Written Answers To Questions
Wednesday 14 March 1990
Education And Science
Open University
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what has been the cost of Open university foundation courses in constant prices over the past 21 years.
Information is not available at this stage in the form requested. The table provides information at constant 1989 prices (using the GDP deflator) on the average total cost of a full credit course, broken down by the cost to the Exchequer from grant, and the cost to the student from the undergraduate tuition fee and the summer school fee.
| Cost of an Open University full credit course | ||||
| 1989 prices | ||||
| Total cost | Exchequer grant | Undergraduate tuition fee | Summer school fee | |
| Year | £ | £ | £ | £ |
| 1971 | 1,884·9 | 1,621·5 | 117·1 | 146·3 |
| 1972 | 1,391·3 | 1,147·7 | 108·3 | 135·3 |
| 1973 | 1,460·8 | 1,182·8 | 126·4 | 151·6 |
| 1974 | 1,469·6 | 1,210·0 | 110·0 | 149·6 |
| 1975 | 1,309·3 | 1,089·6 | 86·5 | 133·2 |
| 1976 | 1,515·1 | 1,247·6 | 120·2 | 147·3 |
| 1977 | 1,498·8 | 1,250·8 | 118·7 | 129·3 |
| 1978 | 1,433·7 | 1,192·0 | 123·2 | 118·5 |
| 1979 | 1,426·9 | 1,205·3 | 113·9 | 107·7 |
| 1980 | 1,566·2 | 1,342·7 | 116·1 | 107·4 |
| 1981 | 1,641·1 | 1,372·0 | 152·4 | 116·7 |
| 1982 | 1,594·3 | 1,309·5 | 173·5 | 111·3 |
| 1983 | 1,516·7 | 1,229·8 | 174·3 | 112·6 |
| 1984 | 1,515·1 | 1,225·2 | 174·5 | 115·4 |
| 1985 | 1,488·9 | 1,197·1 | 175·1 | 116·7 |
| 1986 | 1,504·8 | 1,203·6 | 182·4 | 118·8 |
| 1987 | 1,454·6 | 1,155·9 | 180·8 | 117·9 |
| 1988 | 1,378·0 | 1,082·4 | 178·4 | 117·2 |
| 1989 | 1,396·0 | 1,088·0 | 186·0 | 122·0 |
Student Loans
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what has been the total expenditure to date on and by the Student Loans Company Ltd.
The Student Loans Company Ltd. has spent some £3,127,000 inclusive of VAT on preparatory work on the student loans scheme since its formation on 20 November 1989. This expenditure has been funded by the Department of Education and Science in accordance with the estimate approved by Parliament.
Teacher Training
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has on the increase in numbers recruited to the university education departments of Aberystwyth, Bangor, Cardiff and Swansea in each of the past five years, expressed in numbers and percentage terms; and in which subject areas the increase has taken place.
The tables show intakes to courses in column (a) and in columns (b) and (c) the relative yearly increase in numbers recruited, expressed in numbers and percentage terms, respectively, for the university education departments of Aberystwyth, Bangor, Cardiff and Swansea for the academic years 1985–86 to 1989–90.
| Initial teacher training recruitment (1985 to 1989) to university education departments Aberystwyth, Bangor, Cardiff and Swansea 1985 | |||
| (a) | (b) | (c) | |
| Intake | +/- | Per cent | |
| Aberystwyth | |||
| Primary | 36 | 4 | 12·5 |
| Secondary: | |||
| Drama | 8 | 3 | 60·0 |
| History | 11 | 2 | 22·2 |
| Music | 5 | -2 | -28·6 |
| RE | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| English | 10 | -5 | -33·3 |
| Languages | 26 | 1 | 4·0 |
| Geography | 7 | -5 | 41·6 |
| Mathematics | 3 | -9 | -75·0 |
| Biology | 10 | -2 | -16·6 |
| Chemistry | 6 | 3 | 100·0 |
| Physics | 10 | 7 | 233·3 |
| Other Science | 4 | -1 | -20·0 |
| Total Secondary | 107 | -8 | -6·9 |
| Bangor | |||
| Primary | 38 | 8 | 26·6 |
| Secondary: | |||
| History | 11 | 1 | 10·0 |
| RE | 6 | -1 | -14·3 |
| English | 2 | -9 | - 81·8 |
| Languages | 11 | -3 | -21·4 |
| Geography | 8 | -5 | -33·3 |
| Mathematics | 13 | 1 | 8·3 |
| Biology | 12 | 1 | 9·1 |
| Chemistry | 10 | -2 | -16·6 |
| Physics | 6 | 2 | 50·0 |
| Other Science | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TEFL | 15 | 2 | 15·4 |
| PE | 8 | 8 | — |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Secondary | 102 | -7 | -6·4 |
| Cardiff | |||
| Primary | 30 | 4 | 15·4 |
| Secondary: | |||
| Art | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| History | 8 | 3 | 60·0 |
| Music | 10 | 2 | 25·0 |
| RE | 7 | 4 | 133·3 |
| English | 15 | 2 | 15·4 |
| Languages | 17 | -3 | -15·0 |
| Geography | 7 | 1 | 16·6 |
| Mathematics | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| Biology | 7 | -3 | -30·0 |
| Chemistry | 11 | 3 | 37·5 |
| Physics | 10 | 4 | 66·6 |
| Home Economics | 24 | -3 | -11·1 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Secondary | 135 | 10 | 8·0 |
| Swansea | |||
| Primary: | 19 | -1 | -5·0 |
| Secondary: | |||
| History | 16 | 3 | 23·1 |
| RE | 0 | -7 | -100·0 |
(a)
| (b)
| (c)
| |
Intake
| +/-
| Per cent
| |
| English | 9 | -2 | -18·2 |
| Languages | 15 | -9 | -37·5 |
| Geography | 16 | -1 | -5·9 |
| Mathematics | 15 | 4 | 28·6 |
| Biology | 15 | -5 | -50·0 |
| Chemistry | 5 | -5 | -50·0 |
| Physics | 10 | 7 | 233·3 |
| Other Science | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Secondary | 104 | -5 | -4·6 |
1986
| |||
(a)
| (b)
| (c)
| |
Intake
| +/-
| Per cent
| |
Aberyslwyth
| |||
| Primary | 32 | 2 | 6·6 |
| Secondary: | |||
| Drama | 5 | -1 | -16·6 |
| History | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Music | 7 | -1 | -12·5 |
| RE | 7 | 1 | 16·6 |
| English | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| Languages | 25 | -6 | -19·3 |
| Geography | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Mathematics | 12 | -6 | -33·3 |
| Biology | 12 | 2 | 20·0 |
| Chemistry | 3 | -2 | -40·0 |
| Physics | 3 | -2 | -40·0 |
| Other Science | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Secondary | 115 | -15 | -11·5 |
Bangor
| |||
| Primary | 30 | -1 | -3·2 |
| Secondary: | |||
| History | 10 | -1 | -9·1 |
| RE | 7 | 4 | 133·3 |
| English | 11 | -1 | -8·3 |
| Languages | 14 | -3 | -17·6 |
| Geography | 15 | 2 | 15·4 |
| Mathematics | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Biology | 11 | -3 | -21·4 |
| Chemistry | 12 | 1 | 9·1 |
| Physics | 4 | -4 | -50·0 |
| Other Science | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TEFL | 13 | -5 | -27·7 |
| PE | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Secondary | 109 | -10 | -8·4 |
Cardiff
| |||
| Primary | 26 | -1 | -3·7 |
| Secondary: | |||
| Art | 0 | -8 | -100·0 |
| History | 5 | -2 | -28·6 |
| Music | 8 | -10 | -55·5 |
| RE | 3 | 1 | 25·0 |
| English | 13 | -1 | -7·1 |
| Languages | 20 | -1 | -4·8 |
| Geography | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Mathematics | 19 | 1 | 5·5 |
| Biology | 10 | 3 | 42·8 |
| Chemistry | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Physics | 6 | -3 | -33·3 |
| Home Economics | 27 | -5 | -15·6 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Secondary | 125 | -27 | -17·8 |
Swansea
| |||
| Primary | 20 | -2 | -9·1 |
| Secondary: | |||
| History | 13 | -3 | -18·7 |
| RE | 7 | -4 | -36·4 |
(a)
| (b)
| (c)
| |
Intake
| +/-
| Per cent
| |
| English | 11 | -4 | -26·6 |
| Languagess | 24 | -6 | -20·0 |
| Geography | 17 | 5 | 41·6 |
| Mathematics | 14 | 1 | 7·7 |
| Biology | 10 | -2 | -16·6 |
| Chemistry | 10 | -2 | -16·6 |
| Physics | 3 | -2 | -40·0 |
| Other Science | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Secondary | 109 | -17 | -13·5 |
1987
| |||
(a)
| (b)
| (c)
| |
Intake
| +/-
| Per cent
| |
Aberystwyth
| |||
| Primary | 45 | 9 | 25·0 |
| Secondary: | |||
| Drama | 7 | -1 | -12·5 |
| History | 12 | 1 | 9·1 |
| Music | 10 | 5 | 100·0 |
| RE | 2 | -5 | -71·4 |
| English | 12 | 2 | 20·0 |
| Languages | 19 | -7 | -26·9 |
| Geography | 12 | 5 | 71·4 |
| Mathematics | 8 | 5 | 166·6 |
| Biology | 4 | -6 | -60·0 |
| Chemistry | 8 | 2 | 33·3 |
| Physics | 11 | 1 | 10·0 |
| Other Science | 6 | 2 | 50·0 |
| Total Secondary | 111 | 4 | 3·7 |
Bangor
| |||
| Primary | 48 | 10 | 26·3 |
| Secondary: | |||
| History | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| RE | 9 | 3 | 50·0 |
| English | 8 | 6 | 300·0 |
| Languages | 10 | -1 | -9·1 |
| Geography | 9 | 1 | 12·5 |
| Mathematics | 11 | -2 | -15·4 |
| Biology | 6 | -6 | -50·0 |
| Chemistry | 7 | -3 | -30·0 |
| Physics | 10 | 4 | 66·6 |
| Other Science | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TEFL | 13 | -2 | -13·3 |
| PE | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Secondary | 102 | 0 | 0 |
Cardiff
| |||
| Primary | 39 | 9 | 30·0 |
| Secondary: | |||
| Art | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| History | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Music | 15 | 5 | 50·0 |
| RE | 8 | 1 | 14·3 |
| English | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| Languages | 15 | -2 | -11·7 |
| Geography | 8 | 1 | 14·3 |
| Mathematics | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| Biology | 9 | 2 | 28·6 |
| Chemistry | 9 | -2 | -18·2 |
| Physics | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Home Economics | 16 | -8 | -33·3 |
| Other | 5 | 5 | — |
| Total Secondary | 137 | 2 | 1·5 |
Swansea
| |||
| Primary | 28 | 9 | 47·4 |
| Secondary: | |||
| History | 14 | -2 | -1·6 |
| RE | 6 | 6 | — |
(a)
| (b)
| (c)
| |
Intake
| +/-
| Per cent
| |
| English | 13 | 4 | 44·4 |
| Languagess | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| Geography | 15 | -1 | -6·2 |
| Mathematics | 16 | -2 | -11·1 |
| Biology | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| Chemistry | 10 | 5 | 100·0 |
| Physics | 14 | 4 | 40·0 |
| Other Science | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Secondary | 118 | 14 | 13·5 |
1988
| |||
(a)
| (b)
| (c)
| |
Intake
| +/-
| Per cent
| |
Aberystwyth
| |||
| Primary | 68 | 23 | 51·1 |
| Secondary: | |||
| Drama | 8 | 1 | 14·3 |
| History | 11 | -1 | -8·3 |
| Music | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| RE | 3 | 1 | 50·0 |
| English | 11 | -1 | -8·3 |
| Languages | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| Geography | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Mathematics | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Biology | 13 | 9 | 225·0 |
| Chemistry | 2 | -6 | -75·0 |
| Physics | 6 | -5 | -45·4 |
| Other Science | 4 | -2 | -33·3 |
| Total Secondary | 107 | -4 | -3·6 |
Bangor
| |||
| Primary | 0 | -48 | -100·0 |
| Secondary: | |||
| History | 0 | -11 | -100·0 |
| RE | 2 | -7 | -77·7 |
| English | 6 | -2 | -25·0 |
| Languages | 17 | 7 | 70·0 |
| Geography | 7 | -2 | -22·2 |
| Mathematics | 9 | -2 | -18·2 |
| Biology | 11 | 5 | 83·3 |
| Chemistry | 8 | 1 | 14·3 |
| Physics | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Science | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TEFL | 19 | 6 | 46·1 |
| PE | 8 | 0 | 0·0 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0·0 |
| Total Secondary | 97 | -5 | -4·9 |
Cardiff
| |||
| Primary | 38 | -1 | -2·6 |
| Secondary: | |||
| Art | 0 | 0 | 0·0 |
| History | 12 | 4 | 50·0 |
| Music | 15 | 0 | 0·0 |
| RE | 4 | -4 | -50·0 |
| English | 16 | 1 | 6·6 |
| Languages | 25 | 10 | 66·6 |
| Geography | 8 | 0 | 0·0 |
| Mathematics | 20 | 1 | 5·3 |
| Biology | 11 | 2 | 22·2 |
| Chemistry | 11 | 2 | 22·2 |
| Physics | 9 | -1 | -10·0 |
| Home Economics | 18 | 2 | 12·5 |
| Other | 0 | -5 | -100·0 |
| Total Secondary | 149 | 12 | 8·8 |
Swansea
| |||
| Primary | 30 | 2 | 7·2 |
| Secondary: | |||
| History | 13 | -1 | -7·1 |
| RE | 3 | -3 | -50·0 |
(a)
| (b)
| (c)
| |
Intake
| +/-
| Per cent
| |
| English | 13 | 0 | 0·0 |
| Languages | 13 | -2 | -13·3 |
| Geography | 15 | 0 | 0·0 |
| Mathematics | 12 | -4 | -25·0 |
| Biology | 11 | -4 | -26·6 |
| Chemistry | 5 | 5 | -50·0 |
| Physics | 14 | 0 | 0·0 |
| Other Science | 10 | 0 | 0·0 |
| Total Secondary | 99 | -19 | -16·1 |
1989
| |||
a
| b
| c
| |
Intake
| +/-
| Per cent
| |
Aberystwyth
| |||
| Primary | 116·0 | 48·0 | 70·6 |
| Secondary: | |||
| Drama | 8·0 | 0 | 0·0 |
| History | 11·0 | 0·0 | 0·0 |
| Music | 4·0 | -6·0 | -60·0 |
| RE | 3·0 | 0·0 | 0·0 |
| English | 10·0 | -1·0 | -9·1 |
| Language | 15·0 | -4·0 | -21·1 |
| Geography | 13·0 | 1·0 | 8·3 |
| Mathematics | 7·0 | -1·0 | -112·5 |
| Biology | 14·0 | 1·0 | 7·7 |
| Chemistry | 5·0 | 3·0 | 150·0 |
| Physics | 3·0 | -3·0 | -50·0 |
| Other Science | 3·0 | -1·0 | -25·0 |
| Total Secondary | 96·0 | -11·0 | -10·3 |
Bangor
| |||
| Primary | 0·0 | 0·0 | 0·0 |
| Secondary: | |||
| History | 0·0 | 0·0 | 0·0 |
| RE | 5·0 | 3·0 | 150·0 |
| English | 9·0 | 3·0 | 50·0 |
| Language | 13·0 | -4·0 | -23·5 |
| Geography | 0·0 | -7·0 | -100·0 |
| Mathematics | 7·5 | -1·5 | -16·6 |
| Biology | 10·5 | -0·5 | -4·5 |
| Chemistry | 11·5 | 3·5 | 43·7 |
| Physics | 4·5 | -5·5 | -55·0 |
| Other Science | 7·0 | 7·0 | — |
| TEFL | 17·0 | -2·0 | -10·5 |
| PE | 0·0 | -8·0 | -100·0 |
| Other | 8·0 | 8·0 | — |
| Total Secondary | 93·0 | -4·0 | -4·1 |
Cardiff
| |||
| Primary | 46·0 | 8·0 | 21·0 |
| Secondary: | |||
| Art | 0·0 | 0·0 | 0·0 |
| History | 7·0 | -5·0 | -41·6 |
| Music | 11·0 | -4·0 | -26·6 |
| RE | 9·0 | 5·0 | 125·0 |
| English | 17·0 | 1·0 | 6·2 |
| Language | 17·0 | -8·0 | -32·0 |
| Geography | 9·0 | 1·0 | 12·5 |
| Mathematics | 13·0 | -7·0 | -35·0 |
| Biology | 7·0 | -4·0 | -36·4 |
| Chemistry | 9·0 | -2·0 | -18·2 |
| Physics | 8·0 | -1·0 | -11·1 |
| Home Economics | 23·0 | 5·0 | 27·7 |
| Other | 0·0 | 0·0 | 0·0 |
| Total Secondary | 130·0 | -19·0 | -12·7 |
Swansea
| |||
| Primary | 44·0 | 14·0 | 46·6 |
| Secondary: | |||
| History | 14·0 | 1·0 | 7·7 |
| RE | 8·0 | 5·0 | 166·6 |
a
| b
| c
| |
Intake
| +/-
| Per cent
| |
| English | 18·0 | 5·0 | 38·5 |
| Languages | 21·0 | 8·0 | 61·5 |
| Geography | 15·0 | 0·0 | 0·0 |
| Mathematics | 13·0 | 1·0 | 8·3 |
| Biology | 13·0 | 2·0 | 18·2 |
| Chemistry | 10·0 | 5·0 | 100·0 |
| Physics | 5·0 | -9·0 | -35·7 |
| Other Science | 4·5 | 4·5 | — |
| Total Secondary | 121·5 | 22·5 | 22·7 |
| Columns b and c show the increase/decrease in intakes, as compared with the previous year's figures. | |||
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has on University college, Swansea's recruitment for its 1990–91 teacher training course.
These data will not be available until after the beginning of the academic year 1990–91.
Special Educational Needs
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his best estimate of the additional costs which will fall on local education authorities in (a) England and (b) Devon in the financial year 1990–91 arising from his Department's circular 22/89 concering children with special educational needs; and on what date such additional costs were first calculated and passed to the Department of the Environment.
The purpose of circular 22/89 is to review, and advise local education authorities (LEAs) and others on, the implementation of the provisions in the Education Act 1981 on the making of assessments and statements of special educational needs, in the light of subsequent experience and events. The circular does not of itself impose substantial new burdens on LEAs; and, as paragraph 2 of the circular states, the new elements it contains are not intended to require additional expenditure.
Northern Ireland
Rates
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the percentage increase in the district rates for each of the 26 councils in Northern Ireland for the years 1990–91 and 1989–90.
The information is set out in the table:
| District council | Percentage increase in 1990–91 | Percentage increase in 1989–90 |
| 1. Antrim BC | 2·83 | 3·92 |
| 2. Ards BC | 13·04 | 6·48 |
| 3. Armagh DC | 7·95 | 7·32 |
| 4. Ballymena BC | 6·82 | 2·68 |
| 5. Ballymoney BC | 7·46 | 6·91 |
| 6. Banbridge DC | 7·65 | 0·00 |
| 7. Belfast CC | 4·91 | 0·00 |
| 8. Carrickfergus BC | 5·70 | 5·20 |
| 9. Castlereagh BC | 17·12 | 5·01 |
| 10. Coleraine BC | 0·00 | 3·77 |
District council
| Percentage increase in 1990–91
| Percentage increase in 1989–90
|
| 11. Cookstown DC | 8·38 | 11·70 |
| 12. Craigavon BC | 4·89 | 6·50 |
| 13. Derry CC | 9·38 | 5·86 |
| 14. Down DC | 2·94 | 4·62 |
| 15. Dungannon DC | 8·52 | 0·00 |
| 16. Fermanagh DC | 3·60 | 3·74 |
| 17. Lame BC | 13·97 | 1·79 |
| 18. Limavady BC | 7·45 | 8·05 |
| 19. Lisburn BC | 3·71 | 0·00 |
| 20. Magherafelt DC | 5·74 | 6·53 |
| 21. Moyle DC | 8·51 | 4·43 |
| 22. Newry & Mourne DC | 0·00 | 2·85 |
| 23. Newtownabbey BC | 0·92 | 6·73 |
| 24. North Down BC | 5·15 | 3·38 |
| 25. Omagh DC | 9·91 | 6·36 |
| 26. Strabane DC | 10·70 | 6·58 |
Local Government Finance
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the research carried out into the possible introduction of the poll tax in Northern Ireland, and the conclusions reached.
The arrangements for local government finance in Northern Ireland are significantly different from those in the rest of the United Kingdom. Since 1973, the services provided by local government account for only some 10 per cent. of total spending in Northern Ireland on services similar to those provided by local authorities in Great Britain. The remaining 90 per cent. is administered by central Government or their agencies subject to the scrutiny of Parliament. The circumstances in Northern Ireland are, therefore, different from those in Great Britain and there are no plans at present to replace the existing rating system in Northern Ireland.
Suicides
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many suicides in Northern Ireland occurred during 1989 at (a) prison establishments, (b) remand establishments and (c) young offenders centres; and if he will make a statement.
During 1989 there was one suicide in a Northern Ireland prison establishment. There was none at young offenders centres and there are no remand establishments.Suicide prevention in the Northern Ireland prison service establishments is being examined by a working group and as a result of the group's deliberations a comprehensive suicide prevention manual is in the course of preparation and will be issued shortly.
Equal Opportunities
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what grade is his Department's equal opportunities officer.
[holding answer 5 March 1990]: The equal opportunities unit of the Northern Ireland Civil Service is headed by a grade 7. The Home civil service group of the Northern Ireland Office also has an equal opportunities unit, headed by a grade 7.
Internal Audit
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many internal auditors are employed in his office and the departments for which he is responsible and at what cost; how many internal audit reports were produced in 1989; how many of these were drawn to the attention of a Minister in his Department; and what internal audit work is subcontracted to private firms and at what cost.
[holding answer 7 March 1990]: The following information covers the Northern Ireland Office and the Police Authority (NI) as well as the six Northern Ireland Civil Service departmental internal audit groups. The full staffing complement at 1 March 1990 was 90. Departmental running costs for 1989–90 are £1,315,000.There were 190 internal audit reports produced in 1989, of which one was brought to the attention of a Minister.No internal audit work has been subcontracted to the private sector. However, one department has made extensive use of consultants in an advisory capacity at a cost of £54,000 in 1989.
Gaelic Athletic Association
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what level of grant in financial terms has been provided for the Gaelic Athletic Association in each of the last three years.
