Written Answers Toquestions
Thursday 28 July 1983
Prime Minister
Miss Rhona Ritchie
asked the Prime Minister whether she has received the Security Commission's report on the case of Miss Rhona Ritchie.
I have row received the commission's report, which I will, with permission, circulate in the Official Report as an annex to this answer. The published text of the commission's report has been slightly amended at certain points to protect particular areas of security: but nothing subsantive has been omitted.Miss Ritchie was a first secretary in the British embassy at Tel Aviv, who was discovered to have passed the substance of classified documents to an Egyptian diplomat in Tel Aviv with whom she was having an affair. The Security Commission has confirmed the assessment made by my right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General at her trial, that the damage to the country's interests resulting from her disclosures was not great, and lay in the breach of confidence and the untrustworthiness that they implied rather than in the nature of the disclosures themselves. The material which she admitted to having disclosed was graded no higher than confidential and its disclosure would have been prejudicial to the conduct of international relations rather than damaging to security. There is no evidence that she made any disclosure of material more highly graded than confidential. My right hon. and learned Friend described her as "more foolish than wicked".The commission considers that any general criticism of the embassy's failure to be alert to the possible security implications of Miss Ritchie's attitude to sexual matters in general and her relationship to the Egyptian diplomat in particular would be both unfair and unhelpful. It has fully explored with all the embassy witnesses concerned the areas in which they, as individuals, were open to potential criticism, and is satisfied with their explanations.Even if the damage to the country's interests from this affair has not been great, it illustrates the fact that people in the public services who allow themselves to enter upon such relationships as that between Miss Ritchie and the Egyptian diplomat need to be aware of the dangers and pressures to which the relationships may make them vulnerable, and should not be surprised if such relationships become a matter of concern to their superiors. Those responsible for the maintenance of security cannot afford to ignore or leave unresolved significant suspicions about individual behaviour. This fact lay behind the Security Commission's recommendation, in its report on the Prime case, that more emphasis should be placed on the responsibility of line managers for security supervision. I endorse the commission's welcome in its present report for the strengthened statement of the precepts governing these matters which the Head of the Diplomatic Service issued to all heads of divisions on 17 September 1982.PRIME MINISTERREPORT OF THE SECURITY COMMISSION JULY 1983
Introduction
1. On 29 November 1982 Rhona Jane McIntyre Ritchie pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to one offence of wrongful communication of information under section 2(1)(a)of the Official Secrets Act 1911. That is the provision which makes it an offence for a person who holds office under Her Majesty, and who has obtained information owing to that position, to communicate that information to another person otherwise than in accordance with an authority or duty so to do. The maximum penalty for the offence is 2 years imprisonment or a fine or both. Miss Ritchie was sentenced to 9 months imprisonment suspended for 12 months.
2. On 23 December 1982 you asked the Security Commission to investigate and report on the case with the following terms of reference:
"To investigate the circumstances in which breaches of security have, or may have, occurred arising out of the case of Rhona Jane Ritchie, who was convicted on 29 November 1982 of an offence under section 2 of the Official Secrets Act 1911; and to advise in the light of that invesigation whether any change in security arrangements is necessary or desirable."
Conduct of the Inquiry
3. In the course of our investigaion we have met on 12 occasions. We have considered the following written material:(a) transcript of the trial; (b) brief for the prosecution and relevant enclosures; (c) memoranda from the Security Service and Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO); (d) all papers relating to Miss Ritchie's Positive Vetting (PV); (e) Letter from Mr. M. E. Pike, Head of Chancery at the British Embassy in Tel Aviv from September 1978 to mid January 1982.
We received oral evidence from the witnesses named in Appendix A.
4. We repeat what we said in paragraph 2.6 of Cmnd, 8876 in appreciation of all the help we have had from Mr. Rex Davie and Mrs. Sally Sutton in this case, as in the case of Prime. The delay in submitting this report, which we regret, has been caused partly by the priority we gave to the case of Prime, partly by the difficulty of finding convenient dates to take oral evidence from witnesses still serving in the British Embassy in Tel Aviv, partly by the subsequent absence abroad of one of our members.
History of Events
5. Miss Ritchie was born on 15 June 1952. She is the daughter of Scottish medical practitioners. She graduated from Glasgow University in 1973 with an honours degree in law. She spent a few months as a research assistant with the Scottish Law Commission in Edinburgh and then studied at the Faculty of Law at Aix-en-Provence University before returning to Glasgow in 1974 as a temporary lecturer in jurisprudence (1974–75) and thereafter a lecturer in European law (1975–79). She was also an assistant warden (1976–78) and deputy warden (1978–79) at halls
6. On 3 December 1978 Miss Ritchie applied to join the Diplomatic Service. She was granted PV clearance on 8 August 1979. Nothing was revealed about her behaviour in the course of the PV investigation that would have constituted a ground for refusal of PV clearance.
7. Miss Ritchie joined the FCO on 3 September 1979 and first worked in London in the Hong Kong and General Department. In March 1980 the FCO wrote to the British Embassy in Tel Aviv about her, proposing that she should in due course replace Dr. W. G. Harris, who was then First Secretary in Chancery. The Ambassador at that time, Mr. John Robinson, was happy to accept her. She was posted to Israel in August 1980, but did not join the Embassy until July 1981. She spent the intervening period studying the Hebrew language, first in a kibbutz near Tel Aviv, then at a language school in Haifa. During this period her principal contact with the Embassy was through Dr. Harris. In July 1981 she replaced Dr. Harris at the Embassy, initially in the rank of Second Secretary. Shortly before her recall to England in March 1982 she was promoted to First Secretary. Throughout her service at the Embassy she was, as Dr. Harris had been, directly responsible to the Head of Chancery.
8. In the first week of March 1982 reports reached the Security Service which indicated that Miss Ritchie had, for a period of months, been having an affair with Rifaat al Ansari, her opposite number at the Egyptian Embassy in Tel Aviv, and that over this period she had been regularly passing secret documents to him.
9. Miss Ritchie was recalled to London. She returned on 14 March 1982. She did not know the true purpose of the recall. Immediately on return she was interviewed by the Security Service. She admitted her affair with Ansari and that she had disclosed classified information to him. When it had become apparent that she had committed an offence under section 2 of the Official Secrets Act 1911, the case was handed over to the Metropolitan Police.
10. The details of the prosecution of Miss Ritchie are on record. It would serve no purpose to examine them at length in this Report. A summary of the principal features of the case will suffice. The single count in the indictment to which Miss Ritchie pleaded guilty was a "specimen charge". The prosecution was presented on the basis, accepted by the defence, that Miss Ritchie had disclosed to Ansari the contents of six telegrams all classified CONFIDENTIAL. The case for the prosecution depended entirely on Miss Ritchie's own admissions. Her conduct was, in our opinion, accurately described by the Attorney General as "more foolish than wicked". The Attorney General, in his opening, also summarised fairly and accurately the nature of the damage caused by the disclosures, as follows:
"The damage to our country's interests was not, in the event, great. Egypt is a friendly power and most of the information she has admitted conveying would have become public knowledge in due course anyway. The mischief lay in the very fact of the breach of confidentiality and the inevitable doubts about our trustworthiness and security which the discovery of her conduct must have given rise to in the minds of other interested parties. Those Governments with whom we enjoy harmonious relationships have a right to expect that confidential exchanges will remain confidential."
Security Considerations
11. We have found no evidence that Miss Ritchie made any unauthorised disclosure of material with a higher classification than CONFIDENTIAL.
12. In our view, the only security significance of this case is in the difficult area of sexual relationships between members of the staff of British Missions overseas and foreign nationals. We set out in Appendix B relevant extracts from Diplomatic Service Procedure instructions which were in force at the material time. We set out at Appendix C relevant extracts from a letter dated 17 September 1982 under the heading "Personal Security" from Sir Antony Acland, as Permanent Under Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
13. We have explored the aspect of the case referred to in the foregoing paragraph very fully with all the FCO witnesses. Had he been in England, we should also have wished to see Mr. Pike. As he is now British Ambassador in Hanoi, we first wrote to him inviting answers to a number of specific detailed questions. He replied indicating that he would have preferred to give evidence to us orally, but nevertheless answering all our questions very fully and helpfully. Since we had no ground whatever to question the account given in Mr. Pike's letter, we judged that it would not be justifiable to ask that he return to England to give evidence to us orally.
14. During the period of her stay in Israel before she joined the Embassy, Miss Ritchie has a number of lovers. These included an Israeli Government official with whom she had a brief affair. Shortly after she joined the Embassy she became Ansari's mistress. This became, on her side, a serious emotional involvement. Ansari was a jealous lover who demanded that she should not go out with any other man. She accepted this demand. Ansari was in fact married, but represented to Miss Ritchie that he was separated from his wife. Her affair with Ansari continued until her recall to England.
15. In examining what was known to members of the staff of the Embassy regarding Miss Ritchie's sexual relationships, it is appropriate to approach separately the period before and the period after she joined the Embassy, to which, for obvious reasons, very different considerations apply from the security point of view.
16. During the period before Miss Ritchie joined the Embassy, it became known to Dr. Harris that she had a number of lovers, of which she made no secret from Dr. Harris and his wife. He said in evidence:
"I did not see her as a security risk. You have to remember too that she was a very ambitious, career-minded girl, very intelligent, very capable, and I thought perfectly capable of handling a discreet private life according to her own jdgements and not allowing it to impinge on her professional life."
He made no report to Mr. Pike, as Head of Chancery, about these matters. As regards the Israeli official, however, Miss Ritchie sought Dr. Harris's advice as to whether it would be acceptable if a relationship developed between them. He advised her against it. He reported this conversation to Mr. Pike, who agreed with the advice given. Mr. Pike and Dr. Harris both assumed that Miss Ritchie had accepted this advice. We know only from Miss Ritchie herself that she had a brief affair with the Israeli official. Mr. Pike has assured us, and we accept, that he knew nothing of Miss Richie's sexual relationships in Israel before she joined the Embassy.
17. Turning to the period after Miss Ritchie joined the Embassy and her affair with Ansari, it is essential to a fair judgment to appreciate the professional and diplomatic background to their relationship. We cannot do better than to describe this in the language of Mr. Pike's letter to us which we quote:
"Miss Ritchie took over the contact with Ansari from Dr. Harris in July, 1981, shortly after her move to the Embassy in Tel Aviv. (Dr. Harris had been in close touch with Ansari since shortly after the latter's arrival). Ansari, who had previously served in London, spoke excellent English and was intelligent and forthcoming. Dr. Harris had found the relationship professionally fruitful and it was very much in the Embassy's, and HMG's, interests, to maintain contact with Ansari at a time when complex and sustained negotiations were continuing between the Israelis, Egyptians and Americans on the implementation of the Camp David Agreement and, in particular, on the normalisation of relations between Israel and Egypt. Dr. Harris' relationship — and later Miss Rritchie's — reflected the excellent relations between Britain and Egypt at the time: Egypt was regarded as a friendly country, whose views on many aspects of the Arab/Israel problem paralleled our own. Contact was maintained at all levels in Cairo, London and elsewhere including, of course, Tel Aviv.
Against this background, it was perfectly natural and desirable that Miss Ritchie should take over Dr. Harris' responsibility. She did so with my own and the Ambassador's full approval … On the evidence available at the time their relationship seemed perfectly normal. They saw each other for meals occasionally and Miss Ritchie reported regularly, and in detail, on her contacts. She and Ansari were also members of the junior diplomats' club which was confined to diplomats of the rank of First Secretary and below. It sponsored talks by Israeli, and other, speakers on subjects of current political and economic interests and arranged social events at local hotels."
18. We are satisfied that the sexual relationship between Miss Ritchie and Ansari was not in fact known to or suspected by Mr. Pike at any time before he left Tel Aviv at the end of January 1982, or Mr. Moberly, who took over as Ambassador in Tel Aviv in the same month as Miss Ritchie joined the Embassy, at any time before the first week of March 1982. We have not considered that it would be profitable to investigate in detail how far the relationship was known to or suspected by more junior members of the Embassy staff. We consider in the next paragraph the evidence of Colonel Boucher, the Defence and Military Attache, and Mr. Prendergast, who succeeded Mr. Pike as Head of Chancery on I February 1982.
19. Some time after Miss Ritchie joined the Embassy Colonel Boucher heard gossip, which he considered unreliable, that she was having an affair with Ansari. Later, at a party where he saw Miss Ritchie and Ansari together, he could see that they were good friends but saw nothing to suggest that they were lovers. About the third week in February Mr. Prendergast and Colonel Boucher had a long, informal conversation, in which Mr. Prendergast questioned Colonel Boucher about a number of members of the Embassy staff, including Miss Ritchie. Colonel Boucher repeated to Mr. Prendergast the substance of the gossip he had heard, save that, according to Mr. Prendergast's recollection, which we accept, he did not name Ansari but mentioned "a young Egyptian diplomat". Mr. Prendergast soon appreciated, from his own discussion of professional matters with Miss Ritchie, that Ansari must have been the man to whom Colonel Boucher intended to refer. Mr. Prendergast, however, did not at this time feel that he had any sufficient ground either to question Miss Ritchie directly regarding her relationship with Ansari or to report what he had been told to the Ambassador. Miss Ritchie was herself planning to give a party early in March to welcome Mr. Prendergast as a new arrival, which, as Mr. Prendergast knew, was also to be attended by Ansari. He decided that there was no need, as he put it, "to take urgent action" until he had the opportunity to meet Ansari in Miss Ritchie's company. In the event, the reports referred to in paragraph 8 above were received before the party took place.
Conclusions
20. In a case such as this it would be extremely easy to be wise after the event and to say that the responsible staff at the British Embassy should have been alert to the possible security implications of Miss Ritchie's attitude to sexual matters in general and of her relationship with Ansari in particular, and should have taken some step to forestall her unauthorised disclosures of classified information. On mature consideration we are satisfied that such a general criticism would be both unfair and unhelpful. We have fully explored with all the Embassy witnesses who gave oral evidence to us, and with Mr. Pike in our exchanges of correspondence, the areas in which they, as individuals, were open to potential criticism, and we are satisfied with their explanations.
21. The precepts prescribed for Heeds of Mission in Appendix C are, in our view, wholly admirable and, we trust, will always be brought personally to the attention of all Heads of Missions on first appointment. The difficulty of applying those precepts in the infinite variety of situations which may arise in the course of diplomatic life and, more particularly, the difficulty of distinguishing the sexual liaison with security implications from that which can be regarded as a purely private affair present problems which no recommendation can help to resolve.
BRIDGE OF HARWICH (The Rt. Hon. the Lord Bridge of Harwich) (Chairman)
HUGH GRIFFITHS (The Rt. Hon. Lord Justice Griffiths, MC)
ALLEN OF ABBEYDALE (The Lord Allen of Abbeydale, GCB)
HUGH BEACH (General Sir Hugh Beach, GBE, KCB, MC)
July 1983
APPENDIX A
LIST OF WITNESSES
Sir Antony Acland, KCMG, KCVO: Permanent Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Head of the Diplomatic Service.
Mr. J. K. E. Broadley: Head of Security Department, Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Mr. P. H. Moberly, CMG: Her Majesty's Ambassador, Tel Aviv, from July 1981.
Mr. W. K. Prendergast: Head of Chancery, Tel Aviv, from February 1982.
Colonel W. S. H. Boucher: Defence and Military Attaché, Tel Aviv, from June 1980 to February 1983.
Dr. W. G. Harris: First Secretary, Tel Aviv, from March 1978 to September 1981.
Director-General: Security Service.
Deputy Director-General: Security Service.
Miss R. J. M. Ritchie.
APPENDIX B
EXTRACTS FROM DIPLOMATIC SERVICE PROCEDURE" INSTRUCTIONS IN FORCE DURING MISS RITCHIE'S SERVICE IN TEL AVIV
The Annual Personnel Security Certificate and Defects of Character
…
3. Heads of Mission should therefore ensure that they and the senior members of their staff know the whole Mission. including UK-based officers on loan or attached from other Government Departments and local staff, well enough to spot in good time such danger signals as heavy drinking, undue extravagance, unexplained overstrain or nervous trouble and sexual irregularities. This may call for remedial action at the Post without reference to London, but the possible security implications should be borne in mind.
…
Security Duties of a Head of Chancery
7. Morale and Security
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7.3. A distinction should be made between behaviour that may be considered undesirable on social or moral grounds and behaviour which may be dangerous on security grounds. For example, sexual relations between single people do not normally expose them to blackmail, although they may suggest to a hostile intelligence officer that one or both of those concerned is a likely target for sexual compromise. (No sex with a communist national is safe however.) The adulterer, on the other hand, may easily be subject to blackmail if one or both of the parties wish the affair to remain unknown. All sexual deviation, whether by men or women, raises an immediate presumption of vulnerability to hostile intelligence operation. And what may pass as acceptable behaviour in London may attract unfriendly attention at Posts abroad. The security implications of an irregular private life are explained to officers when they first join the Service and they are reminded of these at intervals thereafter. However, it is a very effective reinforcement of security awareness (and often a personal kindness) if new arrivals, and particularly young single people coming to their first Post, are given friendly guidance about unfamiliar attitudes or problems they could encounter in local society.
…
7.6. Very often suspicions about individual behaviour are shadowy and inconclusive. However, in the public interest, they cannot be ignored, and a Head of Chancery should not hesitate to write to Security Department if he has unresolved doubts about an individual. Such letters are handled exclusively in Security Department, and doubts which in the event turn out to be unfounded or without security significance will have no effect on someone's career.
EXTRACTS FROM SIR ANTONY ACLAND'S LETTER OF 17 SEPTEMBER 1982 TO ALL HEADS OF MISSIONS
Emotional Liaisons
6. The Annex is a reminder of the need to be especially alert to the possible security implications of emotional relationships between our staff, whether married or not, and foreign nationals, whether diplomats or not. This is a difficult area. Emotional liaisons with nationals from friendly countries are unlikely to be a security concern. But, Whatever the nationality of the other partner, if you have any doubts in a particular case, it is not good enough to hope that the problem will go away; the personal particulars of the partner should be sent to Security Department. If staff consider that this represents an unacceptable intrusion into their private life, you should explain that it is better to be safe than sorry and that there have been too many cases in which the emotions of staff have been exploited ruthlessly by hostile intelligence services.
8. We are not concerned primarily with the morality of liaisons, whether heterosexual of homosexual, but with their security implications. Indiscriminate and promiscuous sexual activity is of special concern, because it is more likely than a more stable relationship to come to the attention of hostile intelligence agencies and to be exploited, whether the officer is married or single. (In addition, of course, it can bring discredit on the Service and on that ground alone cannot be condoned.)
The Need to Take Special Care of those on their First Posting
9. Finally, I should like you to pay particular attention to staff on their first posting overseas. Even though they have lived overseas and travelled widely before joining the Service, their first exposure to the life of a Mission, with its privileges and temptations as well as its hardships, can sometimes lead to a breakdown in self-discipline. Staff on their first posting should be welcomed and made to feel at home, without of course being nannied. Where they have diplomatic and representational responsibility, they should also be quite clear about the rules for passing on classified information to diplomatic colleagues and officials of the government to which you are accredited. The general principles are laid down in DSR 12, but these will need to be expanded to take account of your local situation. Please make sure that your Post Security Regulations deal comprehensively with this point, and that all staff are briefed to consult their superior officers if they are in doubt.
Energy
National Coal Board
asked the Secretary of State for Energy what discussion he has had with the chairman of the National Coal Board about the report of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission on the board's activities.
I have received an initial response by the National Coal Board to the report of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission, which was published on 23 June. I am placing copies of the board's response in the Library of the House.The commission found that the NCB is facing two central problems, which are closely related: over-capacity and the high cost of a number of pits in which coal production has become uneconomic. The commission did not attempt to define precisely the way in which the NCB should reduce excess capacity in high cost collieries, acknowledging that it is for the board to define and take the necessary action.In its response the board fully accepts this central conclusion and says that it is aiming to achieve viability as quickly as possible.The Government also agree with the MMC's central conclusion. The Government wish there to be a strong United Kingdom coal industry, able to give its customers secure supplies of fuel at competitive prices and its work force secure and prosperous employment. But the justification for coal production, like that for any other business, depends on the achievement of economic viability. The National Coal Board must secure those sales which are profitable on a continuing basis in competition with other fuels and should plan its marketing, production and capital investment accordingly, bringing productive capacity into line with its continuing share of the market.The Government will support the board and its employees in carrying through the action necessary to secure their future. For example, the Government are funding capital investment in the industry at a high rate, £800 million this year. Moreover, the Government are sympathetic to the social problems arising from the closure of collieries that are deemed by the NCB after full consultation to be uneconomic, as illustrated by the further improvements in March this year to the Government's redundancy scheme for the industry.The MMC also recommend that the board's deep mine areas should, as far as possible, be operated as separate business units. The board is to consider further, as part of a longer-term review of organisation, this recommendation and the commission's views on headquarters and area organisation.
The commission also makes many detailed recommendations, which the board is considering. My Department will be following up these with the board, paying particular attention to those on cost control and investment appraisal, in view of the importance of sound decision making, based on robust analysis, in the use of public funds. The commission recommended some changes in certain aspects of the NCB's contracting arrangements for opencast production, and I welcome the board's preparedness to try the changes recommended. The commission also suggested that the statutory limit on private opencast working should be raised and a system of appeals introduced for licence applications.
I am considering the commission's recommendations and expect to make a further statement in due course after receipt of the board's further reflections and report on the action taken.
Environment
Radioactive Waste
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether it is the Government's policy that the United Kingdom should continue to dispose of low level radioactive waste at sea.
Yes. Disposal at sea of low-level wastes from laboratories, medical uses and other sources is a part of the Government's comprehensive policies for waste management. In international law such disposal is permissible under the London dumping convention if a licence is issued by the national Government. A site in the Atlantic, and detailed procedures, have been recommended by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the OECD nuclear energy agency appoints an observer from another country to accompany such operations. The NEA also issues guidelines on packaging, which currently takes the form of concrete.The United Kingdom's use of this method is supported by extensive scientific evidence collected over many years and summarised in the NEA review of the site published in 1980. As recently as May, a special group of experts from a number of countries convened by NEA at the request of the Spanish Government confirmed that the 1980 review remains valid. In waste management generally the government receives authoritative independent advice from the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee under the chairmanship of Sir Denys Wilkinson FRS. The committee's fourth report, published in June, after considering the views expressed about this method of disposal in reports commissioned or circulated by the pressure group Greenpeace, concluded that there is in fact no evidence that present practices are harmful, and that it is proper for the United Kingdom to continue to use them.Great care has therefore been taken to confirm the environmental acceptability of this method, and in February the United Kingdom took the initiative in obtaining a further scrutiny of the scientific evidence within the London dumping convention. Although a resolution was subsequently passed by the LDC consultative meeting calling for suspension of dumping pending the outcome of this scrutiny, that resolution does not have any legal force and was not based on scientific evidence.
The organisation of disposal operations is the responsibility of the nuclear industry radioactive waste executive, working where appropriate through the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority. However, there is also a clear national interest in ensuring that difficulties are overcome, waste management policies are carried out, and safe and appropriate disposal facilities remain available.
Scotland
Cash Limits
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about reductions in his Department's cash limits for 1983–84.
