Written Answers of 4 February 1992

TRANSPORT

  Radioactive Materials
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what data on radioactive materials transported into and within the United Kingdom is routinely collected by his Department.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Data supplied about consignments of radioactive materials that have to be notified to the Department of Transport before shipment were detailed in the reply given to the Hon. Member for Derbyshire, North-East (Mr. Barnes) on 29 January.

  Macclesfield Relief Road
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects work on the new north-south relief road in Macclesfield to be completed.

  Mr. Chope
  I expect the section of road between Flash lane and Hibel road to open to traffic on 10 February. Work on the remaining section between Hibel road and Mill lane should be completed shortly after Easter.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the reasons for the delay in completing the new north-south relief road in Macclesfield.

  Mr. Chope
  Additional contract works, difficulties with the diversion of statutory undertakers apparatus and the late delivery of the Middlewood way footbridge are the main reasons for the delay in completion.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which supplier was commissioned by his Department to provide the Middlewood way foot bridge for the north-south relief road in Macclesfield; at what cost this contract was placed; when it will be fulfilled; and why it was late in delivery.

  Mr. Chope
  The Middlewood way footbridge was included in the Department's contract for the relief road with Fairclough Civil Engineering at an estimated cost of £370,000. I expect work on the bridge to be completed in the next two weeks. The reasons for the delay in delivery are matters between Fairclough's and its suppliers.

  Lorry Drivers (Diabetes)
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many lorry drivers who treat their diabetes by injections of insulin have had their HGV licences revoked since April 1991.

  Mr. Chope
  Forty insulin treated drivers had their large goods vehicle—previously HGV—licence entitlement revoked between August and December last year. Prior to that, no manual or computer summary record was kept of the numbers of insulin revocations.

  Motor Taxation
  Mr. Prescott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the total revenue raised from motor taxation in each year from 1979 to 1992; and what is the estimated revenue for 1992–93.

  Mr. Rifkind
  The figures are as follows:

  Motoring Taxation (United Kingdom)

  £ million

  Vehicle Excise Duty

  Fuel Duty

  Total

  1979–80

  1,162

  2,667

  3,829

  1980–81

  1,360

  3,338

  4,698

  1981–82

  1,618

  4,425

  6,043

  1982–83

  1,840

  5,030

  6,870

  1983–84

  1,997

  5,414

  7,411

  1984–85

  2,264

  5,871

  8,135

  1985–86

  2,426

  6,253

  8,679

  1986–87

  2,520

  7,302

  9,822

  1987–88

  2,599

  7,651

  10,250

  1988–89

  2,767

  8,501

  11,268

  1989–90

  2,948

  8,556

  11,504

  1990–91

  2,923

  9,455

  12,378

  1991–92

  12,957

  111,000

  113,957

  1 Revenue for 1992–93 will depend on tax rates in that year.

  Vehicle Excise Duty
  Sir Gerard Vaughan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has as to the arrangements similar to United Kingdom vehicle excise duty applicable in each of the other countries of the European Community.

  Mr. Chope
  Information on the vehicle taxes imposed by other EC countries can be found in "World Road Statistics 1986–1990", published by the International Road Federation. A copy is held in the Library.

  Sir Gerard Vaughan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the categories of vehicle in respect of which vehicle excise duty is chargeable; what is the current rate for each such category; when was the most recent change in respect of each category; what was the previous rate; and what was the revenue derived from each such category in the latest convenient period.

  Mr. Chope
  The categories and current rates are set out in Form V 149, available from post offices and vehicle registration offices. I attach a copy for my hon. Friend.

  For road taxation revenue purposes, these categories fall into five vehicle classes. The estimated VED revenue for each is published in "The allocation of road track costs 1991/91", a copy of which is available in the Library.

  The 12-montly rate for cars and light vans was £90 prior to 1985. Rates for motor cycles were increased by between £5 and £10 in 1991. The tax structure for taxis, buses and coaches was reorganised in 1989, with increases of between £47·50 and £395 related to passenger-carrying capacity.

  The VED structure for goods vehicles exceeding 3·5 tonnes was simplified in 1990, involving increases in rates of between £20 and £470 for 140,000 lorries and reductions of between £30 and £570 for 3,800 vehicles. Rates for 320,000 lorries remained the same. The "other vehicles" class comprises recovery vehicles, special machines—mobile cranes, and so on—and "special types"—exceptionally large or heavy vehicles. The rate for recovery

  101
  vehicles was increased by £25 and the rate for special machines by £14 in 1991. The rate for "special types" was increased in 1990 by £150.

  Motorway Services
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to ensure that Mercury telephone boxes are installed at all motorway service areas in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Chope
  Leases for motorway service areas—MSAs —in England, require as a standard the provision of public telephones. The choice of supplier is a matter for the MSA operator. MSAs in Wales and Scotland are the responsibility of my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales and for Scotland respectively.

  Mr. Michael Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress he has made towards(a) increasing competition in the provision of services on motorways and (b) increasing the number of service areas on motorways.

  Mr. Chope
  The citzens charter announced the Government's intention to deregulate the provision of motorway service areas with the aim of providing more services more quickly. Detailed proposals will be announced shortly.

  Norwich Southern Bypass
  Mr. John Garrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) who specified the mix of materials which has been found to be faulty in the construction of the Norwich southern bypass; and if(a) his Department, (b) the consulting engineers or (c) the contractors are liable for the resulting cost;

  (2) what is the estimate of the cost of remedial work on the Norwich southern bypass following the discovery of a faulty mix of materials in its construction.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 27 January 1992]: The Department's specification for highway works which incorporates British standards is used on all its trunk road contracts including Norwich southern bypass. It lays down criteria for road materials which allow contractors and suppliers a wide choice to encourage the use of local and low cost sources of raw materials to minimise transportation and environmental costs. At Norwich each of the four contracts is using a different combination of ingredients for the bituminous mix. The sources of supply for each varies and some local Norfolk aggregates are being used.

  The particular combinations of aggregates and bituminous binder used in the heavy duty macadam exhibited unexpected deformation causing a suspension of work while the possible causes were investigated.

  Adjustments have been made to the mixes within the British standard to provide a material which has greater resistance to deformation.

  The extent and apportionment of any additional costs will be resolved under the terms of the contract.

  Present indications are that the completed bypass will be opened to traffic by the original contract completion date.

HOME DEPARMENT

  External Frontiers Convention
  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the compatibility of the external frontiers convention with the universal declaration of human rights, the international covenant on civil and political rights, the European convention on human rights, ILO conventions 97 and 143, the Helsinki final act and the Paris charter and the Council of Europe social charter.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  We have no reason to believe that the draft external frontiers convention, signature of which has been held up by disagreement with the Spanish Government over a provision concerning application to Gibraltar, is in breach of any of the United Kingdom's international obligations.

  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the compatibility of the external frontiers convention with the European convention on the legal status of migrant workers and the international convention on the protection of the rights of all migrant workers and their families.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The United Kingdom is not a party to either of the conventions on migrant workers.

  Working Men's Club (Membership Application)
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will investigate the allegation that applications for membership of a Birmingham working men's club featured in the recent Commission for Racial Equality case were made without the applicant's knowledge; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The conduct of formal investigations and the issuing of non-discrimination notices are matters for the Commission for Racial Equality.

  Births (Airports)
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children since 1981 have been born in the departure lounges of airports at(a) Heathrow, (b) Gatwick, (c) Leeds/Bradford and (d) Manchester; and how many such babies were affected by provisions of the British Nationality Act 1981.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The Home Office does not keep records of how many children were born in airport departure lounges, but any child born in such a place would be affected by the British Nationality Act 1981, section 1 of which determines whether or not the child has acquired British citizenship by birth.

  Mentally Disordered (Press Coverage)
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date he received a copy of the Matthew Trust report on the Press Complaints Commission and BBC regarding media coverage of the mentally disordered and distressed; and whether he will make a statement.
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  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  My right hon. Friend received the report on 14 January. He has noted its conclusions and the director of the Matthew Trust will be receiving a reply shortly.

  Prison Ships
  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration he has given to the reintroduction of prison ships; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  On Monday 3 February, there were 1,221 prisoners held in police cells. My right hon. Friend has asked the prison service to examine a range of options for reducing this number. Among other possibilities, officials will be investigating the use abroad of floating facilities to house prisoners. However, we have no plans at this stage to introduce such facilities here.

  Births (British Citizens)
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children born in the United Kingdom since 1981 are not British citizens.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  This information is not available.

  Spring Hill Prison
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether following the recent escape from Springfield prison he will institute an immediate inquiry into security at the prison.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  I assume that the hon. Member is referring to Spring Hill prison.

  The prisoner who absconded from Spring Hill prison on 5 December 1991 has now been recaptured. Security at Spring Hill is appropriate for an open prison. The allocation of prisoners to open prisons always carries with it an element of risk.

  Electronic Tagging
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when he proposes to introduce electronic tagging of offenders under the Criminal Justice Act 1991;

  (2) what progress has been made towards implementation of electronic tagging of offenders.

  Mr. John Patten
  Our proposals will be announced shortly.

  International Criminals
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now take steps to ensure that international criminals serve their sentences in a high security environment.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Offences committed abroad are already taken into account in the categorisation and allocation process. That process is set out in circular instruction 7/1988, a copy of which is in the Library.

  Prison Closures
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has reached a decision as to(a) whether Warrington young offenders institution and
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  (b) which other prison department establishments, are to close following the estate review 1991; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary gave my hon. Friend the Member for Westminster, North (Sir J. Wheeler) on 30 January at column 647.

  Prison Security
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now implement all recent recommendations for improving prison security.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Chapter 2 of the White Paper "Custody, Care and Justice", Cm 1647, set out the Government's plans for improving security in prison service establishments. Those plans are being implemented. As to the recent report of an audit of security in prison service establishments holding category A prisoners, conducted by Mr. Ronald Hadfield and Mr. Gordon Lakes, I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given by my right hon. Friend to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Westminster, North (Sir J. Wheeler) on 16 December 1991 at column 13.

  European Year of Elderly People
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home department what plans his Department is making for the European year of elderly people and solidarity between the generations in 1993.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health is leading the Government's work on this, in conjunction with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security: I refer my hon. friend to his reply. He is drawing up plans in consultation with a wide range of national voluntary and professional bodies, statutory authorities and other relevant Government Departments.

  Immigration Rules (Marriages)
  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the procedures followed by registrars who conduct marriages so as to ensure that there is no evasion of immigration rules.

  Mr. Dorrell
  I have been asked to reply.

  Superintendent registrars are statutory officers exercising functions under the Marriage and Registration Acts under the direction of the Registrar General. They are not immigration officers. If a superintendent registrar has good reason to suspect that the proposed marriage of a person from abroad has been arranged for the sole purpose of evading statutory immigration controls he/she is instructed to report the facts to the Registrar General. If the Registrar General is satisfied that the marriage is purely one of convenience then the facts will be passed on to the Home Office.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Civil Servants
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what departments and numbers of civil servants are due to be relocated to the north-west in future plans; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The table lists, with likely timings, the plans which departments have announced for relocating or locating civil service jobs away from the south-east which have still to be implemented or completed.

  Department and Dispersal location

  Number of posts

  Likely timing

  Inland Revenue, Birkenhead

  170

  1992

  Social Security Child Support Agency, Birkenhead

  500

  1993

  Customs and Excise, Liverpool

  1,301

  1990–95

  Customs and Excise, Manchester

  390

  1990–95

  Employment Group, Runcorn

  613

  1990–93

  Employment Group, Bootle

  61

  1992

  Land Registry, Birkenhead

  110

  1992–93

  Total number of posts

  3,145

  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list by department the number of civil service jobs to be relocated in the west midlands, specifying the geographic location of the areas to which they will move and detailing the dates upon which it is planned to make these relocations.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The Department of Social Security and the Home Office have announced plans for relocating or locating civil service jobs in the west midlands which have yet to be implemented. The Department of Social Security will be opening a Child Support Agency Office in Dudley from 1 April 1993, creating 500 new administrative jobs. The Home Office will be relocating 12 posts from the forensic science service to Birmingham within the next 18 months.

  Income Tax
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much 1p on the basic rate of income tax would yield in 1992–93 in(a) England, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales.

  Mr. Maude
  Increasing the basic rate of income tax to 26 per cent. would yield about £1·95 billion, at 1992–93 levels of income. Separate information for England, Scotland, and Wales is not available.

  Board of Inland Revenue
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer further to his answer of 28 January,Official Report, column 487, when he expects to make his decision on proposals relating to the review of management and trading and the review of the organisation and structure of the Board of Inland Revenue; and what consultation he has undertaken.

  Mr. Maude
  I have nothing to add to my answer of 28 January at column 487.

  Excise Duties
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the implementation of EC single market legislation associated with excise duties.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The Commissioners of Customs and Excise have issued draft Finance Bill clauses relating to holding and movement of goods subject to excise duties to relevant trade representative bodies for consultation. I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Library of the House.

  Customs and Excise
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the terms of reference of the study commissioned from University college, Cardiff, concerning the efficiency of the Customs and Excise Agency in its service at airports and seaports; when he expects it to be completed; when it was initiated; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  [holding answer 3 February 1992]: The Economic and Social Research Council sponsored Mr. E. Maguire, Professor R. Morgan and Mr. C. Kemp to research complaints to and against central Government Departments. The immigration service and Her Majesty's Customs and Excise were selected to be researched, in a project which started on 1 October 1989. Research was completed in September 1991. A draft report has been produced, and is with the Government Departments to identify factual inaccuracies before publication.

  The terms of reference of the research were to construct a comprehensive picture of complaints received in all areas of the Department, analyse the grievance mechanisms, examine internal attitudes towards complaints, and examine any managerial or policy making use made of complaints patterns or outcomes. The research therefore extended far wider than the efficiency of the service at airports and seaports, although this area was covered in two small exercises seeking travellers' and complainants' views through questionnaires.

  The survey of travellers concluded that most had no contact with officers of Customs and Excise, and of those who did have contact, most rated the officers positively. The sample of complainants found that few were happy with the responses that they had received from the Department, but nearly half felt that they had achieved something and more than half were impressed by some aspects of the response—especially its speed and the quality of the written reply.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Nursery Education
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many places in nursery schools and classes were provided by local education authorities in 1990–91 and 1991–92 in England and Wales; how many of these places were(a) full time and (b) part time; and what was the total number of full-time equivalent places provided.