[holding answer 7 March 1990]: Grants paid by the Department of Education and Sports Council for Northern Ireland to the Gaelic Athletic Association and its affiliated clubs were as follows:
| Financial year | |||
| 1986–87 | 1987–88 | 1988–89 | |
| (£) | (£) | (£) | |
| Department of Education capital grant to affiliated GAA clubs | 59,642 | 48,650 | 35,337 |
| Sports Council for Northern Ireland | |||
| Club equipment grants | 6,428 | 4,600 | 4,467 |
| Administration coaching grants | 13,979 | 21,966 | 18,995 |
Labour Statistics
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the average length of time a person is unemployed in Northern Ireland; and how many are at present unemployed for less than (1) one year, (2)
| Known NPUs for County Council TSG schemes | ||||
| Authority and scheme | TSG support in | NPU (£ million) | Base year | |
| Avon—Newfoundland Street Bristol | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 1·700 | 1979 |
| Avon—Avon Ring Road (IA): Hambrook-Badminton Road | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 5·410 | 1979 |
| Avon—Avon Ring Road (IV): Marsham Way-A4 Bath Road | — | 1990–91 | 6,400 | 1979 |
| Avon—Avon RR (IB1): Badminton Road-Westerleigh Road | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 5·410 | 1979 |
| Avon—Avon RR (IB2): Westerleigh Road-Shortwood Road | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 26·100 | 1979 |
| Avon—Avon Ring Road (III): A120 Warmley-Marsham Way | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 26·100 | 1979 |
| Avon—M5-Town Centre Link Weston Super Mare Stage 1 | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 3·866 | 1979 |
| Avon—Urban Traffic Control | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 3·540 | 1979 |
| Avon—Weston Super Mare PDR Stages VA & VB | — | 1990–91 | 3·866 | 1979 |
| Bedfordshire—Stagsden Bypass | — | 1990–91 | 1·157 | 1988 |
| Bedfordshire—Shefford/Clifton/Henlow Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 4·610 | 1979 |
| Berkshire—Sandhurst Crowthorne Bypass | — | 1990–91 | 27·884 | 1988 |
| Berkshire—Slough Bath Road Montem Lane-Wellington Street | — | 1990–91 | 11·114 | 1988 |
| Buckinghamshire—Wing-Milton Keynes Fenny Stratford Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 3·738 | 1979 |
two years, (3) three years, (4) four years, (5) five years and (6) more than five years; and, in each group, how many are (a) male and (b) female.
[holding answer 13 March 1990]: The estimated average durations of unemployment for those unemployed at 11 January 1990 were as follows:
| Average duration in weeks1 | |
| Male | 76 |
| Female | 34 |
| Overall average | 60 |
| 1 Average duration is taken as the median duration i.e. the spell of unemployment which divides the unemployed into two halves; one half with durations greater than the median and the other half with durations less than the median. | |
| Duration of unemployment | Male | Female | Total |
| One year or less | 32,066 | 15,225 | 47,291 |
| Two years or less2 | 42,397 | 18,758 | 61,155 |
| Three years or less2 | 48,706 | 20,404 | 69,110 |
| Four years or less2 | 53,599 | 21,555 | 75,154 |
| Five years or less2 | 57,759 | 22,432 | 80,191 |
| Over five years | 17,808 | 2,414 | 20,222 |
| 2 These figures are not mutually exclusive. For example, the numbers unemployed three years or less are included in the numbers unemployed four years or less. | |||
Transport
Transport Supplementary Grant
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list in the Official Report for each county highway authority the total net present value of those road projects qualifying for transport supplementary grants in the financial years 1989–90 and 1990–91.
The table below lists all county council highway schemes supported by transport supplementary grant (TSG) in 1989–90 and 1990–91 for which a net present value is available. It is not possible to produce an aggregate total for each authority because the costs and benefits are often based on, and discounted to, different years. A number of other schemes for which economic costs and benefits are not available is also supported with TSG.
Authority and scheme
| TSG support in
| NPU (£ million)
| Base year
| |
| Cambridgeshire—Elton/Chesterton Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 23·200 | 1988 |
| Cheshire—Diversion (Phase 2) Warrington | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 1·980 | 1979 |
| Cheshire—Station Road Bypass Winsford | 1989–90 | — | 0·472 | 1979 |
| Cheshire—Chester Western Bypass Phase 1 | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 3·192 | 1979 |
| Cheshire—Haslington Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 1·322 | 1979 |
| Cleveland—Durham Road Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 3·320 | 1976 |
| Cleveland—South Bank Link Road | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 3·000 | 1986 |
| Cleveland—Thornaby Bypass | — | 1990–91 | 18·760 | 1986 |
| Cleveland—Guisborough Road Improvement | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 0·448 | 1979 |
| Cornwall—Penzance Primary Distributor | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 1·219 | 1979 |
| Cornwall—Truro-Devoran T (Carnon Downs Bypass) | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 0·680 | 1979 |
| Cornwall—Newquay Gannel Link Road | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 12·970 | 1979 |
| Cornwall—Sticker Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 0·356 | 1979 |
| Cornwall—Liskeard Industrial Distributor Road | — | 1990–91 | 5·560 | 1979 |
| Cumbria—Staveley Bypass | 1989–90 | — | 0·698 | 1979 |
| Cumbria—Papcastle Diversion | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 3·283 | 1979 |
| Cumbria—Romney Road Link | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 3·309 | 1979 |
| Derbyshire—Ilkeston Inner Relief Road | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 5·272 | 1979 |
| Derbyshire—Tapton Bypass Chesterfield (Stages 1 and 2) | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 3·117 | 1979 |
| Devon—Plymouth-St Budeaux Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 6·972 | 1985 |
| Devon—Milehouse Junction Improvement Plymouth | — | 1990–91 | 28·603 | 1988 |
| Devon—Torbay Ring Road Stage 2 | — | 1990–91 | 34·836 | 1988 |
| Devon—Thorns Cross—Eagle Farm St l(Olchard Lane-Eagle farm) | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 1·354 | 1979 |
| Devon—Thorns Cross to Eagle Farm Stage 4 | — | 1990–91 | 6·806 | 1988 |
| Devon—Western Approach/Union Street Junction IMP Plymouth | — | 1990–91 | 34·170 | 1988 |
| Dorset—Gillingham Internal Relief Road | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 0·600 | 1979 |
| Dorset—A37 Improvement-Section A | — | 1990–91 | 0·076 | 1979 |
| Durham—Canney Hill Bypass | 1989–90 | — | 4·750 | 1979 |
| Durham—Wheatley Hill Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 2·097 | 1979 |
| Durham—Coundon Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 0·774 | 1979 |
| Durham—Metal Bridge to Bowburn | — | 1990–91 | 3·518 | 1988 |
| East Sussex—Boarshead to Eridge | — | 1990–91 | 10·013 | 1988 |
| East Sussex—Maresfield Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 5·992 | 1986 |
| East Sussex—Mayfield Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 0·964 | 1986 |
| Essex—Dovercourt Bypass Stage 2 Phase 2 | — | 1990–91 | 2·881 | 1979 |
| Essex—Canes Lane Improvement (Final Stage) | — | 1990–91 | 1·837 | 1979 |
| Essex—Maldon Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 2·616 | 1979 |
| Essex—Braintree Bypass Stage 1 | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 17·693 | 1979 |
| Gloucestershire—Eastington to Stroud 3 Ebley Bypass | — | 1990–91 | 4·737 | n.a. |
| Gloucestershire—Eastington-Stroud-Ebley Bypass | 1989–90 | — | 1·834 | 1979 |
| Gloucestershire—Eastington-Stroud 3A-Ebley Bypass-Dudbridge | 1989–90 | — | 3·249 | 1979 |
| Gloucestershire—Eastington-Stroud 3B-Byeford-Dudbridge | 1989–90 | — | 3·837 | 1979 |
| Hampshire—Blackwater Valley Route | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 24·462 | 1988 |
| Hampshire—West Totton Bypass(3) | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 32·469 | 1988 |
| Hampshire—Hook Bypass Underbridge | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 3·310 | 1979 |
| Hampshire—M3 Link Minley | — | 1990–91 | 15·663 | 1988 |
| Hereford-Worcester—Roman Road Hereford Phase 4 Stage 2 | — | 1990–91 | -0·252 | 1988 |
| Hereford-Worcester—A44–A422 Link Worcester Road-Whittington Road Marl Bank | — | 1990–91 | 71·260 | 1988 |
| Hertfordshire—Stanstead Abbotts Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 3·471 | 1979 |
| Hertfordshire—Waltham Cross Relief Road Phase II | 1989–90 | — | 0·905 | 1979 |
| Hertfordshire—Tonwell Bypass | 1989–90 | — | 0·399 | 1979 |
| Hertfordshire—Watford M1 Link and Southern Junction System | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 27·858 | 1979 |
| Hertfordshire—Stanstead Abbotts to Harlow | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 0·975 | 1979 |
| Humberside—Hull North Orbital Road | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 4·900 | 1979 |
| Humberside—Hull Drypool Link | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 0·680 | 1979 |
| Humberside—Hull Wilmington Link | 1989–90 | — | 5·430 | 1985 |
| Humberside—Long Riston Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 0·365 | 1979 |
| Humberside—Grimsby New Baxtergate | 1989–90 | — | 0·600 | 1985 |
| Humberside—Castle Hill to Bentley | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 0·390 | 1979 |
| Humberside—Hull Stoneferry Bridge | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 0·383 | 1979 |
| Humberside—Humber Bridge Northern Approach Road | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 3·085 | 1979 |
| Humberside—Hedon Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 2·603 | 1979 |
| Humberside—Hull Ennerdale Link | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 1·621 | 1979 |
| Kent—Faversham Western Link Road | 1989–90 | — | 1·495 | 1979 |
| Kent—Albion Place-Mote Road | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 2·227 | 1979 |
| Kent—Thanet Way Dualling | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 0·365 | 1979 |
| Kent—Ashford Southern Orbital | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 1·400 | 1979 |
| Kent—Beaver Road Diversion | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 8·000 | 1979 |
| Kent—Hamstreet Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | -1·123 | 1979 |
| Kent—Denton Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | -0·459 | 1979 |
| Kent—Whitfield Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 0·374 | 1979 |
| Kent—Sturry Road to Military Road Link Canterbury | 1989–90 | — | 1·087 | 1979 |
| Kent—Dartford Northern Bypass | — | 1990–91 | 68·312 | 1988 |
| Kent—Whitfield to Eastry | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | -0·059 | 1979 |
| Kent—Lord of the Manor | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 1·024 | 1979 |
| Kent—Eastry Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 0·552 | 1979 |
Authority and scheme
| TSG support in
| NPU (£ million)
| Base year
| |
| Kent—Densole-Hawkinge Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 0·159 | 1979 |
| Kent—South Ashford to Hamstreet | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | -0·059 | 1979 |
| Kent—Stockbridge to Brenzett | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 0·091 | 1979 |
| Kent—Maidstone Spine Road | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 30·350 | 1979 |
| Kent—Somerhill Park Link Tonbridge | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 1·924 | 1979 |
| Kent—Thames-side Industrial Route(TIR) Stage 1 | — | 1990–91 | 21·292 | 1988 |
| Lancashire—Shuttleworth Hall Link Road | 1989–90 | — | 10·548 | 1979 |
| Lancashire—Kirkham and Wesham Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 15·508 | 1988 |
| Lancashire—Burnley Inner Relief Road (Phase II) | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 34·641 | 1988 |
| Lancashire—Penwortham Bypass Ext to Preston | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 72·971 | 1988 |
| Lancashire—Nelson-Colne (Main Works) | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 32·829 | 1979 |
| Lancashire—ChorleyTown Centre Bypass (Phase I) | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 0·298 | 1988 |
| Lancashire—Blackburn Inner Relief Road (Phase I) | — | 1990–91 | 13·892 | 1988 |
| Lancashire—North Valley Link Road Colne | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 9·325 | 1979 |
| Lancashire—Squires Gate Lane Blackpool Dualling | — | 1990–91 | 6·374 | 1988 |
| Lancashire—Accrington Town Centre Relief Road | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 14·432 | 1988 |
| Lancashire—Freckleton Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 29·567 | 1988 |
| Lancashire—Park Road-St Helens Road Link Ormskirk | — | 1990–91 | 7·602 | 1988 |
| Lancashire—Lancaster—Morecambe Bypass (Phase I) | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 36·168 | 1988 |
| Leicestershire—Asfordby Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 0·819 | 1979 |
| Leicestershire—Syston Northern Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 0·468 | 1979 |
| Leicestershire—Ashby-Loughborough Coleorton improvement | — | 1990–91 | 0·178 | 1979 |
| Leicestershire—Redland Quarry to Quorn/Mountsorrel Bypass Link | — | 1990–91 | 0·264 | 1979 |
| Lincolnshire—Wainfleet Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 7·414 | 1988 |
| Lincolnshire—Donington Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 0·165 | 1979 |
| Norfolk—Dersingham/Snettisham Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 7·718 | 1979 |
| Norfolk—Trowse Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 1·400 | 1979 |
| Norfolk—Kirby Cane/Geldeston Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | -0·333 | 1979 |
| Norfolk—Outwell Bends | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 0·154 | 1979 |
| Norfolk—Watton Inner Relief Road | — | 1990–91 | 5·937 | 1979 |
| Northamptonshire—Oundle Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | -2·541 | 1979 |
| Northamptonshire—Brigstock Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | -0·352 | 1979 |
| Northamptonshire—Wollaston Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 0·369 | 1979 |
| Northamptonshire—Yardley Gobion Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 0·551 | 1979 |
| Northamptonshire—Raunds and Stanwick Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 6·705 | 1979 |
| Northamptonshire—Ringstead and Denford Bypass (including MI/A1 junction) | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 6·705 | 1979 |
| Northamptonshire—Thrapston Eastern Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 6·705 | 1979 |
| Northamptonshire—Bozeat Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | -0·447 | 1979 |
| Northamptonshire—Middleton Cheney Bypass and Overthorpe Hall Improvement | — | 1990–91 | 13·753 | 1988 |
| Northamptonshire—Brixworth Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | -0·769 | 1979 |
| Northamptonshire—River Tove Bends | — | 1990–91 | 2·664 | 1988 |
| Northamptonshire—Staverton Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 0·054 | 1979 |
| Northamptonshire—Nene Valley Way 1 Crawler Lane | — | 1990–91 | 1·384 | 1988 |
| Northumberland—Prudhoe Northern Bypass | — | 1990–91 | 23·182 | 1988 |
| Northumberland—Swinburne Quarry to Fourlaws Stage 1 | — | 1990–91 | 1·308 | 1988 |
| North Yorkshire—York Outer Ring Road | 1989–90 | — | 10·824 | 1976 |
| North Yorkshire A658/A59 Harrogate Knaresborough Southern Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 9·698 | 1979 |
| North Yorkshire—Green Hamerton Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 1·016 | 1979 |
| North Yorkshire—Bar Laithe to Pacegate | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 0·292 | 1979 |
| North Yorkshire—Sherburn-in-Elmet and South Milford Bypass | — | 1990–91 | 7·358 | 1988 |
| Nottinghamshire—Hucknall Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 4·543 | 1979 |
| Nottinghamshire—Manvers Street Link Nottingham | — | 1990–91 | 3·781 | 1979 |
| Oxfordshire—Banbury Inner Relief Road | — | 1990–91 | 37·360 | 1988 |
| Shropshire—English Bridge Gyratory | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 16·582 | 1988 |
| Shropshire—Reabrook to Telford Way Link | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 8·237 | 1979 |
| Shropshire—Whitchurch Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 5·523 | 1988 |
| Shropshire—Ironbridge Bypass Extension | — | 1990–91 | 3·746 | 1988 |
| Somerset—Ashill to Southfields Roundabout (A303) | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 0·693 | 1979 |
| Staffordshire—Tutbury Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 1·482 | 1988 |
| Staffordshire—Himley Bypass | 1989–90 | — | 1·177 | 1979 |
| Staffordshire—Uttoxeter to Combridge | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 10·033 | 1988 |
| Staffordshire—Burton Southern Primary Route | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 6·137 | 1979 |
| Staffordshire—Keele Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 2·602 | 1988 |
| Staffordshire—Cannock Eastern Primary Route | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 30·723 | 1988 |
| Staffordshire—Hawkins Lane Link Burton-upon-Trent | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 3·207 | 1988 |
| Suffolk—Stowmarket Relief Road | — | 1990–91 | 10·144 | 1988 |
| Suffolk—Long Melford Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 8·587 | 1988 |
| Suffolk—Kessingland Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 2·001 | 1979 |
| Suffolk—Mutford Bridge | — | 1990–91 | 0·545 | 1988 |
| Surrey—Ewell Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 1·914 | 1987 |
| Warwickshire—Stratford Southern Relief Road | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 4·754 | 1979 |
| Warwickshire—Bedworth Bypass Extension (Hen Lane-M6) | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 9·010 | 1985 |
| Warwickshire—Wellesbourne Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | ·24 | 1979 |
| West Sussex—Cuckfield Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 1·720 | 1979 |
| West Sussex—Bewbush | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 0·630 | 1979 |
Authority and scheme
| TSG support in
| NPU (£ million)
| Base year
| |
| West Sussex—Rustington Bypass | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 2·080 | 1979 |
| West Sussex—Littlehampton Bypass (main scheme) | — | 1990–91 | 24·708 | 1988 |
| West Sussex—Crawley South Western Bypass | — | 1990–91 | 15·067 | 1988 |
| Wiltshire—Chippenham Relief Road Stage 1 | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 1·636 | 1984 |
| Wiltshire—Burbage Bypass | — | 1990–91 | 2·581 | 1988 |
Rail Travel Improvements
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has on the progress made on the plans to improve rail travel outlined in his answer of 16 November 1989, Official Report, column 398, in respect of the Westminster area.
The LRT has now deposited a Bill in respect of the extension of the Jubilee line from Green Park to dockands and Stratford. The Bill provides for a Jubilee line station to be constructed at Westminster with a new ticket hall and interchange links to the existing District and Circle Lines. Detailed discussions are in progress with all relevant authorities and interested parties on this proposal and the impact of the construction works on the surrounding area.My right hon. Friend recently gave the go-ahead for a contract worth over £50 million to refurbish 101 trains on London's Underground including all 44 on the Victoria line. London Underground also has an enormous programme of improvements which will increase the capacity and improve the environment of many of its stations, including Victoria.
Departmental Property
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many houses are in the ownership of his Department in each district in Greater Manchester; and what percentage of them are empty.
The information is as follows:
| District | Number of houses | Percentage empty |
| Wigan | 9 | 44 |
| Stockport | 56 | 9 |
| Manchester | 43 | 2 |
| Rochdale | 53 | 5 |
| Tameside | 38 | 10 |
| Oldham | 108 | 16 |
Channel Tunnel
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the additional expenditure schemes earmarked for Channel tunnel related roads in the county of Kent.
Following are local road schemes, proposed by Kent county council in the context of the Channel tunnel, which my Department is supporting under the transport supplementary grant system with grant over and above that attracted by the county council's ordinary road building programme:
- A2070 Ashford South Orbital
- A2070 Beaver Road Diversion
- A2070 Hamstreet Bypass
- A2070 South Ashford to Hamstreet
- A2070 Stockbridge to Brenzett
- A256 Whitfield Bypass
- A256 Whitfield to Eastry
- A256 Eastry Bypass
- A260 Denton/Selsted Bypass
- A260 Densole/Hawkinge Bypass
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the Channel tunnel working group's forecasts and report on traffic data and the effects of the Channel tunnel on traffic demand, together with the assumptions upon which they are based.
I am making arrangements for copies of the Channel tunnel traffic working group's report, dated June 1986, to be placed in the Library.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what studies are being undertaken in his Department on estimating road traffic growth following the Channel tunnel opening in summer 1993.
The net extra traffic resulting from the completion of the Channel tunnel is not expected to be significant compared with forecast traffic growth generally. Therefore, no specific studies relating to the opening of the tunnel are planned. However, my Department has established the cross-Channel traffic group to produce an up-to-date estimate of all cross-Channel traffic in 1993 and beyond on the main road network in the south-east. General traffic growth will continue to be monitored in the normal way.
Traffic Counts
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidelines his Department issues for the inclusion of cyclists in traffic counts.
[holding answer 13 March 1990]: For the purposes of the national traffic census the Department's standard rules on traffic counting are those published in statistics bulletin (88)32 "Description of Vehicles for Traffic Counting Purposes"—a copy is in the Library. Pedal cycles and motor cycles are included as separate categories of vehicle.The same guidelines are used in the Department's traffic appraisal manual, though for most cost-benefit analyses prepared for the Department data on cycle and motor cycle traffic are not required and, therefore, may not be collected.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department undertakes traffic counts at weekends.
[holding answer 13 March 1990]: Yes. In particular, regular weekend counts classified by type of vehicle are carried out at 163 sites throughout Great Britain for the national traffic census. A number of other sites are monitored at weekends by automatic traffic data counting systems which collect unclassified data on the total flow of vehicles.
The Arts
Art Treasures
To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will give details of items currently included on the decided list of art treasures; and if he will make a statement.
[holding answer 12 March 1990]: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, Central (Mr. Fisher) on 28 February 1990, Official Report, column 200.
Civil Service
Disabled Employees
To ask the Minister for the Civil Service how many Government Departments ensure that at least 3 per cent. of their employees are registered disabled people.
All Government Departments aim to employ at least a 3 per cent. quota of people who are registered as disabled. On 1 June 1989 five Departments had met this target. A further four Departments employed over 2·5 per cent. of people registered as disabled. Figures showing the proportion of staff who are registered as disabled in each Department are presented annually in the civil service magazine Independent, copies of which I am placing in the Libraries of the House.
Attorney-General
Property Law
To ask the Attorney-General what representations he has received about the effects of section 2 of the Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989.
The Lord Chancellor has received four representations from practitioners and an academic about the effect of section 2 of the Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989. In general terms these raised the following matters: (1) options (2) security documents (3) equitable charges (4) contracts by exchange of correspondence. The Lord Chancellor is satisfied that no amendment to section 2 is required in the light of these representations.
To ask the Attorney-General if he will bring forward amendments to section 2 of the Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989 so that it does not apply to the exercise of an option on property granted after 27 September 1989.
The Lord Chancellor has no plans to bring forward amendments to section 2 of the Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989.
Overseas Development
Poland
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will now list the projects so far approved from the know-how fund for Poland.
