Written Answers of 9 May 1991

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Antarctica
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will list the records available in the Public Records Office relating to military activity in Antarctica; and how many papers relating to Antarctica have been withheld for more than 30 years.

  The Attorney-General
  No list is maintained of records available in the Public Records Office relating specifically to- Antarctica or military activity there. To compile such a list, or to enumerate all related papers withheld for more than 30 years could be done only at disproportionate expense.

TRANSPORT

  Smoky Vehicles
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport further to his answer of 23 April,Official Report, column 417, whether he will publish and publicise the telephone numbers of the Department of Transport area departments dealing with complaints about smoky vehicles, subject to operator licensing; what checks operators of allegedly smoky vehicles will be required to undertake in order to satisfy his Department that the vehicle is not smoky; and what follow-up action his Department will take if an unsatisfactory reply is received.

  Mr. Chope
  The telephone numbers of the Department of Transport's traffic area offices are:

  telephone number

  Birmingham

  021 631 3300

  Bristol

  0272 297221

  Cambridge

  0223 358922

  Cardiff

  0222 394027

  Eastbourne (covers London)

  0323 21471

  Edinburgh

  031 225 5494

  Leeds

  0532 499433

  Manchester

  061 872 5077

  Telephone numbers are in telephone directories or available from directory inquiries. The Department's new leaflet 'Traffic Areas—the New Boundaries and Offices' gives addresses, telephone numbers and boundaries of traffic area offices. It will shortly be available, free of charge, from the public inquiry unit of the Department in London, telephone 071 276 0800.

  All operators subject to operator licensing must have adequate arrangements for vehicle maintenance. They will have to diagnose the cause of the excessive smoke and report back on what, if any, action has been taken. If the response from the operator is unsatisfactory, the vehicle
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  inspectorate will review the adequacy of the operators' maintenance arrangements and inspect the vehicle if necessary.

  M11 Link Road
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if the proposed Mll link road, as planned, could safely be used by (i) pedestrians and (ii) cyclists.

  Mr. Chope
  The A12, Hackney Wick-M11 link road will be an all-purpose urban trunk road and will be heavily trafficked. The link road will remove motor traffic from existing roads and these will become safer alternative routes for pedestrians and cyclists when linked by the footpaths and cycletracks which are part of the scheme.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if construction drawings in connection with the M11 link road for the Lea interchange have yet been made.

  Mr. Chope
  I refer to the answer I gave to the hon. Member on 23 April, at columns 415–16.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what evidence was given on 8 January 1990, before the compulsory purchase order public inquiry in connection with the M 11 link road, by the Department of Transport's representative on proposed restrictions on cycling on the road;

  (2) if he will review the implications of paragraph 80 of the decision letter dated 2 August 1988 concerning the M11 link road, in respect of safety considerations and the use by cyclists of the M 11 link road in the light of his representation to the EC Commission that the road will be available for use by all classes of traffic.

  Mr. Chope
  The evidence referred to previous proposals to restrict the use of the link road by cyclists and to provide alternatives which would be more attractive. It acknowledged that a prohibition might be necessary ultimately, but pointed out that this would not be inconsistent with the classification of the link road as an all-purpose trunk road. This is in accordance with both the intentions of paragraph 80 of the decision letter of 2 August 1988 and the Department's response to the EC of November last year.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what undertakings Her Majesty's Government has given in connection with the M11 link road to the Commission of the European Communities on availability for use by all classes of traffic.

  Mr. Chope
  The Department has informed the European Commission that, on opening, the link road will be available to all classes of traffic.

  Rail Network (Tourism)
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will direct British Rail to prepare proposals to develop the rail network on routes helpful to the tourist industry in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The commercial development of rail services in tourist areas was among the objectives set by my right hon. Friend the Member for Hertsmere (Mr. Parkinson) in writing to the then chairman of British Rail on 19 December 1989.

  Channel Tunnel
  Mr. Prescott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he received the channel tunnel rail link report from British Rail; if he will now make the report public; and if he will make a statement on the Government's decision.

  Mr. Rifkind
  I received the report on 3 May, but still await some of the supporting material. It is too soon to say when it will be possible to announce a decision. Publishing the report now could cause blight on all the routes that were studied.

  Chemical Containers (Norfolk Coast)
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has ordered an investigation into the incident in which dangerous chemical containers drifted on to the north Norfolk coast; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The marine accident investigation branch has appointed an inspector to investigate the incident. The containers appear to be part of the cargo of a Swedish registered vessel, the Nordic Pride, which reported the loss of four deck cargo tanks in bad weather on Friday 3 May 1991.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Gloucester Prison
  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out a timetable for improvements to the facilities at Gloucester prison.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  Work costing just over £1 million will start this year on a two-year programme to provide

  Police authority

  Declared establishment

  1986 strength

  Declared establishment

  1987 strength

  Declared establishment

  1988 strength

  Declared establishment

  1989 strength

  Declared establishment

  1990 strength

  Dyfed Powys

  934

  929

  935

  929

  935

  927

  935

  934

  943

  939

  Gwent

  978

  973

  978

  977

  995

  989

  1,007

  1,000

  1,009

  1,001

  North Wales

  1,316

  1,268

  1,316

  1,307

  1,326

  1,304

  1,330

  1,332

  1,351

  1,334

  South Wales

  3,109

  3,099

  3,109

  3,120

  3,109

  3,114

  3,137

  3,118

  3,168

  3,125

  Prison (Marketing of Goods)
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes in policy he intends to make to allow men and women serving custodial sentences to produce and market communally items produced within the prison or prison farm; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  [holding answer 25 April 1991]: We have no plans for any general changes. However, in the recent "Report of the Inquiry into Prison Disturbances 1990"—Cm 1456—it was proposed that there should be schemes to enable a prisoner to contribute to society by making goods for charitable causes. The prison service is currently discussing with representatives of the Koestler Award Trust plans which the trust has to set up a prison charity shops scheme. The trust has been invited to submit a thorough feasibility and cost-benefit analysis of its proposal.
  548
  access to night sanitation for all inmates. Work costing about £1 million is also due to start in 1991–92 on new facilities for education and to improve fire safety. A strategy for the further development of the prison is being prepared and £3 million has been allocated for work arising from this, starting in 1993–94.

  Quangos
  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 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. Kenneth Baker
  The readily available information about the appointments for which I am responsible, a number of which will fall to be made in 1991 and 1992, is given in "Public Bodies 1990" and "Public Appointments: A Handbook for Women's Organisations", copies of which are in the Library.

  Police Force Numbers
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list, for each police authority in Wales, the number of police officers authorised by his Department, the number of police officer posts in the authority's establishment and the number actually in post for each of the past five years.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 2 May 1991]: The information requested is set out in the table.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Animal Cruelty (Spain)
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Spanish Government concerning cruelty to animals; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  The treatment of animals in another country is a matter for that country, except where provisions are laid down by EC legislation. However, pending confirmation that Spain has implemented the directives on the transport and slaughter of farm animals, the United Kingdom does not license the export of such animals to Spain.

  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the representations he has received concerning cruelty to animals in Spain.
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  Mr. Garel-Jones
  The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has received 11 letters this year concerning cruelty to animals in Spain. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has received many more representations.

  Antarctica
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to propose legislation to give effect to the outcome of the Madrid conference on the future of the Antarctic; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  We expect the draft environmental protocol to the Antarctic treaty that emerged from Madrid to be concluded at a further meeting in Madrid in June. It would be premature to consider legislation until a final text is available.

DEFENCE

  Airfields
  Mr. Critchley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has yet reached a decision on the future of the procurement executive airfields at Bedford, Boscombe Down and Farnborough; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  We announced in September 1990 our preliminary view that research and experimental flying should be collocated at Boscombe Down. Since then we have undertaken extensive consultations with a wide range of interested parties, including trades unions, local authorities, the Society of British Aerospace Companies, the Farnborough Airfield Development Corporation, local amenity groups and individuals. We are grateful for all the responses that have been received.

  We have now considered carefully the results of these consultations, together with further work that we commissioned from independent consultants. We have concluded that it would be right to confirm the decision to base flying at Boscombe Down, as the most suitable airfield. Detailed planning to implement this decision will now be set in hand. The move to Boscombe Down will take a number of years to complete and there will be further close consultation with interested parties as work proceeds. We also intend to commission an independent environmental impact assessment at Boscombe Down to assist us in planning the move.

  The airfields at Bedford and Farnborough will no longer be required for defence purposes and will accordingly become available for disposal. We recognise that decisions on future use could have a major impact on the local areas and stress that we shall want to continue to work closely with the local planning authorities and other interested parties in accordance with normal planning procedures in determining the use to which these sites will be put. Our preliminary assessment is that Bedford could have potential as a commercial, non-passenger, airfield and that options for Farnborough could range from business/commercial aviation, with some associated commercial development of the site, to more extensive development. In considering them, we shall take account of the part the airfield plays in the Government's business aviation policy. No decisions have been made and these options for Bedford and Farnborough will be considered in detailed work now to be set in hand.

  Ministry of Defence Police (Headquarters)
  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has any plans to provide a dedicated headquarters for the Ministry of Defence police.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The Ministry of Defence police headquarters and training school, currently located with other Ministry of Defence branches in Empress State building, London and at Medmenham in Buckinghamshire respectively, will move to the site of the former RAF station at Wethersfield in Essex. Planning to this effect is now in progress, and it is expected that these moves will take place during 1992. It is also intended that the operational support unit will move from RAF Wittering to Wethersfield.

  As a result of these moves, the Ministry of Defence police will have their own dedicated headquarters, satisfying the recommendation made by Her Majesty's inspector of constabulary in 1989. At the same time, the Ministry of Defence police will be provided with improved and up-to-date instructional facilities on a larger and more versatile site which will offer a greater capacity for both recruit and in-force continuation and specialist training.

ENVIRONMENT

  Freehold Homes
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the increase in the average price of freehold dwelling homes in Yorkshire and Humberside in(a) 1989 and (b)

  Mr. Yeo
  The available information does not distinguish between freehold and leasehold sales and includes sales to sitting tenants. The increases in 1989 and 1990 were 28 and 13 per cent. respectively.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 29 April,Official Report, column 13, to the hon. Member for Great Grimsby, if he will specify in which band the average value of homes is for the illustrative calculation setting a council tax for a band D property occupied by two or more people at a standard level of service; and what the figures quoted in his reply would be if the average value home was (a) in band A, (b) in band B, (c) in band C and (d) in band D.

  Mr. Key
  With the seven bands which we have proposed, a home with the national average value will always be in band D.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, further to his answer of 29 April,Official Report, column 13, if he will give the council tax for band A, B, D and G properties for a council when the county council spends four per cent. over its standard spending assessment and the district council 32 per cent. but where the majority of properties are in (a) band A, (b) band B, (c) band C and (d) band D.

  Mr. Key
  I have nothing to add to my earlier answer to the hon. Member.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what weighting is given in the standard
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  spending assessment for people aged over 85 years; and what proportion of people are over 85 years old in (a) Grimsby, (b) Eastbourne, (c) Harrogate and (d) Scarborough.

  Mr. Key
  The number of people aged 85 years and over is used in the calculation of the standard spending assessment for social services for the elderly. A full description of the weight given to this factor is contained in the Revenue Support Grant Distribution Report (England) as amended by the Revenue Support Grant Distribution (Amendment) Report (England), copies of which are in the Library.

  Proportion of the resident population aged 85 years and over

  Per cent.

  Grimsby

  1·4

  Eastbourne

  3·6

  Harrogate

  1·7

  Scarborough

  2·4

  Norfolk County Council
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many measures and directives have been sent from central Government to Norfolk county council which have required Norfolk county council to(a) increase its activities and (b) employ extra staff; and if he will list each one since 1979.