  Mr. Eggar
  Information on the number of pupils in maintained nursery schools and nursery classes in primary
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  schools in each local education authority in England in January 1991, the latest date for which information is available, is given in the table. The table also contains information about the number of pupils under five in

  All pupils under the age of 5 in maintained nursery and primary schools as at January 1991

  Nursery schools

  Nursery classes in primary schools

  Other pupils under 5 in infant classes in primary schools

  All pupils in nursery and primary schools

  Number of pupils

  Number of pupils

  Full-time

  Part-time

  Full-time

  Part-time

  Full-time

  Part-time

  Total pupils

  Full-time equivalent of pupils

  City

  0

  0

  13

  7

  11

  0

  31

  27·5

  Camden

  105

  44

  432

  454

  525

  0

  1,560

  1,311·0

  Greenwich

  352

  323

  237

  2,121

  961

  30

  4,024

  2,787·0

  Hackney

  61

  111

  760

  1,241

  719

  8

  2,900

  2,220·0

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  240

  333

  397

  483

  467

  12

  1,932

  1,518·0

  Islington

  143

  131

  848

  697

  642

  12

  2,473

  2,053·0

  Kensington and Chelsea

  165

  88

  389

  164

  307

  5

  1,118

  989·5

  Lambeth

  193

  250

  550

  1,329

  919

  53

  3,294

  2,478·0

  Lewisham

  100

  130

  363

  1,825

  865

  80

  3,363

  2,345·5

  Southwark

  182

  288

  622

  1,519

  911

  19

  3,541

  2,628·0

  Tower Hamlets

  441

  252

  990

  842

  805

  2

  3,332

  2,784·0

  Wandsworth

  112

  97

  612

  1,460

  839

  21

  3,141

  2,352·0

  Westminster

  78

  84

  421

  377

  410

  13

  1,383

  1,146·0

  Barking

  0

  0

  37

  1,353

  1,269

  0

  2,659

  1,982·5

  Barnet

  18

  487

  43

  1,827

  1,972

  96

  4,443

  3,238·0

  Bexley

  20

  160

  0

  791

  870

  0

  1,841

  1,365·5

  Brent

  178

  70

  333

  1,778

  1,919

  0

  4,278

  3,354·0

  Bromley

  0

  0

  1

  142

  1,039

  7

  1,189

  1,114·5

  Croydon

  47

  386

  0

  446

  2,494

  19

  3,392

  2,966·5

  Ealing

  20

  564

  29

  2,579

  2,199

  3

  5,394

  3,821·0

  Enfield

  0

  0

  0

  1,437

  2,003

  22

  3,462

  2,732·5

  Haringey

  206

  36

  344

  1,777

  1,688

  3

  4,054

  3,146·0

  Harrow

  0

  0

  0

  950

  1,487

  41

  2,478

  1,982·5

  Havering

  0

  0

  9

  228

  864

  910

  2,011

  1,442·0

  Hillingdon

  0

  120

  0

  3,011

  52

  69

  3,252

  1,652·0

  Hounslow

  0

  0

  1,755

  2,385

  9

  2

  4,151

  2,957·5

  Kingston upon Thames

  69

  144

  10

  865

  466

  465

  2,019

  1,282·0

  Merton

  0

  0

  2

  2,314

  828

  195

  3,339

  2,084·5

  Newham

  42

  967

  52

  2,579

  0

  783

  4,423

  2,258·5

  Redbridge

  0

  0

  39

  844

  818

  17

  1,718

  1,287·5

  Richmond upon Thames

  8

  52

  0

  630

  32

  985

  1,707

  873·5

  Sutton

  0

  240

  0

  1,247

  46

  1

  1,534

  790·0

  Waltham Forest

  53

  262

  101

  2,061

  817

  0

  3,294

  2,132·5

  Total Greater London

  2,833

  5,619

  9,389

  41,763

  29,253

  3,873

  92,730

  67,102·5

  Birmingham

  840

  1,514

  2,047

  5,713

  9,721

  0

  19,835

  16,221·5

  Coventry

  50

  318

  29

  1,825

  2,766

  7

  4,995

  3,920·0

  Dudley

  9

  300

  120

  2,371

  1,223

  25

  4,048

  2,700·0

  Sandwell

  143

  108

  197

  3,941

  2,709

  31

  7,129

  5,089·0

  Solihull

  0

  0

  0

  1,673

  1,746

  18

  3,437

  2,591·5

  Walsall

  92

  671

  36

  3,389

  2,364

  5

  6,557

  4,524·5

  Wolverhampton

  0

  821

  1

  3,046

  1,056

  4

  4,928

  2,992·5

  Knowsley

  0

  0

  8

  2,252

  1,569

  0

  3,829

  2,703·0

  Liverpool

  163

  424

  524

  5,181

  4,429

  0

  10,721

  7,918·5

  St. Helens

  5

  68

  0

  1,534

  1,542

  0

  3,149

  2,348·0

  Sefton

  1

  316

  1

  2,080

  2,361

  0

  4,759

  3,561·0

  Wirral

  23

  283

  2

  1,873

  2,870

  0

  5,051

  3,973·0

  Bolton

  59

  450

  311

  2,223

  2,406

  0

  5,449

  4,112·5

  Bury

  68

  72

  193

  1,075

  1,505

  1

  2,914

  2,340·0

  Manchester

  431

  133

  3,975

  2,791

  2,148

  2

  9,480

  8,017·0

  Oldham

  0

  0

  780

  1,491

  2,183

  0

  4,454

  3,708·5

  Rochdale

  52

  884

  129

  980

  1,923

  0

  3,968

  3,036·0

  Salford

  534

  362

  1,610

  725

  1,993

  0

  5,224

  4,680·5

  Stockport

  157

  717

  0

  626

  2,316

  13

  3,829

  3,151·0

  Tameside

  0

  341

  31

  2,084

  1,981

  4

  4,441

  3,226·5

  Trafford

  0

  0

  0

  1,509

  1,633

  0

  3,142

  2,387·5

  Wigan

  28

  157

  12

  1,851

  2,702

  119

  4,869

  3,805·5

  Barnsley

  0

  179

  6

  2,746

  998

  3

  3,932

  2,468·0

  Doncaster

  0

  0

  64

  3,306

  2,787

  0

  6,157

  4,504·0

  Rotherham

  0

  387

  252

  2,276

  1,100

  0

  4,015

  2,683·5

  Sheffield

  135

  656

  288

  4,512

  2,046

  388

  8,025

  5,247·0

  Bradford

  200

  307

  193

  5,055

  2,532

  443

  8,730

  5,827·5

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  infant classes in maintained primary schools. Information on schools in Wales is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Wales.
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  Nursery schools

  Nursery classes in primary schools

  Other pupils under 5 in infant classes in primary schools

  All pupils in nursery and primary schools

  Number of pupils

  Number of pupils

  Full-time

  Part-time

  Full-time

  Part-time

  Full-time

  Part-time

  Total pupils

  Full-time equivalent of pupils

  Calderdale

  0

  0

  317

  1,366

  1,650

  0

  3,333

  2,650·0

  Kirklees

  3

  539

  2

  3,668

  2,088

  0

  6,300

  4,196·5

  Leeds

  14

  272

  78

  7,116

  3,104

  582

  11,166

  7,181·0

  Wakefield

  0

  459

  101

  3,570

  1,695

  116

  5,941

  3,868·5

  Gateshead

  8

  57

  17

  1,539

  1,606

  0

  3,227

  2,429·0

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  578

  142

  717

  1,524

  2,244

  2

  5,207

  4,373·0

  North Tyneside

  65

  231

  28

  2,389

  1,565

  7

  4,285

  2,971·5

  South Tyneside

  19

  753

  10

  1,453

  1,520

  0

  3,755

  2,652·0

  Sunderland

  58

  945

  12

  2,149

  2,681

  0

  5,845

  4,298·0

  Total Metropolitan districts

  3,735

  12,866

  12,091

  92,902

  82,762

  1,770

  206,126

  152,357·0

  Avon

  862

  684

  369

  2,458

  7,343

  5

  11,721

  10,147·5

  Bedfordshire

  255

  1,108

  344

  3,352

  978

  805

  6,842

  4,209·5

  Berkshire

  129

  2,019

  86

  3,396

  329

  43

  6,002

  3,273·0

  Buckinghamshire

  1

  509

  0

  1,724

  907

  1,924

  5,065

  2,986·5

  Cambridgeshire

  90

  565

  39

  1,276

  5,377

  118

  7,465

  6,485·5

  Cheshire

  30

  801

  40

  4,541

  8,113

  12

  13,537

  10,860·0

  Cleveland

  0

  146

  42

  8,655

  5,397

  163

  14,403

  9,921·0

  Cornwall

  25

  87

  1

  1,435

  1,759

  1,510

  4,817

  3,301·0

  Cumbria

  1

  869

  0

  2,020

  3,728

  25

  6,643

  5,186·0

  Derbyshire

  147

  1,337

  599

  6,604

  3,778

  1,482

  13,947

  9,235·5

  Devon

  42

  254

  118

  2,245

  3,556

  275

  6,490

  5,103·0

  Dorset

  0

  0

  0

  781

  1,023

  3,448

  5,252

  3,137·5

  Durham

  216

  2,290

  42

  3,487

  4,525

  28

  10,588

  7,685·5

  East Sussex

  3

  294

  4

  1,058

  2,211

  2,261

  5,831

  4,024·5

  Essex

  19

  236

  114

  2,040

  6,064

  84

  8,557

  7,377·0

  Gloucestershire

  0

  0

  15

  0

  4,050

  32

  4,097

  4,081·0

  Hampshire

  0

  339

  0

  1,610

  5,640

  577

  8,166

  6,903·0

  Hereford and Worcester

  0

  0

  117

  1,172

  2,178

  32

  3,499

  2,897·0

  Hertfordshire

  88

  1,598

  43

  6,422

  3,957

  417

  12,525

  8,306·5

  Humberside

  202

  899

  594

  6,540

  4,853

  142

  13,230

  9,439·5

  Isle of Wight

  0

  0

  5

  175

  912

  1

  1,093

  1,005·0

  Kent

  0

  84

  27

  1,773

  7,247

  3,415

  12,546

  9,910·0

  Lancashire

  103

  3,297

  3

  3,534

  12,074

  6

  19,017

  15,598·5

  Leicestershire

  0

  50

  1,583

  3,810

  3,266

  647

  9,356

  7,102·5

  Lincolnshire

  88

  211

  64

  828

  4,104

  25

  5,320

  4,788·0

  Norfolk

  2

  399

  0

  460

  3,056

  1,769

  5,686

  4,372·0

  North Yorkhire

  33

  334

  126

  2,905

  4,100

  357

  7,855

  6,057·0

  Northamptonshire

  15

  584

  62

  2,181

  5,060

  36

  7,938

  6,537·5

  Northumberland

  19

  115

  38

  2,204

  2,399

  18

  4,793

  3,624·5

  Nottinghamshire

  17

  549

  217

  12,311

  1,838

  228

  15,160

  8,616·0

  Oxfordshire

  67

  1,007

  69

  1,368

  421

  286

  3,218

  1,887·5

  Shropshire

  0

  168

  0

  1,255

  1,669

  473

  3,565

  2,617·0

  Somerset

  0

  0

  36

  51

  3,631

  52

  3,770

  3,718·5

  Staffordshire

  952

  1,015

  1,434

  2,760

  7,792

  206

  14,159

  12,168·5

  Suffolk

  6

  90

  0

  2,700

  2,399

  38

  5,233

  3,819·0

  Surrey

  92

  326

  5

  2,346

  3,083

  223

  6,075

  4,627·5

  Warwickshire

  0

  755

  2

  1,300

  3,856

  15

  5,928

  4,893·0

  West Sussex

  13

  505

  19

  111

  1,926

  32

  2,606

  2,282·0

  Wiltshire

  0

  0

  0

  520

  2,059

  156

  2,735

  2,397·0

  Total Non-metropolitan counties

  3,517

  23,524

  6,257

  103,408

  146,658

  21,366

  304,730

  230,581·0

  ENGLAND

  10,085

  42,009

  27,737

  238,073

  258,673

  27,009

  603,586

  450,040·5

  Private Schools
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to extend the citizens charter so as to cover any grievance which a parent might have against a private school; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Fallon
  No.

  Primary Schools
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are his estimates for the increases in public spending necessary if all primary schools in England were to have a maximum limit of(a) 30 and (b) 32 on class sizes.

  Mr. Fallon
  I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Member for Leeds, Central (Mr. Fatchett) on 24 January at column 343.

  Pupils (Learning by Rote)
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what guidance he gives(a) to local education authorities and (b) to Her Majesty's inspectors regarding the desirability of pupils learning multiplication tables by rote; and what representations he has had on the matter.

  Mr. Eggar
  The national curriculum sets out what is to be taught in schools, and this includes the requirement for pupils to learn mutiplication tables up to 10 times 10. It is for teachers to decide how to deliver the curriculum, and I have not given any guidance on how pupils should learn their tables, nor received any representations on the subject.

PRIME MINISTER

  Engagements
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 4 February.

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

  Hong Kong
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 28 January,Official Report, columns 503-4, how many of the Ministers listed, other than the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and himself, took part in party political activities during their visit in addition to their official duties.

  The Prime Minister
  This information is not centrally recorded and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Further to the answer I gave the hon. Member on 28 January, at columns 503-4, the list of ministerial visits omitted the visit to Hong Kong of Lord Brabazon, Minister of State for Transport, in February 1991.

  Table 1: United Kingdom Trade in Manufactured Goods Value, £ billion

  EC

  USA

  Japan

  Other Countries

  Export

  Import

  Export

  Import

  Export

  Import

  Export

  Import

  1985

  22·1

  31·8

  8·1

  8·4

  0·8

  4·0

  21·5

  14·1

  1986

  24·4

  35·3

  8·2

  7·0

  0·9

  4·9

  21·1

  15·6

  1987

  28·6

  39·8

  8·7

  7·8

  1·2

  5·4

  22·4

  17·9

  1988

  32·4

  45·9

  8·9

  9·3

  1·5

  6·5

  23·3

  21·9

  1989

  38·1

  52·8

  10·2

  11·9

  2·0

  7·0

  26·2

  24·4

  1990

  44·1

  54·1

  10·6

  12·6

  2·3

  6·6

  27·2

  24·8

  1991

  48·0

  49·6

  9·6

  12·0

  1·9

  6·7

  26·5

  23·9

  Note: EC includes the former East Germany throughout.

  Source: Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Skelmersdale
  Mr. Hind
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the assistance available from his Department and the European Community for trade and industry projects in Skelmersdale new town.

  Mr. Leigh
  Skelmersdale is within the development areas, so firms there are able to benefit from the complete range of assistance available under the DTI's enterprise initiative. The individual measures of support are described in existing departmental publications on the initiative, which are widely available and arrangements have been made for copies to be placed in the Library of the House.

  Skelmersdale new town also forms part of the Mersey basin operational programme area, which qualifies as an objective 2 area under the European Commission structural funds regime. As such, Skelmersdale is eligible to receive European regional development funds and structural funds for appropriate projects related to infrastructure, business support and training.

  Maxwell Companies
  Mr. Irvine
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what response he has made to representations concerning the adequacy of the supervision by the Securities and Investments Board and the Investment Management Regulatory Organisation of the managers of the pension funds of companies of which the late Robert Maxwell was a director.

  Mr. Redwood
  My Department is in close touch with SIB and IMRO about regulatory lessons on supervision of pension fund managers to be drawn from the Maxwell case.

