Written Answers of 7 February 1992

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Staffordshire Education
  Mr. Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what was the pupil-teacher ratio in Staffordshire(a) in all schools and (b) in secondary schools in each year since 1979;

  (2) what was the pupil-teacher ratio in each shire county in England in the most recent year for which figures are available (a) in primary schools and (b) in secondary schools.

  Mr. Eggar
  The pupil-teacher ratios for the categories requested are shown in the following tables.

  Pupil-teacher ratios in Staffordshire local education authority 1979 to 19911

  Maintained secondary schools1

  All maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools1

  1991

  15·8

  17·7

  1990

  15·7

  18·0

  1989

  15·9

  18·0

  1988

  16·3

  18·0

  1987

  16·4

  18·0

  1986

  16·5

  18·3

  1985

  16·1

  17·9

  1984

  16·3

  17·8

  1983

  16·4

  18·0

  1982

  16·5

  18·7

  1981

  16·4

  17·7

  1980

  16·5

  18·5

  1979

  16·7

  19·2

  Pupil-teacher ratios in non-metropolitan counties, in England, as at January 1991

  Maintained primary schools1

  Maintained secondary schools1

  Isles of Scilly

  15·1

  8·0

  Avon

  22·4

  16·0

  Bedfordshire

  21·6

  16·8

  Berkshire

  23·4

  15·6

  Buckinghamshire

  22·9

  16·0

  Cambridgeshire

  23·0

  16·1

  Cheshire

  24·2

  16·4

  Cleveland

  23·4

  14·9

  Cornwall

  23·3

  16·3

  Cumbria

  22·2

  15·0

  Derbyshire

  21·7

  14·1

  Devon

  22·7

  16·1

  Dorset

  22·9

  16·4

  Durham

  22·3

  16·1

  East Sussex

  22·2

  15·8

  Essex

  23·1

  16·6

  Gloucestershire

  21·3

  15·7

  Hampshire

  22·8

  15·8

  Hereford and Worcester

  22·4

  16·5

  Hertfordshire

  22·0

  15·4

  Humberside

  22·6

  15·7

  298

  Maintained primary schools1

  Maintained secondary schools1

  Isle of Wight

  22·8

  16·9

  Kent

  24·3

  16·6

  Lancashire

  23·1

  15·7

  Leicestershire

  22·9

  15·0

  Lincolnshire

  23·5

  16·2

  Norfolk

  22·1

  15·3

  North Yorkshire

  22·4

  15·3

  Northamptonshire

  22·6

  16·3

  Northumberland

  23·5

  16·7

  Nottinghamshire

  22·0

  14·9

  Oxfordshire

  22·6

  16·6

  Shropshire

  21·4

  15·0

  Somerset

  22·1

  15·7

  Staffordshire

  23·1

  15·8

  Suffolk

  21·6

  16·4

  Surrey

  21·3

  15·1

  Warwickshire

  21·7

  15·5

  West Sussex

  22·1

  16·2

  Wiltshire

  21·9

  15·5

  1 The pupil-teacher ratios presented for individual types of school take account only of qualified teachers within schools, whereas the calculation of the overall PTRs take account of all teachers employed by LEAs and grant-maintained schools.

  Mr. Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much was spent per pupil in Staffordshire in each year since 1979(a) in primary schools and (b) in secondary schools at 1992 prices.

  Mr. Eggar
  Spending per pupil in primary schools and in secondary schools in Staffordshire is shown in the table. The table shows actual spending from 1979–80 to 1989––90, the latest year for which the information is available, at 1991–92 prices.

  Net institutional expenditure1 per pupil at 1991–92 prices2

  Year

  Primary (£)

  Secondary (£)

  1979–80

  1,000

  1,400

  1980–81

  1,085

  1,470

  1981–82

  1,145

  1,510

  1982–83

  1,170

  1,505

  1983–84

  1,215

  1,565

  1984–85

  1,175

  1,555

  1985–86

  1,175

  1,625

  1986–87

  1,230

  1,755

  1987–88

  31,310

  1,895

  1988–89

  31,300

  1,990

  41989–90

  31,340

  2,080

  1 Net institutional expenditure covers the direct costs in schools of salaries and wages, premises and certain supplies and services. It does not include the costs of school meals, home to school transport, LEA central administration, and financing costs of capital expenditure.

  2Figures for earlier years have been repriced to 1991–92 prices using the GDP (market prices) deflator index.

  3/ Spending on nursery and primary schools was not collected separately for years after 1986–87, so per pupil figures for these years cover both nursery and primary schools.

  4 The figures in the tables are derived from local education authorities' returns of their spending to the Department of the Environment and of their pupil numbers to the Department of Education and Science.

  Mr. Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many pupils attended schools in Staffordshire in each year since 1979; and how many of these attended secondary schools and how many attended primary schools.
  299
  Mr. Eggar
  Information on the number of full-time equivalent pupils, who attended maintained schools in Staffordshire local education authority, for each year since 1979 is given, by type of school, in the following table.

  Full-time equivalent of pupils in maintained schools in Staffordshire local education authority 1979 to 1991

  Nursery

  Primary

  Secondary

  Special

  Total

  1991

  1,500

  88,400

  67,200

  2,100

  159,200

  1990

  1,400

  87,000

  67,400

  2,000

  157,800

  1989

  1,500

  84,300

  69,400

  2,000

  157,200

  1988

  1,400

  80,800

  75,000

  2,100

  159,300

  1987

  1,400

  79,200

  79,800

  2,200

  162,600

  1986

  1,400

  79,100

  83,800

  2,200

  166,500

  1985

  1,400

  78,200

  88,600

  2,300

  170,500

  1984

  1,400

  80,300

  91,600

  2,400

  175,700

  1983

  1,400

  84,600

  89,900

  2,400

  178,300

  1982

  1,400

  89,300

  90,500

  2,400

  183,600

  1981

  1,400

  94,700

  90,800

  2,500

  189,400

  1980

  1,400

  100,100

  88,600

  2,500

  192,600

  1979

  1,400

  104,800

  86,700

  2,500

  195,400

  Mr. Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much was spent on school education in Staffordshire in each year since 1979 at constant prices.

  Mr. Eggar
  Net recurrent spending on nursery, primary and secondary school education in Staffordshire is shown in the table. The figures are shown at 1989–90 prices, the latest year for which actual spending information is available.

  Year

  Net recurrent expenditure (£ million)

  1979–80

  201·3

  1980–81

  211·1

  1981–82

  216·8

  1982–83

  212·8

  1983–84

  215·5

  1984–85

  209·5

  1985–86

  206·6

  1986–87

  214·0

  1987–88

  221·3

  1988–89

  221·2

  1989–90

  229·6

  Notes:

  1. Net recurrent expenditure on education includes total expenditure other than costs of financing capital expenditure, less income other than from specific grants.

  2. Figures for earlier years have been repriced to 1989–90 prices using the GDP (market prices) deflator index.

  3. The figures in the tables are derived from local education authorities' returns of their spending to the Department of the Environment.

  Education Expenditure
  Mr. Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much was spent per pupil in each shire county in England in the most recent year for which figures are available(a)in primary schools and (b) in secondary schools.

  Mr. Eggar
  In 1989–90, the latest year for which figures on actual spending are available, spending per pupil in nursery and primary schools and in secondary schools for each shire county in England was as follows:
  300

  Net institutional expenditure1 per pupil

  County

  Nursery and primary schools (£)

  Secondary schools (£)

  Avon

  1,195

  1,800

  Bedfordshire

  1,240

  1,815

  Berkshire

  1,105

  1,735

  Buckinghamshire

  1,170

  1,850

  Cambridgeshire

  1,115

  1,640

  Cheshire

  1,050

  1,715

  Cleveland

  1,150

  1,915

  Cornwall

  1,095

  1,690

  Cumbria

  1,265

  1,845

  Derbyshire

  1,230

  1,975

  Devon

  1,095

  1,705

  Dorset

  1,120

  1,635

  Durham

  1,225

  1,735

  East Sussex

  1,125

  1,765

  Essex

  1,150

  1,800

  Gloucestershire

  1,140

  1,735

  Hampshire

  1,125

  1,790

  Hereford and Worcester

  1,145

  1,635

  Hertfordshire

  1,245

  1,900

  Humberside

  1,265

  1,760

  Isle of Wight

  1,125

  1,575

  Kent

  1,030

  1,565

  Lancashire

  1,090

  1,810

  Leicestershire

  1,180

  1,900

  Lincolnshire

  1,110

  1,630

  Norfolk

  1,160

  1,810

  North Yorkshire

  1,095

  1,760

  Northamptonshire

  1,095

  1,685

  Northumberland

  1,175

  1,645

  Nottinghamshire

  1,255

  1,955

  Oxfordshire

  1,205

  1,810

  Shropshire

  1,160

  1,855

  Somerset

  1,145

  1,745

  Staffordshire

  1,155

  1,790

  Suffolk

  1,120

  1,820

  Surrey

  1,140

  1,675

  Warwickshire

  1,140

  1,770

  West Sussex

  1,145

  1,745

  Wiltshire

  1,125

  1,700

  Notes:

  1. Net institutional expenditure covers the direct costs in schools of salaries and wages, premises and certain supplies and services. It does not include the costs of school meals, home to school transport, LEA central administration, and financing costs of capital expenditure.