The revised cash limits and nationalised industries external financing limits announced yesterday by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary show a total reduction in those for which I am responsible of £32·821 million — £31·271 million in cash limits and £1·55 million in EFLs. The total figure is rather lower than the provisional estimate of around £40 million which I gave in reply to the right hon. Member for Glasow, Rutherglen (Mr. MacKenzie) on 12 July. My total cash limits as adjusted amount to nearly £2,500 million. The bulk of the reduction will be achieved by rephasing capital projects and foregoing planned growth.Of the total reduction in cash limits, just under £16·4 million will be found by reducing cash limited provision for health. To achieve this, the allocations made to health boards to meet their current expenditure commitments will be reduced by 1 per cent. to provide £12·1 million: the health capital programme will be reduced by £2 million; and the remaining £2·3 million will be fund by economies in centrally managed health programmes. The bulk of the savings of £4·852 million on the Roads, Transport and Environmental Services Vote — (Class XV, 6)— will come from spending on motorways and trunk roads, which will be reduced by £4·16 million. This reduction can be achieved without any significant long-term effect on the programme. The reduction of £2·730 million in cash limit SO/LA2 falls on the capital programmes of the Housing Corporation and the new towns.I do not propose to alter the cash limits in my law and order programme.
Prime Minister
Engagements
Q5.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 28 July.
Q6.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 28 July.
Q7.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 28 July.
Q8.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 28 July.
Q9.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 28 July.
Q10.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 28 July.
Q11.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 28 July.
Q12.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 28 July.
Q13.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 28 July.
Q14.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 28 July.
Q15.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 28 July.
Q16.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 28 July.
Q17.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 28 July.
Q18.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 28 July.
Q19.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 28 July.
Q20.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 28 July.
Q21.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 28 July.
Q22.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 28 July.
Q23.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 28 July.
Q24.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 28 July.
Q25.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 28 July.
Q26.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 28 July.
Q27.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 28 July.
Q28.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 28 July.
Q29.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 28 July.
Q30.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 28 July.
Q31.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 28 July.
Q32.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 28 July.
Q33.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 28 July.
Q34.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 28 July.
Q35.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 28 July.
Q36.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 28 July.
Q37.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 28 July.
Q38.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 28 July.
Q39.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 28 July.
Q40.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 28 July.
Q41.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 28 July.
Q42.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 28 July.
Q43.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 28 July.
Q44.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 28 July.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 28 July.
This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today, including one with the Turkish Foreign Minister.
Searches
asked the Prime Minister which categories of persons in each Department of state are authorised by law to search the premises of others without the warrant of a judge or magistrate; how many such searches have been undertaken within the last 12 months; and how many successful prosecutions have followed directly or indirectly from such searches.
I refer my hon. Friend to appendix 4 of the law and procedures volume of the Royal Commission on criminal procedure (Cmnd. 8092–1), which reported in 1981. Appendix 4 contains information about the categories of officials who may exercise statutory powers of entry, and shows which of those powers available allowed for search, and what safeguards were attached to their exercise. No information is available centrally about the frequency or outcome of the use of such powers.
European Community Budget
asked the Prime Minister if she will withhold payments to the European Community until the repayments agreed and due to the United Kingdom have been paid by the European community; and if she will make a statement.
No. Our objective at this stage is to get our full entitlement restored through the normal budgetary processes.
Civil Servants
asked the Prime Minister how many civil servants were recruited in each of the years 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982; and how many civil servants were (a) retired, (b) made redundant, (c) dismissed or left voluntarily and (d) reclassified for each of the years 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982.
Entrant and leaver figures for industrial staff are not held centrally; numbers for the nonindustrial home Civil Service are as follows:
1979
| 1980
| 1981
| 1982
| |
| Entrants (rounded) | 48,600 | 48,600 | 32,400 | 28,200 |
Leavers by cause
| ||||
| Age retirement | 12,609 | 15,405 | 15,132 | 15,344 |
| Voluntary resignation | 48,741 | 33,121 | 22,175 | 22,888 |
| Voluntary early retirement | — | 612 | 130 | — |
| Redundancy | 124 | 228 | 721 | 1,123 |
| Premature retirement | 2,670 | 2,540 | 2,804 | 3,199 |
| Dismissal | 571 | 611 | 511 | 422 |
| Death | 1,684 | 1,634 | 1,432 | 1,227 |
| Other | 872 | 590 | 664 | 570 |
| Total (rounded) | 67,300 | 54,700 | 43,600 | 44,800 |
Source: Mandate.
Note: 1982 figures are subject to revision; those for earlier years are definitive.
Employment Statistics
asked the Prime Minister, following her reply to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North on 19 July, Official Report, c. 74, if she will give details of the number of persons employed in the United Kingdom in (a) the Civil Service, (b) local government, (c) the National Health Service, (d) the armed forces and (e) public corporations, for each of the years 1960, 1979 and 1982.
The information is as follows:
| Number | |
| A. Civil Service | |
| 1960 | 639,000 |
| 1979 | 723,700 |
| 1982 | 659,300 |
| B. Local Government | |
| 1960 | *1,709,000 |
| 1979 | *2,898,000 |
| 1982 | *2,764,000 |
| C. National Health Service | |
| 1960 | 565,000 |
| 1979 | 1,198,000 |
| 1982 | 1,287,000 |
| D. Armed Forces | |
| 1960 | 525,500 |
| 1979 | 315,000 |
| 1982 | 327,600 |
| E. Public Corporations | |
| 1960 | 1,865,000 |
| 1979 | 2,065,000 |
| 1982 | 1,759,000 |
| * These figures include police forces but exclude police civilians, cadets, traffic wardens, magistrates' courts, the probation service and agency staff. | |
Inland Revenue
asked the Prime Minister by whom the members of the Board of Inland Revenue are appointed; and what is the procedure for appointment to and vacation of such office.
Commissioners of Inland Revenue are appointed by the Crown on the advice of the Prime Minister. They hold office during Her Majesty's pleasure.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list in the Official Report the names of the present members
| Present Commissioners of Inland Revenue are: | ||||||
| Name | Date of birth | Date of appointment | Professional Qualification | Previous appointment in the public service | Material experience outside the public service | Salary (effective from 1 August 1983) |
| Chairman: | ||||||
| Sir Lawrence Airey KCB | 10 March 1926 | 1 January 1980 | Nil | Treasury (2nd Permanent Secretary) | Part-time Director BNOC (1976–1977) | £40,500 |
| Deputy Chairman: | ||||||
| J. M. Green CB | 5 December 1924 | 1 May 1973 | Nil | Inland Revenue | Nil | £32,500 |
| Deputy Chairman: | ||||||
| A. J. G. Isaac | 21 December 1931 | 1 May 1973 | Nil | Inland Revenue and Treasury | Nil | £32,500 |
| Commissioner: | ||||||
| J. A. Christopher CB* | 19 June 1924 | 23 February 1981 | BSc (Estate Management) FRICS | Inland Revenue | Nil | £32.500 |
| Commissioner: | ||||||
| D. B. Rogerst | 8 September 1929 | 1 June 1981 | Nil | Inland Revenue | Nil | £32,500 |
| Commissioner: | ||||||
| J. H. Graceyt | 20 May 1925 | 1 October 1973 | Nil | Inland Revenue | Nil | £32,500 |
| Commissioner: J. D. Taylor Thompson | 6 August 1927 | 1 October 1973 | Nil | Inland Revenue | Nil | £28,000 |
| * Mr. Christopher is Chief Valuer England and Wales. | ||||||
| † Mr. Rogers is Director General (Technical). | ||||||
| ‡ Mr. Gracey is Director General (Management). | ||||||
National Finance
Revenue Departments (Enforcement Powers)
28.
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he intends to implement the recommendations of the Keith committee's report on enforcement powers of the revenue departments; and when this will take place.
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 24 February when I stated that the report was a very substantial document which deserved careful study and full consultation. A decision on implementation will be taken in the light of the views expressed on the committee's proposals for change.
Foreign Currency Deposits
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the increase in the overseas sector foreign currency deposits since the suspension of exchange of the Board of Inland Revenue showing in respect of each (a) date of birth, (b) date of appointment, (c) professional qualification, (d) previous appointment in the public service, (e) material experience outside the public service and (f) salary.
'The information is as follows:control in cash terms and as a percentage; what has been the effect on (i) the liquidity of the banking system in the United Kingdom, (ii) interest rates and (iii) the exchange rate.
The increase in foreign currency deposits held by the overseas sector between 1979Q3 and 1983Q1 valued in sterling allowing for revaluations due to fluctuations in exchange rates is £185·6 billion and the percentage increase is 153 per cent.The increase in overseas foreign currency deposits, which reflects the role of London as an international financial centre, was nearly completely offset by an increase in foreign currency lending abroad. The effect on the liquidity of the banking system, interest rates and the exchange rate is likely to have been modest. More generally it is not usually possible to say what the financial effect of any individual balance of payments flow will be nor is it always clear to what extent the net foreign currency liabilities of the banking system represent autonomous behaviour by the banks and to what extent they are a compensatory financing item for other structural flows in the balance of payments.
Drugs
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what have been the quantities of illegal drugs seized by Customs and Excise in Scotland, England and Wales and Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; what were
| (a) Scotland | |||||||
| Cannabis | Heroin | Amphetamine | Opium | ||||
| Herbal | Resin Kg. | Liquid Kg. | Kg. | Powder Kg. | Tablets No | Kg. | |
| 1978 | 0·346 | 2·200 | 0·016 | 0·168 | |||
| (£346) | (£2,640) | (£160) | (£60,000) | ||||
| 1979 | 10·472 | 1·154 | — | 0·202 | 0·007 | ||
| (£13,090) | (£2,308) | — | (£70,000) | (£105) | |||
| 1980 | 4807·416 | 2·335 | 0·003 | 20 | |||
| (£6,009,270) | (£4,670) | (£18) | (£10) | ||||
| 1981 | 2859·285 | 0·853 | 0·257 | 150 | 0·007 | ||
| (£3,574,106) | (£1,706) | (£1,542) | (£75) | (£35) | |||
| 1982 | 0·538 | 9·447 | 0·002 | 0·125 | 0·021 | ||
| (£672) | (£18,894) | (£12) | (£18,750) | (£367) | |||
| (b) England and Wales | ||||||||||||
| Cannabis | Heroin | Cocaine | Morphine | LSD | Amphetamine | Opium | ||||||
| Herbal kg | Resin kg | Liquid kg | kg | kg | Powder kg | Tablets kgNo. | Tablets No. | Powder kg | Tablets No. | kg | Tablets No. | |
| 3001·603 | 3178·648 | 57·560 | 58·525 | 14·762 | 2·462 | 38·385 | 129 | 0·091 | 17,076 | 9·919 | ||
| 1978 | (£3,001,603) | (£3,814,377) | (£575,600) | (£12,870,275) | (£1,361,344) | (£123,100) | (£191,925) | (£258) | (£2,275) | (£8,538) | (£39,676) | |
| 6378·207 | 5225·851 | 40·579 | 40·136 | 21·553 | 2·384 | 1,915 | 2004 doses | 0·131 | 95 | 60·340 | ||
| 1979 | (£7,972,758) | (£10,451,702) | (£243,474) | (£10,656,075) | (£3,488,950) | (£178,800) | (£7,660) | (£5,496) | (£1,965) | (£47) | (£301,700) | |
| 3660 | ||||||||||||
| 13274·783 | 7403·700 | 122·571 | 38·124 | 35·686 | 6·185 | 16,080 | 672 doses | 0265 | 298 | 30·240 | ||
| 1980 | (£16,593,478) | (£14,807,400) | (£735,426) | (£5,273,179) | (£6,052,326) | (£402,025) | (£64,320) | (£8,664) 49 | (£3,180) | (£149) | (£151,200) | |
| 13719·668 | 7526·239 | 73·211 | 87·160 | 13·597 | 5·903 | 10,000 | 964 doses | 8·249 | 991 | 9·913 | 72 | |
| 1981 | (£17,149,585) | (£15,052,478) | (£439,266) | (£19,729,235) | (£2,272,861) | (£442,725) | (£40,000) | (£2,026) 1146 | (£164,980) | (£495) | (£49,565) | (36) |
| 12529·787 | 3769·557 | 28·349 | 182·982 | 12·032 | 2·195 | 76 | 14,469 doses | 2·225 | 485 | 16·223 | ||
| 1982 | (£15,662,233) | (£7,539,114) | (£170,094) | (£31,145,987) | (£2,272,861) | (£164,625) | (£304) | (£31,230) | (£38,937) | (£242) | (£81,115) | |
| (c) Northern Ireland | ||
| Cannabis | ||
| Herbal Kg. | Resin Kg. | |
| 1978 | 1·291 | |
| (£1,291) | ||
| 1979 | 13·987 | 0·003 |
| (£17,483) | (£6) | |
| 1980 | 0·105 | |
| (£131) | ||
| 1981 | 8·996 | |
| (£17,992) | ||
| 1982 | 0·007 | 0·036 |
| (£9) | (£72) | |
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is satisfied with the adequacy of legislation dealing with illegal importers and distributors of heroin and other hard drugs; what sentences are available to, and imposed on average by, the courts; and if he will make a statement.
Yes. On indictment for offences relating to the importation and distribution of heroin and other hard
the illicit market values of the drugs at the time of seizure; and what efforts are being made to deploy resources to curb illegal imports.
The quantities of illegal drugs seized by Customs and Excise in Scotland, England and Wales and Northern Ireland in the years 1978 to 1982, together with their estimated street values at the time of seizure are shown in the following tables (a) to (c). Although there has been an overall reduction in the total Customs and Excise staff, the number of specialist investigators dealing with drugs offences has been increased.drugs courts can impose fines of unlimited amounts or custodial sentences of up to 14 years or both. In addition, they can order the forfeiture of goods and money used in connection with the offence.The average custodial sentence imposed by the courts over the period 1 April 1981 — 31 March 1983 for offences relating to the importation of heroin and other hard drugs was four and a half years. It is not possible separately to show an average for those offences where importation was for the purpose of distribution.Further information on sentences for drugs offences is available from table 7 of "Statistics of the Misuse of Drugs in the United Kingdom 1982"—Home Office Statistical Bulletin No. 13/83—a copy of which is in the Library of the House.The Government are determined to fight this evil trade and will take whatever further measures they deem necessary to deter those who deal in it.
Customs And Excise (Rummage Work)
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff of Customs and Excise were employed on rummage work at ports and airports in Scotland, England and Wales and Northern Ireland, respectively, in each of the last five years.
The amount of rummage work undertaken at ports and airports in the United Kingdom varies considerably according to local circumstances and may be performed on either a whole or part-time basis by officers on preventive duties. Informal ion on the number of Customs and Excise staff engaged solely on rummage duties is not available. The totals employed on preventive duties in Great Britain at 1 April for each of the last five years are set out below, but I regret that a breakdown of the figures between Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
| Table 1: Gross domestic fixed capital formation | ||||
| £ million | ||||
| Central Government | Local authorities | Public corporations | Public sector | |
| 1979 | 1,493 | 3,666 | 5,633 | 10,792 |
| 1980 | 1,682 | 3,849 | 6,782 | 12,313 |
| 1981 | 1,773 | 2,809 | 6,925 | 11,507 |
| 1982 | 2,101 | 1,823 | 7,368 | 11,292 |
Source: National accounts.
Table 2: Sales of assets
| ||
£ million
| ||
Central Government
| Local authorities
| |
| 1979 | 195 | 626 |
| 1980 | 466 | 1,033 |
| 1981 | 791 | 1,420 |
| 1982 | 660 | 2,437 |
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish a table in the Official Report showing how much revenue has been raised in each year since 1970 by the sale of capital assets by (i) central Government, (ii) local government and (iii) other public authorities; what percentage in each case the total represents of the public sector borrowing requirement; whether since 1979 the additional revenue has been used to finance current expenditure; and what has been the effect on inflation.
Sales of capital assets by central Government and local authorities and as a proportion of the public sector borrowing requirement are as follows. Sales of assets by public corporations are not collated centrally. The receipts from sales are paid into general funds, for example, Consolidated Fund, housing revenue account and it is not possible to hypothecate them to any
Number
| |
| 1979 | 3,445 |
| 1980 | 3,214 |
| 1981 | 3,027 |
| 1982 | 2,890 |
*1983 | 2,798 |
*Estimated. | |
Public Sector (Capital Assets)
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing public sector purchases and sales of capital assets each year since 1979.
Gross domestic fixed capital formation by the public sector since 1979 is shown in table 1. These figures measure purchases less sales of capital assets. Sales for central Government — incorporating special sales of assets—and local authorities are given in table 2. Sales for public corporations are not readily available.particular expenditure item. It is not possible to isolate the effect of sales on reducing inflation from the myriad of other influences.
| Sale of capital assets | ||||
| Central Government* | Local authorities | |||
| £ million | PSBR per cent. | £ million | PSBR per cent. | |
| 1971 | 15 | 1 | 13 | 1 |
| 1972 | 20 | 1 | 18 | 1 |
| 1973 | 25 | 1 | 18 | — |
| 1974 | 32 | 1 | 43 | 1 |
| 1975 | 40 | — | 77 | 1 |
| 1976 | 25 | — | 167 | 2 |
| 1977 | 598 | 10 | 211 | 4 |
| 1978 | 65 | 1 | 455 | 5 |
| 1979 | 195 | 2 | 626 | 5 |
| 1980 | 466 | 4 | 1,033 | 8 |
| 1981 | 791 | 7 | 1,420 | 13 |
| 1982 | 660 | 12 | 2,437 | 45 |
| * including special sales of assets | ||||
Public Sector Borrowing Requirement
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each year since 1970 the public sector borrowing requirement and the savings ratio as a percentage of gross domestic product.
The figures are:
Public sector borrowing requirement (£ million)
| Saving ratio* (per cent.)
| Gross domestic product† (£ million) | Column (1) as a percentage of column (3)
| |
(1)
| (2)
| (3)
| (4)
| |
| 1970–71 | 817 | 8·8 | 52,407 | 1·6 |
| 1971–72 | 1,003 | 7·6 | 58,929 | 1·7 |
| 1972–73 | 2,520 | 10·3 | 66,258 | 3·8 |
| 1973–74 | 4,449 | 12·6 | 73,826 | 6·0 |
| 1974–75 | 7,929 | 12·8 | 88,255 | 9·0 |
| 1975–76 | 10,592 | 12·3 | 110,470 | 9·6 |
| 1976–77 | 8,512 | 11·4 | 128,454 | 6·6 |
| 1977–78 | 5,576 | 10·6 | 149,436 | 3·7 |
| 1978–79 | 9,224 | 13·9 | 169,862 | 5·4 |
| 1979–80 | 9,915 | 14·4 | 202,687 | 4·9 |
| 1980–81 | 13,201 | 15·9 | 232,873 | 5·7 |
| 1981–82 | 8,701 | 13·4 | 253,005 | 3·4 |
| 1982–83 | 9,001 | 11·3 | 277,374 | 3·2 |
* Personal sector savings as a percentage of disposable income. | ||||
| † Expenditure based, at current market prices. | ||||
Value Added Tax
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will join the German Minister of Finance in opposing the European Community 12th directive on value added tax.
After careful consideration of representations made by trade bodies and others in response to a comprehensive consultation exercise carried out by Customs and Excise, the United Kingdom Government intend to take the following approach to this draft directive.The principle of the draft 12th directive, that deduction of input tax should be disallowed on certain expenditure which may not be genuinely for business purposes, was accepted by the United Kingdom when it agreed to the sixth directive on VAT in 1977. The Government, however, believe that the blocking rule is crude and should be used only to remedy really significant abuse or administrative complications. The United Kingdom could accept a directive which made obligatory the blocking of input tax deduction on those items where it already applies in the United Kingdom, that is cars and business entertainment—except for overseas clients—but nothing more.
Public Expenditure
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the level of public expenditure each year since 1960; and what has been the percentage increase each year in (a) current prices and (b) real prices.
I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.
Casual Workers (Paye)
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance is issued by the Inland Revenue to farmers who engage casual and seasonal workers on the requirements for deduction of pay-as-you-earn; and if he will make a statement.
I shall let my hon. Friend have a reply as soon as possible.
Insurance Companies (Employees)
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has any plans to change the rules that allow insurance company employees involved in selling life insurance to be treated as self-employed for tax purposes.
I shall let my hon. Friend have a reply as soon as possible.
Import Levies
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the import levy imposed on wheat from the United States of America on the most recent convenient date.
Common wheat imported into the United Kingdom bore levy—including monetary compensatory amounts—of £67·8774 per tonne on 27 July 1983. The corresponding levy on durum wheat was £84·5203 per tonne.
Paye (Pilot Study)
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is able to advise on the result of the pilot study on pay-as-you-earn files and their contents.
I announced to the House last year [Vol. 28, c. 182] — that we have concluded that for the majority of people who pay tax under pay-as-you-earn much of the material held in tax office files is retained unnecessarily. Following responses to a consultative paper I authorised the Inland Revenue to proceed with a pilot study in 11 tax offices to test whether it is necessary to preserve all communications, and to maintain separate files, for those taxpayers who are not required to make a return of income annually. The pilot study has recently been completed and has shown that it is possible to deal satisfactorily with the affairs of many taxpayers with far fewer records than at present and that such an approach will yield significant staff savings. Details of the study are contained in an interim evaluation report a copy of which is being placed in the House of Commons Library today. In view of the successful outcome of the feasibility study the Inland Revenue, with my approval, has decided to extend nationally later this year the new methods of working for those taxpayers who are not required to make a return of income annually. The Department will be holding full discussions with its trade unions on the implementation process.
Capital Taxation And The National Heritage
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the revised edition of the Treasury memorandum on capital taxation and the national heritage, last republished in December 1980, will be published.
The revised memorandum is being issued today. I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Library. The memorandum has been modified and expanded to take account of changes in the legislation since its last revision in 1980, in particular the maintenance fund provisions in the Finance Act 1982, the revised arrangements relating to private treaty sales and for public access to conditionally exempt works of art announced in the Government's reply to the third report of the Select Committee on Education, Science and the Arts and other modifications in administrative practice. It has been produced in consultation with other Government Departments concerned, and with advisory bodies throughout the United Kingdom. Comments and suggestions by other bodies and individuals concerned with the preservation of our national heritage have also been taken into account.
Building Societies
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will propose legislation to allow building societies to pay interest gross on time deposits, on the lines of the measure enacted earlier this year in respect of building society certificates of deposit.
The Government have been considering this question, in the light of representations received from the Building Societies' Association and other interested parties. We accept that all except the largest societies may find it more appropriate to raise funds from the wholesale money markets by way of taking non-marketable time deposits, rather than issuing marketable certificates of deposit. However, they are inhibited from doing so at present because the special building society arrangements —section 343 of the Taxes Act—generally require them to account for tax on interest paid to depositors.In principle, we are anxious to keep to a minimum the number of exceptions to the special arrangements. These
| Table 1—Net contributions (-) and receipts (+) by member state (Allocated budget, excluding United Kindom and German refunds) | ||||||||
| 1975 million ecu | 1976 million ecu | 1977 million ecu | 1978 million ecu | 1979 million ecu | 1980 million ecu | 1981 million ecu | 1982* million ecu | |
| Belgium-Luxembourg | +135 | +346 | +329 | +337 | +610 | +439 | +515 | +510 |
| Denmark | +237 | +294 | +293 | +381 | +380 | +327 | +279 | +294 |
| Germany | -1,007 | -1,054 | -1,467 | -597 | -1,430 | -1,526 | -1,684 | -2,085 |
| Greece | — | — | — | — | — | — | +173 | +698 |
| France | +35 | +58 | -310 | -371 | -78 | +431 | +576 | +14 |
| Ireland | +175 | +158 | +212 | +326 | +545 | +650 | +582 | +721 |
| Italy | +40 | +248 | †294 | -334 | +534 | +737 | +788 | +1,586 |
| Netherlands | -27 | +222 | +88 | +41 | +288 | +454 | +239 | +302 |
| United Kingdom | +104 | -90 | +126 | -228 | -849 | -1,512 | -1,419 | -2,036 |
| * provisional | ||||||||
Source: Commission
The figures for 1975 to 1978 are not on the same basis as those after 1978, and do not sum to zero; but they give some guidance as to the orders of magnitude; the figures for 1982 are the mid-points of the ranges given by the Commission earlier this year, and they remain subject to revision.
arrangements represent a package agreed between the Government and the building society movement, with advantages and disadvantages for both sides. In this particular case, however, it may seem inconsistant to allow building societies to pay interest gross on certificates of deposit, but not on time deposits.
