Written Answers of 9 March 1994

NATIONAL HERITAGE

  Shalfleet Bridge
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when the Shalfleet bridge was first placed on the draft list of listed buildings; and when the county council was advised of the draft listing of this structure.

  Mr. Brooke
  Shalfleet bridge was included in the draft resurvey list which was submitted to my Department by English Heritage on 9 July 1993. A copy of the draft list was sent to South Wight borough council on 12 July 1993, and I understand that the Council passed it on to the Isle of Wight joint planning technical unit, which serves South Wight and Medina borough councils and the Isle of Wight county council.

  My Department does not send copies of draft lists to county councils: copies are sent only to district planning authorities.

  Arts Council of England
  Ms Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when he will announce the members of the new Arts Council of England.

  Mr. Brooke
  Shortly.

  SOCIAL SECURITY

    Child Support Agency
    Ms Walley
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on Child Support Agency case reference no. 1001953851, dealt with at the Longton agency; and on what grounds the agency cancelled the child maintenance order concerned.

    Mr. Burt
    The case was taken on under section 6 of the Child Support Act 1991 and the maintenance order was subsequently superseded and ceased to have effect by virtue of regulation 3(6) of the Child Support (Maintenance Arrangements and Jurisdiction) Regulations 1992.

    Mr. Mike O'Brien
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what is the policy of the Child Support Agency regarding using first-class post rather than second-class post;

    (2) how many letters on average are sent by the Child Support Agency to each person who is the subject of a claim prior to the statement of the new contribution required;

    (3) what was the overall cost of administration and the cost of the postage bill for the Child Support Agency in the last available year.
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    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.

    Letter from Ros Hepplewhite to Mr. Mike O'Brien, dated 8 March 1994:

    I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the overall cost of administration, the cost of postage and the number of letters issued by the Child Support Agency before a maintenance assessment is completed.

    As the Agency has not completed its first year of operation, the actual full year's costs are not yet known. The total budget allocation for the Agency's capital and running costs for the year 1993–94 is £116 million, of which £2·2 million has been allocated for postage.

    Figures are not collected centrally on the total number of letters issued to individual clients before a maintenance assessment is made. Our records indicate, however, that in addition to the initial letter, reminders are currently required in 50 per cent. of cases, and further verification required in 40 per cent. of cases.

    All correspondence issued by the Agency's computer system and payments are sent by first class post. Clerically issued correspondence will normally be sent by second class post.

    I hope this reply is helpful.

    Ms Gordon
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what instructions are given to the Child Support Agency to protect single mothers who have disabilities or children with disabilities from a possible £8·80 a week income support reduction or withdrawal of their benefit book.

    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.

    Letter from Ros Hepplewhite to Ms Mildred Gordon, dated 8 March 1994:

    I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the instructions given to the Child Support Agency to protect single mothers with disabilities, or single mothers with children who have disabilities from a possible £8·80 reduction in their income support.

    The instructions given to child support officers (CSOs) on dealing with reduced benefit directions are contained in the Child support Manual, a copy of which is contained in the Library. There are no specific instructions concerning single mothers who have disabilities or children with disabilities, but the decision to implement a reduced benefit deduction is made only after the CSO has considered the impact on the welfare of the children.

    I hope this reply is helpful.

    Ms Gordon
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many assessments the Child Support Agency has made; how many assessments are being challenged by parents with care; and how many assessments are being challenged by absent parents.

    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.

    Letter from Ros Hepplewhite to Ms Mildred Gordon, dated 8 March 1994:

    I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the numbers of maintenance assessments issued by the Child Support Agency which have been challenged.

    During the period 5 April 1993 to 31 December 1993 the Agency assessed 121,600 cases, and received 16,600 requests for

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    second tier reviews of assessments. A breakdown of how many requests for review were initiated by absent parents, and how many by parents with care is not available.

    I hope this reply is helpful.

    Ms Rachel Squire
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many cases have been dealt with by the Child Support Agency to date;

    (2) how many of all the cases dealt with by the Child Support Agency to date have involved absent parents who are in receipt of income support.

    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.

    Letter from Ros Hepplewhite to Ms Rachel Squire, dated 8 March 1994:

    I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Social Security asking for the numbers of cases dealt with by the Child Support Agency.

    From 5 April 1993 to 31 December 1993 the Agency took on 711,000 cases.

    In the same period, over 200,000 cases were cleared, and more than 121,600 resulted in a maintenance assessment. Of these 24,300 cases involved absent parents receiving income support.

    I hope this reply is helpful.

    Ms Rachel Squire
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in how many cases to date the Child Support Agency has used earnings deduction orders to obtain maintenance payments.

    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.

    Letter from Ros Hepplewhite to Ms Rachel Squire, dated 8 March 1994:

    I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the number of deductions from earnings orders issued by the Child Support Agency.

    To the end of February 1994, the Agency had issued deductions from earnings orders in an estimated 1,400 cases.

    I hope this reply is helpful.

    Ms Rachel Squire
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what target time the Child Support Agency has for completion of assessments of new child support claims; how many of the claims made after April 1993 have been assessed within the target time; and in how many cases the Child Support Agency has exceeded the target time by(a) four weeks, (b) eight weeks and (c) 12 weeks.

    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.

    Letter from Ros Hepplewhite to Ms Rachel Squire, dated 8 March 1994:
    I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the target time for completion of a child maintenance assessment by the Child Support Agency.
    The Agency does not have a target time for completion of assessments. The original expectation was that it would take between 6 to 12 weeks to clear a straightforward case once the Agency was fully operational. To date, the process has been more
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    time consuming than had previously been expected. Information for the period 5 April to 31 December 1993 shows that 45·5% of assessments have been cleared in under 40 days, 12 % in between 40 and 100 days, and 42% in over 100 days.
    I hope this reply is helpful.

    Ms Rachel Squire
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many of the cases dealt with by the Child Support Agency to date have resulted in absent parents requesting a review of maintenance assessment; if there is a target time for dealing with reviews; what is the average length of time required to complete the review process; and in how many cases the review process has exceeded the target time.

    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.

    Letter from Ros Hepplewhite to Ms Rachel Squire, dated 8 March 1994:
    I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about reviews of child maintenance assessments.
    During the period 5 April 1993 to 31 December 1993 the Child Support Agency received 16,600 requests for second tier reviews of assessments. Information on clearance times is being collected but, because of the relatively low volumes, it is too early for reliable information to be available. At this stage we are, therefore, unable to estimate how long it should take to complete a review.
    A breakdown of how many requests for review were initiated by absent parents, and how many by parents with care is not available.
    I hope this reply is helpful.

    Ms Gordon
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much, on average, it costs the Child Support Agency to access and collect £2·20 from an absent parent on income support.

    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.

    Letter from Ros Hepplewhite to Ms Mildred Gordon, dated 8 March 1994:
    I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the cost to the Child Support Agency of administering the collection of £2·20 from absent parents on income support.
    The assessment and collection of the £2·20 deduction from an absent parent on income support is part of the Agency's overall assessment and collection services and, as such, is not costed as a separate item, being part of the total costs of administration. Given, however, that the process involves automated transfers of multiple payments, the marginal cost attributable to each individual case will be very small.
    I hope this reply is helpful.

    Mr. Hall
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, (1) pursuant to his answer of 1 March,Official Report, column 695, when estimates will be available of the amount of money the Child Support Agency will be expected to recover in (a) 1994–95 (b) 1995–96 and (c) 1996–97;

    (2) pursuant to his answer of 1 March, Official Report, column 695, what is the estimated shortfall between the Child Support Agency target of £530 million to be recovered in 1993–94 and the actual amount now expected to be recovered.
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    Mr. Burt
    The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for Ross Hepplewhite, the chief executive. She will write to the hon. Member.

    Letter from Ros Hepplewhite to Mr. Mike Hall, dated 8 March 1994:
    I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Social Security, about the estimated shortfall in benefit saving recoveries for 1993–94 and when estimates will be available of recoveries for future years.
    We are not yet able to provide an assessment of the level of benefit savings that the Agency will achieve in 1993–94 because of uncertainties caused by the effect of the recent policy changes.
    Targets for the Agency, including that for benefit savings, are set annually. The 1994–95 target will be announced in due course.
    I hope this reply is helpful.

    Mr. Renton
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many cases the Child Support Agency has pursued to date when there is in existence a court agreement regarding maintenance.

    Mr. Burt
    The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for Ros Hepplewhite, the chief executive. She will write to my right hon. Friend.

    Letter from Ros Hepplewhite to Mr. Tim Renton, dated 8 March 1994:
    I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State about the number of cases the Child Support Agency has pursued where there was an existing court order.
    Up to 31 December 1993, the latest date for which figures are available, the Agency had issued maintenance application forms to 344,000 absent parents, of which 121,600 have resulted in the assessment of maintenance. Figures are not kept on the number of cases in which a prior court agreement existed. It is estimated, however, that 45 per cent. of cases taken on will have an existing maintenance arrangement, a proportion which includes court agreements.
    I hope you will find this reply helpful.

    Child Poverty
    Ms Corston
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list research commissioned or undertaken by his Department since 1979 into the causes and effects of poverty, material deprivation and very low family income among children in any part of the United Kingdom, specifying the year and cost of each project; and whether he has any plans for such research.

    Mr. Burt
    Research is regularly conducted into the role of social security and its impact on those in low-income households. A list of research projects sponsored by the Department is published in the social security research yearbooks, formerly the DHSS handbook of research and development, copies of which are in the Library.

    In addition, the Department sponsors a number of long-running statistical surveys to monitor change in the composition and circumstances of households and the level and nature of their income. These provide the basic data for research and analysis by other interested researchers.

    World Summit
    Ms Corston
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 1 March,Official Report, column 691, if he proposes to prepare a report on poverty for the world summit on social development
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    planned to take place in Copenhagen in March 1995; and if he will specify which other memberes of the European Union have already issued such reports in preparation for that summit.

    Mr. Burt
    I have no such plans, and am not aware of any reports on poverty that have been issued by European Union countries in preparation for the world summit on social development.

    Funeral Payments
    Mr. Luff
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what changes he plans to make to the rules governing funeral payments from the social fund.

    Mr. Scott
    Amendments to the Social Fund Maternity and Funeral Payment (General) Expenses Regulations 1987 have been laid before Parliament today. They aim to ensure that help will be focused more accurately on those who have good reason to take responsibility for funeral costs. People in genuine need of help will not be affected.

    Housing Benefit
    Ms Primarolo
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants living in private rented accommodation had their housing benefit reduced in the last year; and what was the average level of reduction.

    Mr. Burt
    The information requested is not available. Decisions on the level of housing benefit paid in individual cases are matters for local authorities, which may restrict payments on the basis of a rent officer's determination or may choose to pay benefit exceeding that amount.

    Crisis Loans
    Ms Primarolo
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many crisis loans were paid for rent in advance for the last year.

    Mr. Scott
    The information requested is published in my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's annual report on the social fund for 1992–93, which is in the Library.

    Family Credit
    Ms Jowell
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average length of time taken to process an application for family credit.

    Mr. Burt
    The assessment of family credit is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

    Letter from Michael Bichard to Ms Tessa Jowell, dated 8 March 1994:
    The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the average length of time taken to process an application for Family Credit.
    Firstly, I should explain that the Benefits Agency's 1992–93 target, set by the Secretary of State is to clear 60 per cent. of claims to Family Credit within 13 days.
    The average clearance time for the latest month, February 1994, is 12·11 working days. I am also able to inform you that over the last six months, claims to Family Credit have been cleared in an average of 11·72 days.
    I hope my reply has been helpful.

    Income Support
    Mr. Robert Ainsworth
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what representations he has received from Coventry concerning undue delay in the payment of income support;

    (2) what standard is set for the time to be taken to process and pay income support to a woman who is within 11 weeks of her expected date of confinement;

    (3) what information is required of an income support claimant who is within 11 weeks of expected date of confinement in order to evaluate their claim;

    (4) what representations he has received from Coventry concerning the Benefit Agency asking unnecessary and irrelevant questions of income support claimants;

    (5) to what explanation an income support claimant is entitled in a case of extensive delay in processing and paying a claim;

    (6) what investigations are currently being conducted into the processing and payment of income support from the Coventry office.

    Mr. Burt
    The administration of income support is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

    Letter from Michael Bichard to Mr. Robert Ainsworth, dated 8 March:
    The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about claims to, and the payment of, Income Support (IS) in Coventry.
    National targets for the 1993/94 year for IS claims are that 71% should be decided within 5 working days and 90% within 13 working days. Coventry District Office has achieved clearance rates of 74·1% within 5 working says and 89·7% within 13 working days in the year to date.
    The Benefits Agency Customer Charter, a copy of which I have enclosed, is freely available in any of the Agency's District Offices and states clearly that, where a delay occurs, the customer should contact the person dealing with their claim who will explain clearly the reason for it. If they are not satisfied with this explanation, they can contact the Customer Service Manager, who will then deal with the complaint. The name and address of the Customer Service Manager is displayed in all public areas of the Agency's offices and is also given on request to customers.
    Complaints addressed personally to the Manager of the Coventry office are not broken down to record the specific subject. I should also explain that no record is kept of the number, or nature of complaints, answered by IS staff, which were not referred to either the Customer Service Manager or Office Manager at Coventry.
    A customer who claims IS must supply any information necessary for an independent Adjudication Officer to decide entitlement to benefit. In addition, customers who are pregnant must also provide a certificate of Expected Date of Confinement provided by their GP or hospital.
    Peter Light, the Manager at Coventry District Office has informed me that he has no complaints under investigation concerning the processing of IS, or delays in making payment by his staff. However, if you have received a specific complaint or allegation, Mr. Light can be contacted and he will investigate it as a matter of priority and provide you with a full written report of his findings.
    I hope you find this reply helpful.

    Benefits, Doncaster
    Mr. Redmond
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people are currently receiving(a) attendance allowance, (b) disability allowance, (c) family credit, (d) income support, (e) invalidity benefit and (f) sickness benefit in the Doncaster area.
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    Mr. Scott
    This is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available.

    Letter from Michael Bichard to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 8 March 1994:
    The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about benefit recipients in Doncaster.
    The information is not available in the format requested. This is because Benefits Agency District boundaries do not correspond with county or borough boundaries. A small part of the Doncaster area falls within that covered by the Mexborough Branch Office of the Agency's Rother and Dearne District.
    Statistics relating to the Mexborough customers living in the Doncaster area receiving Sickness Benefit, Invalidity Benefit, Income Support and Family Credit could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. However, I have provided details for the area covered by the Doncaster District only.
    Statistical data for each of the benefits is collected and collated over different periods and timescales. The latest available figures show that on the last working day of January 1994 there were 14,728 people claiming Invalidity Benefit and 3,160 people claiming Sickness Benefit; on the last working day of February there were 30,800 people claiming Income Support, and at 18 February 1994 there were 3,010 people claiming Family Credit.
    Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance are centrally administered benefits. A clerical trawl would be necessary to ascertain the number of Attendance Allowance beneficiaries residing in Doncaster. To obtain the same information for Disability Living Allowance recipients would necessitate a scan of the DLA computer system. Both these exercises could only be carried out at a disproportionate cost.
    I hope you find this reply helpful.

  NATIONAL FINANCE

    Inheritance Tax
    Mr. Gordon Prentice
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many landowners claiming full exemption from inheritance tax have been found not to have made appropriate arrangements to publicise the right of public access to their land.

    Mr. Dorrell
    Landowners who breach the undertakings they have given to secure conditional exemption are liable to an inheritance tax charge on the current value of the land. To date there has been no need to raise any such charge. Any questions which have arisen have been resolved in discussion.

    Council Tax
    Mr. Redmond
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the initial cost of the valuation of properties for council tax.

    Mr. Nelson
    The cost of the initial valuation banding of domestic properties for council tax was £36,067,401.

    Paris Club
    Sir Thomas Arnold
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are his current policies within the Paris Club; which countries are in consultation with the club; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Nelson
    The United Kingdom's policy is to work with other creditors in the Paris Club to negotiate sustainable reschedulings of bilateral claims that will maximise recoveries. For severely indebted, low-income
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    countries, the United Kingdom's view is that more concessional relief is required, along the lines proposed by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in Trinidad in 1990, and the Government are working to achieve a consensus for this.

    At its latest meeting, which ended on 4 March, the Paris Club agreed concessional reschedulings for Senegal and Niger. The world bank's publication "World Debt Tables 1993–94", a copy of which is in the Library, contains details of earlier multilateral debt relief agreements.

    Banknotes
    Mr. Redmond
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what amount of banknotes will be printed by the Bank of England for each financial year from 1994–95 to 1996–97.

    Mr. Nelson
    The Bank of England expects to print approximately 1,400 million notes of all denominations in each of the next three years. This is the same as it will print in 1993–94.

    Public Sector Borrowing Requirement
    Mr. Spellar
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the breakdown of the PSBR in this fiscal year between central and local government.

    Mr. Nelson
    A detailed breakdown of the forecast for the PSBR for 1993–94 was given in table 6.11 of the Financial Statement and Budget Report published last November. The table gives a summary of this information.

    £ billion

    Central Government borrowing requirement on its own account

    50·2

    Local authority borrowing requirement

    -0·8

    Public corporations borrowing requirement

    0·4

    PSBR

    49·8

    Air Passenger Duty
    Mr. Redmond
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimates he has made regarding the revenue derived from air passenger duty per annum in respect of(a) scheduled passenger flights and (b) charter flights to and from (i) Leeds-Bradford airport and (ii) Humberside airport.

    Sir John Cope
    CAA statistics for 1992 show terminal passenger traffic by individual airports. Assuming that all flights are return flights and that the proportion of EC to non-EC flights is the same as nationally, it is estimated that the air passenger duty revenue per annum for flights departing from these airports will be of the order of magnitude shown below.

    (£ million)

    Scheduled

    Charter

    Humberside

    0·2

    0·2

    Leeds/Bradford

    0·9

    0·8

    Building Societies (Pre-tax Profits)
    Mr. Alan W. Williams
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table giving the pre-tax profits for each financial year from 1978–79 for the following building societies(a) Halifax, (b) Nationwide, (c) Woolwich and (d) Abbey National now plc.

    Mr. Nelson
    These figures are not collated by the Treasury, but they are in the public domain. I suggest that the hon. Member approaches the institutions directly.

    Betting Duty
    Mr. Donohoe
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the loss of betting duty caused by the cancellation of horse race meetings due to bad whether during the last year.

    Sir John Cope
    Receipts from general betting duty in the latest three months, November 1993 to January 1994, were 2·6 per cent. lower than in the same period a year earlier. This compares to an increase of 6 per cent. for receipts in the months May 1993 to January 1994. It is not possible to attribute the fall in receipts specifically to bad weather, but this is likely to have been a factor.

    VAT Penalty Regime
    Mr. David Nicholson
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received since the November Budget on the VAT penalty regime; and if he will make a statement.

    Sir John Cope
    There was extensive and very helpful consultation about the VAT penalty regime before the Budget. There have been very few further representations since.

    Sports Clubs (VAT)
    Mr. Wigley
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the total amount of value added tax wrongly imposed on sports clubs in respect of subscriptions and the hire of grounds and equipment for each year since 1990; and if he will make a statement.

    Sir John Cope
    Customs and Excise estimates, based on information from the Department of National Heritage, are that repayments will amount to some £10 million for each calendar year since 1990.

    Freephone and Freepost
    Mr. Donohoe
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the use of freephone and freepost facilities currently being operated by his Department; how much these facilities are costing; for what purposes these facilities are being used; and how much his Department has spent on operating freephone and freepost facilities in each financial year since 1979.

    Mr. Nelson
    The Treasury currently makes no use of freephone or freepost facilities and there is no record of it having done so since 1979.

    Public Interest Immunity Certificates
    Mr. Meacher
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 22 February,Official Report, column 96, if he will provide whatever information is

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    available of those occasions on which he, or other Ministers in his Department, have signed public interest immunity certificates, and for what reasons.

    Mr. Kenneth Clarke
    I have not signed any public interest immunity certificates as Chancellor of the Exchequer and no other serving Treasury Minister has ever signed such a certificate.

    So far as I am aware, the only public interest immunity certificate signed by a Treasury Minister since 1979 was signed in January 1988 by my right hon. Friend the Member for St. Albans (Mr. Lilley) in his then capacity as the Economic Secretary to the Treasury. That certificate was issued in connection with civil proceedings in which the Bank of England was concerned, and related to Treasury and bank documents. Public interest immunity was claimed on the grounds that it was necessary that the documents in question be withheld from production, in the case of some, for the proper functioning of the public service, and in the case of others, for the proper exercise by the bank of its functions and responsibilities as a central bank and banking supervisor. The claim was considered by the court and upheld.

    Child Care
    Ms Harman
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Departments spend on child care; on what provision the sum is spent; how many children receive the child care; and if he will make a statement about child care.

    Mr. Nelson
    [holding answer 7 March 1994]: The information requested is set out for each of the Chancellor's Departments. The expenditure shown relates to the current financial year, unless otherwise stated.

    Her Majesty's Treasury

    EXPENDITURE: £7,800 per annum.

    PROVISION: School Holiday Playscheme and Emergency Nursery places.

    Number of children receiving childcare this financial year to date: 32.

    Inland Revenue:

    EXPENDITURE: The Inland Revenue subsidise a number of nurseries and playschemes, both in monetary terms and also by providing accommodation, utilities and administrative support. Childcare budgets are delegated to 34 regional offices, and no data are held centrally.

    PROVISION: Nurseries and Playschemes.

    Number of children receiving childcare: 651 use playschemes and 147 use workplace nurseries.

    National Investment and Loans Office

    EXPENDITURE: £481 per annum.

    PROVISION: School Holiday Playscheme.

    Number of children receiving childcare this financial year to date: 3.

    Government Actuary's Department

    No expenditure on childcare.

    Department for National Savings

    No expenditure on childcare.

    Registry of Friendly Societies

    No expenditure on childcare.

    Royal Mint

    No expenditure on childcare.

    Central Statistical Office

    EXPENDITURE: £5,798 per annum.

    PROVISION: Playschemes.

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    Number of children receiving childcare this financial year to date: 57.

    The CSO also spent £173,000 in 1992–93 building and setting up an on site nursery for 34 children.

    Customs and Excise

    EXPENDITURE: £428,000 per annum.

    PROVISION: Workplace nurseries, bought in schemes and other playschemes.

    Number of children receiving childcare this financial year to date: approximately 1,000.

    Paymaster General's Office

    EXPENDITURE: £44,500 per annum.

    PROVISION: Nursery.

    Number of children receiving childcare this financial year to date: 43.

  HOME DEPARTMENT

    Young Offenders
    Ms Corston
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department where a 17-year-old alleged offender who is deemed to be category A would normally be held in the prison system.

    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 from Derek Lewis to Ms Jean Corston, dated 9 March 1994:

    The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about where a 17 year old alleged offender who is deemed to be category A would normally be held in the prison system.

    For any alleged offender who, because of the nature and circumstances of their alleged offences, is placed in category A, security must be the first priority.

    Unconvicted persons in prison custody who are placed in category A can only be held in Prison Service establishments with an appropriate level of security. In the case of a 17 year old alleged (ie unconvicted) offender the only YOI with a level of security appropriate to hold a category A is Moorland. Unless the courts to which a 17 year old would have to be taken for remand and trial appearances are within reasonable travelling distance of Moorland, such an individual would have to be held in a category A holding local prison.

    Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme
    Mr. Jenkin
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to publish the detailed rules of the revised criminal injuries compensation scheme, the tariff scheme.

    Mr. Howard
    The detailed rules of the tariff scheme, which comes into force on 1 April 1994, are being published today.

    A copy of the text of the rules and the accompanying guide, which explains to claimants how the new scheme works and the criteria adopted for deciding applications, have been placed in the Vote Office and the Library. Copies of both documents may be obtained from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, Tay house, 300 Bath street, Glasgow G2 4JR.

    Bail Hostels
    Dr. Lynne Jones
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 9 February,Official Report, column 253, relating to the expected savings in 1994–95 in respect of bail hostels, what directions have been given to the West Midlands probation service as to the savings to be made in 1994–95.

    Mr. Maclean
    The Home Office has not given directions to the West Midlands probation committee on this matter. The committee has been asked to identify two approved hostels for closure so that the necessary savings in public expenditure may be made.

    Dr. Lynne Jones
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he had received about his decision to close 11 bail hostels.

    Mr. Maclean
    Representations have been received from a number of hon. Members, probation services, and others involved in the criminal justice system from the areas affected.

    Dr. Lynne Jones
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements will be made for offenders in the west midlands when there is no vacancy in a bail or probation hostel in the west midlands.

    Mr. Maclean
    There are over 100 approved hostels in England and Wales, a number of which are located in probation areas neighbouring the west midlands. All are available to the west midlands courts and it is the responsibility of the probation service to bring them to those courts' attention.

    Dr. Lynne Jones
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of those remanded on bail are remanded to bail hostels.

    Mr. Maclean
    The information requested is not held centrally and is not available.