  Mr. Key
  The information is not available. Since 1984, however, the Department has closely monitored all central Government initiatives with resource implications for local authorities generally. Estimates of costs are made as accurately and as early as possible and are then taken into account, with all other relevant factors, when the annual local authority finance settlement is made.

  Drinking Water (Inspectorate)
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 29 April,Official Report, column 14, on the workload of the drinking water inspectorate, how the figure of 120 days breaks down into hours per person.

  Mr. Trippier
  Approximately 53 hours per person on average.

  Cryptosporidia
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 29 April,Official Report, column 14, if he will publish the report of the outbreak control team into the outbreak of cryptosporidia in Hull in 1990.

  Mr. Trippier
  The outbreak control team published the report by sending it to the relevant local authorities and district health authorities, to the regional health authority, the Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health and the drinking water inspectorate. It is available to the public via the town clerk's office, Hull city council at a cost of approximately £10.

  Local Authority Rents
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on rent levels for local authority housing in England.
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  Mr. Yeo
  Information on local authority rents is collected from a number of sources including surveys of authorities by The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy and claims submitted to the Department for housing revenue account subsidy. Drawing on both sources we estimate current rents as follows:

  Region

  April 1991 average local authority rent £ per week

  North

  22·60

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  21·54

  East Midlands

  23·17

  Eastern

  27·66

  Greater London

  35·74

  South Eastern

  31·36

  South West

  27·49

  West Midlands

  26·19

  North West

  24·50

  England

  27·29

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

  Mr. Baldry
  No such fees have been paid during the period in question and the budget for 1991–92 contains no such provision.

  Toxic Waste (Wath upon Dearne)
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will state the number of days which have elapsed since toxic waste arrived in Wath upon Dearne near Rotherham.

  Mr. Baldry
  I understand that the waste arrived at Wath on 9 June 1989 and has therefore been present for 700 days.

  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many visits have been paid to the premises of Wath Recycling by officials of his Department in connection with the toxic waste held at these premises since this material arrived in the summer of 1989.

  Mr. Trippier
  Three visits have been made by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution inspectors since the summer of 1989 in connection with the consignment of wastes received at that time. Visits have also been made by the Health and Safety Executive which has advised that it will be making a separate representation on this question.

  Trade in Wildlife
  Mr. Norris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to ensure that international trade in wildlife does not threaten the survival of species.

  Mr. Baldry
  This Government have always been active in ensuring that trade in wildlife is controlled so that it does not threaten the survival of any species. Because of
  553
  growing concern about the effects of trade on some wildlife populations, we have asked our scientific advisers—the royal botanic gardens at Kew and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee—to undertake a wide-ranging study. They will review the evidence as to whether the trade in wild-taken plants and animals is compatible with maintaining species at satisfactory levels. Following this review, they will make recommendations to be taken into account when considering proposals to change current controls under the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora—CITES.

  The United Kingdom was one of the founder members of CITES, which is based on the principle that wildlife should be used only at levels which can be sustained. We have always been in the forefront of promoting and supporting necessary changes to the convention and complementary measures in this country and the European Community. The study—which is to be completed by the end of July—will make a significant contribution to the conservation of wildlife by ensuring that Government action continues to be based on a sound scientific foundation.

  Global Warming
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research his Department has commissioned or published in the last five years on the potential effects of global warming on London.

  Mr. Trippier
  [holding answer 8 May 1991]: The report of the Department's climate change impacts review group, published in January of this year, considers a wide range of possible impacts, some of which are relevant to London. Copies of the report have been placed in the Library of the House.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Capital Gains Tax
  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the revenue cost assumed for 1991–92 in respect of individuals' capital gains tax allowance.

  Mr. Maude
  The total revenue cost of the capital gains tax annual exempt amount for individuals and trusts is estimated to be about £350 million at 1991–92 levels. This estimate does not allow for the effect on yield of the behavioural changes which would occur if the annual exempt amount were removed.

  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what would be the capital gains tax yield for the latest available year if all equity transactions where a gain was taken within 12 months were taxed at 40 per cent;

  (2) what amount of capital gains tax was paid reflecting holdings of less than one year in (a) 1988–89, (b) 1989–90 and (c) 1990–91.

  Mr. Maude
  Information is available about the distribution, by length of period of ownership of assets, for 554
  net chargeable gains realised in 1987–88. A detailed analysis is provided in table 11.7 of "Inland Revenue Statistics 1990". This analysis suggests that about 5 per cent. of net chargeable gains for 1987–88 were attributable to assets owned for less than one year. The figures exclude gains realised by companies which are chargeable to corporation tax.

  If capital gains tax on equities were restricted to disposals of equities within one year of acquisition with gains on equities held for more than one year exempted from tax, it is likely that, after taking account of behavioural effects, the total capital gains tax yeild from equities would be small.

  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the revenue cost for 1990–91 of the capital gains tax indexation provisions.

  Mr. Maude
  I regret that it is not possible to provide a sufficiently reliable estimate of the cost of indexation relief.

  Public Employees
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will give details of the number of persons employed in the United Kingdom in(a) the civil service, (b) local government, (c) the national health service, (d) the armed forces and (e) public corporations, for each of the years 1961, 1979, 1985 and 1990;

  (2) how many persons were employed in the entire public sector in the United Kingdom (a) in 1961 and (b) at the latest date for which figures are available; and what percentage increase this represents.

  Mr. Mellor
  The information requested can be found in appendix 1, table 2 of the article on "Employment in the public and private sectors" which appeared in the December 1990 edition of the Central Statistical Office's "Economic Trends" publication. A copy is available in the Library. The percentage increase in the number of persons employed in the public sector in the United Kingdom over the period 1961 to 1990 was 3 per cent.

  Personal Incomes
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update, to take account of the 1991 Budget, the information on tax changes contained in the answer to the hon. Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Meacher), of 21 October 1986,Official Report, columns 812–14.

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

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

  Range of individual's income in 1991–92, £

  Number of individuals liable under the indexed regime in 1991–92 (million)

  Total reduction in tax compared with indexed regime, £ million

  Average reduction per individual at 1991–92 income levels, £ per annum

  Under 5,000

  3·7

  480

  130

  5,000–10,000

  8·4

  2,900

  350

  10,000–15,000

  7·1

  4,600

  650

  15,000–20,000

  4·1

  3,800

  950

  20,000–30,000

  2·9

  4,200

  1,400

  30,000–50,000

  1·2

  3,300

  2,800

  Over 50,000

  0·4

  9,500

  21,900

  Total

  27·8

  28,700

  1,000

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update to 1991–92 the information on real net earnings provided in the answer to the hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) of 10 April 1986,Official Report, columns 193–94.

  Mr. Maude
  The information is given in the tables.

  Income Tax and Income Tax and NIC1 as percentages of gross earnings

  Multiples of average earnings2

  2/3

  1

  2

  5

  10

  Single people

  1956–57

  Tax

  10·4

  16·6

  24·8

  40·5

  55·2

  Tax and NIC

  14·0

  18·9

  26·0

  41·0

  55·4

  1978–79

  Tax

  21·0

  25·0

  29·5

  50·5

  66·6

  Tax and NIC

  27·5

  31·5

  33·7

  52·2

  67·5

  1991–923

  Tax

  17·9

  20·3

  26·0

  34·4

  37·2

  Tax and NIC

  25·3

  28·2

  30·7

  36·3

  38·1

  Married men

  1956–57

  Tax

  5·1

  11·2

  22·0

  38·9

  54·2

  Tax and NIC

  8·6

  13·5

  23·1

  39·4

  54·4

  1978–79

  Tax

  15·4

  21·3

  27·2

  48·8

  65·7

  Tax and NIC

  21·9

  27·8

  31·4

  50·5

  66·5

  1991–923

  Tax

  14·2

  17·8

  24·0

  33·6

  36·8

  Tax and NIC

  21·5

  25·7

  28·7

  35·5

  37·7

  Changes in real net earnings after Income Tax and NIC (1956–57 = 100)

  Multiples of average earnings

  2/3

  1

  2

  5

  10

  Single people

  1978–79

  124·9

  125·3

  132·8

  120·1

  108·3

  1991–923

  176·1

  179·5

  189·8

  218·8

  281·4

  Married men

  1978–79

  126·8

  123·9

  132·4

  121·1

  109·0

  1991–923

  174·1

  174·2

  188·1

  215·7

  277·0

  1 At the contracted-in rate

  2 Full time adult males (all occupations)

  3 Provisional

  Gross Domestic Product
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the percentage change in the United Kingdom gross domestic product for the last financial year.
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  Mr. Maples
  Preliminary estimates of the gross domestic product at constant factor cost for the first quarter of 1991 and the 1990–91 financial year will be published by Central Statistical Office on 22 May 1991. Estimates at current market prices will be available on 24 June.

  Mortgages
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the size of mortgage interest payable in respect of domestic property in the northern region in 1985 and each subsequent year and the stock of mortgages and the average size of mortgage interest payable in the northern region for each year since 1985.

  Mr. Maude
  [holding answer 8 May 1991]: Readily available estimates, based on regional information from family expenditure surveys, are as follows:

  Mortgages in the Northern Region

  Gross interest payable

  Number of mortgages

  Average amount of gross interest

  (£ million)

  (thousands)

  (£)

  1986

  690

  440

  1,550

  1987

  720

  420

  1,800

  1988

  940

  510

  1,850

  1989

  1,280

  530

  2,400

  11990

  1,630

  560

  2,900

  1 Provisional.

  Pensions
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action has been taken in the last six months with regard to the indexation of public sector pensions; what plans he has for determining future increases in public sector pensions; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  [holding answer 7 May 1991]: Public service pensions are uprated annually in April in line with the movement in the retail prices index in the 12 months to the previous September. Accordingly, as announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security on 24 October 1990, at column 348, public service pensions as well as state retirement pensions and other benefits were increased by 10·9 per cent. from 8 April 1991. There are no plans to change the current indexation arrangements by which public service pensions are increased.

  Council Finances (Swaps)
  Mr. Viggers
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect on the United Kingdom banking industry of the House of Lords decision in the case of the district auditor v. Hammersmith and Fulham council involving swaps.

  Mr. Maples
  [holding answer 7 May 1991]: The Government are conscious of the strength of feeling about this issue among the banking community. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer and I have discussed it at length with the president of the British Bankers Association on two occasions, and the Governor of the Bank of England has kept us informed of City opinion. Officials have had long and detailed discussions with the BBA. We have been particularly anxious that all possible options for mitigating the consequences of the judgment should be fully explored.

  As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment announced on 7 May, at columns 402–3, after careful consideration, the Government have concluded that it is best not to seek to alter the existing obligations of the parties.

  This problem is specific to local authority swaps and has no implications for the vast majority of financial transactions or for local authority borrowing.

  Mr. Viggers
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he proposes to take action to end the uncertainty caused to local authorities and the banking industry by the House of Lords decision in the case of the district auditors v. Hammersmith and Fulham council involving swaps.

  Current Expenditure1

  £ million

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–902

  District council expenditure3of which expenditure on structural maintenance of roads and other highways maintenance4

  2·9

  2·9

  4·1

  4·0

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  1·6

  County council expenditure3of which expenditure on structural maintenance of roads and other highways maintenance4

  94·0

  105·9

  111·1

  119·8

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  92·6

  1 Net of local income, but gross of relevant specific Government grants.

  2 Provisional.

  3 Includes all highways and bridge maintenance, street cleaning for highways purposes, lighting and associated professional and technical services. Includes net expenditure incurred on behalf of other local authorities under agency agreements.