  2. The figures in the tables are derived from local education authorities' returns of their spending to the Department of the Environment and of their pupil numbers to the Department of Education and Science.

  3. Spending on Nursery and primary schools is not collected separately.

  Ko Hsuan School, Chawleigh
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he last received a report on the standards of education at the Ko Hsuan school in Chawleigh, North Devon.

  Mr. Eggar
  Her Majesty's inspectors last visited the school in March 1990 in order to inspect, in particular, the boarding accommodation and the occupation and supervision of pupils after normal school hours. Before that, the school was visited in September 1988 when all aspects of its provision, including education, were inspected in order to advise the Department about final registration, which followed in April 1989.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  EC (Surplus Produce)
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the current levels of surplus produce in store within the EC in connection with the operational activities of the common agricultural policy; and if he will provide separate figures for each commodity and separate figures for each year since 1988.

  Mr. Curry
  Tables showing current levels of surplus produce in store within the EC have been deposited in the Library of the House at monthly intervals throughout the period in question.

  Meat (Drug Residues)
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on how many occasions during 1990 and 1991 illegal drug residues were identified in meat or animals destined for human consumption at(a) slaughterhouses, (b) retail outlets, (c) farms and (d) other locations; and what number of such incidents resulted in successful prosecutions.

  Mr. Maclean
  The number of cases of illegal drug residues detected in Great Britain by the Ministry was as follows:

  1990

  1991

  On farm

  1

  4

  At slaughterhouses

  22

  —

  At retail outlets

  n/a

  n/a

  Other locations

  —

  —

  n/a = Not available.

  In all positive cases identified at Great Britain slaughterhouses, follow up visits to the farms of origin are made by members of the state veterinary service. Whenever firm evidence is obtained, action is then pursued through the courts. One successful prosecution was taken in 1991 which resulted in a fine of £2,400 plus £5,234 costs.

  Foodstuffs (Destruction)
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has about the amount of each foodstuff and fruits which were destroyed in the United Kingdom and the EC respectively in connection with the operational activities of the common agricultural policy in the most recent annual period for which figures are available.

  Mr. Curry
  The relevant information in respect of the EC relates to the 1988–89 season and is as follows:

  Drigg3

  Sellafield14

  Year

  Albright and Wilson1

  Glaxochem2

  Total Alpha

  Total Beta

  Total Alpha

  Total Beta

  1980

  22

  17·9

  2·3

  27

  39·00

  4,306·0

  1981

  14

  127·0

  2·2

  38

  30·00

  3,800·0

  1982

  22

  118·0

  3·1

  44

  28·00

  3,528·0

  1983

  40

  31·9

  3·2

  46

  14·00

  2,489·0

  1984

  43

  37·0

  3·1

  56

  14·00

  1,190·0

  1985

  44

  109·0

  2·8

  58

  6·00

  587·0

  1986

  38

  256·0

  4·3

  73

  4·40

  118·0

  1987

  44

  160·0

  <3·0

  82

  2·20

  89·2

  1988

  64

  151·0

  <2·0

  92

  2·10

  81·3

  302

  Product

  Quantity (tonnes)

  Clementines

  2,376

  Satsumas

  —

  Nectarines

  8,671

  Oranges

  988

  Mandarins

  —

  Apples

  183,183

  Table grapes

  —

  Pears

  2,022

  Lemons

  —

  Apricots

  305

  Peaches

  32,663

  Aubergines

  123

  Tomatoes

  8,130

  Cauliflowers

  38,831

  The most recent figures for the United Kingdom relate to the calendar year 1991 and are as follows:

  Product

  Quantity (tonnes)

  Apples

  2,725

  Pears

  73

  Cauliflowers

  4,699

  Hong Kong (Ministerial Visit)
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he took part in party-political activities in addition to official duties on his visit to Hong Kong in October 1991.

  Mr. Curry
  I have been asked to reply.

  My right hon. Friend does from time to time meet fellow Conservatives in the margins of public duties. He also often meets opposition leaders of all political persuasions both in the United Kingdom and abroad.

ENVIRONMENT

  Radioactive Waste
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the level of radioactive discharge from Glaxochem of Ulverston, British Nuclear Fuels Drigg site, Albright and Wilson and British Nuclear Fuels Sellafield to the sea along the coast of Cumbria, separately, in each year since 1980.

  Mr. Baldry
  The information requested is as listed:
  303

  Drigg3

  Sellafield14

  Year

  Albright and Wilson1

  Glaxochem2

  Total Alpha

  Total Beta

  Total Alpha

  Total Beta

  1989

  52

  214·0

  <1·0

  58

  2·70

  101·0

  1990

  49

  76·0

  4·0

  34

  2·16

  70·9

  1Uranium in tonnes.

  2Magabecquerels.

  3Mean activity, Becquerels per litre.

  4Terabecquerels.

  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to hold a Planning Inquiry Commission to consider any proposals from UK Nirex for a deep repository for intermediate and low level radioactive waste.

  Sir George Young
  No. I am satisfied that a normal planning inquiry could deal satisfactorily with any planning application that Nirex may make.

  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the current proposals by UK Nirex for the development of an underground repository for intermediate and low level radioactive waste; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  None. UK Nirex Ltd. is currently consulting widely on its extensive revision of the design for a deep disposal facility for low and intermediate level radioactive waste.

  Landfill Sites (Durham)
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the number of landfill sites in County Durham at present used for dumping colliery waste; and when the dumping of colliery waste into the sea will cease.

  Mr. Baldry
  Information concerning the number of landfill sites used for dumping colliery waste is not held centrally.

  Disposal on the beaches and at sea is licensed by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985. On 14 June 1990, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food announced that the dumping of colliery waste on to beaches in the north-east of England should stop as soon as practicable. No application would be approved to permit the dumping of minestone on to beaches beyond December 1995, or offshore into the sea beyond December 1997, unless use of the planning system has shown that no practical land-based methods of disposal were available. This timetable allows for alternatives to be identified, necessary planning permissions to be sought and a chosen method to be identified.

  The pipeline discharge of liquid tailings is carried out under consents given by the National Rivers Authority (NRA) under the Control of Pollution Act 1974. The NRA has also told British Coal that it expects early progress to be made on the identification of alternative disposal methods.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if people exempt from paying the community charge in the category "severely mentally impaired" will have to reapply for this status under the council tax.
  304
  Mr. Key
  People who are severely mentally impaired will be eligible for discounts under the council tax. Local authorities will be required to take reasonable steps to ascertain whether discounts apply. Where such a person has been exempt from the personal community charge, a local authority should not need any further evidence that he is severely mentally impaired.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to bring forward regulations defining the conditions necessary to qualify as severely mentally impaired under the Local Government Finance Bill.

  Mr. Key
  The local authority associations are currently being consulted about draft regulations. Copies of the draft were placed in the Library pursuant to a question on 31 January(column 642). Regulations will be laid before Parliament as soon as possible after the Bill receives Royal Assent.

  Traveller's Sites
  Mr. Onslow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will review the provisions of the Caravan Sites Act 1968 so far as they apply to the obligation placed on local authorities to provide sites for gipsies and other travellers.

  Sir George Young
  I know that the operation of the provisions for gipsies in the Caravan Sites Act 1968 gives rise to some difficulties, and the Government have the matter under review.

  Gipsies
  Mr. Onslow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information is available to his Department about the composition and numbers of gipsy communities in England and Wales.

  Sir George Young
  The Department asks local authorities to carry out a twice yearly count of gipsy caravans in their area on two specific days, in January and July each year. The statistics provided to the Department by local authorities in July 1991 showed a total of 12,316 caravans in England. The Welsh Office has responsibility for gipsies in Wales.

  I am arranging for a copy of the July 1991 count to be placed in the Library of the House.

  Housing Associations (Empty Properties)
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many housing association properties were empty on the last date for which figures are available; and for how long.
  305
  Mr. Yeo
  Information collected by the Housing Corporation shows that in March 1991, 16,400 housing association properties in England were empty (2·7 per cent. of the total stock).

  The breakdown by duration of vacancy is as follows:

  thousands

  Vacant and available for letting

  Vacant and not available for letting1

  All vacant

  Less than six months

  6·7

  3·5

  10·2

  Six months—one year

  0·4

  1·8

  2·2

  Over one year

  0·2

  3·8

  4·0

  Total

  7·3

  9·1

  16·4

  1 Many of these are dwellings which have been purchased and require rehabilitation before they are suitable for occupation.

