Written Answers of 22 October 1993

TRANSPORT

  Jubilee Line Extension
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the expected start and completion of the Jubilee line extension.

  Mr. Norris
  Good progress is being made in dealing with the legal and financial issues which must be satisfactorily resolved before the Secretary of State can authorise the start of construction. The extension is expected to enter passenger service 53 months after the start of construction.

  European Night Services Ltd.
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultations he has had with the transport and competition directorate of the European Commission in relation to(a) the article 85 exemption procedure and (b) funding for British Rail investment in European Night Services Ltd. with respect to its south Wales-Paris-Brussels service proposal.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Department itself has not formally discussed these matters with the European Commission. European Night Services Ltd. is a joint enterprise by British Rail with French, German and Dutch railways. It is for them to arrange any exemptions and funding that may be required. The company and the railways concerned have applied to the Commission for formal confirmation that their operating agreements do not constitute restrictive practices prohibited by article 2 of Council regulation (EEC) No. 1017/68. I hope that the application will be viewed in a positive way.

  M11 Link Road
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set out in full the cost-benefit analysis economic justification for the M11 link road.

  Mr. Norris
  The last full assessment using an adaptation of the Department's COBA method was prepared for the 1987 public inquiry into the link road scheme. The supporting evidence presented to the inquiry is voluminous and so I will send a copy of it direct to the hon. Member.

  Following this and other public inquiries and consultation, and in consideration of all the relevant factors, including but not solely the economics of the scheme, the Secretaries of State decided to proceed with the link road. The first of the four main contracts began on 13 September last and it is our intention to let further contracts to complete the link road by the end of 1997.

  Water Transport
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration his Department is currently giving to the use of the(a) coastal traffic, (b) navigable rivers and canals and (c) ports for moving freight from the motorways to waterways; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  The Department has commissioned two studies examining the scope for shifting freight from roads to water: inland waterways, coastal and short sea shipping.

  We expect to publish a summary of the results of both studies shortly.

  Additionally, the River Thames working group, which I chair, is looking at both freight and passenger traffic on the Thames, the constraints that limit that traffic, the potential for its development, and the means to realise that potential. The group hopes to report its findings during the late spring of 1994.

  London Transport Finance
  Mr. Dunn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what changes there were to London Transport's core business external financing limit for the financial year 1992–93.

  Mr. Norris
  The original 1992–93 EFL for LT's core business was £852 million. This was reduced by £84 million following the transfer of the docklands light railway to the London Docklands development corporation in April 1992, but then increased by £65 million in July 1992 due to additional funding to implement measures in London Underground Ltd.'s company plan. The final EFL was therefore £833 million.

  From this total, LT was allowed to carry forward £33 million to the current financial year. This was in respect of core business items related to the Jubilee line extension.

  Mr. Patrick Doyle
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a list of all meetings held and correspondence exchanged in the past 10 years between his Department and Mr. Patrick Doyle, now of AST Training; what was the nature of such meetings or correspondence; what plans he has to meet Mr. Patrick Doyle; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norris
  The Department has no record of any meeting or correspondence with Mr. Doyle and has no plans to meet him.

  M1/M62 Link
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the full cost to public funds of work undertaken on the proposal to build an M1/M62 motorway link in west Yorkshire; and if he will break down the costings into their various elements.

  Mr. MacGregor
  The total cost to date of preparation work on the M1/M62 link road is £1,682,391. This is made up of:

  £

  Design Consultants Fees

  1,516,346

  Ordnance Survey

  36,233

  Blighted Property

  82,626

  343

  £

  Publicity

  4,704

  Miscellaneous

  42,482

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 19 October 1993 (Mrs. Peacock),Official Report, column 200, to the hon. Member for Batley and Spen, if he will give the full results of the public consultation exercise into his proposal for an M1/M62 motorway link in west Yorkshire, indicating the number of representations in favour and against the various options proposed.

  Mr. MacGregor
  A leaflet is in preparation which will include the information requested. This will be circulated in the next few days. I will ensure the hon. Member receives a copy.

HEALTH

  Prescription List
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the items that will not be available on a national health service prescription from November.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I refer the hon. Member to statutory instrument No. 2421, laid before Parliament on 11 October which lists the drugs and other substances to be added to the list of items which may not be prescribed at national health service expense from 1 November 1993.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions in England were removed from the NHS provision by introducing limited lists in each year since 1988–89.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The numbers of products removed from national health service prescription each year since 1988–89 are shown in the table:

  Year

  Number

  1988–89

  174

  1989–90

  27

  1990–91

  87

  1991–92

  100

  1992–93

  121

  1993–94

  653

  Fund Holding
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will give for 1993–94(a) the amount of money budgeted by each district health authority for purchasing services of the types covered by the fund-holding regulations on behalf of patients of non-fund-holding practices, (b) the number of patients registered with non-fund-holding practices in each district health authority and (c) the amount of funding per capita budgeted by each district health authority for purchasing services of the type covered by the fund-holding regulations on behalf of patients registered with non-fund-holding practices.

  Mr. Sackville
  The information requested in(a) is collected by the Department of Health for regional health
  344
  authorities only, not for individual authorities. That requested in (b) and (c) is not collected centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact the chairmen of regional health authorities for this information.

  Health Authority Chairmen
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she advertises(a) internally and (b) externally for chairmen of regional health authorities whenever a post becomes vacant; and if she will make a statement;

  (2) whether the recent vacant post of chairman of the West Midlands regional health authority was advertised before the post was filled; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  We do not consider it appropriate or necessary to advertise for candidates for appointment as chairman of a regional health authority, as there are many suitable ones already known to us both in other national health service bodies and from outside the NHS.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what qualifications Sir Michael Carlisle had for being made chairman of the community health Sheffield NHS trust; and if she will make a statement;

  (2) if she will state the age and qualifications of the chairman of the community health Sheffield NHS trust.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Chairmen of national health service trusts are appointed for their personal qualities and skills. Sir Michael Carlisle has been involved with the NHS for more than 20 years and he has been chairman of Trent regional health authority since 1982. He is therefore eminently suitable for appointment as chairman of an NHS trust. As stated in the Department's press notice dated 23 August (HN893/925), Sir Michael is 63 years of age.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list by health authorities and by date, for the last 48 months, the amount of compensation that has been paid to chairmen of health authorities who have left before their term of office had expired; and if she will make a statement as to what the special circumstances were for each payment made.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  With the agreement of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State decided to make a payment of £10,000 to Sir James Ackers, the former chairman of West Midlands regional health authority, under the provisions of paragraph 9(3) of schedule 5 to the National Health Service Act 1977; there have been no other such payments in the last 48 months.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the post of chairman of the community health Sheffield national health service trust was advertised(a) privately or (b) publicly; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The position of the non-executive part-time chairman of this trust was not advertised. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has indicated that she would be willing to appoint the retiring chairman of Trent regional health authority, Sir Michael Carlisle, to this position on the basis of his record over many years as a chairman in the national health service and his willingness to undertake the important responsibilities that fall upon national health service trust chairmen.
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  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she advertises(a) internally or (b) externally for chairmen of national health service trusts whenever a post becomes vacant; and if she will make a statement;

  (2) if she advertises (a) internally or (b) externally for chairmen of district health authorities whenever a post becomes vacant; and if she will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  We ask regional health authority chairmen to assist in the initial selection of candidates for chairmen's appointments to national health service authorities and trusts in their area. It is for them to decide how to obtain a good range of suitable and able people, with close links with the community served by the national health service body in question, and who would be willing to undertake the exacting responsibilities involved in purchasing or providing good patient care for the local community.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what are the maximum ages for the appointment of national health service trust and authority(a) chairmen and (b) non-executive directors;

  (2) what are the limits on the number of times national health service trust and health authority chairmen and non-executive directors can be reappointed.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  There are no limits on the number of times chairmen and non-executives can be reappointed, and no age limit for these appointments.

  Community Care
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the progress of the development of a housing input in the second round of community care plans.

  Mr. Bowis
  Social services departments, housing authorities and other housing providers should work closely together in planning and providing services to meet local need. The social services inspectorate is currently undertaking a study of housing and community care issues.

  Computers
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will order a public inquiry into the purchase of computers by the NHS.

  Mr. Sackville
  No.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the implications of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 for the future competitive ability of any contracting undertakings accepting responsibilities currently those of directly managed units or trusts within the health service, compared to competing organisations tendering in the future which are not subject to the same obligations.

  Mr. Sackville
  None. It is a matter for contractors through normal commercial practices and judgments to maintain their competitive ability throughout the market-testing process.

  Breast Cancer
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding is available for breast cancer research; if she will give details of funding for each year since 1979; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  The Government are committed to encouraging research into breast cancer. Within the Department's centrally commissioned research programme, £700,000 is expected to be spent on research specifically into breast cancer in 1993–94. Figures for cancer research funded by the Department broken down specifically for breast cancer are only available from the financial year 1990–91 onwards. These are:

  £000s

  1990–91

  417

  1991–92

  477

  1992–93

  5311

  The main agency through which the Government support biomedical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council (MRC), which receives its grant-in-aid from the office of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. We understand that MRC expenditure into breast cancer research was £2.7 million in 1990–91 and £1.6 million in 1991–92, the latest years for which figures are available.

  Mr. Patrick Doyle
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish a list of all meetings held and correspondence exchanged in the past 10 years between her Department and Mr. Patrick Doyle, now of AST Training; what was the nature of such meetings or correspondence; what plans she has to meet Mr. Patrick Doyle: and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Sackville
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not met Mr. Patrick Doyle and has no current plans to do so.

  If the right hon. Member has any previous meetings or correspondence with officials of the Department in mind, perhaps he will give me further details.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Child Care Facilities
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, representing the House of Commons Commission, what plans he has to introduce on-site child care facilities for the children of hon. Members and staff of the House.

  Mr. Beith
  At the request of the House of Commons Commission and the Administration Committee, consultants have been commissioned to prepare a comprehensive questionnaire on child care facilities, which will include the option of on-site provision. It will be circulated before Christmas to hon. Members, to staff and to other appropriate groups of personnel working in the House. The information gathered from the responses to the questionnaire will be considered by the Committee and the Commission before any final decision on the provision of child care facilities is taken.

  Late Sittings (Cost)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, representing the House of Commons Commission, what is his latest estimate of the costs of keeping the House open for sittings beyond 10 pm.

  Mr. Beith
  Additional costs are incurred when the House sits after 10.30 pm, but vary according to when the House rises. The House sat after 10.30 pm on some 37 occasions in May, June and July of this year, and the additional costs incurred in respect of House staff for this period are estimated to be £319,464.

  Pre-1834 Furniture
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee (1) where is the pre-1834 table of the House of Commons which used to be on display in the Upper Waiting Hall;

  (2) if a new location can be found for the pre-1834 table of the House of Commons in one of the public areas of the House.

  Mr. Ray Powell
  The table which used to be on display in the Upper Waiting Hall and which dates from the 1740s is now situated in the Speaker's House. It was moved to the Speaker's State Rooms after having suffered damage as a result of frequent moves made necessary by the staging of exhibitions in the Upper Waiting Hall.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee if he will publish a list of furnishings and fittings and other artefacts that are still located in the Palace of Westminster that were salvaged from the fire of 1834.

  Mr. Ray Powell
  I shall ask the Director of Parliamentary Works to write to the hon. Member.

  Chamber Seating
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee if he will instigate a feasibility study into moving the walls of the Commons Chamber so as to enable the amount of seating to be expanded.

  Mr. Ray Powell
  It would be inappropriate for the Accommodation and Works Committee to initiate any study of the kind referred to in the question.

  Catering Facilities
  Mr. Illsley
  To ask the Chairman of the Catering Committee what rules apply to the booking by hon. Members of catering facilities in the House on behalf of outside organisations; what checks are made on the bona fides of the organisations concerned; what recent changes have been made in the rules; and what recent decisions have been allowing exemption from the rules.

  Mr. Colin Shepherd
  The regulations governing the booking by hon. Members of catering facilities in the House on behalf of outside organisations are set out in a brochure available from the Refreshment Department Banqueting Office or from the Director of Catering Services.

  Rooms and facilities may be booked only by Members, Officers of the House and Lords who were formerly
  348
  Members of the House of Commons, who may act as sponsor of a function on behalf of an outside organisation. In such a case, all responsibility for the function, including the checking of the bona fides, rests with the sponsor. There have been no recent changes in the banqueting rules, and no exception from the rules has been knowingly allowed.

  The Catering Committee is to undertake a review of the operation of the Private Dining Facilities early in 1994 and has invited written evidence.

ENVIRONMENT

  Single-parent Families
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of(a) council house accommodation and (b) housing association accommodation is rented by single-parent families.

  Sir George Young
  The most recent information is from the housing trailer to the 1991 "Labour Force Survey". It shows that in England lone parents with dependent children formed 12 per cent. of all households renting from a local authority and 10 per cent. of all households renting from a housing association.

  This and other results of the survey are published in "Housing in England: Housing Trailers to the 1988 and 1991 Labour Force Surveys" (table 2.3), available from the House of Commons Library.

  Information available from the National Federation of Housing Association's CORE system shows that single parents accounted for 21 per cent. of new lettings by housing associations in 1992–93.

  Housing, Lancashire
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what percentage of council properties in Lancashire are unfit to rent;

  (2) what percentage of the total dwelling stock in Lancashire is (a) unfit for habitation and (b) in need of major renovation.

  Sir George Young
  Data on unfit dwellings, whether occupied or not, and on dwellings which are not unfit but in need of renovation are reported by local authorities in their annual housing investment programme—HIP1— returns.

  On the basis of the data from these returns it is estimated that at 1 April 1993 some 12 per cent. of dwellings in Lancashire were unfit and a further 30 per cent. were in need of renovation. Within local authorities dwellings 0.7 per cent. were reported as unfit.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the value of the capital receipts accumulated by each Lancashire local authority for the last three years.

  Mr. Baldry
  The latest available information is as follows:

  Accumulated usable capital receipts

  Figures in £000s

  As at 31 March 1991

  As at 31 March 1992

  As at 31 March 1993

  Blackburn

  510

  0

  0

  Blackpool

  2,730

  1,798

  6,561

  Burnley

  1,915

  1,044

  389

  349

  As at 31 March 1991

  As at 31 March 1992

  As at 31 March 1993

  Chorley

  930

  600

  982

  Fylde

  885

  282

  458

  Hyndburn

  2

  180

  0

  Lancaster

  801

  385

  488

  Pendle

  924

  675

  450

  Preston

  209

  138

  1,960

  Ribble Valley

  942

  1,024

  1,291

  Rossendale

  555

  0

  0

  South Ribble

  914

  177

  217

  West Lancashire

  2,038

  1,237

  1,433

  Wyre

  1,271

  878

  399

  Source: Capital Outturn, Capital Receipts and Capital Estimates returns

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many new dwellings have been(a) built and (b) bought by each local authority in Lancashire over the past five years.

  Sir George Young
  Estimates of the total numbers of local authority house-building completions within each local authority area in Lancashire are published in "Local Housing Statistics", table 1. Figures for 1988 are in issue No. 93, for 1989 in issue No. 97, for 1990 in issue No 101 and for 1991 and 1992 in issue No. 105.

  The number of new dwellings bought by local authorities are not separately identified on returns made to the Department by local authorities.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received in the last three years in relation to housing problems in Lancashire.