  4 Excludes net expenditure incurred on behalf of other local authorities under agency agreements.

  Cataract Surgery
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what advice he offers to general practitioners who wish to refer their patients direct to the treatment centre for cataract surgery funded by his Department at Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor, on whether consultant surgeons at Bangor will accept patient referrals in circumstances other than where the patient's area health authority consultant refuses to co-operate.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  . General practitioners should contact the treatment centre which will discuss with the patients' consultant whether re-referral will be in the clinical interests of the patient.
  558
  Mr. Maples
  [holding answer 7 May 1991]: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment on 7 May, at columns 402–3.

WALES

  Play Areas (Safety Measures)
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 29 April,Official Report, column 13, on safety measures in children's play areas, if he intends to provide additional funding for local authorities to put into practice the advice being drawn up on play area safety.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  In framing local authority revenue settlements for 1992–93 and subsequent years, allowance will be made for any new burdens imposed on local authorities by central Government.

  Roads and Pavements (Maintenance)
  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimates his Department has of the expenditure on the repair and maintenance of roads and pavements under the responsibility of county and district councils in Wales in 1987, 1988, 1989 and 1990.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The information available is given in the table. Prior to 1989–90 figures are available on a consistent basis only for the broad category shown.

ENERGY

  Renewable Energy
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if he will list his Department's current and planned renewable energy programmes in Wales by type, cost, site, location and capacity;

  (2) how many applications for renewable energy projects have been submitted for Wales up to date; and if he will list them by site, district council, type and capacity.

  Mr. Moynihan
  My Department supports an extensive programme of research, development and demonstration of sources of renewable energy where those sources show the potential for economic viability and are environmentally acceptable. In 1990–91 total expenditure
  559
  was over £20 million. Expenditure is distributed throughout the United Kingdom. There is no specific allocation for Wales. However, there are currently 17 renewable energy projects which have a contractor or site located in Wales. They comprise:

  Technology

  Projects

  Contract value £ million

  Wind

  7

  4·9

  Solar

  4

  0·6

  Tidal

  6

  1·9

  Wind

  Construction of Carmarthen bay 25m vertical axis wind turbine;

  Performance monitoring of 25m vertical axis wind turbine;

  Design, construction and demonstration of MS3 wind turbine;

  Design, construct and test a demonstration vertical axis wind turbine 850;

  Monitoring of the WEG MS-3 horizontal axis wind turbine at Carmarthen Bay;

  Experimental work 25m St. Regis vertical axis wind turbine;

  Ancmometry masts for Capel Cynon;

  Solar

  Field trials team 2;

  Air flow modelling of the Gateway 2 atrium building;

  Simulation studies of domestic heating systems;

  Evaluation of multi media database solar building design;

  Tidal

  Severn barrage development project;

  Conwy barrage feasibility study;

  Waders wildfowl distribution in the Severn estuary;

  Severn barrage report consultation;

  Further environment and energy capture work on Severn barrage;

  Conwy barrage engineering optimisation.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  High Definition Television
  Mr. Viggers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will state Her Majesty's Government's position on current discussions within the European Community to develop standards for high definition television, D2 MAC and HD-MAC

  Mr. Leigh
  The Government welcome the consultations initiated by the European Commission with a view to securing consensus between broadcasters and manufacturers on the best route to high definition television. The Government will take a position when the Commission makes its proposals known. The Government have made known their views that the MAC family of standards should be given a fair chance to succeed in the market for wide screen TV transmissions by satellite but this should not entail the enforced cut-off of existing transmission standards.

  Quangos
  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 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. Leigh
  The readily available information about the public appointments for which my right hon. Friend is responsible is given in the current edition of "Public 560
  Bodies" and in "Public Appointments: A Handbook for Women's Organisations", copies of which are in the Library. A number of these appointments are expected to be made in 1991 and 1992.

  Spirits (Measures)
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the representations he received regarding the proposals to permit one further round metric quantity of 35ml and of extending the requirement to use prescribed measures to cover other spirits as announced in the answer to the hon. Member for Gedling (Mr. Mitchell) of 3 May 1990,Official Report, column 612; and when he expects to lay orders on these matters.

  Mr. Leigh
  I am considering the replies to my Department's consultation paper. No decision has yet been made on whether to implement the proposals nor on when any order on these matters would be laid.

  Eurocopy Group
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, further to his answer of 22 January,Official Report, column 119, when he expects to announce the outcome of the Director General of Fair Trading's investigation into malpractice by companies in the Eurocopy Group; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  As the hon. Gentleman is aware, the responsibility for investigations under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 is the responsibility of the Director General of Fair Trading. I have asked him to inform the hon. Gentleman of the report of the investigation in question when it becomes available.

  My statement to the House on 18 March in reply to the question by my hon. Friend the Member for Gloucester (Mr. French), at columns 23–24 reflects the Government's general position on this issue.

  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will draw up a code of practice for photocopying companies to prevent the malpractices now under investigation by the Office of Fair Trading.

  Mr. Redwood
  As I said in my reply to the hon. Member on 18 March, at columns 23–24, the code of practice of the Equipment Leasing Association already requires members to "behave with integrity" and not to"misrepresent facts to a lessee concerning any aspect of a leasing transaction".
  This is the standard that the Government would expect of the industry and the only way for the industry to retain the confidence of its customers.

  I understand that the Equipment Leasing Association is currently in the process of reviewing the provisions of their code to take into account commercial developments since it was originally published.

  In addition to this code of practice, both the CBI and the Association of British Chambers of Commerce have written to their members emphasising the need to consider carefully photocopier leasing agreements and the possibility of malpractices by some operators.

  Inner-city Task Forces
  Mr. Michael Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he intends to make any changes to the location of the inner-city task forces; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Leigh
  Inner-city task forces have always been part of a rolling programme, tackling difficult areas and then moving on. I have decided to establish three new task forces: one in Hackney, one in Hull and one in South Tyneside. These task forces will work closely with the business community, the training and enterprise council and with the local authority to improve the job and training opportunities for those in the area. They will all be starting their work by the end of the year. The three new task forces, like the existing ones, are not intended to be permanent. One of their aims is to foster the development of local organisations which can capitalise on the task forces' work when the task forces themselves leave.

  The task forces in Leeds, Hartlepool and Spitalfields have now made significant progress in meeting these objectives, and I have consequently decided that they should close in the autumn. In the meantime, they will continue to build up the capacity of local bodies to take over their work in the future, and they will continue to welcome new proposals until the end of June 1991. Funding will also continue to be provided for a limited number of projects after the closure of the task forces.

  Task forces have proved highly successful in creating jobs, encouraging training opportunities and stimulating enterprise in the country's most deprived areas. Since they began, task forces have committed some £73 million to over 2,700 projects to help the people of inner city communities. A recent independent evaluation of the task force initiative by PA Cambridge Economic Consultants concluded that task forces are successfully and cost-effectively meeting their objectives and helping to achieve the Government's aim of regenerating the inner cities. A copy of this report is available in the Library.

  Companies House
  Mr. Nicholls
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what targets have been set for the Companies House executive agency.

  Mr. Redwood
  In making available information about companies, Companies House promotes enterprise and contributes substantially to open and informed markets. Executive agency status has produced very significant improvements in efficiency and the standard of service provided to Companies House customers. Details of performance against the agency's original two-year targets will be available when the Companies House annual report is published.

  The chief executive of Companies House has been set the following quality of service and financial performance targets:

  i. To make all documents available to searchers within a maximum of five working days of receipt;

  ii. To increase the compliance rate for annual returns and accounts to 85 per cent. by June 1992., and 90 per cent. by June 1994;

  iii. To provide a two-hour search service for all customers from April 1991, and to provide a one-hour search service to all customers by April 1994;

  iv. To reduce real unit costs by 1 per cent. in 1991–92.

  562
  The achievement of these stretching targets would represent a further significant improvement in the quality of Companies House services, as well as building on the agency's improved financial performance. For example, a target of processing documents within a maximum of five working days compares with an average performance of 25 working days in 1988–89, and the original target to ensure that by April 1991 documents were processed within an average of 18 working days.

  Additional financial performance targets will be set when Companies House achieves trading fund status.

  EC Regional Funds
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what additional funding would be provided for the Rotherham area in each of the next three years if it were to receive its share of the total sum available from EC funds under the Community's regional support arrangements; and what is his estimate of the funds which this area will receive in each of the next three years.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 7 May 1991]: Decisions on the future level of funding for the United Kingdom's objective 2 regions will be made by the Commission shortly. For the Community's RECHAR initiative the Commission has already announced the level of funding for Great Britain.

  It is not, however, possible to estimate what funding any particular area will receive since project selection is a matter for programme co-ordinating committees to consider.

  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action he is now taking to ensure that areas affected by contraction of the mining industry receive the benefit of the funds which are available from the EC.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 7 May 1991]: The United Kingdom Government submitted their applications under the RECHAR programme for coalmining areas on 26 July 1990. My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Trade and Industry, for Northern Ireland, for Wales and for Scotland, and other Ministers met Mr. Bruce Milian, EC Commissioner for regional policy, on 25 April when, among other EC structural fund issues, the Commission's approval of these programmes was discussed. Discussions are continuing at official level to resolve any outstanding questions so that early approval to these programmes may be given.

  Training (Bradford)
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take steps to enable Bradford Task Force to support training provided by the National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders and other training centres facing closure, and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 7 May 1991]: All applications to Bradford task force for assistance for training projects are considered on their merits. The task force will continue to support schemes, in partnership with other funding organisations, which help local task force area residents obtain the skills needed to obtain employment.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will direct Bradford task force to
  563
  provide training places for those with special needs to replace those which will no longer be offered by the Bradford TEC; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 7 May 1991]: The Bradford task force already supports a range of training initiatives aimed at disadvantaged, unemployed task force area residents. Many of these are being carried out in partnership with the Bradford and district training and enterprise council.

  Kingshurst

  Tyneside

  Bradford

  Leigh

  Britschool

  Djanogly

  Macmillan College

  Site

  Kingshurst School site

  St. John Fisher School site

  Newby Square, Bradford

  Downs School site

  Site of Selhurst Tertiary Centre

  Sherwood Rise, Nottingham

  St. Michael RC School, Middlesbrough

  LEA

  Solihull

  Gateshead

  Bradford

  Kent

  Croydon

  Nottinghamshire

  Cleveland

  Opening dates

  1988

  1990

  1990

  1990

  1991

  1989

  1989

  Planned number of pupils

  1,100

  900

  980

  1,250

  720

  990

  1,100

  Total capital cost1

  £9·71m

  £8·609m

  £9·162m

  £8·95m

  £7·001m

  £9·71m

  £8·450m

  Exchequer contribution

  £7·598m

  £6·887m

  £7·330m

  £7·16m

  £4·201m

  £8·191m

  £6·744m

  Sponsors' contribution

  i) committed2

  £2·112m

  £1·722m

  £1·832m

  £1·79m

  £2·800m

  £1·519m

  £1·706m

  ii) confirmed

  £2·787m

  £1·600m

  £2·864m

  £1·519m

  £2·213m

  £1·887m

  £1·509m

  Principal Sponsors

  Hanson Trust

  Peter Vardy

  Dixons plc, Mr. Hakim Wong

  Mr. G. Leigh

  The British Record Industry Trust

  Mr. Harry Djanogly

  BAT Industries

  Contracts awarded to sponsors

  None

  Building contract—Laings Northern

  None

  None

  None

  None

  None

  School closure involved

  No

  No

  No

  Yes

  No

  No

  No

  Has a ballot of parents been held and with what result

  No

  No

  No

  3No

  No

  No

  No

  Harris

  Bacon's

  Haberdashers'

  Corby

  Derby

  Telford

  Wandsworth

  Bristol

  Site

  Sylvan school site, Croydon

  Bacon's school site, Southwark

  Haberdashers' Aske's, Hatcham, school site

  Great Oakley, Corby

  Wood Street, Derby

  New build

  Mayfield School

  Kingswood Borough Council

  LEA

  Croydon

  Southwark

  Lewisham

  Northants

  Derbyshire

  Shropshire

  Wandsworth

  Avon

  Opening dates

  1990

  1991

  1991

  1991

  1992

  1991

  1991

  1992

  Planned number of pupils

  1,100

  1,100

  1,100

  900

  900

  1,000

  1,000

  900

  Total capital cost1

  £8·662m

  £14·279m

  £8·945m

  £9·95m

  £10·200m

  £10·751m

  £11·116m

  To be determined

  Exchequer contribution

  £6·93m

  £11·423m

  £5·500m

  £7·96m

  £8·160m

  £8·399m

  £8·893m

  Not more than 80 per cent, of cost

  Sponsors' contribution

  i) committed2

  £l·732m

  £2·856m

  £3·445m

  £l·99m

  £2·040m

  £2·352m

  £2·223m

  At least 20 per cent, of cost

  ii) confirmed

  £l·708m

  4£2·500m

  5£4·445m

  £l·99m

  £2·000m

  £2·352m

  £2·223m

  At least 20 per cent of cost

  Principal Sponsors

  Philip and Pauline Harris Charitable Trust

  Philip and Pauline Harris Charitable Trust/ Southwark Diocesan Board of Education

  Haberdashers' Company as Trustees of Robert Aske Charity

  Mr. Hugh de Capell Brooke

  The Landau Foundation

  The Mercers Tarmac plc

  ADT plc

  Wolfson Foundation and Cable and Wireless

  Contracts awarded to sponsors

  None

  None

  None

  None

  None

  None

  None

  None

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  City Technology Colleges
  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will update the table given in his answer to the hon. Member for Blackburn,Official Report, 25 July 1990, columns 280–84, giving the latest available information in respect of each city technology college or proposed and planned city technology college.