    Receptions into prison service establishments by offence, 19931

    Offence

    Immediate imprisonment

    In default of payment of a fine

    All

    Percentage in default of payment of a fine

    All offences

    52,337

    22,583

    74,920

    30

    Violence against the person

    7,537

    1,575

    9,112

    17

    Murder

    214

    0

    214

    0

    Manslaughter

    183

    0

    183

    0

    Other homicide and attempted homicide

    403

    5

    408

    1

    Wounding

    4,826

    785

    5,611

    14

    Assaults

    11,371

    612

    1,983

    31

    Cruelty to children

    46

    1

    47

    2

    Other offences of violence against the person

    494

    172

    666

    26

    Sexual offences

    1,849

    34

    1,883

    2

    Buggery and indecency between males

    179

    1

    180

    1

    Rape

    428

    0

    428

    0

    Gross indecency with children

    223

    2

    225

    1

    Other sexual offences

    1,019

    31

    1,050

    3

    Burglary

    9,532

    1,673

    11,205

    15

    Robbery

    3,075

    59

    3,134

    2

    226
    Dr. Lynne Jones
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the total reduction in funding for bail hostels is being met from the west midlands.

    Mr. Maclean
    Some 16 per cent.

    Dr. Lynne Jones
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide details of the rates charged by local authorities to other local authorities for accommodating those remanded on bail when there is no vacancy available in their own hostels.

    Mr. Maclean
    Local authorities are required to pay a standard flat rate charge for hostel residents for whom they have responsibility, irrespective of where that hostel is located. For 1993–94 the weekly charge is £65·03.

    Prisoners
    Mr. Redmond
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were sentenced to a prison term under each offence category in the latest year for which figures are available; and what numbers and percentage of the total were fine defaulters.

    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 from Derek Lewis to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 9 March 1994:

    RECEPTIONS UNDER SENTENCE
    The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking how many people were sentenced to a prison term under each offence category in the latest year for which figures are available; and what numbers and percentage of the total were fine defaulters.
    The information you have requested is given in the table.
    227

    Offence

    Immediate imprisonment

    In default of payment of a fine

    All

    Percentage in default of payment of a fine

    Theft and handling

    9,142

    4,431

    13,573

    33

    Taking and driving away

    2,178

    349

    2,527

    14

    Other thefts

    5,228

    3,451

    8,679

    40

    Handling stolen goods

    1,736

    631

    2,367

    27

    Fraud and forgery

    1,790

    698

    2,488

    28

    Frauds

    1,665

    659

    2,324

    28

    Forgery

    125

    39

    164

    24

    Drugs offences

    3,126

    495

    3,621

    14

    Other offences

    12,255

    13,391

    25,646

    52

    Arson

    430

    24

    454

    5

    Criminal damage

    701

    1,842

    2,543

    72

    Immigration Act 1977

    7

    0

    7

    0

    In charge or driving under the influence of drink or drugs

    1,665

    579

    2,244

    26

    Other motoring offences

    5,007

    7,210

    12,217

    59

    Offences relating to prostitution

    19

    91

    110

    83

    Drunkenness

    161

    526

    687

    77

    Vagrancy

    28

    93

    121

    77

    Other

    4,237

    3,026

    7,263

    42

    Offence not recorded

    4,031

    227

    4,258

    5

    1 Provisional figures.

    Police Expenditure
    Mr. Redmond
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the expenditure(a) per officer, (b) per 100,000 population (i) in total, (ii) on vehicles, (iii) on buildings, and (iv) on communications by year for the last four years for the police forces in (1) Humberside, (2) North Yorkshire, (3) South Yorkshire and (4) West Yorkshire.

    Mr. Charles Wardle
    Total expenditure per officer and per 100,000 population is set out in the table. Separate totals for expenditure on vehicles, buildings and communications are not held centrally.

    (a) Total expenditure per officer, based on establishments at 1 April each year:

    1990–91(£)

    1991–92(£)

    1992–931 (£)

    1993–942 (£)

    Humberside

    35,572

    40,262

    42,798

    44,665

    North Yorkshire

    35,100

    38,743

    43,288

    46,604

    South Yorkshire

    33,935

    36,514

    41,229

    43,565

    West Yorkshire

    36,651

    40,671

    42,942

    46,306

    Arrests and prosecutions per officer and per 100,000 population

    Arrests—all offences

    Prosecutions—indictable offences only

    Per officer

    Per 100,000 population

    Per officer

    Per 100,000 population

    1989

    Humberside

    18

    4,182

    4

    916

    North Yorkshire

    12

    2,458

    4

    737

    South Yorkshire

    13

    3,088

    4

    983

    West Yorkshire

    15

    3,803

    4

    1,001

    1990

    Humberside

    18

    4,212

    4

    913

    North Yorkshire

    14

    2,800

    4

    819

    South Yorkshire

    15

    3,396

    4

    998

    West Yorkshire

    16

    4,073

    4

    1,056

    228

    (b) Total expenditure per 100,000 population, based on mid-year population figures:

    1990–91 (£000's)

    1991–92 (£000's)

    1992–931 (£000's)

    1993–942 3 (£000's)

    Humberside

    8,311

    9,245

    9,880

    10,312

    North Yorkshire

    6,807

    7,566

    8,490

    9,140

    South Yorkshire

    7,850

    8,466

    9,583

    10,126

    West Yorkshire

    9,347

    10,395

    10,859

    11,709

    1Using estimated expenditure for 1992–93.

    2 Using budgeted expenditure for 1993–94.

    3Based on mid-1992 population figures. 1993 figures not yet available.

    Arrests and Prosecutions
    Mr. Redmond
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the number of(a) arrests and (b) prosecutions, (i) per officer and (ii) per 100,000 population by year for the last four years in the police authority areas covering (1) Humberside, (2) north Yorkshire, (3) south Yorkshire and (4) west Yorkshire.

    Mr. Maclean
    The readily available information is given in the table.
    229

    Arrests—all offences

    Prosecutions—indictable offences only

    Per officer

    Per 100,000 population

    Per officer

    Per 100,000 population

    1991

    Humberside

    18

    4,172

    4

    924

    North Yorkshire

    15

    2,882

    4

    864

    South Yorkshire

    15

    3,527

    4

    1,034

    West Yorkshire

    16

    4,148

    4

    1,108

    1992

    Humberside

    17

    4,026

    4

    907

    North Yorkshire

    16

    3,201

    5

    909

    South Yorkshire

    15

    3,556

    4

    999

    West Yorkshire

    16

    4,046

    5

    1,288

    Police Capital Programmes
    Mr. Redmond
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the capital programmes by year for the last four years for the police authority areas covering(a) Humberside, (b) north Yorkshire, (c) south Yorkshire and (d) west Yorkshire.

    Mr. Charles Wardle
    Total capital allocations for the forces concerned were:

    Capital allocation

    1990–91 £ million

    1991–92 £ million

    1992–93 £ million

    1993–94 £ million

    Humberside

    1·567

    3·293

    2·839

    2·811

    North Yorkshire

    1·119

    1·989

    1·970

    1·905

    South Yorkshire

    4·081

    3·525

    4·737

    4·112

    West Yorkshire

    8·646

    14·627

    14·951

    8·469

    Bail (Reoffenders)
    Mr. Streeter
    : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were charged with criminal offences committed while already on bail in Plymouth in 1993.

    Mr. Maclean
    The information is not available centrally.

    Fraudulent Trading
    Mr. Austin Mitchell
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many successful fraudulent trading convictions were obtained in each of the last five years, excluding those obtained by the Department of Trade and Industry.

    Mr. Maclean
    Court proceedings information held centrally on fraud cases cannot separately identify whether an offence was one of fraudulent trading.

    West Midlands Probation Service
    Dr. Lynne Jones
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what considerations underlay the reduction of the funding to the West Midlands probation service; what estimate he has made of this on the Shard End drive training project in Birmingham; and what facilities for projects alternative to the Shard End drive project exist in the west midlands.

    Mr. Maclean
    There has been no such reduction in funding. The West Midlands probation service's revenue 230
    grant for 1994–95 is 5·4 per cent. higher than in 1993–94 and the funds allocated to it from the probation supervision grants scheme are 46 per cent. higher. The Shard End drive project has previously been funded under the scheme. It is for the West Midlands probation service to decide, in preparing its plans for partnerships with the independent sector, which individual projects to continue to support.

    The service has decided to invite applications from any interested organisation in the area to run drive training activities in future. The response will show the service what alternative facilities are or might be available.

    Dr. Lynne Jones
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 2 February,Official Report, column 704, if he will provide occupancy figures for each probation and bail hostel in the west midlands for each of the last four quarters for which figures are available after discounting those beds in hostels which are not available due to refurbishment under the non-availability was approved by his Department.

    Mr. Maclean
    The West Midlands probation service has provided the following occupancy figures, which exclude places taken out of use for refurbishment. In most cases the Home Office approval for temporary withdrawal of places was not sought or required.

    Location

    1Per cent.

    2Per cent.

    3Per cent.

    4Per cent.

    Carpenter House

    91

    96

    83

    78

    Bilston

    96

    81

    88

    88

    Stoke Green

    89

    72

    64

    81

    Welford House

    69

    72

    67

    74

    Crowley House

    55

    48

    57

    60

    Marshall House

    89

    90

    91

    92

    Sycamore Lodge

    80

    79

    73

    84

    Stonnal Road

    n/a

    n/a

    81

    88

    1January to March 1993.

    2 April to June 1993.

    3July to September 1993.

    4October to December 1993.

    Note: Stonnel Road re-opened in May and the first complete quarterly figures available are April to June. Elliott House did not open until November 1993.

    Fines (Non-payment)
    Ms Lynne Jones
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of remanded or sentenced women received into custody in(a) Great Britain and (b) the west midlands for each quarter for the last five years for non-payment of fines imposed for not possessing a television licence.
    231
    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 from Derek Lewis to Ms Lynne Jones, dated 9 March 1994:
    The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking if he will list the number of remanded or sentenced women received into custody in (a) Great Britain and (b) the West Midlands for each quarter for the last five years for non-payment of fines imposed for not possessing a television licence.
    The available information is for England and Wales, 1991–93 and is given in the attached table. No females were held on remand for this offence during the period 1991 to 1993. No information is available for the period before 1991 as the offence of non-payment of fines for not possessing a television licence was not separately identified in the prison statistics.

    Females received for non-payment of fine imposed for not possessing a television licence

    Quarter

    From all courts sentencing in England and Wales1

    From a court sentencing in the west Midlands

    All 1993

    292

    19

    1st

    70

    3

    2nd

    61

    1

    3rd

    83

    7

    4th

    78

    8

    All 1992

    163

    5

    1st

    41

    1

    2nd

    33

    —

    3rd

    47

    2

    4th

    42

    2

    All 1991

    136

    2

    1st

    18

    —

    2nd

    43

    2

    3rd

    26

    —

    4th

    49

    —

    1 Includes those from the west Midlands.

    Immigration
    Mr. Peter Bottomley
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people he estimates are in the United Kingdom illegally and how many have been here for more than five years; how many adults have children; and how many are self-sufficient in terms of housing and income.

    Mr. Charles Wardle
    Comprehensive information on the number of persons who have entered illegally or are in the United Kingdom in breach of the conditions imposed on their leave to enter or remain here is not available.

    Moorlands Prison (Escape)
    Mr. Redmond
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make a statement in respect of the escape from Moorlands prison by remand prisoner, Craig Weekly; and if he has been recaptured;

    (2) to which prison Craig Weekly, remand prisoner, escaped from Moorlands prison, will be sent when recaptured.

    Mr. Peter Lloyd
    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.
    232
    Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 9 March 1994:

    The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about the escape of Craig Weekly from Moorland prison, whether he has been recaptured and the prison to which he will be sent when recaptured.

    Craig Weekly escaped from Moorland prison on the afternoon of Saturday 5 February 1994. Mr. Weekly has been recaptured and is being held in Perth prison in Scotland pending the results of police investigations into whether there will be any criminal charges arising from his actions whilst unlawfully at large. Once any such charges have been dealt with he will be returned to Moorland prison to face a discipline adjudication resulting from his escape and to await any further court appearances.

    Deportation
    Mr. Peter Bottomley
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what were the numbers and costs of deportations in each of the past three years and the numbers and costs of the enforced deportations in those years when those deported had not been convicted of a criminal offence;

    (2) how many of those deported in 1991, 1992 and in 1993 were in family units of more than one person.

    Mr. Charles Wardle
    Information on the numbers of people removed from the United Kingdom under the deportation process is given in the table. The other information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

    People removed from the United Kingdom under the deportation process

    1991

    1992

    1993

    Total people removed under deportation process1

    2,616

    2,583

    32,254

    of which, a deportation order was enforced2, excluding deportation action following a court recommendation

    256

    399

    3449

    1 Including persons who departed voluntarily, but excluding illegal entrants removed. In total, some 6,100 people were removed as illegal entrants or under the deportation process in 1993.

    2 That is excluding voluntary and supervised departures.

    3 Provisional figure.

    Prison Education
    Mr. Don Foster
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the expenditure by each local education authority in respect of classes in prisons, detention centres or community homes with education for each year since 1989; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Peter Lloyd
    Payments made to local education authorities for the provision of education in prisons and young offender institutions in England and Wales since 1 April 1989 are as follows:

    £ million

    1989–90

    20·2

    1990–91

    24·1

    1991–92

    26·0

    1992–93

    28·2

    1993–94

    18·6

    1 Estimated.

    The payments in 1993–94 reflect the changeover this year to direct provision through further education colleges

    233
    and other providers, rather than through local education authorities, consequent upon the provisions of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992.

    Expenditure on education classes in community homes falls within the departmental responsibilities of the Department of the Environment. Details of such expenditure, and of payments made to individual local education authorities, are not held centrally and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.

    Animal Experimentation
    Mr. Tony Banks
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of quail used in scientific procedures under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 during 1990, 1991 and 1992.

    Mr. Charles Wardle
    The information is not available. Changes which are being introduced to the system for the collection of the annual statistics of scientific procedures will make it possible from 1995 onwards to distinguish between different types of birds used in experiments.

    Absences from Prison
    Mr. Nicholls
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what circumstances those convicted of rape and other serious crimes are permitted to enjoy periods of absence from prison for social reasons.

    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 from Derek Lewis to Mr. Patrick Nicholls, dated 9 March 1994:
    The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the circumstances in which those convicted of rape and other serious crimes are permitted to enjoy periods of absence from prison.
    Under Prison Rule 6, prison governors have powers to allow temporary release to sentenced prisoners. Temporary release may be granted to a prisoner under Prison Rule 6(2) "for any special purpose or to enable him to engage in employment, to receive instruction or training or to assist him in the transition from prison life to freedom". Temporary release is not, however, available to unconvicted and convicted unsentenced prisoners; sentenced prisoners who are remanded on further charges; persons detained under the Immigration Act 1971; prisoners who are subject to extradition proceedings; prisoners who are considered to be mentally ill or suffering from mental disorder or have been committed to prison as a place of safety; and prisoners who are in Category A or on the escape list.
    Before temporary release may be granted, governors must be satisfied that a prisoner can be trusted both to abstain from crime during a period of temporary release and to return to prison afterwards. In addition, governors are required to consult headquarters before temporary release may be granted to certain categories of prisoners. These include prisoners serving 10 years or more and not within 12 months of release and prisoners convicted at any time of a serious sexual offence.
    A review of the present arrangements has recently been undertaken. The conclusions and recommendations are now being considered.

    Crime (Street Lighting)
    Dr. Lynne Jones
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he has issued as to the appropriate level of street lighting for inner-city areas for the purposes of combatting crime.
    234
    Mr. Key
    Guidance has been published by the British Standards Institution, in BS5489 part 3: 1994: "Code of practice for lighting for subsidiary roads and associated pedestrian areas". A copy is in the Library. This standard classifies the lighting requirements for three categories of crime risk. The responsibility for lighting is with the appropriate local authority.

  OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

    Aid Statistics
    Mr. Austin Mitchell
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the value in sterling of overseas aid forecast to be made in the current financial year for(a) famine relief, (b) other aid to improve immediate human conditions, (c) technical aid and assistance, (d) infrastructural projects, (e) debt relief, or assistance with prior contractual commitments and (f) consultancy; and if he will list figures within these categories by countries or regions of the world.

    Mr. Goodlad
    It is estimated that in financial year 1993–94 bilateral expenditure on overseas aid will be as follows:

    Africa

    Asia, Latin America and the oceans

    Other

    £ million

    £ million

    £ million

    Food aid

    19

    —

    —

    Emergency and refugee relief

    44

    35

    48

    Debt relief

    15

    28

    —

    Country programmes, including aid and trade provisions

    306

    378

    —

    Provision for technical co-operation, infrastructure projects and consultancy is included in the country programmes.

    Mr. Austin Mitchell
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the value in pound sterling of overseas aid forecast to be made in the calendar year 1993 by the European Commission for(a) famine relief, (b) other aid to improve immediate human conditions, (c) technical and financial assistance, (d) infrastructural projects, (e) debt relief or assistance with prior contractual commitments and (f) consultancy; and if he will list figures within these categories by countries or regions of the world.

    Mr. Goodlad
    The European Community budget for 1993 includes provision for payments of up to the sums shown in the following table, at current exchange rates:

    Total £ million

    UK Share £ million

    Food Aid

    444

    73

    Humanitarian Aid

    118

    19

    Aid to Asia and Latin America

    276

    46

    Aid to Mediterranean Countries

    265

    44

    Other Aid Programmes (inc non-Governmental Organisations)

    292

    48

    Aid to Eastern Europe/former Soviet Union

    539

    89

    Emergency Aid Reserve

    163

    27

    Aid for Scientific/Technological Research for Developing Countries

    23

    4

    235
    In addition, in 1993 the European Commission made calls on member states for contributions totalling £1,253 million—United Kingdom share around £208 million—in respect of the European development fund which cover aid to Africa, Caribbean and Pacific countries. The EDFs are not financed from the EC budget.

    Figures are not available showing EC aid spending by the categories listed in the question.

    Mr. Austin Mitchell
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what records the Government have of payments of aid made by United Kingdom-based charitable organisations to third world countries and the sources of funds for these aid payments;

    (2) what is the value in pound sterling of overseas aid forecast to be made either in the current financial year or in the calendar year 1993 by United Kingdom-domiciled charitable organisations for (a) famine relief, (b) other aid to improve immediate human conditions, (c) technical aid and assistance, (d) infrastructural projects, (e) debt relief or assistance with prior contractual commitments and (f) consultancy; and if he will list figures within these categories by countries or regions of the world.

    Mr. Goodlad
    The Government do not keep records of the overall expenditure by United Kingdom-based charitable organisations on overseas aid. Our records reflect only the grants which the Overseas Development Administration has made available to these organisations.

    In 1992–93, the latest year for which figures are available, the Government provided over £147 million to non-governmental organisations of which £79 million was for development work and £68 million for humanitarian relief. A further breakdown of this expenditure into the categories requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

    Charitable organisations receive funds from a variety of sources including Government donors, the private sector and the general public.

    Zimbabwe
    Mr. Malone
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what steps he has taken or proposes to take to ensure payment of Zimbabwe public service pensions to those eligible in this country;

    (2) if he will make representations to the Government of Zimbabwe regarding the payment of Zimbabwe public service pensions to those eligible in this country.

    Mr. Goodlad
    I am not aware of any current problems with payment. However, our high commission in Harare follows up any examples that come to light.

    Consultants (Contracts)
    Mr. Austin Mitchell
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list, by value for contracts with a value of over £100,000, contracts made by the Overseas Development Administration with firms of consultants over the last year, giving(a) the value of the contract, (b) the nature of the consultancy and (c) the domicile of the contractor.

    Mr. Goodlad
    All consultancies let by the Overseas Development Administration in this financial year with a value of over £100,000 have been made with contractors with a business domicile in the United Kingdom. A list of such contracts has been placed in the Library of the House.

  EDUCATION

    Sex Education
    Dr. Spink
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) when he expects to publish final guidance relating to the proposed circular on sex education in schools;

    (2) what guidance will be given in the new sex education circular to ensure that homosexuality as the norm is not promoted in schools;

    (3) what guidance will be given in the new circular on sex education to protect the young from homosexual proselytism;

    (4) what guidance will be given in the new sex education circular to ensure that schools teach their pupils the basic facts of the law as it relates to sexual activity.

    Mr. Forth
    My right hon. Friend hopes to issue the final version of the circular on sex education in schools in April. He is carefully considering the views expressed in the consultations on the draft circular, including those on the matters mentioned by my hon. Friend. The draft circular suggested that schools should be aware of the requirements of the law, and that pupils should be taught about the values and knowledge needed to enable them to behave responsibly and morally.

    Nursery Education
    Mr. David Nicholson
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make a statement on the value of and the contribution his Department makes to promote(a) nursery education and (b) pre-school play groups.

    Mr. Robin Squire
    Good nursery education and playgroup provision both contribute to the Government's policy of promoting choice, diversity, quality and cost-effectiveness of pre-school provision in the public and private sectors. One half of three and four-year-olds attend maintained nursery and primary schools, and two fifths attend playgroups. In addition to the funding by local education authorities of pre-school provision, my Department makes grants to a number of national bodies concerned with developing such provision, including the Pre-School Playgroups Association, the British Association for Early Childhood Education, and the National Children's Bureau.

    Schools, Gloucestershire
    Mr. Clifton-Brown
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list those schools in Gloucestershire whose status has changed from a grammar school to a comprehensive school in the last 20 years, together with the date of the change.

    Mr. Robin Squire
    The information is not available in the form requested. The Department's records indicate that in 1975 there were 11 grammar schools in Gloucestershire; now there are seven.

    Performance League Tables
    Mr. Amess
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make a statement on what form performance league tables will take this year and the probable date of publication.
    237
    Mr. Robin Squire
    On 21 February my right hon. Friend launched the consultation on the content, format and distribution of the 1994 school and college performance tables. He proposed that two sets of tables should again be published, covering secondary schools and institutions catering for students in the 16 to 18 age group. The secondary tables would include data on authorised absence, together with data on unauthorised absence published for the first time in 1993, and information on the length of the taught week. The tables would also contain extra information on vocational qualifications. As in previous years, they would be published in November.

    Freephone and Freepost
    Mr. Donohoe
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make a statement on the use of freephone and freepost facilities currently being operated by his Department; how much these facilities are costing; for what purposes these facilities are being used; and how much his Department has spent on operating freephone and freepost facilities in each financial year since 1979.

    Mr. Forth
    Freephone and freepost facilities are currently being operated by the Department for the following activities:

    A self-governing—GM—schools information line which offers an information pack about GM schools. Estimated cost £20,830;

    Requests for copies of the further and higher education charters. Estimated cost £38,123; and

    Requests for copies of the leaflet "National School Tests in 1994". Costs are unavailable as the campaign has not yet finished.

    In 1993, a freephone was available to answer inquiries about GM schools and freephone and freepost were available to request copies of the leaflet on national curriculum testing "How is Your Child Doing at Schoool?" Costs amount to some £29,963.

    In earlier years the Department has not directly arranged freephone and freepost facilities. The Central Office of Information has managed campaigns which have included freepost and freepost facilities on behalf of the Department. Figures for these costs are not available from the COI as they would incur disproportionate costs.

    Grant-maintained Schools
    Mr. Enright
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the salary of the chairman of the Grant Maintained Schools Mutual.

    Mr. Robin Squire
    This is a matter for the Grant Maintained Schools Mutual.

    Mr. Enright
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what is the total cost of insurance for grant-maintained schools;

    (2) how many grant-maintained schools are insured by (a) Sun Alliance and (b) Legal and General.

    Mr. Robin Squire
    This information is not held centrally.

    Mr. Enright
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education what advice is given to grant-maintained schools on insurance by the Grant Maintained Schools Mutual and the Funding Agency for Schools.

    Mr. Robin Squire
    The advice given to grant maintained schools on insurance by Grant Maintained 238
    Schools Mutual is a matter for the mutual. No advice has been given by the Funding Agency for Schools as it does not become operational until 1 April 1994.

    Mr. Boyes
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the total budget for each grant-maintained junior, infant and secondary school for Sunderland City education authority and Wandsworth education authority.

    Mr. Robin Squire
    The total budgets for the 1993–94 financial year are as follows:

    Wandsworth education authority

    £

    Primary schools

    Ethelburga Primary School

    439,828

    Hillbrook Primary School

    925,909

    Secondary schools

    Burntwood School

    4,487,358

    Elliott School

    3,870,951

    Graveney School

    5,244,434

    John Paul II Roman Catholic School

    1,633,050

    Salesian College

    1,653,473

    Southfields School

    3,645,574

    The amounts shown for total budget include annual maintenance grant, special purpose grants for restructuring, development, premises, VAT, transitional grant, section 11 grant and capital grants payable to the schools in 1993–94.

    There are currently no grant-maintained schools in the Sunderland metropolitan borough education authority area.

    Pupil Costs
    Sir Harold Walker
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the unit cost per pupil in each local education authority for 1992–93 for(a) nursery-primary and (b) secondary pupils.

    Mr. Robin Squire
    The provisional figures for recurrent spending per pupil in local education authority maintained schools in 1992–93, for those LEAs who have submitted returns of their expenditure, are as shown in the following table.