  Sir George Young
  Ministers and regional officials of the Department of the Environment maintain a regular dialogue with all local housing authorities in Lancashire through the housing investment programme process. In addition, I have personally visited a number of Lancashire authorities to discuss housing issues over the last three years. On 19 October 1992 I met a group of authorities —the North West regional renewal lobby—to discuss problems relating to the operation of the renovation grant system and private sector housing renewal in Lancashire and Greater Manchester.

  On Monday 25 October 1993 I look forward to meeting a delegation for Lancashire led by the Bishop of Burnley, to discuss the Lancashire housing inquiry panel's wide ranging report "Putting our House in Order".

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information his Department has on(a) the homeless figures, (b) the general waiting list figures and (c) the sheltered housing waiting list figures for each local authority in Lancashire over the last three years.

  Sir George Young
  Local authorities report information on their own dwellings in their annual housing investment programme—HIP1—returns.

  The latest available reported figures for each authority in Lancashire, which are at 1 April 1993, appear in section C, homeless; column B5, households on waiting list; and column B6B, households on waiting list requiring specialised dwellings of the "1993 HIP1 All Items Print", a copy of which is in the Library.
  350
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate his Department had made of(a) the time needed or (b) the financial resources needed to resolve the housing problems in Lancashire.

  Sir George Young
  None. It is for local housing authorities to prepare comprehensive housing investment programme strategies for their areas, to identify housing problems and, in partnership with other housing providers and players in the housing field, to draw up programme to meet the needs identified.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many clearance projects in Lancashire have been delayed due to problems rehousing those that will be displaced in the process.

  Sir George Young
  The Department of the Environment does not collect statistics on delayed clearance projects.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the hon. Member for Walsall, North will receive a reply to his letter of 31 August to the President of the Board of Trade regarding Tarmac Brick and Tiles Ltd. and which was transferred under reference G/ST/P50/2343/93.

  Mr. Yeo
  I have written to the hon. Member today.

  Standard Spending Assessments
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to include(a) standard morbidity rate or (b) other health indicators in the standard spending assessments for local authorities.

  Mr. Curry
  [holding answer 21 October 1993]: We have considered the use of a range of health factors as part of the review of standard spending assessments for 1994–95. We shall consult in the usual way on our proposals for the revenue support grant settlement for 1994–95, including standard spending assessments, in the late autumn.

  Sea Mammals
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details of the survey on the abundance and distribution of small cetaceans in the North sea; and which other countries are involved.

  Mr. Yeo
  [holding answer 21 October 1993]: The "Small Cetacean Abundance in the North Sea" survey (SCANS) is a major international research project, which aims to record the abundance and distribution of dolphins, porpoises and other small cetaceans in the North sea and adjacent areas. It will provide baseline data for considering whether further conservation measures are necessary. The work will be carried out under the provisions of the agreement on the conservation of small cetaceans of the Baltic and North seas (ASCOBANS), which the United Kingdom ratified on 13 July 1993. The project is being co-ordinated by the sea mammal research unit in Cambridge. The European Commission, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom are all contributing towards the costs of the

  351
  project, estimated to be 1,408,800 ecu, of which the United Kingdom is contributing 160,000 ecu. The main survey work is to be undertaken in summer 1994.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what level of funding is being provided for the interim secretariat of ASCOBANS at the sea mammal research unit in Cambridge.

  Mr. Yeo
  [holding answer 21 October 1993]: The Department of the Environment has provided funding of £43,754 for the interim secretariat of ASCOBANS at the sea mammal research unit in Cambridge, since it was established in June 1992.

  Property Services Agency
  Mr. David Martin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now give final details of the PSA Building Management sales.

  Mr. Curry
  The sale of Building Management Scotland was completed on 1 September, and the sales of the other businesses on 1 October. The Government will receive considerations of £3.5 million for Building Management Scotland, a net £10.4 million phased over four years for Building Management South East and South and West combined, and £8 million phased over three years for Noreast Building Management. Government have made a

  Business

  Transferred

  Selected for secondment

  Not selected for secondment

  Building Management South East

  439

  618

  98

  Building Management South and West

  616

  668

  52

  Noreast Building Management

  494

  405

  110

  Building Management Manchester

  699

  397

  126

  Building Management Scotland

  484

  273

  106

  The Government have entered into a severence sharing arrangement with each purchaser, under which it will fund redundancies including those of secondees and non-elected staff that may arise up to an agreed maximum figure. These are: Building Management South East £30 million, Building Management South and West £25 million, Noreast £29.5 million, Building Management Manchester about £28 million and Building Management Scotland £15 million. In aggregate these amount to about £127.5 million.

  The Government have also guaranteed the redundancy entitlements of transferring staff against the purchasers' bankruptcy for up to five years post sale. The maximum aggregate value of this contingent liability is estimated at around £65 million.

  The departmental minute laid on 14 June 1993 indicated that the maximum contingent liability to be undertaken in the sale negotiations was estimated not to exceed £200 million. Final details of the sums paid in respect of the sale of the building management businesses will not be available for some time as this will depend on the number of transferred staff remaining with the businesses for more than five years from the date of sale.
  352
  payment of £11.46 million to the purchasers of Building Management Manchester but the final amount may be up to about £12.1 million depending on the number of staff who transfer their entitlements to the new pension scheme. This will not be known until six months or more after completion.

  In addition, the Government injected cash into each business at the point of sale to meet the estimated net liabilities transferred to the purchasers under the sale agreements. The amounts of cash injected were £1.9 million to Building Management Scotland; £1.0 million to Building Management South East; £1.4 million to Building Management South and West; £2.2 million to Noreast Building Management and £2.0 million to Building Management Manchester. In all cases these amounts will be adjusted pound for pound after preparation of completion statements to compare actual net liabilities at the point of sale with the estimates made. The assets transferred exclude the amounts owed by customers to the five building management businesses for work done up to the sale. These debts will be collected by PSAS and retained in Government.

  Staff in all five businesses were asked to choose between transfer to the private sector or a possible period of secondment to the new business. Not all staff who were available for secondment were selected. The results are summarised below:

EMPLOYMENT

  Bank Holidays
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proposals he has to add to or transfer existing bank holidays.

  Mr. David Hunt
  An announcement will be made in due course.

  Books (VAT)
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment he has made regarding the impact on employment in the publishing and bookselling sector of imposition of VAT at 17.5 per cent. on books.

  Miss Widdecombe
  I am not willing to speculate on the possible effect of measures that may or may not be in the forthcoming Budget.

  Noel Employment Ltd.
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what account his Department took in its decision to grant an employment agency licence to Solo Employment Agency, of that agency's relationship to the former Noel Employment Ltd. in respect of(a) the address of the premises of the agency and (b) the identity of the directors of the agency.
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  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The Department has granted a licence under the Employment Agencies Act 1973 to Solo Appointments (Hammersmith) Ltd. The premises of the agency were formerly those of a branch of Noel Employment Ltd. One of the directors of the agency was formerly a director of Noel Employment Ltd. The Department took account of all relevant information and found no grounds for refusing to grant the licence.

  Disabled Employees
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will list for each of the last 10 years, the number of public sector employers who have been prosecuted for not employing the required percentage of disabled employees; what was the fine imposed; and what is the current percentage of disabled employees employed in the public sector;

  (2) if he will list for each of the last 10 years, the number of private sector employers who have been prosecuted for not employing the required percentage of disabled employees; what was the fine imposed; and what is the current percentage of disabled employees employed in the private sector.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Responsibility for the subject of the questions has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter to Mr. Martin Redmond from M. E. G. Fogden, dated 22 October 1993:
  As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to write to you direct to respond to your Parliamentary Questions to him about the number of public and private sector employers prosecuted for not employing the required percentage of disabled employees; the fines imposed and the current percentage of disabled employees employed in public and private sectors. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.
  It may be helpful if I briefly explain employers' duties and obligations under the provisions of the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944.
  The Act placed a duty on employers who have twenty or more workers to employ a Quota of registered disabled people. The standard Quota is currently set at three per cent. of the employer's total workforce. It is not an offence to be below Quota. However, when in this situation, an employer has a further duty under the Act to engage suitable registered disabled people if any are available when vacancies arise. A below Quota employer must

  Table 1

  Establishments covered by wages councils on register at December 1992

  Divisions

  Wages councils

  London

  South East

  East

  South West

  Midlands

  North West

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  North

  Scotland

  Great Britain

  Aerated waters

  14

  12

  70

  17

  34

  48

  15

  19

  50

  279

  Clothing manufacturers

  2,000

  136

  226

  316

  1,042

  1,006

  448

  148

  179

  5,501

  Boot and shoe repairing

  370

  215

  249

  272

  382

  449

  620

  83

  138

  2,778

  Button manufacturing

  16

  3

  1

  4

  11

  4

  2

  3

  0

  44

  Coffin furniture and cerement making

  0

  0

  0

  2

  6

  5

  4

  0

  1

  18

  Cotton waste reclamation

  1

  0

  0

  1

  6

  20

  0

  0

  0

  28

  Flax and hemp

  0

  0

  0

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  6

  7

  Fur

  61

  2

  2

  6

  4

  15

  4

  0

  6

  100

  General waste materials reclamation

  99

  74

  92

  157

  212

  286

  222

  89

  105

  1,336

  Hairdressing

  3,828

  3,027

  3,140

  4,237

  5,072

  5,262

  3,389

  2,000

  2,504

  32,459

  Hat, cap and millinery

  14

  3

  38

  1

  3

  17

  10

  9

  1

  96

  Lace finishing

  0

  0

  0

  0

  56

  1

  0

  0

  1

  58

  354
  not engage anyone other than a registered disabled person without first obtaining a permit to do so, and must not discharge a registered disabled person without reasonable cause. Failure to comply with either of these latter two obligations is a criminal offence. Employers in scope of the provisions of the Quota Scheme must keep records to show that they are complying with the requirements.
  No employer has been prosecuted for infringing the provisions of the Quota Scheme in the last ten years.
  You also asked about the percentages of disabled employees employed in the public and private sectors. I regret that information is not collected in this precise form. However, I can provide approximate figures related to registered disabled employees. Each year tables showing the number and percentage of registered disabled people employed by a wide range of public sector employers are published, with their agreement, in the Employment Gazette. The latest figures, relating to 1 June 1992, were in the April 1993 issue of the Gazette. The average percentage of registered disabled people employed by the public sector employers whose individual figures were published in the Gazette was 0.8 per cent.
  Deduction of the data for this range of public sector employers from national data in respect of all employers who are in scope of the Quota provisions produces an approximate figure of 0.7 per cent. for employers in the private sector.
  I hope this is helpful.
  As decided by the Administrative Committee of the House of Commons, Chief Executive replies to written Parliamentary Questions will now be published in the Official Report. I will also place a copy of this letter in the Library of the House.

  Wages Statistics
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many establishments were found to be underpaying wages in each year since 1979;

  (2) what information he has as to how many establishments (a) failed to post wages council notices, (b) failed to keep adequate records of hours worked and (c) failed to keep adequate records of wages paid in 1992;

  (3) how many establishments were found to be making underpayments in wages council trades in 1992;

  (4) how many (a) checks were carried out and (b) underpayments discovered for each wages inspectorate division in 1992;

  (5) how many workers' pay levels were checked by wages councils in 1992 for each wages council inspectorate;

  (6) how many establishments were covered by wages councils on the register at December 1992.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The information requested is provided in the following tables:
  355

  Divisions

  Wages councils

  London

  South East

  East

  South West

  Midlands

  North West

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  North

  Scotland

  Great Britain

  Laundry

  142

  121

  63

  137

  224

  89

  53

  43

  148

  1,020

  Linen and cotton handkerchief and household goods and linen piece goods

  3

  1

  3

  4

  13

  116

  9

  2

  2

  153

  Made-up textiles

  23

  14

  42

  31

  37

  45

  46

  18

  27

  283

  Ostrich and fancy feather and artificial flower

  11

  2

  7

  4

  0

  3

  1

  4

  3

  35

  Perambulator and invalid carriage

  2

  2

  3

  1

  9

  4

  5

  1

  0

  27

  Retail bespoke tailoring

  166

  36

  43

  39

  27

  53

  31

  12

  32

  439

  Rope, twine and net

  1

  1

  5

  26

  4

  24

  16

  3

  22

  102

  Sack and bag

  5

  0

  5

  5

  10

  15

  11

  1

  3

  55

  Toy manufacturing

  9

  12

  27

  27

  21

  59

  30

  11

  7

  203

  Retail trades (non-food)

  16,499

  11,641

  11,430

  14,265

  21,543

  16,566

  10,913

  5,138

  8,457

  116,452

  Retail food and allied trades

  10,866

  12,588

  10,283

  14,180

  15,793

  19,049

  11,149

  7,694

  9,861

  111,463

  Licensed non-residential establishments

  5,978

  5,962

  8,194

  10,064

  13,875

  11,053

  6,920

  4,229

  5,484

  71,759

  Licensed residential establishments and licensed restaurants

  4,853

  4,278

  3,730

  7,460

  3,683

  4,157

  2,366

  1,580

  3,827

  35,934

  Unlicensed place of refreshment

  3,559

  2,720

  1,506

  3,551

  1,885

  2,474

  1,523

  877

  1,733

  19,828

  TOTAL

  48,520

  40,850

  39,159

  54,808

  63,952

  60,820

  37,787

  21,964

  32,597

  400,457

  Table 2

  Establishments checked and underpayments found in wages council trades—1992

  Wages councils

  Establishments checked by all methods

  Percentage of register checked

  Establishments checked by visit

  Percentage of register checked by visit

  Establishments found underpaying

  Percentage of all establishments checked underpaying

  Percentage of establishments visited underpaying

  Aerated waters

  11

  3.9

  11

  3.9

  1

  9.1

  9.1

  Clothing manufactury

  316

  5.7

  284

  5.2

  89

  28.2

  31.3

  Boot and shoe repairing

  240

  8.6

  103

  3.7

  11

  4.6

  10.7

  Button manufacturing

  4

  9.1

  4

  9.1

  0

  .0

  .0

  Coffin furniture and cerement making

  5

  27.8

  4

  22.2

  0

  .0

  0

  Cotton waste reclamation

  1

  3.6

  1

  3.6

  0

  .0

  0

  Flax and hemp

  0

  .0

  0

  .0

  0

  .0

  .0

  Fur

  4

  4.0

  4

  4.0

  0

  .0

  .0

  General waste materials reclamation

  51

  3.8

  40

  3.0

  5

  9.8

  12.5

  Hairdressing

  2,625

  8.1

  1,830

  5.6

  505

  19.2

  27.6

  Hat, cap and millinery

  1

  1.0

  1

  1.0

  0

  .0

  .0

  Lace finishing

  0

  .0

  0

  .0

  0

  .0

  .0

  Laundry

  69

  6.8

  65

  6.4

  30

  43.5

  46.2

  Linen and cotton handkerchief and household goods and linen piece goods

  2

  1.3

  2

  1.3

  0

  .0

  .0

  Made-up textiles

  32

  11.3

  31

  11.0

  9

  28.1

  29.0

  Ostrich and fancy feather and artificial flower

  5

  14.3

  5

  14.3

  0

  .0

  .0

  Perambulator and invalid carriage

  3

  11.1

  3

  11.1

  0

  .0

  .0

  Retail bespoke tailoring

  20

  4.6

  15

  3.4

  2

  10.0

  13.3

  Rope, twine and net

  8

  7.8

  8

  7.8

  1

  12.5

  12.5

  Sack and bag

  5

  9.1

  4

  7.3

  1

  20.0

  25.0

  Toy manufacturing

  13

  6.4

  12

  5.9

  2

  15.4

  16.7

  Retail trades (non-food)