  Mr. Eggar
  The table covers announced CTCs:
  565

  Harris

  Bacon's

  Haberdashers'

  Corby

  Derby

  Telford

  Wandsworth

  Bristol

  School closure involved

  Yes

  Yes

  Yes

  No

  No

  No

  No

  No

  Has a ballot of parents been held and with what result

  Yes majority against

  No

  Yes majority in favour

  No

  6No

  6No

  6No

  6No

  Notes:

  1 In addition, the Exchequer bears revenue costs on a basis comparable to those of maintained schools in similar areas

  2Sponsors' contributions based on their agreed percentage.

  3 Public consultations were held by Kent on its proposals to close the Downs school. One statutory objection containing 62 signatures was made to the section 12 proposal subsequently published.

  4 Existing school to be relocated to new site, the sale proceeds of the present site which have been valued at £1·5m will form a sponsorship contribution from the Southwark Diocesan Board.

  5 This figure includes the donation of the present site, which has been valued at £3·445m.

  6 In each case, LEA, local schools and other interests consulted on proposal to establish CTC.

  Cambridge Regional College
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make it his policy to provide a guarantee that the debt charges on capital expenditure to provide new accommodation for Cambridge regional college will not remain the responsibility of the local education authority should the college be accorded corporate status.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  [pursuant to the reply, 22 April 1991, c. 322]: From April 1993 the council that will be established to fund the new sector will take responsibility for meeting the cost of servicing debts arising from contracts for new capital spending in sixth form colleges and LEA-maintained colleges of further and higher education. The council will take responsibility only for the costs of debts relating to contracts entered into after 1 April 1991 which have a value in excess of £50,000 and to which I have consented under the arrangements I announced on 21 March this year.

  The maximum amount of each local education authority's debt for which the council will take responsibility will not exceed the level allowed within the authority's annual capital guidelines for relevant institutions in 1991–92 and 1992–93. These arrangements will be reflected in an appropriate adjustment to revenue support grant for future local authority finance settlements.

  The servicing of debt arising from contracts entered into before 1 April 1991 will remain the responsibility of local education authorities. It will continue to be supported through annual local authority finance settlements as now.

  Given this assurance, I expect authorities to wish to continue with their existing capital programmes and to undertake further appropriate capital spending on the colleges.

PRIME: MINISTER

  Engagements
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 9 May.

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

  Overseas Aid
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Prime Minister whether his statement concerning the growing aid programme,Official Report, column 163, 30 April 1991, referred to the aid level in real or nominal terms; and if he will provide the figures on which the claim was based.

  The Prime Minister
  Over the three-year public expenditure survey period to 1993–94 the aid programme is planned to increase to £1,860 million. Compared with the original planning figure for 1990–91 this represents continued real-terms growth.

HEALTH

  Acute Hospital Beds
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will state the number of patients treated in acute hospital beds for each year since 1979; and what proportion were over pensionable age.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The information requested is given in the table.

  Estimated number of cases1 treated, acute sector2 NHS hospitals, England 1979 to 1988–89

  (Thousands)

  Total (all ages)

  Over 65

  Percentage age over 65

  1979

  4,750·2

  1,137·3

  23·9

  1980

  5,024·9

  1,222·8

  24·3

  1981

  5,153·5

  1,280·9

  24·9

  1982

  5,090·0

  1,315·9

  25·8

  1983

  5,443·7

  1,387·5

  25·5

  1984

  5,633·6

  1,426·4

  25·5

  1985

  5,802·9

  1,511·9

  26·0

  1986

  5,922·0

  3—

  3—

  1987–88

  5,921·0

  1,513·0

  25·6

  1988–89

  6,006·0

  1,590·8

  26·5

  Note: The figures are estimates derived from the Hospital In-Patient Enquiry (HIPE)—calendar years 1979–85—and the Hospital Episode System (HES) (from financial year 1987–88).

  1 Ordinary admissions and day cases.

  22 1979–86—Discharges and deaths from all specialties other than those relating to maternity, mental health, geriatics, units for the younger disabled and healthy liveborn infants.

  1987–88 and 1988–89—As above but excluding pathology.

  3 It is not possible to estimate a number for patients over 65 for 1986 because HIPE ceased in 1985 and HES did not start until 1987–88.

  Traffic Casualties
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if, further to his answer of 12 March,Official Report, column 497, he has now found a suitable legislative vehicle for annulling section 155 of the Road Traffic Act 1972.

  Mr. Dorrell
  I have nothing to add to the reply I gave the right hon. Member for Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale (Sir D. Steel) on 12 March at column 497.

  NHS Charges
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what proportion of persons eligible for exemption from national health service charges by virtue of the low-income scheme actually claimed that exemption in the three most recent years for which figures are available;

  (2) what percentage of people eligible to claim under the national health service low-income scheme made a claim in 1988, 1989 and 1990.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Figures are not available for the potential number of people who may have benefited from the NHS low income scheme had they made a claim for remission of charges. Between May 1988, when revised methods of collecting statistical information were introduced, and March 1989, a total of 972,637 claims were received and a total of 689,945 awards of either full or partial remission of charges were made. For the financial year 1989–90 the corresponding figures were 900,509 and 813,671 and for 1990–91 1,01 7,7 3 9 and 957,886. Claimants may make more than one claim in any 12-month period.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the gross annual cost of administering the low-income scheme for health benefits and the cost per claim in the three most recent years for which figures are available.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The NHS low income scheme is administered by the Department of Social Security on behalf of the Department of Health, on a repayment basis. Figures are available only for the two years 1989–90 and 1990–91 when the repayments were £8·107 million and £7·180 million respectively.

  The average cost per claim was £6·76 in 1989–90 and £7·65 in 1990–91. No figures are available for earlier years.

  Hip Fractures
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the rate of incidence of hip fractures in(a) the total population, (b) the male population, (c) the female population and (d) the female population over 75 years in each year since 1980.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 30 April 1991]: The information is given in the table.

  Estimated Numbers of Discharges and Deaths (1980-–985) and Finished Consultant Episodes (1987–88, 1988–89 and 1989–90 where principal diagnosis was ICD 820: Fracture of Neck of Femur and Incidence per 10,000 Population NHS Hospitals, England

  Total

  Male

  Females

  All Ages

  All Ages

  All Ages

  Over 75

  1980

  39,261

  8,750

  30,511

  21,874

  incidence per 10,000 population

  8

  4

  13

  120

  1981

  39,574

  8,904

  30,670

  22,409

  568

  Total

  Male

  Females

  All Ages

  All Ages

  All Ages

  Over 75

  incidence per 10,000 population

  8

  4

  13

  120

  1982

  40,829

  8,994

  31,835

  23,095

  incidence per 10,000 population

  9

  4

  13

  121

  1983

  42,189

  9,157

  33,032

  24,227

  incidence per 10,000 population

  9

  4

  14

  124

  1984

  41,991

  8,450

  33,541

  25,256

  incidence per 10,000 population

  9

  4

  14

  127

  1985

  44,403

  9,700

  34,703

  26,272

  incidence per 10,000 population

  9

  4

  14

  129

  1987–88

  41,763

  9,055

  32,707

  25,049

  incidence per 10,000 population

  9

  4

  13

  119

  1988–89

  42,048

  8,677

  33,371

  25,722

  incidence per 10,000 population

  9

  4

  14

  120

  1989–90

  48,925

  10,303

  38,622

  30,295

  incidence per 10,000 population

  10

  4

  16

  139

  The figures for 1987–88 onwards are extracted from the Hospital Episode Statistics. They are provisional estimates based on incomplete data and may be subject to revision when ongoing analysis has been completed. Data for 1986 is not available.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  World Bank Forest Policy
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures he is supporting to ensure more local participation in preparation, appraisal and implementation of World bank forest projects.

  Mrs. Chalker
  It is already World bank practice to consult widely on all of their projects, including those in the forestry sector. The bank welcomes and encourages discussion with local interest groups and nongovernmental organisations on aspects of project preparation, appraisal and implementation. As part of its wider forest policy review the bank is looking again at its practice. The British Government support these efforts to strengthen local participation.

  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to press for a World bank forest policy that clearly states that the bank will no longer lend to projects which degrade or destroy tropical forests.

  Mrs. Chalker
  A major objective of the world bank's new forest policy will be to help ensure that tropical forests are managed on a sustainable basis. The British Government fully support that principle and has so informed bank management.

  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the timetable for approval and adoption of the revised World bank forest policy; and what assessment he has undertaken of whether the new policy will affect proposed World bank loans already under consideration.
  569
  Mrs. Chalker
  World bank executive directors, management and staff are scheduled to discuss forest policy in a seminar on 31 May. Depending on the outcome of this discussion, the present intention is for management to seek formal board approval of the new policy by the end of June. No forestry sector loans currently under consideration will come to the board before the policy is finalised.

  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many proposed World bank loans that include plans for use of forested land, reafforestation, or the timber industry, are currently in the process of being approved.

  Mrs. Chalker
  None.

  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evaluation he has made of the implementation by the International Tropical Timber Organisation of its guidelines on sustainable management of tropical forests; and what recommendation Her Majesty's Government are making on how the World bank could implement the International Tropical Timber Organisation's guidelines.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Progress with implementation of ITTO guidelines on sustainable management of tropical forests will be discussed at the ITTO council meeting in Quito from 27 May to 6 June. The ITTO is organising a conference of foresters in Yokohama in July to promote further the guidelines. The ODA has made it clear to the authors of the World bank's forest policy that the bank should incorporate the guidelines into its overall strategy.

  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the United Kingdom's executive director at the World bank will be putting forward the concerns expressed by United Kingdom non-governmental organisations to Her Majesty's Government concerning World bank forest policy.

  Mrs. Chalker
  In discussing the new forest policy with World bank officials, the United Kingdom executive director and his staff have drawn extensively on material and comments prepared by British non-governmental organisations. International and developing country NGOs had an opportunity to discuss the new policy directly with bank staff on 23 and 24 April in Washington.