We have therefore decided to propose the further, very limited, change suggested by the Building Societies' Association. Legislation will be included in next year's Finance Bill to allow building societies to pay interest gross on time deposits of a minimum denomination of £50,000, provided that they have a life of less than one year. The change will apply from 1 October 1983, and draft legislation will be published as soon as possible.
Pension Funds
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will consider seeking the amendment of the legislation applicable to company pension funds so as to ensure that employees who leave the company's service prior to retirement age are not penalised by the freezing of contributions to their capital value at the date of leaving; and if he will make a statement.
I have been asked to reply.I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 19 October 1982. —[Vol. 29, c.
71–72.] We are arranging a conference in September which will discuss in depth the problems faced by early leavers.
European Community (Budget)
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the net cash payment or receipt into the Community budget for each Community country during each calendar year since 1970 including the estimate for the current year, expressed as a total and per capita.
[pursuant to his reply, 27 July 1983]: The two tables below show the information requested for the period 1975 to 1982, on the basis of Commission estimates and excluding special refunds to the United Kingdom and Germany. The Commission has not made available estimates for the period before 1975; it has also not produced estimates for 1983.
Table 2—Net contributions (-) and receipts (+) by member state per head (Allocated budget, excluding United Kindom and German refunds)
| ||||||||
1975 ecu
| 1976 ecu
| 1977 ecu
| 1978 ecu
| 1979 ecu
| 1980 ecu
| 1981 ecu
| 1982* ecu
| |
Net positions before United Kingdom refunds
| ||||||||
| Belgium-Luxembourg | +13·3 | +34·0 | +32·3 | +33·1 | +59·8 | +43·0 | +50·4 | +49·9 |
| Denmark | +46·8 | +58·0 | +57·6 | +74·6 | +74·3 | +63·8 | +54·5 | +57·4 |
| Germany | -16·3 | -17·1 | -23·9 | -9·7 | -23·3 | -24·8 | -27·3 | -33·8 |
| Greece | — | — | — | — | — | — | +17·8 | +70·9 |
| France | +0·7 | +1·1 | -5·8 | -7·0 | -1·5 | +8·0 | +10·7 | +0·3 |
| Ireland | +55·0 | +48·9 | +64·8 | +98·4 | +161·8 | +191·1 | +169·0 | +207·1 |
| Italy | +0·7 | +4·4 | +5·2 | -5·9 | +9·4 | +12·9 | +13·8 | +28·2 |
| Netherlands | -2·0 | +16·1 | +6·4 | +2·9 | +20·5 | +32·0 | +16·8 | +21·1 |
| United Kingdom | +1·7 | -1·6 | -2·3 | -4·1 | -15·2 | -27·0 | -25·3 | -36·2 |
* provisional | ||||||||
Source: Commission; OECD population estimates.
Civil Service
Public Appointments
asked the Minister for the Civil Service what advice is sought from hon. Members by the Management and Personnel Office when compiling a register of people who may be willing to undertake work on Government committees, commissions, tribunals and so on; and what steps are taken by the Office to ensure that individuals approached are suitably qualified for appointment by Ministers.
The public appointments unit of the Management and Personnel Office receives nominations for the central list of persons who are willing to be considered for public appointments from many different sources, including Government Departments, representative organisations and self nominations. Nominations from hon. Members are always welcome. Where a nominee for the list gives an hon. Member as a referee the unit normally writes to the Member for his views about the individual's suitability for a public appointment. Ensuring that an individual is suitably qualified for an appointment is, however, the responsibility of the appropriate Minister dealing with that appointment.
Home Department
Theft
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many theft cases where the value of the property stolen is less than £500 have been tried before the Crown courts over the most convenient 12-month period; what is the estimated inclusive cost of bringing such cases for trial; and what have been the court disposals for such cases.
The information requested is not collected centrally, but I am writing to my hon. Friend.
Firearms
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish comparable figures for each year since 1971 for offences involving firearms in the metropolis which take account of (a) the change on 1 January 1972 in the level of damage which made an offence notifiable and (b) inflation; and if he will rework the figure given in his reply of 14 July, Official Report, c. 397, on this basis.
The information available is given in the following table. Information is not collected centrally on the value or nature of the damage involved in each offence of criminal damage and so it is not possible to provide figures for 1971 on the same basis as those for later years or to adjust these figures for inflation. However, the number of notifiable offences, other than of criminal damage, in which firearms were reported to have been used, increased by 213 per cent. between 1971 and 1981.
| Notifiable offences*recorded by the police in which firearms were reported to have been used | |||
| Metropolitan Police Distric | Numbers | ||
| Total offences | Criminal damage | Other | |
| 1971 | 618 | — | 618 |
| 1972 | 625 | 13 | 612 |
| 1973 | † | † | † |
| 1974 | † | † | † |
| 1975 | † | † | † |
| 1976 | 1,349 | 46 | 1,303 |
| 1977 | 1,516 | 96 | 1,420 |
| 1978 | 1,436 | 133 | 1,303 |
| 1979 | 1,710 | 183 | 1,527 |
| 1980 | 1,627 | 210 | 1,417 |
| 1981 | 2,107 | 173 | 1,934 |
| * For 1971, includes offences of criminal damage where the damage was estimated at over £100; for 1972 to 1981 includes such offences where the damage was estimated at over £20. | |||
| † not available. | |||
Postal Voting
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to introduce legislation to permit postal voting for parish and town council elections; and on what time scale.
We do not, at present, have any plans to do so, but we are looking into the possibility.
Terrorism
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) why the evidence on which exclusion orders are based is withheld from persons on whom such orders are served;
(2) if he has any plans to introduce legislation to enable a person on whom an exclusion order has been served to know the evidence on which the order is based.
The exclusion order system is designed to provide a means of restricting the movements of persons who I am satisfied are, have been or intend to be involved in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism. Much of the relevant information is of a sensitive nature and cannot be disclosed. I have no plans to make any change in these arrangements.
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people have been excluded from Great Britain to Northern Ireland since 1974 under the Prevention of Terrorism Act;(2) how many people have been excluded from Great Britain to the Irish Republic since 1974 under the Prevention of Terrorism Act;(3) in how many cases applications have been made for exclusion orders to be reviewed after three years; and how many of these reviews have resulted in the order being revoked;(4) how many people have been arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act in Great Britain since 1974; in how many cases those arrested have been charged with criminal offences; and of those charged how many have eventually been found guilty.
The information requested for the period up to 31 March 1983 is published in Home Office Statistical Bulletin No. 6/83, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House. Information for the second quarter of 1983 will be published shortly.
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have objected to an exclusion order since 1974; and in how many cases these objections have been successful.
Information about the number of representations against exclusion orders made under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary, Provisions) Acts 1974 and 1976 is published in table 3, footnote c, of Home Office Statistical Bulletin No. 6/83, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House. Information for the second quarter of 1983 will be published shortly.
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many cases of arrest under the Prevention of Terrorism Act in Great l3ritain an extension has been applied for to hold the person arrested for more than 48 hours; and in how many of the se cases the request has been turned down.
The information requested for the period up to 31 March 1983 is published in table 1, c. 4 and 5 and footnotes (c) and (e), of Home Office Statistical Bulletin No. 6/83, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House. Information for the second quarter of 1983 will be published shortly.
Licensing Laws
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether Her Majesty's Government have proposals for the reform of the liquor licensing laws in England and Wales.
We have at present no plans to do so.
Albany Prison (Disturbances)
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why those prisoners alleged to have taken part in the riots at Albany prison were not tried in the ordinary courts.
In all the circumstances it seemed right to rely on the procedures laid down in the prison rules for investigating and, if justified, punishing alleged offences against prison discipline.
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the charges and the penalties imposed on each of the prisoners involved in the recent riot in Albany prison.
As a result of the recent riot in Her Majesty's prison Albany 28 prisoners were charged with mutiny; three of these were also charged with offences against good order and discipline. In addition, three other prisoners were charged with offences against good order and discipline, another with absenting himself from a place where he was required to be, and another with wilfully damaging properly. Some of the prisoners have not yet been adjudicated upon, but when all the adjudications have been completed, my noble Friend will write to the hon. Member listing findings and penalties for each charge.
Wormwood Scrubs Prison (Incident)
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department which of the following prisoners required X-ray examination as a result of their injuries following the incident in D wing, Wormwood Scrubs prison, on 16 June: Alan Hirst, James Anderson, Keith Fassenfelt, John Muggeridge, Christopher Clark, Tarek Etunce, Larry Delaney, Kenneth Rose, Wayne Smith and Neil. Wallace.
James Anderson was X-rayed. No abnormality or injury was revealed.
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the nature of the injuries sustained by the following prisoners during the incident in D wing, Wormwood Scrubs prison, on 16 June; Alan Hirst, James Anderson, Keith Fassenfelt, John Muggeridge, Christopher Clark, Tarek Etunce, Larry Delaney, Kenneth Rose, Wayne Smith and Neil Wallace.
Of the prisoners named, five —Anderson, Fassenfelt, Muggeridge, Clark and Delaney — sustained injuries ranging from minor abrasions to multiple abrasions and bruising.
Citizenship
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many grants of citizenship were made in the period 1 April 1982 to 31 March 1983 to people who had paid (a) £70, (b) £35 and (c) £200 with their original application.
In the period 1 April 1982 to 31 March 1983 431 certificates of registration or naturalisation were issued to applicants who had each paid £200. Seven thousand, seven hundred and thirty-six certificates of registration and 157 certificates of naturalisation were issued to applicants who had each paid £70, but this naturalisation total also includes a vary small number of applicants who had applied between 1 October 1976 and 28 February 1978 when the full naturalisation fee —payable at the time of grant—was £70.Registration certificates were issued in respect of 1,090 fees of £35. This fee covers an application for one or more minor children, and it would entail disproportionate cost to ascertain the actual number of children registered.
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for naturalisation were
| Number | Percentage of completed applications | |
| Total number of applications for naturalisation refused Reasons for refusal* | 1,127 | 13·2 |
| (a)Failure to meet statutory residential requirements etc. | 469 | 5·5 |
| (b)Failure to meet requirements as to character (criminal record, bankruptcy, insolvency, dubious business or other record, deception etc.) | 272 | 3·2 |
| (c)Failure to meet language requirement | 194 | 2·3 |
| (d)Failure to meet requirements as to future residence | 187 | 2·2 |
| (e)Other reasons | 5 | 0·1 |
| *An application may be refused for more than one reason. The number of applicants refused in any one year will therefore not necessarily agree with the total reasons for refusal. | ||
Stateless Minors (Registration)
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications have been (a) received, (b) granted and (c) refused for the registration of stateless minors born in the United Kingdom since 1 January 1983 under section 3(1) of the British Nationality Act 1981.
This information is not readily available. Nine stateless minors have been registered as British citizens since 1 January 1983 but it is likely that most, if not all, of them were born abroad and before 1983.
Crime Statistics
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes were reported to the police in 1982; and what change this represented on the previous year.
The number of notifiable offences recorded by the police in England and Wales in 1982 and other recent years was published in Home Office Statistical Bulletin issue 3/83 on 14 March 1983.
Women Prisoners (Holloway)
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will detail the amount and type of drugs issued to women prisoners in Holloway prison.
In 1982 the numbers of doses of medicine, including drugs, dispensed to inmates of Holloway prison was as follows:
| Number | |
| Medicines available without prescription in the community | 99,595 |
| Prescription only | |
| Psychotropic drugs (i.e. antidepressants, sedatives and tranquillisers) | 66,691 |
refused in 1982 in each of the following categories and what percentage of completed applications they represent: (a) failure to meet statutory residential requirements, and so on, (b) failure to meet requirements as to character, (c) failure to meet language requirement, (d) failure to meet requirements as to future residential intentions, (e) other reasons and (f) total.
The figures for 1982 are as follows:
| Number | |
| Hypnotic drugs | 19,378 |
| Other drugs acting on the central nervous system | 28,546 |
| Other drugs and medicines | 85,172 |
Life Sentences
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received regarding life sentences being imprisonment for life.
In the last month we have received 29 letters from members of the public, either direct or forwarded by hon. Members, advocating that life sentence prisoners should never be released. We are also, of course, aware of the three motions on the Order Paper urging this course in some or all cases of murder.
Radar Speed Check Devices
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has implemented a system of type approval for devices designed or adopted for measuring by radar the speed of motor vehicles.
The Home Office scientific research and development branch is carrying out a programme of tests of radar speed detection devices. It is hoped that this will be completed by the end of this year, and that it will then be possible to prepare a system of type approval for such devices.
Christine Scott
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make available his Department's report of the inqury into the death of Christine Scott in Holloway prison.
We received reports from the governor of Holloway about this case, but it is not the practice to make such reports available. Mrs. Scott's death was the subject of an inquest held on 12 October 1982, which returned a verdict of death by misadventure.
River Avon Estuary (Byelaws)
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why he has not yet approved the draft River Avon estuary byelaws submitted to him in January 1982 extending the area of the river covered by the byelaws previously approved by his Department on 5 June 1980, to include the centre of the estuary.
Further consideration brought to light a number of complications. A letter was sent to the council on 27 July indicating that, subject to the resolution of some points of detail, it would now be possible to give approval to the draft.
Winter Hill (Booster Aerial)
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the cost of adding a booster aerial to the Winter hill transmitter in Lancashire to enable the whole of Delyn and Deeside to receive ultra high frequency television services from transmitters in Wales; and whether there are any plans to add such an aerial.
It would not be possible to bring Welsh UHF television services to Deeside by adding a further transmitter at Winter hill because the necessary frequencies are not available. The only way to bring a Welsh television signal to those area; of Deeside which cannot now receive Welsh services would be to construct relays taking a signal from the main north-east Wales transmitter at Moel-y-Parc. Even if the frequencies needed were available—and this is not certain—the cost would mean diverting scarce resources from the task of bringing UHF reception to those who have no television service at all.
Police Probationers (Training Report)
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the report of the working party on the training of police probationers.
The report, which follows a similar report on community and race relations training, is being published today. I accept its recommendations, which are based on the proposition that probationer training for police recruits should be regarded as a two-year apprenticeship, centred on job-related skills, with emphasis on high professional standards of conduct. The report is the work of a group comprising representatives of the police service, local authorities and an academic adviser, and I am grateful to them for their recommendations.Implementation will be in two stages. Stage 1 will consist of a considerably improved version of the present pattern of probationer training. For provincial officers the initial course will be extended from 10 to 14 weeks and on return to their forces the recruits will have further training, including instruction by experienced tutor constables in their main task of street duty. Recruits will receive about seven months training before they are allowed to patrol unaccompanied by a more experienced officer; and after that their training, formal and informal, will continue throughout the remainder of their two-year probationary period. This improved pattern of training will be introduced in January 1984. Similar arrangements apply in the Metropolitan police.In stage 2 a small research team of academic advisers and police officers will continue the review of probationer training, assessing present methods and evaluating the overall results, with a view to recommending further improvements, both in initial training centres and in forces.Copies of the working party's report are being placed in the Library, and will also be available from my Department on request.
Metropolitan Police (Royal Protection Department)
asked the Secretary of state for the Home Department whether he is satisfied with the working of the royalty protection department of the Metropolitan police; and if he will make a statement.
The royalty protection department has made an important contribution to the improvement of the security of members of the royal family since it was created in July last year. Further improvements have been planned and are in process of implementation. From 1 September the royalty protection department will be merged with the diplomatic protection group under the command of the present head of the royalty protection department, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Colin Smith. The existing work of both organisations will remain largely unaffected but the integrated rank structure at higher levels will improve police effectiveness.
National Association Of Victims Support Schemes
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he proposes to increase the level of Home Office grant to the National Association of Victims Support Schemes.
The amount of the Home Office grant to the NAVSS for 1983–84 is at present £20,000. I am glad to say that this is to be increased by £30,000 in 1984–85 and by a proportionate amount in the current year to enable additional staff and ofice accommodation to be provided as soon as possible. This will help the NAVSS to meet its growing commitments in support of the expanding network of voluntary victims support schemes throughout the country. The NAVSS will need to continue to look to other sources to meet a substantial proportion of its financial needs.
Education And Science
Universities (Clinical Academic Salaries)
asked the Secretary of Stale for Education and Science when he intends to make an announcement about additional funding for universities in order to maintain the 1968 agreement and grant clinical academic salary increases in line with the 1983 increases granted to National Health Service doctors.
I refer the hon. Lady to the reply given by my right hon. Friend to my hon. Friend the Member for Carshalton and Wallington (Mr. Forman) on 26 July. —[Vol. 46, c. 367–68.]
School Closures
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will issue a new circular on school closures laying down clear and firm guidelines on the procedure to be followed by local authorities during their consultations with parents and others when proposals are made for any school closure.
Guidance is already provided in paragraph 5 of the Department's circular 2/80 and paragraph 22 of circular 2/81. If followed, adequate opportunities should be provided for consultation with parents and others concerned.
Corporal Punishment
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has in relation to corporal punishment in schools; and if he will make a statement.
As a party to the European Convention on Human Rights since 1951 the Government are bound by the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights in any case under the convention to which they are a party. In the Campbell and Cosans case the court decided that where a parent holds a philosophical conviction against corporal punishment at school this must be respected by the state. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I intend to give effect to the court's judgment in England and Wales proposing in due course legislation which will grant to parents who hold a conviction against corporal punishment the right to have their children exempted from corporal punishment in maintained schools. We believe that parents will exercise this right responsibly.We are concerned to allow schools the maximum freedom, consistent with such a right of exemption, to employ for the maintenance of discipline such sanctions, including corporal punishment, as they judge to be appropriate. We also wish to maintain the tradition under which teachers act in loco parentis and concern themselves with the personal and social development of pupils; and to preserve the balance of responsibilities, in relation to school discipline, between LEAs, governors and head teachers.There are several possible ways in which these objectives might be met. In order to develop a detailed scheme which can be embodied in legislation, my right hon. Friend and I will consult widely on the practical issues involved. We have today published a consultation document with a request for comments by 30 November 1983. Copies are available in the Vote Office. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland will be issuing a similar document.When these consultations have been completed we intend to make a further report to the House.
The Arts
Arts Council
asked the Under-Secretary of State answering in respect of the arts what subjects he intends to discuss with the secretary general of the Arts Council at their next meeting.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 18 July to the hon. Member for Falkirk, West (Mr. Canavan).—[Vol. 46, c. 16.]
Overseas Development
Horn Of Africa (Famine Relief)
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the total value of aid sent from the United Kingdom to the famine area in the Horn of Africa during the past year; and if he will make a statement.
About £3·3 million, including the cost of 19,000 tonnes of food aid to Ethiopia provided from our contribution to the world food programme. The European Community has also delivered, or allocated, to Ethiopia food aid worth about £8 million, of which about a fifth is met from the aid programme.In addition, although Somalia is not afflicted by famine, we gave £529,000 last financial year to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and to British voluntary agencies for the support of refugees in that country, and the European Community last year provided food aid worth just over £9 million for the same purpose.
Voluntary Service Overseas
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to extend voluntary service overseas to Zimbabwe.
I have informed the British Volunteer Programme Council that, exceptionally, I am prepared to provide financial support to two member societies to operate in Zimbabwe. A senior staff member of Voluntary Service Overseas is currently visiting that country with a representative of the Catholic Institute for International Relations to discuss with the Government the setting up of a VSO programme. This would be in addition to, and in co-operation with the existing programme run by CIIR.
Development Education Policy
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has reviewed Her Majesty's Government's policy on development education; and if he will make a statement.
I have decided that, subject to parliamentary approval, we should continue to provide grants from the overseas aid programme to the Centre for World Development Education and its Scottish counterpart, Scottish Education and Action for Development, at the current cash level of funding of £100,000 and £6,000 per annum, respectively, for the next three financial years. It remains the Government's view, however, that, in general, scarce aid funds should be concentrated on direct assistance to developing countries.
Energy
Gas Flaring
asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will give comparative figures for the volumes of gas flared on the United Kingdom continental shelf at the following dates, or the nearest convenient dates: 1 January 1981, 1 January 1982, 1 January 1983 and 1 July 1983.
Comprehensive data on gas flared are not available on a daily basis. The annual totals and daily averages are as follows:
| Calendar year | Total gas flared (millions of cubic metres) | Daily average for year (millions of cubic metres per day) |
| 1980 | 4,237·6 | 11·58 |
| 1981 | 4,215·7 | 11·54 |
| 1982 | 4,046·2 | 11·09 |
Gas Network
asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he proposes to link the United Kingdom gas network with the European grid; and whether he will seek to create a national strategic stockpile of the natural product.
A link between the British and European gas grids to provide additional security against supply interruptions is considered unnecessary given the flexibility in present supply arrangements to the British market. Justification in commercial terms would therefore be the first test in considering whether a link should be approved. I am not aware of any firm proposals in this respect. The cost of creating an additional strategic stockpile would not be justified.
Gas Meters
asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many gas meters are faulty; and what has been the cost over a convenient period of remedying faults to meters.
8,500 disputed gas meters, out of more than 15 million in circulation, were tested in the financial year 1982–83. Of these 54·27 per cent.—4,613 —were found to be outside the permitted tolerances of + or -2 per cent. The cost of bringing these meters in for the test and testing them, borne by the British Gas Corporation, was some £70,000.
Gas Showrooms (Sale)
asked the Secretary of State for Energy what decision he has reached about the sale of the British Gas Corporation's gas showrooms, referred to in the statement by the then Minister for Consumer Affairs on 8 july 1981, Official Report, c. 405.
The Government remain determined to tackle the problems identified by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission report on the supply of certain domestic gas appliances, but final decisions have not yet been taken regarding implementation.
Combined Heat And Power
asked the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects to respond to the Energy Committee report on combined heat and power.
A response to the Select Committee's report on combined heat and power will be made in conjunction with the Government's assessment of the W. S. Atkins' lead city studies. An announcement will be made as soon as possible.
Coal Industry (Redundancy Payments)
asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list those wholly-owned subsidiaries of the National Coal Board whose employees would not be eligible for payments from the redundant mineworkers' payments scheme.
A person made redundant by a subsidiary of the National Coal Board will be eligible for payments under the redundant mineworkers' payments scheme only if he falls within the scope of the statutory instrument governing the scheme—S.I. 1983/506.Benefits may be paid to persons in industrial grades in the coal industry:
"Prescribed places" are listed in S.I. 1983/506, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.