  9,864

  8.5

  4,206

  3.6

  1,449

  14.7

  34.5

  Retail food and allied trades

  9,278

  8.3

  5,968

  5.4

  2,631

  28.4

  44.1

  Licensed non-residential establishments

  5,762

  8.0

  3,166

  4.4

  1,050

  18.2

  33.2

  Licensed residential establishments and licensed restaurants

  2,272

  6.3

  1,824

  5 1

  672

  29.6

  36.8

  Unlicensed place of refreshment

  1,793

  9.0

  1,338

  6.7

  560

  31.2

  41.9

  TOTAL

  32,384

  8.1

  18,929

  4.7

  7,018

  21.7

  37.1

  356 357

  Table 3

  Workers covered by wages councils and results of checks—1992

  Wages Councils

  No. of workers (Est. 1992)

  Total workers checked

  Workers checked by visit

  Workers found unpaid

  Per cent. unpaid of all workers checked

  Arrears paid

  Arrears not pursued at workers request

  Arrears not pursued— other reasons

  Total arrears assessed as due

  (£)

  (£)

  (£)

  (£)

  Aerated waters

  4,400

  337

  337

  1

  .3

  84

  0

  0

  84

  Clothing manufacturing

  118,500

  7,732

  7,074

  346

  4.5

  35,365

  4,812

  7,536

  47,713

  Boot and shoe repairing

  5,000

  445

  244

  19

  4.3

  5,601

  2,475

  0

  8,076

  Button manufacturing

  1,000

  345

  345

  0

  .0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Coffin furniture and cerement making

  200

  77

  73

  0

  .0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Cotton waste reclamation

  300

  34

  34

  0

  .0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Flax and hemp

  400

  0

  0

  0

  .0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Fur

  800

  9

  9

  0

  .0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  General waste materials reclamation

  13,000

  441

  330

  10

  2.3

  2,099

  0

  0

  2,099

  Hairdressing

  69,000

  7,653

  5,389

  627

  8.2

  112,073

  24,742

  7,455

  144,270

  Hat, cap and millinery

  4,500

  50

  50

  0

  .0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Lace finishing

  900

  0

  0

  0

  .0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Laundry

  24,500

  1,055

  1,034

  108

  10.2

  12,264

  1,741

  543

  14,548

  Linen and cotton handkerchief and household goods and linen piece goods

  2,800

  92

  92

  0

  .0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Made-up textiles

  3,500

  760

  751

  45

  5.9

  1,184

  0

  3,254

  4,438

  Ostrich and fancy feather and artificial flower

  500

  324

  324

  0

  .0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Perambulator and invalid carriage

  2,000

  18

  18

  0

  .0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Retail bespoke tailoring

  4,000

  42

  35

  2

  4.8

  357

  0

  0

  357

  Rope, twine and net

  2,200

  187

  187

  2

  1.1

  84

  0

  0

  84

  Sack and bag

  1,000

  43

  39

  3

  7.0

  187

  0

  0

  187

  Toy manufacturing

  11,500

  140

  135

  11

  7.9

  398

  0

  0

  398

  Retail trades (non-food)

  736,000

  133,399

  14,223

  2,537

  1.9

  249,820

  61,908

  38,276

  350,004

  Retail food and allied trades

  490,000

  142,110

  22,077

  5,130

  3.6

  649,286

  158,651

  32,375

  840,312

  Licensed non-residential establishments

  538,000

  57,760

  25,259

  2,882

  5.0

  266,818

  17,583

  16,353

  300,754

  Licensed residential establishments and licensed restaurants

  417,000

  30,522

  23,991

  1,889

  6.2

  129,174

  13,027

  17,968

  160,169

  Unlicensed place of refreshment

  110,000

  19,813

  7,336

  1,167

  5.9

  96,537

  14,609

  15,276

  126,422

  TOTAL

  2,561,000

  403,388

  109,386

  14,779

  3 7

  1,561,331

  299,548

  139,036

  1,999,915

  Table 4

  Checks carried out and underpayments found in wages inspectorate divisions—1992

  Divisions

  Establishments checked by all methods

  Percentage of register checked

  Establishments checked by visit

  Percentage of register checked by visit

  Establishments found underpaying

  Percentage of all establishments checked underpaying

  Percentage of establishments visited underpaying

  London

  3,472

  7.2

  1,461

  3.0

  425

  12.2

  29.1

  South East

  1,323

  3.2

  1,172

  29

  385

  29.1

  32.8

  Eastern

  2,235

  5.7

  1,012

  2.6

  283

  12.7

  28.0

  South West

  4,631

  8.4

  2,710

  4.9

  1,076

  23.2

  39.7

  Midlands

  8,519

  13.3

  2,767

  4.3

  979

  11.5

  35.4

  North West

  2,956

  4.9

  2,854

  4.7

  1,256

  42.5

  44.0

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  3,173

  8.4

  2,176

  5.8

  875

  27.6

  40.2

  Northern

  3,073

  14.0

  2,482

  11.3

  892

  29.0

  35.9

  Scotland

  3,002

  9.2

  2,295

  7.0

  847

  28.2

  36.9

  Great Britain

  32,384

  8.1

  18,929

  4.7

  7,018

  21.7

  37.1

  Note:

  From November 1991 the London, South East and Eastern Divisions have been merged to form the new Southern Division.
  358 359

  Table 5

  Workers whose pay was checked in wages inspectorate divisions—1992

  Divisions

  Total workers checked

  Workers whose pay was checked by visit

  Workers found underpaid

  Percentage underpaid of all workers checked

  Percentage underpaid of workers checked by visit

  Arrears paid

  Arrears not pursued at workers request

  Arrears not pursued for other reasons

  Total arrears assessed as due

  (£)

  (£)

  (£)

  (£)

  London

  85,791

  6,145

  731

  0·9

  11·9

  72,522

  15,737

  13,093

  101,352

  South East

  6,968

  5,752

  726

  10·4

  12·6

  50,233

  21,458

  9,565

  81,256

  Eastern

  103,142

  4,662

  502

  0·5

  10·8

  40,714

  24,527

  336

  65,577

  South West

  41,054

  14,670

  2,112

  5·1

  14·4

  186,140

  22,268

  37,389

  245,797

  Midlands

  65,373

  20,246

  2,286

  3·5

  11·3

  210,612

  64,008

  24,645

  299,265

  North West

  14,888

  14,090

  2,298

  15·4

  16·3

  459,058

  57,278

  12,082

  528,418

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  44,319

  12,085

  2,006

  4·5

  16·6

  195,908

  50,721

  15,166

  261,795

  Northern

  19,461

  16,189

  2,049

  10·5

  12·7

  144,130

  15,392

  7,220

  166,742

  Scotland

  22,392

  15,547

  2,069

  9·2

  13·3

  202,014

  28,159

  19,540

  249,713

  Great Britain

  403,388

  109,386

  14,779

  3·7

  13·5

  1,561,331

  299,548

  139,036

  1,999,915

  Table 6

  Prosecutions for underpayment

  Divisions

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  London

  3

  —

  1

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  South East

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  2

  1

  4

  3

  —

  —

  Eastern

  —

  1

  1

  2

  1

  1

  —

  1

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  South West

  4

  2

  3

  —

  1

  1

  —

  —

  —

  2

  2

  1

  2

  1

  Midlands

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  1

  1

  1

  —

  —

  1

  North West

  —

  1

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  2

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  1

  1

  1

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  2

  1

  2

  7

  5

  Northern

  1

  3

  1

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  1

  2

  2

  Scotland

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  3

  Great Britain

  9

  8

  8

  4

  2

  2

  2

  2

  4

  10

  9

  7

  15

  12

  Note: From November 1991 the London, South East and Eastern Divisions have been merged to form the new Southern Division.

  Table 7

  Establishments found underpaying 1979 to 1985

  Divisions

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  London (East)

  431

  495

  440

  391

  441

  324

  298

  London (West)

  249

  259

  270

  294

  339

  354

  357

  South East

  521

  769

  749

  764

  871

  703

  670

  Southern

  585

  576

  450

  441

  494

  475

  556

  Eastern

  685

  941

  848

  726

  727

  914

  688

  South West

  1,010

  1,201

  1,070

  954

  1,078

  1,033

  929

  Midlands (East)

  634

  771

  623

  532

  573

  534

  430

  Midlands (West)

  605

  674

  598

  666

  543

  552

  712

  North West (East)

  946

  879

  613

  648

  704

  560

  529

  North West (West)

  1,115

  1,060

  688

  652

  865

  886

  804

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  1,156

  1,119

  871

  964

  941

  1,026

  818

  Northern

  893

  902

  736

  552

  630

  721

  815

  Scotland (East)

  710

  687

  529

  515

  525

  480

  488

  Scotland (West)

  597

  750

  556

  349

  389

  365

  361

  Wales

  832

  1,071

  1,033

  821

  722

  534

  609

  Totals

  10,969

  12,154

  10,074

  9,269

  9,842

  9,461

  9,064

  Table 8

  Establishments found to be underpaying 1986 to 1992

  Divisions

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  London

  608

  270

  317

  229

  172

  294

  425

  South East

  646

  503

  537

  478

  313

  413

  385

  Eastern

  974

  405

  462

  432

  271

  213

  283

  South West

  832

  961

  1,156

  960

  909

  893

  1,076

  Midlands

  943

  525

  747

  822

  749

  835

  979

  North West

  1,397

  541

  869

  1,104

  1,124

  1,083

  1,256

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  805

  511

  631

  569

  593

  792

  875

  Northern

  844

  404

  369

  387

  455

  711

  892

  Scotland

  656

  323

  509

  547

  619

  737

  847

  Wales

  500

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Great Britain

  8,205

  4,443

  5,597

  5,528

  5,205

  5,971

  7,018

  360 361
  Notes:

  (1) The statistics of underpayment have been separated into two tables because the divisional boundaries were changed in 1986.

  (2) From November 1991 the London, South East and Eastern Divisions have merged to form the new Southern Division.

  Table 9

  Establishments found failing to post wages council notices 1992

  Divisions

  Wages councils

  London

  South East

  East

  South West

  Midlands

  North West

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  North

  Scotland

  Great Britain

  Aerated waters

  0

  0

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  Clothing manufacturing

  37

  12

  0

  5

  49

  24

  14

  5

  6

  152

  Boot and shoe repairing

  7

  3

  1

  18

  1

  5

  1

  2

  1

  39

  Button manufacturing

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Coffin furniture and cerement making

  0

  0

  0

  0

  2

  0

  0

  0

  0

  2

  Cotton waste reclamation

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  Flax and hemp

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Fur

  0

  0

  0

  2

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  2

  General waste materials reclamation

  0

  2

  0

  0

  2

  1

  5

  2

  1

  13

  Hairdressing

  158

  43

  40

  110

  72

  107

  109

  64

  92

  795

  Hat, cap and millinery

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Lace finishing

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Laundry

  3

  2

  2

  9

  4

  6

  7

  1

  8

  42

  Linen and cotton handkerchief and household goods and linen piece goods

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  Made-up textiles

  0

  1

  0

  5

  0

  0

  1

  2

  0

  9

  Ostrich and fancy feather and artificial flower

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Perambulator and invalid carriage

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Retail bespoke tailoring

  2

  1

  0

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  5

  Rope, twine and net

  0

  0

  0

  1

  0

  0

  0

  2

  0

  3

  Sack and bag

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  Toy manufacturing

  0

  0

  1

  3

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  4

  Retail trades (non-food)

  203

  170

  134

  329

  367

  402

  278

  173

  191

  2,247

  Retail food and allied trades

  237

  188

  161

  412

  404

  525

  478

  397

  368

  3,170

  Licensed non-residential establishments

  74

  65

  70

  244

  246

  222

  133

  169

  187

  1,410

  Licensed residential establishments and licensed restaurants

  77

  40

  75

  170

  103

  136

  87

  105

  114

  907

  Unlicensed place of refreshment

  120

  70

  50

  159

  142

  141

  103

  57

  62

  904

  TOTAL

  919

  597

  535

  1,468

  1,394

  1,569

  1,216

  979

  1,031

  9,708

  Table 10

  Establishments found failing to keep adequate records of wages paid 1992

  Divisions

  Wages councils

  London

  South East

  East

  South West

  Midlands

  North West

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  North

  Scotland

  Great Britain

  Aerated waters

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Clothing manufacturing

  6

  5

  0

  1

  2

  0

  3

  0

  0

  17

  Boot and shoe repairing

  0

  1

  0

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  2

  Button manufacturing

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Coffin furniture and cerement making

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Cotton waste reclamation

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Flax and hemp

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Fur

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  General waste materials reclamation

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Hairdressing

  9

  8

  1

  21

  9

  19

  14

  22

  7

  110

  Hat, cap and millinery

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Lace finishing

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Laundry

  1

  0

  1

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  4

  362 363

  Divisions

  Wages councils

  London

  South East

  East

  South West

  Midlands

  North West

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  North

  Scotland

  Great Britain

  Linen and cotton handkerchief and household goods and linen piece goods

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Made-up textiles

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Ostrich and fancy feather and artificial flower

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Perambulator and invalid carriage

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Retail bespoke tailoring

  0

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  2

  Rope, twine and net

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Sack and bag

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Toy manufacturing

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Retail trades (non-food)

  11

  42

  14

  78

  42

  74

  25

  31

  27

  344

  Retail food and allied trades

  47

  83

  19

  109

  77

  149

  124

  141

  139

  888

  Licensed non-residential establishments

  12

  25

  11

  52

  32

  64

  21

  38

  22

  277

  Licensed residential establishments and licensed restaurants

  4

  20

  6

  36

  6

  27

  9

  9

  10

  127

  Unlicensed place of refreshment

  23

  38

  7

  49

  16

  30

  20

  18

  10

  211

  TOTAL

  113

  223

  59

  348

  184

  363

  216

  259

  217

  1,982

  Table 11

  Establishments found failing to keep adequate records of hours worked 1992

  Divisions

  Wages councils

  London

  South East

  East

  South West

  Midlands

  North West

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  North

  Scotland

  Great Britain

  Aerated waters

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  0

  0

  1

  Clothing manufacturers

  20

  11

  0

  2

  26

  15

  10

  1

  5

  90

  Boot and shoe repairing

  0

  4

  1

  4

  0

  6

  0

  1

  2

  18

  Button manufacturing

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Coffin furniture and cerement making

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Cotton waste reclamation

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Flax and hemp

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Fur

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  General waste materials reclamation

  0

  0

  1

  0

  2

  0

  0

  1

  2

  6

  Hairdressing

  73

  83

  32

  121

  85

  87

  119

  101

  136

  837

  Hat, cap and millinery

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Lace finishing

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Laundry

  2

  1

  1

  7

  1

  2

  1

  0

  5

  20

  Linen and cotton hankerchief and household goods and linen piece goods

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Made-up textiles

  0

  0

  0

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  Ostrich and fancy feather and artificial flower

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Perambulator and invalid carriage

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Retail bespoke tailoring

  0

  2

  0

  1

  1

  0

  0

  0

  1

  5

  Rope, twine and net

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  2

  0

  2

  Sack and bag

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Toy manufacturing

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Retail trades (non-food)

  75

  212

  78

  242

  232

  239

  199

  148

  176

  1,601

  Retail food and allied trades

  121

  242

  118

  289

  293

  725

  391

  369

  350

  2,898

  Licensed non-residential establishments

  42

  96

  67

  200

  164

  156

  85

  176

  165

  1,151

  Licensed residential establishments and licensed restaurants

  42

  65

  60

  140

  62

  120

  72

  83

  99

  743

  Unlicensed place of refreshment

  77

  83

  38

  105

  78

  85

  58

  48

  51

  623

  TOTAL

  452

  799

  396

  1,112

  944

  1,435

  936

  930

  992

  7,996

  364 365
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many underpayments of wages were detected in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The information requested is provided in the following table:

  Year

  Number of underpayments of wages detected

  1979

  23,223

  1980

  29,314

  1981

  25,482

  1982

  20,406

  1983

  20,832

  1984

  18,043

  1985

  16,948

  1986

  15,533

  1987

  9,129

  1988

  10,860

  1989

  11,066

  1990

  11,129

  1991

  12,812

  1992

  14,779

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many workers were covered by wages councils in 1992; and if he will make a statement on the results of wages council checks.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  It is estimated that the number of workers covered by wages councils in 1992 was 2,561,000. The checks made by the wages inspectorate show that most employers covered by wages councils were paying wages council rates.