  Compulsory Competitive Tendering
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will establish an inquiry into the alleged breaches of competition rules by private contractors with regard to compulsory competitive tendering in local authority sports and leisure management; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  If the hon. Member wishes to provide details of the allegations to which he refers, then my right hon. Friend will consider whether action is appropriate.

  Local Government Legislation
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a list of all legislation introduced since October 1988 relating directly to local government.

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 20 January 1992]: I attach a list of Public General Acts which have received Royal Assent since October 1988, and which relate directly to local government. Part I lists those Acts for which my Department has been responsible; part II lists those Acts for which other Departments have been responsible; and part III lists consolidation legislation (both DOE and other Government Departments).

  Public General Acts which have received Royal Assent since October 1988 and which relate directly to local government

  Part I: DOE Acts

  Caravans (Standard Community Charge and Rating) Act 1991

  Community Charges (General Reduction) Act 1991

  Community Charges (Substitute Setting) Act 1991

  Environmental Protection Act 1990

  Housing Act 1988

  Local Government Finance and Valuation Act 1991

  Local Government and Housing Act 1989

  Planning and Compensation Act 1991

  Rate Support Grants Act 1988

  Water Act 1989

  Part II: Other Government Departments' Acts

  Dangerous Dogs Act 1989

  Dangerous Dogs Act 1991

  Food Safety Act 1990

  National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990

  New Roads and Street Works Act 1991

  Road Traffic Act 1988

  Road Traffic Act 1991

  Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988

  School Teachers Pay and Conditions No. 2 Act

  306
  Part IIIF: Consolidation Acts

  Children Act 1989

  Deer Act 1991

  Land Drainage Act 1991

  Planning (Consequential Provisions) Act 1990

  Planning (Hazardous Substances) Act 1990

  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990

  Town and Country Planning Act 1990

  Water Consolidation (Consequential Provisions) Act 1991

  "Competing for Quality"
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many responses he has received to his consultation paper "Competing for Quality"; what proportion of responses were broadly against the proposals contained in the consultation document; if he will place those responses in the Library; and when the Government will publish their final proposals.

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 6 February 1992]: To date my Department has received some 470 responses to the consultation paper "Competing for Quality—Competition in the Provision of Local Services". We have started to analyse those responses. We have indicated that we may wish to place in the Libraries of Parliament copies of all responses whose authors have not asked that they be treated as confidential. We shall publish our final proposals in due course.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Company Annual Reports
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has plans to extend the requirement to report on employee involvement in company annual reports so as to include a report on employee involvement in any merger decisions.

  Mr. Redwood
  No. The existing provisions in schedule 7 of the Companies Act 1985 that companies with more than 250 employees should include a statement in their directors' report on their arrangements for informing and consulting employees on matters of concern to them in effect already cover this point.

  Cigarette Advertising (Toys)
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what controls the Government have over the sale of children's toys which carry cigarette brand logos.

  Mr. Leigh
  My Department has no controls over the sale of toys carrying cigarette brand logos. The use of cigarette brand logos on toys is a moral issue rather than a safety one and is not covered by the Toys (Safety) Regulations.

  However, I understand that tobacco companies have not given permission for the use of their logos on toys.

  Consumers can make it clear to suppliers of toys that they will not buy toys which bear cigarette brand logos.

  Briefings
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the date of each briefing his Department has afforded to hon. Members prior to visits to the former Soviet Union since 1979.
  307
  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answer 6 February 1992]: Detailed records for the whole period since 1979 are not available.

  Package Travel
  Sir Anthony Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to consult interested parties on the draft regulations to implement the European Community package travel directive.

  Mr. Leigh
  Following the consultation period we initiated in July 1991, my Department has today issued for consultation draft regulations covering articles 1 to 6 of the directive. These lay down minimum standards for the way that consumers of packages are to be treated by the travel organiser and travel agent. In particular, the legislation:sets out the information to be included in brochures, and other information which must be supplied to the consumer before the start of the holiday;
  defines the circumstances in which changes may or may not be made to the particulars in the brochure;
  lays down the matters which must be included in the contract;
  regulates the circumstances in which surcharges can be made and provides that no price increases may be made within 30 days before departure;
  places the liability for the package on the other party to the contract with the consumer (usually the organiser).

  These requirements will be backed up by a combination of new criminal offences and civil liabilities.

  The circumstances under which surcharges are allowed have been brought into line with the voluntary code of practice operated by members of the Association of British Travel Agents. This has been done under the provision in the directive which allows us to adopt more stringent provisions to protect the consumer.

  I expect to consult shortly on our proposals for implementing article 7 of the directive which requires organisers and/or retailers to show evidence of security for the refund of money paid over and for the repatriation of the consumer in the event of insolvency.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Uninsured Drivers
  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were prosecuted for driving a vehicle whilst uninsured for the last three available years.

  Mr. John Patten
  The following table shows the number of court proceedings for the offence of using a motor vehicle uninsured against third party risks.

  Proceedings for the offence of using motor vehicle uninsured against thrid party risks in England and Wales 1988–1990

  Year

  Number of offences

  1988

  294,966

  1989

  304,432

  11990

  317,797

  1 Provisional

  The number of people involved is likely to be less because some may have been proceeded against for more than one of these offences.

  Jeremiah Miller
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received and if he will refer to the Court of Appeal for review of the sentence against Jeremiah Miller, presently a prisoner at Garth prison; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  I have received and considered representations on the case from the hon. Member for Liverpool, Mossley Hill and from one other hon. Member. In the absence of anything new that appears to touch the safety of the conviction, there are not on present information grounds to justify intervention. I am always ready to consider any alleged new evidence.

  Bail Offenders
  Mr. Onslow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what studies his Department has undertaken of re-offending on bail.

  Mr. John Patten
  I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer I gave to a question from the hon. Member for Newark (Mr. Alexander) on 6 February at column 247.

  Criminal Injuries Compensation Board
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the claim of Mr. and Mrs. D. N. Eastwood, who used to live at 33 Buxton road, Rock Ferry, Birkenhead, was first registered with the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board; when he expects the board to come to a conclusion on the claim; and what is the average length of time the board now takes to settle claims.

  Mr. John Patten
  The administration of the criminal injuries compensation scheme and the determination of individual applications is entirely a matter for the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board. I am accordingly asking the board to reply directly to the hon. Member about this case.

  The board does not produce statistics on the average time taken to settle claims. But percentages of cases resolved within certain periods of registration are given in the board's annual report, copies of which are in the Library.

  Mr. Abdul Rauf
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his Department received a telex from the high commission in Islamabad inquiring about the outcome of an appeal by Mr. Abdul Rauf (Ref. IMM/V/24399/89; TH 19383/89) against refusal to grant him a visa to visit the United Kingdom; what reply has been sent; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  A telex from the high commission in Islamabad about the outcome of Mr. Abdul Rauf's appeal was received on 12 December 1991. The Immigration and Nationality Department replied by telex on 19 December 1991 confirming that the appeal had been allowed, that the adjudicator had issued no directions, and that a further copy of the determination would be sent. A copy had been despatched to the high commission on 15 October 1990 but does not appear to have reached its destination. I very much regret that as a result the issue of Mr. Rauf's visa was delayed.

  Asylum
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Turkish nationals have(a) sought asylum in the United Kingdom and (b) been granted asylum in each year since 1980.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Information is given in the following table.

  Information on applications in 1991 is available only for principal applicants excluding dependants, while for 1980–84 it is available only including dependants. Figures are therefore shown on both bases, where available, for comparison.

  Applications1 by Turkish nationals for refugee status or asylum in the United Kingdom and numbers granted1 1980–91

  Applications

  Granted refugee status or asylum

  Excluding dependants

  Including associated dependants2

  Excluding dependants

  Including associated dependants2

  1980

  . .

  21

  . .

  1

  1981

  . .

  1

  . .

  1

  1982

  . .

  38

  . .

  6

  1983

  . .

  43

  . .

  18

  1984

  . .

  61

  . .

  46

  1985

  27

  34

  10

  12

  1986

  86

  1ll

  9

  13

  1987

  121

  210

  3

  5

  1988

  337

  705

  5

  5

  31989

  2,380

  4,500

  205

  390

  31990

  1,100

  1,455

  235

  530

  31990

  2,100

  . .

  4—

  4—

  1Grants in a particular year do not necessarily relate to applications made in that year.

  2 Including dependants applying with the principal applicant and those to date, arriving subsequently but before the principal application was decided.

  3 Figures rounded to nearest 5.

  . . Not available.

  4 Not yet available.

  Police Cells (Lay Visitors)
  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what allowances or payments in compensation for loss of earnings are available to lay visitors to prisoners held in police cells.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Home Office guidance to police authorities is that travelling expenses will be payable to lay visitors on the same basis as to members of authorities when travelling on authority business.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Mortgage Interest Tax Relief
  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the expenditure on mortgage interest tax relief for the calendar year 1991.