  Manufactured Goods
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will state the annual size and increase in the value of exports and imports of manufactured goods in each year since 1985 to(a) the European Community, (b) the United States, (c) Japan and (d) all other countries; and also express the year on year changes as an index with 1985 as the base.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The available information is contained in the following tables. Manufactured goods are defined as sections 5 to 8 of the standard international trade classification.
  113

  Table 2: United Kingdom Trade in Manufactured Goods Increase in value over previous year, £ billion

  EC

  USA

  Japan

  Other Countries

  Export

  Import

  Export

  Import

  Export

  Import

  Export

  Import

  1985

  1986

  2·3

  3·6

  0·1

  -1·3

  0·1

  0·8

  -0·4

  1·4

  1987

  4·2

  4·5

  0·6

  0·8

  0·3

  0·6

  1·3

  2·3

  1988

  3·8

  6·1

  0·2

  1·5

  0·3

  1·0

  0·9

  3·9

  1989

  5·7

  6·9

  1·3

  2·6

  0·5

  0·5

  2·8

  2·6

  1990

  6·0

  1·3

  0·4

  0·8

  0·3

  -0·4

  1·1

  0·4

  1991

  3·9

  -4·5

  -1·0

  -0·6

  -0·4

  0·0

  -0·7

  -0·9

  Note: EC includes the former East Germany throughout.

  Source: Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom.

  Table 3: United Kingdom Trade in Manufactured Goods Value Index, 1985 = 100

  EC

  USA

  Japan

  Other Countries

  Export

  Import

  Export

  Import

  Export

  Import

  Export

  Import

  1985

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  1986

  110

  111

  101

  84

  114

  120

  98

  110

  1987

  130

  125

  108

  93

  149

  134

  104

  127

  1988

  147

  145

  111

  111

  181

  160

  108

  155

  1989

  172

  166

  127

  142

  239

  173

  121

  173

  1990

  200

  170

  132

  151

  274

  164

  126

  175

  1991

  217

  156

  120

  144

  232

  165

  123

  169

  Note: EC includes the former East Germany throughout.

  Source: Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom.

  Table 4: United Kingdom Trade in Manufactured Goods Year on year percentage change

  EC

  USA

  Japan

  Other Countries

  Export

  Import

  Export

  Import

  Export

  Import

  Export

  Import

  1985

  1986

  10·3

  11·2

  1·5

  -15·7

  13·7

  20·5

  -2·0

  10·2

  1987

  17·4

  12·7

  6·8

  10·8

  31·4

  11·3

  6·3

  15·0

  1988

  13·4

  15·3

  2·4

  19·0

  21·3

  19·2

  4·1

  21·9

  1989

  17·4

  14·9

  14·3

  27·7

  31·8

  8·2

  12·0

  11·7

  1990

  15·8

  2·5

  3·8

  6·6

  14·7

  -5·3

  4·1

  1·5

  1991

  8·8

  -8·2

  -9·0

  -5·0

  -15·4

  0·7

  -2·6

  -3·7

  Note: EC includes the former East Germany throughout.

  Source: Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom.

  Auditors
  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will bring forward proposals to prevent auditors from taking appointments as liquidators, administrators or receivers; and if he will consult the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Scotland about the necessary changes to their rules.

  Mr. Redwood
  I have no plans to do so. The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland have published ethical guidelines for their members and these preclude any firm, or member of that firm, which has had a "continuing professional relationship" with any company from accepting an appointment as an insolvency practitioner in respect of it. In this way conflicts of interest are avoided, particularly between those who may have acted as auditors to the company and any subsequent liquidator.

  Peter Dixon and Peter Cameron-Webb
  Mr. Gould
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made in the investigation into the activities of Peter Dixon and Peter Cameron-Webb at Lloyd's.
  114
  Mr. Redwood
  The City of London police and the Serious Fraud Office announced in December 1988 that warrants had been issued for Peter Dixon and Peter Cameron-Webb in connection with the Lloyd's PCW investigation. Both were, and are understood to have remained, resident in the United States, but due to certain restrictions could not be extradited.

  The final report of the Companies Act inspectors who investigated the affairs of Minet Holdings plc and WMD Underwriting Agencies Ltd., which details the activities of Dixon and Cameron-Webb at Lloyd's, was published in August 1990. At that time, the Secretary of State announced his intention to make applications under section 8 of the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 in respect of Dixon, Cameron-Webb and John Wallrock. On 31 October 1991, Wallrock was disqualified for five years. The proceedings in respect of Dixon and Cameron-Webb are due to be heard on 6 February.

  Insolvency Service Staff
  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will supply a figure for the cost of issuing name badges to the staff of the insolvency service.

  Mr. Redwood
  The cost was £3,657·60.

  Hinckley, Leicestershire
  Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether Hinckley in Leicestershire is placed under objective 2 of the European regional development fund.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 31 January 1992]: No. The European Commission refused the Government's proposal that it should be.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

  Clocking In
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the hon. Member for Berwick upon Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission if he will list the grades of staff employed who are required to clock in and clock out at the start and finish of their day's work.

  Mr. Beith
  All grades of Refreshment Department industrial staff are required to register their attendance by clock.

  Staff Insurance
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission whether(a) police and security staff, (b) catering and cleaning staff, (c) Library staff, (d) Official Report staff, (e) Committee Office staff, (f) Fees Office staff and (g) hon. Members' secretaries and research assistants are covered by an insurance scheme in the event of (i) industrial injury or (ii) an act of terrorism in the Palace of Westminster and its outbuildings.

  Mr. Beith
  [holding answer 22 January 1992]: All staff employed by the House of Commons Commission are covered against injury or death sustained in the course of their duties by the provisions of the House of Commons staff pension scheme.

  Insurance cover has been arranged for Members in respect of employers' liability to provide for any of their staff who suffer injury or death at work due to the Member's negligence. The House of Commons Commission is considering the question of further provision to cover Members' staff against acts of terrorism.

  The terms and conditions of service of police officers and security staff employed in the parliamentary estate are the responsibility of the Home Office.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Parliamentary Cable Channel
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will take steps(a) to arrange for the cable parliamentary channel to be available on the monitors in No. 1 Parliament street and (b) to remove from them the interruption caused by noises from the House of Lords annunciator.

  Mr. MacGregor
  As I said in reply to a question from the hon. Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks) on 27 January(Official Report, columns 701-2), the
  116
  question of supplying Members' offices with the parliamentary cable channel (or the clean television feed direct from the Chamber) is to be discussed shortly by the Broadcasting Committee. If it approves the proposal in principle, the Committee will then wish to consider whether such facilities should be made available immediately to those parts of the parliamentary estate (such as No. 1 Parliament street) which are already suitably cabled, or whether it would be preferable to introduce the service for all Members, as far as practicable, simultaneously.

  The provision on the monitors of information from the House of Lords annunciator service has been considered to be generally useful. Unfortunately, it would not be possible to suppress the information from individual monitors.

  Braille Transcription Service
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will make it his policy to provide a Braille transcription service to enable hon. Members to correspond with their blind constituents; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. MacGregor
  I shall ask the right hon. Member for Salford, East (Mr. Orme) as Chairman of the Administration Committee, to invite the Finance and Administration Department to examine the feasibility and possible cost of providing such a service for Members.

  Members' Pensions
  Sir Gerard Vaughan
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what provision has been made in recent years in the estimates of pensions for the staff of hon. Members; how this provision compares with the amount notionally available; what the amount actually disbursed has been; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. MacGregor
  The maximum sum available to an hon. Member to make pension contributions in respect of a person employed by him and paid out of the office costs allowance is limited in any one year to 10 per cent. of the limit of the office costs allowance for that year.

  Although the total sum notionally available is therefore equal to 10 per cent. of the provision for the office costs allowance included in the Estimates for the House of Commons, the sum actually available is further restricted by the application of a pension provision limitation of 10 per cent. of the gross salary paid to an individual secretary/research assistant. Given that most Members are unlikely to devote the whole of their office costs allowance to salaries, because of the need to meet other expenditure, the notionally available figures shown below are not very relevant.

  With that proviso, the total sums notionally available, together with the total sums actually expended in each of the last three completed years, are:

  Notionally available £

  Actual expenditure £

  1988–89

  1,468,000

  776,795

  1989–90

  1,560,000

  836,961

  1990–91

  1,775,000

  948,219

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Croatia
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on the number of tanks obtained from European nations by the Republic of Croatia for the defence of its borders, and their source.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have no evidence that any European nation is in breach of the United Nations embargo.

  Yugoslavia
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the reports produced in Yugoslavia by the international team of experts have now been submitted to the Hague conference on Yugoslavia; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I presume that my hon. Friend is referring to the team of experts alluded to in the report published in The Guardian on 17 January 1992. We have no report of the identity of this team or its activities.

EMPLOYMENT

  Offshore Oil
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will introduce a licensing fee for oil companies operating in the North sea to cover the cost of providing health and safety inspectors in connection with their operations.

  Mr. Forth
  The Health and Safety Commission has not adopted a general policy onshore of charging to cover the costs of health and safety inspection, in view of the difficulties of devising an equitable and workable system. Similar considerations apply offshore, but charges will continue to be made to cover the costs of regular examinations of life-saving appliances and fire-fighting equipment on installations.

  Holidays
  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will introduce legislation to ensure that all employees have a statutory right to two weeks minimum paid holiday.

  Mr. Forth
  We have no such plans.

  Idnal Fisher Ltd.
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if the Health and Safety Executive is to initiate a prosecution against Idnal Fisher Ltd., Bradford following the death of Jashir Singh on 9 April.

  Mr. Forth
  The Health and Safety Executive is considering what, if any, action is appropriate following the investigation into the fatal accident to Jashir Singh on 9 April 1991 at Idnal Fisher Ltd., Bradford. I have asked the HSE's area director for West and North Yorkshire to write to the hon. Member when a decision has been made.

  Crane Accident, St. Mary's
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when investigating the accident to a crane on 13 July 1991 at St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly, following the discovery that the safe load indicator was defective due to the damaged crane, what other sources of information were sought to verify its condition when the crane was operational.

  Mr. Forth
  As part of the Health and Safety Executive's investigation to establish the condition of the safe load indicator on the crane immediately before the accident on 13 July 1991, the HSE inspector interviewed witnesses to the accident to determine whether the warning bell had been ringing when the crane began to overturn; obtained from the company a copy of the crane manufacturer's data sheet which describes the crane's main dimensions and lifting capacities; observed the engraved plastic cards in the crane cab which also describe the dimensions and capacities of the crane; examined the cam fitted in the automatic safe load indicator; obtained a copy of the last statutory examination of the machine by a competent person.

  Allied Colloids Ltd.
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when the investigation into the accident to James Armstrong at Allied Colloids Ltd., Low Moor, on 25 April 1988 was concluded; what recommendations for improving the loading arrangements were made; if these were implemented; and if he will make a statement on the safety of current arrangements.

  Mr. Forth
  No accident to James Armstrong at Allied Colloids Ltd, Low Moor on 25 April 1988 has been reported to the Health and Safety Executive.

  Mr. R. K. Palmer (Accident)
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will obtain from the Health and Safety Executive information regarding the accident to R. K. Palmer on 5 August 1991; and whether a prosecution is to be undertaken against either Nationwide Access Platforms Ltd., or A & P Appledore (Falmouth) Ltd.

  Mr. Forth
  Mr. R. K. Palmer, and employee of A & P Appledore (Falmouth) Ltd., suffered injuries to his legs and head while working on a mobile elevated work platform.

  The Health and Safety Executive has initiated prosecution action against Nationwide Access Platforms Ltd. for an alleged breach of section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

  Industrial Injuries
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his answer of 20 November 1991,Official Report, column 215, what guidance is given to Health and Safety inspectors about the reliance to be placed on statements taken by an employer from employees in investigating accidents where employees are injured.

  Mr. Forth
  Health and Safety Executive inspectors carrying out investigations into accidents in which
  119
  employees are injured, conduct their own independent inquiries. Inspectors are advised to collect all the relevant information during their investigations and this could include statements taken by an employer from employees which may be helpful. However, inspectors personally interview whoever, in their professional judgment, is able to assist them in establishing the facts and do not rely on statements taken by employers.

  A. Marks and Company Ltd.
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what action is being undertaken by the Health and Safety Executive regarding the fatal accident to Mr. Lewis Drake at A. Marks & Co. Ltd., Low Moor, Bradford, regarding prosecution; and what changes are to be made to operational procedures to avoid any repetition of the accident.

  Mr. Forth
  The Health and Safety Executive has completed its investigation into the fatal accident to Mr. Lewis Drake at A. Marks & Co. Ltd., Bradford. It has deferred a decision on what if any further action may be appropriate until after the inquest into Mr. Drake's death has been held. Following advice from the HSE, the company has already carried out a number of modifications to the plant to prevent a repetition of the accident.

  Labour Statistics
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people have been employed in(a) agriculture and horticulture, (b) coal extraction and solid fuels, (c) shipbuilding and repairs and (d) iron and steel, in Great Britain in 1991.

  Mr. Jackson
  The information is given in the table:

  Employees in employment industries (SIC 80)

  Great Britain Thousands September 1991

  Agriculture and horticulture (Class 01)

  280·8

  Coal extraction and solid fuels (Group 111)

  79·7

  Iron and steel (Group 221)

  47·4

  Shipbuilding and ship repairing (Group 361)

  46·0

  Industrial Disputes
  Mr. Gregory
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of working days lost because of industrial disputes in the six months to(a) December 1978 and (b) December 1991; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  There were 380,000 working days lost as a result of industrial disputes in the six months to November 1991, the latest available period. This is a fraction of the 6 million working days lost in the six months to December 1978. There are fewer strikes now than there have been for more than half a century.

  Business Statistics
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the total number of(a) business start ups and (b) business failures in (i) Great Britain and (ii) each of the regions for the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.
  120
  Mr. Forth
  Regional estimates of VAT registrations and deregistrations, for the years 1980 to 1990, were published in the November 1991 issue of the Employment Gazette, a copy of which is available in the Library.

  These show clearly the sustained expansion of the small firms sector during the 1980s, in all regions of the country.

  Training
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what budget is allocated for(a) employment training and (b) youth training respectively in each region of his training and enterprise and education directorate for the years 1991–92 and 1992–93; and what were the numbers of unemployed people in each of these regions at the latest available date.

  Mr. Jackson
  The budget allocations for 1991–92 for employment training and youth training in each region of the training enterprise and education directorate—TEED —are given in table(a). The figures for 1992–93 are still subject to negotiation and therefore not available.

  The number of unemployed people in each of the TEED regions as at December 1991 are given in table (b).

  Table (a)

  £ million

  England and Wales

  YT

  ET

  South East

  89·46

  32·22

  London

  49·18

  52·09

  South West

  65·28

  25·18

  West Midlands

  84·50

  48·71

  East Midlands

  96·58

  39·94

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  91·40

  52·80

  North West

  123·59

  65·17

  Northern

  67·76

  46·67

  Wales

  50·88

  32·32

  Note: ET budgets exclude national allowances (ie unemployment benefit + £10).

  Table (b)

  Unemployed claimants as at December 1991

  TEED regions

  Persons

  South East

  347,357

  London

  385,316

  South West

  190,128

  West Midlands

  246,987

  East Midlands and Eastern

  245,786

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  222,975

  North West

  325,792

  Northern

  134,440

  Wales

  122,910

  Scotland

  228,766

  Great Britain

  2,450,457

  Sunday Trading
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will bring forward regulations to prohibit contracts of employment which require shop workers to work on Sunday; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  We have no plans to do so.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Security Forces (Compensation for Injuries)
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if he will list for each year since 1 January 1968 the sums paid in compensation for death and injury inflicted by members of the security forces where the victims were engaged in illegal or terrorist type activity at the time they suffered the injury or were killed; how many persons were paid compensation in each year; in how many of these cases the compensation was paid in out-of-court settlements before a court hearing; and in how many cases an award was granted by the court;

  (2) if he will publish a table to show for each year since 1 January 1968 the number of applications for compensation for (a) injury, (b) death, inflicted by the security forces, (c) injury and (d) death resulting from activity by persons other than the security forces, in Northern Ireland for which compensation was refused because the injured party or parties had been involved in terrorist type activity.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I shall write to the hon. Gentleman as soon as possible.