    Unit Cost Net Institutional Expenditure Per Pupil 1992–93

    Nursery/Primary £

    Secondary£

    Corporation of London

    3,058

    0

    Camden

    1,873

    2,558

    Greenwich

    n/a

    n/a

    Hackney

    n/a

    n/a

    Hammersmith and Fulham

    2,153

    2,926

    Islington

    n/a

    n/a

    Kensington and Chelsea

    2,018

    2,900

    Lambeth

    n/a

    n/a

    Lewisham

    1,727

    2,311

    Southwark

    1,765

    2,353

    Tower Hamlets

    n/a

    n/a

    Wandsworth

    2,078

    3,133

    City of Westminster

    n/a

    n/a

    Barking

    1,630

    2,303

    Barnet

    1,813

    2,615

    Bexley

    1,395

    2,122

    Brent

    1,461

    2,258

    Bromley

    1,471

    2,311

    Croydon

    1,586

    2,265

    Ealing

    n/a

    n/a

    Enfield

    1,564

    2,249

    239

    Nursery/Primary £

    Secondary£

    Haringey

    n/a

    n/a

    Harrow

    n/a

    n/a

    Havering

    1,472

    2,254

    Hillingdon

    1,622

    2,734

    Hounslow

    n/a

    n/a

    Kingston-upon-Thames

    n/a

    n/a

    Merton

    n/a

    n/a

    Newham

    n/a

    n/a

    Redbridge

    1,553

    2,220

    Richmond-upon-Thames

    1,683

    2,222

    Sutton

    1,509

    2,079

    Waltham Forest

    1,511

    2,388

    Birmingham

    1,440

    2,417

    Coventry

    n/a

    n/a

    Dudley

    1,489

    2,072

    Sandwell

    1,467

    2,307

    Solihull

    1,475

    2,066

    Walsall

    1,384

    2,189

    Wolverhampton

    1,476

    2,309

    Knowsley

    1,412

    2,271

    Liverpool

    1.521

    2,469

    St. Helens

    1,314

    2,160

    Sefton

    1,363

    2,074

    Wirral

    1,387

    2,340

    Bolton

    n/a

    n/a

    Bury

    n/a

    n/a

    Manchester

    1,451

    2,358

    Oldham

    1,721

    2,401

    Rochdale

    1,352

    2,162

    Salford

    1,339

    2,113

    Stockport

    1,419

    2,195

    Tameside

    1,443

    2,213

    Trafford

    n/a

    n/a

    Wigan

    1,338

    2,179

    Barnsley

    1,427

    2,096

    Doncaster

    1,318

    1,978

    Rotherham

    1,561

    2,220

    Sheffield

    1,594

    2,176

    Bradford

    1,651

    1,822

    Calderdale

    1,469

    2,061

    Kirklees

    1,392

    2,097

    Leeds

    n/a

    n/a

    Wakefield

    n/a

    n/a

    Gateshead

    1,627

    2,222

    Newcastle-upon-Tyne

    1,635

    2,051

    North Tyneside

    n/a

    n/a

    South Tyneside

    1,386

    2,104

    Sunderland

    1,427

    2,094

    Avon

    1,430

    2,186

    Bedfordshire

    1,491

    2,103

    Berkshire

    1,482

    2,158

    Buckinghamshire

    1,509

    2,184

    Cambridgeshire

    1,496

    2,170

    Cheshire

    1,321

    2,072

    Cleveland

    n/a

    n/a

    Cornwall

    1,421

    2,035

    Cumbria

    1,558

    2,286

    Derbyshire

    1,463

    2,224

    Devon

    1,455

    2,099

    Dorset

    1,392

    2,037

    Durham

    1,519

    2,083

    East Sussex

    1,485

    2,187

    Essex

    n/a

    n/a

    Gloucestershire

    1,555

    2,144

    Hampshire

    1,427

    2,143

    Hereford and Worcester

    1,448

    1,977

    Hertfordshire

    1,497

    2,110

    Humberside

    1,449

    2,145

    Isle of Wight

    1,462

    2,009

    Kent

    1,300

    1,909

    Lancashire

    n/a

    n/a

    Leicestershire

    1,453

    2,258

    Lincolnshire

    1,348

    2,049

    Norfolk

    1,450

    2,100

    North Yorkshire

    1,479

    2,146

    Northamptonshire

    1,343

    2,039

    240

    Nursery/Primary £

    Secondary £

    Northumberland

    1,461

    1,918

    Nottinghamshire

    1,479

    2,271

    Oxfordshire

    1,574

    2,039

    Shropshire

    1,513

    2,443

    Somerset

    1,435

    2,133

    Staffordshire

    1,430

    2,040

    Suffolk

    n/a

    n/a

    Surrey

    1,532

    2,274

    Warwickshire

    1,395

    2,126

    West Sussex

    1,433

    2,157

    Wiltshire

    1,549

    2,140

    Notes:

    1. Figures are derived from local education authorities' returns of their net institutional expenditure to the Department of the Environment and of their pupil numbers to the Department for Education. The expenditure figures are provisional and are subject to final checking by the Department of Environment and the Department for Education.

    2. Net institutional expenditure covers the direct costs in schools of salaries and wages, premises and certain supplies and services. It does not include the costs of school meals, home to school transport, LEA central administration, and financing costs of capital expenditure. The figure also includes unspent balances held by schools at the year end under local management of schools schemes.

  EMPLOYMENT

    Statistical Accuracy
    Mr. Callaghan
    To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what changes he plans to improve the accuracy of employment statistics.

    Miss Widdecombe
    We are satisfied with the accuracy of the unemployment claimant count. Nevertheless, we have introduced a number of major improvements over the last two years, including bringing out the labour force survey quarterly as opposed to annually, and the first full census of employers for 12 years. Work is in hand to deliver more timely employment statistics on completion of the interdepartmental business register in 1995. The Department will continue to assess the need for further improvements.

    Freephone and Freepost
    Mr. Donohoe
    To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the use of freephone and freepost facilities currently being operated by his Department; how much these facilities are costing; for what purposes these facilities are being used; and how much his Department has spent on operating freephone and freepost facilities in each financial year since 1979.

    Mr. Michael Forsyth
    Information on the use and costs of these services is not held centrally for the Department as a whole.

    British Aerospace Redundancies
    Mr. David Young
    To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proposals he has for retraining staff recently declared redundant at British Aerospace, Lostock, Bolton, in skills suitable for employment in other manufacturing industry.

    Miss Widdecombe
    I understand that both the local training and enterprise council and the Employment
    241
    Service continue to be closely in touch with British Aerospace about the services they can offer. This includes a range of Government-funded programmes to help redundant people find jobs, retrain or set up their own businesses.

    Financial Sector Employees
    Mr. Raynsford
    To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his answer of 22 February,Official Report, column 201, what account was taken in the figures published in his answer of persons employed in Greater London but not resident in Greater London.

    Miss Widdecombe
    The figures were from the labour force survey, which is a survey conducted by interviewing people at their home address. They showed the numbers of people employed in banking, finance, insurance and business services who were resident in Greater London. People employed in banking, finance, insurance and business services who are resident outside Greater London are included in LFS analyses according to their area of residence.

    Workstart
    Mr. Tony Lloyd
    To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many of those who participated in the workstart pilots have gone on to find jobs.

    Mr. Michael Forsyth
    [holding answer 8 March 1994]: The pilots began last July, and we are currently evaluating them. However, since they provide subsidies to employers who recruit eligible long-term unemployed people for 12 months, their effectiveness in helping those people to remain in regular employment without the support of the scheme will not be clear for some time.

    Channel Tunnel (Accidents)
    Mr. Dobson
    To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when his Department was first notified of an incident which occurred in the channel tunnel in January in which two channel tunnel workers were taken to hospital for treatment after a bolt of electricity arced across from the main cable; what is the standard procedure for notifying his Department of accidents in the channel tunnel; if he will publish a table giving a full list of accidents in or around the channel tunnel notified to his Department, including dates, nature and injuries sustained; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Michael Forsyth
    [pursuant to his reply, 18 February 1994]: I regret that the answer given in my reply of 18 February 1994, Official Report, column 1024, was incomplete and that the final paragraph was omitted. The correct information is as follows:

    The Health and Safety Executive was notified of this incident on 18 January. It notified the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority on 19 January.

    The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases, and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985 apply to the United Kingdom side of the channel tunnel, and reportable accidents and dangerous occurrences must be notified to the HSE. The HSE informs the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority immediately of any fatal accidents or incidents with potential for major consequences. The HSE also
    242
    reports regularly to the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority other accident information to assist accident prevention on the French side of the project.

    The detailed accident information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, between March 1987 and September 1993, the latest date for which information is available, a provisional total of 1,386 accidents which occurred during work on the United Kingdom side of the channel tunnel were reported to the HSE.

  FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

    North Korea (Magnox)
    Mr. Llew Smith
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government have been requested by the International Atomic Energy Agency to provide details of the Magnox nuclear plant design from which the North Koreans developed its nuclear reactor design for the plant currently part of the nuclear inspection effort of the special IAEA safeguards inspection team presently in North Korea.

    Mr. Douglas Hogg
    Information has been provided to the International Atomic Energy Agency on Magnox reactor design to allow it to validate a computer programme used for reactor physics calculations. Such calculations can be applied in the safeguarding of any graphite moderated reactor.

    Milk Quotas
    Mr. Oliver Heald
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to challenge the European Commision's decision to reduce penalties on Italy, Spain and Greece for exceeding the milk quotas.

    Mr. Douglas Hogg
    We have lodged challenges in the European Court of Justice against the Commission's decisions to reduce the penalties on Italy, Greece and Spain for exceeding their milk quotas in the late 1980s. The challenges affect the 1989 penalties on Italy and the 1990 penalties on all thre countries. We believe the Commission exceeded its powers by reducing penalties for these years and by announcing its intention to reduce them in the accounts for 1991–1993. The rules on milk quotas are rigorously implemented in the United Kingdom and we expect the Commission to ensure that they are properly enforced elsewhere in the European Community. Taxpayers in the Community should not have to shoulder the loss to the Community budget of some £2 billion which the Commission's actions could entail.

    Sudan
    Mr. Worthington
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration has been given to a United Nations embargo on oil imports into Sudan; and what are the objections to such a move.

    Mr. Douglas Hogg
    A global embargo on oil imports would require the passage of a United Nations Security Council resolution. We have not ruled out recourse to the UN Security Council but would not want to pursue this option unless we were sure that this was the right tactic.
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    Mr. Worthington
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government will take action at the United Nations to insist that previously inaccessible areas of Sudan such as the Nuba mountains are opened up to human rights organisations and international aid organisations.

    Mr. Douglas Hogg
    We whole-heartedly supported the recent resolution of the United Nations General Assembly, which called upon all parties to the civil war to permit international agencies, including human rights organisations, and humanitarian organisations access to the civilian population throughout Sudan. We are pressing this point again at the present meeting of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.

    Mr. Worthington
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries on the United Nations Security Council are resistant to any further moves being taken to increase pressure on Sudan to improve its record on human rights.

    Mr. Douglas Hogg
    China voted against the 1993 United Nations General Assembly resolution on the human rights situation in Sudan and was the only United Nations Security Council member to do so.

    Mr. Worthington
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps have been taken to approach the participants in the Sudanese civil war to see if they would agree to the establishment of safe havens in southern Sudan and in the Nuba mountains; and what was their response.

    Mr. Douglas Hogg
    The Intergovernmental Authority on Drought and Development leaders have yet to succeed in bringing all parties to the civil war to the negotiating table, and have therefore not had the opportunity formally to suggest confidence building measures of the sort suggested by the hon. Gentleman.

    Armenia
    Mr. David Atkinson
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he had about his country's application for membership of the Council of Europe with the President of Armenia during his recent visit.

    Mr. Douglas Hogg
    Armenia has not applied for Council of Europe membership and the issue was not raised during President Ter-Petrossian's recent visit.

    Russian Army
    Mr. David Atkinson
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his estimate of the strength of the Russian Army in Kaliningrad; what assessment he has made as to whether it conforms to the CFE treaty and other commitments; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
    Russian ground forces in the Kaliningrad oblast number about 41,500 of which some 38,000 are Russian army personnel. The equipment and manpower ceilings imposed respectively by the conventional armed forces in Europe treaty and the concluding act of the negotiation on personnel strength of conventional armed forces in Europe do not come into effect until November 1995.

    United Nations Human Rights Commissioner
    Mr. David Atkinson
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the role and responsibilities of the new United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

    Mr. Douglas Hogg
    The creation in December 1993 of the post of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, with a wide-ranging mandate, marked a significant step forward in the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide. The post will complement and reinforce existing human rights machinery.

    Freephone and Freepost
    Mr. Donohoe
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the use of freephone and freephone facilities currently being operated by his Department; how much these facilities are costing; for what purposes these facilities are being used; and how much his Department has spent on operating freephone and freepost facilities in each financial year since 1979.

    Mr. Goodlad
    The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not entered into any agreement to subscribe to freephone or freepost number facilities. Staff can use the national freepost number, 0800, but are automatically barred by our telephone exchanges from using the premium rate numbers 0898 and 0891. Consequently there are no costs involved.

    Azerbaijan
    Mr. David Atkinson
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he had about his country's application for membership of the Council of Europe with the President of Azerbaijan during his recent visit.

    Mr. Douglas Hogg
    Azerbaijan has not applied for Council of Europe membership and the issue was not raised during President Aliev's recent visit.

    Iraq
    Mr. Dalyell
    To ask the Secretary of State Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will lift the embargo on trade with Iraq.

    Mr. Douglas Hogg
    Sanctions will not be lifted until Iraq complies with all relevant Security Council resolutions.

    Israeli Settlers
    Mr. David Young
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will press the Israeli Government to disarm Israeli settlers, to commit itself to no further settlements in Palestinian-occupied territory and to see that existing settlements are effectively policed.

    Mr. Douglas Hogg
    It is very important that the Government of Israel disarm extremist settlers. We welcome the actions announced so far by the Israeli Prime Minister including consideration of outlawing two extremist settler organisations. Our view remains that settlements are illegal and an obstacle to peace.

    Foreign Affairs Council
    Mr. Patrick Thompson
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Foreign Affairs Council on 21 and 22 February.

    Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
    I attended the Foreign Affairs Council on 21 and 22 February.

    The Council discussed preparations for the Marrakesh ministerial meeting in April at which the final act of the Uruguay round will be signed. There was agreement that the final act should be signed by both the Commission and the member states and that member states should participate in the world trade organisation. It was also agreed that the European Parliament should be consulted under the assent procedure on the Community's acceptance of the world trade organisation agreement.

    The Commission's proposal for a reciprocal agreement between the United States and the European Community on the mutual recognition of spirit designations was agreed by a qualified majority, with Greece and Italy voting against. The agreement will protect the designation of six EC spirits in the United States, including Scotch whisky, and two United States spirits in the EC.

    Ministers discussed the safeguard procedures in the EEA internal regulation. No decision was reached. Ministers also discussed the recent Swiss vote to ban all HGV transit traffic within 10 years. The Commission was asked to prepare a report on how this vote would effect the proposed negotiations on EC-Swiss transport agreements.

    The Council agreed an European Union position on structural funds for the accession negotiations with the four applicants. The Council was followed by ministerial negotiating sessions with the applicants. A package of secondary issues was agreed with the Finns. The applicants outlined their concerns on the agriculture and regional policy dossiers. Further discussion of these was left for the 25 to 28 February special ministerial meeting on enlargement.

    Ministers discussed arrangements for financing costs arising under the intergovernmental pillars of the treaty on European Union and agreed to return to the issue at a future meeting.

  TRADE AND INDUSTRY

    Coal Privatisation
    Mr. Wray
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he expects to meet the chairman of British Coal to discuss the privatisation of the coal industry.

    Mr. Eggar
    Both the President and I meet the chairman regularly to discuss the privatisation of the coal industry and other matters.

    Electricity Industry
    Mr. Maxton
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he is meeting the Director General of Electricity Supply to discuss the agreement between OFFER and the two generators, National Power and PowerGen, on electricity prices and the sale of plant.

    Mr. Eggar
    My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade and I meet the Director-General of Electricity Supply from time to time to discuss various issues.

    Industrial Growth
    Mr. Mark Robinson
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade what forecasts he has made for industrial growth in the United Kingdom and other EU countries.

    Mr. Heseltine
    United Kingdom and Ireland are estimated to be the only EC economies where industrial production rose last year. Both the OECD and the European Commission are forecasting that the United Kingdom will be the fastest-growing major economy in 1994 and 1995.

    Nuclear Industry
    Mr. Simon Hughes
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the implications of the recent announcement of the part-privatisation of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority for the nuclear industry's future.

    Mr. Eggar
    The AEA provides services to the nuclear industry and to a wide range of non-nuclear customers. I believe that privatisation will lead to a greater cost-effectiveness and better value for money for all the AEA's customers.

    Land Mines
    Mr. Cohen
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a further statement on his Department's policy on the export of land mines.

    Mr. Needham
    I have nothing to add to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Leyton on 12 January,Official Report, column 168.

    Business Confidence
    Mr. Simon Coombs
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he next proposes to meet the Confederation of British Industry to discuss business confidence.

    Mr. Heseltine
    My Department has frequent contact with the CBI and its members to discuss a variety of matters of mutual interest. I regularly receive the results of the CBI quarterly survey, the most recent of which showed the fifth consecutive rise in business confidence.

    Manufacturing Industry
    Mr. Sheerman
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade what percentage of United Kingdom manufacturing industry is now owned by foreign companies.

    Mr. Heseltine
    I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Industry on 23 February 1994,Official Report, column 230.

    Mr. Austin Mitchell
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his strategy to promote the growth of United Kingdom manufacturing industry including research and development.

    Mr. McLoughlin
    My Department's refocused innovation policy seeks to promote manufacturing industry by putting more resources into helping companies—especi-ally smaller companies—gain access to and exploit technology, whether from the United Kingdom or overseas.

    Environmental Technology Exports
    Mr. Alan W. Williams
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the value of British exports in environmental technology, at the latest date for which figures are available; and what share this represents of world trade.

    Mr. Needham
    Exports of pollution control and monitoring equipment totalled some £480 million in 1992. Figures for world trade are not available on the same basis, but in 1991 exports from the United Kingdom are estimated to have accounted for approximately 10 per cent. of exports of this type of equipment from OECD countries.

    Small Firms
    Mr. Wigley
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will take steps to amend company law to safeguard small companies threatened as a result of the insolvency of larger companies who are their customers.

    Mr. Neil Hamilton
    I have no such plans.

    Pit Closures
    Mr. Skinner
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he next intends to meet the chairman of British Coal to discuss pit closures.

    Mr. Eggar
    Both my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade and I meet the chairman of British Coal regularly to discuss a variety of coal industry matters.

    Shipbuilding Industry
    Mr. Hutton
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about the future prospects for the British shipbuilding industry.

    Mr. Sainsbury
    It is generally expected that there will be an upturn in demand for merchant ships in the second half of the decade, which will provide more opportunities for the shipbuilding industry.

    Motor Car Production
    Mr. Dykes
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are the current levels of motor car production in(a) the United Kingdom, (b) France and (c) Germany.

    Mr. Sainsbury
    In 1993 the United Kingdom produced 1·376 million cars, France 2·836 million and the provisional figure for Germany is 3·753 million.

    Companies (Political Donations)
    Mr. Turner
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will seek to amend the Companies Act 1985 to provide for more publicity to be given to political donations made by companies.

    Mr. Neil Hamilton
    No. The present law requires sufficient disclosure. The Companies Act 1985 requires companies to disclose, in their directors' reports, political donations exceeding £200.

    Mobile Phones
    Mr. Ian Bruce
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade what measures his Department is taking to lessen the possibility of theft and fraudulent use of mobile phones.
    248
    Mr. McLoughlin
    The scale of mobile phone thefts, and their subsequent fraudulent use, is of considerable concern to the Government, the companies involved and the victims of these crimes. I met my hon. Friend and a delegation from the Federation of Communication Services recently to discuss what further steps could be taken to tackle this problem. I welcome the initiatives which the industry is already taking, including wider use of equipment marking schemes and improved control of electronic serial numbers. My Department, with the Home Office and Oftel, are discussing with the industry how these initiatives should be pursued further. The Government are considering the proposals from my hon. Friend and the FCS for introducing a new criminal offence of reprogramming a mobile phone. In doing so, we shall have particular regard to whether mobile phone users can be adequately protected if such an offence is created, and whether any new offence would in practice be at all effective in reducing the problem of mobile phone thefts.

    Iron And Steel Scrap
    Mr. Barnes
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he next plans to meet representatives of the British Foundry Association to discuss iron and steel scrap prices; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Sainsbury
    I shall be meeting a delegation of hon. Members and representatives of the steel and foundry industries on 14 March.

    Wide-bodied Large Aircraft
    Mr. Eastham
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assistance his Department will give to the British aerospace industry towards developing the next generation of wide-bodied large aircraft.

    Mr. Sainsbury
    Any application for assistance towards developing new wide-bodied aircraft will be considered on merit and in the light of competing calls on public funds.

    Environmental Protection Act 1990
    Mr. Steen
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to review the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

    Mr. Neil Hamilton
    Under the Government's deregulation initiative, Departments are reviewing all 3,500 regulations for which they are responsible which impose burdens upon business.

    The document "Deregulation: Cutting Red Tape" published on 19 January sets out at pages 36 to 44 the deregulatory action my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment has already taken and is considering taking to revise the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

    Energy Exports
    Mr. Elletson
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to assist United Kingdom energy companies to win export orders.

    Mr. Needham
    The DTI and FCO's overseas trade services provide a broad package of support and market advice which is available to companies in the energy sector, as indeed it is to those in all sectors.
    249
    Special initiatives are also undertaken, such as outward missions to markets of particular interest to energy companies. Recent missions arranged by the projects export promotion division of the DTI visited China, Vietnam and India. In addition, the Minister for Energy, has visited south-east Asia, Kazakhstan and Algeria to promote the United Kingdom's wide-ranging expertise in the energy sector.

    PEP also provides the secretariat for the power sector working group of the Overseas Projects Board; which is a working group of senior personnel from industries involved in power generation, including generators, manufacturers and distributors. Its aim is to support initiatives to improve the United Kingdom's performance in winning overseas power project contracts.

    The DTI's oil and gas projects and supplies office, which provides support for United Kingdom industry's effort to win orders in international oil and gas markets in the upstream, downstream and petrochemical sectors, has increased the resources which it devotes to export promotion. OSO's support for United Kingdom involvement in overseas markets is being given the highest priority.

    Motor Industry (Japanese Investment)
    Mr. Michael
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to encourage an increase in the level of Japanese investment in the motor industry; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Sainsbury
    The Government welcome inward investment. Japanese automotive companies have brought jobs and helped transform United Kingdom technical and management practices. We believe that the Government's commitment to their success will lead them to make further investments in the United Kingdom.

    Insolvency Service
    Mr. Austin Mitchell
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are his proposals for monitoring insolvency practitioners in the future; and how unfit practitioners will be struck off.

    Mr. Neil Hamilton
    Following discussions between my Department's Insolvency Service and the professional bodies recognised to authorise insolvency practitioners, the professional bodies have begun putting in place programmes for the routine monitoring of their practitioners. This work was previously carried out by the Insolvency Service, which will continue to monitor the activities of practitioners authorised by the Secretary of State.

    In addition to the routine monitoring programmes, the professional bodies will continue, as previously, to respond to complaints about practitioners and carry out inspections of practices where necessary. The Insolvency Service will assist the bodies in the early stages of their monitoring programmes and is taking a close interest in the development of standards and consistency of approach in this area.

    Each of the professional bodies has disciplinary procedures in place to deal with complaints about practitioners and there is a range of sanctions available to the bodies including withdrawal of authorisation where it appears to the body that the practitioner is no longer fit and proper. Similarly, the Secretary of State has the power to
    250
    withdraw the authorisation of a practitioner authorised by him subject to the practitioner's right to have the matter referred to the insolvency practitioners tribunal.

    Plutonium
    Mr. Llew Smith
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proportion of the 24,000 kg of plutonium in nuclear fuel rods awaiting reprocessing at Sellafield, listed on page four of his departmental press release P/94/121 of 1 March, comprising the seventh annual publication of plutonium figures, is(a) owned by foreign customers and (b) destined for reprocessing through the thermal oxide reprocessing plant; and if he will make a statement on the safeguards applied to this plutonium.

    Mr. Eggar
    All the material in question is subject to the terms of the United Kingdom—International Atomic Energy Agency—Euratom Safeguards agreement. The majority of it is owned by overseas customers and destined for reprocessing in THORP.

    Japanese Inward Investment
    Mr. Alfred Morris
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment his Department has made of the levels of Japanese inward investment for 1995, 1996 and 1997; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Sainsbury
    Future levels of inward investment are difficult to assess, however it is widely accepted that the current level of interest from Japanese investors is unlikely to increase until the economic situation in Japan improves.

    The warm welcome which this Government and country have for long given to investment from Japan remains as positive as ever. It is therefore encouraging to note that, even though the level of investment from Japan has decreased in recent years, the United Kingdom has maintained its position as the preferred location for Japanese companies with over 41 per cent.—by value to March 19931—of the total Japanese investment in the EC. Future investment from Japan is likely to come from small and medium sized companies, expansions by existing investors and research and development investment, including local research and development departments being set up by manufacturers already in Europe.
    1Source: Japanese Ministry of Finance.

    Charter Market Franchises
    Sir Michael Neubert
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many charter market franchises will fall to be abolished under the terms of the Deregulation and Contracting Out Bill; and what estimate he makes of their compensatory value.