  Astra Training Centres
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received from training and enterprise councils over the collapse of the Astra training centres and/or their acquisition by Mr. Patrick Doyle; on what dates each such representation was received and from which training and enterprise council; what plans he has to meet representatives of the training and enterprise councils to discuss their concerns; and if he will make a statement.

  Miss Widdecombe
  We have received no such representations from any training and enterprise council. Any request from a training and enterprise council for a meeting would be considered in the normal way.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what requests he has made, or correspondence he has sent to Arthur Andersen and Co., in relation to its role as receiver for the Astra training centres; what was the date and nature of such correspondence and contact; and if he will make a statement.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The Department requested and received information from Arthur Andersen confirming the continued existence of Astra's pension fund and the appointment to the fund by the receiver of an independent trustee. The receiver also informed the Department on 12 October which Astra skill centres had been sold as going concerns.
  366
  Since Arthur Andersen was appointed as receiver in July there have been telephone and written contacts, and one meeting, in connection with the Department's continued interest as freeholder a head leaseholder of a number of properties occupied by Astra.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what residual powers, rights and duties Her Majesty's Government possess in respect of the former skill centres acquired by Astra, and its staff,(a) in respect of determining subsequent ownership of the centres and (b) in other respects.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Her Majesty's Government have no residual powers, rights or duties relating to the former skill centres acquired by Astra in relation to the determination of the subsequent ownership of the centres. Some of the property interests acquired by Astra from the Department in 1990 were subject to clawback provisions, under which the Department is entitled to a share of any development gains made in the 10 years after privatisation, If these property interests are acquired by a purchaser of an Astra skill centre the clawback arrangements he will be bound by them for the balance of the 10-year period.

  Paternity Leave
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what action he will take to encourage employers to provide paternity leave.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Matters such as this are best dealt with by agreement between the parties concerned, taking account of their particular circumstances.

  Training and Enterprise Councils
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of gross domestic product has been provided to training and enterprise councils, annually since they were established; what is the total cost of TECs to date; and how many previously unemployed persons have received training leading to recognised qualifications in this period.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Full information would be available only at disproportionate cost. The training arid enterprise council—TEC—network in England was completed in October 1991. In 1992–93 TECs spent £1.3 billion on training, education and enterprise programmes.

  Estimates from the spring 1993 "Labour Force. Survey" show that around 174,000 unemployed people were training towards a qualification compared with 140,000 in the spring 1992 survey.

  Health and Safety
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a list of all research commissioned or carried out by his Department or the Health and Safety Commission into the operation of health and safety legislation in small firms; what figures were obtained as to the number and rate of fatal and/or serious accidents in small firms compared with larger firms; what subsequent action has been taken by his Department and/or the Health and Safety Commission to improve health and safety in small firms; and if he will make a statement.
  367
  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 21 October 1993]: The Health and Safety Commission—HSC—has not commissioned or carried out external research into the operation of health and safety in small firms.

  The Health and Safety Executive—HSE—has carried out two separate analyses of the relative accident records of small and large firms.

  A report on the first, based on accidents notified under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences (RIDDOR) Regulations 1985, was published in the January 1991 issue of Employment Gazette, pages 20–24, available in the Library. The study suggested that rates of reported major injuries and of fatalities were higher in small firms—defined as those with 100 employees or fewer. However, the number of fatalities was sufficiently small for the difference in rate to be accounted for by the fact that small firms tend to operate in more hazardous industries.

  The second analysis, based on information from the 1990 "Labour Force Survey"—LFS—indicated that, comparing firms with fewer than 25 employees and those with more, injury rates per 100,000 employees are higher among larger firms. These results were published in the Employment Gazette for December 1992, pages 621–38.

  Research carried out by the Employment Department is listed in the annual report on research. The 1993 report will be published on 25 October and a copy will be placed in the Library.

  The HSC is currently considering ways in which the effectiveness of its approach to regulation of health and safety for small firms and self-employed people might be improved.

EDUCATION

  Outdoor Education Centres
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he has received on the impact of granting budgeting powers to individual schools on local education authority outdoor education centres; what research has been conducted by his Department on the subject; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations. The Department has not commissioned any research into this question, but the Sports Council is undertaking a research project into LEA residential outdoor centres as a community resource for sport and education: the Department is keeping in touch with that work.

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education by whom his Department was represented at the national conference on local authority outdoor education centres held at 1 Kensington Gore, London, on 16 July.

  Mr. Forth
  There was no representation from this Department at the conference, but officials from the Department for National Heritage, which is the main parent Department for sport and recreation, were present.

  Schools, Sheffield
  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education what weight he gives, in considering representations from governors and parents of schools in Sheffield, to the overall policies and objectives set out by Sheffield local education authority.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  In so far as statutory proposals for the organisation of schools reflect the overall policies and objectives set out by a local education authority, my right hon. Friend looks at each case on its merits, having regard to all relevant factors including statutory objections and other representations made to him.

  English Curriculum
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will publish in full the responses received to the proposed revision of the English curriculum; and if he will provide a detailed breakdown of the responses on the 1 to 6 scale in section G of the consultation document.

  Mr. Robin Squire
  Consultation on the proposals for revisions to the English order was carried out by the National Curriculum Council (NCC), and a report on that consultation is being published this week by the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority, the successor body to the NCC.

DEFENCE

  Nuclear Submarines
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what studies his Department has commissioned from the Royal Naval college, Greenwich, on the potential scope for accidents involving the release of radiation at dedicated naval bases or Z-berths for nuclear submarines.

  Mr. Hanley
  The Royal Naval college, Greenwich is primarily a teaching establishment. The function of the department of nuclear science and technology at the college is to undertake training in support of the naval nuclear propulsion programme—including plant operation and maintenance, and nuclear accident management. Like other advanced academic establishments, the college undertakes theoretical work relevant to its teaching function, including mathematical modelling related to nuclear reactor accident response.

  Spending
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of gross national product is spent on defence in(a) the United Kingdom, (b) Germany, (c) Japan and (d) France.

  Mr. Hanley
  Defence expenditure for the United Kingdom, Germany and France in 1992 as a proportion of GDP, is set out in figure 11 of the 1993 "Statement on the Defence Estimates" (Cm 2770) and is respectively 4.1 per cent., 2.2 per cent. and 3.4 per cent. Japan is expected to devote around 1 per cent. of its GDP to defence in 1992–93.

  Low Flying
  Mr. Trotter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has on the number of sorties conducted by(a) foreign aircraft in the United Kingdom

  369
  low-flying system and (b) United Kingdom aircraft in the low-flying system of other nations over the most recent period for which figures are available.

  Mr. Hanley
  The number of sorties flown by foreign aircraft in the United Kingdom low-flying system during 1992 was 2,045. During 1993 to the end of September 1,251 sorties have been flown. These figures cover only those sorties flown by foreign aircraft not based in the United Kingdom.

  Detailed figures for RAF low flying overseas are not held centrally. A limited amount of information is however, available on low flying carried out by the RAF in Germany and at Goose Bay, Canada. Between April and December 1992 RAF fast jet aircraft flew some 2,400 low-level sorties in Germany, and some 1,800 have been flown so far this year. In 1992 RAF aircraft flew 1,028 low-level sorties at Goose Bay, and 581 have been flown this year.

  Mr. Patrick Doyle
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish a list of all meetings held and correspondence exchanged in the past 10 years between his Department and Mr. Patrick Doyle, now of AST Training; what was the nature of such meetings or correspondence; what plans he has to meet Mr. Patrick Doyle; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Aitken
  My Department has no record of having any contact with Mr. Doyle. I have no plans to meet him.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Technology Foresight Programme
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the launch of the technology foresight programme on 13 September, indicating what additional resources have been committed to the programme.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The purpose of foresight is to develop working partnerships between industry and academia in identifying market and technology opportunities. I am delighted at the constructive response from both to the consultative seminars we are holding across the country on how this might best be achieved. The programme is being guided by a steering group of industrialists and academics chaired by the chief scientific adviser. A budget of approximately £1 million has been allocated to the programme over this and the next financial year.

  Civil Servants (Public Meetings)
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in what circumstances Ministers may require civil servants to address public meetings on their behalf.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Authority can be given to civil servants to make public speeches explaining declared Government policy or discussing the processes of government. On occasions civil servants have also been authorised to read speeches on policy matters prepared for Ministers who have been prevented at the last minute from 370
  doing so themselves. In such cases the fact that the civil servant is reading the Minister's text is made clear. These have been the practices of successive Governments.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what efforts are currently being made by his Department to encourage threshold states to accede to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty prior to the 1995 review conference.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We continue to encourage non-parties to the non-proliferation treaty to accede to the treaty at the earliest possible date.

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Her Majesty's Government will make it their policy to advocate the indefinite extension of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty at the 1995 review conference and at all preparatory meetings.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We will continue to reiterate in all appropriate fora the importance we attach to securing the unconditional and indefinite extension of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty at the 1995 extension and review conference.

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what efforts are currently being undertaken by his Department to encourage state parties to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty to attend the 1995 nuclear non-proliferation treaty review conference.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Prior to the first preparatory committee to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty extension and review conference in May this year, with the co-depositaries to the treaty—the United States and the Russian Federation—we lobbied all states party to come to the Prepcom. Over three-quarters attended. We shall undertake similar exercises before the remaining three Prepcoms and the 1995 conference itself, as well as taking other opportunities to emphasise the importance we attach to maximum attendance in 1995.

  Kenya
  Sir Thomas Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice is currently offered by his Department to persons proposing to visit Kenya; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Foreign and Commonwealth Office consular travel advice for Kenya is:"Incidents of mugging and violent crime occur throughout Kenya. Do not go about Nairobi or coastal towns on foot at night, and avoid empty beaches. There has been an increase in the incidence of armed car hijackings especially in the Nairobi area.
  There have also been recent disturbances in Mombasa old town but the main tourist areas at the coast remain peaceful. Even when escorted, traffic using the Malindi/Garsen/Lamu road is vulnerable to attack by bandits. The road should not be used.
  Game reserves remain generally calm, but travel to North East Province or the Isiolo or Marsabit districts of Eastern Province is potentially dangerous, except to Samburu Game Reserve or with tour operators to Shaba Game Reserve. Exercise particular care when travelling in out-of-the-way places."

  Overseas Staff and Premises
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the cost for the current financial year of his Department having(a) premises and (b) personnel overseas; and what were the comparable figures for (a) 12, (b) 24, (c) 36 and (d) 48 months ago.

  Mr. Goodlad
  The cost of(a) premises and (b) personnel overseas for the FCO—including the ODA—for the current and the previous four financial years is as follows:

  Premises £ million

  Personnel £ million

  1989–90

  113.9

  197.4

  1990–91

  112.0

  212.2

  1991–92

  118.2

  224.8

  1992–93

  129.3

  239.4

  1993–94

  132.8

  245.7

  The figures for premises include the cost of notional rent for properties owned by Her Majesty's Government, as required by Her Majesty's Treasury. For 1993–94 this figure is £38.9 million.

  Inhumane Weapons
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress towards ratification by Her Majesty's Government of(a) the 1977 additional protocols to the Geneva convention and (b) the 1981 inhumane weapons convention.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  (a) We have reached a decision to ratify the additional protocols, and we plan to do so as soon as the necessary legislation can be enacted in domestic law.

  (b) We are now able to turn our attention to the 1981 United Nations weaponry convention, and we hope to reach a decision soon on ratification of that convention.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Fisheries Inspectors
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will give details of the number of fisheries inspectors employed by each EC member.

  Mr. Jack
  The most recent information on numbers of EC fisheries officers employed in member states is contained in a Commission report on monitoring implementation of the common fisheries policy, published in March 1992. Details are as follows:

  Port-based

  HQ-based

  Belgium

  Duties carried out by Naval Authorities and Maritime Police

  1

  Denmark

  145

  n/a

  Germany

  47

  n/a

  France

  Carried out by Maritime Police

  n/a

  372

  Port-based

  HQ-based

  Ireland

  n/a

  n/a

  Netherlands

  180

  n/a

  Portugal

  Carried out by Customs, Navy and others

  12

  Spain

  Carried out by Marine Civil Guard, defence forces and others

  242

  United Kingdom

  142

  126

  1 Figures updated from more recent information obtained this year.

  2 Includes recruitment of 25 inspectors (of which 15 were planned when data were collected).

  n/a = Not available.

  Common Agriculture Policy
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the estimated total cost of the common agricultural policy in(a) 1993 and (b) 1994; and what was the actual total in 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1993.

  Mr. Jack
  The information for CAP guarantee expenditure is as follows:

  Mecu

  £ million

  1990

  27,041

  19,197

  1991

  31,950

  22,357

  1992

  32,177

  22,770

  11993

  35,352

  27,836

  21994

  36,465

  28,448

  1 Revised budget.

  2 Draft budget.

  Year

  Exchange rates

  1990

  £1=1.4086 ecu

  1991

  £1=1.4291 ecu

  1992

  £1=1.4131 ecu

  1993

  £1=1.2700 ecu

  1994

  £1=1.2818 ecu

  Intervention Beef
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the cost of storing one tonne of intervention beef for one year at the last date for which figures are available.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Responsibility for this matter is delegated to the Intervention Board executive agency and I have asked the chief executive to reply to the hon. Gentleman direct.

  Letter to Mr. Elliot Morley from Guy Stapleton, dated 22 October 1993:
  The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply to your priority written Parliamentary Question (2136) tabled for answer on 19 October 1993:—
  "To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what was the cost of storing one tonne of intervention beef for one year at the last date for which figures are available".
  Intervention beef is stored in commercial cold stores. The rates paid by the Agency are determined by open competition and

  373
  vary in line with changes in the demand for cold storage. Over the past twelve months, the average cost of storing intervention beef for one year, including inspection receipt, handling and delivering-out charges, has been around £120 per tonne (exc. VAT).
  I am sending a copy of this letter to the House of Commons Library and the Public Information Office.

  Fishing
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what investigation her Department has carried out regarding alleged smuggling of undersized fish by other EC countries in British waters; and if she will make a statement;

  (2) what discussions she intends to have with other EC member states with regard to breaches in EC fishing regulations within British waters.

  Mr. Jack
  The rules of the common fisheries policy are enforced on vessels of all nationalities in United Kingdom waters through an extensive programme of inspections, both at sea and in port. Prosecutions in the United Kingdom of infringements by other member states' vessels are notified to the flag state. There is close liaison between United Kingdom fishery officers and the enforcement authorities in a number of other EC states, and we are working to strengthen and extend these further. I raised the question of undersize fish and enforcement issues when I met the EC Fisheries Commissioner Yannis Paleokrassas on 12 October 1993.