Tredomen Engineering Ltd
asked the Secretary of State for Energy by what amount the redundancy payments for National Coal Board employees at the Tredomen engineering works fall short of that amount payable to National Coal Board employees eligible for payments from the redundant mineworkes pension scheme during the first, second and third years of their redundancy, assuming in each case an employee aged 55 years with 30 years unbroken service.
A person made redundant at Tredomen Engineering Ltd. would not be eligible for payments under the RMPS. He would receive payments under the Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978. Any other payments would be a matter for the management of the company to settle with the appropriate trades unions and I am not, therefore, in a position to make the comparison requested.
asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what percentage of work undertaken at the National Coal Board engineering works, Tredomen, was undertaken for the National Coal Board during the years 1975 to date;(2) what is the difference in the pension contributions paid by National Coal Board employees at the Tredomen engineering works compared to other National Coal Board employees.
These are matters for the National Coal Board. I have asked the chairman of the board to write to the hon. Member.
Liquefaction (Point Of Ayr)
asked the Secretary of State for Energy what up-to-date progress has been made in the development of the coal liquefaction project at Point of Ayr; and what is now the expected date for its commencement.
Work on the 2·5 tonnes per day coal liquefaction plant project began in April this year, with the signing of an agreement between the Department of Energy and the National Coal Board, to share equally the cost of the estimated £1 million, one-year basic engineering design phase. The scope of this basic design is agreed and most of the work will be done by a process engineering contractor to be selected in late August.A strong management team has been created by combining NCB expertise with industrial experience in process development.NCB has applied for Community support under Regulation EEC 1971/83, covering financial support for pilot and demonstration projects relating to the liquefaction and gasification of solid fuels.The NCB is also continuing discussions with potential industrial partners with a view to satisfying the Department's requirement for private sector involvement in the project.If all goes well, the basic engineering phase will be completed in mid-1984, after which a decision will be taken on construction.
Transport
Marine Pilots
asked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will make a statement on the consideration currently being given by his Department, as set out in the Official Report of 12 May, c. 397, to proposals that would shift the basis of pilotage in certain circumstances away from a compulsory to a voluntary regime, in the light of the advance of modern navigational aids; what bodies in the shipping industry he has consulted; what bodies he intends to consult in the near future; what responses he has had so far; and what part the Pilotage Commission is taking in the consideration of this matter;(2) if he will make a statement on the reappraisal of the pilotage service, as set out in the
Official Report on 12 May, c. 397–8, which the Pilotage Commission proposed should be undertaken; what consideration is being given to the proposal that there should be examined the concept of a central pilotage authority, which would be the pilots' employer, and responsible for the provision of all pilotage services in the United Kingdom; what progress the Pilotage Commission has made so far; whom the Commission has consulted; whom it intends to consult; and how long the period of consultation is expected to take.
These questions cover a wide range of difficult and complex matters which I am considering. I expect to make a statement in due course.
asked the Secretary of State for Transport when his Department last had discussions with the London Wharfingers Association on the implications for it of pilotage dues; what recent discussion the Pilotage Commission has had with the wharfingers association; what major views were put forward; and if he will make a statement.
So far as I can establish the association has had no discussions about pilotage dues with my Department in recent years. The association made representations to the then Secretary of State for Trade, who had responsibility for pilotage matters, when the draft London pilotage byelaws were under consideration in 1980, 1981 and 1982. These representations, in common with those from other interested parties, were put to the Pilotage Commission and were taken into account by it in its subsequent recommendations.
asked the Secretary of State for Transport how many pilots are currently working in each of the United Kingdom ports, respectively; what the average number of hours per week actually worked by an individual pilot performing acts of pilotage, as opposed to being on call for such acts, in each post, respectively, is; and whether he has information as to the average annual gross earnings for an individual pilot, given for each port, respectively.
Information in this form is not readily available, and I regret that the cost of securing it would be out of proportion. However, I am placing in the Libraries of both Houses copies of the Pilotage Commission's summary of pilotage returns for 1982, which has just been published. This gives pilots' numbers and average annual gross earnings for first class pilots on a district basis at the latest available date: 31 December 1982.
Aircraft Noise
asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he is satisfied with progress towards the introduction of better noise standards for aircraft in the United Kingdom.
Yes.
Commuter Railway Stations
asked the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria are applied to the provision of supplementary finance towards the cost of building new commuter railway stations.
The central Government grant payments to British Rail for the passengers business are not for individual projects. County councils can include plans to contribute to the cost of new railway stations in their transport policies and programme and, if accepted, this expenditure would be eligible for transport supplementary grant.
Bus Services (Recommendations)
asked the Secretary of State for Transport what further responses he has received from the operators concerned to the recommendations on the provision of stage carriage bus services contained in the report of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission published on 28 July 1982; and if he will make a statement.
I have arranged for copies of further responses from the National Bus Company, West Midlands county council and passenger transport executive and Cardiff city council to be placed in the Library.In his earlier statement about the report on 28 February — [Vol. 38, c. 427] — my right hon. Friend's predecessor indicated in respect of NBC that he hoped additional progress would be possible in certain key areas. I am pleased to see that this has indeed proved possible, and the Department will continue to take a close interest in NBC's work on "value for money" audit and investment appraisal procedures in particular. We are also continuing to discuss objectives with NBC in the light of our intention to introduce substantial private capital.The response by Cardiff city council shows that it has considered all the recommendations directed towards it and has taken or is in the process of taking appropriate action. In particular, it has addressed the four special priority recommendations which the commission made in respect of the undertaking. I recognise that full implementation of some of the recommendations must be dependent upon the successful completion of the Department of Transport's current computerisation programme.The earlier misgivings about the attitude of the West Midlands county council and PTE to the report are substantially allayed by their present response. I am pleased to see that the executive has renegotiated its engineering premium payment scheme to eliminate faults identified by the commission, and that there are encouraging signs of improved performance. The county council and executive still disagree with the commission's interpretation of statistics relating to non-manual staffing levels. Nevertheless, they acknowledge in their latest response the need to match staff numbers to work load, and I note that negotiations are in hand with a view to securing reductions in numbers.Two recommendations fell for consideration by the Department. We intend to consult interested bodies shortly about the frequency of medical examinations for bus drivers, in the light of the working party report to which my right hon. Friend's predecessor referred. We will also be seeking industry views on the publication of unit cost information.I should like to take this opportunity to convey my own thanks to the commission for the painstaking investigation which it undertook. Besides the value of its work to the four operators directly concerned, I believe its recommendations are of wider application and I hope that, if they have not already done so, other bus operators will consider the recommendations with a view to improving the efficiency of their own undertakings.
Vehicle Testing
asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will make a statement about the transfer of heavy goods vehicle and public service vehicle testing to Lloyd's Register of Shipping.
Yes. I have reviewed the likely costs and benefits of the transfer of these functions to a new Lloyd's Register Vehicle Testing Authority, following the negotiations with Lloyds Register of Shipping over the last year.I have considered the transfer against the Government's stated policy that hiving off proposals must be commensurate with sound management and good value for money for the taxpayer. The total cost of setting up the new authority—including the Department's own costs—would be about £3·5 million plus the cost of compensation to staff who transfer for any worsening of their terms and conditions of employment. The Government were also asked to take on certain contingent liabilities. The estimated operating costs of the new authority in the first year would be significantly above those currently projected for the Department for the same period. There would also be substantial costs to the Exchequer in the first year, including up to £12 million of expenditure brought forward in pension transfers. The Exchequer would receive some £900,000 from the sale of equipment and stores.Even allowing for longer-term benefits of privatisation in providing a more efficient basic service, and possibly extra non-statutory services, I have concluded that the costs involved make it unwise to proceed.I should like to express my appreciation to Lloyd's Register of Shipping for its co-operation and all the work that it has done. I have told Lloyd's Register that the Government is prepared to meet approved additional costs necessarily incurred by it in good faith, which I understand to be of the order of £500,000.I have now decided to conduct an urgent and comprehensive review of the Department's vehicle inspection division with a view to securing improvements in efficiency and in the standards of service provided to the industry. In this connection, most of the expenditure by Lloyd's Register which the Government propose to meet has been incurred on computer and management consultants in drawing up proposals for restructuring the operation of vehicle testing and setting up computerised data handling and management information systems. I shall be able to make full use of these in pursuing the new approach I have outlined.
Roads (Severe Weather)
asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he is satisfied with the financial arrangements with regard to compensating local authorities for the extra costs of keeping roads open during a severe winter.
The report on road maintenance published by the Select Committee on Transport earlier this year recommended that the Department of the Environment
I am considering that recommendation with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment and will respond to it and the other recommendations of the Transport Committee in due course."should take a far more generous approach to the question of compensation for the extra costs incurred during the severe winter."
Road Construction (Contracts)
asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is the number of contracts let for new motorways and trunk road construction with their total value at 1983 prices for every second quarter of the year from 1978 to 1983.
I shall write to the hon. Member.
Roadworks (Public Utilities)
asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to strengthen the control over public utilities which fail satisfactorily to reinstate road surfaces after they have been opened.
My Department is setting up a review of the Public Utilities Street Works Act 1950 and the associated model agreement and specifications. When that review is complete, I shall consider whether any changes are needed in the present arrangements for reinstatement after public utilities' works.
Broadcast Travel Information
asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give consideration to formalising broadcast travel information to include a round-up of all major roadworks in the United Kingdom.
Programme schedules and content are solely the responsibility of the radio and television authorities. My Department is in regular contact with programme makers, supplying news of major repair schemes and regular progress reports on maintenance work on motorways and those trunk roads of which I am the highway authority. This material is used widely alongside the minute by minute reports issued by the police and the motoring organisations. There has been a steady growth in travel and motoring information on the BBC's national networks—serviced by the BBC motoring unit—and on independent and BBC local radio and television. I welcome any extension of the services that broadcasting authorities offer to road users.
Roadworks (Advance Notice)
asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will consider introducing measures to alert road users well in advance, in terms of distance, of motorway roadwork delays so that users can re-schedule or re-route their journeys.
At motorway repair sites where exceptional delays are possible and alternative high standard routes are available, appropriate warning is given well in advance. At other sites, where there is not much delay, it is better for drivers to stay on the motorway. The signing of alternative routes could well involve longer journey times.
A1(M) (Lane Closures)
asked the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 22 July, Official Report, c. 253–4, whether the inquiries into the reasons why one of the two lanes on the southbound carriageway of the A1(M) south of Doncaster was coned off on Sunday 17 July have now been completed; and if he will make a statement.
I have looked into this, and to minimise delay I have arranged for the cones to be taken up at
| Provision* | Outturn* | Per cent, difference | ||
| (£) | (£) | |||
| A. 1 | New construction and improvements | 486,835,000 | 477,164,074 | -2 |
| A.2 | Preparation and supervision | 56,621,000 | 62,278,781 | +10 |
weekends in August whenever the contractor is not working, provided the carriageway can be cleared and made safe for traffic.
A64 (Acceleration Lane)
asked the Secretary of State for Transport what consultations he had before deciding to eliminate the acceleration lane at the junction of the A64 and Flaxton Lane End and Bull Moor Lane; and if he will make a statement.
No consultations were carried out for this proposal which is a small improvement to a junction with the A64 trunk road, made necessary for reasons of road safety. The present layout of the junction provides an acceleration lane with a bus stop along its length. Our intention is to remove the acceleration lane and provide a bus layby instead, to eliminate the conflicting traffic movements and a potential hazard.
Road Signs
asked the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for South Hams on 25 July, by what criteria he decides whether proposed signs on trunk roads welcoming drivers to a particular area would provide information which would be of use to motorists.
The decision to allow signs to be erected welcoming drivers to a particular area is based on whether the name of the area is likely to be recognisable to drivers from information, such as maps, which they may have studied when planning their journey.
asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to erect signs on the A38 trunk road indicating the boundaries of South Hams.
No. As I said in my answer to my hon. Friend on 25 July.—[Vol. 46, c. 292]—the provision of such signs is contrary to the Department's policy.
Roads (Expenditure)
asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will present in the Official Report estimates for the 1982–83 outturn for each of the following sub-heads of the Roads, &c. England Vote: Al New construction and improvements; A2 Preparation and supervision; A3 Maintenance, showing structural maintenance separately; A4 Restrospective compensation; AZ Appropriations in aid; B Road safety; C Roads: other expenditure; D Other grants and loans, showing in each case the provision made in the 1982–83 Supply Estimates and the percentage difference.
Outturn figures are still provisional at this stage. Final figures will be published in the Appropriation Account in the autumn.The provisional figures are as follows:
Provision
*
| Outturn
*
| Per cent. difference
| ||
(£)
| (£)
| |||
| A.3 | Maintenance— | |||
| Capital renewal | 212,940,000 | 144,000,000 | less than 1 | |
| Other | 68,940,000 | |||
| A.4 | Retrospective compensation | 600,000 | 589,531 | -1½ |
| AZ | Appropriation-in-aid | 18,661,000 | †18,661,000 | 0 |
| B | Road Safety | 925,000 | 636,925 | -31 |
| C | Roads: other expenditure | 3,927,000 | 3,300,950 | -16 |
| D | Other grants and loans | 4,822,980 | 4,954,498 | +3 |
| Notes: | ||||
* Provisions includes changes made in revised Estimates (July 1982) and additions (£45 million) made in spring Supplementary Estimates (February 1983). | ||||
| † Actual appropriations-in-aid were £19,905,210 (+7 per cent. on provision), but in accordance with usual practice, receipts in excess of the Voted provision are surrendered to the Consolidated Fund. | ||||
Road Accidents (Statistics)
asked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what percentage of pedestrians killed in road accidents in 1980, 1981 and 1982 was aged one to 10, 10 to 20, 20 to 30, 30 to 40, 40 to 50, 50 to 60 and 60 to 70 years;(2) how many pedal cyclists were
(a) killed and (b) seriously injured in road accidents in 1980, 1981, 1982 and to the nearest available date in 1983;
(3) how many motor cyclists killed in road accidents in 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982 were aged 15 to 20, 20 to 25, 25 to 30, 30 to 35, 35 to 40 and 40 to 45 years;
(4) how many persons under the age of 20 years were killed in road accidents in 1980, 1981 and 1982; and what percentage of total fatalities the respective figures represent;
(5) how many (a) fatal, (b) serious injury, (c) slight injury and (d) non-injury road accidents took place in Derbyshire in 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982;
(6) what was the total number of road accidents in Derbyshire in 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 and to the nearest available date in 1983.
The figures up to 1981 are available in table 6 of "Road Accidents Great Britain 1981" and table 5 of "Road Accident Statistics for English Regions", both of which are in the Library. Detailed 1982 data will be in the editions to be published later this year. The Department has no figures on non-injury accidents. Provisional figures for the first quarter of 1983 suggest that about 60 pedal cyclists were killed and 1,100 seriously injured.
Environment
Housing Stock
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what was, each year since 1953, the value of the housing stock.
The available figures are as follows:
| Privately owned dwellings, United Kingdom net value at current replacement cost (excluding land) | ||||
| £ billion at current replacement cost | ||||
| End year | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s |
| 0 | — | 10·5 | 21·2 | 138·8 |
| 1 | 8·1 | 11·2 | 24·7 | 149·8 |
| 2 | 8·3 | 12·0 | 31·9 | — |
End year
| 1950s
| 1960s
| 1970s
| 1980s
|
| 3 | 8·2 | 12·8 | 42·1 | — |
| 4 | 8·5 | 13·6 | 52·0 | — |
| 5 | 9·1 | 14·5 | 60·6 | — |
| 6 | 9·5 | 15·2 | 68·0 | — |
| 7 | 9·7 | 16·1 | 77·0 | — |
| 8 | 9·8 | 17·4 | 92·1 | — |
| 9 | 10·0 | 19·0 | 115·3 | — |
As explained in my reply to the hon. Member's previous question on this subject, the only available estimates are derived from the perpetual inventory of fixed capital assets maintained by the Central Statistical Office. The methods used in the perpetual inventory were described in an article in the October 1976 issue of Economic Trends, which is available in the Library,.
Dog Licences
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when Her Majesty's Government will respond to the first report of the Committee of Public Accounts of Session 1982–83, on the subject of dog licences.
The Government's response to the first report of the Committee of Public Accounts on dog licensing, and to other reports of the Committee of Session 1982–83, was published in a Treasury minute (Cmnd. 8995) laid before Parliament on 26 July.
Council House Sales
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek to amend the date of 31 March 1974 in section 7(2) of the Housing Act 1980 to maintain only a five-year period for the full discount for purchase of newer houses.
Section 7(2) of the Housing Act 1980 provides that only costs incurred by a landlord authority after 31 March 1974 may limit a tenant's discount entitlement under the right to buy. Clause 3(3) of the Housing and Building Control Bill, now in Committee, will enable my right hon. Friend to substitute a later date by order. We shall consider the case for doing so when the Bill is enacted, in the light of movements in costs and prices.
Anglian And North-West Water Authorities
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he has taken as a result of the recommendations made by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission in its report on the sewerage functions of the Anglian and North-West water authorities.
The main recommendations were about the arrangements for local authorities to carry out sewerage on behalf of water authorities. The Water Act 1983 changes the legislative basis for these arrangements so as to improve control by water authorities in the interests of efficiency. The Act also provides for the more effective consumer consultation which the commission sought.The commission also made a number of other recommendations, mainly about investment appraisal and managerial control. The two water authorities will set out in their annual reports, which will be laid before Parliament, the action they are taking in response. The other regional water authorities have also reported their reactions to the Department. For its part, the Department has carried out a study of investment appraisal methods in the water industry and has commissioned a study of management control systems, with particular reference to manpower and the applicability of the Department's MINIS system. The results are under discussion with the authorities.
Building Research Establishment
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is now in a position to announce the results of his further evaluation of the need for a management board for the Building Research Establishment.
I have now reviewed this matter, paying particular attention to the advice received by my predecessor from the research working party of the economic development committees for building and civil engineering. I concur in the conclusion that there should be a group of independent advisers who can, in particular, help in the development of the establishment's programme and the effective communication and application of its results for the benefit of the construction industries and other users. I propose to achieve this objective by appointing a panel of Visitors, chosen from industry, the professions and the academic world and linked closely to the research departments of the establishment rather than through establishing a formal board.
"Lead In The Environment"
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when the Government will announce their response to the Royal Commission on environmental pollution's ninth report "Lead in the Environment"; and if he will make a statement.
The Government's response will be published in printed form in a few weeks' time; but I have today placed a final draft in the Library of the House.The Royal Commission on environmental pollution's ninth report on lead provides an authoritative, up-to-date and objective review of the situation in this country; a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge; and—most important—a sound and rational basis for decision-making.The report acknowledges the importance of the steps already taken by the Government to reduce exposure to lead from food, water, petrol, old paint and industrial emissions. But because the use and distribution of lead are widespread and because there appears to be no assured safety threshold, the report recommends a line of maximum prudence in reducing exposure to lead still further. The Government fully endorse this general objective.The Government have already announced their decision that lead should be eliminated from petrol as soon as possible. The aim is to achieve the Royal Commission's target date of 1990 for the introduction of unleaded petrol throughout the European Community and, if possible, improve upon it. Negotiations with other members of the EC are already under way.The Government regard action on other sources of lead as equally important; and our response details what action is planned or already in hand on each. Among the new initiatives announced today are:
—the setting of early target dates for the completion of lead surveys of water supply zones and the main programme of remedial treatment;
—further investigation of the grant arrangements for the replacement of lead plumbing;
—a major publicity campaign on the hazards of old leaded paint;
—support for research into the significance of lead in dust for children;
—establishment of a steering committee, with representatives from local government to co-ordinate and evaluate a programme to monitor changes in environmental lead.
There can be no complacency about lead pollution, however low average United Kingdom body-lead levels are, and however uncertain the possible effects might be. The Government's response to the Royal Commission's ninth report illustrates our determination to safeguard the public and the environment to the best of our ability.
Cartographic Services
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has reached any conclusions following the Rayner scrutiny of his Department's cartographic services.
Yes, I have today placed a copy of the scrutiny report and the action statement, which I have now approved, in the Library of the House.
Sport And Recreation
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has reviewed the administrative boundaries for the regional councils for sport and recreation in the south and south-east; and if he will make a statement.
In considering the future operation of the regional councils for sport and recreation, I have identified with the Sports Council advantages in bringing regional council's boundaries into line with those for my Department's regions. This change would provide for a regional council covering the London area and the addition of East and West Sussex, Kent and Surrey to the southern region to form a South East Council. The county of Bucks, now with the Southern Regional Council, would be added to eastern region. The Sports Council would similarly amend its regions.These changes would assist communications between my Department and the regional councils and Sports Council at regional level. They would correct an imbalance between the three exiting councils, in population and interests served.I am now consulting the local authority associations and other interested bodies about these proposed changes. I hope to make a final decision in October.
Buckingham Palace (Photographers)
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to control the activities of the itinerant street photographers in front of Buckingham palace.
I am making arrangements for five photographers to be licensed by my Department to operate in the area in front of Buckingham palace. They will wear distinctive armbands and be obliged to carry their licences with them at all times for checking. My Department will also work out with them an appropriate schedule of charges to ensure value for money. This scheme has operated successfully in Trafalgar square for some years. The positions will be advertised in the press shortly.
Housing (Capital Allocations)
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the Government's intentions concerning capital allocations in 1984–85 to district councils for (a) renovation grants and (b) repair grants; and what action district councils can take to prevent renovation and repair grants approved in 1983–84 within the approved capital allocation instead being taken up in the financial year 1984–85 for which the council concerned does not know its capital allocations.
Local authorities have already been assured that their 1984–85 housing investment programme allocations will be at least 80 per cent. of those for 1983–84. I accept, however, that authorities are keen to have still firmer indications of available resources next year, especially for home improvement grants. My right hon. Friend is considering whether there are any further assurances which he can usefully give about resources for expenditure on home improvement grants next year.
Brookwood Lye, Woking
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he now expects to announce the result of the planning inquiry into an application for industrial development at Brookwood Lye, Woking.
I am now considering my inspector's report of the inquiry into this application and I shall give my decision shortly.
Pollution
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many places in the United Kingdom have air pollution levels exceeding European Community limits; by what amount Lynemouth, Northumberland, exceeds these limits; to what he attributes the high level of pollution recorded there; what advice he has given to Castle Morpeth borough council about remedial action; and whether he will make a statement.
Measurements taken in the winters of 1981–82 and 1982–83 indicated that the directive's limits were exceeded in parts of 29 local authority areas. For 10 days in 1982–83 Lynemouth exceeded that limit for smoke in air which is not to be exceeded for more than seven days in a year. The level of pollution there is mainly attributable to domestic smoke. Officials from the Department and the Department of Industry's Warren Spring laboratory recently visited Castle Morpeth borough council and recommended that a smoke control regime should be introduced in Lynemouth as soon as possible.
Apartheid In Sport
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, pursuant to the answer on Monday 25 July, the advice he gave the Marylebone Cricket Club as required to meet Her Majesty's Government's clear obligations under the 1977 Commonwealth statement on apartheid in sport, was given at the request of the Marylebone Cricket Club; and if it was given orally or in writing or both.
As the hon. Gentleman is well aware, the Government have a duty under the Commonwealth statement on apartheid in sport to discourage sporting contacts with South Africa, such as was proposed to MCC members. The statement does not contain the notion of "request": the giving of advice and indeed of "taking all practical steps" is an obligation for Governments. Advice to the MCC was given orally and in writing.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, pursuant to the answer of 25 July his advice to the home rugby unions was given in response to a request from the unions or whether he offered that advice without such a request.