  Nursery Places
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many places in nursery schools and classes were provided by education and library boards in 1990–91 and 1991–92 in Northern Ireland; how many of these places were(a) full-time and (b) part-time; and what was the total number of full-time equivalent places provided.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The number of full-time equivalent places provided in controlled nursery schools and classes under the management of education and library boards in each of the years 1990–91 and 1991–92 was:

  Nursery schools

  Nursery classes

  2,925

  1,700

  The number of pupils attending on a full-time or part-time basis is a matter for determination by the education and library boards and boards of governors. The 1991–92 statistics are not yet available, but in 1990–91 the number of pupils enrolled was as follows:

  Full-time

  Part-time

  Total

  Controlled nursery schools

  1,860

  1,947

  3,807

  Controlled nursery classes

  1,234

  796

  2,030

  Harland and Wolff (Pension Surpluses)
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the date prior to privatisation when the pensioners' trustees meeting agreed to pension surpluses being used to subsidise the building of ships by the new owners of Harland and Wolff; if he will publish the information on which this decision was based; whether a similar scheme has been considered with the 122
  privatisation of NIE; and what rights have previous members of the scheme who object to the course of action taken.

  Mr. Needham
  Pension fund moneys have never been used by the new owners of Harland and Wolff to subsidise the building of ships. The pension fund scheme remains unaffected by the privatisation arrangements and members continue to have the right to take up any relevant issues with the trustees. In relation to the Northern Ireland Electricity superannuation scheme, its committee of management and trustees have been given an assurance by the Government that pension scheme surplus will not be prejudiced by the privatisation process.

WALES

  Employment Action
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will state the latest figures for(a) the number of employment action places provided and (b) the number of places filled; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Contracts for employment action are not expressed in terms of places. The numbers of people in Wales receiving employment action allowances on 9 January, the latest date for which figures are available, was 600.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give his latest estimate of the drop-out rate for employment action in Wales.

  Mr. David Hunt
  It is too early in the programme to do So.

  Public Libraries
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which county or borough libraries he visited in 1989, 1990 and 1991; and if he will make a statement on his policies covering public libraries in Wales.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  My right hon. Friend's policies in relation to public libraries conform to his statutory responsibilities as defined in the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964. In pursuance of these duties, my officials have visited a number of public libraries in the last three years, but my right hon. Friend has not had occasion to do so.

  Physically Handicapped People
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will visit the Deeside physically handicapped club at the Melrose centre, Shotton.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  I have no plans to do so.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on his policies concerning the physically handicapped and their social and physical needs.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  Advice and guidance on services for people with physical and/or sensory disabilities was issued on 8 May 1990 to all local and health authorities in Wales, and on 7 November 1991 those authorities were
  123
  sent further advice in the Welsh Office "Protocol for Investment in Health Gain: Physical Disability and Discomfort: Physical and Sensory Disability". Copies of both documents are in the Library of the House. Local and health authorities are required to take them carefully into account in the preparation of their social care plans and local strategies for health.

  Bus Demonstration Projects
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to make funds available for bus demonstration projects in Wales.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  A total of £0·5 million in supplementary credit approvals has now been made available to local authorities for 1992–93 to promote innovate bus priority schemes. This is additional to the capital provision for local authorities announced by my right hon. Friend on 11 December. Officials will be writing shortly to invite applications.

  Bus priority schemes will also be considered during the next capital spend.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what will be the sum of the precepts of the spending authorities on the collecting authorities in Wales in 1992–93, on the assumption that local authorities spend at their standard spending assessment; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  Precepts on collection funds in Wales assuming expenditure at standard spending assessment level and no drawings from reserves should be £257 million.

  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much he estimates will be raised from standard community charges on empty properties and second homes in Wales in 1992–93.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The standard charge, with limited exceptions, is payable for properties which are no one's sole or main residence or have been unoccupied for more than six months.

  The level of standard charge is determined by reference to the level of personal charge an authority sets for its area. In the main, these have not yet been set for 1992–93.

  Alcohol Misuse
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what sum was ear-marked for allocation by his Department as the Welsh share of the central funding initiative for combating alcohol misuse; what sum has has(a) earmarked for each county in Wales, (b) granted to each county in Wales in respect of 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93 and (c) how much was spent for each county in 1990–91; and how much has been spent so far in 1991–92.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The initiative to combat alcohol misuse in Wales is independent of other campaigns and there is therefore no Welsh share. As part of this initiative a recurring amount of £150,000 was made available in 1990–91 and a further £150,000 was added in 1991–92, also recurring. Funds are not "earmarked" for each county; bids are considered on their merits. In 1990–91, the individual projects funded were as follows:124

  Title

  Cost (£)

  1. Drinkwise material

  22,647·00

  2. "Psst". Education video and supporting teachers packs for secondary schools

  13,974·00

  3. Rhoserchan Project—Rehabilitation centre

  6,790·00

  4. West Glamorgan Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse

  568·00

  5. Youthlink Wales

  1,358·00

  6. South Glamorgan Council on Alcoholism

  15,156·00

  7. Clwyd and Gwynedd Council on Alcohol

  19,965·00

  8. Ty Palmyra Rehabilitaion Centre, Gwent

  1,623·00

  9. Dyfed Alcohol Advisory Service

  3,480·00

  10. Alcohol Concern Wales

  2,379·00

  11. Rhythm and Booze Radio 1 Campaign Broadcast Support Service

  3,500·00

  Total cost

  91,440·00

  It is not possible to identify expenditure by county for 1991–92, as plans have yet to be finalised and grants claimed. In view of the delay, funds will be allocated to additional projects on a non-recurring basis. Forecast outturn is estimated to be around £230,000.

  Patients (Referrals)
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he intends to take to fulfil ministerial assurances that contractual arrangements by health authorities in Wales will not interfere in the freedom of general practitioners and clinicians to refer patients to the most appropriate hospital and consultant.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  I shall be issuing consolidated guidance on the management and operation of extra-contractual referrals later this month, and this will again emphasise the principle that GP's and other clinicians should be free, when necessary, to refer in the best interests of their patients.

  Health authorities when setting contracts and establishing mechanisms for managing extra-contractual referrals are required to have as their objective the pattern of referrals which local clinicians and GPs prefer.

  From this year, the annual performance review with the Department will he held jointly with district health authorities and family health service authorities so as to further enhance the partnership between primary and secondary care in the setting of contracts.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received about difficulties and delays experienced when patients are referred by clinicians in Wales for treatment and its transpires that this must be done by means of extra-contractual referral.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The Department has recorded only one representation about delays or difficulties arising from extra-contractual referrals. Upon investigation, I was satisfied that the problems raised by the correspondent were not related to the extra-contractual referral process.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy that all patients in Wales waiting for treatment will be counted in the appropriate Welsh Office statistics; and if he will instruct health authorities that any patients who are described as waiting to go on a waiting list or awaiting extra-contractual referral must be included in that authority's reports and any other published figures.
  125
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The monthly returns produced by district health authorities in respect of the treatments they secure for their residents, include statistics for all patients waiting for treatment, whether out-patient, in-patient or day case attendance, across all specialties. Health authorities are required to include extra-contractual referrals in the figures given. They do not operate a system involving people having to wait on one list before being eligible for entry on to another.

  Health Service Resources
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has now reached decisions about the allocation of resources for hospital and community health and related services in Wales for 1992–93; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I announced on 28 November at columns 1081-1082 my decision on the allocation of resources for health and personal social services in Wales for 1992–93. Within the £1,877 million resources available, I propose to allocate on a provisional basis £1,420 million for the hospital and community health service and for the cash-limited element of the family health service in Wales. This sum, which is subject to parliamentary approval of the supply estimates, includes the full costs arising from the introduction of charging in respect of many of the services provided in England and Welsh patients. This represents a cash increase of £116·6 million, or 9 per cent. over 1991–92 estimated outturn provision. Of this sum, £54·5 million is to be made available for family health service authorities for their administration expenditure in 1992–93 and for the cash-limited element of the practice expenses of general medical practitioners and GP fundholders. The allocations to family health service authorities will be announced in the course of the next few weeks.

  Excluding the cost of the artificial limb and appliance service, which is administered through a service level agreement between my Department and the Welsh Health Common Services Authority, and other centrally financed services, £1,357·1 million will be provided for hospital and community health services—£1,228·7 million for current purposes and £128·4 million for capital spending.

  For current spending, this represents a cash increase of £102·3 million or 9·1 per cent. over estimated outturn for the current year. This sum, together with the additional £13 million which it is anticipated authorities should, as a minimum, realise from further cash-releasing cost improvement savings and income generation schemes provide an effective increase in resources over 1991–92 of 10·2 per cent. £13·5 million of this sum will be allocated to fund the continuing and full-year cost of developments which are being funded centrally in 1991–92. £10£1 million will be allocated to other centrally funded developments which will be announced in due course.

  The £78·7 million balance of the provision available will be made available for the discretionary use of district health authorities. This provides for a 7·0 per cent. increase in DHA's discretionary revenue provision in cash terms or 2·5 per cent. in real terms, taking account of the latest forecast of general inflation in 1992–93. In addition
  126
  authorities will be expected to generate a further £13 million—that is, 1·1 per cent.—from new cash-releasing cost improvements and income generation schemes through their contracts with service providers.

  Thus, in total, DHAs should benefit from a 3·6 per cent. real terms improvement in their purchasing power, exclusive of any reductions in unit costs that arise from productivity gains as throughput increases. As a consequence, authorities should be able to make substantial improvements in the services offered to patients in accordance with the objectives of the patients charter.

  This increase in DHA revenue provision in 1992–93 is considerably in excess of the 0·5 per cent. per annum growth assumption which was used to calculate the figures given in my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, North (Mr. Jones) on 21 March 1991 at columns 1081-82 regarding progress toward capitation shares. As a consequence, I am able to ensure that all DHAs in Wales will receive a minimum revenue cash increase of 6·5 per cent. in 1992–93, and that those which would otherwise be more than below their capitation formula targets will also receive the balance of growth funding in proportion to their respective distances from target.

  The resulting discretionary revenue allocations for 1992–93 and the increases over their 1991–92 discretionary revenue provision in cash and percentage terms are shown in the table:

  Allocation

  Cash increase

  £ million

  £ million

  per cent.

  Clwyd

  160·4

  11·4

  7·9

  East Dyfed

  97·9

  6·9

  7·6

  Gwent

  170·1

  10·3

  6·5

  Gwynedd

  96·6

  7·2

  8·2

  Mid Glamorgan

  217·4

  13·1

  6·5

  Pembrokeshire

  43·4

  3·2

  8·0

  Powys

  55·5

  3·3

  6·5

  South Glamorgan

  191·6

  9·4

  6·5

  West Glamorgan

  142·5

  8·6

  6·5

  When authorities' estimated shares of the proceeds of capital charges are added to these calculations, each DHA's percentage share of gross discretionary revenue provision in 1992–93 by comparison with its capitation formula target, updated for estimated population changes is as follows:

  Gross Discretionary Revenue Provision Percentage

  Capitation Formula Target Shares Percentage

  Clwyd

  13·8

  14·3

  East Dyfed

  8·5

  8·8

  Gwent

  15·7

  15·2

  Gwynedd

  8·3

  8·7

  Mid Glamorgan

  19·1

  19·2

  Pembrokeshire

  3·8

  3·9

  Powys

  4·7

  4·1

  South Glamorgan

  13·5

  13·0

  West Glamorgan

  12·6

  12·8

  Accordingly, the revenue planning assumptions for individual authorities in subsequent years which I gave in my answer of 21 March 1991 have been revised as in table 3:
  127

  Percentage growth on previous year for 1992–93 to 2001–02 assuming 0·5 per cent. growth

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1996–97

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  2000–01

  2001–02

  Clwyd

  1·27

  1·10

  1·10

  1·10

  1·09

  1·09

  0·45

  0·45

  0·45

  East Dyfed

  1·10

  1·03

  1·02

  1·02

  1·02

  1·02

  0·45

  0·45

  0·45

  Gwent

  0·00

  -0·10

  -0·10

  -0·10

  -0·10

  -0·10

  0·45

  0·45

  0·45

  Gwynedd

  1·50

  1·20

  1·20

  1·19

  1·19

  1·18

  0·45

  0·45

  0·45

  Mid Glamorgan

  0·00

  0·62

  0·62

  0·62

  0·62

  0·62

  0·45

  0·45

  0·45

  Pembroke

  1·37

  1·15

  1·14

  1·14

  1·14

  1·13

  0·45

  0·45

  0·45

  Powys

  0·00

  -2·15

  -2·22

  -2·29

  -2·37

  -2·45

  0·45

  0·45

  0·45

  South Glamorgan

  0·00

  -0·27

  -0·27

  -0·28

  -0·28

  -0·29

  0·45

  0·45

  0·45

  West Glamorgan

  0·00

  0·76

  0·76

  0·76

  0·76

  0·76

  0·45

  0·45

  0·45

  These growth planning assumptions assume that capital charges remain the same over the planning period. Although growth of 0·5 per cent. has been assumed on the recurring revenue total, this is exclusive of capital charges, and this becomes 0·45 per cent. when expressed as a percentage of the recurring revenue and the recycled capital charges combined.

  I must stress that the figures in table 3 are for planning purposes only. They will be revised and rolled forward each year to take account of actual allocations. The redistribution of resources indicated by these figures will affect the purchasing positions of health authorities, but the provision of services will depend on where purchasers choose to place their contracts. The future of individual hospitals will therefore not always depend on the relative funding position of authorities in which they are located.

  Under the new capital allocation arrangements which become effective on 1 April 1992, £97 million will be earmarked for the purposes of the all-Wales major capital programme. Further details of this programme will be announced in due course. £35 million will be made available for the discretionary capital requirements of DHAs and the new Pembrokeshire health trust, as well as the minor capital needs of various other service providers which are not managed by DHAs. This provision includes a sum of £3·4 million which is available as a result of authorities repaying brokerage loans from earlier years.

  £1·7 million of this £35 million will be allocated in the form of additional revenue provision to the prospective pruchasers of the Pembrokeshire trust's services. It will thus form part of the trust's income for 1992–93 which can then be recapitalised to meet its capital requirements. The trust's capital expenditure will, however, also be subject to the external financing limit which I shall be issuing to the trust when its financial plan for next year has been updated to take account of the allocations to its prospective purchasers that are covered in this announcement.

  A further £2 million will be held in reserve to meet the minor capital requirements of various other service providers such as the dental hospital, Breast Test Wales and the Welsh Health Common Services Authority.