    Mr. Neil Hamilton
    None. The Government have no intention of abolishing the right of local authorities to hold markets and collect rents as they have done in the past. Clauses 21 to 23 of the Deregulation and Contracting Out Bill would remove rights of local authorities with market franchises to object to proposals to set up competing markets within six and two third miles of their own.

    British Coal
    Mr. Clapham
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his Department's estimate of the cost of inheriting the historical liabilities of British Coal when the coal industry is privatised.
    251
    Mr. Eggar
    Estimates of the cost of these liabilities are provided in the explanatory and financial memorandum of the Coal Industry Bill.

    Child Care
    Ms. Harman
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much his Department spends on child care; on what provision the sum is spent; how many children receive the child care; and if he will make a statement about child care.

    Mr. Eggar
    [holding answer 7 March 1994]: My Department aims to promote a culture where managers are understanding of the need for staff to balance work and child care responsibilities and is committed to exploring child care schemes which give value for money.

    For the financial year 1993–94 the DTI, excluding its executive agencies has an allocated budget of £18,000 for the provision of school holiday playscheme places. Up to a maximum of 32 places are available on any one day that the playscheme is in operation.

    Export Credits Guarantee Department
    Mr. Byers
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade what percentage of Export Credits Guarantee Department credits related to defence exports for each year since 1980.

    Mr. Needham
    [holding answer 8 March 1994]: The percentage of ECGD support for capital goods business since 1980 which related to defence exports was as follows:

    ECGD experience on defence business

    Defence as percentage of total overall project business for specific markets

    Bangladesh

    Ecuador

    India

    Indonesia

    Jordan

    Malaysia

    Nigeria

    Oman

    Pakistan

    Thailand

    1980–81

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    5·42

    0

    0

    1981–82

    0

    0

    0·09

    0·73

    0·40

    0

    0·53

    0·84

    0

    0

    1982–83

    0

    0

    0

    0·28

    0

    0·33

    3·31

    0·73

    0

    0

    1983–84

    0

    0

    6·84

    0

    0

    0

    0·11

    0

    0

    0

    1984–85

    0

    0

    0

    4·45

    0·60

    0

    1·91

    1·16

    0

    0·17

    1985–86

    0

    0

    1·28

    5·44

    0

    0

    0

    1·10

    0·07

    0

    1986–87

    0

    0

    0·03

    1·94

    7·76

    0

    0

    1·43

    0

    0

    1987–88

    0

    0

    0·98

    0·35

    5·32

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0

    1988–89

    0

    0

    0

    0·14

    4·75

    0

    0

    0

    0·29

    0

    1989–90

    0

    0

    1·25

    0

    0

    0

    0

    0·02

    0

    0

    1990–91

    0

    0

    0

    0·11

    0

    7·92

    0

    14·84

    0

    0

    1991–92

    0

    0

    0

    0·10

    0

    13·07

    0

    0

    0

    0

    1992–93

    0

    0

    0

    11·38

    0·35

    9·72

    0

    1·13

    0

    0

    No sectoral breakdown is available for ECGD short term business which was privatised in November 1991.

    United Kingdom Investment
    Mr. Pawsey
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the level of United Kingdom investment in(a) the United States of America, (b) the other EC countries and (c) the rest of the world in each year since 1979; and what estimate he has made of the likely income in each case to the United Kingdom in the current year.

    Mr. Nelson
    I have been asked to reply.

    A geographical breakdown of overseas direct investment by the United Kingdom is provided in the annual business monitor MA4 "Overseas Transactions". Figures for total overseas investment, including portfolio investment, bank and other lending are given in the annual "Balance of Payments Pink Book" which also includes some detailed figures for investment in other EC member states. Both of these publications, by the Central Statistical
    252

    Per cent.

    1980–81

    6·56

    1981–82

    5·23

    1982–83

    7·47

    1983–84

    16·50

    1984–85

    12·29

    1985–86

    13·71

    1986–87

    17·14

    1987–88

    11·51

    1988–89

    29·17

    1989–90

    19·30

    1990–91

    27·83

    1991–92

    13·17

    1992–93

    41·85

    No sectoral breakdown is available for ECGD short-term business which was privatised in November 1991.

    Mr. Byers
    To ask the President of the Board of Trade what percentage of the total Export Credits Guarantee Department credit budget was used in relation to defence contracts for(a) Bangladesh, (b) Ecuador, (c) India, (d) Indonesia, (e) Jordan, (f) Malaysia, (g) Nigeria, (h) Oman, (i) Pakistan and (j) Thailand in each year since 1980.

    Mr. Needham
    [holding answer 8 March 1994]: The percentage of total ECGD support for capital goods services since 1980 which related to defence contracts in the named markets was as follows:

    Office, are available in the House of Commons Library. No figures are published for total overseas investment by the United Kingdom in the United States of America.

    Comparable figures on investment income are published in the same sources. No estimates of the likely income in the current year are available.

  DEFENCE

    Headquarters
    Mr. Spellar
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement regarding the Procurement Executive headquarters in Bristol and the Naval Support Command headquarters at Bath.

    Mr. Aitken
    Contracts for the site infrastructure and main construction of the Procurement Executive's new headquarters at Abbey wood, north Bristol have been
    253
    placed, and work is proceeding to time and cost. A number of options have been identified in the Bath area for the long-term accommodation of the Naval Support Command headquarters. Decisions on both projects will be taken in the light of the outcome of the defence costs study which is presently in hand.

    Public Appointments
    Mr. Llew Smith
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who he has appointed to be the next head Dr. the Defence Export Sales Organisation; and what criteria he used in making the appointment.

    Mr. Aitken
    A successor to Sir Alan Thomas as head of the Defence Export Services Organisation has not yet been appointed. The post was advertised on 29 September and a decision is likely to be made shortly.

    Smiths Industries
    Mr. Donald Anderson
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contacts he has had with Smiths Industries about that company's possible provision of advanced avionics systems for the contract to sell Skyhawk fighter bombers to the Argentine air force; and what advice he has given.

    Mr. Aitken
    My Department has regular contact with Smith Industries on a range of export matters. The United Kingdom embargo on the sale of military goods to Argentina remains in force. Smith Industries is aware of this.

    British Aerospace, Bolton
    Mr. David Young
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what defence contracts his Department plans to place with the British Aerospace, Lostock, Bolton, factory.

    Mr. Aitken
    My Department is evaluating a number of tenders from BAe plc; subject to satisfactory contractual negotiations these may result in our placing contracts with the company. It is a matter for the company's commercial judgment as to which of its factories carries out the work.

    Defence Contracts
    Dr. David Clark
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Wallsend (Mr. Byers) of 24 February,Official Report, column 383, what were the dates on which the memoranda of understanding were signed; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Aitken
    The memoranda of understanding referred to were signed as follows. With some countries more than one memorandum of understanding has been negotiated.

    Algeria: 1983.

    Australia: May 1988.

    Bahrain: May 1990.

    Bangladesh: between November 1976 and January 1994

    Ecuador: March 1991.

    Finland: between January 1976 and September 1993.

    Germany: June 1991.

    Greece: September 1983.

    India: between November 1978 and November 1985.

    Indonesia: between September 1983 and November 1991.

    Ireland: August 1988.

    Jordan: between November 1979 and June 1989.

    Republic of Korea: September 1993.

    254

    Kuwait: December 1992.

    Malaysia: between September 1988 and December 1993.

    Netherlands: between August 1977 and September 1989.

    New Zealand: August 1982.

    Nigeria: date not available.

    Norway: between December 1970 and January 1990.

    Oman: September 1990.

    Pakistan: between June 1988 and January 1993.

    Portugal: November 1990.

    Qatar: May 1993.

    Saudi Arabia: between March 1978 and April 1986.

    Singapore: February 1993.

    Sweden: February 1994.

    Thailand: March 1993.

    United States of America: December 1985.

    Dr. David Clark
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Wallsend (Mr. Byers) of 24 February,Official Report, column 383, on which dates negotiations for the memoranda of understanding began; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Aitken
    This information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

    Dr. David Clark
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Wallsend (Mr. Byers) of 24 February,Official Report, column 383, which of the memoranda of understanding related to specific defence contracts; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Aitken
    The following memoranda of understanding relate to specific defence sales. It is not, however, the policy of this Government to reveal the content of the memoranda of understanding, nor details of any defence contracts to which they relate.

    Bangladesh: between November 1976 and January 1994

    Ecuador: March 1991

    Finland: between January 1976 and February 1985

    Germany: June 1991

    India: between November 1978 and November 1985

    Indonesia: between March 1984 and November 1991

    Ireland: August 1988

    Jordan: between November 1979 and June 1989

    Netherlands: between August 1977 and September 1989

    New Zealand: August 1982

    Nigeria: date not available

    Norway: January 1990

    Pakistan: between June 1988 and January 1993

    Portugal: November 1990

    Qatar: May 1993

    Saudi Arabia: between March 1978 and April 1986

    Singapore: February 1993

    Dr. David Clark
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Wallsend (Mr. Byers) of 24 February,Official Report, column 383, which of the memoranda of understanding cover co-operation over a range of equipments; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Aitken
    The following memoranda of understanding cover co-operation over a range of equipments. It should be noted, however, that not all of these MOUs necessarily result in any contractual activity. It is not this Government's policy to release details of MOUs, nor to comment on any contractual activity under such MOUs.

    Algeria: 1983

    Australia: May 1988

    Bahrain: May 1990

    Finland: September 1993

    Greece: September 1983

    Indonesia: September 1983

    255

    Jordan: September 1985

    Republic of Korea: September 1993

    Kuwait: December 1992

    Malaysia: September 1988

    Norway: December 1970

    Oman: September 1990

    Qatar: May 1993

    Saudi Arabia: February 1986

    Sweden: February 1994

    Thailand: March 1993

    USA: December 1985

    War Widows
    Mr. Spellar
    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many war widows are still receiving pensions in respect of British troops killed during the campaign to defeat the communist insurgency in Malaya.

    Mr. Hague
    I have been asked to reply. The information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  DUCHY OF LANCASTER

    Postgraduate Research
    Dr. Moonie
    To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the names of the individuals and organisations to whom the consultation paper "A New Structure for Postgraduate Research Training Supported by the Research Councils", has been circulated.

    Mr. Waldegrave
    A copy of the circulation list has been placed in the Library. I am also arranging for copies to be sent to the hon. Member and the hon. Member for Bath (Mr. Foster).

    Sex discrimination

    Religious discrimination

    Joint sex/religious discrimination

    £

    £

    £

    Eastern

    16,950

    11,991

    113,585

    Northern

    Nil

    17,603

    —

    Southern

    Nil

    Nil

    —

    Western

    1,292

    1,907

    —

    1 For period April 1993 to date

    Dr. Hendron
    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what co-ordination exists between each of the Northern Ireland health boards and the Fair Employment Commission.

    Mr. Ancram
    Health and social services boards each have an equal opportunities unit which is in regular contact with the FEC for advice and guidance on employment matters. Each board also has contact in relation to the monitoring of the composition of its work force.

    Dr. Hendron
    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money in total has been spent by each of the Northern Ireland health boards in settling legal cases taken against the board involving sexual discrimination.

    "Permanent Secretary's Handbook"
    Mr. Gunnell
    To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will place a copy of the "Permanent Secretary's Handbook" in the Library.

    Mr. Waldegrave
    No. The handbook referred to is a compendium of guidance and other documents which heads of departments and others with similar responsibilities find useful to have collected together. Much of the material in it is already in the public domain—for example, "Questions of Procedure for Ministers", the "Armstrong Memorandum" on the duties and responsibilities of civil servants, the memorandum of guidance for officials appearing before Select Committees, guidance on Government publicity and advertising, the "Radcliffe Rules" on ministerial memoirs, and guidance on access by Ministers to documents of a previous Administration. Other material, for example on security and vetting procedures, is justifiably confidential.

  NORTHERN IRELAND

    Fair Employment (Health Boards)
    Dr. Hendron
    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the total amount of legal costs incurred by each of the Northern Ireland health boards in defending cases involving sexual and religious discrimination.

    Mr. Ancram
    The total amount of legal costs incurred by each of the Northern Ireland health and social services boards in defending cases involving sexual and religious discrimination is not known since the majority of cases are still on-going and the costs incurred have not yet been established. The figures in the table represent only those legal fees which have actually been paid during the last three years.

    Mr. Ancram
    The total money spent by each of the Northern Ireland health and social services boards in settling legal cases taken against the board involving sexual discrimination is shown in the table.

    £

    Eastern

    173,085

    Northern

    Nil

    Southern

    Nil

    Western

    12,150

    1 Includes £49,468 on joint gender/religious discrimination cases.

    Dr. Hendron
    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if the Department of Health will order an investigation into the employment policies of the Northern Ireland health boards.
    257
    Mr. Ancram
    Health and social services boards are subject to selection and appointment procedures which were issued by the Department of Health and Social Services in June 1991. The HSS boards then have detailed policies to supplement and clarify for their staff the application of the selection and appointment procedures. The Department is satisfied these purposes are fair to all staff.

    The health and social services boards also have comprehensive policies in respect of other aspects of employment including equal opportunities, sexual harassment, job sharing, career breaks and employment of disabled people. These policies take into account guidance from other agencies such as the FEC and the EOC.

    The Management Executive instituted a review of the selection and appointment procedures in November 1993 and all interested organisations—health and social services boards, health and social services trusts, staff, professional interests, the Farr Employment Commission and the Equal Opportunities Commission were invited to contribute to the review.

    The Department has looked carefully at existing practice. It is conscious that isolated problems have arisen in respect of the implementation of this policy but is confident that the procedures remain valid and therefore sees no requirement for an investigation.

    Dr. Hendron
    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money in total has been spent by each of the last Northern Ireland health boards in settling legal cases taken against the board involving religious discrimination.

    Mr. Ancram
    The total money spent by each of the Northern Ireland health and social services boards in settling legal cases taken against the board involving religious discrimination is shown in the table.

    Year lodged

    Number withdrawn

    Settled out of court

    Settled in court

    Pending

    Total

    Legal costs £

    Compensation £

    Eastern Board

    (1) Gender cases

    1991

    —

    9

    —

    1

    10

    1,762

    10,000

    1992

    6

    4

    —

    1

    11

    4,188

    10,750

    1993

    1

    3

    —

    6

    10

    10,999

    11,768

    (2) Religious cases

    1991

    3

    3

    —

    1

    7

    6,081

    25,000

    1992

    8

    5

    —

    7

    20

    5,734

    65,000

    1993

    5

    —

    —

    6

    11

    176

    20,000

    Northern Board

    (1) Gender cases

    1991

    —

    —

    —

    1

    1

    —

    —

    1992

    1

    —

    —

    2

    3

    —

    —

    1993

    1

    —

    11

    3

    5

    —

    —

    (2) Religious cases

    1991

    2

    —

    —

    1

    3

    —

    —

    1992

    —

    —

    —

    2

    2

    7,050

    5,000

    1993

    1

    —

    —

    1

    2

    10,553

    47,500

    Southern Board

    (1) Gender cases

    1991

    —

    —

    —

    —

    0

    —

    —

    1992

    —

    —

    —

    —

    0

    —

    —

    1993

    —

    —

    —

    3

    3

    —

    —

    258

    £

    Eastern

    1121,991

    Northern

    52,500

    Southern

    Nil

    Western

    19,646

    1 Includes £49,468 on joint gender/religious discrimination cases.

    Dr. Hendron
    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cases of religious discrimination are currently pending against each of the Northern Ireland health boards.

    Mr. Ancram
    The number of religious discrimination cases currently pending against each of the Northern Ireland health and social services boards is as follows:

    Number

    Eastern

    14

    Northern

    7

    Southern

    4

    Western

    6

    Mr. William Ross
    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish tables showing for each health and social services board in Northern Ireland the(a) number of complaints made in each of the last three years about discrimination on the grounds of (i) gender and (ii) religion, (b) the number of each category (1) withdrawn, (2) settled out of court and (3) settled at a court hearing, and the (x) costs and (y) compensation paid in respect of each category in each such year.

    Mr. Ancram
    The information is as follows:

    The majority of the cases are still on-going and consequently the legal costs incurred have not yet been established. The figures in the tables showing legal costs represent only those legal fees which have actually been paid over the last three years.
    259

    Year lodged

    Number withdrawn

    Settled out of court

    Settled in court

    Pending

    Total

    Legal costs £

    Compensation £

    (2) Religious cases

    1991

    3

    —

    —

    —

    3

    —

    —

    1992

    1

    —

    —

    2

    3

    —

    —

    1993

    1

    —

    —

    2

    3

    —

    —

    Western Board

    (1) Gender cases

    1991

    1

    3

    —

    4

    8

    —

    1,950

    1992

    —

    1

    1

    1

    3

    1,292

    3,200

    1993

    1

    —

    —

    2

    3

    —

    7,000

    (2) Religious cases

    1991

    8

    1

    —

    1

    10

    585

    —

    1992

    1

    —

    —

    2

    3

    —

    —

    1993

    —

    —

    —

    2

    2

    1,322

    7,000

    1 Board dismissed.

    Dr. Hendron
    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps the Eastern health board took to implement the recommendations laid down by the Fair Employment Commission in the remedies judgment following the Duffy case.

    Mr. Ancram
    The FEC did not make any recommendations in the remedies judgment following the Duffy case. However, the board's internal inquiry made a series of recommendations which were subsequently adopted by the board.

    Bovine Tuberculosis
    Mr. William Ross
    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer of 21 February,Official Report, column 58, for what period the field study for bovine tuberculosis was intended to run; whether that period has been extended; and when he now expects it to be completed.

    Mr. Ancram
    The sampling of herds to assist with the possible development of a blood test for bovine TB was completed as planned by December 1993. Arrangements for the purchase of all the animals which it was considered necessary to examine have now been completed. It is necessary to analyse and interpret the data before an assessment can be made of the effectiveness of a blood test and whether a fully substantiated case can be made to the European Community to obtain agreement to its use. This is expected to continue until late 1994.

    Illegal Fishing
    Mr. Beggs
    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether it was established by the RUC that Fishery Conservancy Board bailiffs and a scientist had been involved in the stripping of eggs from salmon on the Grillagh river in County Londonderry during the salmon seasons 1987–88, 1988–89 and 1989–90.

    Sir John Wheeler
    At the request of the Fishery Conservancy Board, the Royal Ulster Constabulary carried out an investigation into this matter in 1989. Following the police investigation a file was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions who subsequently directed no prosecution.

    Campaigns
    Mr. Matthew Taylor
    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer of 18 February,Official Report, column 1034, if he will publish the number of calls made to the freephones for the organ donor card and Keep Warm Keep Well winter warmth campaigns and the results from monitoring customer awareness and attitudes in relation to the innovation in research and development campaigns.

    Sir John Wheeler
    There have been 379 calls made to the freephone for the organ donor card and 88 freephone calls for the Keep Warm Keep Well winter warmth campaign.

    Monitoring in relation to the innovation in research and development campaigns indicates that improved customer awareness, attitudes and actions are reflected in a 13 per cent. increase in the number of applications for, and a 70 per cent. increase in the numbers of companies participating in, the product and process development scheme in 1993–94 compared with the previous year. The figures also reflect a 79 per cent. increase in the number of first-time users of the scheme. Under the science and technology programme industrial participation has risen from 50 per cent. in 1992–93 to 100 per cent. in 1993–94.

    Road Deaths Statistics
    Mr. Peter Bottomley
    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will estimate the number of road deaths in crashes where a driver or rider was above the legal alcohol limit.

    Sir John Wheeler
    The information is as follows:

    Road deaths in accidents where driver or rider was estimated by the RUC to be above the legal alcohol limit

    Year

    Total deaths

    1984

    25

    1985

    19

    1986

    38

    1987

    33

    1988

    22

    1989

    27

    1990

    41

    1991

    26

    1992

    30

    1993

    25

    261
    Mr. Peter Bottomley
    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the road casualty fatalities and serious injuries in each year since 1984.

    Sir John Wheeler
    The information is set out in the table:

    Road traffic accident casualties

    Year

    Total killed

    Total seriously injured

    1984

    189

    2,465

    1985

    177

    1,148

    1986

    236

    1,825

    1987

    214

    1,885

    1988

    178

    1,969

    1989

    181

    2,014

    1990

    185

    1,993

    1991

    185

    1,648

    1992

    150

    1,841

    1993

    143

    1,725

    Prison Service (Costs)
    Mr. William Ross
    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the average cost to the prison service in Northern Ireland of admitting a male person to prison; and what is the difference in the cost of admitting a person who has been sentenced to a long period of imprisonment and a person who has been sentenced to seven days.

    Sir John Wheeler
    The information requested is not available.

    Prison Sentences
    Mr. William Ross
    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons were given a prison sentence in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years for which figures are available for stealing cars and joyriding in such vehicles; what was the average sentence in each year; and how many cars were stolen in each of those years.

    Sir John Wheeler
    The number of cases where prison sentences were given for the theft and for the unauthorised taking of vehicles in 1990, 1991 and 1992 were respectively 72, 66 and 123. The average prison sentence in each of those years for those sentenced to immediate custody was 5·3, 5·1 and 5·2 months respectively. The number of vehicles reported stolen or otherwise taken and driven away without authority was 7,042 in 1990, 8,455 in 1991 and 9,376 in 1992.

  SCOTLAND

    Salmon Farming
    Mr. Wilson
    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the Ernst and Young report on subsidies to the Norwegian salmon farming industry; and if he will make a statement.

    Sir Hector Monro
    I have encouraged Scottish salmon producers to provide the European Commission with such information as is available on alleged unfair support for Norwegian salmon farmers. I have read the Ernst and Young report with interest, and I understand that the report 262
    is now in the hands of the European Commission which must decide whether it warrants full and formal investigation.

    Limb Defects
    Mr. Donohoe
    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) when Ayrshire and Arran health board expects to be able to produce the 1993 statistics relating to limb defects within the health board's area; and for what reasons there has been a delay in collating the information;

    (2) what procedures are used by Ayrshire and Arran health board to collate information relating to the incidence of limb defects in children within the health board's area.

    Mr. Lang
    Statistics on the incidence of limb defects and other congenital anomalies are produced for all health board areas by the information and statistics division of the Common Services Agency. The data are compiled using three sources: the neonatal discharge record—form SMR11—the information on which is provided by each health board, the Scottish stillbirth and neonatal mortality study, and admissions to hospital in the first year of life—form SMR1.

    Information on all congenital anomalies, including limb defects, is published on each calendar year's birth cohort. A provisional data set based on the first two sources is published in the summer following the calendar year, and a final data set on the same birth cohort a year later, when all hospital admissions have been added to the provisional data.

    The provisional data for 1993 on reduction deformities of limbs by area of residence are as follows:

    Board area of residence

    Upper limb

    Lower limb

    Unspecified limb

    Argyll and Clyde

    —

    —

    —

    Ayrshire and Arran

    3

    —

    —

    Borders

    —

    —

    —

    Dumfries and Galloway

    —

    —

    —

    Fife

    3

    —

    —

    Forth Valley

    —

    —

    —

    Grampian

    2

    —

    —

    Greater Glasgow

    1

    —

    —

    Highland

    —

    —

    —

    Lanarkshire

    1

    —

    —

    Lothian

    1

    1

    —

    Orkney

    —

    —

    —

    Shetland

    —

    —

    —

    Tayside

    2

    2

    1

    Western Isles

    —

    —

    —

    Scotland

    13

    3

    1

    Source: SMR11 neonatal record.

    Prison Visiting Committees
    Dr. Godman
    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to alter the composition and membership of prison visiting committees; and if he will make a statement.

    Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
    The draft revised Prisons and Young Offenders Institutions (Scotland) Rules issued for consultation last September included proposals to change the size of, and local authority representation on, the visiting committees for Scottish adult penal establishments. We are still considering all the comments received, but new rules will be laid before Parliament in the next few months.
    263
    Mr. Bill Walker
    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what was the cost to Grampian, Tayside, Highland and Strathclyde regions in 1979, 1989 and 1992 and the latest available date for police involved in mountain area search and rescue activity;

    (2) what is the cost per hour of police in Grampian, Tayside, Highland and Strathclyde regions when engaged in mountain search and rescue duty.

    Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
    Information relating to the cost of police involvement in mountain search and rescue is not recorded by Tayside, Highland and Strathclyde regional councils. The approximate, estimated costs for this activity in Grampiam are not available for 1979 and 1989. Those for 1992 and 1993 are estimated at £3,000—cost per hour 10·71—and £2,500—cost per hour £11·36—respectively.

    Dr. Godman
    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the members of the prison visiting committees, the names of the appointing authorities and tenure of appointments.

    Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
    The information is set out in the table. Tenure of appointment to the visiting committee is four years.