In fulfilling our obligations under the Commonwealth statement on apartheid in sport, the notion of request does not arise. Advice was given to the Rugby Football Union as part of our continuing dialogue on this and other matters.
Council House Rents
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the percentage rise in council house rents since May 1979.
The average rent payable —before deducting rent assistance — by local authority tenants in England and Wales in April 1979 is estimated at £6·40 per dwelling per week. The latest comparable figure for April 1983 is provisionally estimated at £14·05. The increase is thus 120 per cent.
Double Glazing
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made by his Department in the examination of fire hazards arising from double glazing.
My Department, together with the Home Office and the Department of Trade and Industry, is examining the evidence arising from inquests into deaths in recent house fires.
Council Housing
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many council-owned properties in each London borough are (a) empty, (b) occupied by unauthorised squatters and (c) occupied by squatters authorised by some form of agreement.
The information requested about the numbers of squatters is not available. The latest available information about vacant dwellings relates to 1 April 1982 and was provided by local authorities in their housing investment programme returns last year; copies of these returns are in the Library.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the figure for the total local authority housing stock sold off since May 1979.
From April 1979 to March 1983 an estimated 493,000 dwellings were sold by local authorities in Great Britain.
District Auditors
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received recently about the powers of the district audit, and if he has any proposals for changing the system for the auditing of local government accounts.
I am not aware of any recent representations about the powers of district auditors.My right hon. Friend has no proposals to change further the arrangements for local government audit, including the powers and duties of auditors, which were redefined by the Local Government Finance Act 1982.
Design Costs
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now place in the Library a copy of the report of the working party on design costs.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the working party on design costs.
Yes; I have done so today.
Defence
Research And Development
asked the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of expenditure on the procurement programme has been devoted to research and development in each of the last five years; what information he has as to the comparable figures for each member state in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation; if he will seek to express those figures on a basis consistent with the United Kingdom figures; and if he will make a statement.
The proportion of defence procurement expenditure devoted to research and development in each of the last five years was as follows:
| per cent. | |
| 1978–79 | 31 |
| 1979–80 | 33 |
per cent.
| |
| 1980–81 | 31 |
| 1981–82 | 28 |
| 1982–83* | 26 |
* The figure for 1982–83 is based on original Estimates provision. Information for other NATO countries is not available on a comparable basis. | |
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and my hon. Friend the Minister of State referred to this subject in the recent defence debate.—[Vol. 46, c. 184–85, 392–93.] They stressed that development expenditure, which is approximately five times greater than that on research, is related to specific projects under development for the services. The bulk of this money is spent with British industry.
Nuclear Deterrent
asked the Secretary of State for Defence if there are any official publications which define the circumstances in which the United Kingdom independent nuclear deterrent would be used.
No. The Government's defence policy is one of deterrence, and the rationale for maintaining an independent nuclear capability as an integral part of that policy is set out in detail in defence open government document 80/23.
Crusader 80
asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he yet has any plans to conduct a follow-up exercise to Crusader 80.
Planning is under way for a major exercise called Lionheart 84 to take place in September 1984. Lionheart 84 will practice our mobilisation procedures and culminate in a major field training exercise in Germany.About 50,000 men and women of the regular and reserve forces will move to the Continent; this is significantly more than the 30,000 deployed in exercise Crusader 80. Many of them will be from the Territorial Army, but for the first time it is planned to seek the voluntary participation of up to 4,500 regular reservists, who will be contacted shortly and will receive further details during their annual reporting period this autumn. We will request the co-operation of employers over the release of their staff who volunteer for the exercise.Lionheart will be associated with the annual series of major NATO autumn exercises and troops from several allied nations will be joining our field training exercises. Lionheart will provide a valuable opportunity to assess progress on the many developments in organisation made since exercise Crusader. As before, the reinforcements will travel to Germany by commercial ferries and aircraft as well as military transport, and will join British forces already in Germany for field training exercises.Lionheart will be our largest reinforcement exercise ever and will demonstrate our ability to reinforce our troops in Europe quickly and in strength and thereby illustrate our commitment to NATO's forward defence and deterrent policy generally. We intend to make an appropriate notification under the CSCE final act and invite observers from CSCE participating countries. I intend to place a report on the exercise in the Library of the House in due course.
Lord Privy Seal
Civil Service Pensions
asked the Lord Privy Seal by what amount the salary of a senior principal in the Civil Service is abated to take account of the cost of the non-contributory pension scheme.
All male and some female non-industrial civil servants make an actual contribution of 1½ per cent. of pay for family benefits. Taking this into account, the Scott report (Cmnd. 8147) indicated that civil servants effectively paid the equivalent of 7·9 per cent. of their gross pay for pension benefits, on the basis of the 1980 pay settlement. Pay settlements in the last three years are unlikely to have affected this situation to any great extent.
Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs
Antarctic Minerals
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether, having regard to the recent mineral regime negotiations in Bonn, Her Majesty's Government are confident that an Antarctic minerals regime can be established.
The negotiations in Bonn were conducted in a positive spirit, but they are still at an exploratory stage. We continue to work for the achievement of a practical and acceptable Antarctic minerals regime.
South Georgia
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken either unilaterally or with other interested parties to develop the marine protein resources of South Georgia.
As my hon. Friend the Member for Woking (Mr. Onslow) told my hon. Friend on 2 February—[Vol. 36, c. 123]—a number of companies have expressed an interest in the exploitation of the fisheries around both the Falkland Islands and South Georgia. These approaches are under active consideration by the Falkland Islands Government and ourselves.
British Antarctic Survey
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the Government's intentions regarding the British Antarctic Survey's role in the Falkland Islands dependencies, other dependencies and in the British Antarctic territories.
The British Antarctic Survey will continue to conduct Britain's expanding scientific research programme in the British Antarctic territory and in the Falkland Islands dependencies. It has no role in other dependent territories.
Special Quota Vouchers
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many special quota vouchers were issued in 1982.
A total of 1,420.
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when those who received special quota vouchers in India in June 1983 originally applied them.
As was stated by my right hon. and noble Friend the Minister of State in another place on 30 June, main queue applicants in India invited for interview in June 1983 applied in late May and early June 1976.
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many special quota voucher applications were outstanding in India at the end of 1982.
A total of 4,429.
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many applications for special quota vouchers have been made in Pakistan since 1974; and what has been their outcome.
The information requested is not available for Pakistan which does not have a separate allocation of vouchers.
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many applications for special quota vouchers were received in Kenya in 1982.
A total of 899.
Entry Clearance Officers
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish the numbers of permanently employed entry clearance officers in Islamabad, Karachi, Dacca, Bombay and New Delhi in 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 and at the most recently available date.
The number of entry clearance officers at each post of the years 1979 to 1983, is as follows:
| 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | |
| Dhaka | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 |
| Islamabad | 19 | 18 | 18 | 14 | 14 |
| Karachi | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| New Delhi | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Bombay | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether there has been any reduction in numbers of entry clearance officers in posts in the Indian subcontinent during 1983.
No.
Coaches (Safety Regulations)
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether, in view of the coach crash near Frankfurt on 21 July 1983 involving many members of the Gwent youth band, he will make representations to the German Government for a full and independent inquiry into the reasons why the accident occurred and to recommend measures to improve safety provisions for future coach travellers from the United Kingdom.
Our consul-general in Frankfurt is asking the German authorities for a copy of the police accident report. No action can be taken until this has been studied.I would like to take this opportunity of expressing our appreciation of the work done by the police, the rescue teams, by the hospitals and also by the Karlsruhe district and Gwent county officials who co-operated in providing care and comfort both for the injured and for the relatives who went to join them.
Turkey
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make representations to the Turkish Government, either directly or through the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, about the reported presence of 15,000 Turkish troops in Iraq as a breach of the North Atlantic treaty.
This is a matter for the Governments of Turkey and Iraq. We do not consider that it is a case where representations should be made under the North Atlantic treaty.
Argentina
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reply has been received to the joint statement in Bonn on 6 May issued by the Presidency spokesman on behalf of all member states of the European Community, including the United Kingdom, regarding the document issued by the Argentine military junta on 28 April and calling for clarification of the fate of persons who disappeared in the Argentine after March 1976, many of whom are believed to have been tortured and killed by the Argentine security forces; and what further action is contemplated by the partner Governments.
The Argentines have made no response to the statement issued by the Ten on 6 May. A further démarch was made on 28 June when the Ten reaffirmed their demand that the Argentine Government give satisfactory clarification of the fate of missing people.
North Atlantic Assembly
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what changes have been made in the United Kingdom parliamentary delegation to the North Atlantic assembly.
My hon. Friends the Members for Beckenham (Sir P. Goodhart) and Honiton (Sir P. Emery) have replaced Sir Victor Goodhew and Mr. Kenneth Marks.
European Community
Council Of Ministers
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish in the Official Report a statement of forthcoming business in the European Community Council of Ministers.
On present plans there is to be one meeting of the Council of Ministers in August, three are due in September and seven, possibly eight, in October. The usual written forecast was deposited in the House earlier today.The Special Council set up following the Stuttgart European Council is expected to meet on 30 August, 20–21 September and 10–13 October to discuss the subjects covered by the Stuttgart declaration, including the future financing of the Community and the control of agricultural expenditure.The Foreign Affairs Council is due to meet on 19–20 September and 17–18 October. At its meeting in September the Council is likely to discuss the Community's position on special steel in the light of consultations with the United States, and Community trade with Japan. It will continue its discussion of a new regional development fund regulation and consider the outstanding points of the Commission's mandate for the negotiation of a successor to the Lomé convention and proposals for a second financial protocol to the European Community-Malta association agreement. Ministers will also review the progress of the negotiations on Greenland's application to withdraw from the Community.In October the Council is likely again to discuss European Community-United States steel, trade with Japan and the proposed new regional development fund regulation. Other items likely to be discussed are the Commission's proposals for the Community's 1984 generalised scheme of preferences and proposals for progress towards customs union between the Community and Cyprus. Ministers may be asked to consider progress made on the Commission's proposals for integrated Mediterranean programmes. They will also prepare the Community's position for the ministerial conference with Spain which is due to take place in the margins of the Council.The Agriculture Council is due to meet on 26–27 September and 17–18 October. In September it is expected to consider follow-up measures arising from the Stuttgart European council, the reform of the agricultural arrangements for Mediterranean produce, including fruit and vegetables and olive oil, and the reform of the processed fruit and vegetable regime. Follow-up action to Stuttgart is also likely to be on the agenda of the October meeting when other items for consideration will probably be New Zealand butter quotas, the beef premium system — following a Commission report on the various premium schemes — and possibly the import under GATT of frozen beef from third countries.The Industry Council is expected to meet on 3 October to discuss any outstanding business on steel. It may also consider telecommunications.The Fisheries Council is next expected to meet on 3–4 October to discuss 1983 total allowable catches and quotas.A General Affairs (Internal Market) Council may take place in early October when a number of proposals for the easing of formalities at the Community's internal frontiers and possibly Community certification for imports from third countries would be discussed.The Finance Council is due to meet on 24 October to review the co-ordination of the Community's financial instruments. Ministers are also expected to consider European monetary system interest rate subsidies, tax and financial measures in favour of investment, and the promotion of the financial integration of the Community.The Research Council is expected to meet on 26 October. The topics likely to be discussed are the joint research centre programme, the European strategic programme of research and development in information technology, non-nuclear research and development, biomolecular engineering and structures and procedures.
| (£ thousand) | ||||
| European Community | Rest of World | |||
| Imports cif | Exports fob | Imports cif | Exports fob | |
| Frozen vegetables: | ||||
| 1970 | 1,537 | 383 | 4,418 | 562 |
| 1977 | 8,156 | 9,223 | 21,797 | 4,369 |
| 1982 | 47,080 | 12,912 | 18,644 | 7,585 |
| 1983 (January to May) | 17,672 | 4,743 | 4,654 | 3,440 |
| Frozen fruit: | ||||
| 1970 | 232 | 130 | 754 | 112 |
| 1977 | 1,601 | 2,197 | 3,375 | 417 |
| 1982 | 3,956 | 3,939 | 4,105 | 585 |
| 1983 (January to May) | 1,675 | 574 | 1,711 | 55 |
Source: Data corresponding to SITC(R2) Items 054.61, 058.61 and 62, and 098.09 (part) in the United Kingdom Overseas Trade Statistics, and equivalent headings under SITC (R1).
Notes:
(a) the European Community is defined in accordance with currrent membership,
(b) figures for frozen vegetables include maize from 1977 onwards, but exclude it in 1970 when trade in frozen maize was not separately identified,
(c) the remaining information requested is net available.
Engineering Products (Exports)
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, further to his reply dated 7 July, Official Report, c. 149, concerning the effect on the engineering industry of the increase in the value of the pound sterling since the end of March, whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing exports of engineering products to the European Community as a percentage of imports in 1970, 1977, 1982 and the current year to date together with his estimate of the real exchange rate in each period between sterling and the relevant currencies or any suitable proxy for such a rate.
The available figures requested are shown in the following table. The figures for exports by industry in 1983 are being calculated initially using the 1980 standard industrial classification and it will be some time before the 1983 data are available on a basis which is comparable with the figures shown here. Estimates of the real exchange rate between sterling and European Community currencies are not calculated.
| Exports of the engineering industry*to the European Community as a percentage of imports from the European Community | |
| 1970 | †129 |
| 1977 | 113 |
| 1982 | 71 |
| * The engineering industry is defined here to include orders VII to XII of the 1968 standard industrial classification. | |
| † Excludes trade with Greece. | |
Trade And Industry
Quick Frozen Products (Imports-Exports)
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing imports and exports from the European Community and from the rest of the world in 1970, 1977, 1982 and the current year to date of frozen vegetables, frozen fruit, and other quick-frozen products other than fresh fish and fish products.
Identifiable United Kingdom trade with the European Community and the rest of the world in these commodities has been as follows:
Investment
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was, in each year since 1953, the level of investment in British industry.
Estimates at 1975 prices of the capital expenditure by the industries covered by the index of industrial production* for the years 1962 to 1982 and by manufacturing industry†— including leased assets — for the years 1955 to 1982 are shown in the following table. Corresponding figures for earlier years are not available.
| Capital expenditure by industries covered by the index of industrial production (IOIP) and by manufacturing industry | ||
| £ million at 1975 prices | ||
| Year | IOIP industries | (of which) manufacturing |
| 1955 | n/a | 2,183 |
| 1956 | n/a | 2,531 |
| 1957 | n/a | 2,680 |
| 1958 | n/a | 2,538 |
| 1959 | n/a | 2,420 |
| 1960 | n/a | 2,818 |
| 1961 | n/a | 3,350 |
| 1962 | 5,028 | 3,095 |
| 1963 | 4,978 | 2,706 |
| 1964 | 5,687 | 3,056 |
| 1965 | 6,179 | 3,390 |
| 1966 | 6,542 | 3,478 |
| 1967 | 6,714 | 3,400 |
| 1968 | 6,490 | 3,673 |
| 1969 | 6,378 | 3,952 |
Year
| IOIP industries
| (of which) manufacturing
|
| 1970 | 6,536 | 4,278 |
| 1971 | 6,079 | 4,018 |
| 1972 | 5,372 | 3,470 |
| 1973 | 5,685 | 3,615 |
| 1974 | 6,449 | 3,982 |
| 1975 | 6,940 | 3,710 |
| 1976 | 7,174 | 3,530 |
| 1977 | 7,089 | 3,742 |
| 1978 | 7,408 | 4,137 |
| 1979 | 7,442 | 4,439 |
| 1980 | 7,212 | 4,153 |
| 1981 | 6,712 | 3,593 |
| 1982 | 6,622 | 3,317 |
* Industry order groups II to XXI of the standard industrial classification (revised 1968). | ||
| † Industry order groups III to XIX of the standard industrial classification (revised 1968). | ||
Turkey (Imports)
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the value of textile and clothing imports from Turkey in the first quarter of 1983; and what change this represents from the first quarter of 1982.
The information is as follows:
| Value £ | |
| January to March 1983 | 11,045,000 |
| Increase from January to March 1982 | 40 per cent. |
Source: Data corresponding to SITCIR2 divisions 65 and 84 (excluding group 848), groups 266, 267 and sub-group 268.7 (part).
Small Businesses
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how he defines a small business; how many firms he estimates fall within that definition; and if he will estimate how many of them employ about 15 people or fewer.
A small business is generally defined as one which has a small market share, is managed in a personalised way and is not part of a larger organisation. The statistical definitions adopted by the Bolton committee and revised to allow for inflation are as follows:
Manufacturing
200 employees or less
Retailing
turnover £309,000 per annum or less (£50,000)*
Wholesale trades
turnover £1,236,000 per annum or less (£200,000)
Construction
25 employees or less
Mining/quarrying
25 employees or less
Motor trades
turnover £618,000 per annum or less (£100,000)
Miscellaneous services
turnover £309,000 per annum or less (£50,000)
Road transport
5 vehicles or less
Catering
all excluding multiples and brewery-managed public houses * May 1983 estimated equivalent of Bolton report definitions (which are shown in brackets)
No precise figures are available on the number of firms.Our information is that 95 per cent. of the total of 1·35 million businesses would be regarded as small with upwards of four fifths of them employing 15 or fewer employees.
Telephone Equipment
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made in the arrangements for the interim approval of key telephone systems and small automatic call distribution apparatus announced on 23 November, Official Report, c. 423.
I have been concerned about delays in testing some small call routeing apparatus submitted under the arrangements for the approval of key telephone systems and small automatic call distribution apparatus and have reviewed the situation both with the suppliers and with British Telecommunications.Resources devoted to testing and evaluation are now being increased. The current position on the 12 systems under evaluation is as follows: two have completed the laboratory stage of testing and have been released for trial site evaluation of their operational performance; five other systems are potentially likely to go into the trial site stage of testing at an early date; five systems have required fairly extensive modifications to meet United Kingdom requirements and are still some way off the completion of laboratory testing.BT has agreed to complete the work of laboratory testing and trial site evaluation of all systems by October, providing the suppliers concerned have their equipment ready in time and make good the defects which testing has revealed. Several systems are likely to complete all stages of their evaluation well before this.I have told BT that my objective is that by 15 September all systems should be released for trial site connection, and I am making arrangements for some additional testing facilities to be used in non-BT test houses. During the first week in September my officials will discuss with BT any systems which are unlikely to hav passed the laboratory tests by 15 September with a view to allowing laboratory testing to continue in parallel with trial site evaluation, providing the systems have met the safety requirements.I have also agreed with BT that systems going on the trial site stage of their evaluation should be allowed to include certain enhanced facilities in advance of full laboratory testing provided there is no risk to safety or of harm to BT's network. This will be subject to suppliers making it clear to customers that these facilities have not been fully tested and might not work satisfactorily. Specifications are being written for these enhanced facilities and are expected to be available shortly. The facilities, including those on BT's own comparable systems, will have to comply with these specifications and any necessary modifications will need to be made before full approval is given. However, if laboratory testing of enhanced facilities is not completed by the time trial site evaluation is successfully concluded, provisional approval will be given. During trial site evaluation, and afterwards where provisional approval is given, BT will have the right to insist on the disconnection of any apparatus possessing such facilities if it is demonstrated that these facilities cause unacceptable interference with the network.
Steel Industry
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the rate of steel output grossed up to a seasonally adjusted annual rate in May; how much steel-making capacity was operational; and what effect pending closures will have on that capacity.
The annual rate of United Kingdom steel production in May 1983, based on seasonally adjusted data, was 16 million tonnes. Information required to answer the second and third parts of the question is not readily available, if at all.
Source: British Steel Corporation and British Independent Steel Producers' Association.
Note: Monthly figures can often move erratically and need to be interpreted with caution.
Capacity Working
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his estimate of capacity working in British industry as a whole and in the principal sectors.
Estimates of capacity working in British industry are not available. However, in its quarterly industrial trends survey, the CBI publishes figures for the percentage of firms working below capacity in manufacturing in total and for the principal sectors. A copy of the CBI report on the latest survey, which relates to four months ended April of this year, is available in the House of Commons Library.
European Community Legislation
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proposals for European Community legislation affecting trade and industry have been adopted by the Council since the dissolution of the last parliament.
Since the Dissolution of the last Parliament, on 13 May, the following proposals for European Community legislation affecting trade and industry have been adopted by the Council. Explanatory memoranda have been deposited on all the documents.A proposal for a Council regulation suspending temporarily the autonomous common customs tariff — CCT — duty on microelectronic devices falling within subheadings ex 84.55C and 85.21DII of the common customs tariff—unnumbered explanatory memorandum.A proposal for a Council decision authorising extension of tacit renewal of certain trade agreements concluded between the member states and third countries —explanatory memorandum 6957/83.A proposal for a Council regulation implementing in the Community revised amounts for the documentary requirements in protocol 3, concerning the definition of the concept of originating products and methods of administrative co-operation, to the co-operation agreement between the European Community and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia—explanatory memorandum 7263/83.A proposal for a Council regulation amending regulations Nos. 3498/82 and 806/83 opening, allocating and providing for the administration of Community tariff quotas for sweet peppers and fresh table grapes, falling within subheadings 07.01S and ex 08.04AI of the common customs tariff and originating in Cyprus (1983); and a proposal for a Council regulation opening, allocating and providing for the administration of a Community tariff quota for salad beetroot falling within subheading ex 07.01GIV of the common customs tariff and originating in Cyprus (1983)— explanatory memorandum 7988/83 and 7989/83.A proposal for a Council regulation establishing ceilings and Community surveillance for certain textile products originating in Cyprus (1983) — unnumbered explanatory memorandum.A proposal for a Council regulation extending the regime applicable to trade between Greece and the African, Caribbean and Pacific states; and a draft decision of the representatives of the Governments of the member states of the European Coal and Steel Community meeting within the Council, extending the period of validity of the provisional arrangements applicable to trade between the Hellenic Republic and the ACP states for products covered by the community—explanatory memorandum 7760/83.A proposal for a Council regulation amending regulation No. 3508/80 extending the terms of validity of the arrangements applicable to trade with Malta to cover the second half of 1983 — explanatory memorandum 7817/83.A recommendation for a Council regulation on the conclusion of the protocol concerning the arrangements to be applied during 1983 in the framework of the decision adopted by the EC-Cyprus Association Council on 24 November 1980 establishing the process into the second stage of the association agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Cyprus; and a proposal for a Council regulation laying down the arrangements applicable to trade with Cyprus—explanatory memorandum 7987/83.A recommendation for a Council regulation concerning the conclusion of an agreement in the form of an exchange of letters amending certain zero-duty tariff quotas opened by the United Kingdom for 1983 in accordance with protocol No. 1 of the agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Finland—explanatory memorandum 7274/83.A proposal for a Council regulation providing for an increase in the Community tariff quota for certain grades of ferro-chromium falling within sub-heading ex. 73.02EI of the common customs tariff—unnumbered explanatory memorandum.A proposal for a Council decision on the framework programme for Community scientific and technical activities 1984–1987 — explanatory memorandum 7174/83.A Commission communication to the Council of the introduction of a new system of production quotas—for steel—pursuant to article 58—of the ECSC treaty—after 30 June 1983—explanatory memorandum 7608/1/83.Two draft decisions of the EC-Yugoslavia Co-operation Council and proposals for community implementing regulations relating to these decisions: substituting the ecu for the European unit of account in protocol No. 3 to the co-operation agreement, and amending note 6 in annex I to protocol No. 3—explanatory memorandum 7867/83.