The information is as follows:
| Activities approved under the know-how fund for Poland as at 8 March 1990 | |
| Title: | Foreign Investment agency |
| Description: | Four seminars on corporate finance, and financial and management accounting |
| Status: | Completed |
| Cost: | £56,000 |
| Title: | Bank Handlowy |
| Description: | Two seminars on Treasury management and an introduction to capital markets |
| Status: | Completed |
| Cost: | £34,000 |
| Title: | Banking and finance sector mission |
| Description: | Project identification |
| Status: | Completed |
| Cost: | £10,000 |
| Title: | Finance and the City of London |
| Description: | Course in financial institutions for 20 Polish visitors |
| Status: | Completed |
| Cost: | £61,000 |
| Title: | Accountancy sector mission |
| Description: | Project identification |
| Status: | Completed |
| Cost: | £19,000 |
| Title: | Privatisation conference |
| Description: | Conference |
| Status: | Completed: |
| Cost: | £33,000 |
| Title: | Job Ownership |
| Description: | Study tour of United Kingdom employee-owned businesses |
| Status: | Completed |
| Cost: | £10,000 |
| Title: | Warszawskie Zaklady Telewizyjne (WZT) |
| Description: | Pilot consultancy on employee ownership |
| Status: | Underway |
| Cost: | £12,000 |
| Title: | Management Study tour |
| Description: | Directors of Polish management education schools to undertake two-week United Kingdom study tour |
| Status: | Completed |
| Cost: | £31,000 |
| Title: | Management seminars |
| Description: | Seminars on marketing and export promotion |
| Status: | Completed |
| Cost: | £20,000 |
| Title: | Young management graduates |
| Description: | Two month programme at British Institute of management plus attachments |
| Status: | Underway |
| Cost: | £222,000 |
| Title: | Management educators |
| Description: | Training of trainers at various institutions |
| Status: | Underway |
| Cost: | £251,000 |
| Title: | Visiting lecturers |
| Description: | Tours of Polish management schools by invited British specialists |
| Status: | Underway |
| Cost: | £56,000 |
| Title: | Fishery management |
| Description: | Three month programme at Hull for Polish fishery managers plus study tour by senior managers |
| Status: | Underway |
| Cost: | £133,000 |
| Title: | Farmer/Co-operatives training |
| Description: | Identification and implementation of training programme for managers of cooperatives |
| Status: | Underway |
| Cost: | £20,000 |
| Title: | English for management |
| Description: | Project identification |
| Status: | Completed |
| Cost: | £10,000 |
| Title: | Management libraries |
| Description: | Provision of management books and videos to key Polish educational institutions |
| Status: | Underway |
| Cost: | £125,000 |
| Title: | Industrial consultancy |
| Description: | Assessment of potential productivity improvements at three Polish plants and substantive work at FSO car manufacturing plant |
| Status: | Underway |
| Cost: | £75,000 |
| Title: | Financial seminars |
| Description: | Increasing awareness of how Western financial institutions and markets work |
| Status: | Completed |
| Cost: | £172,000 |
| Title: | Translation of key management texts |
| Description: | Two consultants to identify needs in relation to the translation and publication of selected texts and the potential establishment of a publishing house |
| Status: | Underway |
| Cost: | £10,820 |
| Title: | Electricity sector |
| Description: | Reconnaissance mission |
| Status: | Completed |
| Cost: | £10,000 |
| Title: | IBRD social security mission |
| Description: | Secondment of three United Kingdom experts to an IBRD mission to look at the social aspects of economic adjustment |
| Status: | Completed |
| Cost: | £39,000 |
| Title: | Blood plasma |
| Description: | Feasibility study for establishment of a blood fractionation plant |
| Status: | Underway |
| Cost: | £154,000 |
| Title: | Data Processing |
| Description: | Adaptation of Polish econometric model to meet IMF specifications |
| Status: | Completed |
| Cost: | £22,000 |
| Title: | Economic Adviser |
| Description: | Appointment of a macro-economic adviser to the Ministry of Finance |
| Status: | Underway |
| Cost: | £60,000 |
| Title: | Equipment for Ministry of Finance |
| Description: | Provision of office machinery |
| Status: | Completed |
| Cost: | £20,000 |
| Title: | Equipment for Ministry of Education |
| Description: | Provision of office machinery to the Task Force for co-ordination |
| Status: | Completed |
| Cost: | £20,000 |
| Title: | Coal industry training |
| Description: | Training in colliery management techniques |
| Status: | Underway |
| Cost: | £49,000 |
| Title: | Cracow tourism study |
| Description: | Recommendation of immediate measures to help Cracow cope with the coming tourist season, and development of longer-term proposals |
| Status: | Underway |
| Cost: | £37,000 |
| Title: | Agros dried vegetables |
| Description: | Recommendations for productivity improvements |
| Status: | Underway |
| Cost: | £55,000 |
| Title: | Company doctor training |
| Description: | Seven courses in training Polish consultants in techniques of company analysis |
| Status: | Underway |
| Cost: | £97,000 |
| Title: | Conference on demonopolisation |
| Description: | Discussion of methods and experiences of demonopolisation in relation to the process of economic and political decision taking |
| Status: | To be implemented |
| Cost: | £11,000 |
| Title: | Book industry training |
| Description: | Pilot project to assess the training needs of the Polish book industry |
| Status: | To be implemented |
| Cost: | £17,200 |
| Title: | Post-experience training for journalists |
| Description: | Four courses including academic and practical attachments |
| Status: | Underway |
| Cost: | £240,000 |
| Title: | Local government assistance |
| Description: | Project to combat environmental pollution involving Carlisle and Slupsk |
| Status: | To be implemented |
| Cost: | £30,000 |
| Title: | Seminars for Polish MPs |
| Description: | Introduction to British parliamentary concepts |
| Status: | Completed |
| Cost: | £15,000 |
| Title: | Media training |
| Description: | Seven courses organised by BBC World Service |
| Status: | Underway |
| Cost: | £225,000 |
| Title: | Establishment of capital markets |
| Description: | Familiarisation trip by Ministry of Finance officials to the London Stock Exchange |
| Status: | Completed |
| Cost: | £7,600 |
| Title: | AIDS training |
| Description: | Training for Polish doctors and nurses on how to handle AIDS patients |
| Status: | To be implemented |
| Cost: | £21,500 |
| Title: | Railway training |
| Description: | Attendance at signalling and telecommunications course for three railway engineers |
| Status: | To be implemented |
| Cost: | £15,800 |
| Title: | New banks mission |
| Description: | Technical assistance for the establishment of new banks |
| Status: | To be implemented |
| Cost: | £25,000 |
| Title: | Agricultural sector mission |
| Description: | Project identification |
| Status: | Completed |
| Cost: | £25,000 |
| Title: | Pharmaceutical sector |
| Description: | Mission to assess pharmacy training needs and joint venture possibilities |
| Status: | To be implemented |
| Cost: | £2,300 |
| Title: | Foreign trade training |
| Description: | Secondment from the Polish Chamber of Foreign Trade to the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce |
| Status: | To be implemented |
| Cost: | £2,200 |
| Title: | Scholarships programme |
| Description: | Non project-related training awards administered by the British Council |
| Status: | To be implemented |
| Cost: | £500,000 per year |
| Title: | Academic links programme |
| Description: | Finance to allow two-way exploratory visits between institutions which will be administered by the British Council |
| Status: | To be implemented |
| Cost: | £100,000 per year |
| Title: | IBRD banking mission |
| Description: | Secondment of two United Kingdom experts to an IBRD mission to look at project preparatory work in the banking sector |
| Status: | Completed |
| Cost: | £16,900 |
| Title: | Assistance to local government |
| Description: | Provision of equipment for the Foundation of Local Democracy centre in Lodz |
| Status: | To be implemented |
| Cost: | £20,000 |
| Title: | Research Programme |
| Description: | Assessment of the competitiveness of the industrial sector in Poland |
| Status: | To be implemented |
| Cost: | £27,000 |
| Title: | Privatisation and market research centre in |
| Gdansk | |
| Description: | Assistance to the Centre |
| Status: | To be implemented |
| Cost: | £38,000 |
| Title: | Legal training |
| Description: | Three month placements for 13 Polish lawyers with United Kingdom firms |
| Status: | To be implemented |
| Cost: | £40,000 |
| Title | Energy Audit |
| Description: | Detailed analysis of the Power and Brown Coal Board by a team of 12 United Kingdom utility personnel |
| Status: | To be implemented |
| Cost: | £403,000 |
| Title: | Economic Adviser |
| Description: | Appointment of a second Economic Adviser to the Ministry of Finance |
| Status: | Underway |
| Cost: | £7,000 |
| Title: | Financial Markets Adviser |
| Description: | Appointment of an Adviser to the Ministry of Finance |
| Status: | Underway |
| Cost: | £70,000 |
| Title: | Assistance to local government |
| Description: | Three courses for newly elected local government councillors and officials based at Leicester Polytechnic |
| Status: | To be implemented |
| Cost: | £190,000 |
Agriculture, Fisheries And Food
Atrazine
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures he will take to limit the use of the chemical atrazine.
The use of atrazine is already restricted under the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986. The Advisory Committee on Pesticides is at present reviewing atrazine and could if necessary recommend to Ministers that these conditions should be amended.
Poultry Flocks
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when his Department will be issuing details of the regulations for registration by poultry flocks; and what is the date by which registration is required.
The Poultry Laying Flocks (Testing and Registration etc.) Order 1989 and the Poultry Breeding Flocks and Hatcheries (Registration and Testing) Order 1989 came into operation on 26 October 1989 apart from the registration requirement which applies from 2 April. Details of the arrangements were circulated on a wide scale in October, registration application forms have been circulated and a reminder about registration will be issued shortly.
Mineral Water
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the accuracy of the description of Perrier water as a naturally carbonated mineral water.
The conditions which have to be met by water labelled as naturally carbonated natural mineral water are laid down in annex I, part III, of Council directive 80/777/EEC. Information which came to light during the recent Perrier contamination incident raises a number of questions on the labelling of this natural mineral water and I have asked my officials to write to the European Commission seeking clarification.
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the provision in the European Communities directive which permits bottled water not to have the full chemical analysis printed on the label.
Article 7(2) of directive 80/777/EEC requires labels on natural mineral waters either to bear a declaration of the water's analytical composition or to state that the composition is in accordance with the results of the official analysis. A proposal to require the mandatory declaration of information on the analytical composition has already been made and the United Kingdom Government will press for such a proposal as being more informative to consumers.
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will raise with the European Communities Commission the question of mineral water purity and labelling.
The European Commission has already indicated that it intends to review Council directive 80/777/EEC and has asked member states for comments. Purity and labelling issues will likely be part of the review.
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether describing the practice of the removal of carbon dioxide from water, its cleaning and then reinjection under pressure as naturally carbonated complies with the labelling rules; and if he will make a statement.
Council directive 80/777/EEC defines naturally carbonated natural mineral water as
I have asked my officials to write to the European Commission to seek clarification on exactly how this provision operates when gas and water are extracted separately at the source and subsequently mixed during bottling."water whose content of carbon dioxide from the spring after decanting, if any, and bottling is the same as at source, taking into account where appropriate the reintroduction of a quantity of carbon dioxide from the same water table or deposit equivalent to that released in the course of those operations and subject to the usual technical tolerances".
Rabies
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has any contingency plans for the use of vaccinations of wild animals acting as vectors of rabies in the event of an outbreak in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.
Oral vaccination of wildlife is not appropriate in a rabies-free country. In the unlikely event of an outbreak in wildlife in the United Kingdom control measures would concentrate on the destruction of foxes in the infected area.
Pesticides
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he proposes to report on his review of maneb, mancozeb and zineb.
The report on immediate concerns was published on 31 January. The report of the ongoing review of remaining areas will be published as soon as possible.
Animal Waste
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what changes have been made in the temperature levels defined as appropriate for the heat treatment of animal waste since 1980; and if he will make a statement.
The Government have strict controls which apply to animal protein processors' handling of animal waste, principally to minimise the risk of salmonella contamination, but it has never laid down specific heat treatment requirements.Commercial technological developments led to a move away from batch processing to continuous rendering. Both batch and continuous systems operate at a range of temperatures; batch between 100 and 150 deg. C, and continuous between 100 and 145 deg. C.
Livestock (Transit Care)
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the trade in horsemeat between the United Kingdom and Europe in respect of the care of horses and other livestock in transit, and on any breaches of standards of care of animals; and if he has any proposals under consideration to bring this trade to an end.
In 1989 the United Kingdom exported 1,932 tonnes of meat derived from horses and other equines, valued at £2·85 million. There is no reason to end this trade. In Community negotiations we shall, however, press to retain existing controls designed to prevent the export of live horses and ponies for slaughter.
Artificial Flavourings
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 28 February, Official Report, column 242, if he will introduce legislation to replace the legal term "flavour" with the term "artificial flavour" to assist consumers seeking to avoid the use of artificial flavourings.
No. I believe that the term "artificial flavour" instead of "flavour" would not necessarily help consumers and might be misleading. While the term "strawberry flavour," for example, indicates that the flavour does not come wholly or mainly from strawberries, some of it may come from strawberries and the rest might come from other natural flavourings. The European Commission is, however, expected to make proposals on the labelling of flavourings in food and I shall be pressing for terminology which enables consumers to make an informed choice.
Fish And Cetaceans (Disease)
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if there is any evidence of a change in the levels of disease suffered by fish or cetaceans in British coastal waters.
Disease levels in marine fish populations have been found to fluctuate from year to year and in some cases seasonally, but there is no clear evidence of a long-term trend of changing levels of disease in fish. There has been no comprehensive collection of data on the incidence of disease in cetaceans, but I understand that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment is considering new research projects on cetaceans and marine mammals, including post-mortem analysis for stranded cetaceans and other marine animals found on our shores.
Salmonella
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many laying breeding flocks in Britain have now been found to have been carrying salmonella enteritidis, and in what regions of the United Kingdom these flocks were found.
Salmonella enteritidis has been isolated from one layer breeder flock located in south-west England.
Eggs
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the production and sale by month over the last 12 months of British eggs; and what was the level of importation and sale month by month of eggs from overseas during the same period.
The latest monthly data for throughput at packing stations in Great Britain (that is excluding Northern Ireland) and in the United Kingdom and for imports into the United Kingdom are as follows. Figures are not collected on sales of eggs.
| thousand boxes (of 360 eggs) | |||
| Great Britain Packing station throughput | United Kingdom Packing station throughput | Imports into United Kingdom | |
| 1989 | |||
| February | 2,060 | 2,202 | 21 |
| March | 2,093 | 2,231 | 22 |
| April | 12,711 | 12,889 | 111 |
| May | 2,227 | 2,367 | 78 |
| June | 2,250 | 2,393 | 72 |
| July | 12,681 | 12,843 | 63 |
| August | 2,117 | 2,256 | 98 |
| September | 2,148 | 2,296 | 161 |
| October | 12,659 | 12,847 | 106 |
| November | 2,041 | 2,203 | 207 |
| December | 2,035 | 2,186 | 150 |
| Children who received a statement of special educational need1 | ||||||
| 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | ||||
| Number | Per cent. | Number | Per cent. | Number | Per cent. | |
| Clwyd | 377 | 0·5 | 187 | 0·3 | 213 | 0·3 |
| Dyfed | 160 | 0·3 | 104 | 0·2 | 121 | 0·2 |
| Gwent | 272 | 0·4 | 235 | 0·3 | 463 | 0·6 |
| Gwynedd | 80 | 0·2 | 70 | 0·2 | 99 | 0·3 |
| Mid Glamorgan | 537 | 0·6 | 575 | 0·6 | 643 | 0·7 |
| Powys | 17 | 0·1 | 16 | 0·1 | 30 | 0·2 |
| South Glamorgan | 217 | 0·3 | 201 | 0·3 | 174 | 0·3 |
| West Glamorgan | 274 | 0·5 | 234 | 0·4 | 304 | 0·5 |
| 1 The figures shown indicate the number of children, in each calendar year, for whom statements of special education need were made for the first time. | ||||||
Great Britain Packing station throughput
| United Kingdom Packing station throughput
| Imports into United Kingdom
| |
1990
| |||
| January | 12,681 | 12,882 | 105 |
1 5 week months. | |||
Wales
Cancer Treatment
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many responses in total have been submitted to date on the review of the provision of cancer treatment services for the people of north Wales; and how many favour option 4.
Of the 18 responses to consultation received by 9 March, eight have specified a preference for a radiotherapy unit in north Wales (option 4).
Roads
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many representations he has received from the local highway authority and others concerning the provision of a pedestrian crossing on the A487(T) at Tremadog; and what response he has made.
Special Educational Needs
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many children received a statement of special educational needs in each year from 1984 to 1989 in each local education authority in Wales; and what is each figure as a percentage of all pupils in maintained schools in Wales.
Data for 1989 are not yet available. Prior to 1986 information in the form requested was not collected centrally. Information for 1986, 1987 and 1988 is shown in the table:
Storm Damage
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what additional finance he will give to borough councils, additional to the Bellwin formula, in north Clwyd consequent upon the February storms; and if he will make a statement.
The Bellwin scheme represents an entirely appropriate and adequate Government response to the additional costs incurred by local authorities in dealing with emergencies. In view of the scale of the emergency, and the very high expenditure being incurred by the local councils directly affected by the recent flooding in north Wales, I am pleased to say that the rate of grant payable has, exceptionally, been increased to 85 per cent. of eligible expenditure. I have, in addition, announced a Government contribution of £150,000 to the appeal funds launched locally.
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will provide help to farmers in north Wales whose land has been affected by sea water.
It is too early to assess the full extent of the damage to farms in the affected areas. However, it is clear that immediate steps must be taken to counter the damaging effects of prolonged sea water flooding of agricultural land by the application of gypsum. In these wholly exceptional circumstances my Department will meet the costs of this measure and ADAS will provide free advice. Farmers will also be advised of the assistance available under existing grant schemes to help meet the costs of other work that may be necessary.Parliamentary approval to this exceptional measure will be sought in a revised estimate for the agricultural services, support for the fishing industry, regional and industrial development, Wales vote 2 (class XVI vote 2, 1990–91).
Cash Limits
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he proposes making any further cash limits changes.
Yes. Provision for regional enterprise grants on class XVII, vote 2, is being reduced by
| Table 1 Documents issued pursuant to the White Paper "Working for Patients" CM 555, January 1989 | |||
| Date | Reference number | Consultation | Title |
| 1. January 1989 | — | Final | The NHS in Wales: Proposals for Action |
| 2. August 1989 | — | Final | "Working for Patients", text of the Secretary of State letter of 1 August 1989 to Health Authority and Family Practitioner Committee Chairmen |
| DOH working papers | |||
| 3. March 1989 | Working Paper 1 | Final | Self-governing Hospitals |
| 4. March 1989 | Working Paper 2 | Final | Funding and Contracts for Hospital Services |
| 5. March 1989 | Working Paper 3 | Final | Practice Budgets for General Medical Practitioners |
| 6. March 1989 | Working Paper 4 | Final | Indicative Prescribing Budgets for General Medical Practitioners |
| 7. March 1989 | Working Paper 5 | Final | Capital Charges |
| 8. March 1989 | Working Paper 6 | Final | Medical Audit |
| 9. March 1989 | Working Paper 7 | Final | NHS Consultants: Appointments, Contracts and Distinction Awards |
| 10. March 1989 | Working Paper 8 | Final | Implications for Family Practitioner Committees |
| 11. July 1989 | Working Paper 9 | Final | Capital Charges: Funding Issues |
| 12. November 1989 | Working Paper 10 | Final | Education and Training |
| Resource Allocation | |||
| 13. February 1990 | RAWG(90)5 | Final | Implications for Resource Allocation Working Group (RAWG) of the Government White Paper |
£500,000 and the cash limit reduced from £86,448,000 to £85,948,000. This reduction will provide the necessary public expenditure cover for a temporary borrowing facility required by the Development Board for Rural Wales to meet its expenditure commitments during the remainder of the current financial year. The facility will not add to the board's overall resources but will ease its cash flow position pending the settlement of a substantial claim for repayment of VAT from Her Majesty's Customs and Excise not now expected until the next financial year.
Community Charge
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if women's refuges in Wales are exempted from collective community charge; and if he will make a statement.
I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for the Environment on 8 March, Official Report, column 799.
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received from companies about the additional burden of cost and administration to be placed on them under the terms of the Community Charges (Administration and Enforcement Regulations) 1989; and if he will make a statement.
I have received no such representations.
Community Care
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list all working papers, implementation documents, consultative documents, departmental circulars, and other publications, whether in draft or final form, that have been issued to date in respect of Wales regarding (a) National Health Service matters and (b) care in the community matters arising from the National Health Service and Community Care Bill, the Government's White Papers on these topics, and associated Government initiatives.