    Establishment and name

    Appointing authority

    Aberdeen

    J. A. Proctor

    Moray District

    Ms Y. Allan

    Aberdeen District

    A. Dow

    Aberdeen District

    M. Burnett

    Grampian Region

    K. A. Forbes

    Grampian Region

    Miss M. Urquhart, OBE

    Grampian Region

    J. K. A. Thomanek, FRSA, JP

    Grampian Region

    A. Dunlop

    Highland Region

    I. M. Frain

    Kincardine and Deeside District

    W. Johnston, MBE, JP

    Tayside Region

    J. Lawrence

    Gordon District

    J. Mair

    Banff and Buchan District

    Barlinnie

    G. McElroy, BA, JP

    Strathclyde Region

    R. Campbell

    Strathclyde Region

    Ms C. Lyon

    Strathclyde Region

    R. McGerty

    Strathclyde Region

    J. McGuire, JP

    Strathclyde Region

    K. Murray

    Strathclyde Region

    A. McGhee

    Strathclyde Region

    E. Torrance

    Cumnock and Doon Valley District

    Ms Y. Anderson

    Glasgow District

    A. McCartney

    Glasgow District

    C. McDonach

    Glasgow District

    Baillie D. Murphy

    Glasgow District

    J. Baker

    Strathkelvin District

    M. Bissett

    Falkirk District

    Provost E. Cairns, MA, JP

    Monklands District

    Provost Mrs. J. Cameron, JP

    Bearsden and Milngavie District

    G. Steven

    Cunninghame District

    T. Craig, JP

    Clydesdale District

    Ms A. Dickson

    Stirling District

    W. Hanlon

    Lothian Region

    W. McAdam

    Clackmannan District

    J. McAllister, JP

    Clydebank District

    Ms C. Lawson

    Renfrew District

    E. Griffin

    Cumbernauld and Kilsyth District

    D. Morrison

    Inverclyde District

    M. Rooney

    Hamilton District

    I. Simpson

    Eastwood District

    J. Thomson, JP

    Argyll and Bute District

    Mrs. S. M. Duke

    Central Region

    J. Docherty

    East Kilbride District

    Ms B. Campbell

    Kyle and Carrick District

    S. McCallum

    Dumbarton District

    264

    Establishment and name

    Appointing authority

    Mrs. M. Scanlon

    Tayside Region

    W. Graham

    Motherwell District

    J. Anderson, JP

    Kilmarnock and Louden District

    Cornton Vale

    Mrs. H. Wright

    Dundee District

    Vacant

    Dundee District

    Mrs. B. D. Baker

    Borders Region

    P. Fishbourne

    Borders Region

    J. Davidson

    Falkirk District

    Mrs. F. E. Duncan

    Tayside Region

    A.W. Shand

    Tayside Region

    Mrs. L. Graham

    Tayside Region

    Mrs. M. J. Fitzpatrick

    Central Region

    W. R. McAdam

    Central Region

    Mrs. H. Livingstone

    Central Region

    T. S. Sinclair

    Central Region

    Mrs. V. Gemmell

    Fife Region

    Mrs. E. Riches

    Fife Region

    Mrs. H. Graham

    Lothian Region

    Ms J. Mitchell

    Lothian Region

    J. Stephenson

    Lothian Region

    Ms B. Holliday

    Stirling Region

    Mrs. M. Brisley

    Stirling Region

    A. McGarrity

    Glasgow District

    Ms J. Andrews

    Glasgow District

    D. Bowman

    Glasgow District

    Mrs. B. McGeechan

    Strathclyde Region

    Mrs. Y. Robertson

    Strathclyde Region

    J. McGuire, JP

    Strathclyde Region

    Mrs. M. Smith

    Strathclyde Region

    Ms T. McNally

    Clackmannan District

    Ms S. Dalgety

    Edinburgh District

    E. T. McLaughlin, JP:

    Edinburgh District

    Dumfries

    E. Gray

    Strathclyde Region

    B. Caldow

    Stewartry District

    W. Carmichael, JP

    Nithsdale District

    Mrs. H. Cross

    Nithsdale District

    J. M. Dowson

    Dumfries and Galloway Region

    P. B. Walker

    Wigtown District

    Mrs. S. M. Howat

    Dumfries and Galloway Region

    Mrs. C. M. Hyslop

    Dumfries and Galloway Region

    Mrs. J. M. McMurdo

    Dumfries and Galloway Region

    I. A. Pennie

    Dumfries and Galloway Region

    T. G. A. Russell

    Annandale and Eskdale District

    Dungavel

    G. McKillop

    East Kilbride District

    Mrs. A. Reid

    East Kilbride District

    J. Baillie

    Strathclyde Region

    A. McGhee

    Strathclyde Region

    P. Walters

    Strathclyde Region

    J. McGuigan

    Strathclyde Region

    F. McAveety

    Glasgow District

    Baillie J. Moynes

    Glasgow District

    R. McFarlane

    Tayside District

    E. Read

    Fife Region

    J. Wesley

    Lothian Region

    C. W. Davidson

    Lothian Region

    Mrs. E. D. Kennedy

    Central Region

    Edinburgh

    D. K. Swan, JP

    Berwickshire District

    Ms A. D. Burnett

    Borders Region

    A. J. C. Hewat

    Borders Region

    W. Lamb

    Borders Region

    J. A. R. Scott, JP

    Borders Region

    J. Culliven

    Tayside Region

    W. Drummond, JP

    Lothian Region

    E. B. Fallon

    Lothian Region

    H. D. Fraser, MBE

    Lothian Region

    Ms J. M. Mitchell

    Lothian Region

    T. V. Ponton

    Lothian Region

    J. Sibbald

    West Lothian District

    Mrs. H. Livingstone

    Central Region

    M. Moore

    Midlothian District

    265

    Establishment and name

    Appointing authority

    Mrs. E. J. McFee

    Fife Region

    Ms A. Smith

    Fife Region

    C. Stanfield

    Fife Region

    J. McGuire

    Strathclyde Region

    P. O'Donnell

    East Lothian District

    A. J. H. Squair

    Roxburgh District

    P. Schofield

    Tweeddale District

    Mrs N. J. R. Bryson

    Ettrick and Lauderdale District

    Ms I. Kitson

    Edinburgh District

    D. Cruickshanks

    Edinburgh District

    D. H. Brown, JP

    Edinburgh District

    Glenochil

    G. MacDiarmid

    Glasgow Central

    J. Cameron

    Dunfermline District

    D. Stewart

    Clackmannan District

    Vacant

    Clackmannan District

    W. Dunn

    Edinburgh District

    J. Johnston

    Falkirk District

    Mrs. H. Wright

    Dundee District

    Mrs. F. E. M. Davidson

    Central Region

    W. T. Dickson

    Central Region

    I. S. Millar

    Central Region

    Mrs. C. M. Organ

    Central Region

    D. Bryson

    Central Region

    I. Martin

    Stirling District

    W. Clarke

    Fife Region

    M. E. Read

    Fife Region

    W. Hanlon

    Lothian Region

    T. K. Kinder

    Lothian Region

    J. McGuigan, JP

    Strathclyde Region

    E. Gray, JP

    Strathclyde Region

    J. Whittet

    Tayside Region

    J. Mathers

    Tayside Region

    W. S. Courts

    Perth and Kinross District

    Inverness

    L. Fraser

    Nairn District

    P. Fulton

    Skye and Lochalsh District

    Mrs. C. A. Hutchison

    Badenoch and Strathspey District

    A. I. MacDonald

    Caithness District

    I. Thorner, DL, JP

    Lochaber District

    D. I. MacRae

    Sutherland District

    Mrs. M. C. Doyle

    Inverness District

    Mrs. J. Wyatt

    Inverness District

    W. A. Smith

    Ross and Cromarty District

    R. J. Laing, JP

    Grampian Region

    Mrs. I. C Rhind

    Highland Region

    N. J. O. Graham

    Highland Region

    J. S. Munro

    Highland Region

    A. Murray

    Highland Region

    Low Moss

    E. Devine

    Glasgow District

    Baillie C. Robertson

    Glasgow District

    Vacant

    Glasgow District

    J. Barker

    Strathkelvin District

    W. Hendry

    Strathkelvin District

    Ms A. Jarvis

    Strathkelvin District

    S. Gilmore

    Strathclyde Region

    K. Moody

    Strathclyde Region

    T. Rae

    Strathclyde Region

    J. McMurdo

    Fife Region

    W. Drummond

    Lothian Region

    Noranside

    C. Hebenton, JP

    Strathclyde Region

    J. Collins

    Strathclyde Region

    R. G. S. McFarlane

    Tayside Region

    W. McCormack

    Tayside Region

    H. S. Arbuthnot

    Tayside Region

    W. A. West

    Tayside Region

    Mrs. D. Pattulo

    Tayside Region

    D. McGrouther

    Lothian Region

    C. S. Meldrum

    Angus District

    D. Myles

    Angus District

    B. R. Balcombe

    Grampian Region

    D. Bryson

    Central Region

    266

    Establishment and name

    Appointing authority

    Penninghame

    W. G. Carmichael, JP

    Nithsdale District

    B. Caldow

    Stewarty District

    H. Lawson

    Annandale/Eskdale District

    R. J. Higgins

    Dumfries and Galloway District

    D. Fulton

    Dumfries and Galloway District

    A. Nisbet

    Dumfries and Galloway District

    N. M. Parker

    Dumfries and Galloway District

    Mrs. C. M. Hyslop

    Dumfries and Galloway District

    W. Service

    Wigtown District

    The Countess of Stair

    Wigtown District

    C. King

    Grampian Region

    R. Muir

    Lothian Region

    J. Taylor

    Strathclyde Region

    Mrs. F. Duncan

    Tayside Region

    Perth

    R. Hall

    Tayside Region

    Mrs. M. Lennie

    Tayside Region

    A. H. Brown

    Tayside Region

    S. Butcher

    Tayside Region

    Mrs. F. E. Duncan

    Tayside Region

    J. E. Mathers

    Tayside Region

    W. West

    Tayside Region

    Mrs. M. Martin

    Tayside Region

    C. S. B. Meldrum

    Angus District

    J. G. Lewis, JP

    Kirkcaldy District

    P. G. Hughes

    Dunfermline District

    P. C Douglas

    North East Fife District

    G. Mason

    Dundee District

    D. Cowan

    Dundee District

    J. McNicoll

    Perth and Kinross District

    D. Scott

    Perth and Kinross District

    F. Saunders

    Central Region

    P. Tempest

    Fife Region

    S. Baker

    Fife Region

    L. B. Lindsay

    Lothian Region

    J. Reddin

    Strathclyde Region

    A. McGowan, BEM

    Strathclyde Region

    Peterhead

    A. P. McLean

    Aberdeen District

    I. M. Frain

    Kincardine and Deeside District

    J. Wilson

    Moray District

    W. Stuart

    Lothian Region

    G. G. Lumsden

    Gordon District

    K. Benzie

    Grampian Region

    Mrs. M. Morrell

    Grampian Region

    M. C. Howe

    Grampian Region

    J. R. Lamond

    Grampian Region

    A. McGowan, BEM

    Strathclyde Region

    G. McElroy, JP

    Strathclyde Region

    N. Cowie, OBE

    Banff and Buchan District

    Mrs. N. Godsman

    Banff and Buchan District

    W. Johnston, MBE, JP

    Tayside Region

    Shotts

    M. Adam

    Glasgow District

    S. MacQuarrie

    Glasgow District

    P. McCafferty

    Central Region

    F. Gormill

    Motherwell District

    J. Robertson

    Motherwell District

    Mrs. A. Smith

    Fife Region

    W. Drummond, JP

    Lothian Region

    J. W. Wasley

    Lothian Region

    C. B. Hebenton, JP

    Strathclyde Region

    R. Marshall

    Strathclyde Region

    G. McElroy, JP

    Strathclyde Region

    K. Murray

    Strathclyde Region

    H. Connelly

    Tayside Region

    Cornton Vale Prison
    Mrs. Fyfe
    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to relocate women prisoners from Cornton Vale to mixed sex prisons nearer their own homes.

    Lord James Douglas Hamilton
    [holding answer 21 February 1994]: Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Scottish Prison Service under its chief executive, Mr. E. W. Frizzell. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

    Letter fromn E. W. Frizzell to Mrs. Maria Fyfe, dated 9 March 1994:
    Lord James Douglas-Hamilton has asked me to reply to your Question about what plans there are to relocate women prisoners from Cornton Vale to mixed sex prisons nearer their homes.
    There are no plans to relocate women prisoners from Cornton Vale. Some consideration has been given to the possibility of providing open prison opportunities for women prisoners elsewhere but the practical difficulties are such that it is not in prospect at present.

    Public Bodies
    Mrs. Fyfe
    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many public bodies, appointed by himself, provide health care(a) at the present date and (d) in 1984; and what was the total bill for payment to their chairmen and members in 1993 and 1983.

    Mr. Stewart
    [holding answer 25 February 1994]: In 1984, 15 health boards were responsible for the provision of health care in Scotland. In order to increase responsiveness to patients' needs, health boards are now increasingly responsible for planning and purchasing health care and NHS trusts are responsible for its provision. There are currently 17 NHS trusts.

    In 1984, only the chairmen of the 15 health boards received remuneration at a total cost of £88,163. Since 1991 non-executive directors have also received remuneration and the total cost for 208 chairmen and non-executive members of health boards and NHS trusts in 1993 amounted to £1,417,125.

    Care of the Elderly
    Dr. Strang
    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what instructions he has given to the Management Executive of the Scottish health service requiring the health service purchasers to change the arrangements for provision of care to the elderly.

    Mr. Stewart
    [holding answer 8 March 1994]: My right hon. Friend has issued no such instructions. It remains for individual health boards to determine the care needs for their elderly client group and to purchase accordingly. In so doing, they are expected to have due regard to the Government's community care policy objective of seeking a move away from institutional to community-based care. However, patients who require specialist medical and nursing supervision will continue to be the responsibility of the NHS. This means the NHS will continue to be responsible for providing assessment and rehabilitation facilities, and for retaining long-stay facilities for those whose medical needs or patterns of behaviour would be difficult to manage in a community-based setting.

    Those not requiring such hospital services will increasingly have their health needs met within the
    268
    community, through general practitioners and other members of the primary health care team. Any other care needs will be a local authority responsibility. But in any event we expect shifting the balance of care, from hospitals to community, to be a matter for local discussion and agreement with the emphasis on joint working and joint assessments of needs.

    New Local Authorities
    Mr. Home Robertson
    To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the new local authorities in schedule 1 to the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Bill as amended in the Standing Committee, giving the(a) population, (b) electorate, (c) area and (d) number of (i) secondary and (ii) primary schools for each of those authorities.

    Mr. Stewart
    [holding answer 28 February 1994]: Information on population, electorate and area of the proposed new single-tier authorities is set out in the table. The information requested in relation to schools is not held centrally.

    New local authority area

    Population1 (rounded to nearest 000)

    Electorate2 (rounded to nearest 000)

    Area (square km)

    City of Aberdeen

    217

    172

    180

    Aberdeenshire

    221

    169

    5,870

    Angus

    112

    88

    2,640

    Argyll and Bute

    91

    69

    7,020

    North Ayrshire

    139

    106

    890

    East Ayrshire

    124

    96

    1,270

    South Ayrshire

    114

    89

    1,230

    The Borders

    105

    85

    4,730

    Clackmannan and Falkirk

    195

    150

    470

    Dumbarton and Clydebank

    98

    73

    180

    Dumfries and Galloway

    148

    117

    6,450

    East Dunbartonshire

    110

    83

    180

    City of Dundee

    155

    118

    50

    City of Edinburgh

    440

    352

    260

    Fife

    346

    269

    1,320

    City of Glasgow

    627

    475

    170

    Highland

    206

    161

    25,390

    Inverclyde

    91

    69

    170

    North Lanarkshire

    328

    245

    480

    South Lanarkshire

    307

    235

    1,780

    East and Midlothian

    165

    129

    1,010

    West Lothian

    146

    111

    430

    Moray

    85

    65

    2,240

    Orkney Islands

    20

    16

    1,020

    Perthshire and Kinross

    128

    100

    5,390

    East Renfrewshire

    88

    68

    170

    Renfrewshire

    174

    133

    260

    Shetland Islands

    23

    17

    1,470

    Stirling

    81

    64

    2,240

    Western Isles

    29

    23

    3,070

    1Source: GRO(S) Based on mid-1992 population estimates.

    1Source: GRO(S) Based on 1994 electoral registers.

  TRANSPORT

    British Rail Stations
    Mr. Dowd
    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many British Rail stations within the Greater London regional passenger committee area are totally unstaffed.

    Mr. Freeman
    Of the 462 stations which fall within the boundaries of the London regional passenger committees, 62 are unstaffed.

    Mr. Dowd
    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many British Rail stations in the Greater London
    269
    regional passenger committee area staffed on the basis of less than two full shifts on any (a) week day, (b) Saturday and (c) Sunday.

    Mr. Freeman
    The information is not readily available in the form required and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Cunninghame, North (Mr. Wilson) on 15 July 1993,Official Report, columns 583–84, which showed that of the 2,551 stations on the British Rail network, 977 were wholly unstaffed.

    Mr. Dowd
    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the timings of the shift rota for British Rail station staff in the Greater London regional passenger committee area.

    Mr. Freeman.
    Comprehensive information cannot be obtained except at disproportionate cost. The timings of the shift rota for British Rail station staff vary depending on the requirements of the station concerned.

    Central Line
    Mr. Redmond
    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what travelling assistance his Department is offering to the communities living on or near the Epping-Ongar section of the Central line should London Transport decide to close this section of its operations in March; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Freeman
    The decision on this closure proposal is for the Secretary of State for Transport and I cannot comment further while closure procedures are under way.

    Registration Plates
    Mr. Redmond
    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement as to what the current requirements are for Q registration plates to be issued.

    Mr. Key
    Q prefix registration marks are allocated to vehicles whose age cannot be established. Typically they are allocated to imported vehicles for which registration documents are not available—vehicles that have been extensively rebuilt and vehicles assembled from a kit, using parts from more than one donor vehicle.

    Oil Discharges
    Mr. Elletson
    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the annual volume of oil entering the Irish sea from shipping for each of the last three years; and in each year what proportion of that was intentionally discharged.

    Mr. Norris
    The annual volume of oil entering the Irish sea from shipping in each of the last three years—1991–93—is estimated as follows:

    1991—1,500 tonnes—one incident involving a spill of approximately 1,450 tonnes vegetable oil and 50 tonnes engine oil.

    1992—eight tonnes.

    1993—figures not yet available.

    These figures are based upon information extracted from the annual publication "Oil Pollution Survey Around the Coasts of the UK" produced by the Advisory Committee on Protection of the Sea. The 1993 figures are still being compiled.

    There are no recorded figures for the legal operational discharges of oil from shipping traversing the Irish sea.

    Railtrack
    Mr. Spellar
    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many bids were received for the contract for legal work for Railtrack;

    (2) whether British Rail was invited to bid for the legal work for Railtrack;

    (3) what estimate he has as to the number of staff who will be made redundant as a result of the decision of Railtrack to outsource its legal work.

    Mr. Freeman
    While Railtrack remains a division of British Rail, these are matters for the British Railways Board.

    Mr. Wilson
    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if, in the illustrative chart, "Financial Flows in the New Railway Industry", published by his Department, there is any statutory connection between the flow from Railtrack entering the box marked, "Public Expenditure Provision for Railways", and the flow which links that box with "Franchising Director".

    Mr. Freeman
    There is no statutory connection. The external finance limits for BR and for Railtrack and the resources available for passenger rail subsidy in 1994–95 will be published on 10 March. The prospective cash surplus of Railtrack is being taken into account in setting the franchising director's vote. The Government have said that the franchising director will have sufficient resources to meet the costs of existing passenger services.

    Mr. Dobson
    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the formula for the charges to be levied by Railtrack for access to the rail network.

    Mr. Freeman
    I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport on 15 February,Official Report, column 716, which set out the basis on which Railtrack has calculated its charges.

    Franchised and BR passenger operators will pay the direct costs that their services impose on Railtrack. Common costs will be specific sections of track, and those which can only be identified to a geographic area, will be recovered from operators in proportion to the number of passenger-vehicle miles they run in each area. Network costs—the core overheads of providing the network which cannot be broken down more specifically—will be recovered in proportion to operators' revenue from fares.

    Charges to freight operators and non-franchised passenger operators will be subject to commercial negotiation, but must at least cover direct costs.

    The application of these methods is a matter for Railtrack. The rail regulator will consider and approve all access agreements entered into after 1 April 1994.

    Mr. Wilson
    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will state on the basis of valuation of assets, in cash terms at current prices, the minimum rate of return sought by the Treasury from Railtrack in each of the next five years.

    Mr. Freeman
    Railtrack will be set a target rate of return on capital of 8 per cent, to be achieved over its first four years of business. Discussions are continuing with Railtrack on the setting of initial financial targets, including the opening required rate of return on capital.
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    Mr. Wilson
    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will describe the basis on which the assets passing to Railtrack have been valued.

    Mr. Freeman
    In common with other public sector undertakings, Railtrack's assets will be valued on a modern equivalent asset value basis. The valuation will reflect the existing condition of assets and the cost of continuing to provide capacity broadly equivalent to that provided now.

    Marine Pollution
    Mr. Elletson
    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the number of reported incidents in the Irish sea involving marine pollution from shipping indicating(a) the number investigated, (b) the number involved in legal proceedings and (c) the number resulting in prosecution.

    Mr. Norris
    Over the last three years the Department of Transport's marine pollution control unit has received the following number of reports of pollution in the Irish sea:

    Number

    1991

    50

    1992

    42

    1993

    54

    The majority of these reports will have been related to bilge or tank washings with no ship being identified.

    All incidents were followed up by MPCU and investigated where appropriate. The following number of port state control inspections was requested.

    Number

    1991

    1

    1992

    1

    1993

    2

    In 1991, one vessel was referred to the flag state for further investigation by the relevant competent authority, who subsequently decided that there was insufficient evidence upon which to effect a prosecution.

    Heavy Goods Vehicles
    Mr. Clifton-Brown
    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to amend the regulations to allow traffic commissioners to take into account suitability of the immediate local road network before determining a heavy goods operators licence application.

    Mr. Key
    A licensing authority is able to take into account the suitability of the junction of an operating centre with a public road, and also the suitability of any private road between the operating centre and the public road. The suitability of any public roads in the vicinity is a matter for the local highway authority. In determining whether an operating centre is environmentally suitable, however, the licensing authority may also take into account the local environmental effect of vehicles travelling to and from the operating centre. We have no plans to change this.

    Diesel Fuel Duty
    Mr. Wigley
    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from the Bus and Coach Council regarding changes in the amount of rebate received in respect of dieseal fuel duty following the Budget; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Freeman
    My right hon. Friend has recently discussed with the Bus and Coach Council the initial impact of the changes in fuel duty rebate following the Budget and has undertaken to consider carefully its detailed analysis when it has been produced.

    M25
    Mrs. Lait
    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of traffic on the M25 is using that route in preference to the south coast route.

    Mr. Key
    About 2 per cent. of traffic on the M25 is estimated to be using that route in preference to the A27/A259 south coast trunk route.

    A1
    Mr. Duncan
    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the statutory provisions on his Department's highways powers which would allow him to consider including a bypass for the villages of Wymondham and Thistleton in the A1 widening scheme adjoining the RamJam junction.

    Mr. Key
    It is expected that the up-grading of the A1 trunk road to motorway standard would generally follow the line of the existing road. Wymondham and Thistleton are some distance from the A1, they are served by local highways and the Department does not have statutory powers to promote bypasses for these villages.

    Shipping
    Mr. Leigh
    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when Her Majesty's Government will ratify the 1988 protocol relating to the international convention on load line 1966 establishing an international agreement on minimum freeboards for ships engaged on international voyages; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Norris
    The Government will consider ratification of annex IV of MARPOL when the findings of a comprehensive survey of United Kingdom reception facilities, including those for sewage, are available later in the year.

    Penalty Fares Regulations
    Mr. Dunn
    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to make penalty fares regulations under section 130 of the Railways Act 1993.

    Mr. Freeman
    The Railways (Penalty Fares) Regulations 1994 have now been laid before Parliament. The regulations give the rail regulator the power to make rules in respect of penalty fares, which have the same effect as if they were regulations. A draft copy of these rules, prepared by the office of the rail regulator, has been placed in the Library.

    Road Safety
    Mr. Don Foster
    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the expenditure by each local education authority in respect of school crossings and road safety for each year since 1989; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Key
    The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

    Fuel Duty Rebate
    Mr. Betts
    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his assessment of the impact of the decision of the Government to increase the fuel duty rebate in the Budget on(a) bus and coach passenger mileage, (b) bus and coach fares, (c) pollution caused by bus and coach, (d) car mileage and (e) pollution caused by cars.

    Mr. Key
    [holding answer 8 March 1994]: The strategy of increasing fuel duty is designed to encourage reduction of carbon dioxide emissions from all road vehicles as part of our commitment, under the framework convention on climate change, to return such emission to 1990 levels by the year 2000. The increase in fuel duty for bus operators represents less than 1 per cent. of operating costs and therefore the impact on fares and services is likely to be small. The effect on bus and car mileage and on pollution will depend upon the actions taken by vehicle users in response to the measure but its intention is to cause all to think more carefully about the size, age, fuel efficiency, methods of operation and maintenance of such vehicles.

  AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

    Public Bodies
    Mr. Kilfoyle
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food who are the members currently appointed to the Consumers Committee for Great Britain under the Agricultural Marketing Act 1958.