  Mr. Maude
  Tax relief is calculated for the fiscal year. Provisional estimates of the cost of mortgage interest tax relief for 1990–91 and 1991–92 are £7·7 billion, and £6·1 billion respectively.

  Higher-rate Taxpayers
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many higher-rate taxpayers in 1992–93 he estimates will be using the married couple's allowance; and what 310
  proportion of higher-rate taxpayers this represents, assuming statutory indexation for 1992–93 limits and allowances.

  Mr. Maude
  It is estimated that 1·1 million higher rate taxpayers—70 per cent. of the total—would be entitled to the married couple's allowance in 1992–93, assuming statutory indexation.

  Profit-related Pay
  Mr. Ian Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many employees participated in live registered profit-related pay schemes in the last period for which figures are available; how many schemes are in operation; and what is the estimated total value of those schemes.

  Mr. Maude
  [holding answer 6 February 1992]: There were 581,000 participating employees in 2,049 live registered profit-related pay schemes at the end of December 1991. On the basis of the latest information provided by participating employers, the total annual value of the distributable PRP pool for these schemes is tentatively estimated at about £400 million.

PRIME MINISTER

  Special Advisers
  Mr. Harris
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish the names of all persons who have served as special advisers to Ministers, by Department(a) from June 1987 to November 1990 and (b) since November 1990; and if he will indicate where possible the individual's prior profession or employment.

  The Prime Minister
  Information on the names of special advisers, including part-timers, and their Departments is as follows. Information on prior employment or profession is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Special advisers serving from June 1987 to November 1990

  Name

  Department

  K. Adams

  Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

  R. Gueterbock

  Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

  N. R. Blackwell

  Cabinet Office (including No. 10)

  G. D. Bourne

  Cabinet Office (including No. 10)

  Sir P. Craddock

  Cabinet Office (including No. 10)

  A. J. Dunlop

  Cabinet Office (including No. 10) (formerly Defence)

  Miss R. Z. Finlay

  Cabinet Office (Chief Whip's Office)

  Mrs. T. Gaisman

  Cabinet Office (including No. 10)

  Professor B. Griffiths

  Cabinet Office (including No. 10)

  G. R. J. Guise

  Cabinet Office (including No. 10)

  R. D. R. Harris

  Cabinet Office (including No. 10) (formerly Lord President)

  H. Harris-Hughes

  Cabinet Office (including No. 10)

  V. E. Hartley-Booth

  Cabinet Office (including No. 10)

  A. J. O'Sullivan

  Cabinet Office (including No. 10)

  Mrs. A. Ponsonby

  Cabinet Office (including No. 10)

  I. K. Whitehead

  Cabinet Office (including No. 10)

  J. B. Wybrew

  Cabinet Office (including No. 10)

  K. R. Simpson

  Defence

  T. Kerpel

  Education and Science

  Mrs. E. Laing

  Education and Science

  W. M. Lightfoot

  Employment

  J. Derrick

  Energy

  N. D. Martin

  Energy

  G. Black

  Energy

  T. Collins

  Employment (formerly Environment)

  R. Marsh

  Environment

  311

  Name

  Department

  Professor D. Pearce

  Environment

  P. J. Rock

  Environment

  A. D. Fergusson

  Foreign and Commonwealth

  M. Fraser

  Foreign and Commonwealth

  J. Houston

  Foreign and Commonwealth

  D. R. Liddington

  Foreign and Commonwealth (formerly Home Office)

  A. Turner

  Health and Social Security

  J. H. Hill

  Health (formerly Trade and Industry)

  Mrs. T. Keswick

  Health

  Miss M. Libby

  Social Security (formerly Health and Social Security)

  L. Stewart

  Social Security

  E. S. C. Bickham

  Home Office

  J. P. Godfrey

  Home Office

  M. Simmonds

  Home Office (formerly Trade and Industry)

  J. Taylor

  Home Office

  A. Teasdale

  Lord President (formerly Foreign and Commonwealth)

  Dr. E. Cottrell

  Privy Council Office

  G. J. Carter

  Scottish Office

  A. Young

  Scottish Office

  C. Hendry

  Trade and industry (formerly Health and Social Security)

  H. James

  Trade and Industry

  P. Luff

  Trade and Industry

  J. Mayhew

  Trade and Industry

  Mrs. K, Ramsay

  Trade and Industry (formerly Environment)

  Sir J. Sterling

  Trade and Industry

  Miss E. Buchanan

  Transport

  Professor B. J. Hoskins

  Transport

  M. Call

  Treasury

  Mrs. J. Chaplin

  Treasury

  P. J. Cropper

  Treasury

  W. M. Lightfoot

  Treasury (formerly Employment)

  A. G. Tyrie

  Treasury

  R. Richards

  Welsh Office

  Special advisers serving Since November 1990.

  Name

  Department

  K. Adams

  Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

  Sir P. Craddock

  Cabinet Office (including No. 10)

  Mrs. R. Z. Finlay

  Cabinet Office (Chief Whip)

  H. Harris-Hughes

  Cabinet Office (including No. 10)

  J. H. Hill

  Cabinet Office (including No. 10)

  Mrs. S. Hogg

  Cabinet Office (including No. 10)

  A. Rosling

  Cabinet Office (including No. 10)

  N. True

  Cabinet Office (including No. 10)

  Miss B. Wallis

  Cabinet Office (including No. 10)

  Ms. S. Hole

  Cabinet Office (Chief Whip's Office)

  P. Moman

  Cabinet Office (Privy Council Office)

  J. R. M. Gardner

  Defence

  Mrs. T. Keswick

  Education and Science

  D. L. Ruffley

  Education and Science

  T. Collins

  Employment

  I. Wilton

  Employment

  G. Black

  Energy

  T. Burke

  Environment

  Miss A. Broom

  Environment

  Professor P. Hall

  Environment

  Dr. A. Kemp

  Environment

  Sir P. Levene

  Environment

  Professor D. Pearce

  Environment

  Lady Strathnaver

  Environment

  E. Bickham

  Foreign and Commonwealth

  M. Fraser

  Foreign and Commonwealth

  Ms. L. Campey

  Health

  Mrs. K. Ramsay

  Health

  R. J. Marsh

  Health (formerly Environment)

  T. Kerpel

  Home Office

  C. M. Grantham

  Home Office

  J. Caine

  Northern Ireland Office

  Mrs. E. Laing

  Privy Council Office (Lord President)

  Ms. S. McEwen

  Privy Council Office (Lord Privy Seal)

  312

  Name

  Department

  A. Young

  Scottish Office

  I. Stewart

  Social Security

  L. Anisfield

  Trade and Industry

  J. Mayhew

  Trade and Industry

  P. J. E. Miller

  Transport

  Dr. P. W. Robinson

  Treasury

  A. Ross-Goobey

  Treasury

  W. M. Lightfoot

  Treasury

  R. Richards

  Welsh Office

  Eggs
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the respective responsibilities of the Minister of Agriculture and the Secretary of State for Health in ensuring that foreign imports of eggs are free of salmonella infection and satisfy the quality requirements of United Kingdom produced eggs.

  The Prime Minister
  The Secretary of State for Health has lead responsibility for the Imported Food Regulations 1984 which contain measures for the protection of public health in relation to imported food, including eggs. Responsibility for the enforcement of the regulations lies with local authorities and port health authorities. The Minister of Agriculture acted jointly with the Secretary of State for Health in the making of the regulations.

  Members' Correspondence
  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Prime Minister (1) what specific procedures he has laid down for Ministers and Departments for the answering of hon. Members' urgent correspondence;

  (2) what response times have been or will be established for departmental replies to hon. Members' letters under the citizens charter;

  (3) what is the average time taken by Ministers to reply to hon. Members' letters in each Department.

  The Prime Minister
  Following the publication of the efficiency scrutiny of ministerial correspondence in December 1990, the Government have reinforced their efforts to ensure that letters from hon. Members receive proper consideration and replies within a reasonable time. These include extensive use of targets for reply times, monitoring and publication of performance against targets, and more efficient ways of dealing with letters within Departments and agencies. Departments will each publish their performance against targets for replies to ministerial correspondence.

  Data Information Systems
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Prime Minister what data information systems his Office has(a) agreed and (b) been consulted about with a view to taking part in; what are the criteria for inclusion in such systems; whether they will be linked to (i) the police national computer and (ii) other computer systems; what data protection provisions apply to them; and if he will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  The Cabinet Office and 10 Downing street each have data information systems.

  We have not been consulted with a view to taking part in other data information systems, and there are no current or planned links to the police national computer.
  313
  A X400 electronic mail link is planned between the networks, and in due course to other Government Departments.

  The Data Protection Act applies to both systems and appropriate registrations have been made.

EMPLOYMENT

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of(a) men and (b) women under the age of 21 years who were registered as unemployed in the London borough of Wandsworth on 31 January.

  Mr. Jackson
  Unemployment figures by age and duration are available on a quarterly basis and for standard age bands only. In October 1991, the latest available date, there were 500 male and 306 female unemployed claimants aged under 20 years in the London borough of Wandsworth.

