Written Answers of 17 October 1991

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Law of Domicile
  Mr. Malins
  To ask the Attorney-General what plans the Government have in relation to the Law Commissions' joint report on the law of domicile, Cm 200.

  The Attorney-General
  Following publication of the Law Commissions' joint report in September 1987, the Government have consulted a broad range of interested groups. In the light of the comments received, the Government have accepted the recommendations in the report and will introduce legislation when a suitable opportunity arises.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Family Planning Education
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what funds were allocated to family planning education by each of the four area health boards in each of the past five years.

  Mr. Hanley
  The total expenditure on family planning services by the four health and social services boards in Northern Ireland in each of the past five years was as follows:

  Northern Board £

  Southern Board £

  Eastern Board £

  Western Board £

  Total NI £

  1986–87

  152,785

  51,007

  308,327

  91,059

  603,078

  1987–88

  158,078

  66,754

  387,157

  109,675

  721,664

  1988–89

  163,563

  86,658

  388,945

  132,127

  771,293

  1989–90

  184,571

  94,210

  424,166

  158,364

  861,311

  1990–91

  194,359

  62,960

  528,083

  143,441

  928,843

  The figures include an element for family planning education, but this element is not separately identifiable.

  Health Centre, Portavogie
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the need for a health centre in Portavogie; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  The population of Portavogie is too small for a general medical practitioner to set up a permanent practice there, and it would not therefore sustain a health centre. General medical services are, however, provided by three practices using their own branch surgery facilities and a full range of community services is also available.

  AIDS
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cases of AIDS have been confirmed in Northern Ireland in each of the past five 178
  years; how many persons have died as a result of AIDS in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on education to combat the spread of AIDS in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Hanley
  The information requested is as folllows:

  Year

  AIDS Cases

  AIDS-related deaths

  1986

  2

  —

  1987

  1

  1

  1988

  6

  1

  1989

  7

  7

  1990

  5

  9

  1991

  14

  23

  1 to 30 September.

  2 to 30 September.

  The public education campaign conducted on a national level through the mass media is supplemented locally be a comprehensive health education programme on HIV/AIDS undertaken by health and social services boards, the Health Promotion Agency and the AIDS helpline (NI). A teaching package on AIDS awareness aimed specifically at young people has also been developed for use in Northern Ireland schools.

  Child Mothers
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many girls aged 14 years and under gave birth to children in Northern Ireland in each of the past five years.

  Mr. Hanley
  The information requested is as follows:

  Year

  Number

  1986

  4

  1987

  9

  1988

  4

  1989

  5

  11990

  7

  1 Provisional.

  Source: Statistics held by General Register Office.

  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many girls aged 16 years and under gave birth to children in each of the past five years; and how, many of these girls were single.

  Mr. Hanley
  The information requested is as follows:

  Live births

  Still births

  Year

  Total

  Single girls

  Total

  Single girls

  1986

  172

  148

  2

  2

  1987

  170

  155

  1

  1

  1988

  190

  172

  —

  —

  1989

  170

  162

  1

  1

  11990

  154

  149

  —

  —

  1 Provisional.

  Source: Statistics held by General Register Officer.

  Nursing Services
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what reduction in numbers within the North Down and Ards community unit of management there has been in the past three months in(a) bank nurses and (b) twilight nursing services; what effect these

  179
  reductions will have on the community nursing budget; and if he will make a statement on the impact of these reductions on the constituency of Strangford.

  Mr. Hanley
  There have been no reductions over the last three months in staffing levels in the district nursing service within the North Down and Ards community unit of management and no reduction in the community nursing budget. Absences due to sickness in the twilight nursing service in the Ards area have been covered by using the nurse bank which is a pool of nurses, not on contract, who work as required and are paid for the duties performed. The nurse bank scheme was suspended temporarily earlier this year but is now, once again, fully operational and will be used as required to ensure the continued provision of the best possible community nursing service.

  Armagh Health Clinic
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the estimated cost of the proposed extension to the Armagh health clinic; how many additional staff will be employed following completion of the extension; how many additional car parking places will be provided on site; what additional contributions will be made by the medical general practices towards the cost of this scheme; and what assessment he has made of the impact of this project on competition between private general medical practices.

  Mr. Hanley
  The estimated cost of the proposed extension to Armagh health centre is £295,574, not including VAT, fees and equipment. One additional member of staff will be appointed. No additional car parking places will be provided and no additional contributions will be made by the general medical practices to the cost of the scheme. There are no private general medical practices in Armagh.

  Animal Liberation Front
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the locations of attacks by the Animal Liberation Front in 1991 to date; what was the form of each attack; how many people have been charged for each incident; if he will consider making the Animal Liberation Front an unlawful organisation; and if he will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I have been informed by the RUC that the following significant incidents which may be attributable to animal rights extremists have been carried out in Northern Ireland this year:

  Location and form of attack

  Clandeboye
  Damage to 3 marquees and a number of fences on a point-to-point course.

  Ballymena
  Attempted arson at poultry house and daubing of slogans.

  Newtownards
  Fire damage to a butcher's shop.

  Kircubbin
  Damage to poultry houses and daubing of slogans.

  Belfast
  Fire bomb device dealt with by Army at Gun and Tackle shop.

  Belfast
  Bomb hoax device received by newspaper reporter.
  180
  Portaferry
  Caravan destroyed by fire at fishing farm. Slogans daubed.

  Eglish
  Caravan belonging to Hare coursing club destroyed by fire. Fire damaged parked vehicles. Slogans daubed, damage to coursing track.

  Claudy
  Fire damage to farm property.

  Craigantlet
  Petrol bomb device found under car.

  In addition, there have been a number of other incidents resulting in damage to commercial premises, principally in the Belfast and Bangor area. The damage resulted in broken windows, slogans being daubed on walls, doors and windows and the glueing of locks.

  To date no persons have been charged with any of these offences and it is therefore not possible to say definitely which of the incidents listed was the work of the Animal Liberation Front.

  The only powers available to me to proscribe any organisation are those granted under the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1991. Their use would not be appropriate in this case. I am in any event satisfied that the ordinary criminal law is adequate to deal with the unlawful activities in which some members of the Animal Liberation Front are engaged and which I utterly condemn.

  Southern Health and Social Services Board
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Southern health and social services board decided to promote the substitution of tinned and frozen foods for fresh food; what policy decisions have been made by each of the other area health boards in this respect; and whether he approved the policy; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  The Southern health and social services board aims to provide nourishing and balanced meals for its patients, staff and clients. Quality fresh, frozen, chilled, dried and tinned foods are all used as appropriate to the catering arrangements at individual facilities. This is a long established policy. A similar approach is adopted in the other health and social services boards. All boards continually review their catering policies to take account of developments in food technology.

  Young Mothers
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many women under the age of 20 years gave birth to babies in each of the last five years within the Eastern health board area; how many of these women were single; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hanley
  The information requested is as follows:

  Live births

  Still births

  Year

  Total

  Single women

  Total

  Single women

  1986

  852

  547

  5

  3

  1987

  833

  571

  7

  6

  1988

  869

  646

  3

  2

  1989

  769

  604

  3

  2

  11990

  728

  599

  4

  3

  1 Provisional.

  Source: Statistics held by General Register Office.

  Renewable Energy
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals he has for the development of renewable energy in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  The draft Electricity (Northern Ireland) Order, which will be laid before the House shortly, will provide for the encouragement of the use of renewable energy in Northern Ireland. It is planned to seek proposals from interested developers next year.

  RUC
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he received the application from the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary for an increase in the strength of the RUC; what increase in members was requested; and if he will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The bid for an increase of 239 in the establishment of the regular RUC and for 202 in the full-time reserve was received from the police authority on 23 November 1990. That bid has received careful consideration and a response will shortly be sent to the authority.

  Electricity (Cuts)
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the extent of cuts in the electricity supply to the areas of(a) Cloughey and (b) Kircubbin during the past month.

  Mr. Needham
  Cloughey's sub-station failed between 13.50 and 16.50 hours on 3 October. Supply to Kircubbin was interrupted 37 times between 3 and 28 September due to a fault which was eventually located and repaired on the latter date.

  Chief Electoral Officer's Report
  Mr. Day
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the report of the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland for 1990–91 will be published.

  Mr. Brooke
  The Chief Electoral Officer's report was laid before the House today and is published as a House of Commons paper No. 660. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament, together with my response.

  Employment Schemes
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) in how many cases funding to Action for Community Employment schemes has been terminated on the grounds that the management committee of such a scheme was deemed insufficiently qualified;

  (2) what advice the Training and Employment Agency gives to the management committees of Action for Community Employment schemes concerning the com-position of such communities;

  (3) what professional or other qualifications members of the management committees of Action for Community Employment schemes are required to possess;

  (4) what are the procedures employed by the Training and Employment Agency to approve the management committees of Action for Community Employment schemes.
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  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 15 October 1991]: ACE management committees have direct employer responsibilities for those on the scheme and are accountable for the financing provided to them. The Training and Employment Agency is not prescriptive about qualifications for membership of management committees, but in contracting agreements it must be satisfied that—relative to the size of the work force and the range of activities undertaken—people serving on a committee have the skills, knowledge and experience to competently manage a project. Agency staff maintain contacts with each ACE project through a programme of regular visitation and provide written advice and direction. The agency has never terminated an agreement on the grounds that the management committee of a scheme was deemed to be insufficiently qualified.

  Television Licences
  Mr. Kilfedder
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many television licences have been issued during the past year; and how many persons have been prosecuted for not having a current television licence during the past 12 months, giving the figures for each county and city.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I have been asked to reply.

  The following information has been provided by the BBC, which is responsible for the administration and enforcement of TV licences. At 31 March 1991, a total of 19,545,830 licences were recorded as being in force in the United Kingdom, including 307,590 in Northern Ireland. In the year ending 31 March 1991, there were 182,721 prosecutions for unlicensed use of television in the United Kingdom, including 2,032 in Northern Ireland. It is not possible to give a breakdown by county or city.

TRANSPORT

  Railway Noise
  Mr. Evenett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he is now able to announce the Government's conclusions on the report "Railway Noise and the Insulation of Dwellings" by the committee chaired by Dr. Mitchell.

  Mr. Freeman
  I expect to be able to do so next month.

  London Assessment Studies
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made in implementing the public transport proposals contained in the London assessment studies, and, in particular, what progress has been made to plans to extend the Northern line from Kennington southwards to Streatham and Crystal Palace, and to extend the east London line to Balham.

  Mr. Freeman
  The London assessment studies contained a number of proposals for improving public transport at certain key locations. Among the main schemes which are being taken forward are east-west crossrail, also recommended by the central London rail study—CLRS—and the extension of the docklands light rail to Lewisham. In addition, the route for the Chelsea-Hackney line, again, recommended by CLRS, has been safeguarded.
  183
  The specific schemes mentioned are still being evaluated by London Transport. Any implementation will be subject to the availability of resources. At present LT's resources are fully committed to relieving congestion in the central area and improving the overall safety and reliability of the existing Underground system.

  Coastguards
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the future of the coastguard service in Yorkshire and Humberside from 1 January 1992.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  HM coastguard in Yorkshire and Humberside will continue to co-ordinate maritime search and rescue operations from its modern and well-equipped maritime rescue sub-centre—MRSC—at Bridlington, for the foreseeable future. Local resources are being reviewed with the aim of further improving the level of support given to the MRSC in its co-ordinating role from an efficient and well-trained sector and auxiliary coastguard organisation.

  Lockerbie Disaster
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he has taken in respect of his Department's air accident investigation branch report No. 2/90; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The report by the air accidents investigation branch into the Lockerbie disaster contained five safety recommendations four of which were directed at the Civil Aviation Authority. The CAA accepted all four of the recommendations and is working with a number of other bodies, in addition to participating in the work of a study group of the International Civil Aviation Organisation concerned with the incorporation of security into aircraft design.

  The fifth recommendation directed at the Department of Transport—that it provide funds for a specific study concerning aircraft recorders—has also been accepted and the Department is providing funding.

  Coastguard Lookout Stations
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if there are any proposals to close any coastguard lookout stations in Dorset and Hampshire; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  HM Coastguard has undertaken an internal review of the sector and auxiliary coastguard organisation around the country. Proposals and recom-mendations have been put forward to clearly define the role of the modern day coastguard service, and to improve levels of readiness, responsiveness, and efficiency. These proposals and recommendations form a consultative document and not a statement of intent. A full statement will be made in due course, once a final decision has been reached.

  Low Flying
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will seek powers to provide a legal definition of noise pollution relating to privately owned helicopters and light aircraft flying low over areas that are not adjacent to an accepted landing place.
  184
  Mr. McLoughlin
  No. Civil aircraft, including helicopters, are already subject to the Rules of the Air 1990 which specify the minimum heights at which aircraft may operate when not taking off or landing. Section 76 of the Civil Aviation Act 1982 does not exempt civil aircraft from actions for nuisance if these rules have not been observed without good reason, taking into account all the circumstances of the case.

  In addition, any aircraft considered to be in breach of these regulations, or generally flying in a dangerous manner not in accord with normal aviation practice, may be reported to the air safety enforcement branch of the Civil Aviation Authority or to the police.

  Channel Tunnel
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if, pursuant to his announcement of 9 October concerning the route of the high-speed channel tunnel railway, he will list those locations, other than Ashford, Stratford, and King's Cross to which Her Majesty's Government assign developmental significance.

  Mr. Freeman
  Identifying development opportunities, and how the rail link might contribute to their realisation, will form an important part of British Rail's work in the coming months in defining the route of the rail link, its connections and stations.

  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if, consequent to his announcement of an extended timetable for the construction of a fast rail link to London from the channel tunnel, he will provide funding to enable the British Railways Board to quadruple rail tracks between Ashford International and Tonbridge and to construct related high-speed flyovers at that junction.

  Mr. Freeman
  As my right hon. and learned Friend said in his statement on 14 October, overall the choice of the preferred route will not have any material effect on when the new line might come into operation. British Rail has not suggested that these works are needed.

  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will now table a White or Green Paper concerning the Government's policy for the funding of the Channel high-speed rail link on his preferred route.

  Mr. Freeman
  No. My right hon. and learned Friend explained the Government's policy in his statement on 14 October.

  Greater Manchester Relief Road
  Mr. Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he now intends to publish his Department's preferred routs for the Greater Manchester western and northern relief road; and when he expects the public consultation process to begin.

  Mr. Chope
  I expect public consultation to start next year. Preferred route announcement would follow consideration of the consultation response.

  Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to end the current practice whereby the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency sends out advertising literature on behalf of the British School of Motoring with every new provisional licence.

  Mr. Chope
  The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency concluded the test mailing on 4 October.

  Railfreight Distribution
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has received from the chairman of British Rail about the future of Railfreight Distribution's service to Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  British Rail has today announced that, following competitive tendering, Mersey Docks and Harbour Company will provide port facilities in the United Kingdom for its container services to and from Ireland. I have arranged for a copy of BR's announcement to be placed in the Library of the House.

  M25
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will tabulate the maximum design flow in passenger car units per hour of four sections of the M25 motorway between named intersections; and for each sector indicate the measured or estimated recent use, in both volume and intensity, together with the increased additional design capacity he now proposes, together with its respective capital cost.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 14 October 1991]: The volumes of traffic that can be carried by a given section of motorway varies according to a number of factors, including the mix of traffic, its distribution throughout the day, the proportions of traffic joining and leaving at junctions and gradients. However a flow of 1,800 vehicles per lane per hour provided a reasonable guide to the maximum unperturbed flow on the existing motorway and a starting point for preliminary designs for widening.

  The data requested is not available in terms or passenger car units. The annual average daily traffic flows—AADT—total vehicles in both directions—derived from surveys in 1991 together with the peak hour flows—one direction—for the four sections between junctions 5 and 9 are set out in the table.

  Junction

  AADT

  Peak hour

  5–6

  91,000

  4,750

  6–7

  100,000

  5,000

  7–8

  113,000

  5,500

  8–9

  110,000

  5,250

  The planned addition of a fourth lane on these sections will cost an estimated £5 million per kilometre, including an element for maintenance of the existing carriageways, and will provide for approximately 36,000 more vehicles per day. Additional lanes in the form of collector distributor roads would provide similar additional capacities. Schemes to provide dual two-lane collector distributor roads in the longer term would cost approximately £10 million per kilometre.

ENVIRONMENT

  Packaging
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking to implement the EEC draft direction on minimum packaging and reusable liquid containers.

  Mr. Baldry
  The European Commission has not yet brought forward a formal proposal for a directive on packaging and packaging waste. Consideration as to how such a directive might be implemented is therefore premature. However, the Government are already discussing the issue of packaging waste with the packaging industry and others, in line with the policies set out in our White Paper on the environment "This Common Inheritance", Cm. 1200, September 1990.

  Environmental Strategy
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the objectives set out in the departmental Minis 12 document regarding the water directorate, pollution control and wastes directorate, environmental policy and analysis directorate and Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution have been reported upon in each instance in Cm. 1655, the first year report on Britain's environmental strategy.