    Mr. Jack
    The members of the committee are:

    Mrs. Janet Laurence, Chairman

    Miss Beata Brookes

    Mrs. Dorothy Cockrell

    Mrs. Majorie Grimes

    Mrs. Barbara Hawkins

    Mr. John Murphy

    Mr. John Tracy

    Olive Oil
    Mr. Nicholas Brown
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will state(a) the price at which British wholesalers buy olive oil per tonne, (b) what she estimates the price of olive oil per tonne would be in a free market without European Community price intervention and (c) the cost to the consumer of taxes on imports of olive oil.

    Mr. Jack
    The price of extra virgin olive oil on Community markets in the week beginning 7 February 19941 ranged from 1,850 ecu/tonne—£1,400 per tonne2 —to 2,430 ecu/tonne—£1,850 per tonne2. The EC accounts for approximately 75 per cent. of world production and consumption of olive oil. It is not possible
    274
    to make precise estimates of the price at which oil would trade without Community support measures or the cost of those measures to the consumer without a large number of assumptions about how the EC and world markets would react if circumstances were to change.

    1Source: Commission.

    2 Exchange rate 1 ecu=£0·75958.

    Tobacco
    Mr. Nicholas Brown
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will state(a) the price at which British wholesalers buy tobacco per tonne, (b) what she estimates the price of tobacco per tonne would be in a free market without European Community price intervention, (c) the levels of European Community production and consumption of tobacco, (d) the level of common agricultural policy expenditure on tobacco subsidies and (e) the cost to the British Exchequer of European Community intervention in the tobacco sector.

    Mr. Jack
    The answers are as follows:

    (a)(b) It is not possible to give a representative wholesale price for tobacco, since values vary significantly in relation both to variety and quality. Neither is it possible to make precise estimates of a potential free market price, without a large number of assumptions about current price levels on world markets and how they would react if circumstances were to change.

    (c) The latest Commission estimate of EC tobacco production from the 1993 harvest is 364,219 tonnes. Community consumption amounts to some 630,000 tonnes per annum.

    (d) The provisional outturn for Community expenditure for tobacco in 1993 is 1,165 mecu—£915 million1.

    (e) The United Kingdom contributes to the EC budget as a whole, which funds the cost of tobacco support in other member states.

    1£1=1·2729 ecu.

    Milk
    Mr. Nicholas Brown
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will state(a) the price at which British wholesalers buy milk per tonne, (b) the price at which the European Community sells milk per tonne on the world market, (c) the levels of European Community production and consumption of milk, (d) the level of common agricultural policy expenditure on milk subsidies, and (e) the cost to the British Exchequer of European Community intervention in the milk market.

    Mr. Jack
    The answers are as follows:(a) The average price paid for milk by wholesalers in England and Wales is £230·65 per tonne; (b) there is not a world market for liquid milk; (c) I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Glanford and Scunthorpe (Mr. Morley) on 1 February, Official Report, column 555, which shows EC production of milk and consumption of liquid milk for 1991, the latest year available; (d) the 1993 provisional outturn of common agricultural policy expenditure in the dairy sector as a whole amounts to around £4 billion; (e) the Exchequer cost of CAP support in the dairy sector in the United Kingdom is estimated at £296·5 million for the 1993–94 financial year. The United Kingdom also contributes to the EC budget as a whole, which funds the cost of support for the dairy sector in other member states.

    Rice
    Mr. Nicholas Brown
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will state(a) the price at which British wholesalers buy rice per tonne, (b) what she estimates the price of rice per tonne would be in a free market without European Community price intervention and (c) the cost to the British consumer of the common agricultural policy in the rice market.

    Mr. Jack
    The answers are as follows:(a) Information on the price of rice to wholesalers is not gathered centrally. (b) It is not possible to make precise estimates about what prices might result if there were no market support in the EC. A large number of assumptions would be required in order to assess how domestic and world markets would react if commodity policy were to be changed. (c) I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for The Wrekin (Mr. Grocott) on 11 January, Official Report, columns 65–6. For the reasons given, it is not possible to estimate the effect of the CAP on the food bill for individual commodities.

    Common Agricultural Policy
    Mr. Nicholas Brown
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total budget of the common agricultural policy in each year since 1973; what proportion of the EC's total budget it accounted for; and what proportion of the common agricultural policy was allocated to the United Kingdom.

    Mr. Jack
    The information is as follows:

    Total CAP expenditure (EAGGF guarantee)

    As percentage of total EC expenditure

    Total UK receipts as percentage of total EC CAP expenditure

    1973

    13,660

    91

    4·15

    1974

    13,107

    69

    8·61

    1975

    14,727

    77

    17·23

    1976

    15,570

    76

    8·41

    1977

    16,662

    75

    6·27

    1978

    28,673

    72

    13·29

    1979

    210,441

    73

    8·89

    1980

    311,315

    69

    7·82

    1981

    310,980

    62

    9·87

    1982

    312,406

    61

    10·37

    1983

    315,812

    65

    10·73

    1984

    318,346

    67

    11·58

    1985

    319,744

    70

    9·62

    1986

    322,137

    65

    8·98

    1987

    322,968

    65

    7·61

    1988

    327,687

    67

    7·20

    1989

    325,873

    63

    7·41

    1990

    327,036

    62

    7·32

    1991

    331,939

    59

    7·49

    1992

    332,109

    55

    7·63

    Sources: Annual Financial Reports of the Guarantee Section of the EAGGF.

    Annual Reports of the European Court of Auditors.

    1Million units of account.

    2Million European units of account.

    3Million European currency units.

    Mr. Nicholas Brown
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will estimate the cost to the United Kingdom of every acre farmed in the European Community.

    Mr. Jack
    This information is not available.
    276
    Mr. Nicholas Brown
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the budget forecast for the common agricultural policy in 1994; and what proportion of this fund will be allocated to the United Kingdom.

    Mr. Jack
    The 1994 CAP budget has been set at 36,465 mecu—£27,566 million. It is set in relation to forecast expenditure throughout the Community, and not on the basis of allocations to individual member states. The level of United Kingdom CAP receipts will depend on a variety of factors, such as production levels, quantities exported, and purchases in and sales out of intervention storage. It is forecast at £2,728 million for the 1994–95 financial year.

    Sir Teddy Taylor
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will raise at the next meeting of the Council of Agriculture Ministers the cost to member states of the report commissioned by the EC into the future of the common agricultural policy; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Jack
    This study, which has yet to be completed or its findings published, is a matter for the Commission, not the Council of Ministers. The next meeting of the Council of Agricultural Ministers will however be discussing the Commission's proposals for CAP prices for 1994–95 during which my right hon. Friend will be paying close attention to the overall cost of the CAP.

    Mr. Tyler
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps she has taken to obtain a copy of that analysis of the future economic viability of the common agricultural policy by EU economists; if she will place a copy in the Library; and if she will request the European Commission at the next Council of Ministers meeting to publish the report.

    Mr. Jack
    [holding answer 8 March 1994]: I understand this is an internal European Commission study on which work is not yet fully complete. Eventual publication is a matter for the Commission. If the Commission does decide to make this study available then my right hon. Friend the Minister will seek to obtain a copy for the House Library.

    Oilseeds
    Mr. Nicholas Brown
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will state(a) the price at which British wholesalers buy oilseeds per tonne, (b) what she estimates the price of oilseed per tonne would be in a free market without European Community price intervention, (c) the levels of European Community production and consumption of oilseeds, (d) the level of common agricultural policy expenditure on oilseeds subsidies and (e) the cost to the British Exchequer of European Community intervention in the oilseeds market.

    Mr. Jack
    The average price for rapeseed on the United Kingdom market was £149 per tonne in 1993. Sunflower seed and soya beans are produced in insignificant quantities in the United Kingdom. EC average prices were £194 per tonne1 for sunflower seed and £178 per tonne1 for soya beans in 1993. Under the CAP oilseeds are traded within the EC at prices which are in line with those in world markets. The EC production and consumption of oilseeds—rapeseed, sunflower seed and soya beans—in 1992 was estimated at 11·3 million tones2 and 26·3

    277
    million tones2 respectively, the last year for which figures are available. The level of CAP expenditure for oilseeds in 1993 was estimated at £2,261 million1. The Exchequer cost of CAP support for oilseeds under the arable area payments scheme in the United Kingdom is estimated at £160 million—excluding the cost of oilseeds grown on set-aside land—for the 1993–94 financial year. The United Kingdom also contributes to the EC budget as a whole, which funds the cost of oilseeds support in other member states.

    (1 Source: Commission).

    (2 Source: Oil World).

    Mr. Nicholas Brown
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will state(a) the price at which British wholesalers buy linseed per tonne, (b) what she estimates the price of linseed per tonne would be in a free market without European Community price intervention, (c) the levels of European Community production and consumption of linseed, (d) the level of common agricultural policy expenditure on linseed subsidies and (e) the cost to the British Exchequer of European Community intervention in the linseed market.

    Mr. Jack
    The average price for linseed on the United Kingdom market was £111 per tonne in 1993. Under the CAP linseed is traded within the EC at prices which are in line with those in world markets. The EC production and consumption of linseed in 1992 was estimated at 380,000 tonnes1 and 492,000 tonnes1 respectively, the last year for which figures are available. The level of CAP expenditure for linseed in 1993 was estimated at £143 million2. The Exchequer cost of CAP support for linseed under the arable area payments scheme in the United Kingdom is estimated at £75 million for the 1993–94 financial year. The United Kingdom also contributes to the EC budget as a whole, which funds the cost of linseed support in other member states.

    (1 Source: Oil World).

    (2 Source: Commission).

    Potatoes
    Mr. Nicholas Brown
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will state(a) the price at which British wholesalers buy potatoes per tonne,

    EC member states production and consumption of potatoes

    Harvested production (in 1,000T)

    Human consumption (in 1,000T)

    Year

    1990

    1991

    1992

    19931

    1988–89

    1989–90

    1990–91

    1991–92

    Belgium

    1,952

    2,002

    2,616

    2,093

    965

    929

    1,004

    1,029

    Luxembourg

    25

    19

    26

    —

    Denmark

    1,483

    1,462

    1,738

    —

    331

    332

    317

    294

    Germany

    7,233

    10,201

    10,897

    12,074

    4,465

    4,482

    5,959

    5,940

    Greece

    996

    1,004

    980

    —

    868

    850

    903

    922

    Spain

    5,331

    5,182

    5,271

    4,158

    3,769

    4,243

    4,146

    4,210

    France

    4,779

    5,467

    6,676

    —

    4,100

    4,000

    4,021

    4,112

    Ireland

    605

    571

    642

    —

    506

    504

    526

    535

    Italy

    2,309

    2,219

    2,498

    2,026

    2,233

    2,203

    2,235

    2,230

    Netherlands

    7,036

    6,949

    7,641

    7,699

    1,274

    1,329

    1,300

    1,311

    Portugal

    1,132

    939

    1,511

    1,160

    964

    1,100

    1,110

    1,050

    United Kingdom

    6,467

    6,267

    7,802

    7,117

    5,932

    5,615

    5,681

    5,426

    EC12

    39,348

    42,282

    48,298

    —

    25,407

    25,587

    27,202

    27,059

    1Provisional.

    Sources: Eurostat, Crop Production—Quarterly Statistics, Vol. 4 1993.

    MAFF Statistics (for revised UK data)—December 1993 Potatoes Quarterly Review.

    (d) there is no common agricultural policy expenditure on potatoes; and, similarly,
    278
    (b) what she estimates the price of potatoes per tonne would be in a free market without European Community price intervention, (c) the levels of European Community production and consumption of potatoes, (d) the level of common agricultural policy expenditure on potato subsidies and (e) the cost to the British Exchequer of European Community intervention in the potato market.

    Mr. Jack
    The answer is as follows:

    (a) The average price at which registered merchants1 in Great Britain sold maincrop potatoes was as follows:

    Crop year

    Average price(£/tonne)(excluding sacks)

    1988–89

    62·51

    1989–90

    98·65

    1990–91

    78·17

    1991–92

    85·73

    1992–93

    56·71

    Source: Weighted average of PMB country details of Maincrop returns from Registered Merchants.

    1 During this period all registered production was sold through Registered merchants to all markets including the retail market.

    Northern Ireland recorded maincrop ware prices were as detailed:

    Crop year

    Average price(£/tonne)(excluding sacks)

    1988–89

    54·43

    1989–90

    104·07

    1990–91

    66·15

    1991–92

    88·56

    1992–93

    44·52

    Source: Department for Agriculture for Northern Ireland; Economics and Statistics.

    (b) there is no European Community price intervention;

    (c) the latest available figures for European Community production and consumption of potatoes are as follows:

    (e) there is no cost to the British Exchequer of European Community intervention in the potato market.

    Dairy Quotas
    Mr. Nicholas Brown
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will estimate by how much the continued existence of dairy quotas raises market prices for dairy products above the intervention prices.

    Mr. Jack
    Prices for dairy products are currently close to intervention price levels.

    Banana Trade Advisory Committee
    Mr. Kilfoyle
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food who are the members of the Banana Trade Advisory Committee.

    Mr. Jack
    The Banana Trade Advisory Committee was disbanded on 1 July 1993 following the introduction of the EC single market for bananas.

    Set-aside
    Mr. Redmond
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food will she list the June census set-aside figures for England for each year from 1989 to 1994.

    Mr. Jack
    The June census set-aside figures for England for each year from 1990 to 1993 are as follows:

    Year

    000 hectares

    1990

    72

    1991

    97

    1992

    130

    1993

    580

    Set-aside was not separately identified in the 1989 census. The provisional results of the 1994 June census are expected to become available in August 1994.

    Infant Food
    Mrs. Golding
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans she has to alter the regulations on the promotion of infant formula and follow-on formula.

    Mr. Soames
    Draft regulations to implement two EC directives covering the composition, marketing and export of infant formula and follow-on formula have been the subject of a public consultation exercise. The closing date for the receipt of comments was 4 March. The Government will carefully consider all the comments received, before announcing their conclusions on what the regulations should include.

    Agricultural Base Rates
    Mr. Redmond
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what were the figures in hectares for(a) set-aside, (b) pulses and (c) oilseed rape and cereals for 1989, 1990 and 1991 which were used to calculate the base rate for England.

    Mr. Jack
    I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on Friday 3 December 1993 to the hon. Member for Angus, East (Mr. Welsh),Official Report, column 850.

    EC Fisheries Inquiry
    Mr. Morley
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the terms of reference for the European Commission's commission of inquiry into 280
    fisheries; whether the inquiry will address the availability of food for sea birds; and if he will list the membership of the inquiry team.

    Mr. Jack
    At the December Fisheries Council the Commission to establish a working group, composed of marine ecologists and fisheries biologists, to study the implications for the marine ecosystem of fishing in general and of industrial fishing in particular. The group will set priorities for future research work on the effect these have on the marine ecosystem, sea birds and small cetaceans. The Commission is responsible for the membership of the group. We have asked the Commission to ensure that the working group takes account of the recent sea bird deaths in the North sea.

    Milk Marketing Board
    Mr. Whittingdale
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, when she will consult on the Milk Marketing Board's amended scheme for reorganisation.

    Mrs. Gillian Shephard
    I and the Secretary of State for Wales have today invited comments from interested parties in England and Wales on the amended reorganisation scheme now before us.

    The Milk Marketing Board has made a number of changes to the reorganisation scheme on which we consulted last October. The MMB now proposes a vesting day of 1 November 1994. Its new proposals also include the establishment of Genus as an independent company, with shares issued to eligible registered producers, and the retention of national milk records by the residuary Milk Marketing Board, which would determine its future ownership. The scheme continues to provide for the flotation of Dairy Crest and the issue to eligible producers of shares in Dairy Crest and certificates of entitlement in Milk Marque.

    We have asked to receive comments by 8 April.

    Copies of our consultation document have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament and will be available for inspection at the Ministry's regional service centres and Welsh Office divisional offices.

    Danish Sand Eel Fishing
    Sir Cranley Onslow
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action she is taking to ensure that Danish sand eel fishing operations off the east coast of Britain do not jeopardise stocks of sea fish and bird life; and if she will make a statement.

    Mr. Jack
    Denmark has the major interest in industrial fishing in the North sea, but does not have access to fisheries which lie within the British 12-mile limit, nor to the sand eel fishery south of the Shetlands which has been closed for the last three years.

    There is at present no conclusive evidence that current levels of industrial fishing are having an adverse effect on fish stocks. A study group of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea on sea bird-fish interactions last year indicated that there was unlikely to be much competition between sea birds and the sand-eel fishery. Nonetheless, I believe that the implications of industrial fishing should be considered in depth and, following pressure from the United Kingdom, the December Fisheries Council agreed to the establishment of a working group, composed of marine ecologists and fisheries

    281
    biologists, to study the implications for the marine ecosystem of fishing in general and industrial fishing in particular. The group will set priorities for future research work on the effect these have on the marine ecosystem, sea birds and small cetaceans.

    Fish
    Mr. Morley
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations she has made to the European Commission in relation to subsidies paid to French fishermen.

    Mr. Jack
    [holding reply 8 March 1994]: We have asked the Commission to consider urgently whether the package of aids announced by the French Government has been granted in accordance with EU legal provisions on state aids.

    School Milk Scheme
    Dr. Strang,
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the change in local authority consumption in terms of value in actual and real terms of milk and other products eligible for the school milk scheme between(a) 12 school weeks before and 12 schools weeks after the removal of buttermilk and cheese from the school milk scheme and (b) 12 school weeks prior to and 12 school weeks after the reduction in funding for the school milk scheme.

    Mrs. Gillian Shephard
    [holding reply 8 March 1994]: No information on changes in local authority consumption in terms of the value of milk and milk products eligible under the school milk scheme is available on a 12-weekly basis. The change in local authority consumption in terms of actual value for eligible milk and milk products between the term—spring 1993—before the removal of buttermilk and cheese from the scheme on 1 April 1993 and the term —summer 1993—after was a reduction of subsidy totalling £5,639,666·01. No information will be available on changes in consumption following the 25 per cent. cut in the subsidy and the technical amendments, which came into force on 1 January 1994, until claims for the period have been received.

    Public Information Campaigns
    Mr. Matthew Taylor
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, further to her reply of 18 February,Official Report, columns 1056–58, what was the budgeted and the actual cost of each public information campaign listed.

    Mr. Jack
    The cost of each public information campaign listed was as follows:

    Estimated Budgets

    Actual

    £

    £

    At the Farmer's Service

    371,500

    435,000

    Balance in the Countryside

    343,000

    323,000

    The Continental Challenge

    30,000

    22,000

    Don't Import Disease

    30,000

    53,000

    Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA's) Campaign

    108,000

    127,000

    Foodsense Campaign

    1,240,000

    1,600,000

    Guidance on the Transport of Casualty Animals for Slaughter

    1—

    30,000

    Heat Stress Campaign

    11,000

    10,000

    282

    Estimated Budgets

    Actual

    £

    £

    Joint Imports Campaign

    30,000

    113,000

    Pesticides Poisoning of Wildlife Campaign

    30,000

    15,000

    Plant Health Campaigns

    20,000

    86,000

    Rabies Campaign

    100,000

    170,000

    Small Producers of Food

    30,000

    23,000

    Straw and Stubble Burning Campaign

    35,000

    19,000

    Warble Fly Campaign

    17,000

    30,000

    Exhibition Stands Supporting Animal Welfare Campaigns

    50,000

    37,000

    I.A.C.S.

    200,000

    163,000

    Export and Trade Promotion

    400,000

    566,000

    National Agricultural Exhibitions

    300,000

    342,000

    1 No budget set.

    Estimated budget costs for campaigns are set at the beginning of each financial year. During the year reassessment of policy requirements and the widening of campaigns to meet increased demand for information can cause variations in actual work which affects costs.

    Nuclear Waste
    Mr. Llew Smith
    To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to her answer of 25 February,Official Report, column 492, if she will set out the international conventions covering land-based radioactive waste discharges and those to which the United Kingdom is party.

    Mr. Atkins
    I have been asked to reply. The Government do not have a list of all the international conventions to which other states may be parties that cover land-based discharges of radioactive wastes. The following are the treaties and conventions relevant to the interests of the United Kingdom in European waters:the Eurotom treaty, 1957, to which the United Kingdom is now a party as a member state of the European Community;
    the—Paris—convention for the protection of marine pollution from land-based sources, 1974, to which the United Kingdom has been a contracting party since its inception; this will eventually be replaced by the convention for the protection of the marine environment of the north-east Atlantic 1992, which the United Kingdom has signed but has yet to ratify;
    the—Helsinki—convention on the protection of the marine environment of the Baltic sea area, 1974, to be replaced in due course by the—Helsinki—convention on the protection of the Baltic sea area, 1992, and the—Barcelona—convention for the protection of the Mediterranean sea against pollution, 1976, in both of which the United Kingdom has interests as a member state of the European Community, since the European Community is, or is in the process of becoming, a contracting party to those conventions.

  WALES

    Non-departmental Public Bodies
    Mr. Llwyd
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many days per week Mr. Michael Griffiths is contractually bound to spend on work for the three non-departmental public bodies of which he is chairman or member; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Redwood
    The average time commitments expressed as days per week are listed as follows:

    Countryside Council for Wales

    2½ days per week

    Glan Clwyd District General Hospital NHS Trust

    3½ days per week

    Higher Education Funding Council

    1½ days per month

    283
    Mr. Griffiths performs daily duties at the offices of these bodies, attends evening meetings and works at weekends preparing for meetings and briefing himself.

    Assisted Places Scheme
    Mr. Donohoe
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much it costs his Department to publicise and administer the operation of the assisted places scheme.

    Sir Wyn Roberts
    Schools and the Independent Schools Information Service publicise the scheme. It is administered in Wales by staff of the Welsh Office Education Department, which has a range of other significant responsibilities. It is estimated that the current cost of its time spent on the administration of the scheme is £6,400.

    Health Service Manpower
    Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many managers and senior managers there were within the NHS; and of those how many are there whose designation as such can be attributed solely to reclassification within the NHS, in each health authority and for Wales as a whole in each year since 1979.

    Mr. Gwilym Jones
    I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on numbers of managers on 21 February,Official Report, columns 89–91.

    Information on the numbers of staff reclassified as managers is not in general readily available. However a special exercise in December 1993 provided some information on the number of staff now classified as managers who were previously employed at other grades within the same authority/trust. This information is shown in the following table. It is not known how many of these staff retained their previous responsibilities on transferring to manager grade and how many were promoted or took on new responsibilities.

    Health authority area

    1Per cent.

    Clwyd

    79·0

    East Dyfed

    71·0

    Gwent

    77·0

    Gwynedd

    78·0

    Mid Glamorgan

    62·0

    Pembrokeshire

    100·0

    Powys

    85·0

    South Glamorgan

    77·0

    West Glamorgan

    80·0

    WHCSA

    58·0

    Wales

    73·0

    1 Percentage of managers, at December 1993, who were previously employed at other grades within the same authority/trust.

    Notes:

    1. Includes staff employed by health authorities, NHS trusts, Welsh health common services authority and those family health services authorities using the health authorities payroll system.

    2. Managers employed on local payscales but who cannot be identified centrally as managers are excluded. This applies in particular to the Pembrokeshire NHS trust, where the figure quoted excludes all bar one employee.

    3. Managers who were previously employed at other grades in other authorities/trusts but not their existing one are not generally counted as reclassified in the figures except where they transferred to an NHS trust from the health authority which had previously managed those services at the time the trust was created.

    Training
    Mr. Tony Lloyd
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list in 1993–94 prices and cash terms the total amount spent from public funds on training in Wales in each year since 1989–90, the expected outturn in 1993–94 and plans for 1994–95.

    Sir Wyn Roberts
    The information requested is given in the following table:

    Wales training expenditure in cash and real terms (1993–94 prices)1989–90to 1992–93 and expected outturns in 1993–94 and plans for1994–95

    £ millions

    1989–90

    Cash

    148·406

    Real terms

    182·827

    1990–91

    Cash

    146·132

    Real terms

    166·594

    1991–92

    Cash

    145·773

    Real terms

    156·289

    1992–93

    Cash

    151·659

    Real terms

    159·242

    1993–94

    Estimated outturn

    147·590

    1994–95

    Cash

    149·679

    Real terms

    143·922

    Land Use
    Mr. Redmond
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what figures were used in hectares for(a) set-aside, (b) pulses and (c) oilseed rape and cereals for 1989, 1990 and 1991 to calculate the base rate for Wales.

    Mr. Redwood
    I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Angus, East (Mr. Welsh) on 29 November 1993,Official Report, column 362.

    Deaf-blind Service
    Mr. Barry Jones
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement concerning the impact of the grants for the regional deaf-blind service in Wales.

    Mr. Gwilym Jones
    Some £25,000 has been given to SENSE, the National Deaf-Blind and Rubella Association, in 1993–94 for the establishment of a development officer post in Wales. A grant application for 1994–95 is currently under consideration.

    Grant allocated by the Welsh Office Education Department under the grants for education support and training scheme has led to the establishment of a regional deaf-blind service at Ysgol Hendre, Swansea. An outreach support service is currently in operation and the centre providing educational facilities for children will open shortly.

    Mr. Barry Jones
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will extend the time scale of grants for the GEST scheme for deaf-blind children;
    285
    (2) what is the amount of cash earmarked for the GEST scheme for the consortium of local education authorities, giving the amounts for each of West Glamorgan, Mid-Glamorgan, Dyfed and Gwent.