  The £31·3 million balance of capital provision will be allocated between the DHAs on behalf of their directly managed units; and in order to ensure the fair distribution of this sum between service providers, it will be allocated between authorities pro rata to the anticipated revenue income which their units will attract next year. In this way, minor capital provision, like revenue will "follow the patient".
  128
  The resulting capital allocations are set out in the following table. No allocation is shown for Pembrokeshire health authority because, when the Pembrokeshire trust comes into operation on 1 April, it will no longer be responsible for the capital needs of a directly managed unit. The trust's capital requirements will be met as previously noted.

  Capital allocation £ million

  Clwyd

  4·0

  East Dyfed

  3·3

  Gwent

  5·l

  Gwynedd

  2·1

  Mid Glamorgan

  5·9

  Powys

  1·1

  South Glamorgan

  5·5

  West Glamorgan

  4·3

  In addition, property sales in 1992–93 are expected to generate a further £5·2 million and it is anticipated that authorities will benefit from £4·2 million of these receipts. In total, I expect authorities to achieve additional savings and to generate additional income amounting to at least 1·1 per cent. of their recurrent revenue allocations.

  These allocations together represent another major increase in the provision for hospital, community and family health service. They once again underline the Government's commitment to the NHS and they underpin the assurances given about service availability and quality in the patients charter. They accord with the new resource allocation arrangements that flow from the NHS and Community Care Act and, in particular, make real progress toward weighted capitation funding. Indeed, they provide a secure basis on which to take forward the "Agenda for Action" which my Department recently published, and to which the NHS in Wales is fully committed. I am therefore sure they will be widely welcomed.

  Council House Sales
  Mr. Edwards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what capital receipts have accrued since 1980 to each local authority in Wales from the sale of council houses; what proportion of these receipts in respect of Monmouth borough council have been invested in social housing; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  [holding answer 29 January 1992]: In-year capital receipts are shown in the table. Information on the proportion of these used to fund specific housing programmes is not held centrally.
  129

  In-year capital receipts from the sale of council houses1

  £000

  1981–82

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  Total 1981–82 to 1990–91

  Alyn and Deeside

  691

  388

  446

  847

  1,155

  943

  1,150

  2,257

  3,724

  2,147

  13,748

  Colwyn

  754

  705

  532

  415

  544

  605

  758

  1,305

  1,407

  787

  7,812

  Delyn

  773

  651

  1,068

  3,889

  453

  681

  1,089

  1,070

  1,986

  1,471

  13,131

  Glyndwr

  791

  1,212

  627

  438

  1,498

  727

  709

  1,875

  2,017

  867

  10,761

  Rhuddlan

  412

  335

  373

  391

  627

  467

  844

  1,541

  1,457

  881

  7,328

  Wrexham Maelor

  2,009

  1,388

  719

  867

  1,320

  1,997

  3,095

  4,433

  10,329

  4,322

  30,479

  Carmarthen

  1,628

  1,348

  963

  944

  632

  741

  845

  1,549

  1,793

  1,697

  12,140

  Ceredigion

  1,628

  1,888

  1,193

  819

  580

  1,020

  869

  2,291

  3,133

  1,877

  15,298

  Dinefwr

  712

  596

  336

  329

  484

  768

  730

  1,198

  1,279

  1,260

  7,692

  Llanelli

  1,645

  1,874

  2,139

  1,352

  1,141

  1,695

  1,984

  3,258

  3,383

  2,236

  20,707

  Preseli Pembroke

  2,623

  1,539

  1,666

  1,108

  1,053

  1,123

  1,245

  3,137

  4,217

  2,367

  20,078

  South Pembrokeshire

  112

  1,121

  1,511

  1,009

  456

  446

  728

  1,745

  1,976

  1,151

  10,255

  Blaenau Gwent

  954

  1,586

  1,005

  723

  3,406

  1,386

  1,511

  2,932

  4,750

  2,162

  20,415

  Islwyn

  1,653

  8,274

  2,775

  1,767

  1,541

  2,193

  2,550

  4,118

  4,229

  1,531

  30,631

  Monmouth

  285

  260

  3,036

  2,563

  1,974

  2,088

  2,763

  4,097

  4,689

  2,144

  23,899

  Newport

  1,878

  2,623

  2,884

  3,135

  7,534

  3,486

  3,490

  6,972

  8,513

  2,745

  43,260

  Torfaen

  2,674

  3,722

  3,009

  2,552

  1,465

  4,811

  3,532

  7,170

  9,380

  4,875

  43,190

  Aberconwy

  1,095

  1,270

  804

  692

  734

  858

  1,071

  2,566

  3,201

  1,188

  13,479

  Arfon

  1,054

  2,200

  723

  851

  548

  777

  738

  2,085

  2,570

  1,242

  12,788

  Dwyfor

  1

  512

  244

  156

  220

  143

  129

  352

  521

  591

  2,869

  Meirionnydd

  0

  1,013

  664

  341

  394

  407

  590

  1,054

  1,296

  497

  6,256

  Ynys Mon

  1,085

  875

  486

  517

  1,144

  920

  739

  2,918

  3,868

  1,910

  14,462

  Cynon Valley

  0

  2,494

  1,120

  560

  526

  1,062

  1,015

  1,302

  557

  2,078

  10,714

  Merthyr Tydfil

  1,379

  1,784

  1,032

  849

  1,257

  1,627

  1,842

  2,663

  3,156

  1,213

  16,802

  Ogwr

  1,403

  3,816

  9,104

  3,204

  3,106

  3,674

  2,998

  5,144

  6,220

  3,466

  42,135

  Rhondda

  362

  191

  230

  202

  275

  398

  355

  557

  738

  628

  3,936

  Rhymney Valley

  1,880

  2,659

  2,073

  1,719

  1,615

  2,839

  3,175

  3,023

  4,407

  3,541

  26,931

  Taff Ely

  20

  992

  1,886

  1,724

  1,802

  2,910

  3,663

  4,707

  6,155

  3,539

  27,398

  Brecknock

  1,922

  328

  1,149

  1,015

  918

  1,159

  1,324

  1,977

  1,325

  1,086

  12,203

  Montgomeryshire

  10

  104

  946

  648

  782

  1,207

  1,065

  1,864

  2,230

  1,068

  9,924

  Radnorshire

  701

  670

  689

  281

  317

  296

  595

  774

  881

  500

  5,704

  Cardiff

  2,355

  1,515

  4,015

  5,039

  6,312

  11,529

  9,179

  14,349

  16,819

  8,319

  79,431

  Vale of Glamorgan

  1,449

  2,762

  2,766

  2,274

  2,084

  3,297

  2,947

  5,755

  5,079

  2,260

  30,673

  Port Talbot

  890

  435

  1,950

  1,850

  2,080

  2,517

  3,063

  4,211

  5,182

  2,624

  24,802

  Lliw Valley

  734

  1,266

  502

  623

  960

  1,372

  1,343

  1,731

  2,968

  2,475

  13,974

  Neath

  1,636

  1,140

  714

  947

  1,410

  1,539

  1,864

  2,482

  3,038

  1,951

  16,721

  Swansea

  0

  1,607

  1,831

  6,027

  1,580

  2,260

  3,588

  8,467

  9,624

  4,375

  39,359

  Total Districts

  39,198

  57,143

  57,210

  52,667

  53,927

  65,968

  69,175

  118,929

  148,097

  79,071

  741,385

  1 Includes the repayment of principal on local authority mortgages on council house sales.

  Local Authority Capital Receipts
  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a table for each region and each class of local authority in Wales, for housing capital receipts and other capital receipts, showing(a) total cash-backed capital receipts available to local authorities at 31 March 1990 and the amount of those receipts that were set aside as provision for credit liabilities, (b) the total of capital receipts received by local authorities in 1990–91 and the amount of those receipts set aside as provision for credit liabilities, (c) total capital receipts spent by Welsh local authorities in 1990–91, (d) the estimated total of capital receipts local authorities received in 1991–92 and the amount of those receipts that are likely to be set aside as provision for credit liabilities and (e) the estimated total of capital receipts spent on capital projects in 1991–92.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  [holding answer 29 January 1992]: I have placed a copy of the information available in the Library of the House.

  Hospital Waiting Lists
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will require health authorities in Wales to include all patients awaiting treatment, including those awaiting 130
  extra-contractual arrangements, in their returns to the Welsh Office and ensure that such cases are included in the totals of figures published by his Department.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  [holding answer 3 February 1992]: Welsh Office waiting list returns already require district health authorities in Wales to report information on all patients resident in their area, including those subject to extra-contractual referral.

ENVIRONMENT

  MINIS
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the development of MINIS in his Department since its inception; and what proposals he has for its further development.

  Mr. Heseltine
  My Department is currently engaged on the 13th round of MINIS returns and reviews. Since I introduced the system in 1980, there have been many detailed changes over the years in the way material is collected and presented. In the early rounds, the emphasis was on establishing the full range of functions being undertaken within the Department and the staff and other
  131
  costs related to each. The next stage of development was to include better defined aims, objectives and targets in order to clarify what was being achieved and to ensure that these achievements fully supported Government policies and priorities. The most recent developments have concentrated on making MINIS more useful as a system for top management and Ministers, which has entailed the development of supporting line management systems at all levels through the Department; and on considering the allocation of administrative resources alongside the setting of objectives and targets, to ensure that resources are in the right place to do the job.

  MINIS returns are published after each round and a copy is placed in the Library of the House. Copies of MINIS 13 returns will be made available in the same way in due course.

  Radon
  Mr. Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made in exploring possibilities of an accreditation scheme for builders engaged in remedial work on radon, pursuant to his Department's response to the sixth report from the Select Committee on the Environment, Session 1990–91, into indoor pollution.

  Mr. Baldry
  Discussions with the National Radiological Protection Board and representatives of the building industry in the south-west have established that training and experience are essential prerequisites for developing any accreditation scheme. The Building Research Establishment is now arranging a series of training courses for builders and building professionals on radon remedial measures.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from local authorities on the need for supplementary credit allocations to deal with the possible roll-out of previous swaps deals; and what replies he has made.

  Mr. Portillo
  Two local authorities have asked my Department for supplementary credit approvals in respect of potential restitution payments on interest rate swaps. They have been told that it would be premature to consider such requests until the amounts involved can be estimated with reasonable certainty. They have also been told that, while requests for SCAs will be carefully considered, we do not have a reserve of resources for this purpose, so any additional allocations to one authority would be at the expense of others, or would require an increase in capital expenditure.

  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what will be the sum of the precepts of the spending authorities on the collecting authorities in England in 1992–93, on the assumption that local authorities spend at their standard spending assessment; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  The sum of standard spending assessments for precepting authorities in England for 1992–93, on the basis of the reports laid before the House on 24 January, is £20,444·1 million.

  Planning Applications
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he intends to revise the criteria used in determining whether to call in planning applications under section 77 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to reflect the new priority being attached to development plans by section 54a of the 1990 Act, as inserted by the Planning and Compensation Act 1991.

  Mr. Yeo
  We have no plans to do so.

  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he intends to require local planning authorities to determine whether planning applications are in accordance with the development plan before their determination.

  Mr. Yeo
  Authorities are already required by the Town and Country Planning (Development Plans) (England) Direction 1981 to take a view on whether planning applications depart from the development plan, to advertise any such application which they do not intend to refuse and to notify certain departures to the Secretary of State.

  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will amend the directions made under section 77 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to require the Secretary of State to be notified of planning applications which depart from the local plan as well as the structure plan and which the local planning authority do not intend to refuse.

  Mr. Yeo
  We are considering the need for a fresh direction. The basis for notifying applications which depart from development plans to the Secretary of State would be an important consideration in making such a direction.

  Compulsory Competitive Tendering
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, further to his answer on 24 January,Official Report, columns 351-53, by what criteria he concluded that there is no case for statutory action in instances where there is evidence of a breach of statutory provisions.

  Mr. Portillo
  The Secretary of State's conclusion in relation to any case has regard to the circumstances of the case and to the balance of evidence.

  Derelict Land
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, further to his oral answer to the hon. Member for Swindon (Mr. Coombs) on 22 January,Official Report, column 309, what plans he has to continue the national register of vacant and public land; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Yeo
  My Department's register is expected to remain in existence as long as my right hon. Friend's power to direct disposal is limited to sites entered on it. However, only sites for which the possibility of a direction is under consideration are being added to the register. For the longer term, as stated in our 1990 consultation paper "Encouraging The Use of Vacant Public Sector Land", it remains our intention to replace the national register with statutory owners' registers for all relevant public bodies.
  133
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to the oral answer to the hon. Member for Swindon (Mr. Coombs) on 22 January,Official Report, column 309, what other measures, in addition to the requirement for local authorities to maintain and publish registers of their derelict or disused land, are being considered by his Department to address the problem of derelict or disused land in public ownership.

  Mr. Yeo
  We shall announce any further measures when we are ready.

  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to the oral answer to the hon. Member for Swindon (Mr. Coombs) on 22 January,Official Report, column 309, how many local registers for derelict or disused land in public ownership there will now be in England and Wales.

  Mr. Yeo
  A total of 430 local authorities in England will be required by the regulations to make available to the public at their principal offices registers of unused and underused land in their ownership. Under the 1989 code of practice, some 200 other local public bodies including health authorities and development corporations as well as Government Departments and other national public bodies are asked to provide similar registers. All bodies have been asked to deposit relevant extracts with district and London borough councils so that they can be made available locally.

  Responsibility for land registers in Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to the oral answer to the hon. Member for Swindon (Mr. Coombs) on 22 January,Official Report, column 309, if he will make it his policy to require a six monthly return from local authorities to his Department, based upon their registers, reporting on the amount of derelict and disused land in public ownership in each local authority area.

  Mr. Yeo
  Local authorities are required to make annual returns to my Department of aggregate information relating to their registers and other public sector owners have been requested to do so under the 1989 code of practice. I have no proposals for altering these arrangements.

  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to the oral answer to the hon. Member for Swindon (Mr. Coombs) on 22 January,Official Report, column 309, what is the likely cost to local authorities of the scheme of local registration for derelict or disused land in public ownership.

  Mr. Yeo
  The extra cost to local authorities of maintaining registers of unused and underused land in their ownership is expected to be minimal. They should be recording this information themselves anyway in accordance with the 1989 code of practice and in the ordinary course of efficient property management.

  Planning Policy
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will revise planning policy guidance note 1 to withdraw the general presumption in favour of development as it relates to the preparation of development plans.
  134
  Mr. Yeo
  A draft revision of planning policy guidance note 1 was issued for consultation in October last year. The final version of this guidance will be published shortly in the light of the many responses we have received.

  Lowland Peat Bogs
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the future of the lowland peat bogs at(a) Thorne moors, Yorkshire, (b) Hatfield moors, Yorkshire, (c) Fenns and Whixall moors, Shropshire and (d) Wedholme flow, Cumbria.

  Mr. Baldry
  The Department gave consent for the then Nature Conservancy Council to purchase the freehold and leasehold interests of Fens Whixall and Bettisfield mosses site of special scientific interest in 1990. Thorne and Hatfield moors, and Wedholme Flow are sites included in the recent announcement by English Nature and Fisons. The sites are being handed over to English Nature at no cost. All the areas where vegetation exists will be managed immediately for nature conservation purposes, and the remainder will be returned to nature conservation over a phased programme agreed between Fisons and English Nature.