  Mr. Heseltine
  The MINIS 12 documents set out management objectives and targets for each of the directorates of the Department of the Environment. These objectives and targets are intended to support the overall policy objectives of Ministers and the Department. Thus in the environmental area the management objectives of the units referred to support the policy objectives set out in the White Paper "This Common Inheritance" and reviewed in Cm 1655. It would not be appropriate in a document such as Cm 1655 to report on all the detailed objectives and tasks set out in the MINIS 12 documents. But the two documents are related and support one another as described.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Parents Charter
  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science in which newspapers and magazines the parents charter has been advertised; on what dates; and at what total cost.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The planned advertising schedule to 13 October was as follows:

  Daily Express

  28 September, 3, 7, 12 October

  Daily Mail

  28 September, 4, 7, 12 October

  Daily Mirror

  30 September, 3, 7, October

  Daily Star

  28 September, 1, 8, 9 October

  The Daily Telegraph

  30 September, 2, 5 October

  Evening Standard

  27 September

  The Guardian

  28 September, 3, 8 October

  The Independent

  30 September, 5, 12 October

  The Independent on Sunday

  29 September, 6 October

  The Mail on Sunday

  6 October

  News of the World

  29 September, 13 October

  Observer

  13 October

  Sunday People

  29 September

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  The Sun

  28, 30 September, 9 October

  Sunday Express

  29 September

  Sunday Mirror

  29 September

  The Sunday Telegraph

  6, 13 October

  The Times

  28, 30 September

  Today

  28 September, 1, 5, 12 October

  TV Quick

  7 October

  The cost of the necessary advertising space was just under £280,000, excluding VAT.

  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) for what purpose the telephone bureau service which is dealing with requests for copies of the parents charter asks for evening telephone numbers of callers;

  (2) what is the cost of the telephone bureau service to which readers of advertisements concerning the parents charter are directed.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  It is standard procedure to ask callers for the contact telephone number in case there are queries about their order; a small sample of the numbers may also be used to check on the effectiveness of distribution arrangements and on the use made of the charter. Callers are not pressed to give numbers if they do not wish to do so.

  The cost of setting up the service and handling all calls up to noon on 15 October was £34,000, exclusive of VAT. This includes the cost of the 0800 number which enables respondents to make calls free of charge.

  School Sport
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he will publish his response to the report of the Select Committee on Education, Science and the Arts "Sport in Schools".

  Mr. Atkins
  This report by the Select Committee is being given detailed consideration within the Department, and a formal response will be published as soon as possible.

  Minister for Sport
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list, in full, the official engagements of the Minister for Sport for 18 September.

  Mr. Atkins
  I had no official engagements on 18 September.

  Sport Policy
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, further to his reply of 5 February,Official Report, column 131, to the hon. Member for Stalybridge and Hyde, what is the reason for the delay in publishing his review of Government policy for sport; and when this review will be published.

  Mr. Atkins
  The issues require careful consideration and consultation. I hope to publish a statement on policies and priorities for sport soon.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Brixton Prison (Escapes)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action the Director of Prisons has taken on holding an inquiry into the workings of the directorate of custody 1; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Angela Rumbold
  As my right hon. Friend indicated in the statement which he made on 5 August 1991 in response to the report by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons on the escapes from Brixton on 7 July, we have asked Mr. Ronald Hadfield, chief constable of the West Midlands and Mr. Gordon Lakes, a former deputy director general of the prison service to address Judge Tumim's recommendation that there should be such an inquiry. This is in hand.

  Refugee Policy
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received concerning United Kingdom refugee policy, following his statement of 2 July; how many such representations(a) broadly supported his proposals and (b) opposed his proposals; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  We have received about 100 letters from hon. Members forwarding correspondence from their constituents and about 650 letters from members of the public. About half the letters received have been from members of Amnesty International, Charter 87, A Charter for Refugees, the Asylum Rights Campaign, and the Refugee Council, many on duplicated pro-formas. The majority of correspondents have expressed opposition to one or more aspects of the Government's proposals. The Government continue to believe that their proposals for reforming asylum procedures, including the introduction of new rights of appeal before removal for all those refused asylum, will ensure the protection of genuine refugees, while dealing effectively with the present misuse of asylum procedures.

  Procurement Expenditure
  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when targets for savings on procurement expenditure in his Department for 1991–92 were promulgated through his Department.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  Targets for procurement savings on suppliers and services were defined in consultation with individual management units engaged in procurement and promulgated in final form in July 1991 in accordance with the reporting arrangements laid down by the central unit on purchasing. Targets for project performance are not set on an annual basis but in terms of the relationship between estimates prior to tender and forecast outturn for the project.

  Taylor Report
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to his reply of 30 November 1990,Official Report, column 491, to the hon. Member for Stalybridge and Hyde, when he will implement the recommendation of Lord Justice Taylor's final report into

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  the Hillsborough disaster that it be made an offence to sell tickets for and on the day of a football match without authority from the home club to do so.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  We shall introduce the new offence when parliamentary time allows.

  Prison Officers Association
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the meetings with the Prison Officers Association to discuss the dispute in south Wales that have been(a) held, (b) cancelled and (c) are planned for the current year.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Formal meetings with the Prison Officers Association to discuss the current dispute at Her Majesty's prison Cardiff were held on 13, 19, 20 and 28 June and on 12 September. I am not aware that any scheduled meetings did not take place. Discussions with national POA representatives have subsequently taken place aimed at agreeing the basis for a further meeting to see if this matter can be resolved. That meeting, at national level, will be arranged shortly.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is his estimate of the total additional costs to his Department, police authorities and local authorities so far incurred by the dispute with prison officers in south Wales;

  (2) if he will list (a) the number of cells currently unused in Cardiff prisons, (b) the number of remand prisoners currently held in police station cells in Wales and (c) the number of remand prisoners currently held in police station cells outside of Wales as a result of the present dispute.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  On 15 October, the latest date for which figures are available, 193 prisoners were held in police cells who would normally have been accommodated in Cardiff prison; of these 82 were held in Wales and 111 in constabularies in England. I regret that it is not possible to identify separately remand and other classes of prisoner.

  Industrial action by officers at Cardiff prison is currently limiting receptions to the uncrowded capacity of the establishment; all available cells are therefore in use.

  Information in respect of the cost of holding prisoners from Cardiff in police cells is not available centrally, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Police Establishments
  Mr. Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish(a) the establishment level and (b) the actual strength of the police forces of England and Wales for each year from 1974–75 to date.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I will write to the hon. Member.

  Table 1

  Domestic homicide indictments 1982 to 1989 (including lover, former lover etc.)

  England and Wales

  Number of persons

  Indictment

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  Total

  Women

  Murder

  16

  18

  21

  18

  21

  23

  23

  24

  164

  Manslaughter

  2

  3

  1

  1

  1

  1

  2

  2

  13

  Football Offences Act
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the total number of arrests and convictions made under each section of the Football Offences Act 1991 since the beginning of the 1991–92 football season.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Firm statistics are not yet available, but I understand from the national football intelligence unit that the number of arrests made under each section of the 1991 Act up to 16 October 1991 and reported to the unit is as follows:

  Number

  section 2

  (throwing of missiles)

  10

  section 3

  (indecent or racialist chanting)

  23

  section 4

  (going on to the playing area)

  40

  Total

  73

  No information on the number of convictions is yet available.

  Poll Tax
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have now been taken to court and convicted for non-payment of poll tax in each local area; and how many have received prison sentences.

  Mr. John Patten
  In the period 1 April 1990 to 30 June 1991 the magistrates courts made 3,960,111 liability orders. During this period the courts ordered the immediate or suspended committal to prison of 448 non-payers. Information for the period 1 July to 30 September should be available in mid-November and will then be placed in the Library in the usual way.

  Domestic Homicide
  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what statistical information he has on the acceptance of defences to murder from women and men in cases of domestic homicide and their treatment by the courts; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  The information in the tables relates to domestic homicides committed in England and Wales from 1982 to 1989 inclusive.

  Ninety-five per cent of those indicted for homicide of a spouse, cohabitant or lover, including previous relation-ships, were indicted for murder. However, women were nearly twice as likely as men to be indicted for the lesser charge of manslaughter. Table 1 gives the indictment figures separately for women and men.
  191

  Indictment

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  Total

  Total

  18

  21

  22

  19

  22

  24

  25

  26

  177

  Manslaughter as a percentage of murder + manslaughter

  11

  14

  5

  5

  5

  4

  8

  8

  7

  Men

  Murder

  108

  84

  88

  93

  109

  80

  90

  101

  753

  Manslaughter

  2

  5

  7

  5

  6

  3

  2

  2

  32

  Total

  110

  89

  95

  98

  115

  83

  92

  103

  785

  Manslaughter as a percentage of murder + manslaughter

  2

  6

  7

  5

  5

  4

  2

  2

  4

  At trial 22 per cent. of women and 5 per cent. of men were acquitted of all charges.

  In the outcome 65 per cent. of all domestic homicide convictions were for manslaughter. Thirty-one per cent. were on grounds of diminished responsibility under

  Table 2

  Domestic Homicide Convictions 1982 to 1989 (including lover, former lover etc.) Women

  England and Wales

  Number of persons

  Conviction:

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  Total

  Murder

  3

  2

  1

  4

  1

  7

  4

  5

  27

  Section 2 Manslaughter

  3

  10

  4

  3

  5

  2

  4

  5

  36

  Other Manslaughter

  8

  4

  11

  8

  9

  9

  10

  11

  70

  Lesser offence

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3

  —

  —

  1

  4

  Acquitted/unfit to plead

  4

  5

  6

  4

  4

  6

  7

  4

  40

  Total

  18

  21

  22

  19

  22

  24

  25

  26

  177

  Manslaughter as a percentage of murder + manslaughter

  79

  88

  94

  73

  93

  61

  78

  76

  80

  Men

  England and Wales

  Number of persons

  Conviction

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  Total

  Murder

  34

  28

  29

  29

  43

  26

  38

  51

  278

  Section 2 manslaughter

  44

  31

  31

  31

  33

  22

  20

  27

  239

  Other manslaughter

  27

  27

  26

  33

  33

  29

  30

  20

  225

  Lesser offence

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  3

  6

  Acquitted/unfit to plead

  5

  1

  9

  5

  6

  6

  3

  2

  37

  TOTAL

  110

  89

  95

  98

  115

  83

  92

  103

  785

  Manslaughter as a percentage of murder plus manslaughter

  68

  67

  66

  69

  61

  66

  57

  48

  63

  Women are more likely than men finally to be convicted of manslaughter rather than murder. Around half of the homicide convictions for women were for other manslaughter on the grounds of provocation, compared with 30 per cent. for men.

  When convicted for manslaughter, men were more likely to receive a prison sentence and it was likely to be longer. Between 1986 and 1989, 70 per cent. of men received a prison sentence compared to 45 per cent. of women. The average lengths of sentence were 59 months for men, excluding life sentences, and 33 months for women—no life sentences.
  192
  section 2 of the Homicide Act 1957, the remaining 34 per cent. for other mansulaughter were mostly on grounds of provocation Table 2 gives details of the conviction, separately for women and men.

  Women were also more likely to receive a probation order or suspended prison sentence. Between 1986 and 1989, these sentences accounted for 27 per cent. of decisions for women and 8 per cent. of decisions for men.

PRIME MINISTER

  Electoral Registration
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on electoral registration trends in Great Britain in the light of the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys' analysis on pages 1 to 3 of "Population Trends 64".
  193
  Mr. MacGregor
  I have been asked to reply.

  There has been a relatively small decline since 1987 in the estimated proportion of the population registered to vote. As the article in "Population Trends" explains, there are a number of reasons why this proportion may change, and it is not possible from the evidence available to identify separately the effect of any particular factor.

  Nuclear Test Veterans
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Prime Minister if, when he next meets President Bush, he will discuss the policy of the United States of America in relation to the payment of compensation to United Kingdom veterans of its nuclear tests; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. MacGregor
  I have been asked to reply.

  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has no plans to discuss this matter with President Bush.

  Bank of Credit and Commerce International
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Prime Minister how many meetings he has had with the Governor of the Bank of England concerning BCCI over the last (i) 12 months and (ii) 24 months.

  Mr. MacGregor
  I have been asked to reply.

  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister meets the Governor of the Bank of England from time to time to discuss a variety of matters.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Prime Minister when he was last briefed by the Bank of England about the events surrounding BCCI.

  Mr. MacGregor
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Bank of England and the Treasury have kept my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in touch with developments over the recess.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will meet a delegation of hon. Members to discuss the effects of the closure of BCCI on depositors and staff.

  Mr. MacGregor
  I have been asked to reply.

  My hon. the Economic Secretary has kept closely in touch with developments in the BCCI case, and has seen a number of delegations representing those affected as have the Chancellor and the Governor. If hon. Members wish to make further representations to the Government on these issues the Economic Secretary stands ready to receive a delegation.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Prime Minister if he has any plans to give evidence to the Bingham inquiry.

  Mr. MacGregor
  I have been asked to reply.

  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has already made it clear that he will give evidence to the Bingham inquiry if asked to do so.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Prime Minister how many representations he has received from members of the public or depositors of BCCI.

  Mr. MacGregor
  I have been asked to reply.

  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has received a large number of representations.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Prime Minister when he was told that the restructuring plans for BCCI would not go ahead.
  194
  Mr. MacGregor
  I have been asked to reply.

  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister was informed of the contents of the press statement issued by the majority shareholders on 3 October, shortly before it was released.

  Pensioners' Costs
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Prime Minister what are the latest estimates of the average weekly cost to senior citizens for heating and lighting in each region of Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. MacGregor
  I have been asked to reply.

  Estimates on expenditure on fuel, light and power for households whose heads were women aged over 60 or men over 65 for Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland are shown in the table. Data are not available for the regions of Scotland. The estimates are based on two years' results from the 1988 and 1989 family expenditure surveys.

  Average weekly expenditure on fuel, light and power for households with heads of pensionable age 1988 and 1989

  £ week

  United Kingdom

  8·7

  Scotland

  9·2

  Wales

  9·7

  Northern Ireland

  13·4

  England

  8·6

  North

  8·5

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  8·6

  North West

  8·4

  East Midlands

  8·7

  West Midlands

  8·7

  East Anglia

  9·1

  South East total

  8·3

  Greater London

  7·6

  Rest of South East

  8·6

  South West

  9·4

  Source: Family Expenditure Survey.

  Commonwealth Conference
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Prime Minister if he has any plans to put forward proposals for the promotion of good government and human rights at the Commonwealth conference in Harare; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. MacGregor
  I have been asked to reply.

  The promotion of good government and human rights are major issues in the Commonwealth Heads of Governments meeting discussions in Harare. Britain is playing a full role in these discussions and in the follow-up to them.

  China
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list those political and religious prisoners on whose behalf he made representations to the Chinese Government during his recent visit; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. MacGregor
  I have been asked to reply.

  The individual names passed to the Chinese Government were intended to be a representative selection of cases of concern, not an exhaustive list. They included student demonstrators, religious believers in Tibet and elsewhere, and Hong Kong detainees. We are continuing to raise human rights with the Chinese authorities at every suitable opportunity.

  Abu Dhabi
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Prime Minister when he next plans to seek to visit Abu Dhabi.

  Mr. MacGregor
  I have been asked to reply.

  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has at present no plans to do so.

  Engagements
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 17 October.

  Mr. MacGregor
  I have been asked to reply.

  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister is attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Harare.

  Nuclear Disarmament
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Prime Minister what response he made to the proposal by President Mitterrand of France that the four permanent members of the United Nations Security Council that deploy nuclear weapons in Europe hold an urgent summit meeting to discuss future multilateral nuclear arms cuts.

  Mr. MacGregor
  I have been asked to reply.

  We welcome President Mitterrand's proposal for a meeting with the Soviet Union to discuss the future security of its nuclear weapons. We believe that this is a matter to be taken forward in consultation with all our NATO allies.

  Mr. Li Ka Shing
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Prime Minister what was the purpose of his meeting in Hong Kong with Mr. Li Ka Shing, chairman of Cheung Kong; what topics were discussed; what United Kingdom Government officials were present; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. MacGregor
  I have been asked to reply.

  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's normal practice is and will continue to be neither to confirm nor deny whether meetings with private individuals have taken place, even in those cases where no such meeting has occurred.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Prime Minister when the hon. Mrmber for Walsall, North will be receiving a reply to the letter he wrote on 23 September.

  Mr. MacGregor
  I have been asked to reply.

  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister will reply to the hon. Member's correspondence shortly.

  NUM (Sequestration)
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 3 June,Official Report, column 35, if he will place in the public domain the information requested and obtained from the Government, by the sequestrators of the National Union of Mineworkers funds, relevant to the discharge of their duties to the court.

  Mr. MacGregor
  No. I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's answer of 10 June to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Hillhead (Mr. Galloway) at column 425.

  Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Prime Minister if, during his meeting with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing in September, he discussed the implications of the Chinese Government announcement that they intend to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

  Mr. MacGregor
  I have been asked to reply.

  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister discussed China's decision to accede to the NPT with Mr. Li Peng. China's action is an important step in the field of non-proliferation.

  Party Funds (Donations)
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Prime Minister what guidelines are issued to Cabinet members and other members of the Government about the granting of access where there has been payment to party funds.

  Mr. MacGregor
  I have been asked to reply. None.

  Senior Civil Servants (Guidelines)
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Prime Minister what guidelines exist for senior civil servants about discussing political matters; and whether these guidelines apply also to the chief executive of the national health service.

  Mr. MacGregor
  I have been asked to reply

  General guidance for civil servants on discussing political matters in public is contained in the civil service pay and conditions of service code and in the note on the duties and responsibilities of civil servants in relation to Ministers issued by the former head of the home civil service in December 1987. This guidance does not preclude individual civil servants, including the chief executive of the national health service, from explaining Government policy when appropriate.

ENERGY

  Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what progress has been made by the International Atomic Energy Agency in its assessment of the ways to implement special unannounced safeguards inspections, pursuant to articles 73 and 77 of INFCIRC/153 (1971), as requested in the final document of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty fourth review conference in September 1990; and what role has been played by the depository states for the nuclear non-proliferation treaty in supporting this assessment;

  (2) if he will make a statement on the actions taken by the international nuclear safeguards authorities, pursuant to the proposals made by Her Majesty's Government in the statement at the fourth review conference of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty on 22 August 1990, and in particular on special safeguards inspection regimes.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  In his statement of 26 February of this year to the board of governors, the director general of the IAEA, Dr. Blix, outlined a number of proposals for improving international safeguards; these included a proposal for the increased use of special inspections. Detailed proposals are currently being developed by the
  197
  IAEA and will be discussed in due course by the board of governors. The United Kingdom will play a full part in these discussions.