  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in what way existing Overseas Development Agency policy on support for forestry differs from the draft World bank forest policy currently under discussion.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The World bank draft policy paper has been revised four times since early March. Work on this will not be complete until the summer. Until it is, the Government are in no position to say how, if at all, respective policies will differ.

  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to support the recruitment, by the World bank, of a substantial number of staff with experience of community participation in forestry, and support substantial training programmes for other World bank operational staff in practical implementation of forestry policy.
  570
  Mrs. Chalker
  The United Kingdom executive director has already stressed the need for the World bank to develop an appropriate range of skills to support implementation of the new forest policy. The bank must decide on the mix of new recruitment and internal training required to fulfil this obligation.

  Brazil
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in establishing a comprehensive pilot project for forest conservation in Brazil, as proposed at the Group of Seven Houston summit in July 1990.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The Government of Brazil have been preparing a project proposal in cooperation with the World bank and the European Community. Draft proposals are being discussed at a further meeting of the three parties in Brazil on 9 and 10 May.

  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Minister for Overseas Development, during her recent visit to Brazil, discussed Brazilian law No. 7.827 of 9 September 1990 creating the constitutional fund for financing the north, and the reactivation, on 17 December 1990, of the fund for investment in the Amazon with the Brazilian Government; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Chalker
  I discussed with Brazilian Ministers reports about the reactivation of schemes which earlier resulted in ranching and unnecessary deforestation in northern Brazil. I was assured that, although schemes to promote sustainable development in Amazonia were being reactivated, detailed arrangements had still to be worked out and care would be taken to ensure that the incentives would not result in needless deforestation or unsustainable logging.

  Forestry
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place a statement of the Overseas Development Agency's forestry policy in the Library.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The Overseas Development Agency's forestry policy is set out in the memorandum and evidence given to the Environment Committee's inquiry into the climatological and environmental effects of rain forest destruction last year. Also in the Library are copies of the Overseas Development Agency's booklet "Environment and the British Aid Programme" and the Government's White Paper "This Common Inheritance", both of which have sections on tropical forests.

  Departmental Budget
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the size of the ODA's contingency reserve, the disaster relief budget and the food aid budget for financial year 1991–92; whether any changes have been made to each of those since the start of the financial year; and how much of each has so far been allocated and for what purpose.

  Mrs. Chalker
  For 1991–92 the contingency reserve was initially set at £70 million. Allocations totalling
  571
  £22·727 million have been made—£19·5 million for Iraqi refugee relief, £3·0 million towards Bangladesh cyclone relief, £0·227 million in respect of other emergencies.

  Parliamentary approval for expenditure arising from these dispositions will be sought as appropriate through the estimates.

  Within the contingency reserve £10 million was set aside initially for disaster relief. Of this £9 million was provided for in subhead A3(7) of the supply estimates, of which £2,827,000 has been spent, as follows:

  £

  Iraqi refugees (Kurdish crisis)

  2,600,000

  UNDRO: Afghanistan earthquake

  7,000

  World Vision: Malawi floods

  46,000

  SCF: Malawi floods

  114,000

  SCF: Uganda displaced persons

  60,000

  Assistance for the Bangladesh cyclone and further assistance for the Iraqi refugees will be charged to this subhead, supplemented as necessary by transfers from the unallocated section.

  The remaining £1 million was provided for in subhead B3(9) and has yet to be spent.

  Provision for food aid in 1991–92, under subheads A3(8) and B3(8) in the supply estimates, totals £19·5 million. Allocations are made in terms of tonnes of cereals, as this is the basis of the United Kingdom's obligation under the food aid convention. The following allocations have been made:

  Subhead A3(8) Bilateral Food Aid

  Country

  Quantity tonnes

  Ethiopia

  25,000

  Mozambique

  10,000

  Sudan

  25,000

  Total

  60,000

  Subhead B3(8) Multilateral Food Aid

  Angola (fulfilment of 1990–91 pledge to special UN programme which has been delayed due to local difficulties)

  2,200

  World food programme regular programme

  25,000

  Protracted refugee operations:

  Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia

  5,000

  Mozambican refugees in Malawi

  5,000

  International emergency food reserve

  10,000

  Total

  47,200

  Plus cash contribution to WFP administrative expenses

  £500,000

SCOTLAND

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish tables showing(a) the expenditure per capita of population of each local authority in Scotland and (b) the level of central Government support per capita of population to each local authority.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  The information, based on local authorities' budget estimates and the aggregate external finance settlement for 1991–92, is set out in the table.
  572

  1

  2

  1991–92 budget estimates per capita £

  1991–92 government support per capita £

  Borders

  959

  777

  Central

  866

  671

  Dumfries and Galloway

  941

  762

  Fife

  921

  699

  Grampian

  842

  688

  Highland

  1,112

  912

  Lothian

  922

  645

  Strathclyde

  914

  733

  Tayside

  911

  716

  Orkney

  1,368

  1,266

  Shetland

  2,540

  2,468

  Western Isles

  1,825

  1,731

  Berwickshire

  108

  79

  Ettrick and Lauderdale

  118

  82

  Roxburgh

  130

  89

  Tweedale

  112

  82

  Clackmannan

  179

  109

  Falkirk

  124

  93

  Stirling

  191

  120

  Annandale and Eskdale

  122

  70

  Nithsdale

  111

  75

  Stewartry

  115

  69

  Wigtown

  125

  84

  Dunfermline

  141

  89

  Kirkcaldy

  131

  84

  North East Fife

  153

  94

  Aberdeen

  197

  124

  Banff and Buchan

  129

  85

  Gordon

  128

  81

  Kincardine and Deeside

  99

  76

  Moray

  117

  85

  Badenoch and Strathspey

  123

  86

  Caithness

  121

  88

  Inverness

  105

  81

  Lochaber

  149

  116

  Nairn

  117

  78

  Ross and Cromarty

  164

  119

  Skye and Lochalsh

  167

  145

  Sutherland

  154

  113

  East Lothian

  162

  105

  Edinburgh

  219

  137

  Midlothian

  167

  89

  West Lothian

  130

  90

  Argyll and Bute

  211

  154

  Bearsden and Milngavie

  144

  86

  Clydebank

  237

  146

  Clydesdale

  172

  97

  Cumbernauld

  131

  83

  Cumnock and Doon Valley

  153

  98

  Cunninghame

  167

  106

  Dumbarton

  168

  93

  East Kilbride

  149

  68

  Eastwood

  109

  71

  Glasgow

  265

  195

  Hamilton

  154

  98

  Inverclyde

  180

  115

  Kilmarnock and Loudon

  142

  89

  Kyle and Carrick

  161

  94

  Monklands

  193

  123

  Motherwell

  165

  109

  Renfrew

  173

  110

  Strathkelvin

  161

  98

  Angus

  125

  85

  Dundee

  200

  136

  Perth and Kinross

  140

  95

  Notes:

  1. Figures used in column 1 are total relevant current expenditure including loan and leasing charges.

  2. Total Government support includes revenue support grant, estimated non-domestic rate income and estimated specific

  573
  grants for each authority. An additional £47·2 million specific grant relating to urban programm expenditure has not been allocated to individual authorities.

  3. The figures in both columns were calculated using the population figures at June 1989.

  Electricity Privatisation
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 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. Allan Stewart
  In reconstructing the companies' balance sheets prior to flotation, outstanding NLF' loans amounting to £1·044 billion were extinguished in Scottish Hydro-Electric plc and ScottishPower plc. Subsequently the Government injected new long-term debt totalling £516 million into the companies, together with a short-term debenture of £110 million. At the same time, all outstanding tax losses available to the companies were removed.

  The difference between loans written off and debentures issued is £418 million. This represents 40 per cent. of the total amount of NLF loans extinguished. The Government expect that this sum will be more than offset by the proceeds of sale of the two companies, which will reflect their new capital structure.

  Social Services
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the total number of voluntary sector social work staff in Scotland who received financial support to undertake the certificate in social services course in each of the past five years; what was the total level of support allocated in each of the past five years; and what is the projected level of support and numbers to be involved in the current financial year.

  Voluntary organisations receiving support for professional training of social workers

  Name of voluntary organisation

  1986–87 £

  1987–88 £

  1988–89 £

  1989–90 £

  1990–91 £

  SACRO

  2,692

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Aberlour Child Care Trust

  8,681

  11,487

  22,471

  4,972

  8,250

  Cornerstone Society for the Mentally Handicapped

  2,671

  2,108

  2,634

  3,836

  —

  Dundee and District Spastics Association

  1,405

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Ark Housing Association

  9,541

  9,451

  14,529

  8,610

  485

  L'Arche

  898

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Dundee Cyrenians

  2,183

  3,421

  1,000

  —

  —

  Good Shepherd Centre

  8,765

  —

  21,166

  4,232

  —

  Castlemilk Family Centre

  4,186

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Balmyre House

  4,398

  2,748

  —

  —

  3,220

  Dean Orphanage and Cauvins Trust

  1,942

  —

  —

  —

  2,750

  Skye and Lochalsh Association for Disability

  1,567

  3,696

  2,885

  —

  —

  Whitehill House Association

  2,518

  —

  2,516

  2,364

  —

  Inverness Womens Aid

  941

  3,428

  2,316

  —

  —

  Elgin Hospice Trust

  1,670

  —

  3,058

  —

  —

  Glasgow and West of Scotland Society for the Deaf

  3,081

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Crossroads Care Attendant Scheme

  149

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Albyn House Association

  2,830

  3,305

  2,925

  2,358

  —

  Church of Scotland

  30,730

  25,947

  32,496

  26,812

  16,446

  Voluntary Service Aberdeen

  9,079

  3,066

  8,705

  14,399

  16,001

  Talbot Association

  3,227

  1,997

  2,585

  2,570

  2,857

  Barnardo's

  5,653

  —

  —

  4,607

  9,018

  Quarriers Homes

  11,831

  13,559

  23,096

  12,112

  6,282

  Salvation Army

  11,437

  8,252

  15,105

  5,835

  4,330

  Scottish Council for Spastics

  4,631

  —

  15,983

  2,367

  2,940

  St Aidans Project

  1,637

  2,119

  2,124

  2,409

  2,594

  Margaret Blackwood Housing Association

  2,035

  3,740

  2,570

  3,137

  3,344

  Key Housing Association

  10,184

  17,505

  32,851

  14,365

  2,715

  Dundee Survival Group

  —

  3,092

  738

  —

  2,997

  574
  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The numbers of staff receiving financial support for certificate in social services courses and the levels of support for the past five years and the current financial year are set out in the table.

  Number of staff receiving financial support

  Number

  Total support (£)

  1986–87

  62

  226,123

  1987–88

  55

  184,965

  1988–89

  65

  310,281

  1989–90

  52

  203,900

  1990–91

  28

  101,244

  1991–92

  18

  1119,053

  1 Estimated.

  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the names of those voluntary organisations which have received support for the professional training of its social workers in each of the past five years; what was the total level of financial support in each organisation over the same period; and if he will make a statement on future increases in support for professional social work training in the voluntary sector.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The names of voluntary organisations receiving support for professional training of its social workers and the levels of that support over the past five years are set out in the table.