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans she has to raise the matter of alleged Spanish pirate fishing fleets operating in British waters with the Spanish Government and the EC; if she will give details of the actions her Department will take; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  I sent a copy of the television programme in which the allegations were made to the EC Fisheries Commissioner and the Spanish Fisheries Minister. I subsequently met the Commissioner on 12 October and was much heartened by his very positive response. He shares my concern to secure more consistent enforcement of fisheries policy throughout the Community and to find new ways in which there could be co-operative joint efforts to ensure that all member states give a higher priority to effective enforcement provisions. I shall be continuing to press this matter with my colleagues in other member states.

  Mr. Patrick Doyle
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will publish a list of all meetings held and correspondence exchanged in the past 10 years between her Department and Mr. Patrick Doyle, now of AST Training; what was the nature of such meetings or correspondence; what plans she has to meet Mr. Patrick Doyle; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Jack
  We have no record of having any contact with Mr. Doyle and have no plans to meet.

  Milk Marketing Board
  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when she will consult on the Milk Marketing Board's reorganisation scheme.
  374
  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  I and the Secretary of State for Wales have today invited comments from interested organisations in England and Wales on the scheme of reorganisation submitted to us by the Milk Marketing Board for England and Wales (MMB) under the Agriculture Act 1993.

  The MMB has proposed in its reorganisation scheme that the milk marketing scheme should end on 1 April 1994. On that day certain of the MMB's assets would be transferred to a voluntary co-operative, Milk Marque, membership of which would be open to all producers in England and Wales. The scheme also provides for the flotation of the MMB's commercial subsidiary Dairy Crest. Eligible producers would receive shares in Dairy crest and certificates of entitlement in Milk Marque. Certain assets and liabilities would be retained by the MMB, which would continue in residuary form after the end of the milk marketing scheme to wind up its affairs.

  We have asked to receive comments by 29 November 1993.

  Fertilisers
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what precautionary instructions and advice have been issued to farmers in respect of safeguarding the storing of fertilisers; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Health and Safety Executive has issued a range of guidance relating to the storage of fertilisers and most recently this subject has been covered in its publication entitled "Farmwise". Agriculture inspectors also advise farmers on the safe storage of fertilisers during their site visits.

  Fishing Vessels
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the number of fishing vessels registered at ports in the United Kingdom on 1 June 1979 and on 1 June 1993.

  Mr. Norris
  I have been asked to reply.

  There is no information on the numbers on 1 June 1979. The most relevant information available is as follows:

  Number

  December 1979

  15,161

  June 1993

  10,166

WALES

  Toll Roads
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has to ensure adequate consultations on and evaluation of toll road proposals at all key stages.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Under the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 the procedures for authorisation of a toll road are similar to those of the Highways Act 1980 that apply to publicly financed roads; there will therefore be a similar approach to public consultation and public inquiry.
  375
  Any scheme which was taken forward by means of individual legislation would be subject to detailed scrutiny by Parliament.

  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will issue guidelines for the development of toll road proposals.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Privately financed toll roads can be provided only in accordance with the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991, or by individual legislation. Guidelines on the Act were contained in a circular issued to local authorities by the Department of Transport and the Welsh Office in March 1992. Evaluation of a prospective concessionaire's proposals will be a matter for the highway authority, but a statement is published with a draft toll order, under the 1991 Act, setting out the key points of a concession agreement.

  Environment Wales Initiative
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when the first report of the environment Wales initiative was published; how many copies were printed; to whom it has been circulated; and if he will make a statement on further initiatives he plans following the lessons learned from the environment Wales programme.

  Mr. Redwood
  The environment Wales first annual report was published in August 1993. Five hundred copies were printed and received a wide distribution including the chief executives of district and county councils in Wales, the voluntary environmental sector, companies in the private sector including Business in the Community, selected media interests and of course Welsh Members of the House. I have arranged for additional copies to be placed in the Library of the House.

  The initiative is now half way through its second very successful year. The report speaks for itself; it reflects the degree of commitment and innovation shown by all those involved. In particular it indicates the success that the organisations participating in the initiative have had in generating funds, in addition to the Welsh Office grant, especially from private sector sources. A review of the initiative will be carried out next year which will consider its future direction in the light of experience during the first three years of its operation.

  Team Care Valleys Project
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what follow-up action he proposes to capitalise on the findings of the team care valleys project; what consultations he has had on the lessons learnt; what proposals he has to publish the results; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  The team care valleys project ended on 31 August 1993 and the report of an independent assessment of its performance is awaited.

  The successor valleys health group is preparing a business plan. It will be guided by an advisory board which will include senior health care professionals and academics. It will also take into account the views of the independent assessors, when they are available.

  Trawsfynydd Power Station
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the result of the Trawsfynydd nuclear power station entry in the Wales tourist board's annual competition in the best newcomer category; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Trawsfynydd nuclear power station's visitor centre was one of the 30 entries in the "Best Newcomer" category of the Wales tourism awards. It did not, however, win an award.

  Local Development Projects
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what local development projects have been undertaken in Wales in the last five years; and what are their costs.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 16 July 1993]: I wrote to the hon. Gentleman on 4 August and placed a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

  Nursery and Higher Education
  Mr. Dafis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many training places have been(a) made available and (b) filled for nursery teachers and nursery nurses in Wales in each year from 1985;

  (2) what proportion of 18 and 19-year-olds entered full-time higher education in Wales in each year since 1986.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  [holding answer 22 and 23 July 1993]: I wrote to the hon. Gentleman on 16 September and placed a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Moats
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list the(a) surveys and (b) excavations that are currently being carried out of moated sites of archaeological interest in England and Wales.

  Mr. Brooke
  English Heritage's monuments protection programme is reviewing moated sites as part of the exercise to evaluate all known archaeological remains in England. It is not possible to provide a comprehensive list of all sites where surveys or excavations are currently being carried out because such activities can be undertaken by many different organisations and for a variety of reasons. Any works to a moated site which is a scheduled monument would require prior scheduled monument consent.

  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales is responsible for archaeological matters in Wales.

  Mr. Patrick Doyle
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will publish a list of all meetings held and correspondence exchanged in the past 10 years between his Department and Mr. Patrick Doyle, now of AST Training; what was the nature of such meetings or correspondence; what plans he has to meet Mr. Patrick Doyle; and if he will make a statement.
  377
  Mr. Brooke
  The Department of National Heritage has been in existence only since April 1992. Since that time we have not held any meetings, nor entered into correspondence, with Mr. Patrick Doyle, now of AST Training.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Expenditure
  Sir Ralph Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has as to the effect on social security expenditure of all kinds, including passport benefits, of raising the income tax threshold to £100 per week.

  Mr. Burt
  The effect would be a reduction of around £160 million per year.

  It is not possible to estimate the effect this change would have on the NHS low income scheme.

  Computerisation
  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his latest estimate of the cost of computerising the administration and payment of benefits by his Department's local offices and within the central administration.

  Mr. Burt
  The latest estimate of the total cost of computerising the administration and payment of benefits by the Department is in the table.

  £ billion

  Total cost of the Operational Strategy 1985–86 to 1998–89

  2.64

  Total costs incurred by end of the financial year 1992–93

  1.55

  Social Security Appeal Tribunals
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what meetings the president of the social security appeal tribunals has had, and with whom, on the admittance of late appeals in the last five years.

  Mr. Burt
  This is a matter for the president of the independent tribunal service, his honour, Judge Thorpe, and he will be writing to the hon. Member direct on this matter.

  Maintenance Payments
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average increase in maintenance payments since the introduction of the Child Support Agency; and what percentage of. absentee parents have not been traced.

  Mr. Burt
  The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for Ros Hepplewhite, the chief executive. She will write to the hon. Member and a copy will be placed in the Library.

  Letter to Mr. Peter L. Pike from Ros Hepplewhite, dated 22 October 1993:
  As Chief Executive of the Child Support Agency it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to your recent Parliamentary
  378
  Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security asking what is the average increase in maintenance payments since the introduction of the Child Support Agency; and what percentage of absentee parents have not been traced.
  The Child Support Act provides for maintenance to be assessed by means of a standard formula that produces predictable and realistic amounts. However, as the Agency has only been operating since April this year it is too early to be able to say what overall effect the Agency has had on the level of maintenance payments. It has always been made clear that the amount of maintenance worked out by the Agency under the formula may be higher than a previous court order in some cases. Average maintenance payments were £25 to £30 a week and under the formula the average is expected to be £45 to £50 a week.
  At the end of August, in less than one per cent. of cases where an application form had been returned has completed tracing action, so far, been unable to locate the absent parent.
  I hope you will find this reply helpful. A copy will appear in the Official Report and a copy will also be placed in the Library.

  Invalidity Benefit
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he expects to publish the findings of the research into invalidity benefit carried out by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  The Department's research into invalidity benefit consists of five studies, all of which have now been published. Copies of the reports have been placed in the Library.

  The reports make clear that other countries are also experiencing growth in long-term incapacity benefits, that the GP's present role does not always sit easily within the current system, and that questions of incapacity for work tend not to be decided by medical criteria alone but are allied to a range of other social factors. We are considering the findings carefully within the context of our review of social security.

  "Invalidity Benefit: A Preliminary Qualitative Study of the Factors Affecting Its Growth" and "GPs and IVB" were published on 3 September; "Invalidity Benefit, A Survey of Recipients" and "Invalidity Benefit, An International Comparison" on 29 September; and "Invalidity Benefit, A Longitudinal Survey of New Recipients" on 15 October.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the hon. Member for Walsall, North will receive a reply over sickness benefit to his letter of 7 September written to the Secretary of State for Health and transferred: reference 4/3644/36.

  Mr. Scott
  My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State wrote to the hon. Member yesterday.

  Mr. Patrick Doyle
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a list of all meetings held and correspondence exchanged in the past 10 years between his Department and Mr. Patrick Doyle, now of AST Training; what was the nature of such meetings or correspondence; what plans he has to meet Mr. Patrick Doyle; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Burt
  We have no record of any contact with Mr. Doyle and have no plans to meet.

  Benefits Agency
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list(a) those buildings in Leeds currently used by Benefits Agency staff and (b) the date at which the office space was bought or leased.

  Mr. Burt
  The administration of the Benefits Agency is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member and a copy will be placed in the Library.

  Letter to Mr. Derek Fatchett from Michael Bichard, dated 21 October 1993:
  As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency it is my responsibility to answer questions raised about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security asking if he will list (a) those buildings in Leeds currently used by Benefits Agency staff and (b) the date at which the office space was bought or leased.
  The following is a list of those buildings in Leeds occupied by staff of the Benefits Agency. The date shown in the right hand column is the date from which the office space was bought or leased.

  Date

  Government Buildings, Otley Road, Lawnswood, Leeds Built

  1926–49

  Royal Exchange House, Leeds1

  1 February 1967

  Royal Exchange House, Leeds1

  20 April 1967

  Leeds North Outstation, Tower House, Merrion Way

  1 October 1970

  Royal Exchange House, Leeds1

  12 January 1973

  44/60, Richardshaw Lane, Leeds

  7 May 1973

  Priestley House, Leeds (lease 1)

  24 June 1973

  Techno House, Horsforth, Leeds (lease 1)

  1 October 1973

  Royal Exchange House, Leeds1

  30 November 1973

  Leeds West, Century House, Church Lane, Pudsey, Leeds

  29 September 1974

  Priestley House, Leeds (lease 2)

  9 January 1975

  Techno House, Horsforth, Leeds (lease 2)

  11 February 1975

  Leeds North West, 21/22, Park Place, Leeds

  25 June 1976

  Leeds South, 72, Merrion Street, Leeds

  10 December 1978

  Liverpool Victoria House, Otley Road, Leeds

  15 January 1979

  Leeds South, 89/92, Merrion Street, Leeds

  17 May 1979

  City House, Leeds (lease 1)

  1 June 1979

  Leeds South PCO, 76/80, Commercial St, Rothwell Leeds (lease 1)

  1 December 1979

  Leeds South PCO, 76/80, Commercial St, Rothwell Leeds (lease 2)

  1 December 1979

  Warwick House, Wade Lane, Leeds

  29 September 1980

  Springwood House, Horsforth, Leeds (lease 1)

  1 June 1981

  Springwood House, Horsforth, Leeds (lease 2)

  1 June 1981

  City House, Leeds (lease 2)

  25 March 1985

  Leeds East, Southern House, 529, York Road, Leeds

  1 October 1985

  Royal Exchange House, Leeds1

  25 March 1988

  Leeds North, Hume House, Tower House Street, Leeds

  26 March 1989

  Royal Exchange House, Leeds1

  23 April 1990

  37/39, St. Paul's Street, Leeds

  26 December 1990

  Morley PCO, 8, Wesley Street, Morley, Leeds

  1 April 1992

  Quarry House, Wuarry Hill, Leeds

  6 July 1992

  1 Trevelyan Square, Boar Lane, Leeds

  20 September 1992

  1 Six separate leases

  I hope that you find this reply helpful. A copy will appear in the Official Report and a copy will also be placed in the Library.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Gross Domestic Product
  Mr. Bayley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the gross domestic product per capita in 1990 for the United Kingdom and for each county in the United Kingdom(a) in pound sterling and (b) expressed in US dollars at the exchange rate used to produce the gross domestic product per capita figures in table 31 of the United Nations Development Programme's human development report 1993.

  Mr. Nelson
  (a) The latest estimates of United Kingdom GDP per capita in 1990 pound sterling were published in the "United Kingdom National Accounts Blue Book 1993 Edition", which is available in the House of Commons Library. The latest figures available for the counties within the United Kingdom are for 1989, and were published in the November 1991 issue of Economic Trends, which is available in the House of Commons Library. The figures for the regions of Scotland were revised earlier this year, and provided in a written answer to the question from my hon. Friend the Member for Southport (Mr. Banks) on 12 February 1993 at columns 802–3.

  (b) Estimates of GDP for the regions and counties of the United Kingdom are derived by summing factor incomes, and are therefore available only on a factor cost basis. The conversion to purchasing power parity US dollars, as shown at the national level in the "UN Human Development Report 1993", can be carried out only using GDP estimates at market prices, not at factor cost.

  Crown Estate Commissioners
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many copies of the Crown Estate Commissioners annual report for the year ended 31 March were printed; and at what cost each copy was produced.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  Six thousand copies of the commissioners' annual report for the year ended 31 March 1993 were printed. Each copy cost £5.10 to produce.

  VAT
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the revenue which would arise from a 1 per cent. increase in value added tax.

  Sir John Cope
  Table 7 of the publication "Tax Ready Reckoner and Tax Reliefs" shows that raising the standard rate of VAT by 1 percentage point would raise £2,245 million in 1994–95.

  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the revenue raised by a value added tax level of 8 per cent. on(a) passenger transport, (b) water and sewerage service, (c) children's clothing, (d) children's shoes, (e) newspapers and magazines and (f) books.

  Sir John Cope
  In July 1993 the Treasury published "Tax Ready Reckoner and Tax Reliefs". Table 9 of this publication shows the estimated cost of the main zero rated items in 1993–94 compared with applying the standard rate of VAT. The relevant figures are as follows:
  381

  Revenue £ million

  Domestic passenger transport

  1,150

  Water and sewerage services

  800

  Children's clothing and shoes

  600

  Books, newspapers and magazines

  1,100

  These figures can be adjusted pro rata to arrive at a rough estimate of the yield from applying a different rate of VAT to these items. The figures make no allowance for changes in behaviour that would result from applying VAT to these items.

  Mr. Haselhurst
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the yield in a full year of(a) 5 per cent. and (b) 8 per cent. VAT on everything which is currently zero rated, including domestic fuel.