  Figures relating to January 1992 will be released on 18 February 1992.

  Small Businesses
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will estimate the total number of firms in Great Britain employing(a) fewer than 20, (b) fewer than 10 and (c) fewer than five employees; if he will list these totals as a percentage of the total number of firms registered in Great Britain; if he will provide similar information For European Community and OECD countries; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  The available information for the United Kingdom is given in the following table. I regret that comparable information for other countries is not available.

  Number of businesses1 by size band United Kingdom; end 1989

  2Employment size band

  Number of businesses thousand

  Share of total businesses per cent.

  1 to 5

  2,621

  87·7

  6 to 10

  181

  6·1

  11 to 19

  92

  3·1

  1includes all businesses, whether registered for VAT or not.

  2Total employment, including self-employed proprietors.

CIVIL SERVICE

  Data Information Systems
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service what data information systems his Department has(a) agreed and (b) been consulted about with a view to taking part in; what are the criteria for inclusion in such systems; whether they will be linked to (i) the police national computer and (ii) other computer systems; what data protection provisions apply to them; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Renton
  The Cabinet Office (Office for the Minister for the Civil Service) has a number of networked data information systems in its buildings in London and Basingstoke.
  314
  We have not been consulted with a view to taking part in other data information systems, and there are no current or planned links to the police national computer.

  An X400 electronic mail link is planned between each major network and to other Government Departments.

  The 1984 Data Protection Act applies to the existing systems and the necessary registrations have been made.

WALES

  Mental Handicap
  Mr. Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the number, for each regional health authority, of in-patient residents in health service facilities for patients with a mental handicap for each year since 1981; and what proportion of the reduction in numbers is due to discharge and what proportion due to death, in each regional health authority.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  The information is not available in the exact form requested. There are no regional health authorities within Wales. The table gives information in respect of NHS hospital facilities in Wales for patients with a mental handicap. Deaths and discharges of patients from such facilities relate either to those patients resident at the end of the previous year or those who were admitted during the year.

  Year

  Resident patients1

  Discharges2 (Per cent.)

  Deaths2(per cent.)

  1981

  2,153

  96·4

  3·6

  1982

  2,103

  96·3

  3·7

  1983

  2,064

  97·5

  2·5

  1984

  1,962

  97·5

  2·5

  1985

  1,883

  97·5

  2·5

  1986

  1,792

  97·5

  2·5

  1987

  1,692

  97·4

  2·6

  1988

  1,582

  97·1

  2·9

  1989

  1,470

  97·0

  3·0

  31990

  1,335

  97·5

  2·5

  1At 31 December, in NHS hospital facilities for patients with a mental handicap.

  2As a percentage of all death and discharges during the year from NHS hospital facilities for patients with a mental handicap.

  3Provisional.

  Ophthalmic Cases
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what representations have been made to the end of 1991 by West Glamorgan health authority for assistance with its waiting list for ophthalmic cases.

  (2) what bids for funding under the waiting list initiative has been made by each health authority to clear waiting lists for ophthalmic operations.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To help with its ophthalmic waiting lists, West Glamorgan health authority made a bid for funds under the 1991–92 waiting times initiative. Out of the £1·3 million available at the all Wales level the authority received a total of £256,000, including £49,000 specifically for ophthalmic lists.

  In addition, between March and December 1991, 85 West Glamorgan residents were referred to the two ophthalmic treatment centres at Bangor and Bridgend, and benefited from the opportunity to receive earlier treatment through this initiative which is unique to Wales.
  315
  West Glamorgan health authority has also received an extra £250,000 towards reducing waiting lists, part of an overall package of £1·8 million which I announced today. This is aimed at further reducing waiting lists throughout Wales.

  West Glamorgan Health Authority
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales for which specialties West Glamorgan health authority has sought Welsh Office funding in each of the last five years and during 1991–92.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  Since April 1991, all health authorities have been funded to secure services for their resident population. Prior to the introduction of the National Health Service reforms, health authorities were funded on an historic basis, reflecting the level of specialties and services which they inherited in 1974 at the time of the National Health Service reorganisation.

  Prior to the de-designation of regional services from 1 April 1991, West Glamorgan was also centrally funded to provide the following regional specialties:

  Renal Dialysis

  Radiotherapy and Oncology

  Burns and Plastic Surgery Service Development

  Since 1 April 1991, central funds have been devolved to user health authorities to contract with providing units for all former regional services on behalf of their resident populations. West Glamorgan health authority continues to be centrally funded for the burns and plastic surgery service development at Morriston hospital.

HEALTH

  Management Executive
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the present work programme of the NHS management executive on the improvement of district purchasing functions; and how their purchasing functions are kept under review.

  Mr. Dorrell
  A range of project-based work is in progress which includes work on creating healthy alliances for joint purchasing between district health authorities, family health services authorities, local authorities and others; developing an intelligence capability; ways of involving local people in purchasing; setting priorities and monitoring and evaluating contract effectiveness. A series of epidemiologically-based needs assessments have also been commissioned and 11 learning networks have been sponsored with over 55 district health authorities purchasing teams participating. The management executive is also working closely with the regional health authorities in the development of regionally specific comprehensive purchaser development programmes for 1992–93.

  Hospital Beds
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the number of acute NHS hospital beds that would become vacant if people who are medically ready to leave hospital, and who have been made a firm offer of a place in a residential/nursing home, and were given a social fund community cost grant to bridge the 316
  financial difference between the residential fees charged by the receiving home and the current levels of DSS residential/nursing home fees.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Information is not available to prepare such an estimate.

  Blood Plasma
  Mr. Bellotti
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 6 November,Official Report, column 180, if he will list the blood and plasma products in addition to source plasma exported from the United Kingdom by the bio products laboratory, or by a broker on behalf of the bio products laboratory, in each of the last two years; and if he will give the number of units of each product exported in total from the United Kingdom.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  This information is commercially confidential.

  Geriatric Care
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many district health authorities have renegotiated contracts for geriatric care outside their authority boundaries; and if he will list them;

  (2) for each district health authority, how many extra-contractual referrals for geriatric cases have been (a) made, (b) funded and (c) not funded since the introduction of the internal market in April 1991.

  Mr. Dorrell
  This information is not available centrally.

  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the effect of the National Health Service internal market on cross-boundary flows for geriatric cases.

  Mr. Dorrell
  We are satisfied that the contractual arrangements introduced by health authorities provide for the great majority of referrals and that, where no contract is in place, there are arrangements for making extra-contractual referrals.

  Health Education Authority
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the budget for the Health Education Authority between 1 April 1990 and 30 September 1991.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The total allocation to the Health Education Authority for 1990–91 was £28,749,000 and for 1991–92 is £31,427,000. There is no specific budget for part of a financial year.

  Health Promotion
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the expenditure by district health authorities on health promotion between 1 April 1990 and 31 September 1991.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Financial returns submitted to the Department by district health authorities in England for the financial year 1990–91 separately identify revenue expenditure on health promotion and education totalling some £71 million—a provisional figure at this stage. Equivalent information is not collected on an in-year basis.
  317
  The expenditure recorded in the annual financial returns relates only to the direct costs of health education and promotion departments and specific campaigns organised by or on behalf of the health authorities. Some direct costs of clinical medical officers, health visitors and other health professionals (for the time they are engaged on specific health education work in the community) are included but the financial returns do not capture all expenditure related to health promotion in its broadest sense. For example, it would be impracticable to identify and cost all health education and promotional advice routinely provided during the course of hospital consultations and treatment.

  Patient Statistics
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were the number of(a) in-patients, (b) day patients and (c) total patients treated in the year 1990–91 on a basis (i) comparable to the published figures for 1989–90 and (ii) comparable to the figures published in the review of the six months April to September 1991.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The information is in the table. Figures published in the Department of Health "Statistical Bulletin" are from the KP70 annual statistical return. Those used in the review of the six months April to September 1991 are from NHSME regional monitoring returns. These two returns are collected through different processes and some groups of patients are included in one but not the others (eg. well babies who appear in the KP70 returns but not the NHSME returns). Discussions are held with regions each year to validate the difference between the two sets of figures.