  Sellafield THORP
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what provisions have been made for the decommissioning of the thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield; what volume of decommissioning waste it is expected to generate; what is the projected cost of decommissioning; and who is expected to cover the costs of decommissioning the plant.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I have nothing to add to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Member for Banbury (Mr. Baldry) to the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan (Mr. Salmond) on 21 June 1990 at column 659.

  Electricity Companies (Pensions)
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what consultations he has had with the Director-General of Electricity Regulation concerning the level of provisions made by the 12 regional electricity companies following the GRE-Barber case on future pension entitlement and the amount of provisions generally.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Provisions made in annual accounts are a matter for the companies concerned.

  Gas Prices
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what discussions he has had with the Director General of the Office of Gas Supply concerning the status of the April 1991 agreement with the board of British Gas plc to accept new price increase controls from 1 April 1992.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The terms of the agreement regarding the new tariff price formula are a matter for the Director General of Gas Supply and British Gas. I am pleased the agreement reached will reinforce the downward trend in gas prices since privatisation.

  Nuclear Materials
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards releasing to Parliament details of nuclear materials and technology exports from the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  It is the Government's policy to assist Parliament by being as open as practicable about details of such goods licensable for export from the United Kingdom, subject to the constraints of national security and commercial confidentiality.

  It has been the practice of successive Governments not to reveal details of individual applications.

  Coal Privatisation
  Mr. Andy Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what recommendations Rothschilds have made about the future size of the coal industry and the impact of privatisation.

  Mr. Wakeham
  As is generally known, Rothschild's has been asked by my Department to analyse possible options 198
  for privatising British Coal. One of the key criteria of this work, which is being carried out in close conjunction with British Coal, is the Government's objective of achieving the largest economic United Kingdom coal industry in the longer term. Clearly, Rothschild's task can only be done against a background of a range of assessments about the potential future United Kingdom market for coal. Rothschild's has not been asked to make recommenda-tions on the future size of the industry, or on the number of pits, or on the future of individual pits. As we have made repeatedly clear, decisions on the form and timing of the privatisation of British Coal will not be taken until after the next general election.

  The future size of British Coal's operations will depend on the size of the United Kingdom coal market and the share of that market that it can win. This is the key issue, which recent ill-informed and mischievous press specula-tion has obscured. Given that sales to the electricity industry account for around 80 per cent. of British Coal's market, the contracts with the electricity generators will be crucial to its future. British Coal's success in this market will depend on its ability to improve productivity and to reduce its unit costs to enable it to sell profitably into that market at competitive prices. British Coal has made great strides in increasing productivity—up by over 100 per cent. compared to pre-strike levels. More needs to be done if the corporation is to compete with its major competitors, but I am confident that it will be able to achieve this.

  The negotiation of the post-1993 contracts with the electricity generators has not yet started, and therefore speculation about the future size of the United Kingdom coal industry is premature.

  British Coal will have to face the challenge of the market whether it is in the public or private sector. Coal privatisation is not the issue.

  Speculation about the future size of the industry is damaging to British Coal's drive to increase the competitiveness of its business and undermines the objective of creating the largest economic United Kingdom coal industry in the longer term.

  Petroleum Engineering Directorate
  Sir Hector Monro
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether the Government have replied to that part of the Energy Committee's seventh report which deals with the location of the petroleum engineering directorate—PED—of his Department.

  Mr. Wakeham
  The successful development of the oil and gas resources of the United Kingdom continental shelf —UKCS—has brought great benefits to oil industry and supply centres across the United Kingdom. I am determined that these benefits should continue.

  So far this year I have approved 17 new oil and gas developments with a total value of £4·2 billion, there have been nine significant finds, and drilling activity has continued at high levels. Capital investment in the UKCS in the first six months of this year was about 30 per cent. higher than in the first half of 1990. All this activity is helping to sustain and develop the economies of the regions concerned.

  The Offshore Supplies Office of my Department is, of course, already located in Glasgow.

  I agree with the Energy Committee that further studies are needed of the case for relocating the PED to Aberdeen and this is made clear in the reply that the Government

  199
  have made today to the Committee's report. I have therefore decided to commission a thorough review of all the issues to be carried out by independent consultants. The results of this review will be published.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Social Security Appeals
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many social security appeals by category are awaiting determination or are outstanding; and if he will make a statement.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Responsibility for the administra-tion of social security and medical appeal tribunals lies with the president of the Independent Tribunal Service, his honour Judge Holden, and the hon. Member may wish to contact his office direct to obtain this information.

  Child Support Agency
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the appointment of the chief executive of the Child Support Agency.

  Mr. Jack
  My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, announced on 1 October the appointment of Mrs. Rosalind Hepplewhite as chief executive of the Child Support Agency, following recruitment by open com-petition. Mrs. Hepplewhite is currently national director of MIND, having previously spent most of her career in the National Health Service. Her appointment will take effect on 1 January 1992.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the criteria to be used to assess the performance-related bonus scheme for the chief executive of the Child Support Agency.

  Mr. Jack
  Award of bonuses to the chief executive of the Child Support Agency will depend on the achievement of specific standards of performance set by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State. These are currently being developed and will cover key areas of work including service to the public.

  Residential Care
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what provision his Department makes for having the fees of residential and nursing homes assessed for a fair level of fees(a) currently and (b) under "Care in the Community".

  Miss Widdecombe
  We receive a large number of representations, some of which include survey results, throughout the year both from representative bodies and individuals. We consider this evidence together with the available statistical information and will continue to do so.

  Benefits
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy to introduce six-monthly uprating of benefits in line with the cost of living for all recipients over 60 years.

  Miss Widdecombe
  We have no plans to do so.

  Government Policies
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the impact of Government policies on the economic well-being of the poorest decile of the income distribution.

  Mr. Murphy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the impact of Government policies on the economic well-being of the poorest decile of the income distribution.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Information on the living standards of people living in the lower half of the income distribution is presented in the series of tables "Households Below Average Income 1981–1987" copies of which are available in the Library. The Social Security Select Committee has now produced figures for 1981 to 1988 in its first report "Low Income Statistics: Households Below Average Income Tables 1988". These show that there has continued to be an increase in living standards at all levels of the income distribution, including the bottom decile.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Argentina
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the current availability of medium-term cover to Argentina from the Export Credits Guarantee Department for the use of British exporters.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Cover is not available from the Export Credits Guarantee Department for exports from the United Kingdom to Argentina which are sold on medium-term credit.

  Iraq
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list all items that are currently banned for export to Iraq by British exporters.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The Export of Goods (Control) (Iraq and Kuwait Sanctions) Order 1990 prohibits without a licence granted by the Secretary of State the export of all goods from the United Kingdom to any destination in Iraq, or to any destination in any other country for delivery, directly or indirectly, to a person for the purposes of any business carried on in or operated from Iraq.

  Restraints (Exports)
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the export of leg irons, leg cuffs and similar devices manufactured in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The export of leg irons, shackles—excluding handcuffs—and gang chains is subject to control under the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1989 and requires an export licence from my Department.

  In the light of recent publicity I have reviewed the Government's long-standing policy of not issuing licences for these items and I can confirm that this will remain the policy.

  I am advised that exports have taken place of "oversized handcuffs" and linking chains. I have sought

  201
  advice from the police scientific development branch of the Home Department about the definition of "handcuff". I have decided that in future in determining whether goods are handcuffs for the purposes of export control my Department will use the US National Institute of Justice standard 0307·01. This standard defines the maximum length of two cuffs and connecting chain as 240 mm. This standard would bring "oversized handcuffs" under control. The only United Kingdom exporter is being advised.

  Foulkes Ingram and Co.
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will hold an inquiry into the reasons for the Securities and Investments Board making a favourable report following its inquiries into Foulkes Ingram and Co. of Aberystwyth in the period 1988 to 1991; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  The conduct of the Securities and Investments Board's inquiries is a matter for the board.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will order a public inquiry into the collapse of Foulkes Ingram and Co. of Aberystwyth and the resulting loss by small investors; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  I have no plans to order an inquiry. The regulatory authorities took action this year following complaints from investors and I understand the matter is now being investigated by the police.

  Scotch Whisky (Chile)
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the Government's and EC's negotiations with the Government of Chile concerning the exports of Scotch whisky and the tax discrimination practised by that country.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Ministers raise the question of the discrimination against Scotch whisky with their Chilean counterparts whenever suitable opportunities arise. I raised the matter with the Chilean Foreign Minister when I visited Chile last February.

  The EC has discussed the issue with the Chilean Government, and it now remains for discussion during the Uruguay round, where I hope it can be satisfactorily resolved.

  Export Credits Guarantee Department
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received about the premium levels set for British manufacturers by the Export Credits Guarantee Department; and if he has plans to enable the ECGD to lower its premium rates.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I have received a number of representations about Export Credits Guarantee Department premium rates from project and capital goods exporters. The ECGD reviews its premium rates regularly, taking into account representations which have been made to Ministers, the rates of other export credit agencies, and the risks to the taxpayer that premium income may not be able to cover underwriting losses.

  Funerals
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, further to his reply of 3 July,Official Report, column 307, what response he has had from the National Association of Funeral Directors to his suggestion that its code of conduct should include a commitment to itemise the costs of a basic funeral.

  Mr. Leigh
  In my statement to the House on 3 July I said that I would ask the National Association of Funeral Directors to amend its code of practice to require its members to provide itemised estimates of their charges for funeral services.

  I raised the issue of itemised estimates when I met the association on 11 July. I told it that I was convinced that customers would benefit from being provided with clearly itemised estimates of charges in advance of their purchase of a funeral. Such itemised estimates would enable customers to compare the services offered by different funeral directors and choose that which gave best value.

  To reinforce the points I made at our meeting I wrote to the NAFD on 16 October to urge it to amend its code of practice. I am awaiting its reply.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Albania
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his assessment of the problems facing the people of Albania; and if he will detail both what Her Majesty's Government have done to advance practical assistance and what further measures Her Majesty's Government intend to pursue unilaterally or in concert with other states.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Albania faces major economic problems including severe food shortages and has at the same time to build a democratic society after decades of Stalinism. As part of the European Community effort Britain is contributing towards medical aid and 145,000 tonnes of wheat. The total cost is some £12·25 million, of which Britain's share is over £2 million. We have also given £50,000 to the British charity Feed the Children, which has received over £500,000 in total through an appeal run by The Sunday Times newspaper. We will continue to co-ordinate our response to Albania's need through the European Community and with other international donors. Finally the Community is preparing for negotiations on a trade and co-operation agreement.

  Mordechai Vanunu
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government have made any recent representations to the Israeli Government over the continued imprisonment in solitary confinement of Mordechai Vanunu; and if any recent communication has been received on behalf of Mr. Vanunu from the Mordechai Vanunu Trust.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have made no recent representations to the Israeli Government regarding Mordechai Vanunu, nor have we received any recent communication from the Mordechai Vanunu Trust. But, as we have stated in the past, Mr. Vanunu's imprisonment and treatment appear to be compatible with the normal judicial process and practice in Israel.

  United Nations (Minister's Speech)
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list in the Official Report the main proposals and commitments made in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly on 24 September; and whether he has costed the proposals and commitments.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  In my right hon. Friend's speech to the UN General Assembly on 25 September he outlined the case for the establishment of a register of arms transfers and measures to improve the UN's response to humanitarian emergencies. If the General Assembly decides to adopt the proposals, the Secretary-General, as chief administrator of the UN, will prepare the cost estimates. The costs to the UN budget will depend on the level of involvement of the secretariat envisaged by the adopted resolutions.

  Aung San Suu Kyi
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the award to Aung San Suu Kyi of the Nobel peace prize; and what further actions Her Majesty's Government intend to take to put pressure on the government of Burma to hand over power to the democratically elected government of the National League for Democracy.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  We warmly welcome the award of the Nobel peace prize to Aung San Suu Kyi. The award is a fitting tribute to her commitment to the cause of democracy and civil liberty in Burma, and a reminder to the world community that the Burmese people's struggle for political and human rights continues.

  We have repeatedly called on the military authorities to hand over power to democratically elected representatives of the Burmese people. In joint actions with our EC partners, we have suspended all non-humanitarian aid and placed an embargo on all defence sales to Burma. We will continue to do everything possible to encourage peaceful democratic change in Burma, in the first instance by working for a resolution on Burma at the present session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

  Inhumane Weapons
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek to expand the inhumane weapons protocol 1981 to include bulldozers when used to bury soldiers alive.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  No. The use of bulldozers to breach set defences is consistent with the established laws of armed conflict.

  Nuclear Test Ban
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response Her Majesty's Government made to the proposals put forward in September by the Government of the Soviet Union and Presidents of the Russian Federation and Kazakh republic that all nuclear testing should be halted and a verifiable nuclear test ban agreed at an early date.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  None. While there remains a need for a nuclear deterrent the UK will continue to carry out 204
  underground nuclear tests from time to time to ensure the effectiveness and safety of the deterrent. A comprehensive test ban is therefore a long-term goal.

  Weapons of Mass Destruction
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what weapons of mass destruction in Iraq have actually been destroyed under supervision internationally; what is the timetable for the remaining weapons to be destroyed; and if he will make a statement on this and related matters.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We understand that inspectors of the United Nations Special Commission have supervised the destruction so far of 62 ballistic missiles, 18 fixed Scud missile launch pads, 10 launchers, 11 dummy missiles, 32 ballistic missile warheads, 127 missile storage supports, a number of missile related support vehicles, a substantial amount of rocket fuel, an assembled 350 mm supergun, components for 350 mm and 1000 mm superguns, 1 tonne of supergun propellant and 8,100 unfilled chemical munitions. Inspectors have also confirmed the destruction by coalition bombing of several missile repair and production facilities.

  Security Council resolution 687 requires the destruc-tion, removal or rendering harmless, under international supervision, of all Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and related items. Iraq's declarations of such weapons have been shown to be both misleading and incomplete. The timetable for the destruction of the remaining items covered by SCR 687 will therefore depend on what emerges from future inspections. The destruction of Iraq's chemical weapons stocks which have so far been found will be a major task and will probably continue into 1993. The International Atomic Energy Agency is planning to destroy, remove, or render harmless in the near future those items related to Iraq's nuclear weapons capability which it has discovered or have been declared.

  Iraq (UN Inspection Team)
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what criteria was adopted in choosing the personnel in the United Nations special inspection team sent to Iraq, pursuant to United Nations Security Council resolution 687; how many members of the team are from the United Kingdom; and whether the United Kingdom has made any financial donation to support the work of the team.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Personnel for the inspection work undertaken in Iraq by the United Nations special commission and the International Atomic Energy Agency —IAEA— are chosen by the executive chairman of the special commission and the director general of the IAEA respectively. We understand that a number of factors are taken into account, primarily the need for professional expertise but also the desirability of as broad a geographical representation as practicable.

  To date there have been nineteen inspections in Iraq. The United Kingdom has provided personnel for sixteen of these, in varying numbers. We have made available £1 million this financial year to pay for the provision of practical support.

  Hong Kong
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give details of all his engagements and meetings during his most recent visit to Hong Kong.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs accompanied my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on his visit to Hong Kong on 4 and 5 September. With my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, he met the Governor and members of the Executive Council; attended a dinner hosted by the Governor for business and political leaders and a lunch hosted by the Chief Secretary for community leaders and representatives; visited the mass transit railway and the city polytechnic and attended a private dinner.

  He also visited the border to meet the Gurkhas and Royal Hong Kong police and visited a Royal Naval patrol craft; had a meeting with British business men and attended a private reception.

  South Africa
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy towards sporting links with South Africa.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Our policy has not changed since the answer my hon. Friend the Minister for Sport gave to the hon. and learned Member for Fife, North-East (Mr. Campbell) on 23 July. We have continued to encourage all concerned to promote racially integrated sport in South Africa. We hope that contact with integrated sports will resume as soon as possible.

  Nuclear Proliferation
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the meeting of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council on nuclear proliferation and control of sensitive technology sales, held in London on 26 September.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The recent experts' meeting in London discussed arms transfers and non-proliferation, in particular the development of agreed guidelines governing conventional arms transfers and the development of modalities of a consultation and information exchange mechanism on arms transfers to, as a matter of priority, the middle east. Senior officials are meeting again in London on 17 and 18 October to continue this process.

  "Community Alone" Agreements
  Mr. Knapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government have reviewed the publication of the so-called "Community Alone" agreements as Command Papers; and what proposals they have for future publication.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  As "Community Alone" agreements are already published in the Official Journal of the European Community, their publication as Command 206
  Papers is an unnecessary waste of resources. Consequently we have consulted the Chairmen of the Select Committees concerned and have agreed that this practice should cease. In order that hon. Members are kept fully informed I will instruct officials responsible for drawing up the White Paper on developments in the Community to ensure that in addition to the current annex C on major treaties arid agreements signed by the Community there is an additional annex on "Community Alone" agreements.

WALES

  Sports Facilities
  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has of the number of sports clubs and sports facilities incurring 100 per cent. costs and 50 per cent. of the business rate; and how many receive 100 per cent. rate relief.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  In 1990–91 Welsh local authorities received 756 applications for discretionary rate relief from non-profit making clubs used for recreational purposes including sporting organisations. Of the 673–89 per cent.—organisations granted relief,105 (16 per cent.) were granted relief of up to 20 per cent. of rates payable; 297 (44 per cent.) were granted relief of 21–50 per cent. of rates payable; 80 (12 per cent.) were granted relief of 51–80 per cent. of rates payable; 191 (28 per cent.) were granted relief of over 80 per cent. of rates payable.