[holding answer 5 March 1990]: Relevant publications issued by the Department in Wales are shown in the tables:
Date
| Reference number
| Consultation
| Title
|
| 14. July 1989 | RAWG(89)9 | Final | RAWG further work |
| 15. July 1989 | RAWG(89)11 | Final | RAWG Resident Population Resourcing Sub-Group Progress Report: Setting up an experiment to test the feasibility of involving GPs in the planning and development of DHA provided services. |
| 16. January 1990 | RAWG(90)l | Final | Capital Charges and Capital Allocations: A discussion paper |
| 17. January 1990 | RAWG(90)2 | Final | Weighted Capitation Funding: Revenue Formula |
| 18. January 1990 | RAWG(90)3 | Final | Implementing the White Paper: Contractual Arrangements |
Capital Charging and Asset Accounting
| |||
| 19. March 1989 | EL(89) MB60 Department of Health (DOH) letter | Final | Capital Charges and Asset Registers: Report of Pilot Exercises |
| 20. July 1989 | — | Final | Capital Charges update 1989/1: Basis of valuation of land and buildings |
| 21. July 1989 | — | Final | Capital Charges update 89/2 |
| 22. August 1989 | — | Final | Capital Charges update 89/3 |
| 23. October 1989 | — | Final | Capital Charges update 89/4 |
| 24. October 1989 | — | Final | Department of Health Booklet: "The Costing of Health Buildings for Capital Charging Purposes" |
| 25. November 1989 | — | Final | Asset Registers: Pro forma on Progress Report—covering letter |
| 26. November 1989 | — | Final | BCIS Cost Analyses for Wales—covering letter |
| 27. November 1989 | — | Final | Letter with sets of cost beacons |
| 28. December 1989 | — | Final | Capital Charges Update 89/5 |
| 29. January 1990 | DGM(9O)5 | Final | Capital Asset Registers: Valuation of Land and Buildings |
| 30. January 1990 | — | Final | Capital Charges Update 90/1 and 90/2 |
Financial Management
| |||
| 31. October 1989 | DGM(89)103 | Final | Use of Private Sector Capital in the NHS (Unconventional Finance): Revised Guidance |
| 32. October 1989 | DGM(89)108 | Final | Contracts for Health Services—Operational Principles |
| 33. October 1989 | DGM(89)108 | Final | Discussion document on Pricing and Openness in Contracts |
| 34. December 1989 | — | Final | Consultation on Charging for WHCSA Services |
| 35. January 1990 | DGM(90)11 | Final | Study of the feasibility of recording and reviewing patients' need for and use of hospital and community health services in general practice |
| 36. February 1990 | DGM(90)16 | Final | Contracting for services and funding arrangements in 1991–92 and beyond |
| 37. February 1990 | — | Consultation | DOH paper: Contracts and Cash Limits |
Family practitioner services
| |||
| 38. April 1989 | FPCL(W)22/89 | Final | FPC Management Structures |
| 39. June 1989 | WHC(89)39 | Final | Pay and Conditions of Service: FPC Managers |
| 40. October 1989 | WHC(89)62 | Final | FPC Managers: Remuneration and Conditions of Service |
| 41. December 1989 | FPCL(W)97/89 | Final | Practitioner Funding Scheme: Issue of Programme to GPs |
| 42. January 1990 | — | Final | Funding General Practice—booklet issued to all GPs |
Quality assurance
| |||
| 43. August 1989 | WHC(89)47 | Consultation | Quality Patient Care |
Information technology
| |||
| 44. December 1989 | — | Final | Information and Information Technology strategic direction for the NHS in Wales |
| 45. May 1989 | — | Consultation | All-Wales Health Service IT Strategy: Impact of White Paper Draft for discussion |
| 46. July 1989 | — | Final | IT strategy: comments |
| 47. February 1990 | DOH Working Paper 11 | Final | Framework for Information Systems |
NHS trusts and contracts
| |||
| 48. September 1989 | — | Final | Self-Governing Hospitals: An Initial Guide |
| 49. September 1989 | DGM(89)94 | Final | Self-Governing Hospitals: Outline Application document |
| 50. March 1990 | DGM(90)23 | Consultation | Implementing the White Paper: Operating Contracts |
Health strategy
| |||
| 51. July 1989 | — | Final | Strategic Planning in the NHS after the White Paper "Working for Patients" |
| 52. (a) November 1989 | Consultation | Welsh Health Planning Forum (WHPF) Consultation Documents "Local strategies for health: a New Approach to Strategic Planning"; and "Strategic Intent and Direction for the NHS in Wales" | |
(b) February 1990 | — | Final | Executive summaries of the documents in (a) above |
| 53. October 1989 | DGM(89)107 | Final | Development of Business Plans 1990/91 |
| 54. November 1989 | DGM(89)120 | Consultation | Business Planning 1990/91: Draft Guidance |
| 55. January 1990 | DGM(90)l | Final | Business Planning 1990/91: Final Guidance |
CHCs
| |||
Date
| Reference number
| Consultation
| Title
|
| 56. November 1989 | — | Consultation | Review of Community Health Councils in Wales: A consultation paper |
Manpower
| |||
| 57. December 1989 | — | Final | The Health Service in Wales—Towards 2000 Manpower Planning, Education and Training |
| 58. November 1989 | DGM(89)115 | Consultation | NHS: Medical and Dental Staff—Amendment of NHS (Appointment of Consultants) Regulations |
Table 2 Documents issued pursuant to the white paper "Caring for People: Community Care in the next decade and beyond" CM 849, November 1989
| |||
Date
| Reference
| Consultation/ Final
| Title
|
| 1. December 1989 | — | Final | Caring for People: Community Care in the Next Decade and Beyond—The Proposals for Wales |
| 2. 26 January 1990 | — | Consultation | Draft Planning Guidance |
| 3. 16 February 1990 | — | Consultation | Community Care: Caring for People Independent Inspection Units |
| 4. 22 February 1990 | — | Consultation | Community Care—Future Central Funding of the Development of Services for the Elderly |
| 5. 29 December 1989 | — | Consultation | Services for People with Physical and/or Sensory Disabilities |
| 6. 8 March 1990 | — | Consultation | Community Care White Paper: Caring For People—Proposed Development Projects—Assessment and Case Management |
| 5. 29 December 1989 | — | Consultation | Services for People with Physical and/or Sensory Disabilities |
| 6. 8 March 1990 | — | Consultation | Community Care White Paper: Caring For People—Proposed Development Projects—Assessment and Case Management |
Health Service
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy that all working papers, implementation documents, consultative documents, departmental circulars and other publications in regard to the implementation of (a) the National Health Service aspects and (b) the care in the community aspects of the National Health Service and Community Care Bill and the associated White Papers in Wales shall be numbered sequentially and shall be available in the Vote Office and the Library, together with a comprehensive list of all such publications which is brought up to date from time to time.
[holding answer 6 March 1990]: The Department's policy of providing the Vote Office and Library with copies of all major consultation documents, circulars, and other papers on National Health Service and community care issues will continue. Lists of such documents together with any other associated publications will be available in the Library and updated quarterly. The documents are not produced in a single series, so sequential numbering would not be appropriate.
Employment
Training
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish up-to-date figures for Great Britain and each Training Agency region for each month since November 1989 and the cumulative numbers of (a) referrals to ET from the employment service to training agents, (b) agreed ET action plans of training agents, (c) starts with ET training managers, (d) the number in training on ET each month and (e) the number on continuation training.
The information on referrals, action plans, starts and numbers in training is provided in the tables. Information is not separately available for those on continuation training.
Table 1 Employment training Referrals from employment service to employment training December 1989 to January 1990 (cumulative )
| ||
Employment service region
| December
| January
|
| London and South East | 12,900 | 29,900 |
| South West | 3,000 | 7,300 |
| West Midlands | 5,800 | 14,600 |
| East Midlands and Eastern | 4,600 | 10,700 |
| Yorkshire and Humberside | 6,500 | 14,900 |
| North West | 8,700 | 21,300 |
| Northern | 4,600 | 11,200 |
| Wales | 3,800 | 9,200 |
| Scotland | 9,100 | 20,600 |
| Great Britain | 59,100 | 139,700 |
Note:
Regional figures may not equal Great Britain total because of rounding.
Figures for February are not yet available.
Table 2 Employment training Agreed action plans at training agents December 1989 to February 1990 (cumulative)
| |||
Training agency region
| December
| January
| February
|
| South East | 2,400 | 5,400 | 9,300 |
| London | 3,900 | 7,800 | 12,500 |
| South West | 1,800 | 3,900 | 6,300 |
| West Midlands | 3,400 | 7,600 | 13,100 |
| East Midlands and Eastern | 2,500 | 4,900 | 8,200 |
| Yorkshire and Humberside | 4,600 | 9,400 | 15,000 |
| North West | 4,400 | 9,700 | 16,400 |
| Northern | 3,400 | 7,600 | 12,300 |
| Wales | 1,900 | 4,400 | 8,000 |
| Scotland | 4,300 | 8,800 | 14,300 |
| Great Britain | 32,600 | 69,500 | 115,400 |
Note:
Regional figures may not equal Great Britain total because of rounding.
Table 3 Employment training Starts with training managers December 1989 to February 1990 (cumulative)
| |||
Training agency region
| December
| January
| February
|
| South East | 1,500 | 4,300 | 6,900 |
| London | 2,600 | 6,500 | 10,600 |
| South West | 1,400 | 3,400 | 5,200 |
| West Midlands | 2,900 | 6,500 | 10,900 |
| East Midlands and Eastern | 2,100 | 4,600 | 7,700 |
| Yorkshire and Humberside | 3,700 | 8,000 | 13,200 |
| North West | 3,600 | 9,000 | 14,900 |
| Northern | 2,900 | 6,200 | 10,300 |
| Wales | 1,900 | 4,400 | 7,500 |
| Scotland | 3,500 | 7,400 | 12,700 |
| Great Britain1 | 26,100 | 60,500 | 100,100 |
1 Great Britain total includes small number of starts at Residential Training Colleges and Large Contractors not inlcuded in regional totals. | |||
Table 4 Employment training Filled places: December 1989 to February 1990
| |||
Training agency region
| December
| January
| February
|
| South East | 14,300 | 14,700 | 14,900 |
| London | 21,000 | 21,800 | 22,300 |
| South West | 11,900 | 12,100 | 11,800 |
| West Midlands | 22,500 | 21,900 | 22,400 |
| East Midlands and Eastern | 16,600 | 16,400 | 16,400 |
| Yorkshire and Humberside | 25,100 | 24,700 | 25,000 |
| North West | 28,800 | 28,900 | 29,000 |
| Northern | 24,200 | 23,700 | 23,300 |
| Wales | 16,100 | 15,900 | 16,100 |
| Scotland | 26,100 | 25,900 | 26,300 |
| Great Britain1 | 208,000 | 207,000 | 209,000 |
1 Great Britain total includes small number of trainees at Residential Training Colleges and Large Contractors not included in regional totals. | |||
Acute Myeloid Leukaemia
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has made an assessment of the incidence of acute myeloid leukaemia among telegraph, radio and radar operators; and if he will make a statement.
A limited review undertaken in 1988 suggests that there may be a small increase in relative risk of acute myeloid leukaemia for telegraph, radio and radar operators. I am not aware of any current studies on this topic.
Gateshead Garden Festival
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assistance his Department is making available to NGF(90)Ltd., organisers of the Gateshead
| Table 1 Establishments covered by wages councils on register—as at January 1989 | ||||||||||
| Wages councils | Divisions London | South East | Eastern | South West | Midlands | North West | Yorkshire and Humberside | North | Scotland | Great Britain |
| Aerated waters | 7 | 14 | 57 | 16 | 111 | 25 | 24 | 22 | 66 | 342 |
| Clothing manufacture | 3,006 | 159 | 306 | 301 | 1,282 | 937 | 452 | 214 | 307 | 6,964 |
| Boot and shoe repairing | 764 | 255 | 258 | 345 | 373 | 406 | 111 | 70 | 130 | 2,878 |
| Button manufacturing | 18 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 18 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 57 |
| Coffin furniture and cerement making | 1 | — | — | 2 | 8 | 2 | 5 | — | 2 | 20 |
| Cotton waste reclamation | — | — | — | — | 1 | 28 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 42 |
| Flax and hemp | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 6 | 8 |
| Fur | 147 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 14 | 28 | 11 | 3 | 36 | 262 |
garden festival, for the employment and training of unemployed people during the festival; and if he will snake a statement.
I am making arrangements so that the organisers may employ and train up to 1,140 unemployed people during the festival from public funds. Parliamentary approval to this provision will be sought in a supplementary estimate for the Department of Employment's training and enterprise programmes vole (class VI vote 1). Pending that approval, urgent expenditure estimated at £2·7 million will be met by repayable advances from the Contingencies Fund.
Disabled Employees
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many nationalised industries and public authorities ensure that at least 3 per cent. of their employees are registered disabled people.
The figures showing the quota position of a range of individual public sector employers are published with their agreement in the Employment Gazette. In June 1989, the latest date for which figures are available, 26 of these firms employed 3 per cent. or more registered people with disabilities.
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many prosecutions there have been in the last 15 years against employers who fail to fulfil their obligations under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944; and if he will make a statement.
There have been three prosecutions in the last 15 years against employers who have failed to fulfil their obligations under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944. The policy of successive Governments has been to use education and persuasion to secure and improve the policies and practices of all employers in relation to the employment of people with disabilities and to bring prosecutions only as a last resort.
Wages Councils
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report the statistics on wages council employment and compliance with wages council rates in 1989, in the same format as in the reply given on 1 March 1989, Official Report, columns 201–06.
The information requested is given in the following tables:
Divisions Wages councils
| London
| South East
| Eastern
| South West
| Midlands
| North West
| Yorkshire and Humberside
| North
| Scotland
| Great Britain
|
| General waste materials reclamation | 124 | 74 | 107 | 151 | 291 | 308 | 240 | 99 | 137 | 1,531 |
| Hairdressing undertakings | 4,482 | 3,181 | 3,302 | 4,106 | 5,362 | 5,171 | 3,029 | 1,968 | 2,840 | 33,441 |
| Hat, cap and millinery | 25 | 2 | 44 | 5 | 12 | 14 | 8 | 11 | 2 | 123 |
| Lace finishing | — | — | — | 1 | 73 | — | — | — | — | 74 |
| Laundry | 215 | 281 | 79 | 114 | 105 | 68 | 67 | 35 | 122 | 1,086 |
| Linen and cotton handkerchief | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 80 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 114 |
| Made up textile | 34 | 13 | 36 | 31 | 51 | 34 | 42 | 18 | 33 | 292 |
| Ostrich and fancy feather | 12 | 1 | 6 | 4 | — | — | — | 4 | 3 | 30 |
| Perambulator and invalid carriage | 3 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 36 |
| Retail bespoke tailoring | 180 | 55 | 52 | 38 | 42 | 52 | 39 | 14 | 37 | 509 |
| Rope, twine and net | — | 1 | 5 | 12 | 5 | 20 | 18 | 5 | 19 | 85 |
| Sack and bag | 20 | — | 7 | 5 | 14 | 20 | 12 | 2 | 6 | 86 |
| Toy manufacturing | 17 | 16 | 45 | 30 | 35 | 40 | 32 | 15 | 9 | 239 |
| Retail non-food trades | 20,069 | 11,990 | 9,840 | 12,085 | 19,457 | 13,350 | 8,712 | 4,495 | 8,840 | 108,838 |
| Retail food and allied trades | 11,770 | 13,100 | 10,066 | 12,853 | 13,339 | 15,891 | 10,018 | 7,199 | 10,881 | 105,117 |
| Licensed non-residential | 6,263 | 5,962 | 6,363 | 9,323 | 12,406 | 9,540 | 6,452 | 4,001 | 5,429 | 65,739 |
| Licensed residential and restaurant | 5,023 | 3,901 | 3,595 | 6,842 | 3,591 | 3,355 | 2,013 | 1,418 | 3,890 | 33,628 |
| Unlicensed place of refreshment | 4,143 | 2,049 | 1,540 | 2,585 | 1,746 | 1,977 | 1,324 | 851 | 1,497 | 17,712 |
| Total | 56,325 | 41,069 | 35,728 | 48,867 | 58,357 | 51,354 | 32,801 | 20,451 | 34,301 | 379,253 |
Table 2 Establishments checked and underpayments found in wages council trades—1989
| |||||||
Wages Councils
| Establishments checked by all methods
| Percentage of register checked
| Establishments checked by visit
| Percentage of register checked by visit
| Establishments found underpaying
| Percentage of all establishments checked underpaying
| Percentage of establishments visited underpaying
|
| Aerated Waters | 22 | 6·4 | 17 | 4·9 | 1 | 4·5 | 5·8 |
| Clothing Manufacture | 486 | 6·9 | 436 | 6·2 | 111 | 22·8 | 25·4 |
| Boot and Shoe Repairing | 216 | 7·5 | 91 | 3·1 | 11 | 5·0 | 120 |
| Button Manufacturing | 5 | 8·7 | 5 | 8·7 | 1 | 20·0 | 20·00 |
| Coffin Furniture and Cerement Making | 3 | 15·0 | 3 | 15·0 | — | — | — |
| Cotton Waste Reclamation | 3 | 7·1 | 3 | 7·1 | — | — | — |
| Flax and Hemp | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Fur | 12 | 4·5 | 11 | 4·1 | 3 | 25·0 | 27·2 |
| General Waste Materials Reclamation | 100 | 6·5 | 59 | 3·8 | 2 | 2·0 | 3·3 |
| Hairdressing Undertakings | 2,633 | 7·8 | 1,517 | 4·5 | 319 | 12·1 | 21·0 |
| Hat, Cap and Millinery | 11 | 8·9 | 6 | 4·8 | — | — | — |
| Lace Finishing | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Laundry | 95 | 8·7 | 66 | 6·0 | 16 | 16·8 | 24·2 |
| Linen and Cotton Handkerchief | 14 | 12·2 | 14 | 12·2 | 3 | 21·4 | 21·4 |
| Made-up Textile | 27 | 9·2 | 24 | 8·2 | 5 | 18·5 | 20·8 |
| Ostrich and Fancy Feather | 6 | 200 | 4 | 13·3 | — | — | — |
| Perambulator and Invalid Carriage | 3 | 8·3 | 3 | 8·3 | — | — | — |
| Retail Bespoke Tailoring | 40 | 7·8 | 33 | 6·4 | 3 | 7·5 | 90 |
| Rope, Twine and Net | 11 | 12·9 | 10 | 11·7 | — | — | — |
| Sack and Bag | 6 | 6·9 | 5 | 5·8 | — | — | — |
| Toy Manufacturing | 18 | 7·5 | 16 | 6·6 | 3 | 16·6 | 18·7 |
| Retail Non-Food Trades | 9,551 | 8·7 | 3,993 | 3·6 | 1,108 | 11·6 | 27·7 |
| Retail Food and Allied Trades | 10,111 | 9·6 | 6,228 | 5·9 | 2,289 | 22·6 | 36·7 |
| Licensed Non-Residential | 5,310 | 8·0 | 2,963 | 4·5 | 847 | 15·9 | 28·5 |
| Licensed Residential and Restaurant | 2,781 | 8·2 | 1,882 | 5·5 | 475 | 17·0 | 25·2 |
| Unlicensed Place of Refreshment | 2,164 | 12·2 | 1,050 | 5·9 | 331 | 15·2 | 31·5 |
| Total | 33,628 | 8·8 | 18,439 | 4·8 | 5,528 | 16·4 | 29·9 |
Table 3 Workers covered by wages councils and results of checks—1989
| ||||||||||
Wages Councils
| Number of workers covered by Wages Order (Est. 1988)
| Workers whose pay was checked by all methods
| Workers whose pay was checked by visit
| Workers found underpaid
| Per cent, underpaid of alt workers checked
| Per cent, underpaid of all workers checked by visit
| Arrears paid
| Arrears not pursued at workers request
| Arrears not pursued for other reasons
| Total arrears assessed as due
|
£
| £
| £
| £
| |||||||
| Aerated Waters | 5,500 | 848 | 421 | 1 | 1 | 0·2 | 280 | — | — | 280 |
| Clothing Manufacture | 147,000 | 10,875 | 10,025 | 356 | 3·2 | 3·5 | 30,306 | 2,283 | 3,039 | 35,628 |
| Boot and Shoe Repairing | 5,000 | 477 | 209 | 12 | 2·5 | 5·7 | 3,650 | 3,165 | — | 6,815 |
| Button Manufacturing | 1,000 | 133 | 133 | 1 | 0·7 | 0·7 | 164 | — | — | 164 |
| Coffin Furniture and Cerement Making | 200 | 12 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cotton Waste Reclamation | 300 | 25 | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Flax and Hemp | 500 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Fur | 1,500 | 55 | 46 | 3 | 5·4 | 6·5 | 323 | — | — | 323 |
| General Waste Materials Reclamation | 13,000 | 967 | 556 | 7 | 0·7 | 1·2 | 5,091 | — | — | 5,091 |
| Hairdressing Undertakings | 64,000 | 8,245 | 4,784 | 403 | 4·8 | 8·4 | 47,191 | 14,062 | 4,540 | 65,793 |
| Hat, Cap and Millinery | 4,000 | 320 | 288 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lace Finishing | 900 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Laundry | 26,000 | 3,100 | 1,606 | 36 | 1·1 | 2·2 | 5,756 | — | 270 | 6,026 |
| Linen and Cotton Handkerchief | 2,500 | 717 | 717 | 8 | 1·1 | 1·1 | 366 | — | — | 366 |
| Made-up Textile | 3,000 | 348 | 330 | 18 | 5·1 | 5·4 | 2,123 | — | — | 2,123 |
| Ostrich and Fancy Feather | 500 | 123 | 113 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Perambulator and Invalid Carriage | 2,000 | 263 | 263 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Retail Bespoke Tailoring | 4,000 | 138 | 108 | 6 | 4·3 | 5·5 | 62 | 2,030 | — | 2,092 |
| Rope, Twine and Net | 2,500 | 1,287 | 1,283 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sack and Bag | 1,000 | 96 | 81 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Toy Manufacturing | 11,000 | 615 | 609 | 14 | 2·2 | 2·2 | 818 | 133 | 22 | 973 |
| Retail Non-Food Trades | 745,000 | 68,184 | 15,788 | 1,820 | 2·6 | 11·5 | 177,515 | 74,696 | 17,320 | 269,531 |
| Retail Food and Allied Trades | 465,000 | 120,911 | 23,793 | 4,421 | 3·6 | 18·5 | 360,350 | 229,397 | 38,788 | 628,535 |
| Licensed Non-Residential | 492,000 | 41,774 | 19,599 | 2,178 | 52 | 11·1 | 147,060 | 34,066 | 9,100 | 190,226 |
| Licensed Residential and Restaurant | 379,000 | 40,962 | 23,028 | 1,092 | 2·6 | 4·7 | 83,128 | 8,991 | 5,648 | 97,767 |
| Unlicensed Place of Refreshment | 96,000 | 25,460 | 6,094 | 690 | 2·7 | 11·3 | 45,936 | 16,860 | 2,683 | 65,479 |
| TOTAL | 2,472,400 | 325,935 | 109,911 | 11,066 | 3·3 | 10·0 | 910,119 | 385,683 | 81,410 | 1,377,212 |
Table 4 Checks carried out and underpayments found in Wages Inspectorate divisions—1989
| |||||||
Division
| Estabs checks by all methods
| Percentage of register checked
| Estabs checked by visit
| Percentage of register checked by visit
| Estabs found underpaying
| Percentage of all estabs checked underpaying
| Percentage of estabs visited underpaying
|
| London | 2,545 | 4·9 | 1,399 | 2·1 | 229 | 8·9 | 16·3 |
| South East | 4,462 | 10·3 | 1,815 | 4·2 | 478 | 10·7 | 26·3 |
| Eastern | 2,809 | 7·1 | 1,866 | 4·7 | 432 | 15·3 | 23·1 |
| South West | 4,297 | 7·6 | 2,531 | 4·5 | 960 | 22·3 | 37·9 |
| Midlands | 4,801 | 7·8 | 2,369 | 3·8 | 822 | 17·1 | 34·6 |
| North West | 4,939 | 9·2 | 3,161 | 5·9 | 1,104 | 22·4 | 35·0 |
| Yorkshire and Humberside | 4,494 | 12·8 | 1,804 | 5·1 | 569 | 12·6 | 31·5 |
| Northern | 1,989 | 9·2 | 1,306 | 6·0 | 387 | 19·4 | 29·6 |
| Scotland | 3,292 | 9·5 | 2,188 | 6·3 | 547 | 16·6 | 25·0 |
| Great Britain | 33,628 | 8·8 | 18,439 | 4·8 | 5,528 | 16·4 | 29·9 |
| All branches of multiple firms are recorded under the division in which the Head Office is located. Account has to be taken of this when comparing divisional figures. | |||||||
Table 5 Workers whose pay was checked in wages inspectorate divisions—7959
| |||||||||
Division
| Workers whose pay was checked by all methods
| Workers whose pay was checked by visit
| Workers found underpaid
| Percentage underpaid of all workers checked
| Percentage underpaid of all workers checked by visit
| Arrears paid
| Arrears not pursued at workers request
| Arrears not pursued for other reasons
| Total arrears assessed as due
|
£
| £
| £
| £
| ||||||
| London | 21,262 | 10,540 | 509 | 2·3 | 4·8 | 54,330 | 3,234 | 3,522 | 61,086 |
| South East | 44,799 | 11,551 | 833 | 1·8 | 7·2 | 92,785 | 27,520 | 15,673 | 135,978 |
| Eastern | 16,641 | 11,419 | 883 | 5·3 | 7·7 | 82,643 | 27,469 | 2,568 | 112,680 |
| South West | 38,613 | 15,006 | 1,691 | 4·3 | 11·2 | 107,893 | 45,899 | 10,546 | 164,338 |
| Midlands | 34,650 | 14,908 | 1,607 | 4·6 | 10·7 | 85,734 | 65,298 | 9,795 | 160,827 |
| North West | 35,515 | 16,537 | 2,272 | 6·4 | 13·7 | 219,648 | 114,988 | 16,622 | 351,258 |
| Yorkshire and Humberside | 88,437 | 8,910 | 1,172 | 1·3 | 13·1 | 77,352 | 56,277 | 4,339 | 137,968 |
| Northern | 16,693 | 6,417 | 846 | 5·0 | 13·1 | 69,315 | 13,731 | 3,453 | 86,499 |
Division
| Workers whose pay was checked by all methods
| Workers whose pay was checked by visit
| Workers found underpaid
| Percentage underpaid of all workers checked
| Percentage underpaid of all workers checked by visit
| Arrears paid
| Arrears not pursued at workers request
| Arrears not pursued for other reasons
| Total arrears assessed as due
|
£
| £
| £
| £
| ||||||
| Scotland | 29,325 | 14,623 | 1,253 | 4·2 | 8·5 | 120,419 | 31,267 | 14,892 | 166,578 |
| Great Britain | 325,935 | 109,911 | 11,066 | 3·3 | 10·0 | 910,119 | 385,683 | 81,410 | 1,377,212 |
Note: The numbers of workers in branches of multiple firms are recorded under the division in which the Head Office is located. Account has to be taken of this when comparing divisional figures.