Statutory Auditors
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will keep a list of individuals personally authorised by the Secretary of State to carry out statutory audits.
I already keep such a list.
Consumer Credit
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he is in a position to make a statement on the recommendations of the Director General of Fair Trading on the subject of the Consumer Credit Advertisements and Quotations Regulations.
I have considered the Director General's report, and I accept his view that the advertisements and quotations regulations should apply equally to all financial institutions and other bodies engaged in house mortgage lending, and that regulation 8(2) of the advertisement regulations should be deleted. I propose to consult interested parties on the implementation of these recommendations.
Telephones (Routeing Equipment)
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement about the Government's plans to permit competition in the maintenance of all types of new call routeing apparatus connected to the public switched telephone network.
On 7 February my hon. Friend the Minister for Information Technology told the House about the recommendations made by Professor Stephen Littlechild of Birmingham university in his report to the Government on issues affecting regulation and competition in telecommunications. He announced several further initiatives by the Government to promote competition, including the decision that the maintenance of all new call routeing apparatus will be opened to competition by persons approved by the Secretary of State. He said that he would be consulting industry and other interested parties on the phasing-in of these arrangements which he expected to be completed within three to four years.These consultations have now taken place and I can now give the Government's detailed plans for the introduction of competition in the maintenance of all kinds of new call routeing apparatus connected to the public switched telephone network run by British Telecommunications. These arrangements will be extended to call routeing apparatus connected to any other public switched telephone network.The maintenance of approved new stored programme controlled digital call routeing apparatus and approved new dealer boards is already open to competition. Competition in the maintenance of other new call routeing apparatus will be phased in, according to type of apparatus, on the following qualifying dates:
On 1 August 1983
key telephone systems having at least two exchange line connections.
On the date of liberalisation of the prime telephone
call routeing apparatus other than plan sets, having one exchange line connection;
On 31 December 1984
PBXs of up to 120 extensions.
On 1 July 1985
PBXs of over 120 extensions.
On 31 December 1985
Key and lamp units.
On 1 July 1986
Automatic call distribution apparatus.
On 1 November 1986
Plan sets and apparatus not elsewhere specified.
"New" call routeing apparatus means any item of approved call routeing apparatus which at a particular site is first brought into service on the PSTN on or after the appropriate qualifying date. An existing or second-hand item of approved call routeing apparatus moved to a new location and brought into service on the PSTN after the appropriate qualifying date may be maintained by an approved contractor. So, too, may approved call routeing apparatus in use as a part of a private system but not connected to the PSTN before the qualifying date, if it is first connected to the PSTN after that date. Such apparatus may need modification in order to comply with the relevant standards for apparatus connected to the PSTN. But apparatus will not qualify for competitive maintenance simply by being taken out of service on the PSTN and being reconnected on the same site after the qualifying date. Maintenance of call routeing apparatus will be permitted to be carried out only by persons who are listed by the Secretary of State as being entitled to carry out maintenance work on that particular model of apparatus. The British Standards Institution has established, at the Government's request, a system for the registration of maintainers of approved call routeing apparatus. At present this covers only the maintenance of spc digital call routeing apparatus and dealer boards. However, I am asking the BSI to extend the scope of its scheme to cover the remaining types of call routeing apparatus in keeping with the timebable I have outlined. Maintainers must be registered by the BSI in respect of each individual model of call routeing apparatus they wish to maintain before the Secretary of State will consider entering their names upon the list of persons who may maintain that model or models of apparatus.
Radio (Amateur Licences)
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what changes he proposes to make in the arrangements for issuing radio amateur licences; and if he will make a statement.
With effect from 19 September 1983, radio amateur licences will be issued and renewed on the Secretary of State's behalf by the Post Office headquarters in Chesterfield. The Post Office, which will computerise the operation as soon as possible, is prepared to guarantee a turn-round in normal conditions of five days and at peak times of ten. This will help to ensure that the recent improvement in the speed of issue of these licences is maintained.
British Shipbuilders
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what are his plans for the privatisation of British Shipbuilders in the light of its 1982–83 losses.
I intend to proceed with the privatisation of British Shipbuilders' activities as rapidly as possible. British Shipbuilders' warship building activities have been consistently profitable, and profits of £54,751,000 were reported for this activity in 1982–83. The warship building yards are the most likely to attract private investment.
Design And Test Equipment Support Scheme
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the outcome of his review of the computer aided design and test equipment support scheme; and whether he now intends to make more funds available under the scheme.
I shall write to the right hon. Member as soon as possible.
Consumer Durables
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will consider making it his practice to compile statistics on the average life of the following consumer durables: deep freezers, colour televisions, black and white televisions, refrigerators and washing machines.
There are no plans at present for compiling official statistics on the average life of consumer durables, such as deep freezers, colour televisions, black and white televisions, refrigerators and washing machines.
British Steel Corporation (Resources)
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will publish the details of the reduction in the resources available to the British Steel Corporation following the Chancellor of the Exchequer's statement on 7 July; and how it will affect the timing and completion of the new hot strip mill at Port Talbot.
[pursuant to his reply, 21 July 1983, c. 201]: My right hon. Friend has already given details of revised external financing limits for the nationalised industries. The effect of the reduction on BSC' s operations is for the management of the corporation to decide, but I understand that priority will be given to the Port Talbot project.
Employment
Anglesey Aluminium Powder Company
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what action Her Majesty's factory inspectorate is taking following the explosion at Anglesey Aluminium Powder Company; and if he will make a statement.
Her Majesty's factory inspectorate is carrying out a full investigation into the cause of the explosion.Because of the technical and scientific problems of establishing causes after an explosion of this severity the investigations are likely to take some time. Until they are complete I cannot comment on the possible result, but I shall write to my hon. Friend as soon as the cause of the explosion has been established.
Steel Industry
asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the latest information available to him on wages and earnings in the steel industry, in terms of local currency, in the United States of America, Japan, West Germany, Italy, France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Spain.
The following publications, copies of which are in the Library, give details of average earnings—in local currency—of manual employees in iron and steel and/or basic metal industries:
Publication and Coverage
Yearbook of Labour Statistics, 1982 (International Labour Office) — Gives details for all countries mentioned (except Belgium and Spain) for iron and steel basic industries or (for USA) basic metal industries.
Eurostat Statistical Bulletin on Wages and Salaries: 2–1983— Gives details up to 1982 for European Community countries for basic metal industries (including iron and steel).
Industrial Safety (Exhibition)
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make arrangements for the Industrial Safety (Protective Equipment) Manufacturers' Association to hold an exhibition of its equipment in the Upper Waiting Hall for the week starting 28 November.
Arrangements have been made with the authorities of the House for the exhibition to be held in the Upper Waiting Hall from 28 November to 2 December 1983. I very much welcome this initiative.
Asbestos
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied that the existing establishment and expertise of the factory inspectorate is capable of maintaiing adequate safeguards on the use of asbestos; and if he will make a statement.
Yes. We have been informed by the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that at 30 June 1983 there were 556 inspectors in the factory inspectorate's area-based field organisation, engaged in the enforcement of health and safety controls. This includes control of asbestos, to which high priority is given.Inspectors receive training on how to deal with risks to health including the risks from asbestos. They are supported in their work by occupational hygienists arid by the HSE's occupational hygiene laboratory. In addition, technical advice on standards and precautions related to asbestos is available to the field force from the inspectorate's headquarters consultant section specialising in fibrous dusts and advice on medical aspects is available from the HSE's employment medical advisers, who are doctors specialising in occupational health.These arrangements enable the factory inspectorate to maintain the necessary safeguards.
Community Programme
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total number of persons now employed in the city and county of Leicester in community programme schemes; and if he will give an analysis for each employment office area.
On 30 June, 602 people were employed on community programme schemes in the city and county of Leicester. About half of these were in the city of Leicester. It is not possible to relate the total of employment office areas.
Youth Training Scheme
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total number of places which it is planned to provide for the city and county of Leicester in the youth training scheme; and if he will give an analysis for each employment office area.
I shall reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.
Average Earnings
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the level of national average earnings each year since 1960; what has been the level of real personal disposal income for the average paid employee, after taking account of payment of national insurance contributions and tax, and after inflation, for each of these years; and what has been the percentage increase in the latter each year.
Figures of average gross weekly earnings for all full-time adult employees, based on the new earnings survey, are published in Employment Gazette, copies of which are in the Library. The edition for June 1983, table 5.6, gives figures for 1975 to 1982 inclusive and the edition for September 1980, table 126, gives figures for 1972 to 1974 inclusive. Comparable information is not available for earlier years, but figures relating to manual and non-manual employees covering most sectors other than services for the years between 1960 and 1977 were published in Employment Gazette for May 1978 — pages 520 to 530. Estimates of the level of personal disposable income for full-time paid employees are not available.
Construction Industry
asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many construction workers died in fatal accidents in 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982.
The information is as follows:
| Fatalities to Workers in the Construction Industry 1979–82 Great Britain | ||||
| 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | |
| Employees | 128 | 134 | 105 | 102 |
| *Self-employed | 19 | 31 | 17 | 17 |
| * Before 1981, fatalities to the self-employed were reported on a voluntary basis only. They are therefore not directly comparable with figures for 1981 and 1982 which are based on reports resulting from a specific requirement under the Notification of Accidents and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1980. | ||||
Security Firms (Insurance)
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will introduce legislation to require private security firms to take out insurance to provide compensation and benefits of a reasonable living standard for employees who are disabled as a result of criminal attacks.
[pursuant to his reply, 27 July 1983]: No. Employers are already required to insure against risks arising from their negligence. Any extension of such insurance cover is for negotiation between employers and work people. A person injured in a criminal attack can claim for compensation under the criminal injuries compensation scheme.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received advocating legislation to require security firms to insure their employees comprehensively against personal injury; what replies he has sent; and if he will make a statement.
[pursuant to his reply, 27 July 1983]: I have received no representations other than from the right hon. Member himself.
Wales
District Authorities (Assisted Areas)
asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will list the district authorities in each category of assisted area.
The information is as follows:
| District Council | Travel to Work Area(s) | AA Status |
| Aberconwy | Blaenau Ffestiniog | DA |
| Colwyn Bay | IA | |
| Llanrwst | IA | |
| Afan | Port Talbot | SDA |
| Alyn and Deeside | Shotton | SDA |
| Wrexham | SDA | |
| Arfon | Caernarfon | DA |
| Colwyn Bay | IA | |
| Blaenau Gwent | Ebbw Vale | SDA |
| Newport | DA | |
| Brecknock | Merthyr Tydfil | DA |
| Neath | DA | |
| Pontypool | DA | |
| Swansea | IA/DA | |
| Cardiff | Cardiff | DA |
| Carmarthen | Lampeter | DA |
| Llanelli | DA | |
| Ceredigion | Cardigan | DA |
| Lampeter | DA | |
| Colwyn | Colwyn Bay | IA |
| Rhyl | DA | |
| Llangollen | IA | |
| Llanrwst | IA | |
| Denbigh | IA | |
| Cynon Valley | Aberdare | DA |
| Merthyr Tydfil | DA | |
| Neath | DA | |
| Pontypridd | DA/SDA | |
| Delyn | Shotton | SDA |
| Dinefwr | Llanelli | DA |
| Dwyfor | Caernarfon | DA |
| Pwllheli | DA | |
| Glyndwr | Denbigh | IA |
| Llangollen | IA | |
| Wrexham | SDA | |
| Islwyn | Bargoed | SDA |
| Ebbw Vale | SDA | |
| Newport | DA | |
| Pontypool | DA | |
| Llanelli | Llanelli | DA |
| Swansea | IA/DA | |
| Lliw Valley | Llanelli | DA |
| Swansea | IA/DA | |
| Meirionydd | Blaenau Ffestiniog | DA |
| Llangollen | IA |
District Council
| Travel to Work Area(s)
| AA Status
|
| Pwllheli | DA | |
| Merthyr Tydfil | Merthyr Tydfil | DA |
| Monmouth | Monmouth | IA |
| Newport | DA | |
| Pontypool | DA | |
| Neath | Neath | DA |
| Newport | Newport | DA |
| Ogwr | Cardiff | DA |
| Port Talbot | SDA | |
| Preseli | Cardigan | DA |
| Fishguard | DA | |
| Milford Haven | DA | |
| Rhondda | Pontypridd | SDA/DA |
| Rhyddlan | Rhyl | SDA |
| Denbigh | IA | |
| Rhymney Valley | Bargoed | SDA |
| Cardiff | DA | |
| Merthyr Tydfil | DA | |
| South Pembrokeshire | Milford Haven | DA |
| Pembroke Dock | DA | |
| Tenby | IA | |
| Swansea | Swansea | IA/DA |
| Taff Ely | Cardiff | DA |
| Pontypridd | SDA/DA | |
| Port Talbot | SDA | |
| Torfaen | Pontypool | DA |
| Newport | DA | |
| Vale of Glamorgan | Cardiff | DA |
| Pontypridd | SDA/DA | |
| Port Talbot | SDA | |
| Wrexham Maelor | Wrexham | SDA |
| Ynys Mon—Isle of Anglesey | Holyhead | SDA |
Kidney Transplants
asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will study the Japanese Ministry of Health's national database for kidney transplant matching for possible use within the National Health Service.
We understand that the DHSS will be studying the system and shall await its conclusions with interest.
Nhs (Financial Provision)
asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he is satisfied with the level of financial provision for the National Health Service in Wales and in Clwyd in particular; and if he will consider determining the level of financial provision for the National Health Service in Wales by means of a formula which takes greater account of the special conditions in the Principality.
Since 1979 the National Health Service in Wales has received real growth in resources of over 9 per cent. This is a substantial achievement. Over the same period the Clwyd district health authority has received real growth of nearly 15 per cent. In the current financial year this authority received the largest growth margin of any in Wales as a result of the Government's commitment to equalise the relative funding of health authorities. My right hon. Friend and I are satisfied that the formula in use for assessing relative allocations is appropriate to the needs of Wales. It is reviewed regularly to ensure that it remains so.
Road Signs
asked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what is his policy with regard to the erection of signs on trunk roads welcoming drivers to a particular county, district or area;(2) if he will take steps to remove the "Welcome to Wales" signs on trunk roads leading into Wales.
I shall reply as soon as possible.
A487 (Flooding)
asked the Secretary of State for Wales in view of the protracted delays in settling the question of compensation for flooding arising from the realignment of the A487 trunk road in the vicinity of Vaynol Lodge, near Felinheli, when he hopes to be in a position to conclude this matter.
I shall reply as soon as possible.
Llanfairpwll Bypass
asked the Secretary of State for Wales why the Llanfairpwll bypass in Gwynedd was not completed in time to avoid traffic congestion for visitors attending the National Eisteddfod of Wales at Llangefni.
I shall reply as soon as possible.
Departmental Cash Limits
asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the reductions in his Department's cash limits for 1983–84 following the Chancellor's public expenditure statement of 7 July; and how he intends to distribute the reduction between the various programmes for which he is responsible.
The reductions in the cash limits for 1983–84 for my Department and their distribution between the various programmes are as follows:
| Proposed reduction | |
| £000 | |
| Class XVI, 1 | |
| Tourism | 108 |
| Housing | 9 |
| Other environmental services | 29 |
| Education | 272 |
| Health and personal social services | *6,620 |
| Civil defence | 1 |
| Total | 7,039 |
| Class XVI, 4 | |
| Contribution to DEm toward Grant in-Aid paid to MSC | 1,193 |
| Class XVI, 5 | |
| Agriculture | 16 |
| Industry | 3,721 |
| 3,737 | |
| Class XVI, 7 | |
| Welsh Office administration | 283 |
Proposed reduction
| |
£000
| |
Non-voted Cash Limit
| |
| Housing Corporation | 300 |
| Cwmbran Development Corporation | 611 |
| Total | 911 |
* Takes account of off-set from reduced drugs bill. | |
The external financing limit of the Welsh water authority will be reduced by £220,000.
Social Services
Family Practitioner Service
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services by how much there has been overspending by the family practitioner service; to what extent there will be restricted spending by the hospital services to counter this; and if he is satisfied that patient provision will not be affected.
The estimate of 1983–84 expenditure on the family practitioner services in England has been increased by some £100 million over the previous plan.The 1983–84 allocations to all cash-limited expenditure programmes have been reduced by 1 per cent. for current spending and 2 per cent. for capital spending to bring total public expenditure closer to plan. For health authorities services the reductions total £96 million.In reviewing their plans, health authorities have been asked to concentrate on non-patient services and less essential expenditure on goods and services. Health authority and family practitioner services continue to be financed and budgeted for separately. Overall, total expenditure on the NHS is scarely affected by the changes.
South London Hospital For Women
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many representations he has received concerning the proposed closure of the South London hospital for women; and how many have (a) supported and (b) opposed its closure.
Up to 25 July 1983 we had received 278 letters about the South London hospital for women; of these all but six expressed opposition to the proposed closure of this hospital. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has also received a petition.
Mobility Allowance
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer of the abolition of the upper age limit for mobility allowance.
It has been estimated that the extra benefit would be about £450 million a year at 1982–83 benefit rates. This estimate is, however, in the process of being updated.
Telephone Design (Hearing Assistance)
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if the new standard issue telephone handset can have an inductive coupler fitted to assist the hard of hearing; and if he will take steps to make British Telecom aware of the advice and assistance available from his Department in future designs of telephones which may be used by the hard of hearing.
I understand that some modern designs of telephones cannot be fitted with inductive couplers but close co-operation with British Telecom will continue, to ensure that it will still be possible for hearing impaired people to use the telephone.
Company Pensions (Early Leavers)
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has any proposals for alleviating the problems faced by early leavers from company pension schemes, whether by setting up a central pension fund or otherwise; and if he will make a statement.
I would refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Brentford and Ongar (Mr. McCrindle) of 19 October 1982. —[Vol. 29, c. 71–72.) We are arranging a conference in September which will discuss in depth the problems faced by early leavers.
Hospital Visitors (Secrecy)
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many visitors to hospitals administered by the National Health Service in the last six years have been required to sign a document acknowledging that they were bound by the Official Secrets Act.
Signature of a declaration acknowledging the application of the Official Secrets Act is not generally required from visitors to National Health Service hospitals and I regret that the information requested is not available. All staff of the Department will, as civil servants, have been required to sign Official Secrets Act declarations whether or not their duties involve visits to hospitals on official business.
Hospitals (Computers)
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many hospitals have had computers installed in them; and what schemes there are to train hospital staff in their use.
Figures on the number of hospitals which have computers installed are not centrally available. There are a large number and a wide variety of computers in use in hospitals. These range from the large machines providing administrative servies to districts or hospitals to small computers dedicated to particular functions for example in pathology departments.User training schemes are at two levels: computer appreciation courses funded from the NHS central training Vote and courses provided by regional health authorities. The former are primarily designed for senior staff such as senior nursing officers and treasurers but other courses are under consideration. Those organised on a regional basis range from general awareness courses to seminars designed to meet specific requirements for a wide range of staff. Computer training libraries are maintained by three regions which provide a range of facilities for the use of all regions.
Bone Marrow Transplant Service
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he plans the development of a national bone marrow transplant service.
I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Member for South Shields (Dr. Clark) on 15 March 1983.—[Vol. 39, c. 147–48]
Wheelchairs
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many applications have been made in the last three years in each of the areas served by an artificial limb and appliance centre under the Motability wheelchair scheme.
This is a matter for Motability, but I understand the information is not readily available.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many wheelchairs have been issued in the last three years in each of the areas served by an artificial limb and appliance centre.
| Percentages of total number of legally induced abortions performed at each stage of pregnancy for residents of England and Wales, 1968 to 1981 | ||||||||||||||
| Gestation weeks | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | *1981 |
| Less than 9 | 12·4 | 13·3 | 13·2 | 16·6 | 18·3 | 21·8 | 23·0 | 23·6 | 24·8 | 24·6 | 23·8 | 23·9 | 23·9 | 31·0 |
| 9–12 | 48·0 | 51·3 | 55·9 | 57·9 | 59·5 | 58·0 | 57·4 | 56·1 | 55·8 | 56·0 | 56·4 | 55·7 | 55·5 | 53·4 |
| 13–16 | 26·6 | 25·4 | 22·4 | 18·6 | 16·8 | 14·6 | 13·8 | 13·5 | 12·8 | 12·6 | 12·6 | 12·7 | 12·7 | 10·6 |
| 17–23 | 10·0 | 8·0 | 5·3 | 3·9 | 3·0 | 2·9 | 2·8 | 3·1 | 3·0 | 3·1 | 3·5 | 4·0 | 4·4 | 4·1 |
| 24 and over | 0·6 | 0·3 | 0·2 | 0·1 | 0·1 | 0·1 | 0·1 | 0·1 | 0·2 | 0·2 | 0·2 | 0·2 | 0·3 | 0·2 |
| Not stated | 2·4 | 1·7 | 3·0 | 2·9 | 2·3 | 2·6 | 2·9 | 3·6 | 3·4 | 3·5 | 3·5 | 3·5 | 3·2 | 0·7 |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| * Affected by a revision of the notification form. | ||||||||||||||
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the abortion rate, broken down into separate age groups, for residents of England and Wales from 1968 to 1982.
| Abortion rates per 1,000 women by age for residents of England and Wales, 1968 to 1981 | ||||||||||||||
| Age | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 |
| Less than 15* | 0·14 | 0·25 | 0·37 | 0·45 | 0·48 | 0·56 | 0·56 | 0·57 | 0·56 | 0·58 | 0·53 | 0·54 | 0·61 | 0·55 |
| 15–19 | 3·19 | 5·39 | 9·05 | 12·09 | 14·54 | 15·43 | 15·94 | 15·66 | 15·11 | 15·13 | 15·60 | 16·80 | 17·64 | 15·99 |
| 20–24 | 4·88 | 6·91 | 10·52 | 13·20 | 15·32 | 15·65 | 15·99 | 15·38 | 14·58 | 14·65 | 16·03 | 17·46 | 18·74 | 19·08 |
| 25–34 | 3·75 | 5·71 | 8·48 | 10·40 | 11·73 | 11·52 | 11·23 | 10·74 | 10·11 | 9·86 | 10·88 | 11·42 | 11·99 | 11·72 |
| 35–44 | 2·07 | 3·17 | 4·60 | 5·59 | 6·33 | 6·26 | 6·09 | 5·79 | 5·45 | 5·48 | 5·87 | 6·06 | 6·25 | 5·91 |
| 45 and overt† | 0·13 | 0·16 | 0·24 | 0·29 | 0·30 | 0·35 | 0·35 | 0·33 | 0·34 | 0·38 | 0·36 | 0·38 | 0·40 | 0·42 |
| 15–44 | 3·46 | 5·26 | 7·97 | 9·98 | 11·27 | 11·39 | 11·40 | 11·00 | 10·46 | 10·44 | 11·25 | 11·97 | 12·62 | 12·09 |
| * Based on population aged 11–14. | ||||||||||||||
| † Based on population aged 45–49. | ||||||||||||||
Source:
Statistical Reviews, Supplement on Abortion, 1968–73.
Abortion Statistics, 1974–80.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has as to the trend in illegal abortions occurring since the passing of the Abortion Act 1967, including figures for death from illegal abortions, discharges from hospital following septic abortion,
I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Member for Eccles (Mr. Carter-Lewis) on 26 July 1983.