  The number of non-profit-making recreational clubs paying 100 per cent. rates is not known.

  Sports Expenditure
  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the estimated local authority capital expenditure in recreation and sport in 1989–90 and 1990–91, respectively; and what is the estimated expenditure in 1991–92.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  Gross capital expenditure by local authorities in Wales on recreation, parks and baths was £39·6 million in 1989–90. Comparable information for 1990–91 and 1991–92 is not yet available.

  Poll Tax
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many people in Wales have not paid the poll tax for the year 1990–91;

  (2) how many people have paid the poll tax for the year 1990–91.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The information requested is not available centrally.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what is the percentage of arrears for the last financial year for the poll tax in Wales;

  (2) what is the amount of cash outstanding from non-payment of the poll tax in Wales in the last financial year.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  At 31 March 1991, local authorities reported that arrears of community charges in Wales were £49 million; around 12 per cent. of the full amount due—a collection rate of 88 per cent. Local authorities have continued to recover 1990–91 arrears, but
  207
  precise figures are not available because of the difficulty of distinguishing between the payment of arrears and the payment of 1991–92 charges. Local authorities have estimated that they expect to collect some 94 per cent. of the full amount of the 1990–91 charges—100 per cent. of the amount they had budgeted to collect.

  School Nurses (Regrading)
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many school nurse regrading claims are outstanding in each of the health authority areas of Wales.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  Information on numbers of grading appeals outstanding from nurses employed in particular posts, such as school nurses, is not held centrally.

  Health Authorities (Administration)
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many administrative staff there were in each of the health authority areas of Wales (i) currently, (ii) in 1984 and (iii) in 1987.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The number of administrative staff in each of the health authority areas of Wales for the three periods concerned are shown in the table.

  WTE of Staff in post at the relevant date

  DHA

  as at 30 August 1991

  as at 30 September 1984

  as at 30 September 1987

  Clwyd

  981

  704

  800

  East Dyfed

  693

  501

  518

  Gwent

  1,089

  936

  965

  Gwynedd

  597

  516

  541

  Mid Glamorgan

  1,285

  1,035

  1,097

  Pembrokeshire

  261

  156

  174

  Powys

  251

  172

  193

  South Glamorgan

  1,754

  1,443

  1,490

  West Glamorgan

  1,021

  710

  824

  My officials are currently reviewing with district health authorities the effectiveness of the decentralised manage-ment systems for administrative and clerical staff in Wales. They will be looking in particular at whether action needs to be taken to ensure compliance with the principles underpinning the conclusions set out in the National Audit Office report "NHS Administrative and Clerical Manpower in England", March 1991.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what pilot exercises or investigations were undertaken by or on behalf of his Department into the cost to a hospital or unit of preparing a bid for trust status; and if he will give a breakdown of the major elements within the total.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  This is for potential applicants to consider as part of their business planning and will vary according to local needs and circumstances.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what is the maximum sum available from his Department's finances to any single hospital or unit to assist in preparing a bid for trust status;

  (2) if he will list the criteria being used by his Department in order to decide whether to grant money to any hospital in Wales towards drawing up an application for trust status.
  208
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  If a hospital or health service unit is invited to prepare an application for NHS trust status, any subsequent bid for financial assistance to help with the process will be considered on its merits.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the figure given or offered by his Department to each hospital in Wales towards the costs of drawing up an application for trust status.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  A contribution of £50,000 was made available to Pembrokeshire health authority to help towards costs incurred in preparing the application, associated printing and during the consultation period.

  Mr. Peter Williams
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what were the reasons for the dismissal of Mr. Peter Williams from the post of unit general manager of Bronglais hospital, Aberystwyth.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  This is a matter for the East Dyfed health authority.

  Hill Sheep Farmers
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement concerning the prospects of hill sheep farmers.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I am currently, in consultation with the Welsh farming unions, reviewing the economic conditions and prospects for our less-favoured area farmers as part of the annual hill livestock compensatory amounts autumn review. The conclusions of the review will be announced in due course.

  NHS Managers
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will give a list of community services managers, or their equivalents, within the health service in Wales, together with their grades and pay scales and any appropriate qualifications;

  (2) if he will give a list of unit general managers within the health service in Wales together with their grades and pay scales and any appropriate qualifications.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  I will write to the hon. Gentleman and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

  Bronglais Hospital, Bangor
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects an advertisement to be placed for the post of unit general manager at Bronglais hospital, Aberystwyth.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  This is a matter for the East Dyfed health authority. I understand that it has filled the post with an acting general manager until 31 August 1992.

  Opencast Coal Mining
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he intends to publish the Government's response to the Welsh Affairs Committee Report, HC Paper 28, Session 1990–91, on the future of opencast coal mining in Wales.
  209
  Mr. David Hunt
  I am pleased to announce that the response has been published today as Command Paper 1652.

SCOTLAND

  Higher Education
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what percentage of Scottish 18, 19 and 20-year-olds went into full-time higher education in each year since 1979;

  Percentage of Scottish domiciled young people entering full-time higher education in the United Kingdom

  Academic session

  Age at December

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  17 years and under

  4·01

  3·99

  4·19

  4·24

  4·39

  4·60

  18 years

  11·28

  11·21

  11·40

  12·40

  12·63

  14·67

  19 years

  2·84

  2·83

  2·89

  2·93

  3·03

  3·73

  20 years

  1·32

  1·31

  1·36

  1·40

  1·42

  1·75

  Storm Damage
  Sir Hector Monro
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which local authorities will benefit from the Bellwin scheme invoked after the severe storms in January of the current year; and by how much.

  Mr. Lang
  Claims for special financial assistance under the Bellwin scheme have now been assessed and I can announce that £85,000 in grant will be made available to three authorities which suffered an undue financial burden in responding to the storms and floods of January under the terms of the scheme which I announced on 8 January.

  The details of grant are:

  £

  Cunninghame district council

  72,100

  Kyle and Carrick district council

  8,932

  Dumbarton district council

  4109

  85,141

  Payments will be issued to these authorities as soon as possible.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Sport and Recreation
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, further to the reply of 16 May,Official Report, column 233, to the hon. Member for Stalybridge and Hyde, if he will list for each of the past 10 years, and as a total over the same period, the total amount included in the bilateral aid programme for sports and recreation projects expressed as (a) a total amount and (b) a percentage of the total bilateral aid programme.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Bilateral aid for sports and recreation purposes has been very limited and the amounts involved very small; the help has mostly taken the form of small grants made on an ad hoc basis to governments and non-government groups. It would require considerable time and disproportionate cost to assemble the information required.
  210
  (2) what percentage of 18-year-olds entered higher education in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The available information is given in the table. Information on the numbers of young people entering higher education before 1984–85 could he obtained only at disproportionate cost.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Economic and Monetary Union
  Mr. O'Hara
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he next expects to meet Mr. Delors to discuss economic and monetary union.

  Mr. Maude
  My right hon. Friend met Mr. Delors at the last meeting of European Community Finance Ministers on 7 October. The next such meeting will be on 11 November.

  Corporation Tax
  Mr. Andy Stewart
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current rate of corporation tax; and what are the levels of company taxation in other European Community member states.

  Mr. Maude
  The main rate of corporation tax for the financial year 1991 is 33 per cent. The main rates, including local taxes, for other EC member states vary between 35 and 49 per cent., with an average of about 41 per cent.

  Manufactured Goods
  Mr. Trimble
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give the current balance of payments in respect of manufactured goods; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  In the three months to August there was a trade surplus in manufactured goods of £128 million—the first such surplus since 1982.

  Mr. Conway
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the proportion of manufactured goods compared to total exports for the latest year for which figures are available and for 1979.

  Mr. Mellor
  In 1990, a total of 62 per cent. of United Kingdom exports of goods and services were manufactures, compared to 56 per cent. in 1979.

  Investment Intentions
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the forecast of investment intentions for 1991 from the Central Statistical Office's latest investment intentions survey.

  Mr. Mellor
  The spring 1991 survey of manufacturers' investment intentions suggested a 14 per cent. fall in investment in 1991 from historically high levels in 1989 and 1990, followed by a flattening out in 1992.

  Mortgage Arrears
  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the number of people more than six months in arrears on their mortgage payments.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Figures published by the Council of Mortgage Lenders show that at the end of June 1991, out of 9·6 million mortgage loans outstanding, 221,900 were six or more months in arrears.

  Unemployment
  Mr. Ted Garrett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assumptions on unemployment in 1991–92 and 1992–93 were used in the construction of the expenditure plans announced in the autumn statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  The spending plans in the 1990 autumn statement were based on an assumed level of unemploy-ment in Great Britain of 1·75 million in 1991–92 and 1992–93.

  Pound Sterling (Value)
  Mr. Ron Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current value of the 1979 pound in real terms; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maples
  The figure is £2·37.

  Inflation
  Mr. Cash
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he expects the forecasts for inflation made at the time of the Budget to be fulfilled.

  Mr. Maples
  Retail prices index inflation has fallen in line with expectations since the Budget forecast was made, from 8·9 per cent. in February to 4·1 per cent. in September. A new forecast will be published with the autumn statement.

  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the ranking of the United Kingdom in the G7 countries in their rate of inflation.

  Mr. Maples
  In August the United Kingdom had the third highest inflation rate of the G7 countries.

  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the latest estimates for the rate of inflation in the last quarter of 1991 and in the first quarter of 1992.

  Mr. Maples
  The Budget forecast was for RPI inflation to fall to 4 per cent. in the fourth quarter of 1991, and the September figure of 4·1 per cent. is in line with that. The forecast for the second quarter of 1992 was 3¾ per cent. No 212
  forecast was published for the first quarter of 1992. New forecasts will be published with the autumn statement as usual.

  Taxes and National Insurance
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his most recent forecast for the proportion of non-oil gross domestic product that taxes and national insurance contributions will represent in 1992–93, and what was the forecast in the 1990 Budget.

  Mr. Maude
  The projection given in the 1991 Financial Statement and Budget Report was 36¾ per cent. compared with 36 per cent. in the 1990 FSBR.

  Corporate Sector Deficit
  Mr. Loyden
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total corporate sector deficit in 1980; and what it was in the first half of 1991.

  Mr. Mellor
  In 1980 industrial and commercial companies were more or less in financial balance. In the first half of 1991 their financial deficit was £7¾ billion, much lower than the deficit of £14¾ billion in the first half of 1990.

  USSR
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the balance of trade, visible and invisible, between the United Kingdom and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

  Mr. Mellor
  In the latest three months the United Kingdom's crude visible trade deficit with the USSR was £0·1 billion. Figures for the invisible balance are not available.

  Manufacturing Investment
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the level of investment in the manufacturing sector.

  Mr. Mellor
  In the second quarter of 1991 manufacturing investment was £2·5 billion in constant 1985 prices.

  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the average quarterly figure for manufacturing investment, including leased assets, in 1979 and the level in the first quarter of 1991, in constant prices.

  Mr. Mellor
  Manufacturing investment averaged just over £2·7 billion per quarter in 1979. In the first quarter of 1991 it was just under £2·7 billion.

  BCCI
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many representations he has received from members of the public, depositors and staff over the Bank of Credit and Commerce International.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  I have received a large number of representations from the many people affected.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he was told that the restructuring plans for BCCI would not go ahead; and if he will make a statement.
  213
  Mr. Norman Lamont
  Treasury Ministers were informed of the content of the press statement issued by the majority shareholders on 3 October, shortly before it was released.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has any plans to call for an interim report from Lord Justice Bingham.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  I have no plans to do so.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has any plans to give evidence to the Bingham inquiry.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  I will give evidence to the Bingham inquiry if I am asked to do so.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the Bingham report to be published.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  I expect Lord Justice Bingham to report as soon as is possible, consistent with his duty to be thorough and probing.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met Lord Justice Bingham.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  I last met Lord Justice Bingham on 22 July.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings he has had with the Governor of the Bank of England concerning BCCI in the last(a) 12 months and (b) 24 months.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  I meet the Governor of the Bank of England from time to time to discuss a variety of matters.

  Inflation and Interest Rates
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the average inflation and interest rate levels between 1974 and 1979 and since May 1979; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maples
  Between March 1974 and April 1979 retail prices index inflation averaged 15·5 per cent. and base rates averaged 10·5 per cent. Since May 1979, the corresponding figures have been 7·6 per cent. for inflation and 12·2 per cent. for interest rates.

  National Heritage Land
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if for each year since 1980, he will give the details of each agreement reached which is an exemption from inheritance tax for national heritage land of outstanding scenic, historic or scientific interest, and in each case if he will give the following:(a) the name of the estate, (b) the county in which it is located, (c) the amount of tax exemption, (d) the type of designated area in which the land is located, (e) the hectarage of land involved and (f) the extent of new access arrangements affecting that land; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  The detailed information requested about individual cases is covered by the normal rules of tax confidentiality. Where conditional exemption from inheritance tax is granted, land-owners are required to publicise arrangements made for public access.

  "Dispatches" Programme
  Mr. Randall
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what steps were taken to ensure Steven Watson would have immunity from prosecution in the event of his arrest by police while carrying out his anti-crime work at Heathrow airport as described in the "Dispatches" programme on Channel 4;

  (2) at what rank in the Customs and Excise office the initiative reported in the Channel 4 "Dispatches" programme to break the rip-off gangs at Heathrow airport was approved.

  (3) if he approved the change of policy of the Customs and Excise Office in combating crime at Heathrow airport by employing the techniques used by Steven Watson as described in the "Dispatches" programme.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Her Majesty's Customs and Excise use all available resources and techniques to combat drug smuggling, including from time to time undercover operations. Customs staff engaged on undercover work are not authorised to undertake criminal activities, and the issue of immunity from prosecution does not therefore arise. The operation to which the hon. Member refers was authorised by the chairman of the Board of Customs and Excise.

  Financial Services
  Mr. Richard Shepherd
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what tax changes are proposed for the new market formed from the merger of the London International Financial Futures Exchange and the London traded options market.

  Mr. Maude
  The rules for certain tax reliefs which are available at present to market makers in traded options assume that the London traded options market is part of the stock exchange. When the proposed merger of the London trade options market with the London International Financial Futures Exchange takes place, this will no longer be so. New regulations will he made to adapt the present reliefs accordingly, and to widen them in some respects to take account of the structure of the new market, once the arrangements for the merger have been finalised.

  The new regulations will provide stamp duty and stamp duty reserve tax reliefs for members of the new merged market acting as principal traders in equity options. The reliefs will apply, within certain prescribed limits, to transactions in equities which are necessary to hedge positions in options to buy or sell securities which members enter into on their own account and not on behalf of clients.

  Stock lending reliefs, and exemption in certain circumstances from the anti-bondwashing legislation, will also apply to such transactions and to transactions where stock is borrowed or purchased to meet a delivery obligation arising from the exercise or assignment of an option, again within certain prescribed limits.

  For members of the merged market acting as principal traders in option contracts regulations will be made to place them on a comparable basis to Stock Exchange market-makers when required to manufacture a dividend.

HEALTH

  HIV and AIDS
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the projects on which his Department has worked with the British Medical Association to educate the public about HIV and AIDS.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The British Medical Association's main educational remit is towards the medical profession. The BMA carries this work forward through its Board of Education and Science and its Foundation for AIDS. However the association has collaborated both with the Department of Health and the Health Education Authority (HEA) on projects for wider audiences as follows:the BMA and the HEA jointly produced a booklet 'AIDS and You'. This was designed primarily for junior doctors but is now being more widely distributed;
  in March this year the BMA and the HEA jointly hosted an international workshop on the promotion of sexual health. This attracted delegates from a range of organisations from both the United Kingdom and abroad to consider educational initiatives for the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV prevention;
  the Department and the BMA collaborated on the production of an educational picture game for use with the general public and in schools, colleges and other institutions;
  The Department and the BMA collaborated on the production of videos for GP's and hospital doctors aimed at raising awareness, and helping them to cope with the issues surrounding HIV and AIDS.

  London Teaching Hospitals
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the national function currently filled by each of the London teaching hospitals; and if he will list for each the number of beds not in commission in each on 1 October last.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Teaching hospitals, in London and elsewhere, generally perform a number of different functions. As well as providing services to the local population, through contracts with purchasing authorities, they offer a range of specialist services to a wider population on a regional and sometimes supra-regional basis. In addition, teaching hospitals fulfil a national function, in collaboration with the medical schools, as centres of undergraduate teaching and postgraduate training.

  Figures on the number of beds not in commission are not routinely collected centrally as they are not a reliable indicator of service levels. If the hon. Member wishes to contact the hospitals concerned, they may be able to supply him with this information.

  NHS Dental Checks
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the charge for a NHS dental examination; and what was the charge in 1979.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The patient charges for NHS dental examinations are £3·75, £5·25 and £12·00, depending on the complexity of the examination. There was no charge for any dental examination in 1979. In 1979–80, 18,185,000 216
  courses of dental treatment were provided for adults in England and Wales. The equivalent figure for 1990–91 is 23,738,000, and an increase of over 30 per cent.

  Eye Tests
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in(a) 1989, (b) 1990 and so far this year received an eye examination under the NHS; and if he will show the percentage change since the introduction of charges for an examination.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Eye examinations are carried out in the community by optometrists who refer any cases of suspect eye disease, via the patient's general medical practitioner, to a consultant ophthalmologist in the hospital eye service. The total out-patient attendances at NHS hospital eye clinics for NHS ophthalmological treatment are:

  England (millions)

  1988–89

  2·839

  1989–90

  2·888

  1990–91

  2·931

  Attendances increased by 3·2 per cent. between 1988–89 and 1990–91. Community-based optometrists carried out 12·493 million NHS sight tests in 1988–89. Changes were introduced in April 1989 whereby those who could afford to, paid for their own private sight test. Some 40 per cent. of the population including children and adults who either cannot afford it or who have special medical needs continue to be entitled to free NHS tests. There was a surge in the number of sight tests carried out in 1988 as people rushed to "beat the charges" and a corresponding drop immediately after April 1989. The last vestiges of this surge continue to show in the figures for 1989 which include 1·7 million sight tests done but not paid for under the "old system". The figures for NHS tests for 1989–90 and 1990–91 are—5·572 million and 4·425 million respectively. Figures from surveys published by the optical profession show that after an initial drop, levels for total sight test figures have returned to 1987 levels—the last "normal" year before the changes were made.