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will update the information given in his answer of 1 March 1989, Official Report, columns 201–02, with the levels of employment in each wages council for 1988 and 1989; and if he will explain the methodology behind the collation of these statistics.
No new estimates have been made. The figures given in the answer of 1 March 1989, as in earlier answers, were based essentially on data collected by wages inspectors in the course of inspections, supplemented where appropriate by other information obtained from employers in the trades concerned and such published material as is relevant.
| Employees in full or part-time employment, by age and industry—Great Britain Spring 1989 | ||||||||
| Thousand | ||||||||
| Industry (Sic 1980) | Full-time1 Age | Part-time1 Age | ||||||
| Divisions | Classes | Groups | 16 or 17 | 18 to 20 | 21 or over | 16 or 17 | 18 to 20 | 21 or over |
| 20–9 | — | — | 296 | 1,416 | 15,339 | 365 | 217 | 4,413 |
| 0 | — | — | 3— | 19 | 193 | 3— | 3— | 42 |
| 1–5 | — | — | 130 | 524 | 5,955 | 18 | 12 | 525 |
| 2–4 | — | — | 99 | 391 | 4,488 | 16 | 10 | 430 |
| — | 43 | — | 3— | 14 | 157 | 3— | 3— | 21 |
| — | 45 | — | 3— | 37 | 207 | 3— | 3— | 50 |
| 6–9 | — | — | 161 | 872 | 9,167 | 333 | 215 | 3,841 |
| 6 | — | — | 73 | 349 | 2,202 | 283 | 155 | 1,319 |
| — | 64/65 | — | 42 | 196 | 1,105 | 209 | 102 | 803 |
| — | — | 4651/2 | 3— | 28 | 174 | 3— | 3— | 36 |
| — | 66 | — | 14 | 62 | 342 | 66 | 49 | 406 |
| — | — | 661 | 3— | 24 | 98 | 40 | 20 | 87 |
| — | — | 662 | 3— | 3— | 46 | 3— | 17 | 112 |
| — | — | 663 | 3— | 3— | 24 | 3— | 3— | 47 |
| — | — | 664 | 3— | 3— | 71 | 3— | 3— | 107 |
| — | — | 665 | 3— | 20 | 90 | 12 | 3— | 49 |
| — | — | 667 | 3— | 3— | 12 | 3— | 3— | 3— |
| 8 | — | — | 49 | 236 | 1,724 | 3— | 3— | 344 |
| — | 91 | — | 3— | 54 | 1,263 | 3— | 3— | 169 |
| — | 92 | — | 3— | 3— | 133 | 3— | 3— | 74 |
| — | 93 | — | 3— | 11 | 970 | 3— | 3— | 635 |
| — | 95 | — | 3— | 45 | 675 | 3— | 3— | 517 |
| — | 96 | — | 3— | 20 | 404 | 3— | 12 | 403 |
| — | 97 | — | 3— | 26 | 287 | 12 | 13 | 128 |
| — | 98 | — | 3— | 30 | 84 | 3— | 3— | 48 |
| 1 Based on the respondent's own assessment, not on the number of hours usually worked. | ||||||||
| 2 Includes those who inadequately described their industry. | ||||||||
| 3 Sample size too small for reliable estimate. | ||||||||
| 4 Other groups in classes 64/65 are not separately identified. | ||||||||
Source: 1989 LFS, preliminary results.
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the January unemployment percentage figure in the Ashford travel-to-work area for each of the last 10 years.
Labour Statistics
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish the number of employees, broken down into full-timers and part-timers who are (a) under 18 years, (b) 18 years and over and (c) 21 years old and over in the following standard industrial classifications (i) zero to nine, (ii) one to five, (iii) two to four, (iv) six to nine, (v) zero, (vi) 43, (vii) 45, (viii) 6, (ix) 64 and 65 and their subgroups, (x) 66 and its subgroups, (xi) eight, (xii) 91, (xiii) 92, (xiv) 93, (xv) 95, (xvi) 96, (xvii) 97 and (xviii) 98.
Preliminary results from the 1989 labour force survey, as requested, are shown in the table.
The information in the following table is available from the Library and is affected by seasonal influences, changes to the count, and a redefinition of travel-to-work areas.
"Narrow-based" unadjusted unemployment rates in Ashford travel-to-work area1: January each year
| ||
Ashford Jobcentre based TTWA
| Ashford ward based TTWA
| |
Percentage rate
| Percentage rate
| |
| 1980 | 4·5 | — |
| 1981 | 8·5 | — |
| 1982 | 12·0 | — |
| 1983 | 11·9 | — |
| 1984 | 11·3 | 10·6 |
| 1985 | — | 11·7 |
| 1986 | — | 12·2 |
| 1987 | — | 11·2 |
| 1988 | — | 7·9 |
| 1989 | — | 4·9 |
| 1990 | — | 4·2 |
1 The definition of travel-to-work areas changed in 1984. Earlier data are given for the old Ashford travel-to-work area. | ||
Privatisation
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total sum paid out in fees to outside organisations in the furtherance of privatisation by his Department in 1979–80 and in each subsequent year; and what is his estimate for 1990–91.
[holding answer 12 March 1990]: There were no fees paid to outside organisations in the furtherance of privatisation by the Employment Department Group (excluding the Training Agency) in the financial period from 1979–80 to 1987–88 inclusive.Fees to the value of £369,000 were incurred in 1988–89.Costs incurred by the Employment Department Group in connection with the privatisation programme in 1989–90 and 1990–91 will be reported to Parliament in due course in the usual way.
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what were the total fees paid out by his Department to management consultants in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his latest estimate for the current year and budget for 1990–91.
[holding answer 12 March 1990]: Expenditure on management consultancy in the Employment Department Group (excluding the Training Agency) in each year from 1984–85 to 1988–89 was as follows:
| £ thousands | |
| 1984–85 | 237 |
| 1985–86 | 174 |
| 1986–87 | 629 |
| 1987–88 | 415 |
| 1988–89 | 783 |
Scotland
Homelessness
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information his Department has recently gathered regarding the total number of homeless people who (a) have no home or family to go back to, (b) have been forced to leave home by an adult member of the family, (c) left home after being abused or fearing abuse by another member of the family and (d) could safely return to their families; and what use he makes of this information in shaping his (1) housing and (2) social security policies.
The homelessness statistics collected by the Scottish Development Department relate to households which apply to local authorities under the provisions of part II of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987. For each applicant, the returns record information including the reason given for becoming homeless. Information in the detail requested is not available. However, on the basis of the returns, in 1988–89, 37 per cent. of applicants gave as their reason for homelessness that friends or relatives were no longer willing or able to accommodate them; 14 per cent. said they had had a violent dispute with the spouse or co-habitee.The Government take account of all relevant available information in formulating their policies. Social security matters are the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Social Security.
Ticket Touts
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to increase the powers of the police to deal with ticket touting.
Ticket touting can in certain circumstances already lead to an offence in Scotland under section 55 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982. The Government are currently considering whether existing powers under the 1982 Act are adequate.
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to introduce legislation to make ticket touting illegal.
A review of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 is already under way arid the Government are currently considering whether the existing powers under this Act relating to the activity of ticket touting are adequate.
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will commission a study into ticket touting at major sporting events.
I have no plans to do so at present.
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will discuss ticket touting at major sporting events when he next meets the chief constables of Strathclyde and of Midlothian and the Borders.
I have no plans to do so.
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will discuss ticket touting when he next meets the chairman of the Scottish Sports Council.
I have no plans to do so
White Fish
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total value at first sale of the main species of white fish landed into Scotland by United Kingdom vessels in January 1990 and the corresponding figure for January 1989.
The provisional value of cod, haddock, whiting and saithe landed by United Kingdom vessels in Scotland in January 1990 was £7·4 million, compared with £7·1 million in January 1989. The value of these landings therefore increased by 4 per cent. despite the reduction of 26 per cent. in the volume landed. Unit prices increased by as much as 57 per cent. in the case of whiting and 53 per cent. in the case of haddock.
| Operations for ruptured aortic aneurysm 1981–88 Scotland | |||||||||
| 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | Total | |
| Inverclyde Royal | |||||||||
| Episodes | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 16 |
| Episodes where outcome known1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 16 |
| Deaths | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| Percentage deaths over known outcome | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 62·5 |
| All Scotland | |||||||||
| Episodes | 99 | 108 | 94 | 124 | 122 | 143 | 140 | 140 | 970 |
| Episodes where outcome known1 | 56 | 52 | 47 | 58 | 45 | 57 | 53 | 58 | 426 |
| Deaths | 31 | 27 | 34 | 43 | 32 | 41 | 33 | 41 | 282 |
| Percentage deaths over known outcome | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 66·2 |
| 1 Patients at Inverclyde Royal suffering from Aortic Aneurysm are not transferred to other facilities but elsewhere in Scotland they are. The records of transferred patients could only be correlated at disproportionate cost; therefore numbers of deaths have been compared in each case with the known outcomes of patients being discharged from or dying in the same unit. | |||||||||
Heart Disease
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list all the research projects on heart diseases carried out or sponsored by his Department for each year since 1975.
[holding answer 9 March 1990]: The information is as follows:
Year and Project Title
1975
Correlation of certain pathological findings in the heart and coronary arteries, obtained by a post mortem investigation including sterioarteriography with clinical observations made before death.
Fibroblast viability in allograft heart valve leaflet.
1977
ECG interpretation by computer.
Genetic variation in the regulation of cholestrol synthesis in relation to coronary heart disease.
Computer assisted radionuclide cardiovascular diagnosis
1978
Computer assisted reporting on electrocardiograms
Computer analysis of instantaneous pressure and velocity signals to assess ventricular contractility power and output impedance in patients with coronary and valvular heart disease before and after surgical heart treatment.
1980
A study of cardiac and respiratory rate and rhythm in the new born to determined (i) their relationship to each other, (ii) whether or not this changes during the first few months of life, (iii) if recordings at home differ from those in hospital and (iv) their possible roll in sudden infant death.
Comparison of nuclear angiography and echocardiography (M-mode and phased array) in the investigation of left ventricular performance
Surgery (Fatalities)
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the death rate for ruptured aortic aneurysm operations in (a) the Inverclyde Royal hospital, Greenock, for each of the past eight years and (b) other hospitals in Scotland for the same years; and if he will make a statement.
[holding answer 9 March 1990]: The death rate for ruptured aortic aneurysm operations in both Inverclyde Royal hospital, Greenock and other hospitals in Scotland over the past eight years is shown in the table. In Scotland 66·2 per cent. of cases result in death, compared with 62·5 per cent. in the Inverclyde royal hospital at Greenock.
1981
A study of biochemical origins and prevention of lethal ventricular arrythmias during acute myocardial ischaemia.
1983
Metabolic electrophysiological and epidemiological aspects of sudden cardiac death: purchase of fast analyser.
Acute experimental myocardial ischaemia—the role of substances derived from arachidonic acid.
1983
Myocardial effects of prolonged exposure to lead ethanol.
1984
Investigations into mechanisms of serious ventricular arrhythmias during the early hours of acute myocardial infarction in man.
1985
Strategy for screening for risk of coronary heart disease.
1986
The role of the neutrophil in acute myocardial infarction.
Acute experimental myocardial ischaemia—possible role of locally released coronary vasoconstrictor and platelet aggregating agents, with particular reference to substances derived from membrane phospholipids.
The activity of antiarrhythmic drugs in myocardial ischaemia
The importance of neuropeptide Y in the central control of blood pressure and heart rate.
1987
The effect of physiological and pathological factors and of xenobiotics on the distribution of high density lipoprotein subspecies in relation to coronary heart disease.
Non-invasive recording of small signals from the conduction system of the heart.
The development and evaluation of a self-help manual for use in the rehabilitation of myocardial infarct patients.
1988
A prospective evaluation of the Bjork-Shiely Hancock and Carpentier-Edwards Heart Valve Prostheses.
1989
Application of Stable Isotope Technology to the study of lipoprotein metabolism.
1990
Sympathetic and parasympathetic interaction and the development of serious arrhythmias during acute myocardial ischaemia.
In addition, the Scottish Home and Health Department has, since 1981, provided core funding for the programme of research of the cardiovascular epidemiology unit at Dundee university. It is also providing funding for the Scottish centre of the World Health Organisation MONICA project: a multinational long-term study to monitor trends and determinants in cardiovascular disease.
Also the Scottish Hospital Endowments Research Trust has supported the following projects:
Year and Project Title
1976
Electrophysiological evaluation of the Wolff-ParkinsonWhite syndrome and post-operative conduction abnormalities in patients with congenital heart disease.
1977
The effect of anaesthetic agents and techniques on myocardial blood flow during acute experimental myocardial ischaemia.
Investigation of the experimental basis of surgery for coronary artery stenosis.
1978
Experimental study of methods for assessment and prevention of myocardial injury during cardiac surgery.
The effects of six months physical training on plasma lipoprotein distribution echocardiography and exercise cardiography in male survivors of myocardial infarction.
1983
An experimental study of left ventricular assistance.
1984
An investigation into sudden death in Glasgow.
A study of metabolism of atherogenic lipoproteins in the plasma.
1986
Investigation into the cellular mechanisms underlying arrhythmias in cardiac cells and into the action of antiarrythmic drugs.
A population study of blood viscosity, plasma viscosity, haematocrit and fibrinogen in relation to cardiovascular risk factors.
1987
Membrane vesicles from cardiac muscle.
Prospective study of the effect of intravenous insulin infusion in diabetics with acute myocardial infarction.
The effects of hypothermia on postoperative energy expenditure in cardiac surgical patients determined by the doubly labelled water and indirect calorimetry techniques.
Normal limits of the paediatric electrocardiogram and echocardiogram.
1988
The role of vascular endothelium as a target in renal allograft rejection.
Protection of the ischaemic myocardium: a clinical and experimental evaluation of the influence of ionised calcium during cardiopulmonary bypass.
The plasma high density lipoprotein profile as an index of coronary status: a comparison of lipoprotein and clinical data in coronary patients.
Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs
Iraq
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Her Majesty's Government have made any representations to the Government of Iraq about the refusal to permit the editor of The Observer to attend the trial of Farzad Bazoft in Baghdad.
Yes.
Deputy Secretaries
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the responsibilities of each of the deputy secretaries in his Department and the numbers and grades of staff reporting to each.
There are seven deputy secretaries in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, six in the diplomatic wing and one in the ODA. Broad areas of responsibility are as follows. A full range of diplomatic service grades (senior grade to DS10), specialist staff, secretaries and certain home civil service grades report to each diplomatic. wing deputy secretary. Numbers of staff in London reporting to each are indicated in brackets.
Guatemala
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the meeting of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary with the Foreign Minister of Guatemala.
My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs met Mr. Rivera on Monday 19 February. They discussed bilateral relations, human rights and Belize.
West Bank And Gaza
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations Her Majesty's Government have made to the Government of Israel concerning the continued closure of six universities in the West Bank and Gaza strip; and what response he has received.
We take every opportunity to urge the Israelis to allow all higher education institutions in the occupied territories to reopen. I reiterated our concern to the Israeli Minister without Portfolio, Mr. Olmert, on 5 March.
Katyn Massacre
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress on his Department's studies into the responsibility for the Katyn massacre.
We are following developments closely. There is substantial circumstantial evidence pointing to Soviet responsibility for the Katyn massacre. We urge the Soviet authorities to help establish the facts quickly.
South Africa
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the British companies that have invested in South Africa for each of the past 10 years; and how much investment in pounds sterling that has amounted to.
I have been asked to reply.Under the Statistics of Trade Act 1947, the names of United Kingdom companies which furnish such information are confidential. The most recent estimate (end of 1987) of the book value of United Kingdom direct investment in South Africa is £1,821 million.
Environment
Uniform Business Rate
106.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the impact of the unified business rate on small business growth in the midlands.
107.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the impact of the unified business rate on small business growth in the midlands.
The uniform business rate and the non-domestic revaluation do not come into effect until 1 April 1990, but when they do, average non-domestic rate bills will fall in real terms by 6 per cent. in the west midlands and 4 per cent. in the east midlands in 1990–91 and, once transition to the new system is complete, by 28 per cent. and 15 per cent. respectively. This will be a stimulus to business growth.
Local Government Finance
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much of the new money recently announced for inner cities is to go to the London borough of Newham.
Spending on the programmes which come within the "Action for Cities" initiative is planned to increase by £500 million in 1990–91 to a total of around £4 billion. It is not possible to estimate the amount which will be spent in any individual local authority's area.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will reform the community charge system in England to enable the amount of revenue support grant attributable to county and district councils respectively to be separately identified either on the basis that it is currently separately identified in Wales or on the basis that it is currently separately identified for regional and district councils in Scotland.
[holding answer 12 March 1990]: No.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will reproduce in the Official Report the full calculation underlying his reply to the right hon. Member for Tonbridge and Mailing on 12 February, Official Report, column 58, that under the community charge system about 15 times as much will be contributed to the cost of local government by the top 10 per cent. of householders by income compared with the poorest 10 per cent.
[holding answer 7 March 1990]: I will write to my right hon. Friend.
Council Rents
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans the Government have to alleviate the effects of recent increases in council rents.
It is for local authorities to determine their own rent levels. The Government allocate sufficient HRA subsidy to enable council rents to be set at reasonable levels. Rent rebates give assistance to those who need it.
Electromagnetic Fields
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to introduce controls relating to exposure levels within electromagnetic fields.
I have no plans at present to introduce specific controls relating to the exposure to electromagnetic fields.
Ussr (Exposure Levels)
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has made an assessment of the permitted exposure levels to microwave and RF EM fields in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
I understand that the NRPB is currently assessing all the available biological and epidemiological evidence and will be publishing an assessment during the year.
Water Flotation (Cost)
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the full cost of the flotation of the water industry including (a) the total cost to public funds of advertising and (b) the total cost to public funds in fees to City advisers, will be available to Parliament.
Figures for overall costs to the Government are being compiled and will be reported shortly.
Acid Mist (Lincolnshire And Norfolk)
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if his Department has investigated the causes of the acid mist that blighted acres of hawthorn trees in Lincolnshire and Norfolk on 9 September 1989.
My Department commissioned the scientists who were working on the Halvergate marshes at the time to collect all available information and to report on the acid mist incident. The report is expected soon and I will arrange for copies to be placed in the Library of the House.
Energy Conservation
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures are being taken to alert builders erecting or converting homes of the need to conserve energy; and whether he intends to introduce any regulations to ensure that builders respond to such needs.
The Building Regulations 1985 already include requirements relating to energy conservation measures in new buildings and extensions. The Building Regulations (Amendment) Regulations 1989, which are due to come into force on 1 April, will make the existing requirements more stringent, and the changes have been widely publicised.
Disabled People
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which voluntary organisations he consulted on "Local Government and Housing Act 1989: Implementation of Part VIII, House Adaptations for Disabled People".
We made copies of a draft of a circular entitled "House Adaptations for Disabled People" generally available, and welcomed comments from any organisation or individual with an interest. We specifically sought the views of:
- The British Council of Organisations of Disabled People
- The Royal Association of Disability and Rehabilitation "Panel of Four" c/o Royal National Institute for the Deaf
- Royal National Institute for the Blind
- Access Committee for England
- The Centre on Environment for the Handicapped
- MIND
- MENCAP
- The Disability Income Group
- National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux Shelter
- Age Concern
Sewage Disposal
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to prohibit the use of long sea outfalls for sewage disposal in the Bristol channel and set a date for this prohibition.
As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced to the House on 5 March, the Government have decided that in general municipal sewage should receive secondary treatment, but that primary treatment would be more appropriate for discharges to coastal waters, where it can be shown that this does not adversely affect the environment, Official Report, volume 168, column 452.It will be for the National Rivers Authority to implement this policy by using its powers to consent discharges.
Waste Recycling
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to conduct a survey, similar to the one initiated by his Department called "Survey of Local Authority Domestic Waste Recycling Activity", directed at the recycling industry, 'to assess its view of waste recycling capability and potential.
[holding answer 12 March 1990]: Yes.
Leeds Development Corporation
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, further to his reply of 5 March, Official Report, column 448, how many display signs were purchased by the Leeds development corporation for the £26,500 referred to in that reply; and how many of those signs are still in place.
[holding answer 12 March 1990]: Leeds development corporation's expenditure on display signs of £26,500 since designation in June 1988 covers design work, materials and erection costs. Some 40 signs have been purchased and erected during that period, including 10 replacements. Thirty are currently in place, of which two have recently been blown down and two affected by storm damage. Work is in hand by the corporation to reinstate these signs.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out the main items of expenditure by the Leeds development corporation under the budget heading of £320,000 in 1989–90 and £480,000 in 1990–91 for promotion and publicity.
[holding answer 12 March 1990]: The key objective of Leeds development corporation's promotion and publicity budget is to promote the economic regeneration of the Leeds urban development area. The main items of expenditure are the promotion and marketing of the urban development area and of Leeds in general; the promotion and marketing of specific sites; exhibition material; keeping the local community informed of the development corporation's activities, including a bi-annual newspaper; community sponsorship; and the production of an annual report.