Telford District Hospital
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when tenders will be invited for the building of the Telford district hospital.
I understand that the Shropshire health authority and the West Midlands regional health authority have now agreed proposals for meeting the running costs of the proposed new hospital at Telford and that the region will soon be submitting those proposals requesting approval to invite tenders. Ministers will consider any such request as quickly as possible.
Abortion
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the percentage of the total number of induced abortions performed at each stage of pregnancy for residents of England and Wales from 1968 to 1982.
The figures requested are shown in the following table. 1982 data are not yet available.
The figures requested are shown in the following table. 1982 data are not yet available.emergency bed service admissions in connection with abortion, known offences of procuring illegal abortion and persons found guilty of illegal abortion offences.
Posssible indicators of the incidence of illegal abortion in the years 1968 to 1982 are as follows. Information on emergency bed service admissions is not available centrally.
| England and Wales | ||||||
| Year | Deaths in cases following main diagnosis of illegal abortions or recorded as induced but not otherwise specified (ICD classification) | Deaths in cases where abortion not specified as induced or spontaneous (ICD classification) | Cases treated in hospital with main diagnosis of illegal abortion (estimates only)* | Discharges from hospital following diagnosis of septic abortion (estimates only)* | Cases of procuring illegal abortion recorded by the police (From Table 2.7 of "Criminal Statistics-England & Wales") | Persons found guilty of illegal abortion offences at all courts, or cautioned (From Table 5.9 of "Criminal Statistics-England & Wales") |
| 1968 | 22 | 10 | 520 | 3,110 | 247 | Not available |
| 1969 | 15 | 2 | 670 | 2,080 | 257 | Not available |
| 1970 | 11 | 4 | 750 | 2,020 | 212 | 55 |
| 1971 | 6 | 4 | 770 | 1,600 | 80 | 54 |
| 1972 | 7 | 7 | 320 | 970 | 62 | 48 |
| 1973 | 4 | 2 | 520 | 930 | 36 | 11 |
| 1974 | 2 | 1 | 370 | 540 | 21 | 17 |
| 1975 | 1 | 1 | 180 | 610 | 14 | 1 |
| 1976 | 1 | 3 | 110 | 700 | 9 | 5 |
| 1977 | 1 | Nil | 170 | 680 | 11 | 3 |
| 1978 | Nil | Nil | 120 | 640 | 7 | 4 |
| 1979 | Nil | 2 | 70 | 760 | 3 | Nil |
| 1980 | Nil | 1 | Not yet available | Not yet available | 2 | 5 |
| 1981 | Nil | 1 | Not yet available | Not yet available | 3 | 3 |
| 1982 | Nil | Nil | Not yet available | Not yet available | ||
| * These figures derive from the hospital in-patient inquiry, which is only a sample inquiry. As the number of cases diagnosed as illegal abortions is small, there is a large sampling error. | ||||||
Birth Rate
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the birth rate, broken down into separate age groups, for residents of England and Wales from 1968 to 1982.
| Age-specific Fertility Rates: All Live Births per 1,000 Women in the Age-group | ||||||||
| Age of mother at birth | ||||||||
| Year | 15–44 | 15–19 | 20–24 | 25–29 | 30–34 | 35–39 | 40–44 | 45–49 |
| 1968 | 87·9 | 49·2 | 163·3 | 163·3 | 89·2 | 40·3 | 10·4 | 0·7 |
| 1969 | 85·6 | 49·9 | 157·4 | 158·4 | 84·9 | 37·3 | 9·5 | 0·6 |
| 1970 | 84·3 | 49·4 | 156·1 | 154·7 | 80·1 | 34·7 | 8·6 | 0·6 |
| 1971 | 84·0 | 51·0 | 154·5 | 154·5 | 77·7 | 32·8 | 8·1 | 0·5 |
| 1972 | 77·5 | 48·2 | 141·7 | 142·7 | 69·9 | 29·0 | 7·1 | 0·4 |
| 1973 | 71·7 | 44·0 | 131·0 | 135·3 | 63·6 | 24·6 | 6·1 | 0·5 |
| 1974 | 67·6 | 40·5 | 123·7 | 129·7 | 60·3 | 21·6 | 5·4 | 0·4 |
| 1975 | 63·4 | 36·5 | 115·2 | 123·1 | 58·5 | 20·0 | 4·8 | 0·4 |
| 1976 | 60·9 | 32·4 | 110·5 | 119·9 | 57·8 | 18·7 | 4·4 | 0·3 |
| 1977 | 58·7 | 29·8 | 104·7 | 119·0 | 59·1 | 18·3 | 4·1 | 0·3 |
| 1978 | 60·7 | 29·9 | 107·9 | 123·9 | 63·9 | 19·7 | 4·2 | 0·4 |
| 1979 | 64·1 | 30·8 | 112·2 | 132·8 | 70·0 | 21·5 | 4·3 | 0·4 |
| 1980 | 65·0 | 30·9 | 114·1 | 135·8 | 71·3 | 22·6 | 4·3 | 0·5 |
| 1981 | 61·3 | 28·1 | 105·3 | 129·1 | 68·6 | 21·7 | 4·4 | 0·5 |
The following table gives the available information about births in England and Wales. Figures for 1982 are not yet available.
Kidney Transplants
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will study the Japanese Ministry of Health's national database for kidney transplant matching for possible development within the National Health Service.
I am not aware of the Japanese system, but am arranging for details to be obtained and studied.
Solvent Abuse
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many times the Government's training film on solvent abuse has been used; and by whom.
As a market research exercise, a "rough cut" of the proposed film has been viewed, at one screening by a number of professionals who had applied for a place on a seminar on solvent abuse, and at another screening by representatives of professional training bodies concerned. To take account of suggestions made at these screenings, some further work is being done on the film and on the preparation of the accompanying written material.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish the result of consultations between his Department and voluntary services involved with solvent abuse.
Comments and suggestions received from statutory, professional, voluntary and trade bodies consulted are being studied and I shall make a further statement when I have been able to give them the consideration which they merit, in consultation with other colleagues whose responsibilities are involved. I hope to do this by the end of the year.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many studies into solvers abuse have been funded by his Department; and by whom they have been carried out.
The Department is funding one study into solvent abuse, which is being carried out under the direction of Dr. H. R. Anderson of the department of clinical epidemiology and social medicine, St. Georges hospital medical school.
Asbestos
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will treat sufferers from diseases associated with exposure to asbestos on the same basis for compensation whether their exposure to asbestos was through their employment or their residence.
The industrial injuries scheme is specifically intended to compensate employed earners who suffer injury or disease as a consequence of their employment; there are no plans for widening its scope.
Invalidity Pension
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is holding up his Department's response to the application for a non-contributory married woman's invalidity pension, submitted by a constituent of the hon. Member for Woking in March 1983, details of which have been sent to him.
I much regret the delay in this case which has been due to untoward difficulty in arranging a medical examination. I shall be writing to my hon. Friend.
Geriatric Services
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many geriatric beds were available per thousand elderly population in the Camberwell health district before the closure of 50 geriatric beds in 1978 and 1979; and how many are currently available per thousand elderly population in the district.
In 1977 the average number of available geriatric beds per thousand population aged 65 and over in the King's — now Camberwell — health district was 7·9. In 1982 the corresponding figure for the Camberwell health authority was 6·5.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the outcome of the review of progress in the development of hospital services in London.
Progress in developing services for elderly people was assessed in the 1982 accountability reviews of the four Thames regional health authorities, and any follow-up action agreed with each RHA is recorded in the action plans, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what decisions have been taken in relation to the total of 50 geriatric beds temporarily closed in the Camberwell health district in 1978 and 1979 due to nurse recruitment problems and not yet re-opened;(2) why no comprehensive plan has been prepared for the elderly living in the Camberwell health district; and when such a plan will be published;(3) what progress has been made towards strengthening health services for the elderly in Camberwell health district.
I understand that Camberwell health authority has consulted on a forward programme which includes a preliminary statement of strategy for service for the elderly proposing an increase in geriatric bed provision from 212 to 246. The authority is taking comments received into account in preparing a detailed strategy for the elderly which it intends to publish as part of its overall strategy for consultation later this year.
Community Hospital, Jarrow
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the building of the community hospital at Jarrow will be delayed by National Health Service cuts.
The timing of the building of the Jarrow community hospital is the responsibility of the South Tyneside district health authority and the Northern RHA. The hon. Member may wish to contact the health authorities direct.
Nutrition And Health Education
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report the names of the members of the National Advisory Committee on Nutrition and Health Education and the period for which they are appointed.
The committee was set up jointly by the British Nutrition Foundation and the Health Education Council, to whom inquiries should be addressed.
Housing Benefit
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the savings made since the introduction of unified housing benefit as a result of the ineligibility of individuals on unified housing benefit for single payments, urgent needs, heating allowance, health benefits and heating allowance to which they would have been entitled had they remained on supplementary benefit.
Estimates of changes in expenditure in the period since the introduction of housing benefit are not available. Apart from some reductions in expenditure on single payments, there are no significant savings in the other areas mentioned in the question. The estimated 110,000 claimants who no longer receive supplementary benefit as a result of the introduction of housing benefit have, under the new rules, weekly incomes at least as high as their supplementary benefit needs — including any entitlement to additional requirements such as heating additions. Many of these claimants will still be entitled to other benefits such as free prescriptions on low income grounds. Eligibility for urgent need payments, which is not dependent on entitlement to normal supplementary benefit, has also not been affected by the introduction of housing benefit.At the same time as the introduction of housing benefit a number of separate changes were made to the rules governing payments to supplementary benefit recipients who pay a fixed charge for their heating, which have not, overall, resulted in savings in expenditure.
Farm Labour (National Insurance Deductions)
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what guidance is issued to farmers who employ casual labour and seasonal labour on the responsibility and method of deducting national insurance contributions; and if he will make a statement.
Under an agreement reached between the Department and the National Farmers Union and promulgated by the union to its members in 1978, no class 1 national insurance contributions are payable for casual workers employed on a piecework basis. Employers' and employees' contributions are payable in the normal way for people employed as regular casual workers, who are usually paid weekly. The instructions in the "Employer's Guide to National Insurance Contributions" (NP 15) would apply to such people.
Nhs (Expenditure)
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table showing a breakdown of National Health Service costs, at the most recent available date, by disease.
The information collected routinely on National Health Service expenditure and costs does not provide a breakdown by disease.
World Population Conference
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps have been taken by Her Majesty's Government since the world population conference in Bucharest in 1974 to implement the decisions on recommendation for action agreed at that conference.
The world population plan of action, which was adopted at the world population conference in Bucharest in 1974 is a long document which covers many different activities related to population. The United Kindom, in collaboration with other Governments and inter-Governmental and non-governmental organisations plays a continuing role in assisting in the implementation of this plan of action in developing countries. In respect of the United Kingdom itself, the Government had already by 1974 adopted policies to put into effect the main recommendations of the plan. Detailed steps have been taken over the years to improve their effectiveness.
Medicines (Safety)
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has received the report of the Committee on Safety of Medicines working party on adverse reactions.
The working party has divided its work into two stages. The first stage has been concerned with a review of the present arrangements for monitoring adverse reactions to drugs. The second will be concerned primarily with additional methods of collecting such information. I have just received the report of the first stage from the Committee on Safety of Medicines, which has endorsed the working party's recommendations. A copy has been placed in the Library. I am grateful to the committee for its work in this most important area. I shall study the report very carefully and I hope to receive comments from professional and other bodies on the recommendations.
Agriculture, Fisheries And Food
Agricultural Surpluses (Financing)
15.
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what provision he has made in his current estimates for Great Britain's share of the cost of financing agricultural surpluses within the European community; and if this provision is proving adequate.
I refer my hon. Friend to the 1983–84 Supply Estimates for the Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce, Class III, Vote 1 and to the summer Supplementay Estimate for that Vote, which was published on 8 July. It is too early to foresee whether further Supplemetary Estimates will be required.
Pigeons
16.
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to lift the limited ban on pigeon flying; and if he will make a statement.
Restrictions on pigeon racing will be lifted as soon as we consider it prudent to do so.
Farm Price Review
17.
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he next expects to meet representatives of the National Farmers Union to discuss the farm price review.
I and my officials regularly meet representatives of the National Farmers Union and discuss with them a range of subjects of concern to the industry. The annual review of agriculture is due to take place in the autumn and the National Farmers Union will be consulted in the usual way.
Fruit Trees
18.
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied that there are adequate stocks of United Kingdom grown fruit trees to meet the requirements of the replanting programme.
Our existing arrangements for certifying stock, coupled with new procedures for approving material of comparable standard, should allow the demands of the replanting programme to be met both initially and in the longer term.
Food Prices
19
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the latest year increase in food prices; and how this compares with the average for the five years up to June 1979.
Retail food prices in June were 1·5 per cent. higher than they had been a year earlier. The average of the 12-month rates of change in each of the five years up to June 1979 was 17 per cent.
Common Agricultural Policy
20.
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made in securing reforms to the common agricultural policy since the Stuttgart summit.
The European Council on 17 to 19 June called for a comprehensive review of the common agricultural policy as part of the negotiations on the future financing of the Community. The first step will be for the Commission to present proposals, which it has been asked to do by 1 August.
25.
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the latest estimate of the cost to the nation and the consumer of the operation of the common agricultural policy.
Any estimate of this kind would require assumptions about the alternative agricultural policy which would operate in the absence of the common agricultural policy. It is now over a decade since this policy was implemented here, and therefore assumptions on what might or might not obtain in its place are increasingly matters for speculation.
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his latest estimate of the amount by which the cost of the common agricultural policy will increase in the current year compared with the European Community budget figure; and what increase this will mean for the United Kingdom contribution.
Last week the Council of Ministers established a draft supplementary and amending budget for 1983 which includes an extra 1,761 million ecu for expenditure on the common agricultural policy. The increase in the United Kingdom's gross contribution will be at our normal marginal financing share of about 20 per cent. of the extra expenditure.
Upland Areas
21.
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on aid to upland areas.
Upland farmers in less favoured areas are eligible for a number of support measures not available to their lowland counterparts. These include headage payments to beef cattle and sheep and enhanced rates of grant on capital expenditure, whilst further and more widely-based assistance is available under the special agricultural development programme for Northern Ireland and the integrated development programme for the western isles of Scotland.
Soft Fruit Industry
22.
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take steps to protect the soft fruit industry from subsidised imports from Poland and other Eastern bloc countries.
As my right hon. Friend reported to the House last week, he expressed concern at the Council of Agriculture Ministers about the prices at which processed soft fruit was being imported from eastern Europe. The Commission replied that it had urged the Polish authorities to bring their prices into line with Community market prices, undertook to check the position and to take safeguard action if necessary.
Prefabricated Agricultural Buildings
23.
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is satisfied that the range of prefabricated agricultural buildings at present available is well suited to the needs of British farmers.
Yes, I am satisfied with the current range of prefabricated agricultural buildings.
Food And Agricultural Commodities (Imports)
24.
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his estimate of the value of net imports of food and agricultural commodities from other European Community countries over the last year; and by how much this is in excess of the value of the same portion of net imports had they been charged at the world market prices ruling at the time.
The value of United Kingdom imports of food and feeding stuffs from the Europan Community, less exports to the Community, was £2,002 million in 1982. It is impossible to be sure what this trade might have cost had it taken place at so-called "world" prices. Prices on world markets fluctuate markedly and their levels, in the absence of the common agricultural policy and Community preference, can therefore only be speculated upon. Based on the current levels of export refunds the difference in cost would almost certainly have been less than one tenth of the recent net value.
Horticulture
26.
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent representations he has received about the possible impact on British horticulture of the enlargement of the Community.
We are in regular contact with representatives of all sectors of the British horticulture industry and the possible impact on the industry of enlargement of the Community is a subject that is raised from time to time. We are therefore aware of the industry's concern.
Farm Incomes
27.
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take such measures as are available to him to improve the disparity in farm incomes between those who produce cereals and those livestock producers who are comparatively badly placed under the existing arrangements.
I am aware of the need for further steps to improve the balance between the cereals and livestock sectors. I shall continue to bear this in mind when considering changes in United Kingdom or Community arrangements, and particularly in the negotiation of future levels of support prices.
Heather And Grass Burning
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he hopes to finalise his guidelines on good heather and grass burning practice for farmers in England and Wales.
The working party, comprising farming and conservation interests, which was set up to produce guidelines on good heather and grass burning practice has met on several occasions and its work is now well advanced.We expect to be able to publish a code of practice for farmers in good time for the 1984 spring burning season.
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many offences against the heather and grass burning regulations under the Hill Farming Act 1946 have been (a) reported and (b) proceeded against in the current year to date.
No reports of alleged illegal heather and grass burning have been made so far this year to any of my local offices in England, and no proceedings have been taken. I understand from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales that this is also the position for Wales.Alleged offences may have been reported to the police, but my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has informed me that no records of these are kept centrally. I also understand that no figures are yet available of proceedings so far taken by the police in 1983.
Milk
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, whether he has any proposals for the containment of surplus milk production in the European Community generally, whilst enabling continuing growth in milk output in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.
At the agricultural price fixing earlier this year important progress was made in tackling the problem of surplus milk production when the Council of Ministers agreed to the implementation of the threshold arrangement for milk production and set a new threshold for 1983 significantly below the present level of production. We shall continue to press for measures which result in a better balance between supply and demand without discriminating against the efficient industry we have in this country.
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what is the total subsidy paid, and to be paid, to independent and non-maintained schools as a result of their inclusion in the European Community aggregate whole milk arrangements.
Independent and non-maintained schools have been eligible under the aggregate whole milk arrangements since last autumn term. Subsidy of about £512,000 has so far been paid to such schools in Great Britain. It is not possible to estimate the value of claims still to be made.
Council Of Fisheries Ministers
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the Council of Fisheries Ministers' meeting in Brussels on 25 and 26 July; and if he will make a statement.
I refer my hon. Friend to the statement I made in the House earlier today.
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what studies have been made of the impact of rain-borne pollution on soils and crops; and what studies are currently being undertaken.
My Department and the Department of the Environment have sponsored, and continue to sponsor, a range of studies and experimental trials on the possible effects of all forms of aerial pollution on soils and crops, in collaboraton with the research councils and the universities and other research institutes.
Fishing Fleet
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he has had with other member states in the European Community regarding the policing of their fisheries fleets; and what was the outcome of these discussions.
Our efforts have been concentrated mainly upon pressing the European Commission to set up the Community inspectorate of inspectorates, and the first of the new inspectors should be in post in September. This is a very important element in the system to ensure adequate policing, but we have also taken every opportunity to stress to the other member states the importance which the United Kingdom attaches to proper enforcement of Community fisheries regulations.
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when it is proposed to bring in a system of fishing log books and landing declarations for the British fishing fleet; and if he will make a statement.
In accordance with article 6 of the Commission regulation laying down detailed rules for recording information on member states' catches of fish, the log books and landing declarations will be brought into operation three months after the issue of log books to member states. The log books have not yet been issued.
Foodstuffs (Labelling)
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when it is expected that the EC directive on claims made in the labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs for sale to the ultimate consumer is likely to be implemented in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.
This directive is still only in draft and is likely to be the subject of much further discussion before it becomes Community law. I cannot therefore give a date for implementation in the United Kingdom.
Butter
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what will be the reduction of New Zealand butter imports to the United Kingdom in 1983; and if he will make a statement.
The New Zealand butter import quota for 1983 is fixed at 87,000 tonnes. This is 5,000 tonnes less than the quota fixed for 1982, but the Council of Ministers made a reduction in the import levy to offset the effect of this lower figure on the returns to New Zealand producers.
Eggs
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he proposes to take in order to control the illegal import of eggs from Greece into the United Kingdom.
The Government has no information suggesting that eggs have been imported from Greece. Our controls are designed to prevent imports which do not meet with the agreed Community animal health rules.
Fishing Quotas
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he now expects inspectors in individual states of the European Community to be in post to enforce fishing quotas.
The Community Fisheries Inspectorate will be based in Brussels. We have an assurance from the Community Fisheries Commissioner that the first inspectors will be in post in September.
Fisheries Inspectorate
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list in the Official Report the number of persons, and their grades, who are employed in his Department's Fisheries Inspectorate and the total cost of maintaining these appointments in the years 1981, 1982 and the latest available figures for 1983, respectively.
The Sea Fisheries Inspectorate (MAFF) staff is as follows:
| End 1981 | End 1982 | Up to July 1983 | ||
| Chief Inspector | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Deputy Chief | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Inspector | ||||
| District Inspector | 12 | 12 | 12 | |
| Fishery Officer | 12 | 13 | *12 | |
| Scientific Officer | Collectors of Fisheries Statistics | 15 | 15 | 14 |
| Assistant Scientific Officer | 22 | 19 | 19 | |
| Higher Executive Officer | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Executive Officer | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Senior Data | 3 | 3 | 3 | |
| Processor | ||||
| Clerical Officer | 12 | 10 | 11 | |
| Clerical Assistant | 3 | 3 | 3 | |
| Typist | 7 | 7 | 7 | |
| Personal Assistant | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Total Staff: | 91 | 86 | 85 |
| £ | £ | £ | |
| Full cost of Staff: | 1,260,303 | 1,310,780 | 679,894 |
| (i.e. Salaries, ERNIC Superannuation, general overheads, etc.) | |||
| Expenses: | 83,000 | 103,140 | 61,280 |
| (including travel, subsistence and removals) | |||
| Total Cost of Staff: | 1,343,303 | 1,413,920 | 741,174 |
| *Two under recruitment. | |||
Scotland
Housing (Capital Allocations)
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the gross capital allocations to Scottish housing authorities for the years 1979–80 to 1983–84 inclusive, by (i) local authorities broken down into (a) total allocation, (b) block A and (c) block B, (ii) housing corporation, (iii) South of Scotland Housing Association and (iv) new towns.
I assume that, at (iii), the hon. Gentleman means in fact the Scottish Special Housing Association.Allocations were made gross for the years 1979.80 to 1981–82. The local authority figures are to be found in "Scottish Housing Statistics", vol. 9, page 32, vol. 15, page 28, and vol. 18, page 31. These are available in the Library. For 1982–83 and 1983–84 the net allocations to local authorities are in the table below.