  It is not Government policy fully to fund the training needs of the voluntary sector and agencies are encouraged to include realistic training costs in budgets to ensure their acceptance into mainstream funding. The current level of support for 1991–92 to the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work is 1,003,000 the majority of which is devoted to supporting voluntary sector training interests. The level of future support for professional social work training will be considered by the Scottish Office alongside other demands on resources.
  575

  Name of voluntary organisation

  1986–87 £

  1987–88 £

  1988–89 £

  1989–90 £

  1990–91 £

  Aberdeen Cyrenians

  —

  2,566

  3,347

  6,159

  6,456

  Wellington School

  —

  1,160

  4,836

  —

  —

  Aberdeen and North East Association for Mental Health

  —

  2,392

  2,335

  3,254

  —

  Grassmarket/Old Town Housing Association

  —

  6,822

  3,116

  —

  2,750

  Carolina House Trust

  —

  2,059

  2,001

  —

  —

  Scottish Society for the Mentally Handicapped

  —

  638

  5,716

  —

  —

  Lothian Allelon Society

  —

  551

  2,736

  1,818

  —

  Abbeyfield Quarriers Society

  —

  879

  2,884

  —

  —

  Springboig St. Johns School

  —

  3,656

  5,002

  3,661

  —

  Baroney Housing Association

  —

  1,699

  4,336

  4,735

  —

  National Childrens Home

  —

  —

  2,492

  —

  5,500

  Edinburgh and East of Scotland Society for the Deaf

  —

  —

  6,234

  3,639

  —

  Seabank House

  —

  —

  1,991

  2,424

  2,289

  Glengowan House

  —

  —

  —

  3,078

  3,152

  Lanarkshire Association for Mental Health

  —

  —

  —

  2,970

  3,297

  North Edinburgh Action Group

  —

  —

  —

  —

  6,013

  Raddery School

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,127

  Save the Children Fund

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2,750

  Red Cross House

  —

  —

  —

  —

  4,000

  Totals

  150,560

  141,345

  258,781

  146,724

  121,563

  Fish Processing
  Mr. Doran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met representatives of the fish processing industry to discuss future Government support for the industry.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  My noble Friend the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland met the Scottish Fish Merchants' Federation in October last year. This has been backed up by more recent meetings with officials.

  Statisticians

  Year

  Grade 5

  Grade 7

  Assistant/Senior Asst Stat

  SIP

  VAC

  SIP

  VAC

  SIP

  VAC

  1979

  2

  —

  10

  —

  13

  —

  1980

  2

  —

  10

  —

  11

  —

  1981

  2

  —

  10

  —

  10

  —

  1982

  1

  —

  10

  —

  8

  —

  1983

  2

  —

  13

  —

  10

  —

  1984

  2

  —

  12

  —

  10

  —

  1985

  2

  —

  14

  —

  9

  —

  1986

  2

  0

  11

  0

  11

  0

  1987

  2

  0

  13

  0

  13

  1

  1988

  2

  0

  13

  0

  10

  1

  1989

  2

  0

  15

  1

  8

  3

  1990

  2

  0

  16

  0

  10

  3

  1991

  2

  0

  15

  0

  11

  2

  Administrative staff

  Year

  Senior Executive Officer

  Higher Executive Officer

  Executive Officer

  Admin Officer

  Admin Assistant

  Personal Secretary

  SIP

  VAC

  SIP

  VAC

  SIP

  VAC

  SIP

  VAC

  SIP

  VAC

  SIP

  VAC

  1979

  2

  —

  9

  —

  25

  —

  57

  —

  22

  —

  2

  —

  1980

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1981

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1982

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1983

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1984

  2

  —

  6

  —

  27

  —

  49

  —

  23

  —

  2

  —

  1985

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1986

  1

  0

  9

  0

  26

  1

  50

  1

  21

  2

  2

  0

  1987

  1

  0

  9

  0

  26

  1

  49

  0

  24

  2

  2

  0

  1988

  0

  0

  7

  2

  24

  3

  49

  0

  23

  0

  2

  0

  1989

  0

  0

  9

  0

  25

  1

  48

  0

  22

  0

  2

  0

  Departmental Staff
  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, by grade, in the statistical divisions in his Department; and if he will differentiate between staff in statistical posts and staff in administrative posts.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 29 April 1991]: Full information along the lines requested is not readily available for every year since 1979. The available information is set out in the table.
  577

  Year

  Senior Executive Officer

  Higher Executive Officer

  Executive Officer

  Admin Officer

  Admin Assistant

  Personal Secretary

  SIP

  VAC

  SIP

  VAC

  SIP

  VAC

  SIP

  VAC

  SIP

  VAC

  SIP

  VAC

  1990

  0

  0

  10

  0

  23

  0

  46

  0

  16

  3

  2

  0

  1991

  1

  0

  7

  0

  23

  0

  41

  2

  16·5

  0

  2

  0

  Note: SIP = Staff in Post as at 1 April.

  VAC = Vacant Posts as at 1 April. (Not available before 1986).

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

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 7 May 1991]: The information is as follows:

  Number1

  (i) Type of Birth

  Twin

  731

  Triplet

  16

  Quadruplets

  1

  Quintuplets

  —

  Sextuplets

  —

  (ii) Total confinements

  65,556

  1 Provisional.

  Information on the number of multiple births attributed to assisted reproduction is not available.

  Grampian Health Board
  Mr. Robert Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, further to his answer of 25 April,Official Report, column 548, whether he will now direct the Grampian health board to make its minutes available to the hon. Member for Aberdeen, North.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 7 May 1991]: I understand a copy of the relevant minutes were sent to the hon. Member on 2 May. I regret that this was not done sooner.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Pension Books
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the numbers and proportions of pensioners who are not receiving their new pension books by the date at which they come into force; and what action he is taking to prevent such occurrences.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Pension books normally go out three weeks before they are due. Exceptionally, delays may occur in a small number of cases. Detailed figures on such cases are not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Pensioners
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total percentage of pensioner units whose income did not exceed £5,000 at current prices for each of the last 10 years for the Doncaster area; and what is the national figure.

  Miss Widdecombe
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to the hon. Member for Nottingham, North (Mr. Allen) on 5 February 1991, at column 134, which gives the national figures requested. Information on particular areas is not available.

  Community Care
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received about the level of funding of(a) community care loans and (b) grants, at his Department's offices in the Doncaster area; and what his response has been to-date.

  Mr. Scott
  The administration of the social fund 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.

  Invalidity Benefit
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the numbers of claimants in receipt of invalidity benefit who will suffer a net loss of income arising from the recent uprating of invalidity benefit and its impact upon entitlement to housing and poll tax rebates and free national health service prescriptions.

  Mr. Scott
  Detailed information is not available. However, invalidity benefit recipients who are also in receipt of housing benefit and community charge benefit will normally be better off following an uprating. This is because applicable amounts for housing benefit and community charge benefit are uprated at the same time as increased invalidity benefit is taken into account. In addition, the housing benefit and community charge benefit tapers operate so that claimants normally retain at least part of any increase in their income. The applicable amounts used in assessing entitlement to help with prescription charges under the NHS low income scheme are also uprated at the same time as invalidity benefit.

  Occupational Pensioners
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total number of occupational pensioners in the United Kingdom in 1970, 1980, and 1990 receiving pensions from local authorities; and what was the total amount paid in occupational pensions by local authorities in those years.
  579
  Miss Widdecombe
  The information requested is not held centrally. Local authorities are responsible not only for the payment of pensions to their own former employees, who are members of the local government superannuation scheme but for the payment of pensions to retired firefighters and police officers who are members of schemes administered by the Home Office. In Scotland the Scottish Office is responsible for the administration of all such occupational pensions.

  Benefits
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what would be the cost in 1991–92 of raising(a) one-parent benefit and (b) the widowed mother's allowance on behalf of the claimant, by 85p a week (i) assuming similar increases in income-related benefits for lone parents and widows and (ii) net of income-related benefits;

  (2) what would be the cost in 1991–92 of raising one-parent benefit by £1·45 a week (i) assuming similar increases in income-related benefits for lone parents and (ii) net of income-related benefits.

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

  Raising OPB and WMA by 85p a week £ million

  Raising OPB by £1·45 a week £ million

  (i) Assuming compensatory increases in income related benefits

  One-parent benefit

  57

  98

  Widowed mother's allowance

  3

  —

  TOTAL

  60

  98

  (ii) Assuming no increase in income related benefits

  One-parent benefit

  17

  30

  Widowed mother's allowance

  2

  —

  TOTAL

  19

  30

  Notes:

  1. The table shows:

  (i) The effects of increasing one-parent benefit and widowed mother's allowance and of making increases in the income related benefits to allow all claimants of one-parent benefit and widowed mother's allowance to get the full increases;

  (ii) The cost of increasing one-parent benefit and widowed mother's allowance without making such increases in the income related benefits. In this case increases in one parent benefit and widowed mother's allowance for people on income related benefits would be offset by reductions in those benefits.

  2. It is not possible to get both one-parent benefit and widowed mother's allowance.

  Press and Public Relations Staff
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social
  Security 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.
  580
  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 26 April 1991] Functions which are commonly associated with press and public relations are carried out by the Department's headquarters information division.

  Information for the years 1979–80 to 1987–88 is not available in the form requested.

  Date

  Staff in post

  Complement

  1 April 1989

  79

  186

  1 April 1990

  70·5

  281

  1 April 1991

  25

  334·5

  From April 1991 the Benefits Agency became responsible for its own information service. The figures are as follows.

  1 April 1991

  54

  456

  1 Of the complement 19 were Information Officer grades.

  2 Of the complement 22 were Information Officer grades.

  3 Of the complement 19 are Information Officer grades.

  4 Of the complement 14 are Information Officer grades.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Southern Health and Social Services (Finances)
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures he will take to improve the budgetary position of the Southern health and social services board in this current financial year.

  Mr. Hanley
  The Southern board has been allocated over £125 million in this financial year, an increase of £10·5 million. It will receive in addition a share of central money reserved for community care and have available the proceeds of its own cost improvements. It is for the board to formulate its operational plan for the use of these substantial resources in line with its declared priorities.

  Road Fund Licences
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is his estimate of the number of second-hand cars permanently exported from Great Britain to Northern Ireland for which the car owner has to apply for a new road fund licence document; and what is the average period of time between application for such documents and their being posted to the new owner.

  Mr. Needham
  In 1990, the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland received applications for new vehicle registration documents for 16,675 previously registered vehicles permanently imported to Northern Ireland from Great Britain. The average time between receipt of a valid application and issue of the new registration document is 10 working days.

  Doctors
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many doctors in general practice in each health board area in Northern Ireland are(a) Protestants, (b) Roman Catholics and (c) others; and in each category by board area, how many were trained in (i) Northern Ireland, (ii) the Irish Republic, (iii) Great Britain and (iv) overseas.

  Mr. Hanley
  General practitioners are self-employed independent contractors and as such information about their religious affiliation is not held.

  A breakdown showing their places of graduation is set out below.
  581

  Eastern

  Northern

  Southern

  Western

  Total

  Northern Ireland

  316

  170

  108

  69

  663

  Irish Republic

  28

  23

  53

  71

  175

  Great Britain

  18

  10

  4

  10

  42

  Overseas

  4

  8

  6

  7

  25

  Total

  366

  211

  171

  157

  905

  Employment
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table in the Official Report to show (i) the number of employers or firms in Northern Ireland which employ more than 90 per cent. Protestants, (ii) the distribution of such firms by council area, (iii) the number of such firms in the following bands (a) 1–49, (b) 50–99 and (c) 100-plus employees; and, where such an employer has more than one establishment, where persons are employed treating each such different establishment as a separate entity.

  Mr. Needham
  From the 1,857 concerns with more than 25 employees which submitted monitoring returns to the Fair Employment Commission on the community composition of the work forces during the 1990 monitoring round, the information is.

  1. There are 242 concerns which employ more than 90 per cent. Protestants.

  2. The distribution by district council area is:

  Number

  Londonderry

  2

  Limavady

  1

  Coleraine

  6

  Ballymoney

  2

  Moyle

  2

  Larne

  2

  Ballymena

  18

  Magherafelt

  4

  Cookstown

  1

  Strabane

  1

  Fermanagh

  1

  Dungannon

  2

  Craigavon

  11

  Armagh

  5

  Newry and Mourne

  1

  Banbridge

  2

  Lisburn

  21

  Antrim

  4

  Newtownabbey

  24

  Carrickfergus

  6

  North Down

  13

  Ards

  10

  Castlereagh

  15

  Belfast

  88

  Total

  242

  3. 140 have below 50 employees

  74 have 51–100 employees

  28 have over 100 employees.