London Residuary Body
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all those properties currently vested in the London residuary body for which he has refused consent to its sale to the relevant London borough under section 123 of the Local Government Act 1972; and if he will state the date and the reasons for refusal in each case.
An application by the London residuary body for consent to the sale of 67–69 Cowcross street, London EC1 to the London borough of Islington was refused on 26 February 1990 for the reasons given in my letter of the same date to the hon. Member. No other properties currently vested in the London residuary body have been refused for disposal under section 123 of the Local Government Act 1972.
Lakes
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what assessment has been made of the effects of agricultural uses of fertiliser on British lakes in increasing nitrogen and phosphate contents;(2) what assessment has been made of the effects of eutrophication on species diversity in British lakes; and what steps are being taken to reduce eutrophication;(3) what studies his Department has made into the eutrophication of British lakes; and what causes of eutrophication have been identified.
[holding answer 13 March 1990]: A number of surveys have been carried out in recent years by the water authorities into the eutrophication of British waters. These have concluded that eutrophication is not increasing in the United Kingdom and is limited to a small number of areas, for example, the Norfolk Broads, Loch Leven and Lake Windermere. In nearly all cases it is phosphorus which is the cause of eutrophication. To reduce eutrophication action is best taken at local level because the sources contributing to excess nutrients vary from place to place. Phosphorus stripping at sewage works is nearly always an effective control option.
Coniferous Afforestation
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information his Department has about the acidification of upland soils and waterways by coniferous afforestation.
[holding answer 13 March 1990]: A number of recent reviews and reports on the relationship between coniferous afforestation and possible acidification of upland soils and waterways have been placed in the Library of the House. They include;
National Finance
Productivity
108.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the trends of manufacturing industry productivity over the last 12 months.
Indices of United Kingdom manufacturing productivity can be found on the CSO databank, which is accessible through the House of Commons Library.
Interest Rates
109.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the impact of interest rates on manufacturing industry.
110.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the impact of interest rates on manufacturing industry.
111.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the impact of interest rates on manufacturing industry.
114.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the impact of interest rates on manufacturing industry.
116.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the impact of interest rates on manufacturing industry.
Interest rates have been set at their current level to put downward pressure on inflation. Inflation is the greatest threat to the future prosperity of manufacturing industry.
113.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received from small businesses on interest rates.
115.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations have been made to him concerning the effect of the present level of interest rates on the costs of manufacturing industry.
My right hon. Friend has received a number of such representations.
Exchange Rate
112.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from small businesses on the exchange rate.
My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations.
Balance Of Trade
117.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the trade deficit.
My right hon. Friend receives a few letters each month from members of the public concerning the trade deficit.
Imports
118.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the latest trends in imports.
In the three months to January, import volumes (less oil and erratics) were 1 per cent. lower than in the previous three months, and only 2 per cent. higher than in the same period a year earlier. This is clear evidence that imports are responding to the tightening of policy.
Mortgage Tax Relief
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Great Grimsby of 21 December 1989, Official Report, columns 368–69, on mortgage interest tax relief and investment income, whether he will provide for 1989–90 the numbers in each range of income with investment income of more than £200 and less than £500, and those with investment income of more than £500.
The information requested is in the table. These estimates are provisional and subject to revision.
| Single People and Married Couples Receiving Mortgage Interest Relief: | ||
| Range of total income (£) | Numbers with annual investment income of | |
| more than £200, but less than £500 | more than £500 | |
| (thousands) | (thousands) | |
| 0–4,999 | 30 | 20 |
| 5,000–9,999 | 90 | 260 |
| 10,000–14,999 | 260 | 290 |
| 15,000–19,999 | 300 | 350 |
| 20,000–29,999 | 280 | 450 |
| 30,000 + | 140 | 490 |
| Total | 1,100 | 1,860 |
Increase in income after tax1 (£ per week) compared with indexation2 in 1990–91 for married man3 with two children.
| |||||||
Multiple of average earnings4
| |||||||
½
| ¾
| 1
| 1½
| 2
| 5
| 10
| |
| Increased derived from | |||||||
| (i) 1p cut in basic rate | 0·61 | 1·37 | 2·13 | 3·65 | 4·29 | 4·29 | 4·29 |
| (ii) 7·5 per cent increase in main income tax allowances | 1·59 | 1·59 | 1·59 | 1·59 | 2·54 | 2·54 | 2·54 |
| (iii) Increase in child benefit | |||||||
| (a) £3·15 per week per child5 | 6·30 | 6·30 | 6·30 | 6·30 | 6·30 | 6·30 | 6·30 |
| (b) £2·45 per week per child6 | 4·90 | 4·90 | 4·90 | 4·90 | 4·90 | 4·90 | 4·90 |
| (iv) reduced rate band of 20 per cent, on first £1,450 of taxable income | 1·40 | 1·40 | 1·40 | 1·40 | 1·40 | 1·40 | 1·40 |
| (v) reduced rate band of 15 per cent, on first £700 of taxable income | 1·35 | 1·35 | 1·35 | 1·35 | 1·35 | 1·35 | 1·35 |
1 Disregarding any change to entitlement to social security income-related benefits except in item (iii) (b). | |||||||
2 Calculations based on the standard assumption that 1989–90 allowances and the basis rate limit have been indexed by 7·7 per cent, for 1990–91. | |||||||
3 Assumed to have no reliefs and allowances other than the personal allowance and the married couple's allowance. | |||||||
4Average earnings assumed to be £303·8 per week, an increase of 8·5 per cent, on 1989–90 in line with the assumptions used by the Government Actuary for reviewing national insurance contributions (paragraph 3·02 of the Autumn Statement 1989). | |||||||
5 Assuming no change in income support and family credit children's rates. | |||||||
6 Assuming corresponding changes in income support and family credit children's rates. | |||||||
Manufacturing Investment
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the level of manufacturing investment.
119.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the level of manufacturing investment.
120.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the level of manufacturing investment.
121.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the level of manufacturing investment.
Manufacturing investment reached a record level in 1989 after six years of growth averaging 8 per cent.
Foreign-Owned Companies
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what profits and other capital payments have been remitted back to the host country from Britain from foreign-owned concerns for each of the last 10 years.
Estimates are based on the 1987 family expenditure survey and the 1987–88 survey of personal incomes projected to 1989–90.
Taxes And Benefits
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update the table in the answer to the hon. Member for Hornchurch (Mr. Squire) on 10 January 1989, Official Report, columns 632–34, stating the effects at different income levels of alternative policies based on Exchequer expenditure equal to a 1p cut in income tax.
The effects of the various changes to income tax and child benefit on a married man with two children are shown in the table. Each of the changes would cost £1·7 billion a year, that is the cost in a full year of a 1 p cut in the basic rate of income tax. Estimates are based on projections of the 1987–88 survey of personal incomes in line with forecasts in the Autumm Statement.
The latest available information on profits and capital flows remitted back to the host country by foreign-owned concerns in the United Kingdom is given in table 2·1 of Business Monitor MA4 "Overseas Transactions 1987". The relevant items in net earnings and net direct investment are:
Inflation
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he intends to align with the practice in other European Community countries in calculating inflation.
My right hon. Friend the Chancellor has no plans to do so at present. The practices followed in compiling consumer prices indices vary between Community countries. The United Kingdom regularly joins in discussions with other members with a view to understanding the differences in methodology. When changes in the retail prices index have been proposed they have always been considered by the RPI advisory committee and due account taken then of practice elsewhere.
Capital Gains Tax
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many taxpayers paid capital gains tax in 1987–88.
The number of individuals and trusts who have a liability to pay capital gains tax from gains on disposals made in 1987–88 is provisionally estimated at 170,000.
Investment
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the business fixed investment figures in the United Kingdom for the last five years; and if he will make a statement.
The latest annual data for business investment are:
| £ billion | |
| 1985 prices | |
| 1984 | 36·9 |
| 1985 | 39·7 |
| 1986 | 39·5 |
| 1987 | 43·7 |
| 1988 | 51·4 |
Currency
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has any plans to introduce a £100 note.
The Bank of England is responsible for the note issue. It has no plans to introduce a £100 note.
Capital Investment
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the latest figures on capital investment by business.
Business investment was 12¼ per cent. higher in real terms in the first three quarters of 1989 than in the same period in 1988. In the two years to 1988 business investment grew by over 30 per cent.
Taxation
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (a) whether he will raise the income limits which govern the Inland Revenue's practice for remitting arrears of tax where information provided to the Revenue had not been used within a reasonable time and (b) what are the implications of independent taxation for the income limits.
I am pleased to announce that limits are to be increased from today. From 6 April 1990 the income scale will apply separately to the incomes of husbands and wives.(a) The Inland Revenue's practice of remitting tax in cases where the Department has not made timely use of information available is set out in a White Paper of July 1971 (first report from the Select Committee on the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration: Session 1970–71: Cmnd 4729). The proportion of arrears collected varies according to the size of the taxpayer's gross income; the balance of the arrear is remitted.The new scale of limits will apply to arrears of tax, the actual of likely amount of which is first notified to the taxpayer of his agent on or after today.
| New scale Gross income | Percentage of arrears remitted | Old scale Gross income |
| £ | £ | |
| 0 to 12,000 | All | 0 to 8,500 |
| 12,001 to 14,500 | 0·75 | 8,501 to 10,500 |
| 14,501 to 18,500 | 0·50 | 10,501 to 13,500 |
| 18,501 to 22,000 | 0·25 | 13,501 to 16,000 |
| 22,001 to 32,000 | 0·10 | 16,001 to 23,000 |
| Over 32,000 | None | Over 23,000 |
| Pensioners addition to each band | |
| New scale | Old scale |
| £ | £ |
| 3,300 | 2,500 |
(b) At present income limits for the purposes of the concession apply equally to a single person or the joint incomes of a husband and wife. With the introduction of independent taxation the income scale will apply only to the spouse assessed.
This new rule will apply to arrears of tax, the actual or likely amount of which is notified to a taxpayer on or after 6 April 1990.
Ecofin
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the outcome of the latest meeting of the European Community's Economic and Finance Council.
The ECOFIN Council met in Brussels on 12 March. Before the formal meeting of the Council, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer attended the lunch at which prospects for Germany monetary union were discussed. The Chancellor also stressed the importance of making good progress in establishing the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and emphasised the attractions of London as its location.During the formal Council, I represented the United Kingdom. A common position was established on the proposal to revise the financial perspective which sets out EC budgetary ceilings. A Council declaration identifying areas in which further measures against EC budget fraud are needed was also agreed. I stressed the importance of simplifying the relevant EC legislation, improving reporting by member states and agreeing on administrative sanctions. The Court of Auditors' annual report for 1988 formed the basis of an agreed opinion on the discharge of the 1988 budget.Revised Council decisions on the promotion of economic convergence and co-operation between central banks during stage I of EMU were formally adopted, and the Council took note of reports on multilateral surveillance of member states' economies during stage 1 from the monetary committee, the economic policy committee and the committee of central bank governors. I also stressed the need for early proposals from the Commission and a discussion in the Council on technical VAT and statistics systems after 1992.
Consumer Spending
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the retail price index takes full account of the increase since 1979 in (i) imputed rent and (ii) mortgage interest given in the reply to the hon. Member for Great Grimsby of 19 February, Official Report, column 524–25, concerning consumer's expenditure detailed in table 1.6 of the Monthly Digest of Statistics.
[holding answer 7 March 1990]: Imputed rents have not been used as a measure of owner-occupiers' housing costs in the retail prices index since 1975. They were then replaced by mortgage interest payments following a standardised formulation recommended by the Retail Prices Index Advisory Committee.
Female Earnings
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many women in work, and how many of those with children under five, have earnings below £8,500.
[holding answer 7 March 1990]: Information on the distribution of weekly earnings of women in employment is published in the 1989 new earnings survey report and information on dependent children of women in work is given in chapter 9 of the report on the 1987 general household survey. Further information is not available.
Public Sector Asset Creation
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will extend the series of total public sector asset creation as given in table 21.2.15 of the public expenditure White Paper, Cm. 1021, as far back as possible both in cash and in 1988–89 prices.
[holding answer 8 March 1990]: Information on total public sector asset creation is available for the years since 1978–79 and is given in table 21.2.16 of chapter 21 of the 1990 public expenditure White Paper in both cash and real terms (1988–89 prices).
Pay Figures
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide the pay figures for the financial year 1983–84, and as far back as is possible, on the same basis as those figures given in table 21.02.13 of Cm. 1021; if these figures, are available on a quarterly basis; and where both sets of data are published.
[holding answer 9 March 1990]: Figures on a consistent basis with those given in table 21.2.13 are not readily available for earlier years. Calendar years figures for general government expenditure on wages and salaries and so on, consistent with table 9.4 of the 1989 edition of the "United Kingdom National Accounts" (the CSO Blue Book), are given in the table. These data are not on exactly the same basis as that provided in the public expenditure White Paper.
| £ million | |
| 1961 | 2,534 |
| 1962 | 2,722 |
| 1963 | 2,929 |
| 1964 | 3,161 |
| 1965 | 3,473 |
| 1966 | 3,778 |
| 1967 | 4,083 |
| 1968 | 4,382 |
| 1969 | 4,690 |
| 1970 | 5,402 |
| 1971 | 6,372 |
| 1972 | 7,460 |
| 1973 | 8,423 |
| 1974 | 10,556 |
| 1975 | 14,815 |
| 1976 | 16,907 |
| 1977 | 18,281 |
| 1978 | 20,377 |
| 1979 | 23,258 |
| 1980 | 29,469 |
| 1981 | 33,577 |
| 1982 | 35,773 |
| 1983 | 39,060 |
| 1984 | 41,271 |
| 1985 | 43,695 |
| 1986 | 46,896 |
| 1987 | 50,914 |
| 1988 | 55,219 |
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total expenditure by his Department on press and public relations in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his latest estimate for the current year and budget for 1990–91.
[holding answer 12 March 1990]: The expenditure for 1988–89 is £548,264, the estimated expenditure for the current year is £550,525 and the budget provision for 1990–91 is £599,680. Comparable figures for the years 1979–80 to 1987–88 are not available because of the machinery of Government changes, and could be given only at disproportionate cost.
Advertising Expenditure
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the figures for the spending by his Department on (a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising,
(c) newspaper advertising and (d) other promotional material in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his latest estimate for the current year and budget for 1990–91.
[holding answer 12 March 1990]: The expenditure for 1988–89 is £49,310 and the estimated expenditure for 1989–90 is £52,486, none of which is on television or radio advertising; the 1990–91 budget is £49,313, none of which is likely to be on television or radio advertising.Comparable figures for the years 1979–80 to 1987–88 are not available because of the machinery of Government changes, and could be given only at disproportionate cost.
Management Consultants
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the total fees paid out by his Department to management consultants in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his latest estimate for the current year and budget for 1990–91.
[holding answer 12 March 1990]: For 1979–80 and each ensuing year up to and including 1987–88, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 17 March 1989, Official Report, column 383, by my right hon. Friend the then Paymaster General. The fees paid in 1988–89 were £2,334,613, the estimated fees for the current year are £2,757,110 and the budget provision for 1990–91 is £3,157,489.
National Income
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage, in the latest available year, of the national income of the United Kingdom was made up of interest, dividends and private rents.
[holding answer 12 March 1990]: Interest and dividends are redistributive transactions which have no net impact on national income. The share of rent in total domestic income is given in table 16.3 of the CSO publication "United Kingdom National Accounts", 1989 edition.
| In-patient cases treated, by district health authority. Northern RHA, 1983 to 1988–89 | ||||||
| Health authority | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987–88 | 1988–89 |
| Hartlepool | 16,096 | 16,315 | 16,876 | 18,845 | 18,825 | 18,857 |
| North Tees | 22,670 | 23,887 | 24,491 | 24,777 | 24,338 | 23,833 |
| South Tees | 47,035 | 48,450 | 51,246 | 54,262 | 56,389 | 55,464 |
| East Cumbria | 22,508 | 22,908 | 22,217 | 23,483 | 24,503 | 25,764 |
| South Cumbria | 17,744 | 18,194 | 19,736 | 20,245 | 22,088 | 22,483 |
| West Cumbria | 14,702 | 15,400 | 15,819 | 15,616 | 16,019 | 15,682 |
| Darlington | 16,656 | 17,321 | 18,126 | 17,977 | 19,066 | 18,858 |
| Durham | 16,725 | 16,858 | 17,409 | 17,470 | 18,756 | 18,991 |
| North West Durham | 13,220 | 13,449 | 13,459 | 13,295 | 13,020 | 12,603 |
| South West Durham | 14,846 | 14,905 | 15,533 | 16,293 | 16,969 | 17,620 |
| Northumberland | 25,303 | 25,767 | 27,018 | 27,713 | 29,236 | 28,433 |
| Gateshead | 19,927 | 20,004 | 21,050 | 21,105 | 21,729 | 20,685 |
| Newcastle | 79,645 | 80,748 | 82,086 | 84,769 | 92,352 | 92,094 |
| North Tyneside | 17,304 | 18,031 | 19,329 | 19,102 | 20,265 | 20,387 |
| South Tyneside | 15,509 | 16,898 | 17,626 | 17,323 | 17,055 | 17,604 |
| Sunderland | 49,225 | 50,945 | 51,110 | 48,820 | 52,156 | 51,675 |
| Northern RHA | 409,115 | 420,080 | 433,131 | 441,095 | 462,766 | 461,033 |
Income Tax
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of income tax payers are currently paying tax at the higher rate.
[holding answer 13 March 1990]: About 7 per cent. of taxpaying single people and married couples are liable at the higher rate in 1989–90. The estimate is based on a projection of the 1987–88 survey of personal incomes and is, therefore, provisional.
Council Of Ministers
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the name and status of the report of the working party which reported to the Council of Ministers of the European Economic Community, referred to by the Economic Secretary in his speech on 27 February, Official Report, column 243, the date of the Council meeting at which the report was considered, and the action then agreed; and if he will place a copy of the report in the Library.
I have been asked to reply.The working party referred to by my hon. Friend was an expert group chaired by the European Commission, whose report was sent to the Council of Ministers in June 1989. I am arranging for a copy to be placed in the Library. Subsequently the Council adopted regulation 3757/89 introducing compulsory physical stock checks in intervention stores. The Commission has also made regulations adjusting the flat-rate systems for financing storage and interest costs, and adopted other measures to improve the management of public storage.
Health
Northern Rha (Statistics)
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for each district of the Northern regional health authority the number of (a) in-patients, (b) qualified nursing staff and (c) consultants for the latest available year; and if he will give figures for the five previous years.
The information requested is given in the tables.
(b) Qualified nursing and midwifery staff at 30 September 1983–1988 (Excludes agency staff)
| ||||||
Whole-time equivalents1
| ||||||
1983
| 1984
| 1985
| 1986
| 1987
| 1988
| |
| Northern RHA | 15,730 | 16,040 | 16,590 | 16,910 | 17,230 | 17,410 |
| Northern HQ | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Hartlepool | 500 | 490 | 520 | 540 | 570 | 580 |
| North Tees | 700 | 700 | 700 | 750 | 820 | 820 |
| South Tees | 1,740 | 1,710 | 1,770 | 1,780 | 1,860 | 1,870 |
| East Cumbria | 930 | 920 | 940 | 960 | 980 | 990 |
| South Cumbria | 670 | 710 | 730 | 730 | 730 | 740 |
| West Cumbria | 680 | 710 | 710 | 710 | 700 | 700 |
| Darlington | 790 | 800 | 810 | 800 | 780 | 730 |
| Durham | 700 | 710 | 760 | 750 | 760 | 770 |
| North West Durham | 450 | 450 | 460 | 470 | 470 | 470 |
| South West Durham | 890 | 930 | 950 | 950 | 950 | 970 |
| Northumberland | 1,500 | 1,610 | 1,640 | 1,670 | 1,750 | 1,730 |
| Gateshead | 800 | 800 | 810 | 870 | 870 | 870 |
| Newcastle | 2,750 | 2,740 | 2,960 | 3,050 | 3,090 | 3,280 |
| North Tyneside | 580 | 640 | 640 | 660 | 670 | 660 |
| South Tyneside | 560 | 610 | 600 | 620 | 620 | 620 |
| Sunderland | l,490 | 1,490 | 1,560 | 1,590 | 1,600 | 1,610 |
Source: DH (SM13C) Annual Census of NHS Non-Medical Manpower.
1 All figures are rounded to the nearest ten (10) whole-time equivalent.
2 Excludes midwifery students and health visitor students.
(c) Hospital medical and dental consultants at 30 September each year
| ||
Northern region
| Newcastle district health authority (teaching)
| |
| 1983 | 908 | 289 |
| 1984 | 922 | 291 |
| 1985 | 954 | 297 |
| 1986 | 973 | 302 |
| 1987 | 1,000 | 308 |
| 1988 | 1,003 | 277 |
Note: Includes permanent paid and honorary staff.
Contracts for consultants in non-teaching district health authorities are held by the regional health authorities. Districts where these staff work cannot be identified centrally, and are therefore included with the regional total.
Kidney Transplants
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give the latest conveniently available figures for the shortage of kidneys to transplant.
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 20 February at column 720.
Health Authorities (Land Sales)
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what contribution he expects land sales to make to the revenue of health authorities in London during the coming financial year.
In the coming financial year surplus property with an estimated value of £163 million will be available for disposal by the four Thames regional health authorities. However, the need to obtain planning permission, and the depressed and uncertain state of the property market, preclude a reliable forecast of what receipts will actually be received.
Community Health Councils
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last met the representatives of community health councils; and what matters were discussed.
My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State has not met representatives of community health councils (CHCs). However, I met the chairman and officers of the Association of Community Health Councils for England and Wales on 23 November 1989 to discuss the role of CHCs. Questions arising from the meeting are still being considered.
Dental Staff
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to issue guidance on changes to disciplinary procedures for hospital and community medical and dental staff.
A circular containing guidance on new and revised disciplinary procedures for hospital doctors and dentists, and for community doctors, has been published today. This follows negotiations with the professions on the basis of recommendations from a. joint working party. A copy of the circular, HC(90)(9), is: being placed in the Library.The circular amends the procedure for holding inquiries into doctors' alleged serious professional misconduct or incompetence—the HM(61)112 procedure—as well as the right of appeal against dismissal. Improvements include setting time limits to help reduce the cost and delay of these procedures.Two new procedures are being introduced: professional review machinery, a peer group approach for reviewing the conduct of hospital consultants said to have failed repeatedly to honour their contractual commitments, and an intermediate procedure, which deals with allegations of professional misconduct or incompetence which are sufficiently serious to warrant disciplinary action but are unlikely to lead to dismissal.
