Cumbria.

  Mr. Howard
  Cumbria training and enterprise council is now responsible for training schemes in Cumbria and is currently restructuring ET to meet local needs more effectively. It will be launching several new training packages today, including pre-recruitment training, short duration training and a training and recruitment package. This is an excellent initiative showing how TECs can provide an immediate and flexible response to the needs of their constituents.

  Industrial Tribunals
  Mr. Holt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many industrial tribunal cases have found in favour of the appellant during the past 12 months; and how much compensation has been paid.

  Mr. Forth
  In the year up to the end of March the industrial tribunals found for the applicant in 5,033 cases and awarded a total of £3,490,454 in compensation.

  Community Employment
  Mrs. Maureen Hicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment he has made of the report from Full Employment United Kingdom recommending community employment for the unemployed in return for benefits after one year's unemployment.

  Mr. Jackson
  I am grateful to Full Employment United Kingdom for sending me a copy of its report which I read with interest. Constructive contributions to the discussion about the further development of our programmes and services for unemployed people are always to be welcomed.

  Restart Courses
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what arrangements exist to enable benefit claimants who have been unemployed for over two years and who are in part-time employment to attend compulsory restart courses.

  Mr. Jackson
  Questions on operational matters in the Employment Service executive agency are the responsibility of Mike Fogden, the agency's chief executive, to whom I have referred this question for reply.

  Jobs
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many jobs he expects to be created in the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  My Department does not offer forecasts of employment.

  Employment Training
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what is the total number of ET training agents who have received approval for(a) each of the first five criteria and (b) each of the last four criteria set out in approved training organisation process;

  what is (a) the total number of ET training agents, (b) the total number of ET training managers, (c) the total number of ET training agents awarded approved training organisation status by 31 March and (d) the total number of ET training managers awarded approved training organisation status by 31 March;

  (3) what is the total number of ET training managers who have received approval for (a) each of the first five criteria and (b) each of last four criteria set out in the approved training organisation process.

  Mr. Jackson
  In April 1990 the nine criteria considered in awarding approved training organisation status to ET training providers were consolidated into seven which cover the same ground. The total number of ET training agents and training managers is not available, nor is separate information for training agents and training managers covered by the approved training organisation process. A total of 880 of those ET training agents and training managers who commenced on 5 September 1988 were still contracted by the Department of Employment or by training and enterprise councils to deliver employment training on 31 March 1991. By that date all had received approval for each of the first four criteria and 809–92 per cent.—also for the last three criteria and therefore for approved training organisation status.
  455
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether those released from prison or young offender institutions are eligible for employment training in Bradford; and what assessment he has made of the likely implications of alternative policies in this area.

  Mr. Jackson
  [holding answer 3 May 1991]: Persons released from prison or young offender institutions who are 18 or over and under 60 are eligible for employment training if, at the time of seeking entry, they have accumulated 26 weeks of qualifying time spent either in unemployment or in custody or both. In addition, such persons can be eligible for fast entry into employment training if they have special training needs associated with disability, literacy, numeracy and language difficulty or if they qualify as skill shortage or enterprise entrants or labour market returners. A proportion of persons released
  456
  from prison or from young offender institutions who are eligible for employment training are also covered by the Government's guarantee and aim. Eligibility for employment training is not defined or limited by location within Great Britain. There is no intention to apply alternative eligibility arrangements in Bradford and no assessment of other possibilities has been made.

  Training Investment
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the average invested per capita for trainees on courses organised by the training and enterprise councils; and what are the comparable figures for training schemes in West Germany.

  Mr. Jackson
  The information requested is not available.

  EVERTHORPE REMAND CENTRE
  EVERTHORPE REMAND CENTRE
  LIFE SENTENCES: MINISTERIAL DECISIONS
  LIFE SENTENCES: MINISTERIAL DECISIONS
  SENTENCE REVIEWS FOR PAROLE
  SENTENCE REVIEWS FOR PAROLE
  PAROLE RECOMMENDATIONS: REJECTIONS
  PAROLE RECOMMENDATIONS: REJECTIONS
  DRUG TRAFFICKERS: CONFISCATION OF ASSETS
  DRUG TRAFFICKERS: CONFISCATION OF ASSETS
  DIPLOMATS: SERIOUS OFFENCES AND WITHDRAWALS
  DIPLOMATS: SERIOUS OFFENCES AND WITHDRAWALS
  DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS: PARKING FINES
  DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS: PARKING FINES
  BST AND GLOBAL WARMING
  BST AND GLOBAL WARMING
  NUCLEAR MISSILES
  NUCLEAR MISSILES
  WEAPON STORAGE VAULTS AT US AIRBASES
  WEAPON STORAGE VAULTS AT US AIRBASES
  BARKESTONE CHURCH OF ENGLAND SCHOOL
  BARKESTONE CHURCH OF ENGLAND SCHOOL
  CITY TECHNOLOGY COLLEGES: GRANT AID
  CITY TECHNOLOGY COLLEGES: GRANT AID
  INTEREST RATE SWAPS
  INTEREST RATE SWAPS
  HUMMING BIRDS: CONTROL OF IMPORTS
  HUMMING BIRDS: CONTROL OF IMPORTS
  MAY DAY BANK HOLIDAY
  MAY DAY BANK HOLIDAY