  Dentistry
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists in 1979 gave treatment under the NHS; and what is the number now.

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

  Number of dentists in England1

  General dental services

  Hospital dental services

  Community dental services2

  30 September 1979

  12,146

  1,152

  1,995

  30 September 1990

  15,480

  1,244

  1,577

  30 June 1991

  15,448

  n/a

  n/a

  1 The figures shown are the latest available; those for hospital and community dentists represent numbers of staff and not necessarily those giving treatment.

  2 In 1989, the role of the Community Dental Services was reviewed. As a result, it is now the practice for the General Dental Services, rather than the Community Dental Services, to provide routine treatment for healthy school children.

  217
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for the six forms of dental treatment most often given as well as dental examinations(a) the charges for such treatment in 1979, (b) the level of the charges if they had been increased in line with inflation since then and (c) the current charges.

  Mr. Dorrell
  These comparisons are not possible because of changes to the structure of the charging system. In 1979 patients paid the full cost up to £5 for routine treatments, with higher costs for others.

  The current charges for dental examinations as at 1 July 1991 are £3·75, £5·25 and £12, depending on the complexity of the examination.

  The six most common adult treatments, excluding examinations, are given in the table with the current patient charge as at 1 July 1991:

  £

  Normal scaling and polishing

  6·00

  One mesio-occlusal or disto-occlusal filling

  7·95

  Composite/Synthetic Resin one filling

  7·65

  Amalgam one surface

  4·05

  Two films radiographic examination and report

  2·55

  One mesio-occlusal-distal filling

  10·50

  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those areas in England where there is a shortage of dentists giving NHS treatment.

  Mr. Dorrell
  In January 1991, a survey of family health services authorities provided no evidence of areas in England where there is a shortage of dentists giving NHS treatment. We are currently analysing the results of a more recent sample survey of dentists providing NHS treatment.

  Prescription Charges
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the price would now be for a prescription if the charge had been increased in line with inflation since 1979; and what is the current charge.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  46p; and £3·40. In 1979 two items in every five carried a prescription charge. This compares with only one item in five in 1990.

  NHS Hospital Trusts
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health who owns the NHS hospital trusts.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Each NHS trust has vested in it the assets it requires to carry out its functions. These bodies are set up by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and are accountable to him as an integral part of the NHS.

  Carers
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the Government's policy towards the people who act as carers for relatives or friends of elderly or disabled people at home.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We recognise the splendid, loving and often arduous work of carers. They are the main providers of community care.

  Our community care policy set out in the White Paper "Caring for People" commands wide support.
  218
  Statutory authorities are to give high priority to ensuring that carers receive the practical support they need.

  When fully implemented, the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 will provide a better framework.

  We recognise the important role of the voluntary sector in implementing community care policies. The Government aid several voluntary organisations which work to support carers. We keep in close touch with their activities.

  I welcome the initiative announced today by the Princess Royal. Leading businessmen under the chairmanship of lain Valiance, have formed a new organisation, the Princess Royal Trust for Carers. It will work with statutory and voluntary organisations to enhance the lives of carers.

  NHS Chief Executive
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he authorised or had prior knowledge of the interview with the chief executive of the national health service management executive published in the Daily Mail on 7 October.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Yes.

  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he had prior knowledge of the contents of the interview with the chief executive of the national health service management executive published in the Daily Mail on 7 October.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  No.

  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what disciplinary action he intends to take against the chief executive of the national health service management executive over his interview in the Daily Mail on 7 October.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  None.

  Operating Theatres
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if, pursuant to his reply of 14 October, he will estimate the cost of answering the question put to him by the hon. Member for Newham, South concerning days lost in operating theatres in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Dorrell
  In order to obtain the information a special exercise would have to be mounted. Without making detailed inquiries of health authorities, which itself would involve considerable expenditure, it is impossible to provide a precise figure, but it would definitely be well in excess of £1,000.

  NHS Services
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what NHS services were free of charge to users in 1979; and which are now subject to charges for treatment.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  No charges for treatment have been introduced since 1979, except for dental examinations.

DEFENCE

  RAF Northolt
  Mr. Hayward
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what discussions his Department has held with the Department of Transport about achieving more effective utilisation of the facilities at RAF Northolt;

  (2) what discussions his Department has held with business aircraft operators about the use of private sector investment to modernise and maintain the facilities at RAF Northolt;

  (3) what proposals he has received for the establishment of a civil aviation enclave at RAF Northolt;

  (4) what studies his Department has made into what savings in the running costs of RAF Northolt could be achieved by increased co-operation with business aircraft operators.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  RAF Northolt is already very effectively utilised for military aviation, and further military use is likely to be made of it as a result of our plans for defence in the nineties. Officials from my Department and the Department of Transport have recently concluded a study into the scope for future civil aviation use of RAF Northolt. Civil aircraft are already allowed to use the airfield, when military requirements permit, and make a contribution towards the cost of the runway and air traffic control facilities through payment of landing and navigation fees. The possibility of establishing a civil enclave, about which a number of representations have been received, was included in the study and the findings are currently under consideration. My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces will write to the hon. Member when these deliberations are complete.

  Missiles
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions have been held with the United States authorities about the potential of the AGM/MGM-137 tri-service stand-off attack missile to meet British military requirements.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  We have regular discussions with our United States partners on a wide range of equipment-related issues.

  Anti-armour Weapons
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration is being given to a reinstatement of staff requirement 1238; and what changes have been made to the requirement in the past year.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  We are continuing to assess the need for an air-launched anti-armour weapon in the light of changing circumstances.

  Portland Naval Base
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on future plans for Portland naval base and the provision of naval operational sea training.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  We see a continuing need for a naval presence at Portland. We are continuing to look at 220
  how best to match support to the smaller fleet in the 1990s. I cannot therefore be specific about the level of activity at Portland or any other base in the longer term.

  There is a continuing requirement for the Royal Navy to conduct operational sea training.

  AWACs
  Mr. Viggers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the orders and industrial benefits which have flowed to the United Kingdom by virtue of the offset agreement in relation to the Ministry of Defence's purchase of AWACs aircraft from the Boeing Aircraft Corporation of the United States of America.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Contracts with United Kingdom firms amounting in total value to $1·197 billion have so far been agreed to count under this agreement. Details of individual orders are commercially confidential.

  Low Flying
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give the technical definition of low flying as used by(a) the RAF and (b) his Department; and if he will indicate how stringently the use of the term is controlled and what other definitions are also used by either or both.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  Fast jet aircraft are classified as low flying when below 2,000 feet minimum separation distance (MSD). Minimum separation distance is the minimum separation in all directions between the aircraft and the ground, or water or any object other than aircraft in the same formation. This definition is used both within the Ministry of Defence and by the RAF. No other definitions are used.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what limitations on low flying are in operation(a) over Cardiff, (b) over Penarth and (c) over other built-up areas in south Wales; and what speed limitations are in operation in each case where any flights are allowed.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  For the limitations on low flying over Cardiff, Penarth and other built-up areas in south Wales, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 24 July at column 703. As regards speed limitations, the normal maximum cruising speed for military aircraft in the United Kingdom low-flying system is 450 knots, except for F111s which, for aircraft handling reasons, are allowed to fly at speeds of up to 480 knots.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many flights by RAF aircraft have passed(a) over Cardiff, (b) over Penarth and (c) close to either town in the last 12 months; and in each case if he will give the number below 300 ft and within each 100 m band above 300 ft.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  Central records are not held in a form that would enable the information requested to be provided.

  Tornado Ditching
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will list the constituencies and built-up areas over which the RAF Tornado GR1 flew between the onset of difficulties and its descent into the Bristol channel on 12 September;
  221
  (2) if he will release all available information about the events leading up to the descent of a Tornado GR1 in the Bristol channel on 12 September, excepting only such information as it is necessary to keep secret in the national interest on the most strict interpretation of those words;

  (3) at what height, to the nearest 100 ft, the RAF Tornado GR1 was flying on 12 September when its pilot experienced difficulties which led to the aircraft coining down in the Bristol channel.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  I have nothing to add to my letter of 30 September to the hon. Member. I have arranged for a copy of this letter to be placed in the Library.

  Disarmament Verification
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department's atomic weapons establishment has undertaken any research into the verification of nuclear arms control and disarmament agreements; and if the AWE makes available any of its scientific experts to international bodies in support of verification requirements of the United Nations.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The necessary research is conducted to enable the MOD and Government to be suitably informed on verification and arms control matters. MOD expertise appropriate to the situation has been provided to international bodies such as the United Nations Special Commission and the ad hoc group of scientific experts (AHGSE), a working group of the United Nations Committee on Disarmament that meets in Geneva.

  Army Training (Germany)
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what future arrangements he anticipates for Army training in Germany.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend has now agreed with the German Minister of Defence new arrangements to maintain effective training for the British Army of the Rhine. These will allow the Army to dispense with exercising in the Soltau-Luneburg area. Dr. Stoltenberg is providing alternative exercising oppor-tunities in existing training areas of the Bundeswehr.

  The withdrawal from Soltau-Luneburg as a military exercise area is planned in the following phases:
  1992 Withdrawal from a major area south west of Luneburg and substantial extension of the summer break period.
  1993 Withdrawal from east of Bundesautobahn 7 and maintaining the extended summer break period.
  1994 Ending of all military training in Soltau-Luneburg by mid 1994.

  Industrial tribunals (England and Wales): waiting time for cases to come to first hearing

  Region-period

  Under (weeks)

  6

  8

  10

  12

  16

  20

  26

  Bristol

  1 April 1991 to 15 October 1991

  1

  2

  3

  5

  35

  61

  82

  1 April 1990 to 31 March 1991

  4

  14

  27

  41

  64

  76

  89

  1 April 1989 to 31 March 1990

  6

  25

  41

  57

  74

  82

  89

  1 April 1988 to 31 March 1989

  10

  31

  48

  61

  77

  84

  90

  1 April 1987 to 31 March 1988

  3

  21

  41

  57

  75

  84

  92

  1 April 1986 to 31 March 1987

  3

  15

  36

  54

  73

  82

  93

  Bristol

  1 April 1991 to 15 October 1991

  13

  28

  50

  59

  73

  83

  93

  1 April 1990 to 31 March 1991

  8

  19

  37

  49

  70

  81

  90

  1 April 1989 to 31 March 1990

  10

  30

  46

  58

  77

  88

  96

  1 April 1988 to 31 March 1989

  13

  26

  37

  49

  68

  76

  84

  222
  These substantial reductions of burdens on the Soltau-Luneburg area in 1992 and the ending of British military training in that area by mid-1994 are the result of successful efforts by the two Defence Ministers. The mutually agreed solution became possible as a result of the restructuring and reduction of the armed forces of NATO in a changed security environment in Europe.

  We would like to express our appreciation to Dr. Stoltenberg for the offer of excellent alternative training facilities which has made it possible for us to cease using Soltau-Luneburg, as the German Government wished.

EMPLOYMENT

  Industrial Tribunals
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what is the current maximum, current average and the current minimum waiting time for cases to reach a hearing by industrial tribunals in the area covered by the(a) Leeds, (b) Nottingham and (c) Cardiff regional office of industrial tribunals; and what were the comparable waiting times in each of the last five years for which records are available;

  (2) what is the current maximum, current average and the current minimum waiting time for cases to reach a hearing by industrial tribunals in the area covered by the (a) Southampton, (b) Bristol and (c) Bury St. Edmund's regional office of industrial tribunals; and what were the comparable waiting periods in each of the last five years for which records are available;

  (3) what is the current maximum, current average and the current minimum waiting time for cases to reach a hearing by industrial tribunals in the area covered by the (a) Newcastle, (b) Manchester and (c) Birmingham regional office of industrial tribunals; and what were the comparable waiting times in each of the last five years for which records are available;

  (4) what is the current maximum, current average and the current minimum waiting time for cases to reach a hearing by industrial tribunals in the area covered by the (a) London South and (b) London North regional office of industrial tribunals; and what were the comparable waiting times in each of the last five years for which records are available.

  Mr. Forth
  I regret that the information is not available in the precise form requested. The figures in the table show the percentage of applications coming to first hearing at art industrial tribunal within six, eight, 10, 12, 16, 20, and 26 weeks respectively of receipt of the application. The figures for the period 1 April to 15 October 1991 are provisional.
  223

  Region-period

  Under (weeks)

  6

  8

  10

  12

  16

  20

  26

  1 April 1987 to 31 March 1988

  11

  27

  50

  59

  79

  88

  94

  1 April 1986 to 31 March 1987

  12

  26

  40

  50

  67

  85

  93

  Bury St. Edmunds

  1 April 1991 to 15 October 1991

  0

  1

  5

  9

  30

  48

  76

  1 April 1990 to 31 March 1991

  1

  10

  21

  34

  55

  76

  88

  1 April 1989 to 31 March 1990

  9

  22

  41

  54

  74

  84

  92

  1 April 1988 to 31 March 1989

  8

  27

  46

  60

  78

  85

  90

  1 April 1987 to 31 March 1988

  9

  29

  47

  61

  79

  85

  93

  1 April 1986 to 31 March 1987

  7

  24

  43

  62

  77

  85

  93

  Cardiff

  1 April 1991 to 15 October 1991

  2

  6

  14

  28

  55

  72

  87

  1 April 1990 to 31 March 1991

  1

  7

  18

  28

  54

  71

  86

  1 April 1989 to 31 March 1990

  4

  14

  29

  45

  65

  72

  86

  1 April 1988 to 31 March 1989

  5

  18

  32

  45

  68

  80

  93

  1 April 1987 to 31 March 1988

  8

  28

  44

  56

  81

  93

  97

  1 April 1986 to 31 March 1987

  22

  37

  54

  63

  78

  85

  88

  Leeds

  1 April 1991 to 15 October 1991

  1

  3

  15

  37

  71

  81

  91

  1 April 1990 to 31 March 1991

  3

  15

  33

  50

  75

  89

  96

  1 April 1989 to 31 March 1990

  5

  26

  49

  66

  87

  94

  97

  1 April 1988 to 31 March 1989

  2

  11

  32

  64

  80

  88

  94

  1 April 1987 to 31 March 1988

  4

  22

  41

  58

  79

  86

  90

  1 April 1986 to 31 March 1987

  4

  29

  47

  61

  87

  95

  97

  London North

  1 April 1991 to 15 October 1991

  1

  3

  15

  26

  49

  61

  77

  1 April 1990 to 31 March 1991

  1

  6

  13

  25

  47

  62

  78

  1 April 1989 to 31 March 1990

  5

  19

  31

  44

  65

  75

  85

  1 April 1988 to 31 March 1989

  4

  15

  26

  36

  49

  79

  91

  1 April 1987 to 31 March 1988

  10

  26

  41

  54

  71

  83

  90

  1 April 1986 to 31 March 1987

  7

  20

  33

  46

  60

  79

  88

  London South

  1 April 1991 to 15 October 1991

  0

  2

  7

  12

  39

  59

  77

  1 April 1990 to 31 March 1991

  3

  8

  20

  34

  58

  73

  85

  1 April 1989 to 31 March 1990

  5

  14

  29

  44

  63

  75

  83

  1 April 1988 to 31 March 1989

  6

  18

  34

  48

  69

  79

  89

  1 April 1987 to 31 March 1988

  6

  19

  37

  51

  68

  79

  88

  1 April 1986 to 31 March 1987

  7

  19

  35

  49

  67

  76

  83

  Manchester

  1 April 1991 to 15 October 1991

  1

  4

  8

  13

  32

  66

  81

  1 April 1990 to 31 March 1991

  2

  10

  21

  41

  60

  82

  93

  1 April 1989 to 31 March 1990

  6

  21

  42

  56

  78

  89

  94

  1 April 1988 to 31 March 1989

  4

  18

  49

  63

  83

  91

  96

  1 April 1987 to 31 March 1988

  2

  14

  37

  52

  68

  75

  84

  1 April 1986 to 31 March 1987

  3

  23

  51

  66

  82

  89

  93

  Newcastle

  1 April 1991 to 15 October 1991

  0

  2

  2

  5

  18

  47

  74

  1 April 1990 to 31 March 1991

  1

  6

  21

  35

  54

  72

  85

  1 April 1989 to 31 March 1990

  3

  13

  27

  40

  67

  81

  91

  1 April 1988 to 31 March 1989

  8

  24

  38

  51

  76

  87

  94

  1 April 1987 to 31 March 1988

  10

  24

  39

  52

  65

  74

  83

  1 April 1986 to 31 March 1987

  6

  15

  25

  34

  48

  80

  97

  Nottingham

  1 April 1991 to 15 October 1991

  3

  13

  27

  38

  55

  71

  83

  1 April 1990 to 31 March 1991

  4

  14

  35

  48

  64

  78

  93

  1 April 1989 to 31 March 1990

  3

  20

  34

  44

  62

  70

  94

  1 April 1988 to 31 March 1989

  8

  28

  47

  59

  79

  88

  93

  1 April 1987 to 31 March 1988

  5

  31

  48

  66

  85

  91

  94

  1 April 1986 to 31 March 1987

  3

  20

  38

  51

  73

  88

  94

  Southampton

  1 April 1991 to 15 October 1991

  2

  5

  16

  30

  60

  78

  90

  1 April 1990 to 31 March 1991

  3

  9

  24

  44

  68

  81

  89

  1 April 1989 to 31 March 1990

  3

  18

  40

  56

  78

  88

  95

  1 April 1988 to 31 March 1989

  3

  16

  41

  59

  79

  91

  95

  1 April 1987 to 31 March 1988

  7

  28

  51

  65

  86

  92

  97

  1 April 1986 to 31 March 1987

  6

  30

  58

  70

  86

  92

  97

  224

  Low Pay
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of female part-time workers in Great Britain in April and the proportions with hourly earnings, excluding overtime pay, of less than(a) £3·40, (b) £3·70, (c) £4·92 and (d) £5·15, respectively.