These changes should result in a more comprehensive disciplinary framework for medical and dental staff and should make it easier for health authorities to take appropriate action where necessary.
Nhs Reform
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioner practices have registered their interest in becoming fund holders under the Government's proposed reforms for the National Health Service set out in "Working for Patients".
I announced this morning that 850 GP practices have so far registered their interest in becoming fund-holding practices. The response so far is a clear endorsement of the attractiveness of the scheme. It shows that significant numbers of GPs recognise the advantage of being able to choose to take control of some NHS funds to finance a range of local services for their patients and to having more influence over the quality of hospital services.
South Western Rha
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about the position of the chairman of the South Western regional health authority.
Sir Vernon Seccombe's appointment as chairman of South Western regional health authority ends on 31 July. After seven years as regional health authority chairman, Sir Vernon has told me that he would like to continue in the National Health Service but in a position which is much nearer to his home. I have therefore asked if he would be willing to take over the chairmanship of Plymouth health authority after the current chairman retires on 31 March. I am pleased to say that Sir Vernon has accepted. I am grateful to him for all that he has achieved during his successful period of office as regional health authority chairman and glad that he will continue as a district health authority chairman. The precise date for Sir Vernon to take up his new responsibilities will be announced shortly. Sir Vernon's successor as regional health authority chairman will also be announced shortly.
Salmonella
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of salmonella infection in human beings have been proved absolutely to have arisen from the consumption of eggs; and in how many cases it was impossible to trace back to an egg or to an egg farm such infection and assumptions made that it originated in this manner.
The evidence linking eggs and salmonella infection in man is based on many different kinds of information. It is not often possible to prove absolutely the cause and effect in individual cases—any more than individual cases of cancer of the lung can be proven as due to cigarettes.Since the beginning of 1988, the PHLS communicable disease surveillance centre (CDSC) has investigated 11 outbreaks (involving at least 759 people) of salmonella infection in which a statistical association with eggs was found. In five of these (involving at least 341 people) there was supporting microbiological evidence. Most of these investigations have been published in the medical literature.In 1988 and 1989, public health professionals reported to CDSC 76 outbreaks (involving at least 1,257 people) which they attributed to eggs or foods which contained egg.Egg packaging is required to show certain information, for example, the packaging station number which will assist investigations to trace back eggs implicated in food poisoning outbreaks. However, the packaging may not always be available and, when it is, it is not always possible to identify a producer particularly in those cases where a packing station is handling eggs from more than one source.
Storm Damage
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what insurance cover is provided to district health authorities for the protection of hospitals and other buildings against storm damage; what estimates he has received of the damage inflicted by storms in January and February on property belonging to district and regional health authorities; and what funds will be made available to repair the damage caused.
NHS property is not covered by commercial insurance. Authorities are therefore expected to make some provision within their allocations to meet such contingencies. Information is not held centrally on the total damage to NHS property in January and February. Initial provisional estimates from regions which suffered damage arising from the storm on 25 January amount to about £12 million.
Home Department
Dogs (Hunting)
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to prohibit hare coursing and deer hunting with dogs; and if he will make a statement.
The Government believe that participation in field sports is a matter for the conscience of the individual and have no plans for legislation to prohibit or restrict such activities.
Grants To Local Government
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the main purposes for which grants under section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966 are paid to local authorities.
[pursuant to the reply, 7 December 1989, c. 395]: I have today published my proposals for the improved administration of section 11 grant in the form of a draft circular to local authorities on which I am inviting comments. Copies have been placed in the Library.The new arrangements are the outcome of the Government's consideration of the scrutiny report into the workings of the grant. Some £89 million section 11 grant was paid out in 1988–89 (the latest year for which figures are available); provision of £110 million has been secured for 1990–91.
Our ethnic minorities make a substantial contribution to this country. The Government are committed to equality of opportunity and good community relations. Barriers which prevent ethnic minorities from making their full contribution to the life of the country must be broken down. The reforms that we propose are designed to enable section 11 to make a major contribution to this objective. The grant has an important role in enabling people from the ethnic minorities to participate fully in the mainstream of British life. This is the Government's prime objective in the reforms proposed for the policy and administration of the grant in the light of the scrutiny report.
The scrutiny report shows that new legislation will be needed for any fundamental reform of section 11.
The Government agree that it is desirable to make the existing legislation more relevant to current needs, but believe that much can be done, in advance of any possible legislative change, to improve the way in which section 11 funding is administered. The main changes in funding arrangements set out in the draft circular are:
the emphasis of the grant in future will be put on practical projects working to identified needs, such as a lack of English language or low achievement in schools and local authorities will in future bid for funding for projects to be judged against such specific criteria;
all projects will have to be regularly monitored and reviewed against recognisable performance targets;
in advance of formal legislative change arrangements are being made for some section 11 funding to be redirected to innovative projects that tackle ethnic minority need, to be sponsored by the new training and enterprise councils (TECs), with task forces and city action teams in support;
local authorities will be strongly encouraged to work with voluntary organisations and to identify a proportion of projects for the voluntary sector;
new administrative arrangements would come into effect on 1 October 1991. Bids for funding will be invited on an annual basis to a fixed timetable.
The new arrangements will allow for wider and more innovative proposals, but existing projects will still be able to continue if they are brought within the new criteria. To increase effectiveness, all projects, whether local authority or voluntary sector-based, will need to set clear objectives for achievement. For example, specific objectives for section 11 funding in education are:
to give school age children whose mother tongue is not English a command of English and to help them achieve at the same level as others in their age group in all areas of the curriculum;
Number of income support applicants
| Lone parents
| Disabled1
| Pensioners
| Unemployed
| |
| BRADFORD EAST | |||||
Budgeting loans 1989
| |||||
| January | 885 | 386 | 70 | 35 | 337 |
| February | 963 | 429 | 74 | 33 | 367 |
| March | 1,012 | 448 | 72 | 39 | 392 |
| April | 1,066 | 470 | 70 | 45 | 418 |
| May | 1,101 | 490 | 70 | 48 | 433 |
| June | 1,160 | 516 | 74 | 49 | 456 |
| July | 1,208 | 535 | 73 | 50 | 479 |
| August | 1,170 | 528 | 71 | 47 | 458 |
| September | 1,193 | 532 | 65 | 40 | 490 |
| October | 1,167 | 540 | 56 | 34 | 472 |
| November | 1,212 | 572 | 50 | 38 | 483 |
| December | 1,181 | 559 | 47 | 39 | 471 |
Crisis loans 1989
| |||||
| January | 89 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 58 |
| February | 127 | 29 | 5 | 2 | 82 |
to strengthen ties between schools and the parents of ethnic minority pupils, where those ties are hard to establish because of parents' lack of English or because of cultural factors;
to give ethnic minority adults, who have an inadequate command of English or who lack numeracy or literacy skills, sufficient knowledge and skills to compete for jobs and participate fully in the mainstream of national life.
Some specific objectives in the area of employment, training and enterprise are:
to increase the awareness and take-up of the range of educational and employment opportunities by young people from ethnic minorities and to advise employers and community groups on the potential and training needs of such people;
to secure better take-up by ethnic minorities of small business support services to promote the creation and growth of small firms and self-employment.
The grant can help ethnic minorities in need in a number of ways by providing or aiding the provision of:
Services that cater for the particular problems faced by ethnic minority women and their children, for example, family and women's refuges and maternity social workers.
Social workers able to give help to ethnic minorities who are isolated, speak and write little or no English and experience cultural barriers to full use of services of the elderly; advice on fostering and adoption and help in the case of mental and physical illness.
The proposals in the circular will encourage the widest take-up in grant while at the same time ensuring that grant-seekers do not become wholly dependent on funding.
Social Security
Benefits, Bradford
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will provide for the Bradford social security offices the information on social fund budget and crisis loans provided in his reply to the hon. Member for Caernarfon (Mr. Wigley) of 25 January, Official Report, columns 809–12.
The information given in the table represents the number of loans being repaid on the last day of each month.
Number of income support applicants
| Lone parents
| Disabled1
| Pensioners
| Unemployed
| |
| March | 124 | 26 | 1 | 3 | 82 |
| April | 115 | 28 | 0 | 3 | 79 |
| May | 129 | 34 | 1 | 5 | 82 |
| June | 139 | 33 | 1 | 2 | 98 |
| July | 141 | 23 | 3 | 1 | 101 |
| August | 422 | 29 | 5 | 2 | 79 |
| September | 143 | 39 | 3 | 4 | 88 |
| October | 158 | 40 | 2 | 4 | 100 |
| November | 167 | 49 | 3 | 1 | 102 |
| December | 143 | 40 | 4 | 0 | 91 |
| BRADFORD SOUTH | |||||
Budget Loans 1989
| |||||
| January | 771 | 402 | 48 | 27 | 256 |
| February | 833 | 428 | 46 | 32 | 290 |
| March | 894 | 463 | 42 | 38 | 312 |
| April | 982 | 506 | 42 | 35 | 353 |
| May | 1,075 | 534 | 48 | 38 | 410 |
| June | 1,149 | 595 | 50 | 39 | 413 |
| July | 1,178 | 608 | 51 | 48 | 414 |
| August | 1,171 | 606 | 47 | 39 | 414 |
| September | 1,210 | 639 | 48 | 43 | 418 |
| October | 1,217 | 642 | 52 | 46 | 416 |
| November | 1,202 | 634 | 52 | 44 | 411 |
| December | 1,192 | 635 | 54 | 47 | 393 |
| Crisis Loans 1989 | |||||
| January | 96 | 26 | 2 | 2 | 55 |
| February | 108 | 25 | 3 | 3 | 66 |
| March | 118 | 25 | 5 | 1 | 76 |
| April | 101 | 23 | 3 | 2 | 65 |
| May | 116 | 19 | 3 | 2 | 84 |
| June | 113 | 21 | 4 | 2 | 77 |
| July | 120 | 26 | 4 | 2 | 77 |
| August | 134 | 35 | 3 | 1 | 86 |
| September | 147 | 28 | 3 | 2 | 103 |
| October | 162 | 28 | 5 | 1 | 112 |
| November | 159 | 36 | 3 | 1 | 106 |
| December | 156 | 36 | 4 | 3 | 103 |
| BRADFORD WEST | |||||
Budget Loans 1989
| |||||
| January | 826 | 312 | 76 | 46 | 327 |
| February | 879 | 346 | 71 | 49 | 351 |
| March | 929 | 358 | 77 | 56 | 373 |
| April | 951 | 375 | 73 | 62 | 380 |
| May | 979 | 377 | 71 | 63 | 405 |
| June | 1,015 | 403 | 70 | 64 | 419 |
| July | 1,024 | 411 | 67 | 63 | 426 |
| August | 990 | 405 | 67 | 57 | 406 |
| September | 967 | 399 | 62 | 59 | 395 |
| October | 977 | 396 | 71 | 64 | 390 |
| November | 1,002 | 412 | 70 | 62 | 402 |
| December | 984 | 416 | 64 | 55 | 402 |
Crisis Loans 1989
| |||||
| January | 91 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 55 |
| February | 93 | 22 | 2 | 1 | 57 |
| March | 90 | 25 | 3 | 0 | 52 |
| April | 92 | 25 | 2 | 1 | 57 |
| May | 92 | 21 | 4 | 1 | 54 |
| June | 88 | 26 | 4 | 1 | 45 |
| July | 101 | 29 | 3 | 0 | 60 |
| August | 116 | 32 | 7 | 1 | 62 |
| September | 105 | 38 | 1 | 0 | 55 |
| October | 95 | 29 | 3 | 1 | 52 |
| November | 99 | 24 | 3 | 3 | 58 |
| December | 100 | 30 | 3 | 3 | 56 |
1 Applicants receiving a disability premium. It is not possible to identify separately applicants who are sick and not receiving a disability premium. | |||||
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will provide for the Bradford social security offices the information on the proportion of income support claimants repaying budget and crisis loans provided in the manner of his reply of 25 January to the hon. Member for Caernarfon (Mr. Wigley), Official Report, columns 811–12.
Information about the local income support caseload is collected on a quarterly basis and the percentage of loans being repaid on the last day of each quarter is shown in the table.
| Budgeting loans | Crisis loans | |
| per cent. | per cent. | |
| Bradford East | ||
| February 1989 | 7·390 | 0·975 |
| May 1989 | 8·526 | 1·000 |
| August 1989 | 8·800 | 0·918 |
| November 1989 | 9·600 | 1·323 |
| Bradford West | ||
| February 1989 | 7·530 | 0·797 |
| May 1989 | 8·570 | 0·805 |
| August 1989 | 8·349 | 0·978 |
| November 1989 | 8·464 | 0·836 |
| Bradford South | ||
| February 1989 | 7·215 | 0·935 |
| May 1989 | 9·244 | 0·998 |
| August 1989 | 9·775 | 1·119 |
| November 1989 | 10·254 | 1·356 |
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will provide for the Bradford social security offices the information on budgeting and crisis loans provided in his reply of 25 January to the hon. Member for Caernarfon (Mr. Wigley), Official Report, columns 812–13.
The information given in the table represents the provisional amounts outstanding on the last day of each calendar month.
| Budgeting loans | Crisis loans | |
| £ | £ | |
| Bradford East | ||
| 1989 | ||
| January | 140,942·21 | 14,687·02 |
| February | 160,510·33 | 15,047·83 |
| March | 179,816·99 | 16,159·13 |
| April | 200,618·34 | 18,989·92 |
| May | 212,374·59 | 22,085·93 |
| June | 221,129·65 | 23,728·09 |
| July | 221,455·57 | 27,380·30 |
| August | 212,477·88 | 28,356·86 |
| September | 209,111·24 | 31,752·55 |
| October | 200,938·20 | 31,795·34 |
| November | 210,934·55 | 34,952·49 |
| December | 205,800·39 | 36,913·19 |
| Bradford West | ||
| January | 159,897·95 | 13,646·82 |
| February | 172,273·28 | 15,293·81 |
| March | 188,264·30 | 16,729·69 |
| April | 198,362·53 | 19,359·65 |
| May | 213,301·91 | 21,475·74 |
| June | 220,080·00 | 23,300·79 |
| July | 221,823·79 | 26,507·36 |
| August | n/a | n/a |
| September | 208,432·73 | 30,134·77 |
| October | 207,862·58 | 32,164·37 |
| November | 218,004·89 | 32,627·23 |
| December | 214,927·04 | 33,851·43 |
| Bradford South | ||
| January | 127,454·88 | 11,808·44 |
| February | 149,906·97 | 14,365·61 |
| March | 176,022·78 | 16,381·78 |
| April | 188,297·91 | 18,135·07 |
Budgeting loans
| Crisis loans
| |
£
| £
| |
| May | 200,714·97 | 19,250·12 |
| June | 210,627·92 | 19,429·18 |
| July | 215,742·32 | 22,417·17 |
| August | 208,884·30 | 24,592·56 |
| September | 214,962·19 | 27,549·72 |
| October | 215,997·96 | 30,741·48 |
| November | 217,045·99 | 34,157·41 |
| December | 210,550·69 | 34,192·18 |
Community Care Grants
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in how many refusals of community care grants one of the grounds for refusal has been insufficient funds.
In the period April 1989 to January 1990 43,000 community care grants were refused on the grounds that they were of insufficient priority for an award to be made.
Welsh Language
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list all the application forms and leaflets on benefits produced in the Welsh language with their reference numbers; and if his Department has any plans to produce any other leaflets or application forms in the Welsh language between the present date and the beginning of April.
[holding answer 12 March 1990]: Social fund claim forms SF100 (maternity payments) and SF200 (funeral payments) have been translated and are in use.We have no plans to produce any more leaflets in Welsh before April 1990. However, recommendations of a working party for additional Welsh language material have been made and will be implemented as soon as practicable.
Claimants, Scotland
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security ( 1) how many people in Scotland depend entirely on state benefits for their income;(2) how many people in the area covered by his Department's office in Cumbernauld depend entirely on state benefits for their income.
Information on the number of people depending entirely on state benefits is not available. However, in November 1989 there were 505,052 people in Scotland claiming income support, 9,179 of whom are claiming income support from Cumbernauld local social security office.
Note:
Data is derived from a 100 per cent. count of cases in action, which includes a number where benefit payment has ceased but other action is continuing.
Defence
Lieutenant Commander Taylor Scott
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what evidence he asked British Aerospace to provide for the official inquiry into the causes of the accident involving Lt. Cdr. Taylor Scott on 22 October 1987.
Following the accident the director of quality assurance of the Ministry of Defence took possession, under the terms of the Ministry of Defence's contract with British Aerospace, of all documents known to be of relevance and these were presented to the board of inquiry. The board was also able to have access to additional documents which subsequently appeared relevant in the light of its inquiries.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what statutory powers he had to obtain evidence for his inquiry into the causes of the accident involving Lt. Cdr. Taylor Scott on 22 October 1987;(2) what was the statutory basis of his inquiry into the causes of the accident involving Lt. Cdr. Taylor Scott on 22 October 1987.
It is the standard practice of the Ministry of Defence to hold formal boards of inquiry into the causes of all serious accidents involving military aircraft in the United Kingdom but these boards have a basis in statute, and statutory powers to obtain evidence, only when the pilot is a serving member of Her Majesty's armed forces. Since Lt. Cdr. Taylor Scott had retired from the Royal Navy and was employed by British Aerospace the board of inquiry did not have a basis in statute or statutory powers to obtain evidence.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he intends to seek further evidence from British Aerospace into the causes of the accident involving Lt. Cdr. Taylor Scott on 22 October 1987.
No. The British Aerospace memorandum which has recently been reported in the press was not available to the board of inquiry that investigated the accident but has now been examined thoroughly by Ministry of Defence experts. It contains two main points, the first of which is that British Aerospace had identified a problem whereby a foul between the aircraft structure and seat linkage caused an automatic eject of the top portion of the personal equipment connector when the seat was raised and lowered. Ministry of Defence experts have found that a modification needed to overcome this problem was carried out on Lt. Cdr. Taylor Scott's aircraft, Harrier GR5 ZD325, some five weeks before the accident occurred. This particular problem could not have caused the accident on 22 October 1987. The second main point in the British Aerospace memorandum is that documentation was inadequate. The board of inquiry independently expressed a number of concerns over British Aerospace's documentation and certification of work and recommended corrective action. This action has since been taken.In the light of these findings, I am satisfied that there is no need to seek further evidence from British Aerospace.
Awacs
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made in the Boeing/AWACS offset arrangements.
Boeing has to date submitted five progress reports listing contracts placed with United Kingdom companies to the value of $1,176 million, of which we have so far agreed some $672 million to count for offset credit purposes.
Nato Weapons Systems
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy in respect of the redistribution to other NATO Governments of weapon systems removed by NATO nations as the result of a CFE treaty.
We need to ensure that, while complying fully with a CFE treaty to reduce certain categories of equipment holdings in both alliances, NATO retains an effective defence capability. NATO is consequently examining the scope for reallocating equipment between allies so that the less efficient items currently in service would be destroyed first. Any such reallocations would have to be fully compliant with CFE treaty obligations.
Harrier Gr5
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the nature of the contractual arrangements for development of the Harrier GR5.
The Ministry of Defence placed a target cost incentive contract with a maximum price on British Aerospace for the development and initial production of the Harrier GR5.
Trade And Industry
Steel
18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on his assessment of the United Kingdom's need for high-integrity founding plants such as that at the Atlas steel works at Armadale, West Lothian.
High integrity castings are of crucial importance to customer industries which depend upon a high quality and high performance product. British foundries can expect to achieve a share of that market if they can satisfy customers on price, delivery and quality.
Post Office
19.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he next plans to meet the chairman of the Post Office; and what will be discussed.
71.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he next plans to meet the chairman of the Post Office; and what will be discussed.
79.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he next plans to meet the chairman of the Post Office; and what will be discussed.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State expects to meet the chairman of the Post Office, Sir Bryan Nicholson, on 27 March. They will discuss various matters on mutual interest.
Exporters
20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has any new plans to help British exporters.
62.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has any new plans to help British exporters.
I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Hillhead (Mr. Galloway) earlier today.
Recycling
21.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects the Recycling Advisory Group to report on its consideration of recycling of domestic and industrial waste.
The group is expected to complete the current phase of its work before the end of May.
Product Liability
22.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he last discussed product liability with (a) consumers' associations, (b) the Confederation of British Industry, (c) trading standards officers and (d) the European Commission.
96.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he last discussed product liability with (a) consumers' associations, (b) the Confederation of British Industry, (c) trading standards officers and (d) the European Commission.
The European product liability directive was implemented in part I of the Consumer Protection Act 1987 and came into force on 1 March 1988. The consumers' associations, the Confederation of British Industry and the Local Authority Co-ordinating Body on Trading Standards were included in the consultation exercise.I have had no meetings with these organisations or the European Commission on this subject in the last 12 months.
East Germany
23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the United Kingdom's trade deficit with East Germany in 1989.
In 1989 the crude deficit in United Kingdom visible trade with East Germany was £63 million.
Balance Of Trade
25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will consider direct action by his Department to improve the United Kingdom's trade deficit figures with other advanced economies.
Exports from the United Kingdom are running at record levels. The present deficit has been caused mainly by excessive growth in domestic demand in relation to domestic industrial capacity. It is therefore a macro-economic problem which will be resolved by the sound macro-economic policies which the Government are pursuing. The Government administer a number of schemes to help promote exports.
61.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the east and west European countries with which the United Kingdom has a trade surplus in manufactures.
67.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the east and west European countries with which the United Kingdom has a trade surplus in manufactures.
The European countries with which the United Kingdom in 1989 had a crude surplus in trade in manufactured goods are, in decreasing size of surplus:
- Irish Republic
- Spain
- Soviet Union
- Greece
- Malta
- Gibraltar
- Bulgaria
- Turkey
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Yugoslavia
- Andorra
- Faroe Islands
- Vatican City
- Albania
28.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the United Kingdom's balance of trade with the EEC (a) in 1972 and (b) currently, in (i) the manufacturing sector and (ii) the financial services sector.
In 1972 United Kingdom exports of manufactures to the countries currently comprising the EC exceeded imports by £168 million. The same comparison for 1989 shows that exports were exceeded by imports by £14·4 billion. Corresponding information on trade in financial services is not available.
Interest Rates
26.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what further representations he has made to retail outlets on the rates of interest being charged to customers for credit.
My right hon. Friend has made no such representations. In a competitive market each retailer decides what credit terms to offer and consumers have a choice between alternative sources of credit.
49.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what further representations he has made to retail outlets on the rates of interest being charged to customers for credit.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what further representations he has made to retail outlets on the rates of interest being charged to customers for credit.
I have made no such representations. In a competitive market each retailer decides what credit terms to offer and consumers have a choice between alternative sources of credit.
Information Technology
27.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his Department's policy on the training of senior staff in the application of information technology.
80.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his Department's policy on the training of senior staff in the application of information technology.