  Falkland Islands
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if monitoring of ultraviolet radiation is carried out in the Falkland Islands; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office on Monday 3 February 1992 at column 11.

  National Parks
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of each of the national parks in England are designated as environmentally sensitive areas; and what is the ESA acreage in each instance.

  Mr. Baldry
  Substantial parts of the existing Pennine dales, North Peak and the Broads ESAs fall within the Yorkshire Dales national park, the Peak District national park and the Broads Authority respectively. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food's recent announcement of further ESA designations included areas in the Lake district, Peak district and Exmoor and Dartmoor national parks. Detailed work on the ESA boundaries to reflect the particular purposes of each new scheme is still underway. The precise proportion of new ESAs in national parks cannot be determined until their boundaries are set, and for existing areas the information can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  Revenue Support Grant (Bournemouth)
  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the revenue support grant 1992–93 for Bournemouth in 1991–92; and what account he has taken of the tourism factor.

  Mr. Portillo
  Bournemouth's revenue support grant for 1992–93 is £34·766 million, an increase of 20 per cent. over
  135
  the comparable figure for 1991–92. The allowance for overnight visitors in the authority's standard spending assessment is £1·088 million, also an increase of 20 per cent. on this year's figure.

  Local Government Commission (Guidance)
  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when, and with whom, he proposes to consult on the draft procedural guidance for the Local Government Commission to be issued under clause 15 of the Local Government Bill.

  Mr. Portillo
  The draft procedural guidance will be published shortly. The main consultation will be with the local authority associations, but we intend also to publicise the availability of the draft, and we shall, of course, be happy to consider comments on it from any interested individual or organisation. The draft will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Solent Wetlands
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress he has made with English Nature on designating the Solent wetlands and saltmarshes under the Ramsar convention.

  Mr. Baldry
  English Nature has identified the Solent marshes, together with Southampton water, as a potential Ramsar site, but they have not formally recommended designation to Government.

  Merseyside Fire and Civil Defence Authority
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of state for the Environment what discussions he has had with the Merseyside fire and civil defence authority respecting the provisional standard spending assessment and capping criteria; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  My right hon. Friend has had no discussions with the Merseyside fire and civil defence authority on his proposals for the 1992–93 local government finance settlement, nor during the consultation period did he receive any representations from the authority on these matters. My right hon. and noble Friend, the Minister of State for the Home Office, met a delegation from the authority on 23 January 1992 to discuss their review of standards of fire cover.

  My right hon. Friend laid the Revenue Support Grant Report (England) 1992–93 and associated reports before the House on Friday 24 January. The SSA for Merseyside fire and civil defence authority for 1992–93 is £45·859 million, an increase of 7·4 per cent. on 1991–92, and, as a result of changes in underlying data, £12,000 greater than the provisional SSA proposed on 26 November. The authority's SSA per adult (£44) is the highest of the metropolitan fire and civil defence authorities.

  My right hon. Friend reaffirmed on 23 January that he remained minded to adopt as capping criteria the provissional criteria announced on 26 November. On the basis of these criteria, the Merseyside fire and civil defence authority could set a budget 7·4 per cent. higher than for 1991–92 without falling to be designated for capping.

  Public Records
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals the Lord Chancellor has to maintain collections of public records currently held by county councils in the light of the proposed restructuring of local government; and whether he has sought comments from the Advisory Council on Public Records about this matter.

  Mr. Portillo
  In recommending any unitary authorities, the proposed Local Government Commission would have to be satisfied about the delivery of archive services. There will be ample opportunities for bodies concerned with archives to offer advice and comment on the commission's recommendations.

  Minerals
  Sir Trevor Skeet
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the effect of the Town and Country Planning (Development Plan) Regulations 1991/2794 upon the ability of the mineral industry to supply the construction industry with the materials it needs.

  Mr. Yeo
  The statutory duty for all mineral planning authorities to prepare a minerals local plan will provide the mineral industry with an up-to-date planning framework which will assist with the continuing supply of minerals for the construction industry in an environmentally acceptable manner. The regulations set out the detailed requirements for the preparation of minerals and other development plans.

  Sir Trevor Skeet
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what restraints he has placed upon district authorities to prevent them either deferring or overriding county mineral and waste disposal plans; and what mechanism he has provided for reconciling the conflict between county and district authorities on issues of importance to the mineral industry in discharging its role as supplier of aggregates.

  Mr. Yeo
  District local plans and minerals and waste local plans have to be in general conformity with the relevant structure plan. County planning authorities must be consulted on the preparation of district local plans and have the right to object to any policies or proposals of such plans. The Secretary of State has reserve powers to direct modification or to call in, all or part of a plan should that be necessary. The Town and Country Planning (Development Plan) Regulations 1991 provide that in the event of conflict between the provisions of a minerals or waste local plan on the one hand and a district local plan on the other, the provisions of the more recently adopted or approved plan prevail.

  UN Conference on Environment and Development
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what response he has made to the proposals by the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection Committee of the European Parliament on European Communities' participation in the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Brazil in June; and what plans he has to work more closely with the European Parliament on environmental matters.
  137
  Mr. Baldry
  The European Parliament's Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection Committee last year presented an interesting report on the Community's participation in the UN Conference on Environment and Development. This report, sent to the Commission and member states, will be taken into account in the Community's preparations for UNCED. On future relations with the European Parliament, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 30 January at column 641.

  Standard Spending Assessments
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 30 January,Official Report, column 642, if he will publish tables based on the same criteria for the 1992–93 standard spending assessments which were laid before the House on 24 January.

  Mr. Portillo
  A table containing the information requested has been placed in the Library.

  Water Treatment
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement concerning his consultations with the chairman of the National Rivers Authority regarding the implementation within the United Kingdom of the 1985 European Community municipal waste water treatment directive.

  Mr. Baldry
  The European Community's proposed municipal waste water treatment directive was adopted in May 1991 as the urban waste water treatment directive. The department has set up an advisory group to assist in the task of implementing the directive in the United Kingdom. The National Rivers Authority is represented on this group.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he proposes to issue guidance on the definition of sensitive waters for the purposes of the implementation in the United Kingdom of the 1985 European Community municipal waste water treatment directive.

  Mr. Baldry
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 13 January 1992 at column 432.

  Fuel and Power Industry Processes
  Mr. Couchman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the remainder of the process guidance notes for the fuel and power industry processes prescribed under part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 will be available; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  I am pleased to report that we have issued the chief inspector's guidance to inspectors for 16 processes in the fuel and power industry. These notes have been drawn up following completion of research reviews; and relevant industries and other bodies have been given the opportunity to put forward their comments. The notes will provide a sound framework within which inspectors can assess applications for the authorisation of new processes and existing processes. They represent a further stage in the introduction of integrated pollution control.
  138
  A set of the notes has been placed in the Library of the House.

  The preparation of guidance notes for the remaining processes to come under control is well advanced. Further notes will be published in the next few months.

  Preston Farm, Stockton on Tees
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions his Department has had with the Teesside development corporation about Preston farm, Stockton on Tees.

  Mr. Portillo
  My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence Procurement announced today that the defence quality assurance laboratories will not be relocating to Preston farm. This leaves the way open for a series of new developments on the site. The Teesside development corporation will be announcing the first of these today, a £7 million investment by Livera Foods plc. The new factory is expected to create up to 700 new jobs. In addition, it is expected that a further 100 jobs will be created by the company's suppliers, and the construction contracts for the new factory will employ about 80 people.

  The development corporation has received a number of other inquiries about the possibility of development on the Preston farm site and hopes to be in the position to make further announcements shortly.

  Renovation Grant
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many applications for renovation grant were successful in each year since 1979(a) in England, (b) in Yorkshire and Humberside and (c) in each local authority in the Yorkshire and Humberside region.

  Mr. Yeo
  [holding answer 3 February 1992]: Information about grants paid to private owners and tenants by local authorities are shown in the publication "Local Housing Statistics: England and Wales". The relevant issue numbers are as follows:

  Year

  Issue number(s)

  1979

  53–55, 57

  1980

  57, 58, 61

  1981

  65

  1982

  right">69

  1983

  73

  1984

  77

  1985

  81

  1986

  85

  1987

  89

  1988

  93

  1989

  97

  Copies are in the Library.

  Regional and national totals for 1979 and 1980 did not appear in this publication and for England are 65,359 grants paid in 1979 and 74,465 in 1980. The corresponding figures for Yorkshire and Humberside are 7,900 and 9,478 respectively.

  The latest figures for 1990 and the first nine months of 1991 are as follows:
  139

  Grants paid to private owners and tenants under

  (a) Housing Act 1985

  (b) Local Government and Housing Act 1989

  1990

  first nine months 1991

  1990

  first nine months 1991

  England

  89,094

  22,703

  7,523

  43,244

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  13,901

  3,327

  583

  5,164

  Barnsley

  644

  19

  48

  364

  Doncaster

  245

  38

  1

  169

  Rotherham

  1,538

  177

  44

  645

  Sheffield

  1,232

  300

  33

  571

  Bradford

  (3)451

  85

  (3)—

  155

  Calderdale

  1,042

  204

  15

  280

  Kirklees

  (3)699

  829

  (3)—

  89

  Leeds

  (3)750

  209

  (3)25

  503

  Wakefield

  (2)367

  374

  (2)5

  200

  Beverley

  (3)35

  23

  (3)11

  82

  Booth ferry

  92

  36

  53

  92

  Cleethorpes

  191

  50

  120

  188

  East Yorkshire

  1—

  28

  1—

  44

  Glanford

  157

  50

  23

  99

  Great Grimsby

  324

  58

  11

  234

  Holderness

  39

  9

  —

  20

  Kingston upon Hull

  1—

  1—

  1—

  1—

  Scunthorpe

  (1)48

  1—

  (1)12

  1—

  Craven

  (1)15

  1—

  (1)—

  1—

  Hambleton

  42

  11

  —

  7

  Harrogate

  100

  37

  21

  96

  Richmondshire

  103

  6

  5

  31

  Ryedale

  51

  (2)15

  8

  (2)30

  Scarborough

  128

  (2)41

  1

  (2)18

  Selby

  145

  36

  6

  66

  York

  165

  16

  19

  132

  1 No returns received.

  Notes: Figures in brackets give number of quarters for which information has been returned if not complete.

  Management Agreements
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list the number of management agreements under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 which have been entered into in(a) national nature reserves and (b) sites of special scientific interest for each year since 1981 in England; and whether the proposed damage in each case was due to (i) agriculture or (ii) forestry; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will list the number of management agreements that have been entered into in England under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 where payments have been given in the following ranges (a) up to £9,999, (b) £10,000 to £19,999, (c) £20,000 to £29,000, (d) £30,000 to £39,999, (e) £40,000 to £49,999, (f) £50,000 to £59,999 and (g) over £60,000;

  (3) if he will list (a) the ten sites of special scientific interest and (b) the ten national nature reserves in England which have the most expensive management agreements giving the name of the site, county in which it is located and the amount which has been or is due to be paid out; if the landowners are required to positively enhance the site as part of the conditions of payments; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  [holding answer 3 February 1992]: Few management agreements under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 have been negotiated on national nature reserves, as these are mainly already under
  140
  sympathetic management and the payments are negligible compared with payments on the agreements on sites of special scientific interest which follow.

  Management agreements entered into in England under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 on sites of special scientific interest still active total 1,098.

  Of these at least 61 arose from proposed damage arising from forestry. A further 1,037 arose from other proposed damage, mainly from agriculture.

  The approximate number of agreements entered into or renewed each year and which are still active are as follows.

  FY

  Number of threat cases

  Number due to forestry

  Number due to agriculture

  1982–83

  4

  2

  2

  1983–84

  8

  3

  5

  1984–85

  16

  1

  15

  1985–86

  25

  2

  23

  1986–87

  49

  5

  44

  1987–88

  57

  2

  55

  1988–89

  63

  3

  60

  1989–90

  247

  15

  232

  1990–91

  257

  14

  243

  1991–92

  372

  14

  358

  Total

  1,098

  61

  1,037

  Agreements which have expired and those renewed at present are not included.

  Payments have been made as follows under the 1,098 management agreements entered into England under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This covers currently existing agreements but not those that have expired.

  141

  1,098 agreements

  £'s

  Number of cases with capital costs

  Number of cases with annual payments

  Less than 9,999

  139

  946

  10,000—19,999

  18

  20

  20,000—29,999

  3

  8

  30,000—39,999

  5

  8

  40,000—49,999

  3

  2

  50,000—59,999

  0

  0

  Greater than 60,000

  5

  3

  Total

  173

  987

  A few have both capital payment (lump sum) and an annual payment.

  Details of management agreement payments are confidential between English Nature and the owner or occupier of land, and cannot therefore be provided.

  Development Plans
  Sir Neil Macfarlane
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the organisations and local authorities he has met to discuss the provisions of the Town and Country Planning (Development Plans) Regulations 1991; what cost assessment has been made for local authorities and the industry; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir George Young
  [holding answer 3 February 1992]: Proposals for the regulations were issued for consultation, together with a draft of planning policy guidance on the new development plans system. About 1,000 copies were sent out, and some 170 responses were received. A list of responses has been placed in the Library. Ministers have not met any local authorities or other organisations to discuss the provisions of the regulations.

  We do not expect the new regulations to have any significant extra cost implications for local authorities or other organisations, because they largely rationalise and standardise the arrangements for development plans contained in existing regulations on structure plans, local plans and unitary development plans.

  Empty Council Homes
  Mr. Arbuthnot
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the 20 local authorities which have the highest proportion of empty council homes.

  Mr. Mans
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the 20 local authorities which have the largest number of empty council homes.

  Mr. Yeo
  Local authorities reporting the highest percentage of their stock empty in their housing investment programme returns for April 1991 were: Liverpool, Manchester, Salford, Burnley, Brent, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Knowsley, Newcastle upon Tyne, Wolverhampton, Easington, Southwark, Newham, Carlisle, Oldham, Sheffield, North Tyneside, Sunderland, Stockton-on-Tees and Rother. Other authorities have higher numbers of empty houses and flats than some in this list but when account is taken of the size of stock their percentage vacancy rates are lower.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Wages Board
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to(a) modify or (b) abolish the agricultural wages board.

  Mr. Curry
  None.

  Calves
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many calves have been exported from the United Kingdom in each year from 1987 until the present.

  Mr. Maclean
  The numbers of calves exported from the United Kingdom in each year from 1987 as shown by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise overseas trade statistics are:

  Numbers

  1987

  373,205

  1988

  248,788

  1989

  319,301

  1990

  345,800

  19911

  364,637

  1 To end of November.

  Veal Crates
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent representations he has made to European Community institutions seeking the abolition of the veal crate.

  Mr. Maclean
  In negotiations leading to the recently adopted directive on the welfare of calves, the United Kingdom pressed most strongly for a European ban on veal crates. However, this was unacceptable to some member states and the directive, adopted by majority vote, does not impose a ban. The United Kingdom was the only member state to vote against the proposal.

  Hydatidosis
  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the estimated annual financial loss to the farming and food industries attributable to hydatidosis.

  Mr. Maclean
  Returns received from a sample of slaughterhouses indicate that approximately 2 per cent. of cattle and 0·2 per cent. of sheep slaughtered in 1990–91 were affected with hydatidosis. However, this information is far from comprehensive and would not allow an estimate to be made of annual financial losses to the food and farming industries attributable to this condition.