  ('000s)

  KP70 1990–911

  NHSME Returns 1990–911

  In-patient cases

  5,779

  5,717

  Day cases

  1,236

  1,258

  TOTAL

  7,015

  6,975

  1 Provisional.

  National Census
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements are made for the sale of information obtained through the official national census.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 5 February 1992]: Printed census reports to Parliament are sold at HMSO bookshops. Other statistical information for areas in England and Wales from the census is available on request to the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys. A charge is made to recover the cost of extracting such information from the census data base and presenting it in the form required.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information obtained through the national census is distributed in any form which gives details of postal codes.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 5 February 1992]: Statistics from the 1991 census will be available for postcode sectors (containing about 2,000 households each on average). An enumeration district to postcode directory
  318
  will be available for England and Wales, enabling census users to relate statistics for census enumeration districts to the aggregations of postcode units which most nearly approximate those districts. Census users will also be able to request statistics for areas defined by them as particular aggregations of postcodes. These will be provided only if the areas requested are sufficiently large, and sufficiently different from standard areas, for confidentiality to be safeguarded.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what income is received from the sale of information obtained by the national census for the last five years for which figures are available.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 5 February 1992]: The income received by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys from the sale of census statistics over the five financial years from April 1986 to March 1991 is as follows:

  Financial year

  Income (£ thousand)

  1986–87

  346

  1987–88

  194

  1988–89

  110

  1989–90

  62

  1990–91

  53

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many organisations or companies have directly purchased information collected by the national census in the last 10 years; and what public record is kept of such usage.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 5 February 1992]: In the last 10 years the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys has met approximately 12,000 requests for census statistics from central and local government, health authorities, public corporations and banks, and from insurance, retail and other commercial companies, and the academic sector.

  Records of all sales of specially commissioned statistics are held by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys for public viewing in St. Catherine's house, London and at Titchfield in Hampshire.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Family Spending Power
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the net weekly spending power of a man, wife and two children aged 13 and 16 years, and that of a single parent family with two children aged 13 and 16 years whose income in both cases is(a) £150 per week, (b) £175 per week and (c) £200 per week, on the same basis as shown for the two-parent family in the taxation benefit model tables pages 108-110.

  Mr. Jack
  The information is given in the tables. All assumptions are set out in the published tax/benefit model tables. Each family is assumed to live in council property appropriate to its size and to pay estimated average rent and community charge.

  In recognition of the fact that lone parents have different employment opportunities available to them compared with couples, income tax personal allowances

  319
  and the adult credit within family credit is the same for both family types. In addition a lone parent receives one parent benefit at £5.60 a week.

  It should be noted that the results in the tables remain arbitrary. They cannot reflect, except by chance, the actual circumstances of particular people, and cannot claim to

  Married Couple with Two Children Aged 13 and 16 years

  Tax Threshold =£96·44 Basic Tax Rate = 25 per cent.

  Total Net Income on Income Support = £154·46

  Net Income after Rent and Community Charge on Income Support = £119·03(£ Per Week)

  Gross earning

  Tax

  NI

  Take Home Pay

  Family Credit

  Child Benefit

  Rent

  Rent Rebate

  Community Charge

  Community Charge Benefit

  Total Net Income

  Net Income after Rent and Community Charge

  150·00

  13·39

  9·86

  126·75

  29·30

  16·75

  26·03

  0·00

  9·40

  0·33

  173·13

  137·70

  175·00

  19·64

  12·11

  143·25

  17·75

  16·75

  26·03

  0·00

  9·40

  0·00

  177·75

  142·32

  200·00

  25·89

  14·36

  159·75

  6·20

  16·75

  26·03

  0·00

  9·40

  0·00

  182·70

  147·27

  Single Person with Two Children Aged 13 and 16 years

  Tax Threshold = £96·44 Basic Tax Rate = 25 per cent.

  Total Net Income on Income Support = £132·55

  Net Income after Rent and Community Charge on Income Support =£101·82 (£ Per Week)

  Gross earnings

  Tax

  NI

  Take Home Pay

  Family Credit

  Child Benefit

  Rent

  Rent Rebate

  Community Charge

  Community Charge Benefit

  Total Net Income

  Net Income after Rent and Community Charge

  150·00

  13·39

  9·86

  126·75

  29·30

  22·35

  26·03

  0·00

  4·70

  0·00

  178·40

  147·67

  175·00

  19·64

  12·11

  143·25

  17·75

  22·35

  26·03

  0·00

  4·70

  0·00

  183·35

  152·62

  200·00

  25·89

  14·36

  159·75

  6·20

  22·35

  26·03

  0·00

  4·70

  0·00

  188·30

  157·57

  Claimants (Compensation)
  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will amend his Department's standing instructions in the departmental administrative code that deals with compensation for benefit claimants to include automatic payment to compensate for pain, suffering and loss of amenity.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Customers who suffer actual financial loss or whose benefit has been delayed unduly, as a result of clear and unambiguous official error, may receive ex-gratia payments.

  Departmental Computers
  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how long each computerised system in his Department would take to return to full operation in the event of a disaster.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The Department has carried out a risk assessment for each of its computer systems and has adopted appropriate measures to minimise risks.

  In the more important systems for administering social security benefits, high priority is given to business continuity. Computer capacity has deliberately been distributed round a number of linked computer processing centres and the communications network has been designed with sufficient flexibility and capacity to minimise the disruption caused by serious breakdown from whatever cause, and priorities have been established to reduce as far as possible the impact on the service to the public.
  320
  representative of the population at large. The tables use hypothetical rents, so they do not reflect the full range of housing costs which people can pay.

  My hon. Friend may further wish to note that the tax/benefit model tables show the total net income on income support for each family type and this information has been included in the tables.

  Timescales for recovery vary according to the cause of the disruption and the system involved for example whether it is a single office, a single system or a complete computer centre. Procedures and equipment have been developed to enable records to be reconstructed from archive material and to transfer workloads from operational computers to those used for non-operational work, such as systems for testing new developments and for maintenance.

  These recovery procedures are tested regularly.

  Residential Homes (Fees)
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the additional cost to the DSS budget of providing a social fund community care grant to bridge the financial difference between the residential fees charged by residential nursing homes and the current levels of DSS residential/nursing home fees in circumstances where providing such a grant would allow a patient on NHS acute hospital bed to vacate their hospital bed and accept a place in the receiving residential/nursing home.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The information requested is not available.

  Pensioners
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received concerning the reduction of the state pension of persons spending more than six weeks in hospital.
  321
  Miss Widdecombe
  In the last year we have received just over 200 letters on this subject.

  Management Facilities
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer 3 February,Official Report, column 98, if he will list the current operational documents which are available to hon. Members on (a) FAMIS, (b) interim resource management facilities and (c) the devolved personnel management system.

  Miss Widdecombe
  It is not normal practice or policy for internal operational documents to be lodged in the Library or the Public Information Office.

  Cold Weather Payments
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 4 February,Official Report, column 160, if he will make it his policy to continue to list in the Official Report, in answer to parliamentary questions, areas where cold weather payments have been made.

  Mr. Scott
  It remains our firm policy that where information is routinely available in the Library it need not be repeated in the Official Report.

  Income-related Benefits
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 3 February,Official Report, column 92, if he will estimate the offsetting savings on expenditure on income-related benefits, in each case.

  Mr. Jack
  Based on the latest available information, the estimates are in the table:

  Gross cost £ million

  Offsetting savings £ million

  Eldest child

  355

  95

  Other children

  285

  85

  Total

  640

  1180

  1In calculating the net cost of £450 million given in the previous reply, allowance was also made for a further saving of £10 million from making the normal adjustments to child dependency increases payable with certain national insurance benefits.

  National Insurance
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table showing the percentage of salary paid in national insurance contributions by persons earning annual salaries of £5,000, £15,000, £20,000, £50,000, £100,000 and £200,000 in(a) 1979 and (b)

  Mr. Jack
  The information requested is in the table:

  Annual salary

  NI contributions paid by employees as a percentage of salary

  £

  1979–80 Per cent.1

  1991–922 Per cent.2

  5,000

  6·5

  5·2

  15,000

  3·0

  7·7

  20,000

  2·3

  8·1

  322

  Annual salary

  NI contributions paid by employees as a percentage of salary

  £

  1979–801Per cent.

  1991–922Per cent.

  50,000

  0·9

  3·3

  100,000

  0·5

  1·6

  200,000

  0·2

  0·8

  Note:

  1Upper earnings limit at 1979–80 level of £7,020 per annum.

  2 Upper earnings limit at today's level of £20,280 per annum.

  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will set out the(a) marginal and (b) cumulative reduction in revenue for successive reductions by steps of £10 per week of the upper earnings limit for employees' national insurance contributions from its current level, and corresponding figures for increasing the lower earnings limit by steps of £10 per week.

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 23 January 1992]: The information requested is in the tables.

  (a) Upper earnings limit £

  Marginal cost1£ million

  Cumulative cost1£ million

  2390

  —

  —

  380

  -100

  -100

  370

  -150

  -250

  360

  -150

  -400

  350

  -150

  -550

  340

  -150

  -700

  330

  -200

  -900

  320

  -200

  -1,100

  310

  -200

  -1,300

  300

  -250

  -1,550

  290

  -250

  -1,800

  280

  -250

  -2,050

  270

  -250

  -2,300

  260

  -300

  -2,600

  250

  -300

  -2,900

  240

  -350

  -3,250

  230

  -350

  -3,600

  220

  -400

  -4,000

  210

  -400

  -4,400

  200

  -450

  -4,850

  190

  -450

  -5,300

  180

  -500

  -5,800

  170

  -500

  -6,300

  160

  -550

  -6,850

  150

  -550

  -7,400

  140

  -600

  -8,000

  130

  -600

  -8,600

  120

  -650

  -9,250

  110

  -650

  -9,900

  100

  -650

  -10,550

  90

  -700

  -11,250

  80

  -700

  -11,950

  70

  -700

  -12,650

  60

  -750

  -13,400

  1Employees' contributions only; assumes an unchanged basis for employers' contributions.