  Mr. Jackson
  There were an estimated 4,575,000 part-time female employees in employment in Great Britain in March 1991.

  The estimated percentages of part-time adult female employees earning below specified amounts, excluding overtime, in the new earnings survey sample in April 1991 were:

  £

  Per cent.

  3·40

  38·8

  3·60

  45·8

  3·80

  52·9

  Prosecutions under sections 16, 19, and 21 of the Wages Act 1986

  1990

  Number and type of offences

  Number of workers

  Penalties placed on employers

  Burger House, Maidstone

  2—Failure to pay at least the statutory minimum rate, keeping false records

  One

  £600 fine, £345 costs, £1280 arrears

  G. S. Fruit, Sheffield

  3—Failure to pay at least the statutory minimum rate, keeping false records

  Two

  £450 fine, £150 costs

  One Stop Foods, Leeds

  2—Failure to pay at least the statutory minimum rate

  Two

  £100 fine, £150 costs, £443 arrears

  Pavilions Kebab House, Buxton

  1—Failure to produce records

  —

  £400 fine, £69 costs

  Post Office Stores, Avening

  2—Failure to pay at least the statutory minimum rate, keeping false records

  One

  £50 fine, £1,128 arrears

  Terry's Hair Fashion,Swanley

  3—Failure to pay at least the statutory minimum rate, failure to keep records, failure to post notices

  One

  £225 fine, £50 costs, £150 arrears

  Truss Self-Service, Aldershot

  3—Failure to pay at least the statutory minimum rate, keeping false records

  Two

  £150 fine, £200 costs, £1,277 arrears

  Weardale Hotel, Spennymoor

  1—Failure to produce records

  —

  £100, fine, £70 costs

  Westons, Barrow in Furness

  4—Failure to pay at least the statutory minimum rate

  Four

  £160 fine, £400 costs, £100 arrears

  1991 (To date)

  Number and type of offences

  Number of workers

  Penalties placed on employers

  Allardyce Cafe, Stonehaven

  2—Failure to pay at least the statutory minimum rate

  Two

  Admonishment

  P. Bilton, Sheffield

  3—Failure to pay at least the statutory minimum rate

  Three

  £200 fine, £70 costs, £111·64 arrears

  Bridge House Hotel, Scunthorpe

  1—Failure to pay at least the statutory minimum rate

  One

  £150 fine, £200 costs, £418·08 arrears

  Central Carpets, Hull

  8—Failure to pay at least the statutory minimum rate, failure to keep records, failure to post notices

  Three

  £800 fine, £390 costs, £1,750 arrears

  226

  £

  Per cent.

  4·80

  74·7

  5·40

  81·7

  Estimates of the percentages earning below £3·70, £4·92 and £5·15 are not available; the nearest available figures have been given. The figures relate to employees on adult rates whose earnings for the survey period were not affected by absence.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report the names and whereabouts of establishments prosecuted for breaching wages council legislation in 1990 and 1991, and in each case (a) the type and number of offences they committed, (b) the number of employees affected and (c) the penalties placed on employers.

  Mr. Forth
  The information requested is in the tables:
  227

  1991 (To date)

  Number and type of offences

  Number of workers

  Penalties placed on employers

  D. E. Drinkall, Hull

  6—Failure to pay at least the statutory minimum rate, fai-lure to keep records, failure to post notices

  Four

  £150 fine, £293·75 costs. £3,103 arrears

  Filey Frozen Foods, Filey

  1—Failure to pay at least the statutory minimum rate

  One

  £300 fine, £150 costs, £804 arrears

  Gill Manufacturing, Leeds

  1—Failure to produce records

  —

  £400 fine, £230 costs

  G. C. Mull & Co.,Finsbury Park, London

  2—Failure to pay at least the statutory minimum rate

  Two

  £100 fine, £50 costs, £1,537 arrears

  New Image, Bedminster

  2—Failure to pay at least the statutory minimum rate

  One

  £100 fine, £25 costs, £121 arrears

  B. D. Price, Dudley

  1—Failure to comply with a requirement of an inspector

  —

  £400 fine, £393 costs

  Spar Shop, Newcastle upon Tyne

  3—Failure to pay at least the statutory minimum rate, failure to keep records, failure to post notices

  One

  £100 fine, £100 costs, £850 arrears

  Trendy, Hull

  2—Failure to keep records, failure to post notices

  —

  £400 fine, £90 costs

  Vanessa Gail Hair Design, Leeds

  2—Failure to pay at least the statutory minimum rate

  Two

  £250 fine, £100 costs, £2,218 arrears

  Village Market, Langley Park

  4—Failure to pay at least the statutory minimum rate

  Two

  £160 fine, £300 costs, £540 arrears

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of male part-time workers in Great Britain in April and the proportions with hourly earnings, excluding overtime pay, of less than(a) £3·40, (b) £3·70, (c) £4·92 and (d) £5·15, respectively.

  Mr. Jackson
  There were an estimated 969,000 part-time male employees in employment in Great Britain in March 1991.

  The estimated percentages of part-time adult male employees earning below specified amounts, excluding overtime in the new earnings survey sample in April 1991 were:

  £

  Per cent

  3·40

  39·0

  3·60

  45·0

  3·80

  50·9

  4·80

  67·3

  5·40

  73·1

  (a) (i) Percentage of full time men on adult rates with weekly earnings excluding overtime less than:

  April 1991

  Manual

  Non Manual

  All

  >£130

  >£140

  >£130

  £140

  >£130

  >£140

  Greater London

  4·0

  6·0

  1·2

  1·8

  2·1

  3·2

  South East

  4·5

  7·1

  1·6

  2·5

  2·7

  4·2

  East Anglia

  5·8

  9·8

  3·7

  6·0

  4·7

  7·9

  South West

  8·8

  13·6

  2·7

  4·6

  5·4

  8·7

  West Midlands

  7·2

  11·1

  3·8

  5·4

  5·6

  8·3

  East Midlands

  7·5

  11·9

  3·4

  4·9

  5·6

  8·6

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  7·7

  12·5

  4·1

  6·0

  6·1

  9·5

  North West

  7·8

  11·4

  3·5

  5·2

  5·6

  8·2

  Northern

  8·1

  11·3

  4·3

  6·0

  6·4

  9·0

  Wales

  8·6

  13·7

  4·4

  6·1

  6·7

  10·2

  Scotland

  9·2

  13·7

  3·7

  5·7

  6·5

  9·8

  Great Britain

  7·0

  10·8

  2·8

  4·3

  4·8

  7·3

  Northern Ireland

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  228
  Estimates of the percentages earning below £3·70, £4·92 and £5·15 are not available; the nearest available figures have been given. The figures relate to employees on adult rates whose earnings for the survey period were not affected by absence.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish tables in the Official Report showing the proportions of manual, non-manual and all full-time employees earning less than (a) £138.74, (b) £18500 and (c) £193.60 per week excluding overtime payments, for (i) men, (ii) women and (iii) both sexes by standard economic region for Great Britain as a whole and for Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Jackson
  The information available from the April 1991 new earnings survey closest to that requested is given in the table, for the regions of Great Britain. Comparable information for Northern Ireland is not available.
  229
  Source: New Earnings Survey (pay not affected by absence).

  Note: "n/a" denotes information not available.

  (a) (ii) Percentage of full lime women on adult rates with weekly earnings excluding overtime less than:

  April 1991

  Manual

  Non Manual

  All

  <£130

  <£140

  <£140

  <£140

  <£130

  <£140

  Greater London

  19·1

  25·5

  2·4

  3·9

  4·4

  6·4

  South East

  26·2

  34·7

  4·8

  7·6

  7·8

  11·4

  East Anglia

  40·5

  51·3

  13·6

  19·8

  19·2

  26·3

  South West

  43·7

  54·4

  12·7

  18·3

  18·0

  24·4

  West Midlands

  42·2

  52·1

  13·4

  19·6

  19·8

  26·8

  East Midlands

  44·1

  54·5

  13·5

  18·6

  21·7

  28·2

  York and Humberside

  46·3

  57·6

  14·7

  21·5

  21·6

  29·3

  North West

  41·3

  51·7

  13·2

  18·7

  18·5

  25·0

  Northern

  44·0

  53·1

  16·3

  22·4

  22·5

  29·2

  Wales

  40·9

  53·8

  16·7

  21·4

  22·2

  28·8

  Scotland

  42·1

  52·8

  14·0

  19·4

  19·7

  26·2

  Great Britain

  38·3

  48·3

  10·5

  15·1

  15·6

  21·2

  Northern Ireland

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  Source: New Earnings Survey (pay not affected by absence).

  Note: "n/a" denotes information not available.

  (a) (iii) Percentage of full time employees on adult rates with weekly earnings excluding overtime less than:

  April 1991

  Manual

  Non Manual

  All

  <£130

  <£140

  <£130

  <£140

  <£130

  <£140

  Greater London

  6·8

  9·6

  1·7

  2·8

  3·0

  4·4

  South East

  8·5

  12·2

  3·0

  4·8

  4·6

  6·9

  East Anglia

  11·4

  16·6

  7·9

  11·9

  9·4

  13·8

  South West

  14·7

  20·6

  7·2

  10·8

  9·9

  14·2

  West Midlands

  13·4

  18·4

  8·2

  11·8

  10·4

  14·6

  East Midlands

  14·9

  20·5

  7·9

  11·0

  11·0

  15·2

  York and Humberside

  14·1

  20·0

  9·0

  13·1

  11·/

  16·1

  North West

  13·7

  18·5

  8·0

  11·5

  10·2

  14·2

  Northern

  14·1

  18·4

  10·0

  13·7

  11·8

  15·8

  Wales

  14·5

  21·0

  10·2

  13·3

  12·0

  16·6

  Scotland

  15·4

  21·1

  8·7

  12·3

  11·3

  15·8

  Great Britain

  12·6

  17·6

  6·3

  9·2

  8·6

  12·2

  Northern Ireland

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  Source: New Earnings Survey (pay not affected by absence).

  Note: "n/a" denotes information not available.

  (b)(i) Percentage of full time men on adult rates with weekly earnings excluding overtime less than:

  April 1991

  Manual

  Non Manual

  All

  <£180

  <£190

  <£180

  <£190

  <£180

  <£190

  Greater London

  19·9

  24·5

  6·0

  7·4

  10·4

  12·9

  South East

  24·9

  30·6

  8·2

  9·8

  14·3

  17·5

  East Anglia

  36·1

  42·0

  14·6

  17·5

  25·4

  29·8

  South West

  39·7

  46·6

  13·2

  15·5

  25·1

  29·5

  West Midlands

  34·1

  40·5

  14·8

  17·3

  24·8

  29·3

  East Midlands

  34·9

  42·4

  14·7

  18·0

  25·4

  31·0

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  36·9

  42·9

  15·8

  18·9

  27·2

  31·8

  North West

  34·5

  40·9

  14·8

  16·9

  24·4

  28·6

  Northern

  32·2

  39·9

  15·3

  17·7

  24·7

  30·0

  Wales

  38·1

  45·9

  15·9

  18·4

  28·0

  33·4

  Scotland

  39·4

  46·6

  14·4

  17·1

  27·1

  32·1

  Great Britain

  33·1

  39·7

  12·1

  14·4

  21·9

  26·1

  Northern Ireland

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  Source: New Earnings Survey (pay not affected by absence).

  Note: "n/a" Denotes information not available.

  (b)(ii) Percentage of full time women on adult rates with weekly earnings excluding overtime less than:

  April 1991

  Manual

  Non manual

  All

  <£180

  <£190

  <£180

  <£190

  <£180

  <£190

  Greater London

  53·9

  60·7

  13·1

  17·0

  17·9

  22·1

  South East

  65·3

  71·0

  23·4

  28·0

  29·3

  34·1

  East Anglia

  83·6

  87·5

  47·8

  52·8

  55·2

  59·9

  South West

  83·6

  87·9

  44·5

  49·9

  51·1

  56·3

  West Midlands

  83·7

  88·1

  47·4

  53·1

  55·4

  60·8

  East Midlands

  86·4

  89·2

  45·5

  50·7

  56·4

  61·0

  York and Humberside

  84·3

  88·8

  46·5

  51·5

  54·6

  59·6

  230

  231

  Manual

  Non Manual

  All

  <£180

  <£190

  <£180

  <£190

  <£180

  <£190

  North West

  81·2

  84·8

  44·7

  50·5

  51·6

  57·0

  Northern

  79·2

  82·9

  49·8

  56·1

  56·3

  62·0

  Wales

  82·8

  85·7

  46·2

  52·7

  54·6

  60·3

  Scotland

  83·3

  87·3

  45·5

  50·8

  53·2

  58·2

  Great Britain

  78·3

  82·6

  37·4

  42·6

  45·0

  50·0

  Northern Ireland

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  Source: New Earnings Survey (pay not affected by absence)

  Note: "n/a" denotes information not available.

  (b) (iii) Percentage of full lime employees on adult rates with weekly earnings ecluding overtime less than:

  April 1991

  Manual

  Non Manual

  All

  <£180

  <£190

  <£180

  <£190

  <£180

  <£190

  Greater London

  26·2

  31·3

  9·2

  11·7

  13·3

  16·4

  South East

  32·4

  38·1

  15·0

  18·0

  19·9

  23·7

  East Anglia

  43·8

  49·4

  28·9

  32·7

  34·9

  39·5

  South West

  47·1

  53·6

  27·3

  31·0

  34·2

  39·0

  West Midlands

  42·9

  49·0

  29·6

  33·5

  35·2

  40·0

  East Midlands

  45·3

  51·8

  28·3

  32·4

  35·8

  41·0

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  44·8

  50·5

  29·9

  33·8

  36·3

  41·0

  North West

  42·7

  48·7

  28·7

  32·5

  34·0

  38·7

  Northern

  40·1

  47·1

  31·5

  35·8

  35·3

  40·8

  Wales

  46·2

  53·2

  30·1

  34·5

  37·1

  42·7

  Scotland

  47·6

  54·3

  29·5

  33·4

  36·7

  41·7

  Great Britain

  41·3

  47·4

  23·6

  27·2

  30·1

  34·6

  Northern Ireland

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  Source: New Earnings Survey (pay not affected by absence)

  Note: "n/a" denotes information not available.

  (c) (i) Percentage of full time men on adult rates with weekly earnings excluding overtime less than:

  April 1991

  Manual

  Non Manual

  All

  <£190

  <£200

  <£190

  <£200

  <£190

  <£200

  Greater London

  24·5

  29·0

  7·4

  9·1

  12·9

  15·4

  South East

  30·6

  36·1

  9·8

  11·9

  17·5

  20·8

  East Anglia

  42·0

  48·9

  17·5

  20·3

  29·8

  34·7

  South West

  46·6

  52·6

  15·5

  18·0

  29·5

  33·6

  West Midlands

  40·5

  46·9

  17·3

  19·9

  29·3

  33·9

  East Midlands

  42·4

  49·3

  18·0

  20·7

  31·0

  35·9

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  42·9

  49·7

  18·9

  21·9

  31·8

  36·9

  North West

  40·9

  47·0

  16·9

  19·6

  28·6

  32·9

  Northern

  39·9

  45·9

  17·7

  20·0

  30·0

  34·4

  Wales

  45·9

  52·3

  18·4

  21·6

  33·4

  38·4

  Scotland

  46·6

  52·4

  17·1

  20·1

  32·1

  36·5

  Great Britain

  39·7

  45·8

  14·4

  16·8

  26·1

  30·3

  Northern Ireland

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  Source: New Earnings Survey (pay not affected by absence).

  Note: "n/a" denotes information not available.

  (c) (ii) Percentage of full time women on adult rates with weekly earnings excluding overtime less than:

  April 1991

  Manual

  Non Manual

  All

  <£190

  <£200

  <£190

  <£200

  <£190

  <£200

  Greater London

  60·7

  66·8

  17·0

  21·2

  22·1

  26·5

  South East

  71·0

  75·5

  28·0

  32·9

  34·1

  38·9

  East Anglia

  87·5

  89·1

  52·8

  57·3

  59·9

  63·8

  South West

  87·9

  90·6

  49·9

  55·5

  56·3

  61·5

  West Midlands

  88·1

  90·3

  53·1

  57·2

  60·8

  64·6

  East Midlands

  89·2

  90·9

  50·7

  55·9

  61·0

  65·2

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  88·8

  92·2

  51·5

  56·2

  59·6

  63·9

  North West

  84·8

  88·8

  50·5

  55·5

  57·0

  61·8

  Northern

  82·9

  85·7

  56·1

  60·1

  62·0

  65·8

  Wales

  85·7

  87·4

  52·7

  57·0

  60·3

  64·0

  Scotland

  87·3

  91·0

  50·8

  55·7

  58·2

  62·8

  Great Britain

  82·6

  85·9

  42·6

  47·4

  50·0

  54·5

  Northern Ireland

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  Source: New Earnings Survey (pay not affected by absence)

  Note: "n/a" denotes information not available.
  232 233

  (c) (iii) Percentage of full lime employees on adult rates with weekly earnings excluding overtime less than:

  April 1991

  Manual

  Non Manual

  All

  <£190

  <£200

  <£190

  <£200

  <£190

  <£200

  Greater London

  31·3

  36·0

  11·7

  14·5

  16·4

  19·7

  South East

  38·1

  43·4

  18·0

  21·3

  23·7

  27·6

  East Anglia

  49·4

  55·5

  32·7

  36·2

  39·5

  44·0

  South West

  53·6

  59·0

  31·0

  35·0

  39·0

  43·4

  West Midlands

  49·0

  54·6

  33·5

  36·8

  40·0

  44·2

  East Midlands

  51·8

  57·7

  32·4

  36·2

  41·0

  45·7

  York and Humberside

  50·5

  56·7

  33·8

  37·6

  41·0

  45·8

  North West

  48·7

  54·3

  32·5

  36·3

  38·7

  43·1

  Northern

  47·1

  52·6

  35·8

  38·8

  40·8

  45·0

  Wales

  53·2

  58·7

  34·5

  38·3

  42·7

  47·2

  Scotland

  54·3

  59·7

  33·4

  37·3

  41·7

  46·2

  Great Britain

  47·4

  53·0

  27·2

  30·7

  34·6

  38·9

  Northern Ireland

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  Source: New Earnings Survey (pay not affected by absence)

  Note: "n/a" Denotes information not available.