    Sir Wyn Roberts
    We have recently allocated grant for 1994–95 on expenditure of £18,800 to each of the four authorities involved in the south Wales deaf-blind project, a total of £75,200 for that year. No decisions have yet been taken about the extension of the grant into 1995–96.

    Mr. Gareth Wardell
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will extend the funding of the GEST project to support the education of deaf-blind children beyond April 1995.

    Sir Wyn Roberts
    I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave today to the hon. Member for Alyn and Deeside (Mr. Jones).

    GPs
    Mr. Redmond
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 20 January,Official Report, column 771, what considerations underlie his decision not to collect information centrally on the number of general practitioners who receive gross payments in excess of £200,000 per annum; if he will consider collecting this information in future; and if he will make a statement.

    In-year capital receipts from the sale of council houses1 Constant 1992–93 prices

    £000

    1983–84

    1984–85

    1985–86

    1986–87

    1987–88

    1988–89

    1989–90

    1990–91

    1991–92

    1992–93

    Alyn and Deeside

    730

    1,320

    1,705

    1,353

    1,566

    2,880

    4,442

    2,443

    1,119

    1,030

    Colwyn

    871

    647

    803

    868

    1,032

    1,665

    1,223

    778

    393

    379

    Delyn

    1,748

    6,060

    669

    977

    1,483

    1,365

    2,300

    1,471

    928

    806

    Glyndwr

    1,026

    683

    2,212

    1,043

    966

    2,393

    2,306

    958

    489

    524

    Rhuddlan

    610

    609

    926

    670

    1,149

    1,967

    1,686

    919

    556

    362

    Wrexham Maelor

    1,177

    1,351

    1,949

    2,864

    4,215

    5,657

    12,391

    4,779

    3,314

    2,759

    Carmarthen

    1,576

    1,471

    933

    1,063

    1,151

    1,977

    2,139

    1,823

    1,227

    1,040

    Ceredigion

    1,952

    1,276

    856

    1,463

    1,183

    2,924

    3,738

    2,035

    1,337

    1,565

    Dinefwr

    550

    513

    715

    1,102

    994

    1,529

    1,376

    1,284

    623

    450

    Llanelli

    3,501

    2,107

    1,685

    2,431

    2,702

    4,158

    3,958

    2,579

    2,139

    1,489

    Preseli Pembroke

    2,726

    1,727

    1,555

    1,611

    1,695

    4,003

    5,028

    2,576

    1,542

    1,774

    South Pembrokeshire

    2,473

    1,572

    673

    640

    991

    2,227

    2,312

    1,241

    861

    516

    Blaenau Gwent

    1,645

    1,127

    5,028

    1,988

    2,058

    3,742

    5,678

    2,388

    1,666

    1,031

    Islwyn

    4,541

    2,753

    2,275

    3,146

    3,473

    5,255

    4,996

    1,463

    1,578

    1,124

    Monmouth

    4,969

    3,994

    2,914

    2,995

    3,763

    5,228

    5,170

    2,487

    2,059

    1,613

    Newport

    4,720

    4,885

    11,123

    5,000

    4,753

    8,897

    10,261

    3,030

    2,193

    1,881

    Torfaen

    4,924

    3,977

    2,163

    6,901

    4,810

    9,150

    10,999

    5,138

    3,220

    3,311

    Aberconwy

    1,316

    1,078

    1,084

    1,231

    1,458

    3,275

    3,868

    1,359

    908

    515

    Arfon

    1,183

    1,326

    809

    1,115

    1,005

    2,661

    3,207

    1,329

    924

    669

    Dwyfor

    399

    243

    325

    205

    176

    449

    594

    653

    248

    271

    Meirionnydd

    1,087

    531

    582

    584

    803

    1,345

    1,440

    471

    422

    241

    Ynys Mon

    795

    806

    1,689

    1,320

    1,006

    3,724

    4,483

    2,066

    1,050

    629

    Cynon Valley

    1,833

    873

    777

    1,523

    1,382

    1,662

    1,840

    1,185

    913

    651

    Merthyr Tydfil

    1,689

    1,323

    1,856

    2,334

    2,508

    3,398

    3,513

    1,516

    739

    976

    Ogwr

    14,899

    4,993

    4,856

    5,270

    4,083

    6,564

    7,149

    3,864

    2,599

    1,614

    Rhondda

    376

    315

    406

    571

    483

    711

    885

    686

    353

    373

    Rhymney Valley

    3,393

    2,679

    2,384

    4,072

    4,324

    3,858

    5,491

    3,798

    2,324

    1,885

    Taff Ely

    3,087

    2,686

    2,660

    4,174

    4,988

    6,007

    7,374

    3,908

    2,769

    2,162

    Brecknock

    1,880

    1,582

    1,355

    1,662

    1,803

    2,523

    2,491

    1,250

    810

    586

    Montgomeryshire

    1,548

    1,010

    1,155

    1,731

    1,450

    2,379

    2,658

    1,192

    1,038

    878

    Radnorshire

    1,128

    438

    468

    425

    810

    988

    1,083

    635

    457

    525

    Cardiff

    6,571

    7,852

    9,319

    16,537

    12,500

    18,311

    20,068

    7,760

    5,567

    3,765

    Vale of Glamorgan

    4,527

    3,543

    3,077

    4,729

    4,013

    7,344

    6,043

    2,488

    2,043

    2,006

    Port Talbot

    3,191

    2,883

    3,071

    3,610

    4,171

    5,374

    6,209

    2,938

    2,468

    1,733

    Lliw Valley

    822

    971

    1,417

    1,968

    1,829

    2,209

    3,539

    2,642

    1,382

    1,024

    Neath

    1,168

    1,476

    2,082

    2,207

    2,538

    3,167

    3,631

    2,112

    1,328

    991

    Swansea

    2,997

    9,392

    2,333

    3,242

    4,886

    10,805

    11,046

    4,637

    3,103

    1,986

    Total districts

    93,627

    82,069

    79,616

    94,623

    94,203

    151,769

    176,618

    83,882

    56,689

    45,134

    286
    Mr. Gwilym Jones
    GPs are paid according to a national contract. Conditions for payment are tightly defined and all GPs have access to income under the same conditions. Individual GP income varies according to a number of factors including list size and range of services provided.

    Exchequer control over the remuneration system is achieved through arrangements operated by the Doctors and Dentists Review Body which ensure that, taking one year with another, the profession as a whole earns neither more nor less by way of net income than the amount intended by Government.

    The collation of payments to individual doctors would serve no useful central management purpose. However, the information is available at a local management level to family health services authorities.

    Council House Sales
    Mr. Ron Davies
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total income received by each district council from the sales of council houses in each of the last 10 years expressed in current prices.

    Mr. Redwood
    The information is given in the following table:
    287
    1 Includes the repayment of principal on local authority mortgages on council houses.

    Sources: Capital payments return up to 1988–89, cash backed accumulated receipts returns for subsequent years.

    Amenity Charges
    Ms Primarolo
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much money was generated by the NHS in Wales from amenity charges; and how many people paid them in 1991–92 and 1992–93.

    Mr. Gwilym Jones
    The income receipts received by the NHS in Wales amounted to £30,000 and £65,000 for 1991–92 and 1992–93 respectively. The number of people who paid these receipts is not available centrally.

    Ministerial Offices
    Mr. Boyes
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the cost of new furniture for his private office during the year 1993–94.

    Mr. Redwood
    Such purchases are included within my Department's overall administration expenditure which is published every year in the annual report.

    Environmentally Sensitive Areas
    Mr. Clifton-Brown
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was or is the total budget for management agreements for all environmentally sensitive areas in Wales for the years 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95 and 1995–96.

    Mr. Gwilym Jones
    The information is as follows:

    Financial year

    Budget £ million

    1992–93

    1·505

    1993–94

    1·537

    1994–95

    6·863

    1995–96

    7·015

    Notes:

    Figures shown for 1992–93 are actual expenditure figures.

    Figures shown for 1993–94 to 1995–96 are subject to Parliamentary approval.

    Mr. Clifton-Brown
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the area of each individual environmentally sensitive area in Wales already under management agreements at the most recent date for which accurate figures are available.

    Mr. Gwilym Jones
    The information as at 28 February 1994 is as follows:

    ESA

    Hectares under agreement

    Cambrian Mountains (Original)

    8,694

    Cambrian Mountains (Extension)

    22,373

    Cambrian Mountains (Original) Revised

    10,327

    Lleyn Peninsula

    23,478

    Ynys Mon

    58

    Radnor

    0

    TOTAL

    64,930

    Mr. Clifton-Brown
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many farmers had entered into agreements in 288
    each individual environmentally sensitive area in Wales at the most recent date for which accurate figures are available.

    Mr. Gwilym Jones
    The information as at 28 February 1994 is as follows:

    ESA

    Number of current management agreements

    Cambrian Mountains (Original)

    80

    Cambrian Mountains (Extension)

    208

    Cambrian Mountains (Original) Revised

    63

    Lleyn Peninsula

    481

    Ynys Mon

    2

    Radnor

    0

    TOTAL

    834

    Ministerial Receptions
    Mr. Boyes
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the cost of receptions held by Ministers in his Department in 1993–94.

    Mr. Redwood
    The cost of such receptions is included in the entertainment expenditure for my Department, which is published in the annual report.

    Nursery Education
    Mr. Ron Davies
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of three and four-year-olds in Wales have nursery education provided for them(a) now and (b) in 1979.

    Mr. Redwood
    The percentage of three and four-year-olds1 in Wales who were in nursery education provided for them in maintained schools in 1993 and 1979 are as follows:

    Per cent.

    January 1993

    68·5

    January 1979

    66·7

    1 Ages as at 31 December—estimated.

    Others attend some other form of pre-school education or play group, meaning that most Welsh three to five-year-olds spend time with other children away from home.

    Housing
    Mr. Dafis
    To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was(a) the number of council houses, (b) the amount of housing revenue account subsidy and (c) the amount of housing revenue account subsidy per house in each district council in Wales and for Wales as a whole for the latest year for which figures are available.

    Mr. Gwilym Jones
    Information on the average number of council houses for each district council and for Wales in 1993–94 is given in the following table.

    I refer the hon. Member to the replies I gave him on 14 February, Official Report, column 632–34 in respect of housing revenue account subsidy.
    289

    Average number of council houses in 1993–94

    Number

    Aberconwy

    2,431

    Alyn and Deeside

    4,815

    Arfon

    4,748

    Blaenau Gwent

    9,503

    Brecknock

    2,510

    Cardiff

    17,938

    Carmarthen

    3,182

    Ceredigion

    3,021

    Colwyn

    2,386

    Cynon Valley

    4,661

    Delyn

    4,386

    Dinefwr

    2,346

    Dwyfor

    1,380

    Glyndwr

    2,694

    Islwyn

    5,611

    Llanelli

    6,331

    Lliw Valley

    4,681

    Meirionnydd

    1,873

    Merthyr Tydfil

    6,285

    Monmouth

    4,521

    Montgomeryshire

    2,562

    Neath

    5,090

    Newport

    12,700

    Ogwr

    8,711

    Port Talbot

    5,087

    Preseli Pembrokeshire

    5,016

    Radnorshire

    1,105

    Rhondda

    4,349

    Rhuddlan

    2,597

    Rhymney Valley

    9,140

    South Pembrokeshire

    2,594

    Swansea

    15,251

    Taff Ely

    6,145

    Torfaen

    12,154

    Vale of Glamorgan

    5,599

    Wrexham Maelor

    14,489

    Ynys Mon

    5,142

    Wales

    213,034

    Source:

    Local authorities' second advance subsidy claims for 1993–94.

  ENVIRONMENT

    Local Government Finance
    Mrs. Bridget Prentice
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will publish for each borough, district and county council and in total for England as a whole in constant prices(a) the estimated actual spending for 1993–94 net of community care, (b) the standard spending assessments for 1994–95 net of community care, (c) the amounts by which (b) exceeds or falls short of (a) and (d) the percentage by which (b) exceeds or falls short of (a); and if he will make a statement;

    (2) if he will publish for each borough, district and county council and in total for England as a whole in constant prices (a) the estimated actual spending for 1993–94, (b) the standard spending assessments for 1994–95, (c) the amounts by which (b) exceeds or falls short of (a) and (d) the percentage by which (b) exceeds or falls short of (a); and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Baldry
    The information requested has been placed in the Library.

    Mr. Pike
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is(a) the capital expenditure and (b) the revenue expenditure for the last year for which figures are
    290
    available in relation to the number of councillors on (i) London boroughs, (ii) metropolitan boroughs, (iii) shire county councils and (iv) shire district-borough councils.

    Mr. Baldry
    The information is as follows:

    Revenue expenditure 1993–94

    Capital expenditure1993–94

    Number of Councillors

    £ million

    £ million

    no

    London boroughs

    6,498

    1,293

    1,914

    Metropolitan districts

    8,946

    1,773

    2,481

    Shire counties

    20,213

    1,746

    2,998

    Shire districts

    3,280

    2,415

    13,459

    Source: Local authority returns—revenue budget and second quarter capital forecasts—municipal year book 1994.

    Environmental Protection
    Mr. Morley
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all the European directives for protecting the environment since 1979, including those concerning air pollution, water pollution and wildlife protection; whether each was implemented in the United Kingdom by primary or secondary legislation; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Atkins
    Directives in force are listed in the Official Journal of the European Communities "Director of Community Legislation in Force and Other Acts of the Community Institutions—22nd Edition", which is available in the Library.

    Details of the methods of transposition are not held centrally. The United Kingdom aims to implement Community legislation in full and on time. The method of implementation depends on the circumstances of each case and the legislation already in force in the United Kingdom, but will usually be by secondary legislation.

    Planning Regulations (Water Services)
    Mr. Alton
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what rules govern the giving of planning permission where existing water and sewerage provision will be affected;

    (2) what planning regulations existing to safeguard people living in areas of poor water pressure where a new building development is planned in the immediate vicinity; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Baldry
    There are no planning regulations which apply specifically to development which might affect existing water and sewerage provision. In determining planning applications, local planning authorities must have regard to the development plan, so far as it is material to the application, and to any other material considerations. Where the development plan is material, the planning application must be determined in accordance with it unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

    Each planning application must be considered on its merits; water supply and sewerage disposal may be material considerations to be taken into account. The capacity of existing water and sewerage infrastructure and the need for additional facilities should also be considered when development plans are being drawn up. Local planning authorities should consult the appropriate water

    291
    or sewerage undertaker on any planning application which is likely to have significant implications for water or sewerage services.

    Section 65(1) of the Water Industry Act 1991 places a duty on water undertakers to provide water at such a pressure as will cause water to reach the top of the top-most storey of every building within the undertaker's area. In general, the planning system should not duplicate safeguards for water supply or sewerage disposal already available under water legislation.

    Audit Commission (Staff Sickness)
    Mr. Redmond
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish current sickness absence rates in respect of staff of the Audit Commission.

    Mr. Baldry
    No. Under schedule 3 to the Local Government Finance Act 1982, the Audit Commission is responsible for the recruitment and management of its own staff. The Government do not involve themselves in this process.

    Councillors (Surcharges)
    Mr. Redmond
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now discontinue the penalty of surcharge on councillors in respect of fraud or incompetence.

    Mr. Baldry
    No.

    Nuclear Waste
    Mr. Llew Smith
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what support his Department provided to the centre for environmental chemistry at Brunel university in its preparation of its recent report on the management of used nuclear fuel and high-level nuclear waste.

    Mr. Atkins
    My Department has not been involved in the preparation of this report.

    Homelessness
    Mr. Robert Ainsworth
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) on what date he received representations from(a) Westminster and (b) Wandsworth asking that homelessness be used as an indicator for the purposes of standard spending assessment distribution;

    (2) what (a) evidence of their need to spend in respect of homelessness or (b) plans for increased spending was provided by Wandsworth borough council when asking that homelessness be used as an indicator for standard spending assessment distribution;

    (3) what (a) evidence of need to spend in respect of homelessness or (b) plans for increased spending was provided by Westminster city council when asking that homelessness be used as an indicator for standard spending assessment distribution.

    Mr. Baldry
    As regards the local government finance settlement for 1994–95, representations in support of a separate indicator for homelessness were received from Westminster city council in 1993 on 8 April, 14 July, 5 October, 11 October and 23 December. These representations included an analysis of applications for accommodation over the period 1989–90 to 1992–93, net expenditure on rent allowances 1990–91 to 1992–93 and 292
    projections of such expenditure to 1996–97. No such representations were received from Wandsworth borough council.

    Ms Short
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will give an estimate of the number of single homeless people in England and Wales, and what proportion of these are women.

    Sir George Young
    My Department does not make estimates of the numbers of single homeless people. The only source of national data on persons sleeping rough is the 1991 census of population, which found 2,650 people doing so on census night—21–22 April—at a number of predetermined sites. Of these, 407—15 per cent.—were women.

    For information on Wales, I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

    Ms Short
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether he will provide a breakdown of numbers of those accepted as statutorily homeless in England and Wales in the most recent year for which figures are available falling into different priority need categories; and what proportion in each category were women;

    (2) how many people were accepted as statutorily homeless in England and Wales in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what proportion of these were women.

    Sir George Young
    The numbers of households for which local authorities in England accepted responsibility to secure permanent accommodation in the year ending 30 September 1993, the latest 12 months for which figures are available, in each of the priority need categories is as follows:

    Number

    Households with dependent children

    81,250

    Household member pregnant and no other dependent children

    17,790

    Household member vulnerable due to:

    (a) old age

    5,940

    (b) physical disability

    5,320

    (c) mental illness/handicap

    5,990

    (d) other reasons

    15,990

    Households homeless in emergency

    1,130

    Total households in priority need

    133,410

    Households not in priority need

    4,530

    Total acceptances

    137,940

    Information is not collected on the composition of these households so the number of women in each category is not known and my Department has no estimates.

    For information about Wales, I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

    Mr. Robert Ainsworth
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the issue of using homelessness as an indicator was first raised and by whom in the 1993 consultation with local authorities on the standard spending assessment settlement.
    293
    Mr. Baldry
    Local authorities in London, and their associations, have repeatedly raised the issue of using an indicator of homelessness in standard spending assessments since the inception of the system in 1990.

    Ms Short
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to the number of people made homeless in England and Wales as a result of relationship breakdown, the proportion of these cases which involved domestic violence, and the proportion of those cited in the answers who were women, in the last year for which figures are available.

    Sir George Young
    The latest available information provided by local authorities, on homeless households accepted for permanent rehousing, shows that 25,930 households in England lost their last settled home because of relationship breakdown with a partner in the year ending 30 September 1993, and that 67 per cent. of these were the result of violent breakdown.

    Ranking of authorities

    Proportion of household residents under 16 years of age living in rented accommodation

    Proportion of households living in rented purpose built flats in residential buildings

    Proportion of household residents of pensionable age living in rented accommodation

    1

    Tower Hamlets

    Tower Hamlets

    Tower Hamlets

    2

    Southwark

    Southwark

    Islington

    3

    Islington

    Hackney

    Hackney

    4

    Camden

    Islington

    Southwark

    5

    Hackney

    City of London

    Camden

    6

    Lambeth

    Lambeth

    Westminster

    These variables are used respectively in the children in need index, within the all other services block social index and the personal social services other social services index, and within the potential elderly domiciliary clients formula and the potential elderly supported residents formula.

    Mr. Robert Ainsworth
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what evidence he has as to the impact of nature of housing tenure on local authorities need to spend on personal social services or the areas of spending covered by the all other services area.

    Mr. Baldry
    The district level all other services standard spending assessment and personal social services SSA both include housing tenure indicators. The inclusion of these measures was based on detailed statistical analysis. The results of this statistical analysis were discussed in the SSA subgroup meetings where all the local authority associations are represented. The report of the SSA sub-group for 1994–95 is in the Library.

    Mr. Robert Ainsworth
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which local authorities made representations to his Department seeking the use of nature of housing tenure as an indicator for the purpose of standard spending assessment distribution.

    Mr. Baldry
    Since my right hon. Friend announced details of the provisional revenue support grant settlement for 1994–95, no local authorities have made representations seeking the use of nature of housing tenure as an indicator in standard spending assessments.

    Energy Industries
    Miss Lestor
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment from what source the Energy Saving Trust will obtain its funding following the decision of the Director General of Gas Supply on the E factor.
    294
    Information is not collected by my Department on the composition of these households and so the number of women involved is not held centrally.

    For information about Wales, I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

    Housing Tenure
    Mr. Robert Ainsworth
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which six local authorities gained most from the use of nature of housing tenure as an indicator for the purpose of standard spending assessment distribution.

    Mr. Baldry
    The top six authorities ranked in order of their score on each of the tenure of housing variables are as follows:

    Mr. Atkins
    Funding for schemes sponsored by the Energy Saving Trust comes from a variety of sources. The Director General of Gas Supply has recently questioned longer-term reliance on the E factor mechanism as one of those sources. Officials from my Department and the Department of Trade and Industry are currently reviewing the position with the Office of Gas Supply.

    Living Over the Shop
    Mr. Austin Mitchell
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the budget allocated to the Housing Corporation for living-over-the-shop initiatives; and how much of it has been spent.

    Sir George Young
    The Housing Corporation does not have a separate or ringfenced budget for flats-over-shops schemes. These form part of its overall investment in rehabilitation activities, financed from its approved development programme. Nevertheless, in 1993–94, it expects to invest £2·48 million in such schemes. To date, claims have been received for nearly 58 per cent. of this, and the corporation hopes to increase this percentage considerably by the end of the financial year. Although the Housing Corporation monitors spend on individual schemes, any underspend represents a shortfall against housing associations' intended programmes of works rather than against national targets as set by the Housing Corporation. In addition, this Department has made up to £10 million in supplementary credit approvals available to local authorities in 1993–94. Where SCAs are awarded, a grant to meet the renovation cost of the scheme will be made through a local authority housing association grant, administered by the Housing Corporation.

    Minerals Planning Guidance
    Mr. Gunnell
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those bodies or individuals who have responded to his consultation paper on minerals planning guidance.

    Mr. Baldry
    The consultation period for MPG3 is not yet over. I will place a list of those who respond to the consultation exercise together with a summary of their comments in the Library of the House in due course.

    Temporary Accommodation
    Ms Short
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people were living in temporary accommodation in England and Wales on the most recent date for which figures are available; what proportion of these were women; and what proportion were accommodated in women's refuges.

    Sir George Young
    The latest available information shows that 56,900 households were in temporary accommodation on 30 September 1993, some 8,600—13 per cent.—fewer than a year earlier. These figures cover those households which are awaiting permanent rehousing after having been accepted by local authorities as homeless, and those awaiting the outcome of inquiries into an application, under the provisions of the 1985 Housing Act. Some 870 of these households were in women's refuges.

    Local authorities do not report the composition of households in temporary accommodation to my Department and so the number who are women is not held centrally.

    For information about Wales I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

    Contractor Management Information
    Mr. Spellar
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 23 February,Official Report, column 262, which other Departments use his Department's contractor management information system and the consultants register.

    Mr. Baldry
    Other Departments which use the contractor management information system and the consultants register are:

    Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

    Central Office of Information

    Crown Prosecution Service

    Her Majesty's Customs and Excise

    Ministry of Defence

    Department for Education

    Department of Employment

    Department of the Environment—Northern Ireland

    Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Department of Health

    Home Office

    Inland Revenue

    Lord Chancellors Department

    Department of National Heritage

    Department of National Savings

    Scottish Office

    Department of Social Security

    Department of Trade and Industry

    Department of Transport

    Welsh Office.

    Miss Lestor
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what financial means the Minister will 296
    employ to encourage efficiency and conservation improvements in the energy industries following the decision of the Director General of Gas Supply on the E factor.

    Mr. Atkins
    The energy industries are active in encouraging greater energy efficiency as part of their desire for greater competitiveness and in the interests of their consumers. The Government encourage these and other steps through their best practice programme and other means. The Energy Saving Trust is an independent body promoting energy efficiency. The intention is that funds for schemes sponsored by the Energy Saving Trust will continue to be derived principally from electricity and gas tariff consumers. The mechanisms for achieving this are under review.

    Water and Sewage Services
    Mr. Wigley
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what was the average equated rate poundage for sewerage services for the areas covered by(a) Wales Water, (b) Severn Trent, (c) North West England and (d) Thames for 1992–93 and 1993–94 and the estimated figure for 1994–95;

    (2) what was the average equated rate poundage for supply of water for the areas covered by (a) Wales Water, (b) Severn Trent,>(c) North West England and (d) Thames for 1992–93 and 1993–94 and the estimated figure for 1994–95.

    Mr. Atkins
    Information on water and sewerage companies' tariffs and average charges is published annually in the Centre for the Study of Regulated Industries statistics series publication "The United Kingdom Water Industry—Charges for Water Services", copies of which are available in the Library.

    Mr. Jim Cunningham
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he has had with Severn Trent Water regarding water disconnections.

    Mr. Atkins
    None. However, my right hon. Friend met the chairman of Severn Trent Water on 11 January, to discuss a range of topics relating to water charging issues.

    Mr. Jim Cunningham
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what monitoring he is conducting of the number of people who have had water supplies disconnected in the Coventry area; how many households in Coventry have had their water disconnected in 1991–92 and 1992–93; and to what socio-economic categories those people belong.