  ESAs
  Mr. Jopling
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will give estimates of the numbers of farmers eligible for the environmentally sensitive area scheme in the Pennine dales, including those announced in his 15 January statement, giving the numbers for each of the 18 eligible dales;

  (2) if he will give estimates of the numbers of farmers eligible to benefit from the environmentally sensitive areas

  143
  schemes already in existence as well as those eligible in his recent announcements, giving the numbers in each individual area.

  Mr. Curry
  It is not possible to determine accurately the numbers of farmers eligible to enter the ESA schemes because the boundaries of the schemes do not coincide with parish boundaries in respect of which such data might be obtained from the agricultural census. There are currently 3,105 agreements in the 10 English ESAs, of which 303 are in the Pennine dales ESA. With the enlargement of some of the existing ESAs and the designation of 12 new ones, the number of agreements is expected to increase considerably but it is not possible to make an overall estimate until completion of the review of those environmentally sensitive areas designated in 1988 and determination of the boundaries for the 12 new areas to be introduced this year and in 1993.

  Sea Trout
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what quantities of sea trout were imported in 1991; and what tariffs were applied to non-EC imports.

  Mr. Curry
  Information on sea trout cannot be distinguished from import figures for all trout. For 1991, figures for trout are available from Her Majesty's Customs and Excise up to the end of August, when 660 tonnes had been imported from EC partners and 108 tonnes from third countries. For the period September to December 1990, the comparable figures were 654 tonnes and 138 tonnes.

  The general import duty rate applicable is 12 per cent. except for smoked trout for which the figure is 14 per cent.

  Regional Health Authority

  General Dental Services (GDS)

  Hospital Dental Service (HDS)

  Community Dental Service (CDS)

  Northern

  869

  149

  109

  Yorkshire

  1,094

  120

  111

  Trent

  1,218

  167

  115

  East Anglia

  605

  70

  61

  North West Thames

  1,512

  96

  144

  North East Thames

  1,226

  207

  111

  South East Thames

  1,341

  285

  118

  South West Thames

  1,240

  118

  107

  Wessex

  949

  113

  124

  Oxford

  826

  66

  80

  South Western

  1,209

  161

  92

  West Midlands

  1,395

  218

  182

  Mersey

  764

  100

  87

  North Western

  1,232

  160

  156

  Total

  15,480

  2,030

  1,597

  Note: There may be some duplication in the numbers of dentists practising, as dentists can practise concurrently in the GDS, HDS and CDS.

  The numbers of new or returning entrants in each of the last three years are for 1988, 1,409; for 1989, 1,453 and for 1990, 1,581.

  Growth Hormone Therapy
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total expenditure on general practitioner prescribed hormone therapy in each national health

  Falkland Islands
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what studies his Department has made or plans to make regarding the possible effects of exposure to ultraviolet light on fisheries in the waters around the Falkland Islands; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, has responsibility for such matters in relation to the Falkland Islands.

HEALTH

  Prescriptions
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is(a) the total value of prescriptions which have been dispensed in each family health services authority area, and in NHS regions in the last five years (b) the average cost of each prescription and (c) the cost of prescriptions dispensed per head of population for the same areas and periods.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The information requested has been placed in the Library.

  Dentists
  Dr. Hampson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists are registered and how many are practising in each health authority; and how many new or returning entrants there have been in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Dorrell
  At the end of 1990 there were 26,320 dentists registered in the United Kingdom with the General Dental Council. The numbers of dentists practising in each regional health authority (RHA) in England at 30 September 1990 are shown in the table:

  service region in 1990; and if he will express that sum as a figure of expenditure per head of children under 16 years of age in each national health service region.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The information relating to growth hormone therapy is set out in the table.
  145

  Expenditure on Growth Hormone Therapy in 1990—England1

  Regional Health Authority

  Net ingredient cost (NIC)2 (£000)

  Cost Per child under 16 (pence)

  Northern

  96·1

  15·6

  Yorkshire

  854·1

  114·3

  Trent

  432·2

  46·2

  East Anglia

  31·2

  7·5

  North West Thames

  1,837·7

  261·0

  North East Thames

  777·5

  101·5

  South East Thames

  520·0

  72·9

  South West Thames

  162·0

  28·7

  Wessex

  718·1

  125·9

  Oxford

  963·9

  177·8

  South Western

  944·9

  151·9

  West Midlands

  178·0

  16·6

  Mersey

  382·8

  77·3

  North Western

  1,238·8

  148·7

  England

  9,137·3

  95·2

  1 The data are estimates based on a sample of 1 in 200 prescriptions dispensed by chemists.

  2 The Net ingredient cost is the basic cost of drugs before discount and does not include the dispensing costs or fees.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were the total sums expended on general practitioners prescribed growth hormone therapy in each year since 1985.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The information requested is set out in the table.

  Total Net Ingredient Cost1on Growth Hormone Therapy—England 1986 to 19902

  Year

  NIC (£000)

  1986

  1,190·2

  1987

  2,229·0

  1988

  4,622·8

  1989

  8,875·0

  1990

  9,137·3

  1The Net Ingredient Cost is the basic cost of drugs before discount and does not include the dispensing costs or fees.

  2The data relate to calendar years and are estimates based on a sample of 1 in 200 prescriptions dispensed by chemists. No prescriptions were dispensed in 1985 for growth hormone therapy.

  Fresh Fruit (Cariogenicity)
  Mr. Couchman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 16 December 1991,Official Report, column 54, if he will give references to the epidemiological evidence that suggests that fresh fruit appears to be low in cariogenicity.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The Committee on the Medical Aspects of Food Policy (COMA) Report, "Dietary Sugars and Human Disease" (1989) shows reference to Rugg-Gunn A. J. "Starchy foods and fresh fruit: their relevant importance as a source of dental caries in Britain, London: Health Education Council, 1986 (occasional paper; No. 3)" as included in its consideration of the cariogenicity of fresh fruit as eaten by humans.

  Macfarlane Trust
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what payments have been made, and on what dates, to the Macfarlane Trust to help those infected with HIV; and what proposals he has to keep this fund topped up to meet future needs.
  146
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  A payment of £10 million was made to the Macfarlane Trust on 16 March 1988. Payments have been made to the trust annually in respect of its administrative costs. The Government have made it clear that the amounts available to the trust would be kept under review.

  Employment (Learning Difficulties)
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received from the Welsh initiative for specialised employment on the effect of residential costs on the livelihood of people with learning difficulties; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  None.

  District Nurses
  Mr. Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by health authority the number of full-time equivalent district nursing posts and the number of potentially elderly domiciliary clients, as defined by the Department of the Environment under section 80 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988, for 1976, 1981, 1986 and 1991.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  This information is not available.

  Transport Pollution
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will provide details of current Department sponsored research(a) as to the links between transport pollution and health and (b) the reported growth in incidents of asthma in children.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The Department is not currently supporting any such research.

  Homeopathic Medicines
  Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average cost of an item of homeopathic medicine on the national health service and the corresponding figure for its conventional counterpart.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Information is not available in the form requested.

  Acute Patients
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the average number of days patients in acute wards spent in hospital in each year from 1987 to the present in(a) Yorkshire health authority and (b) Scunthorpe district health authority.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The information available centrally is given in the table.

  Mean duration of stay in days of ordinary admissions to acute sector beds in NHS hospitals

  Year

  Yorkshire region

  Scunthorpe district

  1987–88

  6·3

  4·7

  1988–89

  5·8

  4·4

  1989–90

  5·0

  4·3

  Mentally Disordered (Press Coverage)
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date he received a copy of the Matthew trust report on the Press Complaints Commission and BBC regarding media coverage of the mentally disordered and distressed; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  We received a copy of the report on 15 January 1992. The specific issues which the report raises about the Press Complaints Commission's code of practice and the editorial policy of the BBC are primarily a matter for those bodies.

  We have asked the chairman of the Special Hospitals Service Authority to investigate the complaints in the report alleging breach of confidentiality and to take any necessary action.

  Southern Derbyshire Health Authority
  Mr. Oppenheim
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give figures for the real-terms change in spending by the Southern Derbyshire health authority since 1982.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The annual accounts of the Southern Derbyshire health authority record total revenue expenditure of £74·9 million (cash) for 1982–83 and £132·9 million (cash) for 1990–91. This represents an increase in real terms of some 14·1 per cent. measured at 1991–92 prices. Over this period in-patient and day cases activity on a comparable basis has increased by 31 per cent.

  Fluoride
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what procedures exist to ensure that water fluoridation is introduced only where there is clear public support for such a measure.

  Mr. Dorrell
  It is for district health authorities to make decisions to apply to water undertakers to increase the fluoride content in the drinking water supplied by them. Section 89 of the Water Industry Act 1991 lays down procedures to be followed by district health authorities. The procedures include wide publication of proposals and consulting each of the local authorities whose areas are involved.

SCOTLAND

  Primary School Testing
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the cost of Scottish Education Department officials attending public meetings in Scotland in support of national testing.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  About £160.

  Construction Projects
  Mr. Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those construction projects undertaken by the Scottish Office in conjunction with the private sector since 1979, and subject to a local planning inquiry, which involved the formal conclusion of a joint commercial contract in advance of the construction of the local planning inquiry; and if he will make a statement.
  148
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 27 January 1992]: No joint commercial contracts for the execution of Scottish Office construction projects subject to public local inquiry have been entered into since 1979 except in the case of proposals for the Skye bridge. This is the first project to be advanced using procedures in the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 (the relevant sections of which came into force on 21 October 1991) that envisage the signing of a contract in advance of any public local inquiry that may be held. However, execution is still conditional on the outcome of the inquiry.

  School Crossing Patrols
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what criteria are recommended by his Department for use by regional and islands councils when deciding to establish school crossing patrols;

  (2) if he will publish the number of existing school crossing patrols per 1,000 head of school population for each relevant local authority in Scotland;

  (3) what guidance is given to local authorities about steps to be taken when school crossing patrols are withdrawn.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 3 February 1992]: Section 26 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 enables regional and islands councils in Scotland to provide school crossing patrols. Guidance on the establishment of school crossing patrols is contained in technical memorandum SH7/87 issued to regional and islands councils by the Scottish Office in December 1987 after consultation with local authorities and the police. The guidance does not specifically deal with the withdrawal of particular crossing patrols.

  Information about the number of school crossing patrols per head of school population is not held centrally.

  Nursery Care
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide an estimate of the money spent by the education authorities in Scotland in 1990–91 and 1991–92 on providing education and nursery care for three and four-year-olds.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 3 February 1992]: The latest available figures for net revenue expenditure by local authorities in Scotland on nursery education and day nurseries are:

  £ million

  1989–90

  1990–91

  Nursery Education

  39·7

  45·2

  Day Nurseries

  11·8

  113·5

  1 provisional

  Expenditure on provision for three and four-year-olds specifically is not available.

  Planning Inquiries
  Mr. Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the average length of time involved between the conclusion of a local public inquiry into a planning matter and(a) the submission to him of the reporter's recommendations and (b) his public response to the reporter's recommendations; and if he will make a statement.
  149
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 3 February 1992]: The length of time varies, but it usually takes about three weeks of reporting time for each week of inquiry. If parties request the right to comment on part I of the report, that consultation process can add four weeks to the time taken to submit the completed report to my right hon. Friend.

  During the year to 31 March 1991, the average time which elapsed between submission of the report to my right hon. Friend and the issue of his decision was 14 weeks. In the current year the average time taken to decision is 10 weeks.

DEFENCE

  Kirkcudbright Range
  Mr. Foulkes
  : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received concerning irregularities at the Kirkcudbright range.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  : None—other than those from the hon. Member.

  Procurement
  Mr. Pawsey
  : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the amount of procurement orders placed with United Kingdom companies by his Department over the last two years.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  In the financial year 1989–90 we placed some 122,000 contracts, valued at £5·9 billion; and for 1990–91, about 90,000 valued at £6·3 billion.

  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with industrialists in the defence sector regarding the release of information on his long-term procurement plans.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I regularly meet defence industrialists to dicuss a wide range of issues. Subject to necessary constraints of security and confidentiality, we would always wish companies to be briefed as fully as possible on future requirements in which they may have an interest.

  AWE Aldermaston
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on safety at the atomic weapons establishment Aldermaston.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  We place the highest priority on safety at Aldermaston. The establishment has an excellent safety record and the highest standards will continue to apply.

  "Options for Change"
  Mr. Robert Hicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what will be the impact of proposals and decisions arising from "Options for Change" on defence establishments and defence-related enterprises within the Plymouth travel-to-work area; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has made it clear that we will continue to base Royal naval ships at Devonport. As part of our 150
  policy of matching training and support to the smaller front line, weapons processing will end at al naval armaments depot, Ernesettle and RAF Mou atten will close. The effect on defence-related enterprises has to be a matter for the management of the companies concerned.

  Helicopter Maintenance
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence is he can give details of the inquiry into tri-service third-line helicopter maintenance facilities; and if he will make a statement on the impact the report has concerning the future of the royal naval aircraft workshops, Almondbank, Perthshire.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The inquiry was a wide ranging efficiency scrutiny of helicopter repair work. I cannot say what implications the report might have for staff at RNAW Almondbank until its recommendations have been properly considered. But I can assure my hon. Friend that I fully recognise the skill and loyalty of the Almondbank work force.

  RAF Fylingdales
  Mr. John Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will pay an official visit to RAF Fylingdales.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend currently has no plans to do so, but I visited Fylingdales last March.

  "Options for Change"
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a further statement on the progress of the "Options for Change" programme in relation to the Army.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The measures affecting the Army are being brought into effect in a phased manner over the next few years in accordance with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence's announcement of 23 July 1991.

  Confidence-building Measures
  Sir Patrick Duffy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he next expects to meet Marshal Yevgeny Shaposhnikov, Defence Minister of the Commonwealth of Independent States to discuss confidence-building measures.

  Mr. Tom King
  I met Marshal Shaposhnikov on 30 January when he accompanied President Yeltsin on a visit to London. We discussed a wide range of subjects of mutual interest, including ways in which the United Kingdom might provide assistance in the fields of nuclear weapons disposal and defence management.

  Nuclear Deterrent
  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to ensure the effectiveness of Her Majesty's Government's nuclear deterrent.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The Government are proceeding with plans to replace Polaris with Trident and intends in
  151
  due course to update Britain's sub-strategic nuclear capability. Taken together, these measures will ensure that our independent nuclear deterrent remains credible and effective well into the next century.

  Submarines
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met representatives of the fishing industry to discuss submarine activities.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  On behalf of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence I met fishing industry representatives to discuss submarine issues in June 1991. In addition I discussed the same issues with an all-party group of MPs in November 1991.

  Nuclear Weapons
  Mr. David Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the change in the level of the threat to the United Kingdom posed by nuclear weapons in the former Soviet republics since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

  Mr. Tom King
  The threat of nuclear confrontation in Europe has greatly reduced: but it will take many years to reduce the huge nuclear arsenal of the former Soviet Union, and the Commonwealth of Independent States faces an uncertain future and there are risks of nuclear proliferation elsewhere. The Government will therefore maintain an effective, minimum deterrent.