  4. The commission does not hold separate information on locations.

  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table in the Official Report to show (a) the number of employers or firms in Northern Ireland which employ more than 90 per cent. Roman Catholics, (b) the distribution of such firms by council area, (c) the number of such firms in the following bands (i) 1–49, (ii) 50–99, (iii) 100-plus employees; and,
  582
  where such an employer has more than one establishment, where persons are employed treating each such different establishment as a separate entity.

  Mr. Needham
  From the 1,857 concerns with more than 25 employees which submitted monitoring returns to the Fair Employment Commission on the community composition of the work forces during the 1990 monitoring round, the information is.

  1. There are 142 concerns which employ more than 90 per cent. Roman Catholics.

  2. The distribution by district council area is:

  Londonderry

  20

  Limavady

  2

  Moyle

  1

  Ballymena

  1

  Magherafelt

  5

  Cookstown

  3

  Strabane

  5

  Omagh

  4

  Fermanagh

  10

  Dungannon

  10

  Craigavon

  6

  Armagh

  7

  Newry and Mourne

  27

  Down

  6

  Lisburn

  2

  Antrim

  3

  Ards

  1

  Belfast

  29

  Total

  142

  3. 80 have below 50 employees

  44 have 51–100 employees

  18 have over 100 employees

  4. The commission does not hold separate information on locations.

  Fergal Caragher
  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects a copy of the autopsy report on Fergal Caragher of Cullyhanna will be made availble to Mr. Caragher's widow; and if he will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Under the Coroners (Practice and Procedures) Rules (NI) 1963 the question of whether and, if so, when to make available to properly interested persons a report of a post mortem examination of the body of a person whose death has been reported to a coroner is entirely a matter for the coroner concerned.

EMPLOYMENT

  Health and Safety Executive
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many deaths are estimated to occur each year from health-related problems caused by work; and what is the total number of doctors and nurses employed by the Health and Safety Executive, excluding those working in employment rehabilitation centres.
  583
  Mr. Forth
  The Health and Safety Executive's current best estimate suggests that ill-health caused by work gives rise to at least 2,000 deaths a year and contributes to a further 8,000.

  On 1 April 1991 there were 110 doctors and nurses employed by the HSE. This figure includes 22 nurses currently working in employment rehabilitation centres who will shortly be integrated with the local employment medical advisory service team.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement about the assessment and measurement of the quality of the work undertaken by the Health and Safety Executive.

  Mr. Forth
  Maintaining the high quality of the work carried out by the Health and Safety Executive's staff is essential to the achievement of the organisation's aims and objectives. The nature of HSE's work, with its wide range of non-standard outputs based on professional judgments, makes it difficult to express output and performance in terms of indicators of both quantity and quality. Methods currently used to assess quality include, for example, systems for laboratory quality assurance, the application of medical audit, and reviews by management services staff, as well as the day-to-day quality assurance that comes from the management of professional staff by more senior professional colleagues. Other initiatives are currently being pursued, including one to examine the application of the concepts of total quality management in the HSE, which will include consideration of how more and better measures of quality might be devised to supplement the current range of performance measures.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment why callers are no longer able to get through to the Health and Safety Executive's main public inquiry point at its Bootle headquarters; and when he expects the public inquiry point to reopen.

  Mr. Forth
  The public inquiry point at Bootle has been closed since the middle of 1990 and the Health and Safety Executive has no plans to reopen it, because it believes that inquiries can be effectively handled by the two remaining public inquiry points in London and Sheffield and through the national network of 20 area offices.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many CEN—European Committee for Standardisation—committees have representatives from the Health and Safety Executive sitting on them; and if he will list them.

  Mr. Forth
  At present 42 Health and Safety Executive staff are members of one or more delegations from the British Standards Institution to committees or working groups at CEN. HSE staff form part of the delegation to the CEN committees listed in the table below.

  CEN committees where HSE staff form part of the United Kingdom delegation.

  CEN TC 23

  CEN TC 23 SC2

  CEN TC 61

  CEN TC 85 WG 4

  CEN TC 114

  CEN TC 122 WG 6

  CEN TC 137

  CEN TC 143

  CEN TC 144 WG 1

  CEN TC 144 WG 3

  584

  CEN TC 145 WG 4

  CEN TC 148

  CEN TC 148 WG 2

  CEN TC 148 WG 4

  CEN TC 162 WG 2

  CEN TC 196

  CEN TC 198 WG 1

  CEN TC 201 WG 1

  CEN TC 202 WG 1

  CEN TC 212

  CEN TC 214

  CENTC 231

  CEN TC 269

  CEN TC 23 SCI

  CEN TC 54

  CEN TC 93

  CEN TC 114 WG 2

  CEN TC 128

  CEN TC 140

  CEN TC 143 WG 1

  CEN TC 144 WG 2

  CEN TC 144 WG 7

  CEN TC 147

  CEN TC 148 WG 1

  CEN TC 148 WG 3

  CEN TC 151 WG 12

  CEN TC 162 WG 4

  CEN TC 196 WG 3

  CEN TC 198 WG 2

  CEN TC 201 WG 3

  CEN TC 211

  CEN TC 212 WG 3

  CEN TC 214 WG 1

  CEN TC 233

  CEN/CENELEC TC 1

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for
  Employment (1) how much time is used by Health and Safety Executive staff in recording work undertaken;

  (2) if he will explain the reasons for the use of work recording systems in the Health and Safety Executive.

  Mr. Forth
  The HSE's principal resource is the time of its professional and administrative staff. Work recording plays a key part in the process of planning, monitoring and accounting for the time of staff allocated to particular activities, thus ensuring that resources are applied to meeting priority objectives.

  The time spent by the HSE's staff in recording their activities is part of the administrative work associated with these activities, and is not itself separately recorded.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he expects the financial benefits of closing the Health and Safety Executive's Cricklewood laboratory and moving the work to Sheffield to be realised.

  Mr. Forth
  Many of the financial benefits of the relocation will begin to accrue from the outset, as the move will eliminate some of the requirements for support staff, London pay differentials, travel and subsistence, postage and telecommunication services, and so on. Other financial benefits will be felt at a later stage. For example, the expected lower turnover of staff when the laboratory is in Sheffield will be a major advantage, not only in terms of the research and laboratory services division's—RLSD—effectiveness but in reduced recruitment and training costs, etc.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will identify the number of premises, in each of the Health and Safety Executive regions which are subject to the Control of Industrial Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1984 which have not yet been issued
  585
  with a fire certificate by the Health and Safety Executive in accordance with the Fire Certificates (Special Premises) Regulations 1976.

  Mr. Forth
  Information is not readily available centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what action he intends to take to assist the Health and Safety Executive in overcoming the problems of under-reporting of accidents and the low level of registration by employers.

  Mr. Forth
  I am satisfied that the Health and Safety Executive is already taking and planning effective action to encourage both the reporting of accidents and registration by employers.

  During visits to all workplaces, HSE inspectors give advice and guidance, remind employers of their responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974 and related legislation including the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1984 and when appropriate take action to secure compliance.

  As part of planned preventive inspection, inspectors continue to seek out and inspect new and unregistered workplaces. To complement this, special initiatives have been, and will continue to be, mounted on a local or regional basis aimed specifically at both registered and unregistered small firms in defined geographical areas. Planned publicity for such targeted initiatives enables the HSE to get the health and safety message across and stimulate better standards of compliance with the legislation.

  Additionally, between 1 July and 31 December 1991, the HSE plans to carry out a pilot exercise in seven areas to assess the feasibility of employing visiting officers to identify establishments for inspection. One of the objectives of the exercise, which will complement normal inspection arrangements is to seek out and inclentify establishments not registered with the HSE.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of the costs of attendance by Health and Safety Executive personnel at CEN committees is borne by the Health and Safety Executive and what by the European Commission.

  Mr. Forth
  The travel and subsistence costs of Health and Safety Executive staff attending CEN committees are at present met by the Health and Safety Executive. I understand that there are now arrangements whereby the CEC will pay to CEN a proportion of the costs of chairmen of committees and of the convenors of working groups. The Health and Safety Executive is discussing with the British Standards Institution how it will recover its share of such costs.

  Agricultural and Factory Inspectors
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the differences in the quality of work required from principal agricultural inspectors and factory inspectors 1A.

  Mr. Forth
  The Health and Safety Executive does not differentiate between the quality of work required from principal agricultural inspectors and factory inspectors 1A.

  Health and Safety Commission
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what discussions he has had with the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission about the effect of inflation on the level of activity of the Health and Safety Commission; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  None. Once again, the Government have met in full the Health and Safety Commission's request for funds for the current financial year. In his letter to the Secretary of State enclosing the plan of work for 1991–92 and beyond, the commission's chairman confirmed that these funds enable the commission to take forward its plan of work for this financial year with no additional bid for resources. The plan of work will be published later this month.

  Employment Medical Advisory Service
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what criteria are used to assess the suitability of appointed doctors; and how many doctors have had their status as appointed doctors withdrawn by EMAS;

  (2) what proportion of doctors appointed by EMAS have qualifications in occupational health;

  (3) how many appointed doctors are currently registered with EMAS; and how many days' training, on average, each received from EMAS staff.

  Mr. Forth
  There are currently 1,369 appointed doctors registered with EMAS. Approximately 40 per cent. of doctors currently appointed by EMAS hold formal qualifications in occupational health, and all are encouraged to take the Faculty of Occupational Medicine's 30 to 50 hours introductory course in occupational health.

  Each doctor is provided with appropriate induction training prior to being appointed and all appointed doctors are normally given the opportunity to attend a one-day seminar run by EMAS on an annual basis in each HSE area/region. No records are maintained of the time spent training individual doctors.

  The local senior employment medical adviser is required to ensure that any doctor seeking an appointment is suitable and competent and has the necessary facilities and equipment to carry out the required duties.

  The Health and Safety Executive does not maintain historical data on the number of doctors who have had their status as appointed doctors withdrawn, but in recent years several hundred appointments have been no longer required as a result of legislative change.

  Disabled People
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will state the number and locations of the TECs which have any links with employment rehabilitation centres or asset centres or which have sought to place trainees with disabilities in these centres.

  Mr. Jackson
  The information is not held centrally. I know that training and enterprise councils will decide carefully what is best for people with special training needs.

  Field Operations Divisions
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many categories of work are required to be recorded on the field operations division WR1 form.

  Mr. Forth
  Three forms WR1, currently in use by different parts of the field operations divisions, make provision for a combined total of 78 different categories of work to be recorded.

  Employment Rehabilitation
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what guidance has been given to training and enterprise councils on the services that can be provided by the employment rehabilitation service.

  Mr. Jackson
  Training and enterprise councils have been advised that they are able to access the facilities of the employment rehabilitation service—ERS—as part of making appropriate arrangements for trainees with special needs.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what advice or guidance has been given in writing to employment rehabilitation and asset centre managers and staff on the role of psychology assistants; and whether in all cases the psychology assistants are working under the direct supervision and control of a higher or senior occupational psychologist.

  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.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the future of the employment rehabilitation service.

  Mr. Jackson
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Wyre (Mr. Mans) on 16 April 1991,Official Report, columns 157–59.

  Wath Recycling
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many visits have been paid to the premises of Wath Recycling by officials of his Department, including the Health and Safety Executive in connection with the toxic waste held at these premises since this material arrived in the summer of 1989.

  Mr. Forth
  Inspectors and specialist inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive have paid a total of 21 visits to the premises of Wath Recycling Ltd. in connection with the toxic waste held at the premises since its arrival in the summer of 1989.