    Mr. Atkins
    None. Responsibility for the protection of customers interests rests with the Director General of Water Services who publishes data on the total number of domestic disconnections twice a year, by water company area. Information on disconnections according to socio-economic categories is not available.

    Mr. Jim Cunningham
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has for assisting consumers to avoid water disconnections.

    Mr. Atkins
    The Director General of Water Services issued guidelines to water companies in April 1992 on the subject of debt and disconnection, with the aim of ensuring fair and effective procedures to minimise the prospect of disconnection.

    Mobile Homes
    Mr. Mills
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what complaints he has received in the last five years about the operations of the landlords of mobile home parks at Meriden hall; and if he will make a statement.

    Sir George Young
    Records are readily available for the last two and a half years. During that period, we have received four letters about the Meriden hall mobile homes park, two of which are from my hon. Friend. Both these letters concern the operations of landlords. The other two letters are about other matters. The most recent of these four representations is 12 March 1992.

    Local Government (Redundancies)
    Mr. David Atkinson
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to table his proposed amendments to the Local Government (Compensation for Redundancy and Premature Retirement) Regulations 1993.

    Mr. Baldry
    Regulations are being finalised in the light of the recent statutory consultation and will be introduced shortly.

    Boundaries Review
    Sir Ivan Lawrence
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to publish the results of his commissioner's review of the proposed boundaries for the constituencies in the county of Staffordshire.

    Mr. Curry
    The boundaries of parliamentary constituencies and the progress made by the Parliamentary Boundary Commission are matters for my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary.

    Sustainable Development
    Mr. Dafis
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how often in the next 12 months the new advisory group on sustainable development will be holding meetings(a) amongst themselves, (b) with representatives of non-governmental organisations, (c) with the Prime Minister and (d) with departmental green Ministers.

    Mr. Atkins
    The panel on sustainable development is expected to meet about four times a year. It will be for the members to decide what other meetings to arrange as their work progresses.

    Mr. Dafis
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out the programme of work of the advisory group on sustainable development.

    Mr. Atkins
    No. The panel on sustainable development will be drawing up its own work programme.

    Careers Service
    Mr. Don Foster
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the expenditure by each local education authority in respect of the careers service for each year since 1989; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Baldry
    I have arranged for the information to be placed in the Library of the House.

    Rural Areas
    Mr. Ainger
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list projects and programmes designed to benefit rural areas which involved co-operation between the Rural Development Commission and(a) the Countryside Commission, (b) the Department of Employment and (c) the English training and enterprise councils in each of the last five years.

    Mr. Atkins
    The Rural Development Commission, together with the Countryside Commission and English Nature, jointly fund the rural action programme which was introduced in 1992 and is aimed at helping people in rural communities take action to protect and improve their local environment. The rural action programme will support nearly 400 projects in 1993–94. There are no formal joint programmes which are operated by the Rural Development Commission and the Department of Employment or the English TECs, but the commission operates a training and enterprise fund which provides support for training and economic development projects, often jointly with TECs. In the rural development areas the commisson provides funding for a wide range of economic and social projects in partnership with a number of other bodies including the Countryside Commission and TECs.

    Mr. Ainger
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the policy documents, publications and consultation documents which set out the policy proposals of the Rural Development Commission produced in the last 10 years.

    Mr. Atkins
    The Rural Development Commission has published a number of policy documents over the last 10 years which could only be listed at disproportionate cost. The commission publishes an annual report and corporate plan each year. The most recent documents published which set out the policy proposals are:

    Policy Documents

    (1) "Rural Development Strategy for the 1990s"—first published in December 1993.

    (2) "The Future of the Rural Development Programme Process"—December 1993.

    (3)"Rural Development Areas"—December 1993.

    (4) "The Rural Housing Problem"—November 1993.

    (5) "Village Shops—A Report on Community Action"—July 1993.

    (6) "Rural Strategies—Advice from the Countryside Commission, English Nature and the Rural Development Commission"—November 1992.

    (7) "Countryside Employment Programme"—May 1992.

    (8) "Tourism in the Countryside"—February 1992.

    Consultation Documents

    "Meeting the Challenge of Agricultural Adjustment"—July 1991.

    "Review of the Rural Development Commission's Priority Areas"—June 1992.

    In addition, the commission has published a number of research reports on policy issues. The most recent are:

    (1) "Homelessness in Rural Areas"—March 1992 and February 1994.

    (2) "Rural Transport Problems and Needs"—June 1993.

    (3) "An Evaluation of the Housing Corporation Rural Programme"—November 1993.

    (4) "Rural Development and Strategy Planning"—November 1993.

    Mr. Ainger
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the publications giving details of partnership programmes between the Rural Development Commission and the(a) Countryside

    299
    Council, (b) Department of Employment and (c) English training and enterprise councils in which the voluntary sector can participate.

    Mr. Atkins
    The only programme operated jointly by the Rural Development Commission and the Countryside Commission is the rural action programme, funded by the Royal Development Commission, the Countryside Commission and English Nature. The programme is managed by Action with Communities in Rural England. The publications detailing the scheme are:

    "Rural Action for the Environment—An Introduction"—available from ACRE.

    "Rural Action for the Environment—A New Way of Working"—available from ACRE.

    There are no partnership programmes run with the Department of Employment and TECS. The commission has, however, collaborated with the Countryside Commission and TECs, as well as other bodies, on a range of publications to assist development in the rural areas.

    Drinking Water
    Mr. Jim Cunningham
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the levels of lead in drinking water.

    Mr. Atkins
    The Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 1989, as amended, require that drinking water at the point where the water is supplied contains no more than 50 microgrammes of lead per litre. This standard is more stringent than the requirements of the EC drinking water directive. In 1992 97 per cent. of determinations for lead in England and Wales measured in samples taken from consumers' taps contained less than this level. There is virtually no lead in water leaving the treatment works and most of that detected comes from contact with consumers' pipework.

    Hedgerows
    Mr. Hardy
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action the Government propose to take to protect hedgerows.

    Mr. Atkins
    We remain committed to legislate when parliamentary time permits.

    Air Pollution Control
    Mr. Riddick
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, if he will make a statement about the 1994–95 charging scheme for local authority air pollution control under part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

    Mr. Atkins
    Charges to cover the costs of local enforcing authorities in regulating processes which are subject to part I of the Environmental Protection act 1990 were introduced in April 1991. With the approval of the Treasury, and following consultation with local authority associations and industry, my right hon. Friends the Secretary of state for the Environment and the Secretary of State for Wales have made a revised scheme specifying the scale of fees and charges to take effect from 1 April 1994. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland is revising the identical, parallel scheme for Scotland on the same basis.

    The application fee is increased by £30 to £965, the substantial change fee is increased by £20 to £620, and the
    300
    annual subsistence charge is increased by £15 to £585. No change has been made to the remaining fees and charges. The scheme will be laid before both Houses and a copy placed in the Library.

    As part of our deregulation review, we commissioned consultants to investigate the potential for bringing in a system of banded charges. I am placing a copy of their report in the Library. In the light of the report and in consultation with interested bodies, consideration will be given to introducing banded charges for the local authority air pollution control regime in 1995–96.

    Building Regulation A4
    Mr. Trend
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now repeal building regulation A4, relating to the safeguarding of certain public buildings, shops and shopping malls against disproportionate collapse; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Baldry
    Following an extensive review the Government have concluded that the considerable enhancement in structural safety of buildings constructed in recent years has rendered regulation A4 superfluous to the stability and robustness provisions of requirement A1. Such enhancement in the integrity of building structures has resulted from substantial improvements in the quality of guidance material—principally British standards—supporting requirement A1, rather than the imposition of regulation A4. To some extent the guidance material supporting the material and workmanship provisions of regulation 7 has also improved the situation.

    Considerable support for the repeal of regulation A4 was registered in the consultation exercise undertaken at the end of last year. The proposal for repeal has now been endorsed by the Building Regulations Advisory Committee.

    It is the Government's view that the shortcomings that prevailed in the 1970s, which led to the introduction of regulation A4, have been addressed. This significant regulatory burden on the construction industry can now be removed without compromising public safety. An amendment to the building regulations incorporating this repeal will be laid before Parliament as soon as possible.

    Offshore Oil Licensing
    Mr. Ainger
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 28 February,Official Report, column 554, if he will list the blocks about which his Department expressed concern to the DTI during the 14th round of offshore licensing.

    Mr. Baldry
    [holding answer 4 March 1994]: No. The release of information about these blocks is a matter for the Department of Trade and Industry.

    Mr. Ainger
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many blocks his Department recommended be excluded from the 14th round of offshore oil licensing.

    Mr. Baldry
    [holding answer 4 March 1994]: My Department recommended that 22 blocks be excluded from the 14th round unless conditions were attached that would allow the prospecting and working of aggregates such that the national aggregates supply would not be jeopardised.

    Mr. Ainger
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 28 February,
    301
    Official Report, column 554, if he will list all the areas of concern his Department asked the DTI to address in deciding which blocks to licence during the 14th round of offshore licensing.

    Mr. Baldry
    [holding answer 4 March 1994]: My Department expressed concern about blocks which were of considerable importance to the marine aggregates industry. We also drew attention to two areas which were in the vicinity of sites of special scientific interest.

    English Nature
    Mr. Tyler
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received on the proposed merger of English Nature and the Countryside Commission; what is the timetable for a decision; and what he is doing to ensure that the interests of the landscape, recreation and those involved in economic development are given priority.

    Mr. Atkins
    [holding answer 7 March 1994]: Public consultation on the proposals for possible merger runs until 28 March. Few representations have been received to date. All aspects of the remits of the two bodies are being considered during the study announced on 27 January by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment which is expected to be completed by July. A decision will be taken as soon as possible thereafter.

    Housing Investment Programmes
    Mr. Rooker
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the housing investment programmes submitted to his Department indicated how many local authorities and housing associations fix rent levels by reference to the area of usable space in each type of dwelling; and if he will make a statement.

    Sir George Young
    [holding answer 8 March 1994]Local authorities.' housing strategy statements and housing investment programme bids are primarily concerned with the use of capital resources, and most contain relatively little information about the detail of council rent-setting policies.

    Local authorities are required to set their rents at reasonable levels, and with regard to the pattern of rents for different properties in the private sector.

    Housing associations set assured rents in the light of their own individual circumstances. Associations which are registered with the Housing Corporation are expected under the tenants guarantee to set and maintain rents at levels within the reach of those in low paid employment. In the case of housing association secure tenants, fair rents are set by rent officers who are statutorily independent of Government.

    Sea Birds
    Mr. Mackinlay
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the extent of the research being conducted into the levels this year of deaths of sea birds in and around the shores of the United Kingdom; and what are the preliminary findings of the research.

    Mr. Atkins
    [holding answer 8 March 1994]: There is no co-ordinated research into the deaths of sea birds in and around the United Kingdom coasts. The Department's
    302
    statutory conservation advisors consider that it is more useful to monitor large seabird colonies and selected individuals within those colonies when studying bird mortality and overall population levels.

    Some of the birds washed up in the recent North sea incident have been taken for post mortem analysis and preliminary results indicate that starvation was the likely cause of death, possibly due to a combination of strong onshore winds which may have disturbed normal feeding activity and, perhaps, a mismatch between bird location and food availability.

    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 27 January, ref. GA PSO 2213/94.

    Mr. Atkins
    [holding answer 8 March 1994]: A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 8 March.

  HEALTH

    Financial Information Project Ltd.
    Mr. Redmond
    To ask the the Secretary of State for Health what consideration has been given by her Department into the unauthorised transfer of £300,000 to the company HP by West Midlands regional health authority.

    Dr. Mawhinney
    In January 1992, the former director of finance of West Midlands regional health authority made a loan of £300,000 to Financial Information Project Ltd. without reference to the RHA board. In March 1993, the loan was ratified by the West Midlands regional health authority board under section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968. The district auditor has stated that he is satisfied with the actions taken by the West Midlands regional health authority to regularise the payment. The loan is repayable at the direction of the West Midlands regional health authority.

    Emergency Communications
    Mr. Colvin
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health what would be the savings in capital and revenue expenditure of establishing a nationwide managed network emergency communications service.

    Mr. Sackville
    A study to develop a strategy in the national health service for the provision of mobile communications, principally those used by the ambulance service, is planned to report in April 1994.

    Discussions are taking place with the Home Department, which will continue throughout 1994, to examine the feasibility and cost advantages of implementing a communications facility shared by the police, fire and ambulance services.

    GP Fundholders
    Mrs. Bridget Prentice
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total sum of the budgets of those general practitioner fundholders who practise in(a) Lewisham and (b) London for the most recent available year.
    303
    Dr. Mawhinney
    Information about general practitioner fundholder budgets is collected only at regional health authority level. For more detailed information about the London and Lewisham areas, the hon. Member may wish to contact the four Thames regional health authorities.

    Sodium Valproate
    Mr. Gareth Wardell
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence she has correlating defects in the newborn with the ingestion of sodium valproate during pregnancy.

    Mr. Sackville
    Sodium valproate is a drug used in the treatment of epilepsy and like several other anti-epileptics is known to be teratogenic. Articles in the medical literature and spontaneous reports received by the Committee on Safety of Medicines indicate that there is an increased risk of birth defects in children whose mothers take anti-epileptics. In particular, the use of sodium valproate in early pregnancy is associated with neural tube defects. However, the risks to both mother and child of inadequate treatment of epilepsy during pregnancy are also well recognised and need to be balanced against the risk of birth defects. For this reason many women continue taking anti-epileptics during pregnancy.

    The risk of birth defects with sodium valproate was drawn to the attention of doctors by the CSM in its bulletin, "Current Problems", No. 9, published in January 1983. A reminder was also issued in June 1993 in "Current Problems in Pharmacovigilance", Volume 19. Information on birth defects associated with the use of anti-epileptic treatment can also be found in the product data sheets produced by the manufacturers and authorised by the Licensing Authority, and in the British National Formulary which is sent free to all doctors. Copies of "Current Problems" are available in the Library.

    Manchester University Health Services Management Unit
    Mr. Redmond
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she has studied the survey by Mr. Michael West and Mr. Rod Sheaff of the health services management unit at Manchester university into issues of probity and honesty in the NHS; and if she will make a statement.

    Dr. Mawhinney
    Yes. The survey of attitudes towards issues of probity among national health service chairmen and board members was commissioned by the NHS Management Executive's corporate governance task force who expressed the view in their report:"the attitudes of respondents to the survey, for the most part, supported a strict application of traditional rules of behaviour."
    I welcome that finding which is the foundation for the NHS code of conduct issued for comment on 13 January 1994.

    Directly-managed Hospitals
    Mrs. Fyfe
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospitals in England are currently directly-managed; how many there will be on 1 April; and what percentage of total bed provision will be represented by those directly-managed units.

    Dr. Mawhinney
    There are currently 137 directly-managed units; from 1 April there will be 22. Information giving the percentage of bed provision by current DMUs is not available.

    Wharfedale and Seacroft Hospitals
    Mr. Gunnell
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what public consultations took place before the decision to allow Wharfedale hospital to be taken over by the United Leeds hospital—LGI—trust.

    (2) what budget adjustments are planned for the Leeds health authority and St. James hospital trust to reflect the transfer of responsibility for Seacroft hospital from one to the other;

    (3) what budget adjustments are planned to reflect the transfer of responsibility for Wharfedale hospital from Leeds health authority to the United Leeds hospital—LGI —trust;

    (4) what public consultations took place before the decision to allow St. James hospital trust to take over Seacroft hospital.

    Dr. Mawhinney
    No decisions have yet been taken on future management arrangements for Seacroft and Wharfedale hospitals. The existing Leeds national health service trusts and the two hospitals are discussing proposals to reconfigure their services with the Department and the regional health authority. If expressions of interest are approved in principle, they will be subject to the full application process for NHS trust status, including statutory public consultation, before my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State makes her final decision. I have indicated that any proposals will need to ensure that acute services are provided at broadly the same volume on the Seacroft and Wharfedale sites and that the United Leeds teaching hospitals NHS trust and St. James's university hospital NHS trust provide those services but do not simply take over the hospitals.

    Drug Abuse
    Mrs. Golding
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the expenditure by her Department for(a) drug rehabilitation and (b) health education in relation to drug abuse each year since 1989–90.

    Mr. Bowis
    The following sums have been or will be made available to health authorities as a contribution towards the cost of drug service provision generally:

    £ millions

    1989–90

    14·79

    1990–91

    15·53

    1991–92

    16·49

    1992–93

    20·04

    1993–94

    24·37

    1994–95

    25·23

    A proportion of these resources will have been used to meet healthcare elements of rehabilitation costs. Responsibility for meeting remaining costs of residential care for drug misusers transferred from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security to local authorities on 1 April 1993 with implementation of community care. Local authorities are now responsible for assessing the needs of drug users and purchasing appropriate services to meet those needs.

    Expenditure by the Department of Health on national anti-drug and solvent misuse publicity campaigns is:

    305

    £ millions

    1989–90

    3·81

    1990–91

    2·42

    1991–92

    3·92

    1992–93

    4·96

    1993–94

    15·42

    1 Estimated.

    Abortions performed in England and Wales to residents of South Yorkshire, 1989–92

    Place of residence

    Total abortions

    Percentage of abortions carried out or paid for by the NHS

    Percentage of abortions carried out under private health services

    Barnsley DHA

    1989

    655

    51·3

    48·7

    1990

    665

    50·4

    49·6

    1991

    641

    61·3

    38·7

    1992

    591

    62·1

    37·9

    Doncaster DHA

    1989

    907

    79·9

    20·1

    1990

    871

    81·4

    18·6

    1991

    935

    84·6

    15·4

    1992

    936

    87·2

    12·8

    Rotherham DHA

    1989

    700

    66·9

    33·1

    1990

    724

    66·2

    33·8

    1991

    666

    73·4

    26·6

    1992

    600

    69·7

    30·3

    Sheffield DHA

    1989

    1,503

    59·1

    40·9

    1990

    1,513

    55·4

    44·6

    1991

    1,573

    61·3

    38·7

    1992

    1,392

    62·8

    37·2

    St. Albans General Hospital
    Ms Primarolo
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will make a statement on the minor injuries unit in St. Albans general hospital;

    (2) if her Department will instruct North West Hertfordshire health authority to provide a minor injuries unit in St. Albans general hospital that is sufficient to meet the accident needs of 14,000 people;

    (3) if she will publish correspondence between the right hon. Member for St. Albans (Mr. Lilley) concerning the minor injuries unit at St. Albans general hospital.

    Mr. Sackville
    The minor injuries unit at St. Albans hospital opened on 26 April 1993 and such has been its success that it is on course to treat 7,700 patients in its first year of operation. North West Hertfordshire health authority at its meeting on 17 February approved the further development of the unit as a nurse-led service which will enable the unit to treat up to 11,600 patients a year. The correspondence of the hon. Member for St. Albans, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security, is a matter between him and the Health Authority.

    Pregnancy Terminations
    Mr. Redmond
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list for each district health authority in south Yorkshire, and by year from the last four years for which she has figures available, the proportion of terminations of pregnancy carried out under(a) the national health service and (b) the independent or private health services.

    Mr. Sackville
    The information requested is shown in the table for the years 1989 to 1992. For reasons of confidentiality, statistics for district health authorities are presented by DHA of woman's usual residence, not by DHA of termination.

    Hospital Catering
    Mr. Redmond
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 17 February,Official Report, column 927, what considerations underlie her decision not to collect centrally information on the number of hospital trusts which operate two standards of category for patients, one of which requires a payment by a patient; if she will consider holding this information in future; and if she will make a statement.

    Mr. Sackville
    No. We have no plans to collect centrally detailed information on income generation initiatives of this kind.

    Local Purchasing Plans
    Mr. Hinchliffe
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice her Department has given to local authorities and health authorities on consultation with users and carers in producing local purchasing plans; and if she will make a statement.

    Mr. Bowis
    The National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 clearly states that when drawing up their community care plans local authorities must consult representatives of users of community care services and their carers. In addition, the National Health Service Management Executive document "Local Voices"
    307
    identified the approach that health authorities need to take to ensure that they involve the general public in their purchasing decisions. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Health wrote in January to all district health authorities emphasising the importance the Government attach to responsiveness to the views and needs of local people.

    Mental Health
    Mr. Alton
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to introduce monitoring by the Mental Health Act Commission of arrangements made for the aftercare of patients covered by secion 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983.

    Mr. Bowis
    The arrangements for implementation of section 117 are already monitored by the Mental Health Act Commission on its visits to hospitals and at meetings with health and local authorities.

    Health Authorities
    Mr. Donohoe
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health what public relations agencies are employed by each of the regional and district health authorities to provide their public relations; what is the annual cost of this service to each of the health authorities; and how these costs have varied since the establishment of NHS trusts.

    Mr. Sackville
    I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) on 16 February at column 866.

    Patient Priority
    Mr. Meale
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy that the prioritisation of patients needing treatment should depend on their relative clinical needs rather than the financial circumstances of their general practitioners' budgets.

    Dr. Mawhinney
    The Department and the joint consultants committee of the British Medical Association issued joint guidance in 1991 stating that all emergencies should be seen immediately, and that there should be common waiting lists for urgent cases. National Health Service Management Executive guidance states that all urgent cases should be given appropriate clinical priority. This was most recently set out in Sir Duncan Nichol's letter to the NHS dated 24 February, EL(94)19, copies of which will be placed in the Library.

    Mr. Meale
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if it is Government policy that medical surgeons should be prevented from giving patients the treatment they need because of financial management;

    (2) if she will make a statement on the recent findings from the survey of surgeons of the Royal College of Surgeons of England on the number of surgical divisions which had been told to stop or reduce activity.

    Dr. Mawhinney
    There is no evidence of reduced activity. Overall activity is in fact forecast to increase this year. No hospitals have stopped admissions and cases continue to be treated according to clinical priority. All emergencies continue to be treated immediately.

    Abortion
    Mrs. Ann Winterton
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of apparent failure to report abortions have been investigated by her Department in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; in how many of those cases the matter was referred for further consideration by the Crown Prosecution Service; how many prosecutions were brought; how many convictions obtained; and what were the sentences awarded in each of those cases.

    Mr. Sackville
    There have been eight investigations. Four have been the subject of referral to the Crown Prosecution Service. In one, the CPS decided that police inquiries were not warranted after preliminary Department of Health investigation. A second case was not pursued further after the initial Department of Health investigation. Two cases are currently under consideration.

    Special Transitional Grant
    Mr. Hinchliffe
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list for each English local authority the level of special transitional grant that would have been paid if the 1993–94 formula for distribution had been applied to 1994–95, indicating for each authority the actual grant being paid for 1994; and if she will also state in each case the difference.

    Mr. Bowis
    The figures for individual authorities will be placed in the Library. The figures in columns 1 and 3 do not take account of the 1994–95 standard spending assessment review or of the boundary changes.

    Children (Foreign Trips)
    Mr. Boyes
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will produce a table showing the numbers of children who have taken foreign trips(a) by local authority social services department and (b) by length of stay.

    Mr. Bowis
    A great many children go on foreign visits. The Department does not collect statistics on this.

    Population Statistics
    Mr. William Ross
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list for each five-year cohort in(a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland, the number of persons and the percentage of persons, who were born in (i) each of those countries, (ii) the Irish Republic, (iii) elsewhere in Europe, and (iv) elsewhere.

    Mr. Sackville
    [holding answer 7 March 1994]: Information for England and Wales, from the 1991 census, will be placed in the Library. Figures for Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

    Mr. William Ross
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list for each five-year cohort the number of persons resident in(a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland, who are members of each ethnic group; and what percentage this is in each case of the total number in each such cohort, together with her projections until 2010.
    309
    Mr. Sackville
    [holding answer 7 March 1994]:Information for England and Wales, from the 1991 census,will be placed in the Library. Figures for Scottland and Northern Ireland are matters for my right hon. Friend the
    310
    Secretary of State for Scotland and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. No population projections are available by ethnic group.

  STABEX: COMPENSATION LEVELS
  STABEX: COMPENSATION LEVELS
  SYSTEM OF NATIONAL ACCOUNTS
  SYSTEM OF NATIONAL ACCOUNTS
  RUSSIA: DISCUSSIONS WITH IMF
  RUSSIA: DISCUSSIONS WITH IMF
  DEFENCE EQUIPMENT EXPORT SALES
  DEFENCE EQUIPMENT EXPORT SALES
  COMBINED JOINT TASK FORCE
  COMBINED JOINT TASK FORCE
  SITTINGS OF THE HOUSE: WORKING PARTY
  SITTINGS OF THE HOUSE: WORKING PARTY
  DoE SPENDING PLANS
  DoE SPENDING PLANS
  CONTAMINATED LAND
  CONTAMINATED LAND
  AIR POLLUTION CONTROL: CHARGING SCHEME
  AIR POLLUTION CONTROL: CHARGING SCHEME
  CRIMINAL INJURIES COMPENSATION SCHEME: RULES
  CRIMINAL INJURIES COMPENSATION SCHEME: RULES
  SCOTLAND: DEVELOPMENT BODIES' COST
  SCOTLAND: DEVELOPMENT BODIES' COST
  DISPENSING DOCTORS: DRUG CHARGES
  DISPENSING DOCTORS: DRUG CHARGES
  UNDER PRIVILEGED AREA SCORES
  UNDER PRIVILEGED AREA SCORES