  Small Arms Firing Ranges
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has any plans to publish the guidelines for the construction of small arms firing ranges.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  There are no plans to publish any such guidelines. Broad technical advice on range safety (including range construction) is however provided to civilian shooting clubs through the National Rifle Association and the National Small-Bore Rifle Association.

  Household Division
  Mr. John Browne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received regarding his proposed cuts in the public duties of the Household Division.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I have received a number of representations regarding the execution of public duties by the Household Division all of which have been noted.

  Queen Victoria School, Dunblane
  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what support his Department gives to the Queen Victoria school, Dunblane, for the education of the sons of people serving in the armed forces.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The Queen Victoria school, Dunblane is funded almost entirely from Ministry of Defence votes.

  HMS Endurance
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the disposal of the ship's bell belonging to HMS Endurance.
  152
  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The bell from HMS Endurance is at present held at HM naval base Portsmouth. Applications for the bell have been received from a number of interested parties but no firm decision has yet been made about its future.

  Training Land
  Mr. Burt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what review is presently taking place of the need to retain all current training land in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  As the planned restructuring of our Armed Forces will mainly result in a reduction in the number of units based in Germany, the need for training land in the United Kingdom is unlikely to diminish. Indeed, it could marginally increase. A number of studies are in progress aimed at setting out our future training requirements including frequency, priority, duration and space and at matching these requirements with our available training facilities. The precise impact of these studies on existing training areas and ranges is not yet clear.

  Iraq (Military Equipment)
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what analysis his Department has made of the effectiveness of the military equipment available to Iraq during the Gulf war.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The equipment of the Iraqi armed forces included a wide range of systems of varying age, origin and effectiveness. Examination of recovered equipment in collaboration with the allies is still in progress.

  Iraq (UN Inspection)
  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a further statement on the findings of the United Nations team investigating production facilities and stockpiles of mass destruction weapons in Iraq.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The findings of the United Nations special commission and the International Atomic Energy Agency investigating Iraq's compliance with United Nations Security Council resolution 687 were last circulated in United Nations document S/23268 of 4 December 1991, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

  The United Nations special commission is still far from satisfied that Iraq has provided all the information required by SCR 687. A report reflecting the Secretary-General's latest assessments of Iraqi compliance will shortly be circulated as a United Nations document; a copy will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Quality Assurance Laboratory Services
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has completed his studies into the future of his Department's quality assurance laboratory services.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  My Department announced on 6 August 1991 that "Options for Change" reductions had made it necessary to review the plan announced in 1989, to relocate the Ministry of Defence's quality assurance staff
  153
  at the Preston farm site on Teesside. A study was set in hand to compare the costs and benefits of that course with the alternative option of merging the quality assurance laboratory services with those of the Defence Research Agency on sites operated by the latter.

  The study has now been completed. The impact of reductions in the defence programme for the 1990s is such that the most economical and operationally effective way ahead for the quality assurance technical support division is for it to be dispersed and consolidated into the Defence Research Agency, which will have considerable spare capacity on its existing sites. This will result in capital savings of more than £40 million and running costs savings rising to £9 million a year.

  The Ministry of Defence has therefore been able to release the site at Preston farm which will be available, through the Teesside development corporation, for commercial development. My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment is today making an announcement about future developments on the site.

  Hunting
  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which organisations and individuals he has consulted in the past 18 months regarding nature conservation on Ministry of Defence land where licences are issued to allow foxhunting and deerhunting.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The Ministry of Defence consults the local MOD conservation group where hunting licences cover an area with a nature conservation interest and it is designated as a site of special scientific interest. These groups consist of individuals and organisations representing the specific conservation interests of a particular site.
  154
  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 21 January,Official Report, column 185, when the fees payable by fox hunts for licences to hunt on Ministry of Defence land were last increased.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The hunting licences where fees are payable were last increased in 1988.

  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 21 January,Official Report, column 186, if he will publish the regulations or codes of good conduct attached to or relating to licences issued to hunt on Ministry of Defence land.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Hunts are expected to abide by the respective codes of conduct of the recognised hunting organisations. It is not possible to give details of the regulations applying to each licence as each one is different depending on the establishment concerned and its usage.

  Trident
  Sir Eldon Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what effect the United States decision to cancel production of W88 warheads for multiple-warhead nuclear missiles will have on the Royal Navy's Trident programme; whether W76 warheads of the type that are now to be used in United States Navy strategic submarines are compatible with and available for use in British SSBN boats; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The United Kingdom's Trident system will use warheads which have been designed, and are being manufactured, in the United Kingdom. The United States decision will not, therefore, affect the United Kingdom Trident programme.
  155
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will now review the requirement for Trident following the cancellation of the Trident warhead production programme in the United States.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  No. Trident is essential if the United Kingdom is to maintain an effective and credible nuclear deterrent into the next century.

  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will now make it his practice to release information on(a) the Trident programme and (b) the date on which he will order the SSN 20; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence made a statement on the Trident programme earlier today. On the SSN20 order, I have nothing to add to the answer I gave the hon. Gentleman on 29 November 1991 at column 684.

  Defence Budget
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has plans to make any further savings in the defence budget; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The Government's future intentions for defence expenditure are set out in the 1991 Autumn Statement and provide funding for the new force structure described in the Statement on the Defence Estimates, 1991 (Cm 1559). There are no plans to change these forecasts.

  Iraq
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his United States counterpart regarding the export of equipment to Iraq by the firm Terex.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  None.

  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the ability of the Iraqi Government to convert civil equipment into Scud missile launchers.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Scud launcher production is subject to United Nations monitoring under Security Council resolution 687, which calls for both the elimination of launchers themselves and of the associated production capability. Although Iraq assembled fixed and mobile launchers for its longer range Scud missiles before the Gulf conflict, it would face some difficulty in converting civil equipment to this purpose. Such equipment would need to be of correct specification which may not be readily available in Iraq and which would be hard to obtain under the current United Nations economic sanctions.

  Coal and other solid fuels

  Crude oil

  Petroleum products

  Natural gas

  Electricity

  Total

  £ million

  £ million

  £ million

  £ million

  £ million

  £ million

  Imports (f.o.b.)

  n/a

  3,698

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  7,064

  Exports (f.o.b.)

  98

  4,440

  2,630

  —

  —

  7,168

  Net exports (f.o.b.)

  n/a

  742

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  104

  156
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the military significance of equipment exported to Iraq by the firm Terex; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  My Department has noted recent allegations in the press and is looking into the matter together with the Department of Trade and Industry. But I am not at present aware of any exports of military equipment to Iraq by Terex.

  Operation Granby
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes to his policy of chartering merchant vessels have been made as a result of Operation Granby.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Pending the outcome of current work within the Department, no changes have been made.

  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the MoD police fraud squad is investigating the alleged fraud in the chartering of merchant vessels to support Operation Granby.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Yes.

  Ministerial Speeches
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department keeps centralised records of all speeches and media interviews given by departmental Ministers speaking in areas of departmental responsibility.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  No.

ENERGY

  Fuel Exports
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will provide a breakdown of the figures underlying the figures for net exports of fuel in 1991 given in his press notice of 27 January; and if he will indicate how imported electricity from France is treated in the calculation.

  Mr. Wakeham
  [holding answer 3 February 1992]: The convention used in the balance of payments, when comparing imports and exports, is to record figures on an "f.o.b. basis" (i.e. free on board). The figures used in the Department's press notice of 27 January are consistent with the balance of payments figures published by the Central Statistical Office on the same day. Figures on electricity imports are included and were obtained from Customs and Excise data in the same way as those for other fuels. Figures for 1991 are as follows:
  157
  n/a Figures on an f.o.b. basis are not available separately for fuel categories other than oil.

  — Less than £0·5 million.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Council Tax
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if there are any plans under the council tax benefit scheme to alter the position of the groups currently exempt from deductions for non-dependents; and if he will make a statement.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The proposed system of nondependent deductions in council tax benefit will follow broadly the rules which apply in housing benefit. However, exemption from deductions will be extended to include non-dependents on income support, or those who would otherwise give rise to a discount.

  Disability Working Allowance
  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the estimated number of disability working allowance claimants in 1992–93 who will be liable to pay income tax.

  Mr. Scott
  Disability working allowance is a new tax-free benefit to be introduced from April this year. It is not possible to estimate the number of disability working allowance recipients who will be liable to pay income tax on other income in 1992–93.

  Mr. McMaster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the estimated administrative cost of disability working allowance for 1992–93.

  Mr. Scott
  The administration of disability working allowance is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.

  State Benefits (South Yorkshire)
  Mr. Patchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many south Yorkshire families were dependent on state benefits in 1979, 1990 and the latest available date in 1991.

  Miss Widdecombe
  I understand from Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency that the information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  European Year of Elderly People
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans his Department is making for the European year of elderly people and solidarity between the generations in 1993.

  Mr. Jack
  My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health, has lead responsibility in this area, and I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, on 3 February.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many housing benefit applications were determined by each local authority in Northamptonshire in each year since 1980–81.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The available information is as follows:

  Number of Housing Benefit Claims Received

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  Corby

  4,714

  10,652

  13,293

  Daventry

  2,607

  3,639

  8,246

  East Northampton

  7,882

  11,138

  7,309

  Kettering

  10,131

  9,722

  8,509

  Northampton

  5,558

  n.a.

  10,208

  South Northants

  n.a.

  n.a.

  2,793

  Wellingborough

  n.a.

  n.a.

  10,725

  Notes:

  (i) n.a.= information not available.

  (ii) Data is not available for years prior to 1988–89.

  (iii) Unsuccessful applications are included in these figures.

  (iv) Information on the determination of applications is not collected.

  (v) Source: Housing Benefit Management Information System.

  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many housing benefit review boards heard cases in each of the years 1989, 1990, and 1991, respectively; how many were decided in the claimants' favour and how many claimants were represented.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Information for calender years is not available, however, the housing benefit and community charge benefit management information system suggests that, in 1989–90, approximately 3,000 requests for a further review by a review board were reported, of which, about 700 resulted in a revised determination.

  In 1990–91, approximately 3,000 such requests were reported, of which, about 500 resulted in a revised determination.

  Data as to the number of review boards decided in the claimants' favour and claimant representation are not available.

  Mobility and Attendance Allowance
  Sir John Hannam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what were the numbers of(a) initial claims and (b) renewal claims for mobility allowance and attendance allowance in 1991; how many were (i) refused and (ii) refused but later awarded on review.

  Mr. Scott
  In 1991, there were 231,000 initial and 45,000 renewal claims for mobility allowance. 120,000 claims were unsuccessful. 11,000 awards were made following a review.

  There were 539,000 initial and subsequent claims to attendance allowances. 108,000 claims were unsuccessful. Complete information is not available about renewal claims to attendance allowance, although of some 45,000 processed by regionally located disability benefit centres, the majority resulted in an award. Information is not available about the success rate, on review, of unsuccessful initial and renewal claims.
  159
  Notes:

  1. Claims for both mobility allowance and attendance allowance which were received in 1991 were not necessarily processed in that year.

  2. Generally a renewal claim is one which is made on an existing limited period award to extend that award, but a subsequent claim is one made following disallowance of an earlier claim or sometime after a previous award has lapsed.

  Sir John Hannam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the reasons for refusing attendance allowance during the 12 months to December 1991 where(a) an initial claim was refused and (b) an existing claim was withdrawn; and how many claimants were affected in each category.

  Mr. Scott
  Such information as is available is in the tables.

  Initial claim refused

  Number

  Medical criteria not satisfied

  107,678

  Constant attendance allowance total overlap

  10

  Residence and presence tests not satisfied

  77

  107,765

  Existing claim withdrawn (by claimant or third party)

  Number

  Deceased

  8,561

  Other reasons1

  5,832

  14,393

  1 A detailed breakdown of this figure is not available.

  Pensions
  Mr. Janman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be(a) the extra cost of increasing the state pension to £110 per week for a single person arid £220 per week for a couple expressed as (i) total national cost and (ii) per contributor and (b) the corresponding reduction in the cost of housing benefit payments and income support payments if the pension figures in (a) were introduced.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The extra cost to the national insurance fund of increasing the basic state retirement pension to £110 per week and £220 for a married couple in 1991–92 would be £30·4 billion. The corresponding reduction in the combined cost of income support, housing benefit and community charge benefit would be £3·1 billion

  The combined extra weekly cost of this change in national insurance contributions for a man on average earnings and his employer would be £39·50 per week.

  Cold Weather Payments
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the areas where the cold weather payments have so far been paid in 1992; and also the number of areas where such payments have not been paid.

  Mr. Scott
  Such information as is available is in the Library.

  National Insurance Numbers
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what action is required to establish that an applicant for a national insurance number is properly resident in the United Kingdom and is so entitled; and if he will make a statement on the enforcement of these conditions.

  Mr. Jack
  On receipt of an application for a national insurance number we require acceptable and verifiable evidence of identification. This could include a birth certificate, a passport or a Home Office immigration form. The Home Office is informed in any case where a passport indicates that there is a restriction on taking up employment in the United Kingdom or where there is a limit on length of stay which has expired, or is about to expire.

  Questions on residence are matters for my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for the Home Department.

  Pension Schemes
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the estimated total amount payable to personal pension schemes from the national insurance fund in respect of the year 1991–92; and what increase in the basic retirement pension could be given at the same cost.

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 24 January 1992]: By December 1991, 4·6 million people had taken out personal pensions as an alternative to remaining in SERPS. The Government Actuary estimates that the amount of revenue foregone by the national insurance fund in respect of 1991–92 will be £2,740 million made up of £2,055 million in respect of the contracted out rebate, similar to that available to contracted-out occupational pension schemes, and £685 million in respect of the additional 2 per cent. incentive.

  This gross cost does not take into account the numbers of people who would join a contracted out occupational pension scheme if appropriate personal pensions were not available, nor does it take into account the future reduced burden of the national insurance fund brought about by people being in receipt of a personal pension rather than SERPS.

  The gross sum referred to above would not, therefore, be available to fund increases in the basic retirement pension.

  PROFESSOR MAATHAI
  PROFESSOR MAATHAI
  FIJI: CONDITIONS FOR RE-ENTRY TO COMMONWEALTH
  FIJI: CONDITIONS FOR RE-ENTRY TO COMMONWEALTH
  PALAU
  PALAU
  NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY: RIGHTS OF SIGNATORIES
  NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY: RIGHTS OF SIGNATORIES
  REMAND IN CUSTODY: TIME LIMIT
  REMAND IN CUSTODY: TIME LIMIT
  STUDENTS: FINANCIAL SUPPORT DURING LONG VACATION
  STUDENTS: FINANCIAL SUPPORT DURING LONG VACATION
  HOUSING BENEFIT REVIEW SYSTEM: PROPOSALS FOR CHANGE
  HOUSING BENEFIT REVIEW SYSTEM: PROPOSALS FOR CHANGE
  INDEPENDENT TRIBUNAL SERVICE: APPEALS HEARD
  INDEPENDENT TRIBUNAL SERVICE: APPEALS HEARD
  INDEPENDENT TRIBUNAL SERVICE: INCOME SUPPORT APPEALS
  INDEPENDENT TRIBUNAL SERVICE: INCOME SUPPORT APPEALS