  Construction Industry
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his latest estimate of the number of people unemployed in the construction industry sector in(a) Scotland, (b) England and (c) Wales.

  Mr. Jackson
  It is estimated from the labour force survey that in the spring of 1990 the numbers of unemployed people, on the internationally recommended ILO definition, whose previous employment had been in the construction industry were as follows:

  Number

  Scotland

  19,000

  England

  122,000

  Wales

  18,000

  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he next plans to meet representatives of the construction industry training board; what matters he intends to discuss; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  I meet the chairman of the Construction Industry Training Board from time to time to discuss the board's operations. Our next such meeting is scheduled to take place in early November.

  Small Firms
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the latest information on growth and competitiveness in the small firms sector.

  Mr. Forth
  At the end of 1986 there were an estimated 2·5 million businesses in the United Kingdom; at the end of 1989 there were almost 3 million. The overwhelming majority of these were small; around 95 per cent. employing fewer than 20 people. This growth has continued: in the latest year, 1990, there was a net increase of almost 1,000 a week in the number of businesses registered for VAT.

  Small firms continue to make a major contribution to employment growth. Between 1985 and 1989, firms employing fewer than 20 people created over 1 million additional jobs, more than twice as many as larger firms.

  The small firms sector continues to improve the competitive edge of the economy by maximising the range of choice available to consumers and by challenging the dominance of existing market leaders.

  Unemployed Young People
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if, pursuant to his public statement of 9 October referring to relative standards of training for unemployed young people, he will state the name and origin of the study he referred to and name those aspects which found United Kingdom arrangements superior to those of Germany.

  Mr. Jackson
  The report in question is entitled "Youth and Work: Transition to Employment in England and Germany" and was published on 25 September by the Anglo-German Foundation for the Study of Industrial Society. While the report does not conclude that one system is superior to the other, it highlights the many strengths of youth training in England and thereby gives the lie to those who choose to denigrate the skills of young people in this country.

  Food Industry
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the number of people employed in the food industry for each year since 1977.

  Mr. Jackson
  The Department's estimates of employment are categorised according to the 1980 standard industrial classification. The number of employees in employment in food manufacturing industries in Great Britain were as follows:

  Great Britain

  Thousands

  June 1977

  559·3

  June 1978

  554·1

  June 1979

  553·6

  June 1980

  544·4

  June 1981

  514·8

  June 1982

  494·3

  June 1983

  465·9

  June 1984

  454·3

  June 1985

  455·8

  June 1986

  447·5

  June 1987

  449·5

  June 1988

  444·3

  June 1989

  439·7

  June 1990

  436·6

  June 1991

  427·0

  Youth Training
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what steps he has taken to correct the discrimination in the new system of unauthorised absences from youth training trainees against young people who have previously truanted from school and may have difficulty in adjusting to youth training;

  (2) if he will outline the aims behind the new system of unauthorised absences of youth training trainees.

  Mr. Jackson
  The recording of attendance and abating of payments for unauthorised absence have proved costly and burdensome to youth training and employment training placement and training providers. The Government are currently exploring ways of reducing the administration where trainees are placed with employers. No discrimination is involved. Training and enterprise councils would continue to set the funding for each provider, taking into account all the circumstances, including the difficulties of providers recruiting trainees who have previously truanted from school.

  Farm Workers
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what advice he will give farm workers about the protective clothing to wear and the use of storage of this clothing between dipping seasons.

  Mr. Forth
  Advice on appropriate protective clothing is given on the label and/or data sheet of individual products. Additionally, information on the use of protective clothing and the precautions to be observed under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1988 when sheep dipping is given in the free leaflet "Sheep Dipping: Protect Your Health" published by the Health and Safety Executive on 16 September 1991, and available from its local offices.

  Guidance on the storage and maintenance of protective clothing is given in the joint HSE/MAFF publication "Pesticides: Code of Practice for the Safe Use of Pesticides on Farms and Holdings" a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

  Unit Labour Costs
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the percentage change in unit labour costs in(a) Britain and (b) Germany in the last 12 months.

  Mr. Jackson
  Unit wage costs in mining and manufacturing in the former Federal Republic of Germany rose by 3 per cent. in the year to the second quarter of 1991, which is the latest available information. In the same period unit wage costs in manufacturing in the United Kingdom rose by 11 per cent.

  Jobshare
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has for the future of the jobshare scheme; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  The Government remain keen to encourage labour force flexibility, and the Department recently issued a guide for employers setting out the benefits of a flexible approach to working arrangements.
  236
  Research has shown, however, that employers are introducing measures such as jobsharing without the need for continuing financial inducement from public funds. The low current take-up of the scheme suggests that it is not now fulfilling a useful purpose and we have therefore decided to close it for new applications on 31 December 1991.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Milk Marketing Board
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what are the terms of reference of the appointed members of the milk marketing board;

  (2) how many appointed members there are on the milk marketing board;

  (3) if he will list the dates of appointments of each of the appointed members of the milk marketing board; and what is the duration of each appointment.

  Mr. Gummer
  Under the Agricultural Marketing Act 1958, members of the milk marketing board appointed by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Secretary of State for Wales are required in their opinion to be qualified for appointment as having had experience and shown capacity in commerce, finance, administration, public affairs or the organisation of workers, or as being specially conversant with the interests of consumers of milk. There are no formal terms of reference for their appointment.

  Appointments are for three years and may be renewed. The current members and their dates of first appointment are as follows:

  Date

  Mr. John Williams

  1 September 1984

  Mrs. Fiona Gilmore

  1 November 1988

  Mr. Paul Judge

  18 November 1989

  I have arranged for copies of news releases giving their biographical details to be deposited in the Library of the House.

  Fisheries
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he intends to introduce legislation in the United Kingdom to implement the United Nations resolution 44/225 on banning large-scale drift nets.

  Mr. Gummer
  No present drift netting in the United Kingdom is covered by United Nations resolution 44/225. The United Kingdom Government strongly support the resolution which would prevent the use of large scale drift nets in all high seas areas from mid 1992 unless sound management procedures are in place. However, the Government wish to go further than this, and have therefore backed the European Commission's proposal which would prevent the development of large scale drift netting by any EC vessel, not only on the high seas, but in the adjacent waters within fishery limits. With 85 boats from several different EC member states, against the few from the United Kingdom, being involved in the fishery which would be affected by the Commission's proposal, it is clear that decisions must be made on a common EC basis, not unilaterally.
  237
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food further to his answer to the hon. Member for South Shields on 23 July, what is the role of his observer on the Cornish fishing trip in respect of giving advice to the skippers of the vessels about the use of large-scale drift nets.

  Mr. Gummer
  None of the nets used on the Cornish fishing trips were large scale drift nets, which have done so much harm when used indiscriminately in the south Pacific. The role of the MAFF observers was to provide reports on the new fishing operation. The fishermen themselves voluntarily limited the length of their nets.

  Irrigation Guidance
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he has taken for the reprinting of his Department's leaflet entitled "Good Irrigation Practice, Make Every Drop Count," to enable it to reach every licence holder in England and Wales; whether a new leaflet will be printed for 1992; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  We are presently assessing, with the National Rivers Authority and other interests, the effectiveness of the water shortage early warning system introduced for abstraction licence holders in East Anglia this season. In the light of this we shall discuss with the authority the extension of the system, and the good irrigation practice leaflet explaining it, beyond the East Anglian region next year.

  Badgers
  Mr. Roy Hughes
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many badgers have been killed in connection with the campaign against bovine tuberculosis in each year from 1986 to 1990 and so far in 1991; what has been the cost annually of this campaign; and what proposals he has to continue it.

  Mr. Maclean
  The number of badgers killed as part of official badger removal operations in 1986 to 1990 were as follows:

  Number

  1986

  782

  1987

  711

  1988

  788

  1989

  727

  1990

  811

  A total of 771 have been killed so far in 1991.

  These figures compare with an estimated total badger population of some 350,000, of which it is thought that over 20,000 are killed each year in road accidents.

  The annual cost of badger control is approximately £439,000 out of total expenditure of some £13,430,728 on bovine tuberculosis.

  The possibility of using a live test on badgers is being examined.

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the total number of BSE cases confirmed in each calendar month in 1991.
  238
  Mr. Gummer
  The information up to 11 October 1991 is as follows:

  County

  Cases

  England:

  Northern

  Cleveland

  45

  Cumbria

  781

  Durham

  133

  Humberside

  167

  Northumberland

  151

  Tyne and Wear

  5

  North Yorkshire

  1,380

  South Yorkshire

  118

  West Yorkshire

  178

  Total

  2,958

  Midlands and Western

  Cheshire

  1,130

  Derbyshire

  583

  Herefordshire and Worcestershire

  674

  Lancashire

  857

  Leicestershire

  865

  Manchester

  35

  Merseyside

  19

  Nottinghamshire

  215

  Shropshire

  854

  Staffordshire

  724

  West Midlands

  21

  Warwickshire

  375

  Total

  6,352

  Eastern

  Bedfordshire

  101

  Cambridge

  128

  Essex

  162

  Hertfordshire

  147

  Lincolnshire

  294

  Norfolk

  640

  Northamptonshire

  325

  Suffolk

  422

  Total

  2,219

  South-East

  Berkshire

  220

  Buckinghamshire

  328

  Hampshire

  1,305

  Isle of Wight

  256

  Kent

  722

  London

  21

  Oxfordshire

  562

  Surrey

  319

  East Sussex

  491

  West Sussex

  884

  Total

  5,108

  South-West

  Avon

  783

  Cornwall

  2,818

  Devon

  4,019

  Dorset

  3,092

  Gloucestershire

  1,041

  Somerset

  3,419

  Wiltshire

  2,231

  Total

  17,403

  Wales:

  Clwyd

  446

  Dyfed

  1,669

  239

  County

  Cases

  Mid Glamorgan

  80

  South Glamorgan

  95

  West Glamorgan

  17

  Gwent

  266

  Gwynedd

  101

  Powys

  338

  Total

  3,012

  Scotland:

  South

  Borders

  64

  Central

  34

  Dumfries

  256

  Lothian

  25

  Strathclyde

  315

  North

  Fife

  75

  Grampian

  227

  Highland

  62

  Orkney

  11

  Shetland

  3

  Tayside

  100

  Western Isles

  1

  Total

  1,173

  Northern Ireland:

  Antrim

  79

  Armagh

  19

  Down

  50

  Fermanagh

  24

  Londonderry

  32

  Tyrone

  49

  Total

  253

  England and Wales

  1980

  1990

  County

  Total area (000 hectares)

  Percentage of total area rented

  Area of land rented (000 hectares)

  Total area (000 hectares)

  Percentage of total area rented

  Area of land rented (000 hectares)

  Cleveland

  31·7

  43·9

  13·9

  30·2

  36·8

  11·1

  Cumbria

  465·4

  45·3

  210·9

  458·7

  39·2

  179·6

  Durham

  159·5

  52·0

  82·9

  155·7

  42·9

  66·7

  Northumberland

  383·3

  59·9

  229·7

  381·8

  55·5

  211·8

  Tyne and Wear

  18·3

  62·2

  11·4

  16·6

  51·6

  8·6

  Humberside

  292·8

  48·6

  142·3

  287·6

  40·7

  117·1

  North Yorkshire

  628·7

  48·5

  304·7

  629·8

  41·6

  261·7

  South Yorkshire

  83·1

  52·7

  43·8

  81·5

  45·9

  37·4

  West Yorkshire

  99·7

  46·7

  46·6

  101·3

  40·8

  41·3

  Derbyshire

  187·0

  47·9

  89·5

  182·5

  43·1

  78·7

  Leicestershire

  198·7

  45·9

  91·2

  197·1

  40·1

  79·0

  Lincolnshire

  514·5

  52·1

  268·2

  517·8

  45·6

  236·0

  Northamptonshire

  191·8

  45·0

  86·4

  188·3

  36·3

  68·4

  Nottinghamshire

  151·4

  43·2

  65·4

  150·8

  36·8

  55·4

  Cambridgeshire

  290·5

  51·1

  148·5

  285·9

  45·2

  129·1

  Norfolk

  419·3

  46·1

  193·3

  421·8

  39·0

  164·6

  Suffolk

  303·7

  31·3

  95·2

  303·2

  26·1

  79·3

  Bedfordshire

  92·0

  44·4

  40·8

  91·1

  37·9

  34·5

  Berkshire

  75·4

  38·9

  29·4

  73·0

  27·7

  20·2

  Buckinghamshire

  134·2

  40·8

  54·7

  129·6

  33·4

  43·3

  East Sussex

  117·3

  35·3

  41·4

  115·1

  29·9

  34·4

  Essex

  269·9

  37·9

  102·4

  267·1

  33·9

  90·6

  Greater London

  16·9

  59·1

  10·0

  15·5

  52·9

  8·2

  Hampshire

  227·2

  41·9

  95·1

  229·3

  35·7

  81·9

  Hertfordshire

  106·3

  44·4

  47·2

  106·2

  37·4

  39·7

  Isle of Wight

  26·5

  44·0

  11·7

  26·2

  26·6

  7·0

  Kent

  260·6

  36·7

  95·7

  253·7

  33·2

  84·3

  Oxfordshire

  208·8

  41·6

  86·9

  205·3

  36·0

  73·8

  Surrey

  70·9

  36·3

  25·8

  69·9

  30·3

  21·2

  West Sussex

  128·4

  47·3

  60·7

  127·0

  38·0

  48·3

  Avon

  88·5

  41·1

  36·4

  86·3

  35·2

  30·4

  Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

  280·6

  38·8

  108·9

  275·8

  32·5

  89·6

  240
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the total number of confirmed cases of BSE in each county or Scottish region at the latest available date in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Gummer
  The number of confirmed cases of BSE in the United Kingdom listed by month of onset of clinical signs from January 1991 to March 1991 is as follows. More recent information is not available for the reason given in my reply to the hon. Member on 23 May 1991 at column 559.

  Month

  Number

  January 1991

  1,675

  February 1991

  1,632

  March 1991

  1,797

  Tenanted Land
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the number of hectares and percentage for tenanted agricultural land in each county or Scottish region of the United Kingdom for 1980 and for the current year.

  Mr. Gummer
  The table gives the number of hectares and percentage for tenanted agricultural land for each county of England, Wales and Northern Ireland and for each region in Scotland for 1980 and 1990, the latest year for which data are available. However, it should be noted that Northern Ireland's land tenure system is not generally comparable with that of Great Britain.
  241

  1980

  1990

  County

  Total area (000 hectares)

  Percentage of total area rented

  Area of land rented (000 hectares)

  Total area (000 hectares)

  Percentage of total area rented

  Area of land rented (000 hectares)

  Devon

  519·6

  30·3

  157·6

  514·0

  25·8

  132·4

  Dorset

  199·5

  45·6

  90·9

  198·3

  40·1

  79·5

  Gloucestershire

  205·2

  35·3

  72·5

  204·6

  30·5

  62·5

  Somerset

  280·4

  37·5

  105·2

  276·6

  29·1

  80·6

  Wiltshire

  275·8

  42·7

  117·7

  269·5

  37·9

  102·0

  Hereford and Worcester

  317·0

  35·1

  111·3

  314·6

  28·9

  90·9

  Shropshire

  287·1

  38·6

  110·7

  288·7

  32·2

  92·9

  Staffordshire

  199·2

  40·5

  80·6

  198·0

  32·7

  64·7

  Warwickshire

  159·2

  38·5

  61·3

  156·2

  32·7

  51·1

  West Midlands

  19·7

  53·3

  10·5

  16·6

  44·2

  7·3

  Cheshire

  172·4

  44·6

  76·9

  168·2

  37·3

  62·7

  Greater Manchester

  41·8

  56·3

  23·5

  42·1

  43·3

  18·2

  Lancashire

  222·2

  53·5

  118·9

  221·7

  47·1

  104·5

  Merseyside

  19·9

  57·8

  11·5

  20·3

  51·9

  10·5

  England

  9,442·0

  43·6

  4,120·3

  9,351·0

  37·4

  3,493·1

  Clwyd

  177·7

  33·4

  59·3

  179·1

  28·3

  50·6

  Dyfed

  458·7

  23·5

  107·9

  457·9

  18·2

  83·2

  Gwent

  84·1

  31·1

  26·2

  82·5

  24·9

  20·5

  Gwynedd

  292·2

  37·3

  108·9

  296·6

  30·3

  89·9

  Mid Glamorgan

  50·8

  37·4

  19·0

  49·0

  31·6

  15·5

  Powys

  366·0

  28·1

  103·0

  367·3

  22·5

  82·5

  South Glamorgan

  24·8

  42·0

  10·4

  24·8

  38·5

  9·5

  West Glamorgan

  36·4

  30·6

  11·1

  36·0

  26·0

  9·4

  Wales

  1,490·8

  29·9

  445·7

  1,493·2

  24·2

  361·1

  England and Wales

  10,932·8

  41·8

  4,566·0

  10,844·2

  35·5

  3,854·3

  Note: Estimates for minor holdings are not included.