  Training
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will publish the anticipated unit cost per week of training disabled students by training and enterprise councils and local enterprise councils;

  (2) if he will publish the anticipated unit cost per week of training able-bodies students by TECs and LECs;

  (3) what percentage of financial resources made available by central Government to training and enterprise
  588
  councils and local enterprise councils is to be allocated specifically for the training of disabled students by TECs and LECs.

  Mr. Jackson
  My Department funds each TEC on the basis of an agreed average unit cost per trainee week and per output achieved. The funding of training for able bodied people or people with disabilities is a matter for negotiation between TECs and their training providers. Funding arrangements for LECs are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what percentage of students seeking training at TECs and LECs will be(a) disabled and (b) able-bodied;

  (2) what is the anticipated demand for training by disabled students through TECs and LECs.

  Mr. Jackson
  Forecasts are not available of the number of trainees with disabilities who may require and or obtain places on programmes run by TECs and LECs. The Government are committed to equal opportunities and action has been taken to ensure that there is no discrimination against people with disabilities.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Decommissioning Scheme
  Mr. Robert Hughes
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent discussions he has had with representatives of fishing organisations on the introduction of a decommissioning scheme.

  Mr. Gummer
  I regularly meet individual fishermen. Most recently I spent two days in north-east Scotland where I talked individually to a large number of fishermen from the region.

  Agricultural Tenancies
  Mr. Mans
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what objectives he is setting for his consultative paper on agricultural tenancy legislation.

  Mr. Gummer
  Any reform must ensure that there is more land to let.

  Milk
  Mr. Burt
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received from the Milk Marketing Board on proposed changes to the milk marketing scheme.

  Mr. Gummer
  In March the Milk Marketing Board submitted proposals setting out the terms on which it might transform itself into a voluntary co-operative.

  Beef
  Mr. Alison
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to help British beef producers and to reduce the levels of beef intervention stocks.

  Mr. Gummer
  In the long term we will be pressing the Community to replace the present intervention system with a mechanism which provides more direct help to the farmer.

  Slaughterhouses
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the future of the slaughtering industry in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Government fully support the principle of common health standards for all meat plants after 1992 and believe that there will continue to be opportunities for businesses of all sizes producing high-quality British meat products.

  Organic Farming
  Mr. Michael Brown
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the extensification scheme for organic farming.

  Mr. Curry
  My right hon. Friend the Minister has made clear the Government's intention to introduce a scheme under EC rules to help farmers who wish to convert to organic production. I hope that the European Commission's proposals on agriculture and the environment will provide the legal basis for the type of scheme we have in mind.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals he has for encouraging the growing and sale of agricultural and horticultural produce free of additives, pesticides and non-organic fertilisers.

  Mr. Maclean
  My right hon. Friend the Minister and this Department have been long-time supporters of organic farming.

  We expect to commission research projects shortly in hill grazing of livestock and on a mixed arable and pig unit.

  Research is already under way on pests and diseases in organic winter wheat.

  Animal Carcases
  Mr. McKelvey
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will provide financial assistance to farmers to deal with the problem of disposal of animal carcases.

  Mr. Maclean
  No. As with all other industries it is the responsibility of the livestock sector to find ways of handling its waste within existing health and environmental controls.

  State Veterinary Service
  Mr. McAvoy
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the number of people employed in the state veterinary service in 1980 and 1990.

  Mr. Gummer
  The number of people employed in the state veterinary service on 1 January 1980 was 1,652 and on 1 January 1990, 1,402.

  Fishing, North-East Scotland
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he next intends to visit the north-east of Scotland to study the local fishing industry.

  Mr. Curry
  I shall meet the Scottish Fishermen's Federation in advance of the next Council of Fisheries 590
  Ministers. My right hon. Friend the Minister visited Scotland last week and met fishermen in the course of his tour.

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent representations his Department has received on methods of disposal of bovine spongiform encephalopathy-infected carcases.

  Mr. Maclean
  We receive a number of representations on methods of disposal of carcases affected by BSE.

  Birds (Imports)
  Mr. Oppenheim
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on his recent decision to suspend imports of captive birds from Tanzania.

  Mr. Maclean
  In my reply of 20 February to the hon. Member for Harrow, West (Mr. Hughes),Official Report, column 166, I explained that veterinary officials from the Ministry had visited several major exporting countries in order to impress upon their veterinary authorities the need to fulfil our import requirements and to follow International Air Transport Association standards during flights to the United Kingdom. I also made it clear that we would cease to authorise the import of birds from any country which failed to co-operate in implementing our requirements.

  The issue of licences for import of captive birds from Tanzania was suspended because of the failure, despite numerous reminders, of the authorities there to respond to our request to send a veterinary official of the Department to discuss with them various animal health and welfare matters, the standard of health certification and the conditions under which future imports of captive birds would take place.

  We have recently had a positive response from the authorities in Tanzania and one of our veterinary officials is arranging to make a visit this month. We have decided that, until we receive his report and are satisfied that imports of captive birds from Tanzania can take place under satisfactory health and welfare conditions, it would not be appropriate for the suspension of the issue of import licences to he lifted.

  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the number of humming birds imported into the United Kingdom in 1988 and 1989, indicating in each case the number dead on arrival and the number of deaths while in quarantine.

  Mr. Maclean
  The information is given below. Copies of the reports from which the figures are taken, "Imports of Birds—Mortality Statistics from Quarantine Returns", have been placed in the Library of the House.

  1988

  1989

  Humming birds imported1

  128

  158

  Found dead on arrival

  24

  2

  (Percentage dead on arrival)

  (18·75)

  (1·26)

  Died in quarantine

  62

  51

  (Percentage died in quarantine)

  (48·44)

  (32·28)

  1 Includes all species in the family Trochilidae (Humming birds).

  591
  Mr. Gould
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many (i) green-cheeked Amazon parrots and (ii) grey parrots were imported into the United Kingdom in each year since 1988.

  Mr. Maclean
  The information is given below. Copies of the reports from which the figures are taken, "Importation of Birds—Mortality Statistics from Quarantine Returns", have been placed in the Library of the House. Figures for the year 1990 are not yet available.

  Number of birds imported

  1988

  1989

  (I) Green-cheeked Amazona (Amazon Viridigenalis)

  22

  17

  (II) Grey parrot (Psittacus Erithacus)

  5,565

  6,043

  Mr. Ron Davies
  ; To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will estimate the annual running cost of the regional veterinary investigations centres relating to investigations of mortalities among imported birds.

  Mr. Maclean
  The estimated annual running cost of the veterinary investigation centres relating to investigations of mortalities among imported birds for the year April 1990 to March 1991 is of the order of £350,000 at full economic cost.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his estimate of the number of imported wild birds which died after leaving quarantine for the most recent period for which data are available.

  Mr. Maclean
  Data on the number of imported birds which die after leaving quarantine are not collected by the Ministry.

  Common Agricultural Policy
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been, for each year since 1984, the cost to the European Community of the common agricultural policy.

  Mr. Gummer
  Expenditure from the European Community budget on the common agricultural policy was:

  Year

  billion ecu

  £ billion

  1984

  19·0

  11·1

  1985

  20·5

  12·0

  1986

  22·9

  14·8

  1987

  23·8

  17·2

  1988

  28·8

  19·6

  1989

  27·3

  17·9

  11990

  28·2

  19·7

  1 provisional

  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps have been taken by the Council of Agriculture Ministers to ensure that spending is maintained within the legal limits in the current calendar year; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  The Agriculture Council is currently considering agricultural price proposals for the 1991–92 marketing years which are intended to keep CAP expenditure within the agricultural guideline in 1991.

  Multi-annual Guidance Programme
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals he has to bring into effect in England the new multi-annual guidance programme from the European Commission.

  Mr. Curry
  No such programme yet exists.

  Agricultural Land (Ownership)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of agricultural land in England and Wales is owned by overseas investors; and if he will list(a) the countries concerned and (b) the percentage of land owned by each.

  Mr. Curry
  I regret that no official statistics are available on such ownership of agricultural land.

  Whaling
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if his Department has commissioned or published any research regarding the penthrite explosive harpoon method of whaling.

  Mr. Curry
  No, the United Kingdom ceased whaling in 1963. We have examined the reports made to the International Whaling Commission and see the need for a further review.

  Flavoured Potato Crisps
  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to resist the European Commission's proposal affecting the sale of flavoured potato crisps after 1992.

  Mr. Curry
  We are pressing the Commission to accept the amendment to that proposal which was put forward by the European Parliament. We shall take the matter up again in discussions in the Council if the Commission's revised proposals do not include the provision we are seeking.

  Gumboro Disease
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the incidence of Gumboro disease in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Maclean
  As Gumboro disease is not notifiable, accurate figures on its incidence are not available. Latest estimates suggest that there has been a slight improvement in the situation in the last year.

  Sweeteners
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will make a statement outlining the procedures which Her Majesty's Government will be subject to in raising at the European Council of Ministers the issue of the exclusion of snack foods from the directive on sweeteners; and when the meeting will take place;

  (2) what is the timetable of further procedures which the draft directive on sweeteners in food will undergo before coming into effect.
  593
  Mr. Maclean
  The proposed directive on the use of sweeteners in foods is subject to the procedure for consultation with the European Parliament laid down in the Single European Act, a copy of which is in the Library of the House. Following the European Parliament's first opinion, the Commission is now engaged in preparing a revised proposal for the Council. The Council will then seek to adopt a common position by qualified majority, after which the Parliament will have three months to reconsider it. Depending on the outcome of the Parliament's consideration, the Council may adopt the proposal, or the Commission may again amend it within one month. The Council must then act within three months or the proposal lapses. No more precise timetable can be given.

  Quarantine Stations
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many Ministry-approved quarantine stations are owned or managed by importers or traders in wildlife.

  Mr. Maclean
  All Ministry-approved quarantine premises, whether for foot and mouth disease, rabies or Newcastle disease, are privately owned, but information as to owners/ownership is not available in the precise form requested. However, in 1990, the Ministry approved 137 premises in England for the quarantine of small mammals, other than domestic dogs and cats, imported under the rabies import controls. In the same year the Ministry issued a total of 644 import licences in respect of consignments of captive birds to be landed in England. In 594
  each case the quarantine premises would have been subject to prior inspection and approval by the Ministry before the issue of a licence. Some of the bird quarantine premises will have been used, and thus approved, more than once during 1990.

  Animals (Live Exports)
  Mr. Roy Hughes
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many representations he has received concerning the export of live horses and ponies; and what action he proposes to strengthen European legislation on this matter.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Government continue to receive many representations on this subject. Negotiations have recently resumed on the Commission's proposals for a new Community regulation on protection of animals during transport. The Government are pressing hard for the retention of measures which will prevent the export of horses and ponies for slaughter.

  Nitrogens
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has for reducing nitrogen use in farming; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  We continually emphasise the need for farmers to avoid nitrogen fertiliser applications beyond good agricultural practice and we are pleased to note the reduction in autumn and total applications to key crops that has occurred since 1985.

  THE KINGSWAY TUNNEL
  THE KINGSWAY TUNNEL
  THE "HAVEN"
  THE "HAVEN"
  SOVIET UNION: BILATERAL TREATIES
  SOVIET UNION: BILATERAL TREATIES
  FOREIGN SECRETARY'S VISIT TO THE MIDDLE EAST
  FOREIGN SECRETARY'S VISIT TO THE MIDDLE EAST
  LICENSED BETTING OFFICES
  LICENSED BETTING OFFICES
  PLANNING APPLICATIONS: PUBLICITY
  PLANNING APPLICATIONS: PUBLICITY
  TANZANIAN CAPTIVE BIRDS: IMPORT LICENCE REQUIREMENTS
  TANZANIAN CAPTIVE BIRDS: IMPORT LICENCE REQUIREMENTS