The Department's policy is to ensure that sufficient training on the application of information technology is available to meet departmental needs. To this end, a great deal of training on and about IT is available for all departmental staff, incuding senior members.
50.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has had from the information technology sector on the subject of skill shortages.
There have been representations from the information technology sector in the past with regard to IT skills shortages. My Department supports a number of programmes aimed at increasing skills in this sector.
33.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has had from the information technology sector on the subject of skill shortages.
There have been representations from the information technology sector in the past with regard to IT skills shortages. In recognising this, my Department announced support of up to £440,000 over three years for the recently launched Women into Information Technology (WIT) campaign, where this support is appropriately matched by industry. My Department supports a programme aimed at stimulating the production of distance learning video courses on subjects directly relating to skills in micro-electronics, information technology, and their applications. Support is also being given to an industry-further education collaborative programme aimed at producing interactive video courses relating in the main to IT skills.My Department also has an Information Technology Advisory Board (ITAB) with representatives from industry commerce, and academia. One of ITAB's support committees advises specifically on education and training and comments on IT skills issues.
Regional Assistance
29.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the level of regional development grant and regional selective assistance (a) between May 1978 and May 1979 and (b) in the last financial year.
In the period 1 May 1978 to 30 April 1979 expenditure in Great Britain on regional development grants and regional selective assistance was £422·2 million and £112·9 million respectively while in 1988–89 expenditure was £297·3 million and £216 million respectively.
95.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the level of regional development grants and regional selective assistance in (a) 1978–79 and (b) the last financial year.
In 1978–79 expenditure in Great Britain on regional development grants and regional selective assistance was £416·9 million and £104·5 million respectively while in 1988–89 expenditure was £297·3 million and £216 million respectively.
Internal Market Council
30.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the most recent meeting of the EEC Internal Market Council.
39.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the most recent meeting of the EEC Internal Market Council.
The most recent meeting of the Internal Market Council was held on 22 February 1990. The Council reached a satisfactory agreement on the main agenda item: a directive on public procurement in the water, transport, telecommunications and energy sectors. This represents an important step towards the liberalisation of public procurement in the Community. The Council also received a progress report from the Commission on further work in this area.The Council also agreed a timetable for future work towards liberalisation of the insurance market in the Community, and discussed amendments to the fourth and seventh company law directives.This was a satisfactory first Council under the Irish presidency, which maintains the momentum on the single market.
European Commission
31.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he last met his counterparts in the European Commission; and what topics were discussed.
41.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he last met his counterparts in the European Commission; and what topics were discussed.
101.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he last met his counterparts in the Europan Commission; and what topics were discussed.
I keep in close contact with the European Commission on a whole range of issues.
Stock Exchange
32.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he next plans to meet the chairman of the stock exchange; and what will be discussed.
52.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he next plans to meet the chairman of the stock exchange; and what will be discussed.
Ministers meet the chairman of the stock exchange whenever appropriate to discuss topics of mutual interest.
Competition Policy
34.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has any plans to review his policy on competition.
93.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has any plans to review his policy on competition.
103.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has any plans to review his policy on competition.
No.
Product Safety
35.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what further measures his Department is taking to improve the safety of retail goods.
38.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what further measures his Department is taking to improve the safety of retail goods.
74.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what further measures his Department is taking to improve the safety of retail goods.
Safety of retail goods will continue to be a high priority for my Department. Arrangements exist for the collection and analysis of accident statistics and for the promotion of effective safety campaigns. The Consumer Protection Act 1987 makes it a criminal offence to supply any consumer product that is not reasonably safe. This is supported by safety regulations, where necessary, and by the promotion of safety standards. This framework facilitates the promotion of reasonable standards of safety in the marketing of consumer goods.
Gatt
36.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on current progress in the general agreement on tariffs and trade negotiations concerning clothing imports.
69.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on current negotiations concerning the multi-fibre arrangement.
The GATT negotiating group on textiles and clothing is discussing how best to return trade in textiles and clothing to GATT rules after the MFA expires next year. There is general agreement that a transitional period will be necessary, but its length has not yet been determined nor has the exact nature of the transitional arrangements. The Community continues to argue that integration of the sector into GATT rules must be paralleled by the strengthening of GATT rules and disciplines, particularly in relation to safeguards, intellectual property, unfair trade and access to raw materials coupled with a greater commitment to market opening, especially from the newly industrialised economies. The group is now meeting more frequently with the aim of making more rapid progress.
Investment
37.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has as to the amount of inward investment that has taken place in the north-west of England over the past five years; and what steps he is taking to encourage further such investment.
According to the latest figures readily available to the Invest in Britain Bureau, in the five years from 1985 to 1989, a total of 150 inward investment decisions were made to locate in the north-west of the United Kingdom. These included the establishment of a new business, expansion or acquisition of an existing business and involvement in joint venture. The projects were expected to create about 8,400 new jobs and to have safeguarded a further 11,900. The figures are based on information provided by the companies themselves at the time of the investment and do not take into account subsequent developments.In addition to the activities of my Department's Invest in Britain bureau, which promotes the attractions of all parts of the United Kingdom, the Department is the major source of funds for Inward (the regional development body for the north-west). To assist Inward in its activities, I announced on 8 March that it would be offered grant of £840,000 in 1990–91. This is a very large uplift on the 1989–90 grant of £541,000 and will allow Inward to devote extra resources towards encouraging inward investment.
Departmental Expenditure
40.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the real value of his Department's total expenditure in (a) 1989–90, (b) 1990–91 and (c) 1991–92.
47.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the real value of his Department's total expenditure in (a) 1989–90, (b) 1990–91 and (c) 1991–92.
60.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the real value of his Department's total expenditure in (a) 1989–90, (b) 1990–91 and (c) 1991–92.
97.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the real value of his Department's total expenditure in (a) 1989–90, (b) 1990–91 and (c) 1991–92.
The estimated outturn for total Department of Trade and Industry expenditure in 1989–90 (including public corporations) is £1,363 million. Department of Trade and Industry expenditure plans for 1990–91 and 1991–92 total £1,247 million and £1,000 million respectively (the 1991–92 figure is rounded to the nearest £10 million). These planned levels of expenditure are equivalent to £1,187 million (1990–91) and £920 million (1991–92) at 1989–90 prices, based on the GDP deflator assumed for the public expenditure plans.
Japan
42.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will discuss with his EEC counterparts the possibility of introducing trade sanctions against Japan.
No. Imposing trade sanctions against Japan would contravene the international obligations of both the United Kingdom and our Community partners under the general agreement on tariffs and trade. In 1989, United Kingdom exports to Japan increased by 30·1 per cent. to £2·3 billion compared with 1988, a growth rate over three times faster than Japan's exports to the United Kingdom.
63.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received regarding access for British exporters to the Japanese market.
The Government attach great importance to Britain's trade with Japan. Representations on market access are received from British companies from time to time and, where appropriate, we take them up vigorously with the Japanese authorities, both directly and through the European Commission.In January our exports to Japan increased in value by 27·4 per cent. compared with the same month last year.
Regional Policy
43.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on his future plans for regional policy.
83.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on his future plans for regional policy.
85.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on his future plans for regional policy.
Regional policy is kept under continuing review.
Insider Dealing
44.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he last reviewed the regulations to deal with insider dealing.
As I told the House on 8 December, the Government that day published a consultative document on proposals to change the law on insider dealing. A copy is in the Library. I am grateful to all those who responded; careful consideration is being given to their comments.
Biotechnology
45.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the current best estimate of the balance of trade in biotechnology products.
98.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the current best estimate for the balance of trade in biotechnology products.
Biotechnology is just emerging from the research phase. It will find expression in such sectors as chemicals, pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, food, agriculture and process equipment. Data on trade in biotechnology are not identified separately in statistics for these sectors.
Grants To Industry
46.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the effect of grants in aid to industry on those enterprises which are not eligible.
The likely effects of grant on non-eligible businesses and also on non-recipients are considered in the appraisal of all applications under schemes where grant amounts might be substantial (for example, regional selective assistance). These effects are also studied as part of the evaluation of all industrial support schemes.
Exports
48.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on his future plans for his Department's export programme.
The British Overseas Trade Board's forward plan, published on 23 January, sets out the priorities for the use of the resources available for official export promotion—over £120 million a year—in 1990–91 and provides a basis for their use in the next two years. This will ensure that resources are used where they will have the greatest effect on our exports.
Financial Services Act
51.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps have been taken to ensure that the Financial Services Act is being operated to the benefit of the investor.
64.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps have been taken to ensure that the Financial Services Act is being operated to the benefit of the investor.
I believe that the Financial Services Act has already brought benefits for investors, not least the SIB compensation scheme. However, investors also benefit financially when regulation of the firms with which they deal is least burdensome, and the amendments introduced in the new Companies Act should make the system of investor protection more flexible and cost-effective.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many firms were permitted to trade on the basis of interim authorisation by SIB and FIMBRA 18 months after their applications under the Financial Services Act; and if he will make a statement.
Only applications received by 27 February 1988 were given interim authorisation. Eighteen months later 120 applications to FIMBRA and seven to SIB were still operating under interim authorisation.
Government Support For Business
53.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been spent in real terms on Government support for business in (a) 1979, (b) 1984 and (c) 1989.
Total DTI expenditure (including expenditure in respect of public corporations) was £2,257 million in 1979–80 and £1,814 million in 1984–85: it is now expected to be £1,363 million in 1989–90. The levels of expenditure in 1979–80 and 1984–85 are equivalent to £4,548 million and £2,387 million respectively in 1989–90 prices, based on the GDP deflator.
Advice Centres
54.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what funding he proposes to give citizens advice bureaux and consumer advice centres for 1990–91.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what funding he proposes to give citizens advice bureaux and consumer advice centres for 1990–91.
My Department does not provide any funds specifically for consumer advice centres or directly to citizens advice bureaux. Details of the DTI grant in aid for the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux and Citizens Advice Scotland in 1990–91 will not be available until after the Chancellor's annual statement on 20 March.
Car Manufacturers
55.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he last met the major car manufacturers; and what was discussed.
65.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he last met the major car manufacturers; and what was discussed.
105.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he last met the major car manufacturers; and what was discussed.
My Department has regular contacts with the major car manufacturers on a range of issues of interest to the industry.
Procurement Markets
56.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the implications for British industry of the opening up of public procurement markets within the European Community.
The opening up of EC public procurement markets will provide important new opportunities for British industry in markets in other member states which are closed at present. The British market, unlike some others, is already more open.To put this into context, the annual value of EC public procurement is around £430 billion at 1989 prices. About half this amount is under contracts which are, or will soon be, subject to Council directives. Purchasers affected are Government Departments, regional and local authorities and public utilities. Also covered will be private sector firms in the energy, water, telecommunications and energy sectors operating on the basis of special or exclusive rights granted by public authorities. Suppliers harmed by infringements will be able to seek remedies from judicial or administrative review bodies.
Confederation Of British Industry
57.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he next expects to meet the president of the Confederation of British Industry; and what matters he intends to discuss.
88.
:To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he next expects to meet the president of the Confederation of British Industry; and what matters he intends to discuss.
I look forward to a continuation of constructive dialogue with the president of the CBI on matters relevant to the well-being of British business.
78.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he last met the Confederation of British Industry; and what matters were discussed.
I met the director general of the CBI on 1 February to discuss industrial representation and services to business.
Securities And Investments Board
58.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he next plans to meet the chairman of the Securities and Investments Board; and what will be discussed.
My right hon. Friend and I meet the chairman of the Securities and Investments Board to discuss issues of mutual interest as frequently as is necessary. No date has been fixed for the next such meeting.
104.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he last met the chairman of the Securities and Investments Board; and what matters were discussed.
My right hon. Friend last met the Chairman of the Securities and Investments Board on 7 November and I saw him on 17 January. On each occasion a range of topics was discussed.
Trading Standards Officers
59.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he last met representatives of local authority trading standards officers to discuss consumer matters.
I met representatives of local authority trading standards offices on three occasions in 1989 to discuss consumer matters and my officials have frequent meetings with trading standards officers.
Departmental Structure
66.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received on his plans for the future structure of his Department, pursuant to his answer of 21 February, Official Report, column 783–84.
87.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received about his plans for the future structure of his Department, pursuant to his answer of 21 February, Official Report, column 783–84.
99.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received on his plans for the future structure of his Department, pursuant to his answer of 21 February, Official Report, column 783–84.
None, as of 13 March 1990.
Shipbuilding
68.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a further statement on the future of the shipbuilding industry in Britain.
72.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a further statement on the future of the shipbuilding industry in Britain.
The future of the shipbuilding industry in the United Kingdom will depend on the level of demand and on its ability to obtain orders in the face of international competition. The Government provide substantial support to the industry to assist its return to normal competitive conditions.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to the reply by the hon. Member for Grantham (Mr. Hogg) to the hon. Member for Sunderland, North, 28 February, Official Report, column 207, which sentences in the statement by the right hon. Member for Braintree (Mr. Newton), 14 November 1988, Official Report, column 748, state the reasons why his Department rejected the bid by Mr. Nat Puri to acquire North-East Shipbuilders Ltd.
References to the reasons for the rejection of the original bids received for NESL are contained in the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Member for Braintree (Mr. Newton) on 14 November 1988, Official Report, column 748.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions his Department has held with the European Commission as to the implications for the sixth directive on shipbuilding arising from the amalgamation of the West German Shipbuilders Association and the German Democratic Republic Shipbuilders Association.
None.
Rechar Initiative
70.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much funding he expects the objective 2 areas of the east midlands in Retford, Worksop and Mansfield to receive from the Rechar initiative for coal mining areas from the European Commission.
It is too early to say. The European Commission has first to determine and publish a list of eligible coal mining areas for the purpose of Rechar and then to consider programmes of measures for such areas. I hope that its decisions on the amounts of Rechar grants will be reached before the end of this year.
Batteries
73.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has made to manufacturers and retailers about the lead content of batteries.
94.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has made to manufacturers and retailers about the lead content of batteries.
Most lead-containing batteries are covered by the scope of a draft EC directive which aims to reduce the amounts of that metal going in spent batteries to landfill or incineration for disposal. Negotiations on the draft directive have recently begun in Brussels. Officials in my Department have been in regular contact with representatives of the lead and battery industries over the past months.
Industry Council
75.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what matters he expects to discuss at the next meeting of the EEC Industry Council.
I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave earlier to the hon. Member for Renfrew, West and Inverclyde (Mr. Graham).
Fimbra
76.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received about the role of FIMBRA in regulating the investment company C. J. How.
My Department has received a number of such representations.
Liquidation
77.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many firms have gone into voluntary liquidation during 1989; and if he will make a statement.
A total of 10,840 companies in Great Britain went into voluntary liquidation in 1989. Of these, 6,633 were creditors voluntary liquidations and 4,207 were members voluntary liquidations. Figures of company liquidations in Northern Ireland are not available for the whole of 1989, but in the 10 months up to October, 92 companies went into voluntary liquidation; of these, 47 were creditors voluntary liquidations and 45 were members voluntary liquidations.
National Economic Development Council
81.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he last met the director general of the National Economic Development Council; and what was discussed.
90.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he last met the director general of the National Economic Development Council; and what was discussed.
My Department has frequent contacts with the director general of NEDO and his staff on a wide range of business matters and I look forward to continuing these when I chair the council on 4 April.
West Germany
82.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he last met his West German counterpart; and what was discussed.
My colleagues and I keep in close contact with our West German counterparts on a range of issues.
Aerospace Industry
84.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the contributions being made by British companies to the aerospace industry in Europe and the United States of America.
I am well aware of the significant contribution made by United Kingdom companies to the aerospace industry worldwide; indeed the United Kingdom has a large trade surplus in aerospace products. United Kingdom firms are prominent in all areas of the industry—as aircraft and aero-engine manufacturers, as partners in international collaborative programmes such as Airbus, EFA and the V2500 engine, and as major suppliers of equipment and components to other European and United States manufacturers such as Fokker, Boeing and McDonnell Douglas.
Electronics
86.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has had from the electronics industry on the subject of skills shortages.
There have been no direct representations from the electronics industry on skills shortages during the past two months, but there have in the past been approaches with regard to IT skills shortages. My Department supports a number of programmes aimed at increasing skills in the sector.
100.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the latest annual estimate of the balance of trade in electronic components.
Estimates based on figures published by the Central Statistical Office suggest that the United Kingdom had a crude trade deficit' in electronic components2 of Eli billion in 1989.
Notes:
1 Imports (cif) less Exports (fob).
2 Principal Products of Activity Headings 3444 and 3453 of the Standard Industrial Classification (Revised 1980).
Financial Regulations
89.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of self-regulation of the financial regulations.
The Securities and Investments Board is responsible for ensuring that the appropriate standard of protection for investors is provided by the self-regulating bodies recognised under the Financial Services Act.
Rover Group
91.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has any plans to meet representatives of the Rover Group concerning the future of Cowley.
I have no plans to meet representatives of the Rover Group concerning the future of its operation at Cowley.
Fur Exports
92.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the export of British furs and pelts.
Available statistics show that exports (including re-exports) of furs and pelts (group 212 of the SITC) from the United Kingdom amounted to £53 million in 1989.
Bankruptcy
102.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what are the latest figures for the level of bankruptcies.
A total of 8,115 bankruptcy orders were made in England and Wales in 1989. In the same year, 2,294 sequestrations (the equivalent of bankruptcy orders in England and Wales) were awarded in Scotland and 146 bankruptcy adjudication orders were made in Northern Ireland.
Hulme And Moss Side Development Projects
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give details of (a) the present membership of the Hulme and Moss Side community economic development trust and the means by which they were selected and (b) the mechanism by which elections will take place for the trust board including details of how voting will be conducted.
The information requested is a matter for the trust itself.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give details of projects assisted by the Hulme and Moss Side task force which involve a training element and which do not involve employment training.
Since the introduction of employment training the task force has assisted the following projects for unemployed adults involving a non-ET training element:
Roots Oral History—20 trainees—Basic editorial skills in producing a book
In both cases, the training offered is of an informal nature and aimed at unemployed people who are not yet ready to follow an ET training course.Community Computing—30 trainees—Equipment for a "drop-in" training centre for Information Technology (re) familiarisation.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in what way the Hulme and Moss Side task force makes applicants for assistance aware of Department of Trade and Industry encouragement of the use of employment training.
Employment training is recommended to applicants as a source of funding whenever it seems appropriate.
Company Accounts
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the checks which Companies house staff perform upon receipt of annual company accounts.
The basic checks carried out by the Registrar of Companies vary according to the type of accounts filed. For full accounts, these include confirmation that the accounts comprise the company's profit and loss account and balance sheet, the directors' report, the auditors' report and, where appropriate, the company's group accounts. The basic checks are supplemented by such other checks as the registrar considers are appropriate. Companies house is not responsible for the contents of the accounts.
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether, prior to formulating section 15 of the Companies Act 1989, his Department estimated the average cost of printing a full set of accounts which are normally circulated to shareholders.
No, but my Department's customary prior consultations showed that the proposal to give listed companies the option of providing summary financial statements instead of full reports and accounts was endorsed by a range of public companies and representative organisations.
Financial Services
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if persons who lose money on the basis of advice from persons with interim authorisation from FIMBRA or SIB have their interests protected in any way by these organisations; and if he will make a statement.
Interim authorised persons are treated as though they had been granted authorisation and are effectively subject to the appropriate rules of FIM BRA or SIB. Interim authorised persons are not included in the investors' compensation scheme of SIB.
Mr Adrian Ward
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will undertake discussions with the Securities and Investments Board on the trading as a financial adviser of Mr. Adrian Ward.
No. The day-to-day operation of the regulatory system under the Financial Services Act is the responsibility of the Securities and Investments Board and the self-regulating bodies.
Statistical Divisions
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what are the latest figures for the number of staff presently employed, and the full complement of staff, including vacant posts, by grade, in the statistical divisions in his Department; if he will differentiate between staff in statistical posts and staff in administrative posts; and if he will give the staffing complements by grade, and differentiated between statistical and administrative posts, proposed for 1990–91.
[holding answer 12 March 1990]: A major part of the Department's statistical work and associated staff were transferred to the Central Statistical Office on 31 July 1989. The remaining statistical work was distributed among a number of divisions within the Department. The following figures for 1989–90 relate to the statistics sections of these divisions. The manpower allocation for 1 April 1991 will be set later this month in the light of the Department's annual activity and resource management review.
| SIP 1 March 1990 | Allocation 1 April 1990 | |
| Statistical posts | ||
| G5 | 1 | 1 |
| G7 | 11 | 11 |
| Senior assistant statistician | 3 | 6 |
| Assistant statistician | 1 | — |
SIP 1 March 1990
| Allocation 1 April 1990
| |
Administrative posts
| ||
| HEO | 5 | 5 |
| EO | 13 | 15 |
| AO | 14 | 17 |
| AA | 3 | 3 |
| PS | 1 | 1 |
| Support grade 2 | 1 | 1 |
House Of Fraser
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what response he has had from the Bank of England to the submission to it of the House of Fraser report; and if he will make a statement.
[holding answer 12 March 1990]: None. The Bank of England is not accountable to the Secretary of State.
Garston Amhurst
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether, in view of the Garston Amhurst case, he will introduce legislation making the organisations appointing representatives liable for all the actions of these representatives, whether in the course of conducting authorised business or not; and if he will make a statement.
[holding answer 13 March 1990]: Under the Financial Services Act, a principal is responsible for its appointed representatives' actions in carrying on investment business for which the principal has accepted responsibility in writing. It is for the Securities and Investments Board and the self-regulating bodies to consider what requirements should be imposed on principals in relation to the activities of their appointed representatives. I have no plans to amend the Financial Services Act in this regard.
Multi-Fibre Arrangement
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the quotas covered by the multi-fibre arrangement and indicate the proportion of each quota used.
[holding answer 13 March 1990]: Details of current quotas for the United Kingdom under the European Community's bilateral multi-fibre arrangement agreements with third countries are set out in the notice to importers 2249 published in Lloyd's List International on 4 January 1990. This is available in the Library of the House.Quota utilisation records for 1989 will not be finalised for some time yet. The DTI is currently preparing a summary of quota utilisation in 1988, a copy of which will be placed in the Library of the House when it is ready.
Enterprise Initiative Scheme
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what examination he makes in considering a company's eligibility for assistance under the enterprise initiative scheme of (a) previous name changes by the company, (b) its record of payment of liabilities to redundant workers and (c) its record of payment of rates.
[holding answer 12 March 1990]: The eligibility of companies applying for consultancy assistance under the enterprise initiative is the responsibility of my Department. Applicants are approved only after a visit by an enterprise counsellor who, after a broadly based review of the firm's business activities, is required to identify whether the firm would benefit from consultancy assistance and whether it has the resources to pay its share of a consultancy project.