  2 Current limit.

  (b) Lower

  £ millions

  earnings limit £

  1Marginal cost

  1Cumulative cost

  252

  —

  —

  62

  -600

  -600

  72

  -600

  -1,200

  82

  -550

  -1,750

  92

  -550

  -2,300

  102

  -550

  -2,850

  112

  -550

  -3,400

  323

  (b) Lower

  £ millions

  earnings limit £

  1Marginal cost

  1Cumulative cost

  122

  -550

  -3,950

  132

  -550

  -4,500

  142

  -500

  -5,000

  152

  -500

  -5,500

  162

  -500

  -6,000

  172

  -500

  -6,500

  182

  -500

  -7,000

  192

  -500

  -7,500

  202

  -450

  -7,950

  212

  -450

  -8,400

  222

  -450

  -8,850

  232

  -400

  -9,250

  242

  -400

  -9,650

  252

  -400

  -10,050

  262

  -350

  -10,400

  272

  -350

  -10,750

  282

  -350

  -11,100

  292

  -300

  -11,400

  302

  -300

  -11,700

  312

  -300

  -12,000

  322

  -300

  -12,300

  332

  -250

  -12,550

  342

  -250

  -12,800

  352

  -250

  -13,050

  362

  -250

  -13,300

  372

  -200

  -13,500

  382

  -200

  -13,700

  1 Employees' contributions only; assumes an unchanged basis for employers' contributions.

  2 Current limit.

  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people would be affected by a reduction in the ceiling of employees' national insurance payments for each £10 per week reduction and cumulatively at each stage up to a reduction of £150 per week; and what would be the cost and cumulative cost in each case.

  Mr. Jack
  [holding answer 4 February 1992]: The information requested is in the table.

  (Thousands)

  (£ millions)

  Upper earnings limit (£)

  Numbers affected by change in UEL

  Cumulative effect

  Marginal cost1

  Cumulative cost1

  390

  2—

  —

  —

  —

  380

  200

  200

  -100

  -100

  370

  300

  500

  -150

  -250

  360

  300

  800

  -150

  -400

  350

  300

  1,100

  -150

  -550

  340

  300

  1,400

  -150

  -700

  330

  400

  1,800

  -200

  -900

  320

  400

  2,200

  -200

  -1,100

  310

  400

  2,600

  -200

  -1,300

  300

  400

  3,000

  -250

  -1,550

  290

  400

  3,400

  -250

  -1,800

  280

  500

  3,900

  -250

  -2,050

  270

  500

  4,400

  -250

  -2,300

  260

  500

  4,900

  -300

  -2,600

  250

  500

  5,400

  -300

  -2,900

  240

  500

  5,900

  -350

  -3,250

  1Employees' contributions only; assumes an unchanged basis for employers' contributions.

  2 Current limit.

  Statutory Sick Pay
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he has any plans to change the threshold for small employers' relief under the statutory sick pay scheme; and if he will make a statement.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Employers whose total national insurance contributions liability is below a certain level, currently £15,000 are able to revert to 100 per cent. reimbursement of statutory sick pay paid after the employee has been sick for more than six weeks. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, has reviewed this figure and proposes, subject to parliamentary approval, that it should be increased to £16,000 from April.

  Rent Arrears
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether arrangements to recover rent arrears from local authority tenants by charging rent supplements to individual tenants with rent arrears in addition to their normal rent qualify for housing benefit.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Housing benefit is designed to help people meet their current rent liabilities. It is clearly inappropriate that individual rent supplements levied on tenants to recover their arrears of rent, which may not originally have been met through housing benefit, should now qualify for it. I have therefore today laid before Parliament the Housing Benefit (General) Amendment Regulations 1992, in order to put beyond doubt that such supplements should not form part of eligible rent for housing benefit purposes.

  Medical Examinations
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants were examined by doctors acting for his Department over the last 12 months for the purpose of assessing(a) attendance allowance, (b) mobility allowance and (c) attendance allowance where the claimant was aged over 65 years; what was the average fee paid to doctors for such examinations; and what was the overall cost to his Department of these examinations.

  Mr. Scott
  [pursuant to his reply, 21 January 1992, c. 175]: The following information, in the second paragraph was incorrect,
  "There were 262,000 claims for mobility allowance."

  The correct information is as follows:
  "There were 231,000 claims for mobility allowance."

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Mourne House, Newcastle
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions have been held with Age Concern concerning the transfer of Mourne house, Newcastle, from the ownership of the Eastern health and social services board.

  Mr. Hanley
  I understand that the Eastern health and social services board have had discussions in the past with Age Concern about the possibility of leasing Mourne house to it and that these discussions concluded without agreement. The board will be considering proposals from
  325
  the local unit of management for the provision of services for the elderly in the Newcastle area at its next meeting on 13 February.

  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on what dates the Eastern health and social services board carried out renovations to Mourne house, Newcastle, between 1 April 1973 to 31 March 1991; and if he will specify the nature of those renovations.

  Mr. Hanley
  The information requested is not collected centrally. The hon. Gentleman may wish to contact the chairman of the Eastern health and social services board, Mr. Norman Fergusson, CBE.

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

  Mr. Hanley
  This legislation does not extend to Northern Ireland.

  Moneyreagh
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the population of Moneyreagh village in 1981 and 1991; and how many new dwellings, for which full planning permission has been issued, are still to be constructed at Moneyreagh.

  Mr. Needham
  The population for Moneyreagh village in 1981 was 879. The corresponding figure for 1991 will not be available until the autumn.

  Within Moneyreagh village (ie excluding the rural area) there is approval for 120 houses on which no work has started. There are 13 houses under construction at present.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Widgery Tribunal
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Attorney-General (1) if he will list the precedents for examining the evidence at tribunals to discover if all the conclusions remain valid; and if he will re-examine the Widgery tribunal on the same basis;

  (2) what procedural methods are available to be used for an official reconsideration and examination of the forensic evidence presented to the tribunal on the deaths in Northern Ireland on 30 January 1972.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I have been asked to reply.

  I am not aware of any precedent for the re-examination of evidence presented to a tribunal held under the Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) Act 1921 such as that conducted by Lord Widgery into the tragic events in Londonderry on 30 January 1972. The Government accept the conclusion reached by the Royal Commission on Tribunals of Inquiry (Cmnd 3121) in 1966, and endorsed in the White Paper "Tribunals of Inquiry set up under the Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) Act 1921" (Cmnd 5313) in 1973, that the findings of such tribunals should be treated as final.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Computer Safety
  Mr. Hain
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will seek to establish a Select Committee to monitor computer safety.

  Mr. MacGregor
  No.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  (COCOM)
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the future of COCOM.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The rationale for COCOM's existence has been the strategic threat posed to the west by a number of countries, mainly the former Warsaw pact and China.

  COCOM is now actively considering its future role in light of the changed circumstances of the countries of eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. It is too early to present firm conclusions.

  CSCE
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the outcome of the recent conference of foreign Ministers of the conference on security and co-operation in Europe.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  At the meeting of the CSCE Council in Prague on 30 and 31 January, Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to pursue the objectives set out in the "Charter of Paris for a New Europe". They adopted the Prague document on the further development of CSCE institutions and structures to support this aim. The Ministers welcomed ten republics of the former Soviet Union as new participating states of the CSCE, and granted observer status to Croatia and Slovenia. At my suggestion, Ministers decided on the early despatch of a rapporteur mission to Armenia and Azerbaijan, and called for an interim report on the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.

  Hong Kong (Ministerial Visit)
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he took part in party-political activities in addition to official duties on his visits to Hong Kong in April and September 1991.

  Mr. Hurd
  I saw fellow Conservatives briefly in Hong Kong in September.

  Mr. Abdul Rauf
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when Mr. Abdul Rauf (Ref: GV100/13294) is going to be issued with a visa to visit the United Kingdom; when Mr. Rauf applied for a visit visa; when his appeal against refusal to grant the visa was upheld; when the high commission in Islamabad was advised to issue the visa; and if he will make a statement.
  327
  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The high commission in Islamabad issued a visit visa to Mr. Abdul Rauf on 12 January 1992.

  Mr. Rauf had applied for a visa on 20 August 1989. Following an interview at the high commission on 3 September 1989 his application was refused. He appealed against the refusal decision on 7 November 1989 and the entry clearance officer's explanatory statement was sent to the appellate authorities on 5 December 1989. The high commission heard nothing more until it received a copy of the letter which the hon. Member wrote to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office on 5 November 1991 (which was subsequently transferred to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for action). The high commission then made inquiries of the Home Office who advised, on the 19 December 1991, that the appeal had been allowed on 1 August 1990. On 30 December 1991 the high commission invited Mr. Rauf to call with a view to issuing entry clearance.