  Source: June 1980 and 1990 MAFF PSM Statements.

  Scotland

  1980

  1990

  Region

  Total area '000 hectares

  Percentage of Total area rented

  Area of land Rented '000 hectares

  Total area '000 hectares

  Percentage of Total area rented

  Area of land Rented '000 hectares

  Borders

  395·3

  52·1

  205·9

  386·4

  51·5

  199·0

  Central

  208·8

  43·4

  90·5

  197·1

  40·1

  79·0

  Dumfries and Galloway

  470·3

  47·6

  223·8

  443·2

  43·3

  191·9

  Fife

  98·1

  41·7

  40·9

  98·2

  33·9

  33·3

  Grampian

  634·9

  39·8

  252·5

  627·9

  38·2

  240·0

  Highland

  1,780·1

  38·5

  685·3

  1,689·1

  35·1

  592·1

  Lothian

  131·8

  44·1

  58·1

  125·0

  37·8

  47·2

  Strathclyde

  1,017·9

  40·2

  409·6

  918·5

  36·4

  334·0

  Tayside

  642·1

  46·5

  298·8

  621·1

  42·7

  265·0

  Islands

  200·2

  48·1

  96·3

  194·0

  43·4

  84·1

  Scotland

  5,579·4

  42·3

  2,361·8

  5,300·3

  39·0

  2,065·7

  Notes:

  Source: June 1980 and 1990 Agricultural Census for Scotland.

  The area of rented land in the Western Isles in 1980 has been estimated.

  Estimates for minor holdings are not included.

  1980

  1990

  Total area '000 hectares

  Percentage of Total area rented

  Area of land rented '000 hectares

  Total area '000 hectares

  Percentage of Total area rented

  Area of land rented '000 hectares

  Great Britain

  16,512·2

  42·0

  6,927·8

  16,144·5

  36·7

  5,920·0

  Northern Ireland

  1980

  1990

  County

  Total area '000 hectares

  Percentage of total area rented

  Area of land rented '000 hectares

  Total area '000 hectares

  Percentage of total area rented

  Area of land rented '000 hectares

  Antrim

  217·9

  19·9

  43·4

  211·6

  21·8

  46·1

  Armagh

  99·0

  17·5

  17·4

  93·7

  19·1

  17·9

  Down

  187·3

  23·9

  44·7

  176·8

  26·6

  47·0

  Fermanagh

  131·7

  15·1

  19·8

  125·7

  16·0

  20·1

  Londonderry

  163·5

  20·4

  33·3

  157·4

  23·1

  36·3

  242

  243

  1980

  1990

  County

  Total area '000 hectares

  Percentage of total area rented

  Area of land rented '000 hectares

  Total area '000 hectares

  Percentage of total area rented

  Area of land rented '000 hectares

  Tyrone

  254·9

  15·0

  38·2

  248·3

  16·7

  41·4

  NORTHERN IRELAND

  1,054·3

  18·7

  196·8

  1,013·6

  20·6

  208·8

  Notes:

  Source: June 1980 and 1990 Agricultural Census for Northern Ireland. Separate statistics are not collected on the numbers and areas of the farms which are leased; the figures above are for agricultural land which is let on a very short-term basis, commonly for 11 months ("in conacre").

  General Note: Totals may not necessarily agree with the sum of their components due to rounding.

  Farm Animal Welfare Council
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the members of the Farm Animal Welfare Council and their agricultural credentials.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Farm Animal Welfare Council's function is to keep under review the welfare of farm animals and to advise the Agriculture Ministers of any legislative or other changes that may be necessary. Its membership therefore comprises farmers, veterinarians, including a poultry practitioner, animal welfarists, scientists, consumerists and others, in order to provide broadly-based, sound advice. A list of its members and their particular expertise is as follows:Professor C. R. W. Spedding CBE (Chairman): Formerly Professor of Agricultural Systems and Director of the Centre for Agricultural Strategy, and Pro-Vice Chancellor, of Reading University. Chairman of UKROFS and Apple and Pear Research Council.
  Mr. C. B. Atkinson: Auctioneer and farmer.
  Mr. R. H. Baker: Dairy farmer, Chairman of NFU Animal Health and Welfare Committee.
  Dr. M. Baxter: Research Scientist, Scottish Agricultural College, Centre for Rural Building.
  Mr. G. Berry: Chartered Secretary responsible for enforcement of animal health and welfare legislation.
  Member of National Animal Health and Welfare Panel.
  Rev. A. L. Birbeck, MBE: Non-stipendiary Church of England priest and management consultant.
  Dr. W. J. M. Black: Farms Director and Senior Lecturer in Agriculture at Edinburgh University.
  Professor D. Broom: Professor of Animal Welfare at University of Cambridge.
  Mr. J. A. R. Dewhirst: Farmer (pigs and cattle). Member of British Pig Association's Producers Committee and NFU Pigs Committee.
  Mr. T Harris: Livestock exporter, with practical farming experience.
  Mrs. F. F. Hodgson: Managing Director, interior design company. Former Secretary of Animal Welfare Committee of National Council of Women.
  Mr. C. Hollands: Animal welfarist. Member of the Home Office Annual Procedures Committee.
  Mr. O Jones, MBE: Farmer and abattoir owner.
  Mr. R. Macpherson: Farmer and Veterinary Surgeon.
  Miss C. A. Milburn:Animal Welfarist. Secretary of Humane Education Council.
  Dr. M. Pattison: Poultry practitioner and Veterinary and Technical Services Manager, Sun Valley Poultry Ltd.
  Mr. F. E. Shields, MBE: General Secretary and Treasurer of National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs. Has practical farming experience.
  Mr. P. F. Staines: Farmer (pigs and calves for beef) and partner in farm buildings company.
  Mr. J. G. Thomas: Farmer and Director of feed analysis company.
  Mr. A. Watkins: Farmer (beef, sheep, cereals, potatoes).
  Professor A. J. F. Webster: Professor of animal husbandry at Bristol University.
  Mrs. T Wickham: Director of Corporate Affairs, Safeway plc. Fellow of the Royal Agricultural Society.
  244
  Dr. A Winter: Veterinarian, lecturer and research associate (particular interest in sheep breeding and health).

  Citizens Charter
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about his Ministry's contribution to the citizens charter on(a) agriculture and (b) food; and whether he has any specific proposals to contribute to this initiative.

  Mr. Gummer
  Principles like those in the citizens charter have particularly guided this Ministry's pro-gramme for the past two years. I refer the hon. Gentleman to the establishment of the Food Safety Directorate, the Consumer Panel, regular meetings with consumer organisations, and my recent announcement of a review of flood defence and coastal protection with those concerned, including environmental organisations.

  As I indicated on appointment, this is a consumer Ministry. I have already announced the restructuring of our regional organisation to make it more effective in meeting the requirements of its customers.

  The citizens charter principles will be taken forward in the Ministry and its agencies.

  Ministry Organisation
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will place a copy of the full report of the ministerial review of his Ministry's regional organisation in the Library.

  Mr. Gummer
  No such document exists, but I am placing in the House a note in the process by which the review was carried out. I hope that this will be helpful.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the numbers of staff in each of his regional and divisional offices that are to be made redundant in the regional reorganisation proposed in his answer to the hon. Member for Ipswich (Mr. Irvine) on 23 July, columns 455–56; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  It is projected that the regional reorganisation will result in a net loss of about 150 posts across the country as a whole. Where posts are to be lost every effort will be made to find staff alternative jobs. We shall be doing all we can to avoid compulsory redundancies.

  Agriculture White Paper
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he intends to publish his White Paper on the future of agriculture; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  In the absence of any agreement in GATT or CAP reform, the publication of a White Paper could be particularly inappropriate. I have of course already announced that I shall be publishing a policy paper entitled "Our Farming Future" before Christmas.

  Sheep Dips
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the sheep dip brand names which(a) do and (b) do not contain organophosphorous compounds.

  Mr. Maclean
  As this is an operational matter, I am referring the hon. Member's question to the chief executive of the Veterinary Medicine Directorate. He will reply direct and a copy will be placed in the Library of the House and Public Information Office.

  Dairy Sector
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what evaluation he has made of the scheme for a fixed redeemable bond for the dairy sector as proposed by the European Commission; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  The Commission's proposal to compen-sate producers for the surrender of milk quota by means of a transferable bond has not been sufficiently developed to allow an evaluation of its practical implications.

  Hill Sheep Farmers
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement concerning the prospects of hill sheep farmers, in the light of the latest proposals by Commissioner MacSharry.

  Mr. Gummer
  I will be making a full statement to the House when we have completed our autumn review of economic conditions in the hills and uplands. I remain determined to ensure that any measures introduced as part of the reform of the CAP should not discriminate against United Kingdom producers, including our hill sheep farmers.

  Press Office
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what rules or guidelines there are about the people to whom employees in his press office may give information.

  Mr. Gummer
  The press office handles the Ministry's relations with the media. Its staff provide information to journalists in newspapers, radio and television, although they will also try to be of help where no clearly defined channels exist for providing information to other enquirers.

  Salmon
  Mr. Onslow
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the report which he and the Secretary of State for Scotland are required to prepare under section 39 of the Salmon Act 1986 has been completed; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  The Secretary of State for Scotland and I have completed the report required by section 39 of the Salmon Act 1986 and, in accordance with that section, a copy was laid before each House earlier today. It is a very detailed report and I commend it to the House. In undertaking this review, we were aware of concerns which have been expressed about catches in some regions of Great Britain last year. The 1990 data have been included in the background paper and have been taken into account in our assessment.

  In making our review, we asked scientists from our Departments to prepare a detailed background paper that would describe the management of the fisheries, the changes in catches made by each method in the review area since 1952, and the effect of the various net fisheries on other fisheries and on spawning stocks. We have decided to publish the background paper in full; it appears as an appendix to the report and should be read as part of it.

  Status of the spawning stocks

  The status of spawning stocks in the review area is discussed in chapter 8 of the appendix. The management of naturally-maintained, exploitable stocks of salmon depends upon sufficient fish spawning to restock the native rivers with fry and parr and so produce good seaward runs of smolts as the basis for the abundant return of adult fish. From this point of view, the number of spawning adults —the spawning escapement—can be described as sufficient if, for each river, smolt production from all parts accessible to salmon is not restricted by a shortage of fertile eggs laid.

  Counts of spawning escapement and the subsequent production of smolts are available for only two rivers in the review area, the Girnock Burn, a tributary of the River See, and the River North Esk in Scotland. Analysis of the data suggests that spawning escapement is adequate at both those sites.

  Catches and catch per unit effort are often used as general indicators of stock abundance and the status of spawning stocks. It must however be remembered that many factors result in variations in catch levels and diminish their value as indicators. In addition there may be some doubt about the accuracy of data in some cases. Overall the trends in data on catches of salmon and sea trout in the area in the period covered by the review have not been unsatisfactory though there have been variations within the period, some of them pronounced. Data on catches in the review area from 1952–1990 are considered in detail in chapter 6 of the Appendix.

  Surveys of the abundance of juvenile fish can provide indirect assessments of spawning escapement. The difficulty in interpreting data from such surveys is, however, complicated by the extent of the survey, by our limited understanding of the dynamics of salmon populations and by natural differences between river systems. Surveys carried out in the review area in recent years have not generally been adequate to provide unequivocal indications of the adequacy of spawning stocks. It does appear that natural production is not yet sufficient in some of those rivers which are still recovering

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  from early industrial development, although in most of these it is improving. However, some factors are probably constraining juvenile salmon production including obstructions and water quality.

  Management and impact of net fisheries

  Chapters 4 and 5, appendix, describe the management of salmon fisheries in the area from 1952 to 1990 and the various fishing methods used. These chapters bring out the fact that there are separate national jurisdictions for the management of salmon stocks, with differing arrange-ments for administration and regulation of their fisheries. Chapter 7 describes the effect of the net fisheries on other fisheries and on stocks.

  It is well established that each river has its own stock of salmon, more or less isolated from the stocks of other rivers, and each therefore a separate population with its own population dynamics. Rod fisheries generally catch fish from single stocks, while net fisheries, to a varying extent, take fish from more than one stock. This is not necessarily a problem if one can quantify and manage the level of exploitation on each individual stock.

  Broadly, the aim of salmon fisheries management is to ensure that an exploitable surplus can be harvested without risk to the stock. Management therefore embraces a wide variety of activities. These include restricting the times and places where fishing is permitted; specifying the gear which can be used; preventing illegal fishing; improving fish passage; safeguarding water quality and quantity; and controlling predators. However, local managers cannot have a direct influence on all factors which affect salmon and sea trout stocks—including, for example, fisheries outside their jurisdiction and environ-mental factors.

  In both Scotland and England there are long-standing restriction on mesh-size, weekly close times, prohibitions on obstructive fishing gear, annual close seasons and prohibitions on fishing for juvenile salmon. All these measures were developed for the proper management of the fisheries.

  The most significant development in net fishing in the review area in the last 50 years was the rapid growth of drift net fishing off the east coast of Scotland and England in the 1960s. The use of these nets for catching salmon was prohibited in Scotland in 1962, and the prohibition was subsequently extended to cover any netting method which could catch salmon away from the immediate coast. In Northumbria and Yorkshire, the use of drift nets is allowed only subject to licence and strict effort controls.

  It has been established that some salmon returning to the Rivers Tweed, Tay and Forth, and a few of those returning to the rivers from the South Esk to the Ugie, first pass along the north-east coast of England and that some are caught in the salmon fisheries there. The drift nets appear to catch a higher proportion of these fish than the fixed T and T and J nets which are used closer inshore.

  Net fisheries do affect the numbers of salmon available to other fisheries and for spawning escapement. This applies whether we are talking of the impact of Scottish nets on rod fisheries in the rivers there; the English offshore and inshore fixed net fisheries and their impact on local stocks; or the cross-border interactions. Reductions in net fishing lead to an increase in the spawning escapement although where this is already adequate the number of smolts produced may not be increased. There
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  may only be a small increase in rod catches since exploitation levels from angling are generally relatively low.

  The way forward

  The Appendix contains extensive data about management arrangements, catch trends and the status of stocks throughout the review area, although there are some gaps. While there are problems as discussed in some river systems, the primary cause of these is not net fisheries. Water quality, condition of the habitat and presence of river obstructions can have a major influence on the state of stocks. Improvements in such factors, together with effective stock enhancement programmes, have made a substantial contribution to the salmon fisheries in several rivers.

  As regards Scotland, although some continue to argue that drift netting for salmon should be allowed to resume, particularly in Berwickshire, we see no reason to amend the Government's earlier conclusion that such fishing should be prohibited off the coast of Scotland. Section 21 of the Salmon Act 1986 will therefore be brought into force. It provides that the lawful methods for salmon netting on the coasts of Scotland shall be net and coble; bag net; fly net or other stake net. These methods take salmon catches chiefly of the stocks from nearby rivers. These methods will also be defined by order. Such definitions will assist in enforcement and management of the fisheries. We do not believe that the evidence from this review justifies the imposition of further statutory restrictions on effort in these fisheries.

  The net fisheries in Northumbria and Yorkshire exploit several salmon and sea trout stocks and account for a substantial proportion of the catch from a number of different river systems. The dependence of the drift net fishery on a multiplicity of stocks makes the task of conservation and management more difficult.

  Ideally, management of a mixed stock salmon fishery requires extensive monitoring of, and a means of controlling, the levels of exploitation on individual stock components. This is very difficult to achieve and may not always be practicable. Therefore, we would like to see further steps carrying forward the policy which we announced in 1985 of encouraging movement of effort out of the offshore fishery and towards inshore nets which are more directed to local stocks. This could include the introduction of some fixed nets in the Northumbrian southern area provided that appropriate management measures are adopted to avoid an increase in the overall exploitation of local stocks. Drift nets have been used more or less at the present scale since the late 1960s. This review has not produced evidence of an immediate threat to stocks and thus any justification for depriving existing licencees of their licences at a stroke. It would, however, aid and improve the management of individual east coast salmon and sea trout stocks if the drift net fishery were to come to an end. We consider therefore that it is desirable to phase out the drift net fishery, but gradually so as not to cause unnecessary hardship.

  In England, under the Water Act 1989, responsibility for maintaining, improving and developing salmon and freshwater fisheries has been transferred from the regional water authorities to the National Rivers Authority. Accordingly, the NRA will be invited to consider how the regulation of the net fisheries of Northumbria and Yorkshire could be changed with a view to:

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  (a) reducing the number of offshore drift net licences as those currently holding such licences leave the fishery;

  (b) making available increased opportunities for inshore fishing by T and J nets giving priority to those surrendering their drift net licences;

  (c) reviewing the Authority's net licence duties so as to reflect enforcement costs;

  (d) postponing until 1 May the opening date for drift netting so as to reduce the level of exploitation on spring-running salmon; and

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  (e) harmonising the regulations which currently apply to the Northumbria and Yorkshire regions of the NRA so as to operate the net fishery off the north-east coast of England as a single entity under a common management regime.

  We remain committed to the strict regulation of the salmon drift net fisheries while they continue. If catches in these fisheries increased and posed a threat to stocks, we shall not hesitate to act.

  DOMICILE LAW: REPORT
  DOMICILE LAW: REPORT
  RAILFREIGHT'S UK-IRELAND SERVICE
  RAILFREIGHT'S UK-IRELAND SERVICE