  Sir John Cope
  [holding answer 21 October 1993]: Applying VAT to all currently zero rated items, including domestic fuel and power would raise the following:

  VAT rate Per cent.

  Revenue £ billion

  5

  5.0

  8

  8.0

  These figures are based on the year 1993–94 and make no allowance for changes in behaviour.

  Taxation
  Mr. Mandelson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate for the number of persons currently living in the United Kingdom on the basis of untaxed capital remittances abroad.

  Mr. Dorrell
  I regret that the information is not available.

  Airport Tax
  Sir David Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish an estimate of the yield there would be to the Exchequer from an airport departure tax of £5 levied on everyone leaving from a United Kingdom airport for an overseas destination.

  Sir John Cope
  In 1992 there were approximately 36 million passenger departures from United Kingdom airports to overseas destinations according to the "International Passenger Survey". On this basis, the yield from an airport departure tax of £5 per passenger would have been approximately £180 million.

  Company Car Tax
  Mr. Mills
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will urgently publish a detailed guide to the procedures to be followed by employers and employees in the assessment of their obligations on company car tax including definition in detail of assessment of car list price; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Guidance for employers on the new system for taxing company cars on the basis of their list price from 6 April 1994 will be published by the Inland 382
  Revenue on 29 October and will be available from all tax enquiry centres and tax offices. A guide for employees will be published on 8 November. Both give details of how the list price of a car for tax purposes was defined in the Finance Act 1993, following consultation in 1992.

  The Inland Revenue also issued on 27 September a press release confirming that the new system is based on the list price of individual cars. A copy is in the Library.

  Mr. Patrick Doyle
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a list of all meetings held and correspondence exchanged in the last 10 years between his Department and Mr. Patrick Doyle, now of AST Training; what was the nature of such meetings or correspondence; what plans he has to meet Mr. Patrick Doyle; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  As far as can be established, the Treasury has had no contact with Mr. Doyle. I have no plans to meet him.

  Clubs (VAT)
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 22 July, to the hon. Member for Thanet, North (Mr. Gale),Official Report, column 303, whether the non-profit-making organisations to which he refers include non-profit-making private members' clubs which supply sporting and recreational services to their members; and whether club representative bodies are to be consulted about the proposed value added tax exemption.

  Sir John Cope
  The precise scope of the exemption has yet to be determined but it is likely to cover supplies of sporting and physical education services by non-profit-making members' clubs but not those made by proprietary clubs. Customs and Excise has issued a consultation paper and welcomes representations from any interested parties.

  Medical Equipment
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has held about the levying of VAT upon medical aids such as CCTV print magnifiers and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator machines; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir John Cope
  I met representatives of the Disabled Living Foundation on 20 July and discussed the question of VAT on medical equipment. CCTV print magnifiers are relieved from VAT when supplied to visually impaired people. Customs and Excise has been unable to accept that transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulators—TENS—fall within the existing VAT reliefs, but a major supplier of TENS equipment has appealed the point to the independent VAT tribunal and a hearing should take place later in the autumn.

  Domestic Fuel (VAT)
  Mr. Haselhurst
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what will be the yield in a full year of 17.5 per cent. VAT on domestic fuel.

  Sir John Cope
  [holding answer 21 October 1993]: At the time of its announcement in the last Budget it was estimated that applying VAT to domestic fuel and power would raise £2.85 billion in 1996–97, the first year that revenue will fully reflect the standard rate of 17½ per cent.

SCOTLAND

  Transport Funding
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give all details of European regional development funds which have been allocated for transport initiatives in the last 12 months and which are proposed for the next 12 months.

  Mr. Stewart
  No ERDF funds have been allocated to specific transport initiatives in the last 12 months. However, ERDF has part-funded many transport infrastructure measures including ferry services, passenger rail services, bus stations and cycle routes, and such projects will continue to be aided through the various Scottish objective 2 and 5b programmes as well as the new objective 1 programme in the Highlands and Islands. It is too early to say what schemes or initiatives might come forward in 1994.

  Fisheries (Bird Killing Licences)
  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 27 April,Official Report, columns 377–78, in respect of how many of the licence applications to kill cormorants, goosanders or red-breasted mergansers for the prevention of serious damage to fisheries under section 16 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, received in Scotland in 1992, the Department carried out a site visit to assess evidence of serious damage to fisheries.

  Sir Hector Monro
  No site visits were made. Assessment of the potential damage to fisheries is based on a variety of factors, including the diets of the birds.

  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department consults Scottish Natural Heritage before issuing individual licences to kill cormorants, goosanders or red-breasted mergansers under section 16 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

  Sir Hector Monro
  As required by section 16(10) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 the Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department regularly consults Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) on the circumstances under which licences should be granted to shoot these species of birds. Applicants for licences are encouraged to consult local SNH staff before submitting their applications.

  Trade Descriptions Act
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many prosecutions there have been in the past 10 years under section 14 of the Trades Descriptions Act 1968 for knowingly or recklessly making a false statement about the provision of accommodation in the course of business; and what was the penalty in each case of guilt being established.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information is not separately recorded and could not be obtained except at disproportionate cost.

  Student Finances
  Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about the future administration of student awards in Scotland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend has decided that the student awards branch of the Scottish Office Education Department should be placed under consideration as a candidate for executive agency status, under the "next steps" initiative.

  Cervical Cytopathology
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list those recommendations contained in the report of the inquiry into cervical cytopathology at Inverclyde royal hospital, Greenock which(a) have been implemented already, (b) he will implement within the next six months, (c) are to be introduced within 12 months and (d) are not to be implemented; and if he will make a statement.

  (2) when he expects to receive a report from the chief executive of the NHS in Scotland concerning the response of the Argyll and Clyde health board to the findings and recommendations contained in the report of the inquiry into cervical cytopathology of Inverclyde royal hospital, Greenock; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 21 October 1993]: The Government have indicated their acceptance of the broad thrust of the recommendations contained in the McGoogan report and is proceeding to implement those directed at the Scottish Office Home and Health Department. The aim is to implement these as quickly as is practical but the process involves consultations and discussions with professional bodies, health boards and trusts on the details. Of the seven recommendations addressed to the Department the Government have already announced the decisions to set up a central co-ordinating unit for cervical screening at an estimated cost of £100,000 per annum; to fund the Scottish proficiency testing scheme at an estimated cost of £20,000 per annum and to issue guidance to health boards and trusts on the proposals in respect of training, staffing, health education and rationalisation of laboratories. The membership of working groups on quality control and guidelines for reporting perceived discrepancies has still to be confirmed.

  For those recommendations directed to the Argyll and Clyde health board and its laboratories, the report of the task force set up by the board to advise on the action to be taken is expected to be formally submitted to the management executive by the end of October.

  The Government are determined to ensure that progress on implementation proceeds as quickly as circumstances allow. The position will be continually monitored.

  RENAVAL Programme
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much money has been spent in(a) Inverclyde, (b) Glasgow and (c) Fife under the terms of the European Community's RENAVAL programme in each of the past four years; what level of projects were supported in this way; to what extent and when the current programme will finish; and if he will make a statement.
  385
  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 21 October 1993]: The RENAVAL programme ends on 31 December 1993. I will write to the hon. Member about the more detailed aspects of his question.

  Mr. Patrick Doyle
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a list of all meetings held and correspondence exchanged in the past 10 years between his Department and Mr. Patrick Doyle, now of AST Training; what was the nature of such meetings or correspondence; what plans he has to meet Mr. Patrick Doyle; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 21 October 1993]: The Scottish Office has found no record of any meetings or correspondence with Mr. Patrick Doyle, now of AST Training. My right hon. Friend has no plans to meet Mr. Doyle.

  Helensburgh
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of the individuals or organisations which supported the proposed addition of Helensburgh into Argyll and Bute council during the consultation exercise on local government reform.

  Mr. Stewart
  [holding answer 21 October 1993]: The respondents to our public consultation who specifically supported the creation of a new authority based on Argyll and Bute district council plus the Helensburgh area are as listed.

  C. I. J. and A. G. Harvey

  Mr. Peter Hillis

  Mr. George A. Hood

  Tarbert and Skipness Community Council

  Stirling and Gilmour, Solicitors

  Dumbarton Scottish Conservative Association (Helensburgh Conservative Committee)

  Helensburgh Community Council

  Cove and Kilcreggan Community Council

  In addition a number of responses expressed a preference for all of Dumbarton district or particular parts of it to be linked with Argyll and Bute. The proposal has also won significant support in surveys conducted at a local level in the area.

  Sour Gas
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the power stations which have been authorised to use sour gas; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  I have been asked to reply.

  Section 14(2) of the Energy Act 1976 requires that notice be given to me of any proposal to enter into contractual or other arrangements to obtain a supply of gas as fuel for a power station. I am empowered under section 14(3) to direct that any proposal of which I am notified should not be carried out, or should be carried out in accordance with specified conditions.

  There is no requirement for the notice to distinguish between sour and other gas. However, the following proposals have been notified under section 14(2) which may involve sour gas. I have not given any directions under section 14(3) preventing or modifying them.

  Peterhead (North of Scotland Hydro Electric Board)—1,550 Mw

  386

  Kelt, Ryedale (Kelt (UK) Ltd.)—50 Mw

  Connah's Quay, Clwyd (PowerGen)—1,350 Mw

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Emergency Planning
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the proposed distribution of Home Office emergency planning grant aid for(a) 1993–94, (b) 1994–95 and (c) 1995–96 to enable the deficiencies identified in his predecessor's statement of 10 July 1991, Official Report, columns 391–94, to be remedied; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The new grant distribution arrangements, which come into operation on 1 April 1994, increase the proportion of resources which are allocated to metropolitan areas. Since the new Civil Defence (General Local Authority Functions) Regulations 1993 came into force on 1 August 1993, grant aid has been available for metropolitan districts and boroughs for the first time.

  These measures are intended to assist metropolitan authorities in overcoming the problems in some areas which were referred to by the then Home Secretary in his statement of 10 July 1991.

  Police (Deaths)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information was provided to the Sheehy committee on(a) the number and percentage of policemen who died within five years of retirement and (b) the number who died before the age of 60 years.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The Government Actuary's Department provided the inquiry with a summary of the main assumptions used for the police pension scheme. These include the probability of death in-service for police officers aged 20 to 55 and the expectation of life of police officers retiring at ages 50 and 60.

  Sheehy Inquiry
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the payments of(a) fees and (b) expenses made to Sir Patrick Sheehy and each other member of the inquiry for producing their report on the police.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The chairman and members of the inquiry did not accept fees. The costs of travel and subsistence in connection with the inquiry's work were reimbursed.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what experience of police duties and the management of criminals Sir Patrick Sheehy, Mr. Eric Caines, Mr. Colin Campbell or Mr. John Bullock had prior to being appointed to the Sheehy inquiry.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  The chairman and members of the inquiry had no professional experience of working closely with the police service before being appointed. Their experience was of managing large organisations inside and outside the public sector.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish full statistics of the time spent by Sir Patrick Sheehy and each other inquiry member out with beat officers on duty.
  387
  Mr. Charles Wardle
  A full list of the visits to forces which were undertaken by the inquiry members, which included opportunities to accompany officers on patrol, is provided at appendix I of volume 2 of the inquiry's report —Cm 2280.II.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the members of the Sheehy inquiry were provided with the full details of the number of policemen injured on duty.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  Yes.

  Prisons
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the criteria by which convicted criminals are placed in closed or open prisons.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter to Mr. Martin Redmond from Derek Lewis, dated 22 October 1993:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the criteria by which convicted prisoners are placed in closed or open prisons.
  The criteria are set out in guidance to Prison Service establishments contained in Circular Instructions 7/1988 and 2/1991. Copies are in the House of Commons Library and have been made available to penal interest groups. I have sent personal copies to you.
  I have no plans to publish this material more widely.

  Prison Releases
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which of Her Majesty's prison establishments issue references for future prospective employers to inmates who are currently being released after completing their sentence; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter to Mr. Martin Redmond from Derek Lewis, dated 22 October 1993:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about prison establishments which provide to inmates on release references for future prospective employers.
  The particular information which you have requested is not held centrally. The Prison Service has an obligation to help prisoners lead law-abiding and useful lives after their release. Prisoners may therefore be provided on their release with documents which, for example, describe the education and vocational training qualifications and work experience which they obtained in custody. These are likely to be relevant to any prospective employer and may assist the prisoner in obtaining a job.
  If there are particular cases you would like to follow up may I suggest that you contact the governor of the establishment from which the prisoner was released. I shall, of course, be happy to deal with any further clarification you may wish to have on the question of references.

  Summer Time
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the net effects of maintaining summer time in winter in terms of casualties, employment and simplicity for travellers.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I refer my hon. Friend to the 1989 Green Paper "Summer Time: A Consultation Document" (Cm. 722) which, as part of the assessment of the option of moving to single-double time, considered the effects of maintaining summer time in the winter on various aspects of national life including physical accidents, employment and travel.

  New Prisons
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total cost of the new prison building programme due to be completed in 1994; and how many prison places will have been provided.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter to Ms Joan Ruddock from Derek Lewis, dated 22 October 1993:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the new prison building programme due to be completed in 1994.
  When Doncaster prison is opened in 1994 this will see the completion of a building programme which will have provided 11,285 new places at 21 new prisons since 1985. The total cost of the programme will be £l 2 billion.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many new Prison Service establishments have been completed since 1983; and if he will list those establishments together with(a) the total cost of each establishment and (b) the main building contractor in each case.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 21 October 1993]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 19 October at columns 214–16.

  Fine Defaults
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total number of people imprisoned for fine defaults in the years(a) 1990, (b) 1991, (c) 1992 and (d) 1993; and what percentage they represent of all receptions of sentenced prisoners.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter to Ms Joan Ruddock from Derek Lewis, dated 22 October 1993:

  RECEPTIONS OF FINE DEFAULTERS
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking for information on the number of receptions of fine defaulters in the years (a) 1990, (b) 1991, (c) 1992 and (d) 1993 and what percentage they represent of all receptions of sentenced prisoners.
  Information for 1990 and 1991 was published in the 1991 edition of "Prison statistics England and Wales" (Cm 2157) and I attach a copy of table 7.1 for ease of reference. Information for

  389
  1992 is only readily available for fine defaulters from 1 March 1992 to 31 August 1992. During this six month period 9,329 fine defaulters (8,815 males and 514 females) were received into Prison Service establishments in England and Wales. I am sorry

  Extract from Prison Statistics—England and Wales—1991

  Table 7.1 Population, receptions and estimated average time spent in Prison Service establishments: by sex, 1981 to 1991

  England and Wales

  Fine defaulters

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  1990

  1991

  Population at 30 June All fine defaulters

  918

  909

  900

  792

  563

  511

  626

  576

  484

  466

  409

  Males

  879

  871

  854

  752

  540

  491

  598

  549

  460

  441

  397

  Females

  39

  38

  46

  40

  23

  20

  28

  27

  24

  25

  12

  Total sentenced population

  36,669

  36,000

  35,438

  35,496

  37,344

  36,450

  39,303

  38,548

  38,013

  35,220

  35,114

  Fine defaulters as a percentage of total sentenced population

  2·5

  2·5

  2·5

  2·2

  1·5

  1·4

  1·6

  1·5

  1·3

  1·3

  1·2

  Population serving sentences of imprisonment of 6 months or less1

  5,442

  5,588

  6,006

  6,205

  6,285

  4,787

  4,856

  3,563

  3,744

  3,238

  3,650

  Fine defaulters as a percentage of population serving sentences of imprisonment of 6 months or less

  16·9

  16·3

  15·0

  12·8

  9·0

  10·7

  12·9

  16·2

  12·9

  14·4

  11·2

  Receptions All fine defaulters

  21,153

  24,492

  23,241

  21,761

  20,493

  19,159

  18,723

  16,817

  16,985

  16,659

  18,973

  Males

  20,046

  23,168

  21,920

  20,275

  19,108

  18,084

  17,804

  15,881

  16,117

  15,814

  17,997

  Females

  1,107

  1,324

  1,321

  1,486

  1,385

  1,075

  919

  936

  868

  845

  976

  All receptions under sentence

  88,110

  94,377

  93,414

  92,810

  96,189

  86,153

  86,358

  81,376

  76,430

  67,510

  72,313

  Fine defaulters as a percentage of all receptions under sentence

  24·0

  26·0

  24·9

  23·4

  21·3

  22·2

  21·7

  20·5

  22·2

  24·7

  26·2

  All receptions under sentence of imprisonment of 6 months or less1

  45,219

  52,195

  51,415

  50,242

  49,287

  43,109

  41,446

  39,391

  42,209

  36,813

  41,245

  Fine defaulters as a percentage of all receptions under sentence of imprisonment of 6 months or less

  46·8

  46·9

  45·2

  43·3

  41·6

  44·4

  45·2

  42·7

  40·2

  45·3

  46·0

  Average time served (days)2

  Males

  14·5

  14·1

  14·1

  12·9

  11·3

  10·9

  10·9

  9·9

  8·1

  7·0

  7·5

  Females

  10·5

  11·0

  10·1

  8·7

  8·1

  7·9

  8·4

  7·1

  6·0

  6·0

  6·8

  1 Excludes detention trainees: includes youth custody trainees and persons sentenced to detention in a young offender institution.