  Hong Kong (Ministerial Visit)
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Minister of State took part in party-political activities in addition to official duties on his visits to Hong Kong in January, July and December 1991.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  My noble Friend, the Minister of State saw fellow Conservatives briefly in Hong Kong in January.

  Peru
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will discuss human rights in Peru when he meets Preident Fujimori of Peru on 5 February.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  [pursuant to his reply, 6 February 1992, c. 215]: The Prime Minister met President Fujimori on 5 February. His discussions covered a wide range of issues of common interest, including human rights.

  Foreign Affairs Council
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Foreign Affairs Council held on 3 February.

  Mr. Hurd
  My hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and I represented the United Kingdom at the Foreign Affairs Council on 3 February. The council agreed measures giving the five republics co-operating with Lord Carrington's peace conference—Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Hercegovina and Macedonia—the trade benefits of the former EC-Yugoslavia trade and co-operation agreement. These benefits will extend until the end of 1992.

  The council agreed at my suggestion that emergency food should be delivered to cities other than Moscow and St. Petersburg from within the existing EC humanitarian food aid programme for the former Soviet Union. It invited EC Finance Ministers to look at ways of taking forward disbursement of EC food and medical credits for the newly independent states. The council reviewed the outcome of the Washington conference on aid to the former Soviet Union and agreed that the follow-up
  328
  conference in Lisbon should be carefully prepared. The council agreed a case-by-case approach to negotiating trade and co-operation agreements with the republics of the former Soviet Union and the Baltic states.

  The council reviewed the European economic area negotiations in the light of the European Court of Justice's opinion on the proposed judicial arrangements. The council reaffirmed the need to bring the negotiations to an early and successful conclusion.

  The council discussed follow-up to the Maastricht Council. It agreed that officials should begin work in Brussels on necessary institutional questions, including establishing the right infrastructure for the provisions in the treaty on a common foreign and security policy and on justice and home affairs. The council agreed to the amendments to the European Coal and Steel Community and European Atomic Energy Community treaties set out in the relevant articles of the treaty on political union.

  The council discussed the financial protocols for Syria and Morocco under the new Mediterranean policy in the light of the European Parliament's decision to withhold its assent to these protocols. The Commission presented a communication on export controls on dual-use foods. The council decided to remit this to the Committee of Permanent Representatives for further examination.

  Ministers agreed that the Organisation of American States should be consulted about the possible denunciation of the Lomé Convention with respect to Haiti. An EC-Paraguay trade and co-operation agreement was signed in the margins of the council. After conciliation with the European Parliament, agreement was reached on the regulations governing the Asia-Latin America programme and EC-investment partners facility.

ENERGY

  Hong Kong (Ministerial Visit)
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he took part in party-political activities in addition to official duties on his visit to Hong Kong in November 1991.

  Mr. Wakeham
  I saw fellow Conservatives briefly in Hong Kong in November.

TRANSPORT

  Bowbelle and Bow Trader
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list all the collisions between(a) the Bowbelle and bridges, (b) the Bowbelle and other vessels, (c) the Bow Trader and bridges and (d) the Bow Trader and other vessels on the River Thames each year since 1981; and what was the total number of collisions on the Thames in each of those years.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The only collisions with a bridge recorded for the subject ships occurred in 1982, when Bowbelle made contact with scaffolding at Cannon street railway bridge, and in 1989 when Bowbelle struck the same bridge immediately after colliding with Marchioness. The information on other collisions and contacts is in the table; it covers all contacts including those with stationary objects as well as other vessels. The last column includes all types of vessel including small craft such as rowing boats.
  329

  Year

  Bowbelle

  Bowtrader

  All Vessels

  1981

  —

  4

  55

  1982

  —

  1

  53

  1983

  1

  1

  26

  1984

  —

  —

  49

  1985

  —

  2

  36

  1986

  —

  —

  36

  1987

  1

  1

  49

  1988

  —

  1

  31

  1989

  1

  —

  42

  1990

  —

  —

  39

  1991

  —

  —

  55

  1992

  —

  1

  2

DEFENCE

  MOD Harrogate
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of Defence, pursuant to his answer of 31 January,Official Report, column 729, whether his investigations into the relative costs of MOD Harrogate and RAF Wyton have assumed that both establishments will in the future be required to house and support substantial numbers of Royal Air Force uniformed personnel.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  Yes. Substantial numbers of RAF personnel will need to be housed and supported wherever RAF logistic support staffs are stationed.

  RAF Units
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of Defence, pursuant to his answer of 31 January,Official Report, column 730, if he will give the reasons why quantitative assessments of changes in capability of selected Royal Air Force units have not been undertaken.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Ground forces in Europe are scheduled to undergo extensive change over the coming decade. The assessments of the relative capabilities of British Army units arose from an examination of the implications of these plans for the balance of forces in Europe. Forecast changes in the structure of air forces are less extensive and have not been assessed in the same depth.

  Defence Budget
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of Defence, pursuant to his answer of 31 January,Official Report, column 729, if he will make a statement on the circumstances in which he would provide details of the contents of the long-term costings of the defence budget, as referred to in the answer of 2 May 1991, Official Report, column 292.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  As made clear in my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence Procurement's answer on 2 May 1991, the long term costing is intended for internal planning purposes. Plans for defence expendiure for the period covered by the public expenditure survey are published each autumn. Further information is made available in the "Statement on Defence Estimates". Approval to commit expenditure is subject to separate procedures and information on plans for and progress of individual projects is made available as appropriate.

  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 31 January,Official Report,
  330
  column 730, what information is held centrally regarding (a) higher-level budgets, (b) intermediate higher-level budgets and (c) basic-level budgets.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Information relating to estimated future expenditure is held centrally for higher level budgets and for those intermediate higher level budgets that report directly to top level budgets. Expenditure in the current financial year is monitored centrally for top level budgets.

  Defence Budget (BAOR)
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give the number and names of the higher-level budget holders within the top-level budget held by the Commander-in-Chief British Army of the Rhine.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  There are three higher level budget holders under the Commander-in-Chief British Army of the Rhine. these are:Assistant Chief of Staff, General Staff Division 1, Headquarters British Army of the Rhine.
  Deputy Chief of Staff, Headquarters British Army of the Rhine, General Staff Division 3.
  Assistant Chief of Staff, General Staff Division 4, Headquarters British Army of the Rhine.

  Management Strategy
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy on the release of information on the new management strategy; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Within the usual constraints of security and expense, my Department's policy is to be as open as possible in releasing information about the new management strategy. Recent "Statements on the Defence Estimates" and "Defence Open Government Document 89/11" have reported on the strategy. This flow of information will continue.

  Financial Planning and Management Group
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the numbers, types and ranks of MoD personnel who are part of the financial planning and management group.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The financial planning and management group of the Ministry of Defence is chaired by the Permanent Under-Secretary and currently includes the Chief of the Defence Staff, Chief of the Naval Staff, Chief of the General Staff, Chief of the Air Staff, Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, Chief of Defence Procurement, 2nd Permanent Under-Secretary and Chief Scientific Adviser.

  Departmental Plans
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place declassified copies of(a) his departmental plan and (b) his plan objectives in the Library.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The Ministry of Defence's departmental plan is intended primarily for internal management and control purposes and is thus not suitable for publication. An essay on the plan was published, however, in the "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1991", Vol. 1, (Cm. 1559) Page 55.

  Management Strategy
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to introduce(a) new information technology and (b) new training programmes fully to realise the benefits of the new management strategy.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The Ministry of Defence is developing strategies for the introduction of further information technology across the Department and has recently let a contract worth in the region of £250 million over five years for a new system in headquarters, known as CHOTS. Training programmes to support the new management strategy are constantly under review and are modified and extended as necessary.

  RAF Logistic Support
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 31, January,Official Report, column 729, when the investigations into the consolidation of Royal Air Force logistic support began; when they will be completed; what strategic assessments have been made as part of these investigations; what consulations he has had with his NATO counterparts regarding these investigations; and if he will make a statement.
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  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  The investigations began following consideration of the PROSPECT study of the reorganisation of MOD headquarters in March 1991. Studies on the future organisation of RAF logistics support are expected to be completed by the summer. The relevant strategic assessments are those underpinning Britain's defence for the 1990s. Within NATO, logistics is a national responsibility and formal consultation with the Alliance is not necessary. We have given a firm undertaking to consult the trade unions and local MPs before decisions are taken.

  Hong Kong (Ministerial Visit)
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he took part in party-political activities in addition to official duties on his visit to Hong Kong in September 1991.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence meets fellow Conservatives from time to time in the margins of public duties both in the United Kingdom and abroad.