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Written Answers

Volume 494: debated on Thursday 10 March 1988

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Written Answers

Aids And Nuclear Weapon Testing: Reports

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are aware of American and German reports connecting nuclear weapon testing with AIDS and whether they will have these examined and publish the conclusions.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Security
(Lord Skelmersdale)

Speculative suggestions of this nature are not worth following up.

Planning Permission: Office And Shop Developments

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, when office developments in or near residential areas are planned, there is any means of ensuring that shops are included.

There is a presumption in favour of granting planning permission unless there are well-founded and relevant land-use planning reasons for refusal. Absence of shopping provision in a development proposal might on occasion be a reason for refusal. If the lack of a particular feature is unacceptable in planning terms, the best course will often be for the local planning authority to discuss the matter with the applicant with a view to his submitting a modified application. It is open to the public to make representations about development proposals.

Fisheries: Expenditure

asked Her Majesty's Government:What have been the annual expenditures in support of their individual salmon and freshwater research laboratories and stations at Faskally, Montrose, Almondbank and Ballater for the years 1980–87; and whether they will specify amounts paid for salaries, research programmes, capital expenditure and maintenance.

The available figures arc set out below. As some of the figures for earlier years are no longer available, not all the information requested can be provided. Separate figures are not available for the Freshwater Fisheries Laboratory and its various outstations.

Annual Expenditure (Research Programmes)Capital
SalariesExpenditureMaintenance
1979–80£ 655,583N/AN/AN/A
1980–81£ 837,046N/A£33,861£ 26,482
1981–82£ 914,143N/A£42,328£ 38,996
1982–83£ 950,662N/A£54,970£ 19,061
1983–84£1,050,137N/A£62,342£ 5,209
1984–85£1,085,200£479,596£27,380£ 15,319
1985–86£1,201,041£488,067£36,882£ 5,100
1986–87£1,212,279£525,371£46,489£ 16,485
1987–88£1,129,708£473,979£43,605£ 5,937
(estimate)

Recorded Music Broadcasting: Mmc Reference Proposal

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, in furtherance of their policy to expand independent and community radio stations, they will refer to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission the terms and restrictions imposed by Phonographic Performance Ltd. in the licensing of the use of recorded music for sound broadcasting by independent radio contractors.

We will consider carefully whether this is a matter which warrants investigation by the MMC. It is not however our practice to comment on whether or not a particular matter is to be referred.

Exports And Imports: Statistics

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, in respect of the United Kingdom's balance of payments with other members of the European Community taken

en bloc, they will publish an analysis of exports and imports by commodity in the same form and detail and for the same periods as set out in Tables 8 and 12 of the DTI Press Notice No. 142 of 29th February 1988.

Seasonally-adjusted figures are not available for area-commodity analyses. Direct comparisons with figures given in the press notice should be treated with caution, particularly for those commodities that have definite seasonal patterns; for example, food.The available information is given in the tables:

IMPORTS FROM THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY BY COMMODITY (Overseas Trade Statistics basis)
£ million, cif
Manufactures excluding erratics (a)
TotalFood bever ages and tobaccoBasic MaterialsFuelsTotal ManufacturesTotalSemi-manufactures excluding precious stones & silver (PS)Finished manufactures excluding ships, North Sea installations and aircraft (SNA)
TotalChemicalsOtherTotalPassenger Motor CarsOther ConsumerIntermediateCapital
SITC (Rev 3)0-90+12+435-85-8 less SNAPS5+6 less PS56 less PS7+8 less SNA781.0bbb
19864457760541555142335245345751287953457534216963766
19874955763721835144739750389131453860588480243753991
1986 Q4121341682468336957593933336132820086057918
1987 Q1116741380513349939692243504150220015721905
Q21221815624573049861959935851501208560141067
Q31229716304084359780959635811514206760151014
Q4133681800457359107131049438691542232766251005
1987 Nov46106161541313695359713395258152257361N/A
Dec42005621461173362331111674806872143353
1988 Jan (c)39974611391093281320412415117301963395
Aug Oct 871232916844323719804962336591052021395964885
Nov Jan 88128071638438357103381011237481516223263641109
& change+3.5-2.5+1.5-3.5+5.5+5+2.5-0.5+4.5+6.5+25
Source: Overseas Trade Statistics—1987 figures are provisional.Notes:(a) These are defined its ships, North Sea installations (together comprising SITC (REV 2) 793), aircraft (792) precious stones (667), and silver (681.1).(b) Based on the United Nations Broad Economic Categories end-use classification, not broken down by country detail.(c) Component series include an overstatement not yet available in commodity/area detail.
EXPORTS FROM THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY BY COMMODITY (Overseas Trade Statistics basis)
£ million, fob
Manufactures excluding erratics (a)
TotalFood beverages and tobaccoBasic MaterialsFuelsTotal ManufacturesTotalSemi-manufactures excluding precious stones & silver (PS)Finished manufactures excluding ships, North sea installations and aircraft (SNA)
TotalChemicalsOtherTotalPassenger Motor CarsOther ConsumerIntermediateCapital
SITC (Rev 3)0–90+12+435–85–8 less SNAPS5+6 less PS56 less PS7+8 less SNA781.0bbb
198634996313314095666243452262392574853440413366542
1987394173218147757152895226953105165482503416437770
1986 Q4995910803911226713466092536128812484073180
1987 Q196767834851576682063032543133812053760200
Q296967063621374724067172627136612614090206
Q392677583111383680263642519131812013845158
Q4107779723191383809075682826145913674742206
1987 Nov350330110344826462461926475451153577N/A
Dec366632111546527612630972505466165871
1988 Jan (c)24431819532818361756688373315106970
Aug Oct 8795758583021416698565132517133511833996158
Nov Jan 8896128033131241724368482585135312324263218
& change+0.5-6.5+3.5-12.5+3.5+5+2.5+1.5+4+6.5+37.5
Source: Overseas Trade Statistics—1987 figures are provisional.Notes:(a) These are defined as ships, North Sea installations (together comprising SITC (REV 2) 793), aircraft (792) precious stones (667), and silver (681.1).(b) Based on the United Nations Broad Economic Categories end-use classification, not broken down by country detail.(c) Component series include an overstatement not yet available in commodity/area detail.