  2 Excluding those remaining in custody as fine defaulters on completion of a custodial sentence for criminal offence.

  Mr. Patrick Doyle
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a list of all meetings held and correspondence exchanged in the past 10 years between his Department and Mr. Patrick Doyle, now of AST Training; what was the nature of such meetings or correspondence; what plans he has to meet Mr. Patrick Doyle; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Howard
  We have been unable to trace any record of contact with Mr. Doyle, and have no plans to meet him.

  Penal Costs
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average cost per month of holding someone in prison in(a) 1990–91, (b) 1991–92, (c) 1992–93 and (d) currently; and what was the total cost for each year available.
  390
  to inform you that the corresponding information about receptions of sentenced prisoners is not yet available, and that none of the information for 1993 is yet available.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 18 October 1993]: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter to Ms Joan Ruddock, from Derek Lewis, dated 22 October 1993:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the costs of holding someone in prison.
  The costs are shown below at 1993x2013;94 prices.

  Year

  Total net operating cost of prison establishments £ million

  Net operating cost per inmate per month £

  1990–91

  1,009.6

  1,897

  1991–92

  1,110.6

  2,037

  1992–931

  1,166.8

  2,213

  1993–942

  1,138.7

  2,063

  1 Provisional.

  2 Forecast.

  391
  The reduction in costs between 1992–93 and 1993–94 is largely due to lower superannuation contributions.

  Homosexual Prisoners
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy on sending openly homosexual prisoners to HMP Ford.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 19 October 1993]: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter to Ms Joan Ruddock from Derek Lewis, dated 22 October 1993:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the allocation of homosexual prisoners to Ford prison.
  Openly homosexual prisoners are not sent to Ford prison as the allocation criteria excludes actively known homosexuals, except life sentenced prisoners, whose moves have been authorised by the Secretary of State as part of a progression towards release.

  Young Offenders
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many 15-year-olds remanded in custody in 1992, spent(a) up to one week, (b) one to two weeks, (c) two to four weeks, (d) four to eight weeks, (e) eight weeks to three months, (f) three to six months and (g) over six months, in prison before their court case was concluded;

  (2) how many 15-year-olds remanded into custody in 1993 to the latest date available spent (a) up to one week, (b) one to two weeks, (c) two four weeks, (d) four to eight weeks, (e) eight weeks to three months, (f) three to six months and (g) over six months in prison before their court case was concluded.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 19 October 1993]: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter to Ms Joan Ruddock from Derek Lewis, dated 22 October 1993:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about the length of time remanded 15 year olds have spent in custody before their court case was concluded in 1992 and 1993.
  I regret to inform you that the information is not available in the form you have requested. The latest available information relates to the time spent in custody since the inmate's first reception into a Prison Service establishment up until the 30 June in each of the years you have requested. I enclose four tables showing the length of time untried and convicted unsentenced 15 year old inmates have spent in custody from the date of their first reception into a Prison Service establishment up until the 30 June 1992 and 30 June 1993.
  The figures quoted include any intervening time spent on bail but exclude any time spent in police cells beforehand.
  392

  Untried 15 year olds held in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales on 30 June 1992; by length of time since first reception into a Prison Service establishment1

  Length of time since first remand into a Prison Service establishment

  Number of prisoners2

  Up to and including 1 week

  7

  Over 1 up to and including 2 weeks

  3

  Over 2 up to and including 4 weeks

  4

  Over 4 up to and including 8 weeks

  1

  Over 8 weeks up to and including 3 months

  3

  Over 3 up to and including 6 months

  1

  Over 6 months

  3

  TOTAL

  22

  1 Time since first reception on remand into a Prison Service establishment. This includes any intervening time spent on bail, but excludes any time spent in police cells beforehand.

  2 Provisional figures.

  Convicted Unsentenced 15 year olds held in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales on 30 June 1992; by length of time since first reception into a Prison Service establishment1

  Length of time since first remand into a Prison Service establishment

  Number of prisoners2

  Up to and including 1 week

  1

  Over 1 up to and including 2 weeks

  0

  Over 2 up to and including 4 weeks

  2

  Over 4 up to and including 8 weeks

  1

  Over 8 weeks up to and including 3 months

  0

  Over 3 up to and including 6 months

  1

  Over 6 months

  0

  TOTAL

  5

  1 Time since first reception on remand into a Prison Service establishment. This includes any intervening time spent on bail, but excludes any time spent in police cells beforehand.

  2 Provisional figures.

  Untried 15 year olds held in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales on 30 June 1993; by length of time since first reception into a Prison Service establishment1

  Length of time since first remand into a Prison Service establishment

  Number of prisoners2

  Up to and including 1 week

  11

  Over 1 up to and including 2 weeks

  9

  Over 2 up to and including 4 weeks

  1

  Over 4 'up to and including 8 weeks

  3

  Over 8 weeks up to and including 3 months

  2

  Over 3 up to and including 6 months

  2

  Over 6 months

  0

  TOTAL

  28

  1 Time since first reception on remand into a Prison Service establishment. This includes any intervening time spent on bail, but excludes any time spent in police cells beforehand.

  2 Provisional figures.

  Convicted Unsentenced 15 year olds held in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales on 30 June 1993; by length of time since first reception into a Prison Service establishment1

  Length of time since first remand into a Prison Service establishment

  Number of prisoners2

  Up to and including 1 week

  0

  Over 1 up to and including 2 weeks

  2

  Over 2 up to and including 4 weeks

  1

  Over 4 up to and including 8 weeks

  1

  Over 8 weeks up to and including 3 months

  0

  Over 3 up to and including 6 months

  2

  Over 6 months

  0

  TOTAL

  6

  393

  1 Time since first reception on remand into a Prison Service establishment. This includes any intervening time spent on bail, but excludes any time spent in police cells beforehand.

  2 Provisional figures.

  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many instances of assault reported to the prison authorities the victim was a 15-year-old inmate in(a) 1992 and (b) 1993 to the latest available date.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter to Ms Joan Ruddock from Derek Lewis, dated 22 October 1993:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking in how many instances of assault reported to the prison authorities the victim was a 15 year old inmate in (a) 1992 and (b) 1993 to the latest available date.
  I regret to inform you that the information you have requested is not recorded centrally.

  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) which prisons and young offender institutions have held 15-year-olds as(a) remanded prisoners and (b) sentenced prisoners in (i) 1992 and (ii) 1993 to the latest date available;

  (2) where 15-year-olds currently (a) remanded in custody and (b) sentenced to custody were being held, (i) on 1 January and (ii) at the latest date available;

  (3) how many 15-year-olds were being held in custody (a) on 1 January and (b) on the latest date for which figures are available; how many of them were (a) on remand pending trial or entering pleas, (b) on remand pending sentence or (c) sentenced; and, in each category, how many were male and how many were female.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 19 October 1993]: Responsibility for these matters has been delegated to the director general of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter to Ms Joan Ruddock from Derek Lewis, dated 22 October 1993:

  15 year old inmates in prison service establishments
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions asking for the location and numbers of untried, convicted unsentenced and sentenced 15 year old inmates in Prison Service establishments in 1992 and 1993.
  I regret that we are unable to supply you with information for 1 January as requested. The readily available information relates to the population of 15 year old males and females in Prison Service establishments on 30 June 1992, 30 June 1993 and 31 August 1993. I therefore attach three tables detailing the population of untried, convicted unsentenced and sentenced inmates by establishment, split by sex for these dates. The information is drawn from central records which are subject to the errors inherent in a large computerised database.

  Population1 of 15-year-old juveniles by type of custody in Prison

  Service establishments on 30 June 1992.

  Untried

  Unsent

  Sentenced

  Remand (Male)

  Brinsford

  3

  0

  2

  Brockhill

  1

  0

  0

  Cardiff

  0

  0

  1

  Feltham

  4

  0

  4

  Glen Parva

  2

  1

  0

  394

  Untried

  Unsent

  Sentenced

  Hindley

  1

  0

  0

  Low Newton

  5

  3

  0

  Moorland

  3

  1

  0

  Norwich

  1

  0

  0

  Local (Male)

  Latchmere House

  0

  0

  1

  Closed YOIs (Male)

  Deerbolt

  0

  0

  25

  Feltham

  0

  0

  ]

  Stoke Heath

  0

  0

  1

  Juvenile YOIs (Male)

  Feltham

  2

  0

  8

  Onley

  0

  0

  16

  Werrington

  0

  0

  19

  Closed YOIs (Female)

  Styal

  0

  0

  1

  Total

  22

  5

  79

  1 Provisional data

  Population1 of 15-year-old juveniles by type of custody in Prison Service establishments on 30 June 1993

  Untried

  Unsent

  Sentenced

  Remand centres (male)

  Brinsford

  7

  1

  0

  Cardiff

  0

  0

  1

  Exeter

  0

  0

  1

  Feltham

  1

  2

  3

  Glen Parva

  4

  0

  0

  Hindley

  4

  1

  0

  Holme House

  0

  0

  1

  Low Newton

  3

  1

  0

  Moorland

  8

  1

  1

  Closed YOls (male)

  Deerbolt

  0

  0

  23

  Feltham

  0

  0

  3

  Open YOIs (male)

  Thorn Cross

  0

  0

  8

  Wetherby

  0

  0

  11

  Juvenile YOIs (male)

  Brinsford

  0

  0

  5

  Feltham

  1

  0

  9

  Guys Marsh

  0

  0

  6

  Onley

  0

  0

  9

  Werrington

  0

  0

  14

  Closed YOIs (female)

  Bullwood Hall

  0

  0

  1

  Styal

  0

  0

  1

  Total

  28

  6

  97

  1 Provisional data.

  Population1 of 15 year old juveniles by type of custody in Prison Service establishments on 31 August 1993

  Untried

  Unsent

  Sentenced

  Remand (Male)

  Brinsford

  4

  1

  0

  Cardiff

  1

  0

  1

  Feltham

  2

  0

  2

  Glen Parva

  6

  1

  1

  Hindley

  4

  1

  0

  Holme House

  2

  0

  0

  Low Newton

  3

  3

  0

  395

  Untried

  Unsent

  Sentenced

  Moorland

  8

  5

  0

  Closed YOIs (Male)

  Deerbolt

  0

  0

  32

  Feltham

  0

  0

  2

  Open YOIs (Male)

  Thorn Cross

  0

  0

  0

  Wetherby

  0

  0

  10

  Juvenile YOI (Male)

  Brinsford

  0

  0

  5

  Feltham

  2

  3

  7

  Guys Marsh

  0

  0

  11

  Onley

  0

  0

  13

  Werrington

  0

  0

  9

  Lancaster Farms

  2

  0

  0

  Remand (Female)

  New Hall

  0

  0

  1

  Closed YOI (Female)

  Styal

  0

  0

  1

  Total

  34

  14

  95

  1 Provisional data.

  Prison Staff
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what were the(a) targeted staffing levels and (b) actual staffing levels at each prison in England and Wales;

  (2) if he will provide a breakdown of staff numbers in each prison in England and Wales, by rank, gender and race.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 18 October 1993]: Responsibility for these matters has been delegated to the director general of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter to Ms Joan Ruddock from Derek Lewis, dated 22 October 1993:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about staffing in the Prison Service.
  I attach at Annex A a list of target staffing figures and staff in post at each Prison Service establishment on 31 August. As to the differences, for historical reasons some target staffing figures reflect former complements which were unfunded. On 1 April we devolved to governors the responsibility for recruiting prison officers and, subject to the maximum set by the TSF, deciding the number and mix of staff within their running costs budgets.
  It may be helpful if I explain the largest gaps between the target staffing figures and staff in post:
  Brixton—The target staffing figure on 31 August had still to be adjusted to reflect a transfer of work to Belmarsh; it has since been reduced by 33 to 737;
  Hull—The target staffing figure incorporates new posts created as a result of a change of role at the establishment; these posts are in the process of being filled as required;
  Leeds—The target staffing figure incorporates the additional posts for two new wings which had not opened by 31 August; the staff in post numbers were still building up in anticipation of opening;
  Risley—The staff in post, but not the target staffing figure, include around 30 staff in a temporary allocation centre.
  A breakdown of staff in post at every Prison Service establishment, showing grade, gender and ethnic background could only be produced at disproportionate cost. The readily available information at Annex B shows the number and
  396
  proportion of permanent staff in each grade who are women or members of the ethnic minorities for the Prison Service as a whole.
  The figures for staff from the ethnic minorities are based on responses to a voluntary survey of staff ethnic origins and include all who described their own ethnic origin as other than white. Our database of staff ethnic origins now covers approximately 74 per cent. of staff in non-industrial grades. We are taking steps to fill the gaps in that database, and we also hope to extend the database to cover staff in the industrial grades.

  Total staff target staffing figures and staff in post in prison service establishments at 31 August 1993

  (Part-time staff treated as 0·5)

  Establishments

  Target staffing figures

  Staff in post

  Acklington

  331·5

  328·5

  Albany

  299·0

  299·5

  Aldington

  72·0

  71·0

  Ashwell

  185·5

  179·5

  Askham Grange

  82·5

  75·5

  Aylesbury

  262·5

  256·0

  Bedford

  269·5

  269·5

  Belmarsh

  802·0

  786·0

  Birmingham

  619·5

  591·0

  Blantyre House

  69·0

  68·0

  Blundeston

  256·5

  249·0

  Brinsford

  346·5

  339·0

  Bristol

  413·0

  406·0

  Brixton

  770·0

  720·5

  Brockhill

  107·5

  106·5

  Bullingdon

  411·5

  415·0

  Bullwood Hall

  134·5

  131·5

  Camp Hill

  287·0

  277·0

  Canterbury

  242·0

  227 0

  Cardiff

  326·0

  327·5

  Castington

  183·0

  185·5

  Channings Wood

  262·0

  258·0

  Chelmsford

  300·0

  299·0

  Coldingley

  214·5

  214·5

  Cookham Wood

  97 0

  94·0

  Dartmoor

  386·5

  389·0

  Deerbolt

  247·0

  243·5

  Dorchester

  148·5

  153·5

  Dover

  211·5

  202·0

  Downview

  186·0

  181·0

  Drake Hall

  128·0

  124·5

  Durham

  555·0

  532·0

  East Sutton Park

  56·0

  55·0

  Eastwood Park1

  —

  29·0

  Elmley

  413·0

  405·5

  Erlestoke

  189·5

  182·0

  Everthorpe

  192·5

  184·5

  Exeter

  350·0

  328·0

  Featherstone

  305·5

  305·0

  Feltham

  544·0

  524·5

  Ford

  186·0

  185·0

  Frankland

  521·5

  520·0

  Full Sutton

  675·0

  666·0

  Garth

  342·0

  342·5

  Gartree

  296·0

  290·5

  Glen Parva

  464·5

  453·5

  Gloucester

  203·0

  215·5

  Grendon/Spring Hill

  286·0

  264·0

  Guys Marsh

  202·5

  190·0

  Haslar

  79·0

  80·0

  Hatfield

  136·0

  135·0

  Haverigg

  216·0

  209·0

  Hewell Grange

  103·5

  98·0

  Highdown

  423·5

  407·5

  Highpoint

  358·5

  358·0

  Hindley

  265·5

  266·5

  Hollesley Bay

  353·5

  326·5

  Holloway

  505·0

  493·0

  Holme House

  409·0

  404·0

  Hull

  403·0

  371·5

  Huntercombe/Finnamore Wood

  176·0

  1860

  Kingston

  119·5

  119·5

  397

  Establishments

  Target staffing figures

  Staff in post

  Kirkham

  213·5

  214·0

  Kirklevington

  72·0

  72·0

  Lancaster

  141·5

  139·0

  Lancaster Farms

  272·0

  268·0

  Latchmere House

  77·5

  76·5

  Leeds

  733·5

  685·5

  Leicester

  311·5

  308·0

  Lewes

  310·0

  307·0

  Leyhill

  182 5

  178·5

  Lincoln

  387·5

  386·5

  Lindholme

  378·5

  368·5

  Littlehey

  275·0

  272·5

  Liverpool

  788·0

  773·0

  Long Lartin

  495·0

  494·0

  Low Newton

  180·0

  181·5

  Maidstone

  340·5

  322·0

  Manchester

  453·0

  456·0

  Moorland

  395·0

  394·0

  Morton Hall

  78·5

  76·5

  New Hall

  174·5

  175·5

  North Sea Camp

  105·0

  103·5

  Northallerton

  143·0

  142·0

  Norwich

  428·5

  418·5

  Nottingham

  198·0

  196·0

  Onley

  265·5

  258·5

  Parkhurst

  493·5

  475·5

  Pentonville

  527·5

  512·0

  Portland

  282·0

  266·5

  Preston

  387·5

  376·5

  Pucklechurch

  100·5

  96·0

  Ranby

  213·5

  211·0

  Reading

  188·0

  187·5

  Risley

  448·0

  471·5

  Rochester

  269·5

  266·5

  Her Majesty's Prison Service: Breakdown of staff according to grade, gender and ethnic origin (position as at 7 September 1993)

  Grade

  Total

  Women

  Other than white2

  per cent

  per cent

  Director General

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Director (Grade 3)

  5

  2

  40·00

  —

  —

  Grade 4 (including Principal Medical Officers)

  7

  1

  14·29

  —

  —

  Grade 5

  13

  4

  30·77

  —

  —

  Assistant Director

  8

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Grade 6

  21

  3

  14·29

  —

  —

  Grade 7

  131

  16

  12·21

  3

  2·29

  Governor 1

  37

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Governor 2

  80

  7

  8·75

  —

  —

  Governor 3

  113

  12

  10·62

  —

  —

  Governor 41

  304

  37

  12·17

  3

  0·99

  Governor 51

  483

  35

  7·25

  2

  0·41

  Principal Officer1

  1,401

  51

  3·64

  7

  0·50

  Senior Officer1

  3,310

  144

  4·35

  33

  1·00

  Officer1

  19,173

  1,796

  9·37

  356

  1·86

  Temporary Officer

  8

  8

  100·00

  —

  —

  Auxiliary Officer

  1,517

  296

  19·51

  29

  1·91

  Night Patrol

  940

  83

  8·83

  29

  3·09

  Chaplains

  250

  31

  12·40

  4

  1·60

  Nursing Grades

  379

  312

  82·32

  30

  7·92

  Psychologist Grades

  158

  105

  66·46

  1

  0·63

  Farm Manager Grades

  80

  1

  1·25

  0

  0·00

  F/T Medical Officer Grades

  122

  12

  9·84

  52

  42·62

  P/T Medical Officer Grades

  116

  6

  5·17

  23

  19·83

  Senior Professional and Technical Officer

  4

  1

  25·00

  1

  25·00

  Higher Professional and Technical Officer

  120

  2

  1·67

  3

  2·50

  Professional and Technical Officer

  69

  8

  11·59

  7

  10·14

  Senior Instruction Officer

  100

  1

  1·00

  —

  —

  Higher Instruction Officer

  26

  2

  7·69

  —

  —

  Instructional Officer

  1,028

  141

  13·72

  12

  1·17

  Senior Executive Officer

  84

  20

  23·81

  2

  2·38

  Higher Executive Officer

  290

  108

  37·24

  9

  3·10

  Executive Officer

  615

  357

  58·05

  29

  4·72

  Administrative Officer

  2,014

  1,497

  74·33

  142

  7·05

  Administrative Assistant

  679

  539

  79·38

  64

  9·43

  Storeperson

  581

  28

  4·82

  5

  0·86

  Typing and Secretarial Grades

  623

  618

  99·20

  13

  2·09

  398

  Establishments

  Target staffing figures

  Staff in post

  Rudgate

  122·5

  118·0

  Send

  82·5

  81 5

  Shepton Mallet

  148·0

  145·5

  Shrewsbury

  214·0

  210·5

  Stafford

  352·0

  342·5

  Standford Hill

  173·0

  169·5

  Stocken

  222·5

  218·5

  Stoke Heath

  237·0

  234·0

  Styal

  235·0

  225·5

  Sudbury/Foston

  195·5

  200·0

  Swaleside

  336·0

  344·5

  Swansea

  213·5

  208·5

  Swinfen Hall

  164·5

  159·5

  The Mount

  213·0

  218·0

  The Verne

  295·0

  297·5

  Thorn Cross

  137·0

  136·5

  Thorp Arch

  130·0

  128·0

  Usk/Prescoed

  167·0

  167·5

  Wakefield

  637·5

  630·5

  Wandsworth

  737·0

  696·0

  Wayland

  253·5

  252·0

  Wellingborough

  201·5

  200·0

  Wellington

  82·0

  79·0

  Wetherby

  127·0

  133·5

  Whatton

  130·0

  130·0

  Whitemoor

  609·5

  612·5

  Winchester

  396·5

  394·0

  Woodhill

  514·5

  490·0

  Wormwood Scrubs

  720·0

  696·0

  Wymott

  365·0

  358·0

  1 No target staffing figure given for Eastwood Park which is closed for refurbishment.

  399

  Grade

  Total

  Women

  Other than white2

  per cent.

  per cent.

  Pharmacist Grades

  44

  34

  77·27

  5

  11·36

  Support Bands 1 and 2

  219

  196

  89·50

  10

  4·57

  Librarian

  1

  1

  100·00

  —

  —

  Regional Catering Manager

  5

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Industrials

  2,843

  186

  6·54

  N/A

  —

  Church Education Officer

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Animals Inspector

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Information Officers

  4

  1

  25 00

  —

  —

  TOTAL

  38,008

  6,702

  17·63

  874

  2·30

  1 Includes specialist grades; works, hospital, physical education etc.

  2 Based on voluntary response to a staff ethnic origins survey.

  Prisons (Blood Transfusion)
  Ms Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy on allowing prisoners to give blood.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 19 October 1993]: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter to Ms Joan Ruddock from Derek Lewis, dated 22 October 1993:
  The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the policy on allowing prisoners to give blood.
  The Prison Service has no general policy on this matter because in practice the National Blood Transfusion Service does not collect blood from prisoners.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Coal
  Sir Peter Emery
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on what progress has been made by the Government on their policies announced in their White Paper on coal.

  Mr. Eggar
  As I indicated in my statement on 20 October,Official Report, columns 277–78, we have announced our intention that British Coal's mining assets should be offered for sale in five regional packages; we have issued two consultation papers covering the pensions and concessionary fuel regimes after privatisation; we expect shortly to receive the comprehensive advice of the Health and Safety Commission on all aspects of the post-privatisation safety regime; we are repealing the Coal Mines Regulation Act 1908 with effect from 20 November; Dr. Martin Holdgate has agreed to become chairman of the Energy Advisory Panel; British Coal has offered for licence 20 pits that it does not wish to keep in production and is currently considering 12 tenders for seven of those pits; and, subject to EC clearance, we are offering a subsidy to British Coal in support of additional sales from Ellington colliery to British Alcan's power station at Lynemouth.

  Embargoed Police Equipment
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the equipment which is designated as police or security equipment included in the United Nations embargo list.

  Mr. Needham
  The United Nations does not itemise police or security equipment in any United Nations Security Council resolution. Exports of military and paramilitary police equipment are controlled to all destinations by part III, group I of the Export of Goods Control Order 1992.

  Home-based Telecommunications
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the current budget of the Department for research and development on home-based telecommunications.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  DTI expenditure on research and development projects on home-based working with the aid of telecommunications is forecast at around £0.25 million over the next three years. The projects' total value when other partners' contributions are taken into account will be at least double this amount. Because telecommunications may support work practices relevant to both the office and the home, there will also be research not attributed to home-based working which will have some relevance to it.

  Projects included a one-year study of the business and economic implications of teleworking; the connected community, project—in which Apple Computers and BT have contributed equipment to a community to improve its business and community activities—and several projects under the computer-supported co-operative work (CSCW) programme relevant to home-based working.

  There is also a major European Community programme, telematics systems for rural areas, worth 14million ecu. Two projects within this programme are led by the United Kingdom:

  MITRE - Market implementation of teleworking in rural areas; and

  PATRA - Psychological aspects of teleworking in rural areas.

  Nuclear Safeguards
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make it his policy to advocate an increase to the International Atomic Energy Agency budget for safeguards activities at the review conference on the nuclear non-proliferation treaty in 1995 and all preparatory meetings.

  Mr. Eggar
  The proper forum for the discussion of the IAEA's budget is the agency's board of governors. The
  401
  IAEA general conference in September this year requested the IAEA' s director general to intensify his efforts towards improving the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of the safeguards system. My Government support this initiative and will continue to argue for the provision of resources sufficient for the agency to discharge all its safeguards responsibilities in a cost-effective manner.

  Copyright
  Sir Ivan Lawrence
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his policy towards the proposed harmonisation of copyright in the EC; when action will become necessary on the issue; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Government support harmonisation of copyright laws in the European Community where this is necessary for the proper functioning of the internal market, and particularly when the result is to increase protection elesewhere in the Community for works of United Kingdom origin. The European Commission has already embarked on an extensive programme of copyright harmonisation, the current situation being as follows:

  (a) a directive on the copyright protection of computer programs has been adopted and was implemented in the United Kingdom on 1 January 1993;

  (b) a directive on rental and lending rights and certain rights related to copyright was adopted on 19 November 1992;

  (c) a directive on copyright and related rights applicable to satellite broadcasting and cable transmission was adopted on 27 September 1993;

  (d) a common position was reached on 22 July 1993 on a directive harmonising the term of protection of copyright and certain related rights;

  (e) a draft directive on the legal protection of databases is under negotiation; and

  (f) the Commission is currently considering action on home taping of sound and audiovisual recordings, and is studying moral rights, reprography, artists' resale right and the collective administration of rights.

  Fuel Costs
  Mr. Raynsford
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade what information he has on the total expenditure in(a) the domestic sector and (b) all other sectors on (i) gas, (ii) electricity and (iii) all other fuels, in each of the past three years; and if he will estimate expenditure in the current year.

  Mr. Eggar
  The information requested is shown in the table:

  Estimated expenditure on energy by final users

  £ million

  1990

  1991

  1992

  Domestic sector

  Natural gas

  4,865

  5,775

  5,685

  Electricity

  6,255

  7,105

  7,460

  All other fuels

  1,160

  1,240

  1,140

  TOTAL

  12,280

  14,120

  14,285

  All other sectors

  Natural gas

  2,345

  2,505

  2,405

  Electricity

  8,450

  9,035

  9,645

  All other fuels

  23,100

  23,850

  23,910

  TOTAL

  33,895

  35,390

  35,960

  All final consumers

  Natural gas

  7,210

  8,280

  8,090

  402

  1990

  1991

  1992

  Electricity

  14,705

  16,140

  17,105

  All other fuels

  24,260

  25,090

  25,050

  TOTAL

  46,175

  49,510

  50,245

  Source: UK Digest of Energy Statistics 1993.

  Notes:

  1. The figures have been rounded to the nearest £5 million.

  2. The "all other fuels" figure includes the estimated commercial value of coal supplied free or at concessionary prices to miners.

  3. The domestic sector figures exclude purchases of motor spirit, derv fuel, and lubricating oils which are treated as part of the transport sector.

  Most data used to compile this table are collected annually and estimates for 1993 will not be available until mid-1994. However, for the domestic sector figures are available for the first six months of 1993 and show total domestic energy expenditure 1.5 per cent. lower than in the first six months of 1992, with expenditure on gas 1.5 per cent. higher but expenditure on electricity and all other fuels 3 per cent. and 6 per cent. lower respectively.

  Land Mines
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make it his policy to declare a moratorium on the export of land mines from the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I have been asked to reply.

  We are not contemplating separate legislation to cover the export of land mines from the United Kingdom. We believe that our current stringent controls on the export of defence equipment, which includes control on all mines, are sufficient to stop the sale of these weapons to countries which may use them in an irresponsible manner.

  Regional Assistance
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) when he will reply to the letter of the hon. Member for Thurrock dated 26 August relating to assisted area status and objective 2 status; and what is the reason for the delay in his reply;

  (2) on what dates in September he met representatives of Southend borough to discuss assisted area and objective 2 status for the Southend travel-to-work area; which hon. Members attended the meetings; which hon. Members representing any part of the Southend travel-to-work area were not invited to the meetings; and what plans he has to discuss assisted area objective 2 status for the Southend travel-to-work area with representatives of the Thurrock borough council and the hon. Member for Thurrock.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answer 20 October 1993]: Among a large number of requests for meetings about the review of objective 2 and 5(b) areas, I received one from the hon. Member for Thurrock in his letter of 26 August and another from my right hon. Friend the Member for Southend, West (Mr. Channon).

  I met my right hon. Friend, my hon. Friend the Member for Southend, East (Sir T. Taylor) and five representatives from Southend borough council on 8 September.

  In response to the hon. Member's letter of 26 August, my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Technology telephoned the hon. Member to offer a separate meeting with him and representatives of Thurrock borough council. This offer was, however, declined by the hon. Member and by the council and no further action was therefore taken on the letter.
  403
  I have no plans at this stage of the review for further meetings with local authorities. The Government's proposals for objective 2 areas, which include part of
  404
  Thurrock within the east Thames corridor area, and also part of Southend, are now being considered by the European Commission.