1982–83 Net Allocations
| 1983–84 Net Allocations
| |||||
Authority
| HRA Block
| Non-HRA Block
| Total
| HRA Block
| Non-HRA Block
| Total
|
£ million
| £ million
| £ million
| £ million
| £ million
| £ million
| |
Borders Region
| ||||||
| Berwickshire | 0·663 | 0·485 | 1·148 | 0·442 | 0·302 | 0·744 |
| Ettrick and Lauderdale | 0·670 | 0·413 | 1·083 | 0·372 | 0·378 | 0·750 |
| Roxburgh | 3·312 | 0·904 | 4·216 | 2·574 | 0·553 | 3·127 |
| Tweeddale | 0·029 | 0·165 | 0·194 | 0·197 | 0·100 | 0·297 |
Central Region
| ||||||
| Clackmannan | 1·638 | 0·550 | 2·188 | 0·980 | 0·326 | 1·306 |
| Falkirk | 4·310 | 0·970 | 5·280 | 1·821 | 0·566 | 2·387 |
| Stirling | 3·845 | 0·945 | 4·790 | 2·132 | 0·697 | 2·829 |
Dumfries and Galloway Region
| ||||||
| Annandale and Eskdale | 3·168 | 0·410 | 3·578 | 3·168 | 0·295 | 3·463 |
| Nithsdale | 2·684 | 0·384 | 3·068 | 2·220 | 0·307 | 2·527 |
| Stewartry | 1·288 | 0·225 | 1·513 | 0·869 | 0·197 | 1·066 |
| Wigtown | 1·504 | 0·720 | 2·224 | 1·451 | 0·477 | 1·928 |
Fife Region
| ||||||
| Dunfermline | 2·218 | 1·475 | 3·693 | 0·685 | 1·191 | 1·876 |
| Kirkcaldy | 5·335 | 3·100 | 8·435 | 2·083 | 3·227 | 5·310 |
| North East Fife | 3·460 | 0·850 | 4·310 | 1·895 | 0·703 | 2·598 |
Grampian Region
| ||||||
| Aberdeen City | 0·396 | 3·940 | 4·336 | 2·165 | 4·397 | 6·562 |
| Banff and Buchan | 2·424 | 1·140 | 3·564 | 1·463 | 0·945 | 2·408 |
| Gordon | 3·753 | 0·615 | 4·368 | 2·932 | 0·568 | 3·500 |
| Kincardine and Deeside | 3·605 | 0·495 | 4·100 | 2·755 | 0·442 | 3·197 |
| Moray | 3·645 | 1·077 | 4·722 | 2·763 | 0·783 | 3·546 |
Highland Region
| ||||||
| Badenach and Strathspey | 1·207 | 0·125 | 1·332 | 0·854 | 0·098 | 0·952 |
| Caithness | 2·253 | 0·550 | 2·803 | 1·635 | 0·698 | 2·333 |
| Inverness | 2·616 | 1·030 | 3·646 | 3·292 | 0·916 | 4·208 |
| Lochabar | 1·610 | 0·160 | 1·770 | 1·479 | 0·143 | 1·622 |
| Nairn | 0·551 | 0·120 | 0·671 | 0·344 | 0·090 | 0·434 |
| Ross and Cromarty | 3·748 | 1·462 | 5·210 | 3·809 | 1·013 | 4·822 |
| Skye and Lochalsh | 0·749 | 0·320 | 1·069 | 0·752 | 0·447 | 1·199 |
| Sutherland | 1·207 | 0·514 | 1·721 | 1·020 | 0·381 | 1·401 |
Lothian Region
| ||||||
| East Lothian | 1·880 | 0·970 | 2·850 | 2·481 | 0·707 | 3·188 |
| Edinburgh City | 11·752 | 11·550 | 23·302 | 5·615 | 10·048 | 15·663 |
| Midlothian | 0·110 | 0·340 | 0·450 | — | 0·276 | 0·276 |
| West Lothian | 3·229 | 0·890 | 4·119 | 1·860 | 0·706 | 2·566 |
Strathclyde Region
| ||||||
| Argyle and Bute | 3·910 | 3·448 | 7·358 | 2·784 | 2·709 | 5·493 |
| Bearsden and Milngavie | 0·573 | 0·075 | 0·648 | 0·323 | 0·093 | 0·416 |
| Clydebank | 1·499 | 0·310 | 1·809 | 2·737 | 0·274 | 3·011 |
| Clydesdale | 1·262 | 0·642 | 1·904 | 1·422 | 0·473 | 1·895 |
| Cumbernauld and Kilsyth | 0·893 | 0·160 | 1·053 | 0·692 | 0·031 | 0·723 |
| Cumnock and Doon Valley | 1·659 | 0·185 | 1·844 | 1·115 | 0·117 | 1·232 |
1982–83 Net Allocations
| 1983–84 Net Allocations
| |||||
Authority
| HRA Block
| Non-HRA Block
| Total
| HRA Block
| Non-HRA Block
| Total
|
| Cunninghame | 1·837 | 1·286 | 3·123 | 2·769 | 1·048 | 3·817 |
| Dumbarton | 0·708 | 0·720 | 1·428 | 0·721 | 0·684 | 1·405 |
| East Kilbride | 0·654 | 0·325 | 0·979 | 0·578 | 0·288 | 0·866 |
| Eastwood | 0·200 | 0·325 | 0·525 | 0·401 | 0·276 | 0·677 |
| Glasgow City | 40·407 | 21·500 | 61·907 | 57·046 | 23·800 | 80·846 |
| Hamilton | 3·089 | 0·675 | 3·764 | 2·404 | 0·678 | 3·082 |
| Inverclyde | 3·637 | 1·241 | 4·878 | 2·995 | 0·304 | 3·299 |
| Kilmarnock and Loudoun | 2·299 | 0·255 | 2·554 | 2·461 | 0·300 | 2·761 |
| Kyle and Carrick | 3·063 | 0·980 | 4·043 | 1·931 | 0·695 | 2·626 |
| Monklands | 7·446 | 0·731 | 8·177 | 5·837 | 0·376 | 6·213 |
| Motherwell | 5·473 | 0·500 | 5·973 | 5·721 | 0·111 | 5·832 |
| Renfrew | 4·602 | 2·200 | 6·802 | 5·130 | 1·509 | 6·639 |
| Strathkelvin | 2·209 | 0·260 | 2·469 | 1·942 | — | 1·942 |
Tayside Region
| ||||||
| Angus | 2·151 | 0·885 | 3·036 | 0·731 | 0·774 | 1·505 |
| Dundee City | 5·021 | 6·170 | 11·191 | 6·056 | 4·704 | 10·760 |
| Perth and Kinross | 2·529 | 1·450 | 3·979 | 2·240 | 1·212 | 3·452 |
1982–83 Net Allocations
| 1983–84 Net Allocations
| |||||
Authority
| HRA Block
| Non-HRA Block
| Total
| HRA Block
| Non-HRA Block
| Total
|
Islands Areas
| ||||||
| Orkney | 0·561 | 1·195 | 1·756 | 0·653 | 0·671 | 1·324 |
| Shetland | 2·650 | 0·840 | 3·490 | 2·299 | 0·731 | 3·030 |
| Western Isles | 3·075 | 2·881 | 5·956 | 2·380 | 2·597 | 4·977 |
| Total | 180·266 | 86·133 | 266·399 | 169·476 | 76·432 | 245·908 |
The following are the gross allocations to the other bodies for 1979–80 to 1981–82 and the net figures for 1982–83 and 1983–84.
(£m)
| |||||
1979–80
| 1980–81
| 1981–82
| 1982–83
| 1983–84
| |
| Housing Corporation | 48·5 | 64·3 | 85·0 | *92·0 | 96·3 |
| Local authority lending to housing associations | 5·4 | 6·8 | 8·6 | 10·4 | 9·1 |
| SSHA | 40·0 | 48·0 | 45·2 | 43·6 | 34·0 |
| New Towns | 41·7 | 48·0 | 49·6 | 18·8 | 10·0 |
* The Housing Corporation were given an allocation of £9·2 million in addition to this figure towards the end of the financial year. | |||||
Housing Expenditure, Strathclyde
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how much in each financial year from 1979–80 to 1983–84 was allocated by the Housing Corporation and the Scottish Special Housing Association for expenditure within the Strathclyde region.
Complete information is not held by my Department. I have asked the chairman of the Scottish Special Housing Association, and the chairman of the Housing Corporation's Scottish committee, to write to the hon. Member giving what information is available.
Drug Addicts
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those organisations providing services for drug addicts and abusers in receipt of grants from his Department; and what was the amount of the grant in the last year in each case.
The provision of services for the treatment and rehabilitation of drug misusers is primarily a matter for health boards and local authorities. However, approval was given in September 1982 under the urban aid programme for financial support to the St. Enoch centre in Glasgow for the rehabilitation of drug misusers amounting to 75 per cent. of capital expenditure of £27,751 and running costs of £53,733 annually for three years.
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what grants have been made in the last year to health boards, local authorities and voluntary bodies as part of the extra money being deployed to combat the drugs problem; what additional resources have resulted; and if he will make a statement on progress.
None so far; but, as I have stated in reply to a separate question by the hon. Member, the Scottish Home and Health Department will very shortly be asking for applications for the payment of such grants.
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland which bodies he has consulted on the report of the advisory council on the misuse of drugs on rehabilitation and treatment; what recommendations have been accepted as relevant to Scotland and which rejected; what resources, original and additional, have been deployed in physical, cash and personnel terms as a consequence; and if he will make a statement.
The Scottish Home and Health Department will very shortly be issuing a circular to statutory and voluntary organisations with an interest in drug misuse asking them for comments on the recommendations in the report on the treatment and rehabilitation of drug misusers, and inviting applications in respect of local initiatives for improving services provided for drug misusers which could be helped by a pump-priming grant from the Government. Funds will be available over a period of three years, subject to certain conditions; but at this stage it is not possible to estimate what these will amount to until we have some idea of the number of worthwhile applications received in response to our circular and their probable cost.
Nursery Education
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how much has been awarded to the Scottish Preschool Playgroup Association in each year since 1979; and if he will also express each annual amount at constant prices.
This information is as follows:
| Grant paid | Grant revalued to 1980–81 prices | |
| £ | £ | |
| 1979–80 | 67,700 | 79,840 |
| 1980–81 | 65,100 | 65,100 |
| 1981–82 | 78,800 | 69,895 |
| 1982–83 | 84,100 | 69,375 |
Drug Offences (Sentences)
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is satisfied with the adequacy of legislation dealing with the illegal importers and distributors of heroin and other hard drugs; what sentences are available to and imposed, on average, by the courts; and if he will make a statement.
My right hon. Friend is satisfied that the existing legislation to deal with such offences is adequate. The maximum sentences available on indictment include unlimited fines and 14 years imprisonment. Scottish courts regard such offences very seriously. Information on the sentences imposed by Scottish courts is not readily available separately, but is included in the information for the whole of the United Kingdom given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Treasury in answer to the hon. Member today.
Labour Statistics
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report(a) the average annual unemployment rate and (b) the average annual number of unemployed in Glasgow in each of the past five years for which figures are available.
The following table shows the annual average number and percentage rate of registrants — the old basis of the unemployment count — at jobcentres and careers offices in the Glasgow travel to work area for each of the past five years.
| Number of registrants | Percentage rate | |
| 1978 | 54,011 | 9·2 |
| 1979 | 52,920 | 9·1 |
| 1980 | 68,138 | 11·7 |
| 1981 | 89,835 | 15·4 |
| 1982 | 98,931 | 16·9 |
| 1981 Census—Glasgow District Wards | ||||
| Number and percentage not in employment | ||||
| Resident Population | ||||
| Males aged 16–64 not in employment | Females aged 16–59 not in employment | |||
| Glasgow District Ward | Number | As percentage of all males aged 16–64 | Number | As percentage of all females aged 16–59 |
| 1. Drumry | 1,293 | 38·1 | 403 | 11·5 |
| 2. Summerhill | 1,193 | 31·8 | 358 | 9·3 |
| 3. Blairdardie | 444 | 14·8 | 154 | 5·5 |
| 4. Knightscliffe | 684 | 21·5 | 244 | 8·2 |
| 5. Yoker | 839 | 22·2 | 316 | 9·0 |
| 6. Knightwood | 441 | 15·4 | 162 | 6·2 |
| 7. Scotstoun | 624 | 17·2 | 225 | 6·9 |
| 8. Broomhill | 369 | 11·5 | 174 | 5·6 |
| 9. Kelvindale | 152 | 4·3 | 94 | 2·6 |
| 10. Kelvinside | 225 | 6·8 | 135 | 4·2 |
| 11. Summerston | 734 | 20·3 | 303 | 8·7 |
| 12. Maryhill | 794 | 26·1 | 274 | 10·2 |
| 13. Milton | 937 | 23·8 | 334 | 9·2 |
| 14. Ruchill | 1,172 | 29·9 | 432 | 11·4 |
| 15. North Kelvin | 593 | 18·2 | 230 | 7·9 |
| 16. Woodlands | 544 | 16·9 | 234 | 9·3 |
| 17. Partick | 581 | 15·3 | 235 | 6·4 |
| 18. Anderston | 711 | 20·3 | 280 | 9·5 |
| 19. Springburn | 752 | 21·9 | 260 | 7·9 |
| 20. Robroyston | 850 | 21·9 | 348 | 9·4 |
| 21. Keppochhill | 1,204 | 29·9 | 431 | 11·3 |
| 22. Cowlairs | 960 | 32·0 | 352 | 12·9 |
| 23. Alexandra Park | 963 | 27·5 | 367 | 11·0 |
| 24. Dennistoun | 642 | 16·5 | 276 | 7·4 |
| 25. Central | 1,012 | 30·4 | 256 | 9·7 |
| 26. Calton | 929 | 38·1 | 200 | 12·3 |
| 27. Belvidere | 1,114 | 37·4 | 339 | 13·4 |
| 28. Carntyne | 862 | 27·4 | 316 | 10·7 |
Notes:
1. As a result of the change in November 1982 to a claimant-based count of the unemployed, the annual average for 1982 has been calculated on the 10 months to October 1982.
2. The Glasgow travel-to-work area comprises the employment office areas in Glasgow city together with Barrhead, Clydebank, Cumbernauld, East Kilbride, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch employment office areas.
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people in Glasgow were defined as available for work in each of the past five years for which figures are available.
I regret this information is not available.
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of Glasgow's population was economically active in each of the past five years for which figures are available.
This information is available from the census of population only: the latest census shows that, in 1981, 60 per cent. of the usually resident population aged 16 and over were economically active.
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if his Department has information from the 1981 census on the number of unemployed and the unemployment rate, for both sexes, by district council ward boundary in Glasgow.
The numbers and percentage of those not in employment — that is seeking work or prevented by temporary sickness from seeking work—for males and females in each district ward in Glasgow were as follows:
Resident Population
| ||||
Males aged 16–64 not in employment
| Females aged 16–59 not in employment
| |||
Glasgow District Ward
| Number
| As percentage of all males aged 16–64
| Number
| As percentage of all females aged 16–59
|
| 29. Parkhead | 935 | 29·3 | 344 | 11·9 |
| 30. Shettleston | 618 | 20·7 | 246 | 9·0 |
| 31. Lethamhill | 1,494 | 33·6 | 493 | 11·0 |
| 32. Riddrie | 311 | 12·8 | 126 | 5·9 |
| 33. Queenslie | 1,027 | 27·0 | 364 | 9·9 |
| 34. Barlanark | 1,397 | 34·0 | 491 | 11·9 |
| 35. Mount Vernon | 605 | 13·7 | 367 | 6·3 |
| 36. Baillieston | 580 | 14·1 | 247 | 6·3 |
| 37. Gartloch | 1,078 | 35·2 | 393 | 13·0 |
| 38. Easterhouses | 1,596 | 37·9 | 515 | 12·0 |
| 39. Drumoyne | 619 | 22·4 | 240 | 9·2 |
| 40. Govan | 1,269 | 33·0 | 450 | 13·0 |
| 41. Penilee | 591 | 17·4 | 233 | 7·1 |
| 42. Cardonald | 448 | 13·6 | 194 | 5·9 |
| 43. Moss Park | 376 | 13·5 | 143 | 5·4 |
| 44. Bellahouston | 520 | 17·7 | 231 | 8·7 |
| 45. Pollock | 1,183 | 26·1 | 362 | 8·5 |
| 46. Cowglen | 903 | 22·9 | 295 | 8·1 |
| 47. South Nitshill | 1,006 | 32·8 | 342 | 11·3 |
| 48. Arden | 1,182 | 25·1 | 386 | 8·4 |
| 49. Pollockshields | 426 | 11·1 | 201 | 5·6 |
| 50. Shawlands | 251 | 9·5 | 118 | 4·4 |
| 51. Kingston | 798 | 28·6 | 246 | 10·2 |
| 52. Hutchisontown | 989 | 26·5 | 368 | 10·7 |
| 53. Queen's Park | 381 | 10·2 | 203 | 5·5 |
| 54. Crosshill | 682 | 17·1 | 266 | 7·4 |
| 55. Pollockshaws | 479 | 14·9 | 163 | 5·2 |
| 56. Newlands | 223 | 6·0 | 114 | 3·3 |
| 57. Kingspark | 317 | 8·2 | 193 | 5·2 |
| 58. Aikenhead | 127 | 4·8 | 84 | 3·1 |
| 59. Toryglen | 773 | 19·7 | 290 | 8·2 |
| 60. Rutherglen | 413 | 11·2 | 180 | 5·1 |
| 61. Linn Park | 887 | 27·2 | 293 | 8·9 |
| 62. Castlemilk | 608 | 21·4 | 237 | 8·7 |
| 63. Glenwood | 1,289 | 34·8 | 416 | 11·3 |
| 64. Fernhill | 829 | 16·9 | 325 | 6·8 |
| 65. Cambuslang | 476 | 11·2 | 259 | 6·3 |
| 66. Halfway | 843 | 21·4 | 353 | 9·4 |
Deaths (Glasgow)
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total number of deaths in Glasgow in each of the past five years for which figures are available.
Figures for 1978 to 1981 are contained in the annual reports of the Registrar General for Scotland, table A2.2, copies of which are in the Library. Provisional figures for 1982 were published in the weekly return of the Registrar General, WR 12/83, a copy of which is also held in the Library.
Hypothermia
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many elderly people died in Scotland from hypothermia during the years 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982, respectively.
The information is given in the following table.
| Deaths from hypothermia, Scotland, 1978–82 | |||
| Ages | Hypothermia as the under-lying cause | Hypothermia as a contributory cause | Total |
| 1978 | |||
| Males 65+ | 3 | 48 | 51 |
Ages
| Hypothermia as the under-lying cause
| Hypothermia as a contributory cause
| Total
|
| Females 60+ | 12 | 106 | 118 |
| 1979 | |||
| Males 65+ | 24 | 52 | 76 |
| Females 60+ | 37 | 97 | 134 |
| 1980 | |||
| Males 65+ | 17 | 48 | 65 |
| Females 60+ | 18 | 82 | 100 |
| 1981 | |||
| Males 65+ | 26 | 54 | 80 |
| Females 60+ | 44 | 79 | 123 |
| 1982* | |||
| Males 65+ | 26 | 36 | 62 |
| Females 60+ | 29 | 76 | 105 |
* Provisional. | |||
Assisted Areas
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will list the district authorities in each category of assisted area.
The information is as follows:
District
| Category of Assisted Area
|
| Angus | Non AA/SDA |
| Argyll and Bute | DA |
| Badenoch and Strathspey | DA |
| Bearsden and Milngavie | SDA |
| Caithness | DA |
| City of Dundee | SDA |
| City of Glasgow | SDA |
| Clackmannan | IA |
| Clydebank | SDA |
| Clydesdale | SDA |
| Cumbernauld and Kilsyth | SDA |
| Cumnock and Doon Valley | SDA |
| Cunninghame | SDA/DA |
| Dumbarton | SDA |
| Dunfermline | DA |
| East Kilbride | SDA |
| Eastwood | SDA |
| Falkirk | DA |
| Hamilton | SDA |
| Inverclyde | SDA |
| Inverness | DA |
| Kilmarnock and Loudoun | SDA |
| Kirkcaldy | DA/SDA |
| Kyle and Carrick | SDA/DA |
| Lochaber | DA |
| Monklands | SDA |
| Moray | Non AA/IA |
| Motherwell | SDA |
| Nairn | IA |
| North East Fife | Non AA/IA |
| Perth and Kinross | Non AA/DA |
| Renfrew | SDA |
| Ross and Cromarty | DA |
| Skye and Lochalsh | DA |
| Stewartry | IA |
| Stirling | IA |
| Strathkelvin | SDA |
| Sutherland | DA |
| West Lothian | DA/SDA |
| Wigtown | DA |
Note:
SDA/Special Development Area
DA/Development Area
IA—Intermediate Area
Non AA—Non-assisted Area
The Orkney and Shetland Islands areas have IA status and the Western Isles islands area has DA status.
Kidney Transplants
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will study the Japanese Ministry of Health's national database for kidney transplant matching for possible development within the National Health Service.
Details about the Japanese arrangements will be obtained and studied to see if they are of any relevance to the National Health Service.
Domestic Fires (Fatalities)
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many persons died in domestic fires in Scotland in 1981, 1982 and to the latest date in 1983.
In the period 1 January 1981 to 27 June 1983 the numbers of deaths in Scotland resulting from fires in domestic premises were as follows:
| Number | |
| 1981 | 127 |
| 1982 | 134 |
Number
| |
| 1st January to 27 July 1983 | 90 |
Edinburgh Airport (Car Thefts)
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to the answer of 5 July, Official Report, c. 330, of the cars stolen in 1982 and in 1983 to date at Edinbugh airport how many in each category were recovered.
The information requested is not collected by my Department. I have asked the chief constable of Lothian and Borders police to write to the hon. Member.
Klondikers
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the reason for the delay in introducing a statutory instrument to control the activities of klondikers in British fishing waters; and if he will make a statement.
An order was laid before Parliament today requiring foreign vessels transhipping pelagic sea fish to factory ships within British fishing limits to comply with the control measures currently applicable to transhipments by United Kingdom fishing vessels.
Heart Patients
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the number of cases in each health board in Scotland where sudden heart attack patients have been refused access to intensive care hospital treatment on account of age; and what was the determining age in each case.
The question whether particular patients should be treated in hospital intensive care units is a clinical decision for the consultants concerned in the light of all the circumstances of each case.
Fisheries Inspectorate
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the number of persons, and their grades, who are employed in his Department's fisheries inspectorate and the total cost of maintaining these appointments in the years 1981, 1982 and the latest available figures for 1983, respectively.
The following grades of staff were employed in my Department's fisheries inspectorate on 1 July 1983:
| Number | |
| Chief Inspector of Sea Fisheries | 1 |
| Deputy Chief Inspector of Sea Fisheries | 1 |
| Inspector of Sea Fisheries | 8 |
| Fishery Officer | 21 |
| Assistant Fishery Officer | 22 |
| 53 |
Tenants Rights, Etc (Scotland) Act 1980
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will consider introducing legislation to amend the Tenants Rights, etc. (Scotland) Act 1980 to provide that tenants of public sector housing in Scotland should have legal rights to be consulted and receive information about housing management policies and practices similar to those already enjoyed by tenants in England and Wales under the Housing Act 1980.
My right hon. Friend has no plans to introduce such legislation at present. We are, however, concerned to promote tenant participation in Scotland in other ways, including the provision of financial assistance to the tenant participation advisory service, which aims to foster the development of suitable local initiatives.
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many public sector landlords have failed to issue leases to their tenants as required under the Tenants Rights, etc. (Scotland) Act 1980; and if he will make a statement.
Precise information is not available on the number of public sector landlords who have failed to issue leases to their tenants as required by section 16 of the Tenants Rights, etc. (Scotland) Act 1980. Returns submitted to my Department, however, suggest that only a minority of tenants have still not received a written lease from their landlord. I have no reason to believe that public authorities are not making every effort to comply with their statutory obligations in this matter.
Potatoes (Imports)
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from the Scottish National Farmers Union on the level of potato imports from Greece; and whether he Proposes to take any action on the matter.
This matter was raised by leaders of the National Farmers Union of Scotland at a meeting with my noble Friend the Minister of State on 14 July.There is no evidence that these imports have undermined prices for Scottish early potatoes. None the less, their excessive volume remains a matter of concern and everything possible will be done to convince those marketing Greek potatoes of the need for orderly trading. The Greek Government and the EC Commission have been made aware of our disquiet.
Council House Sales
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will grant immediate discretionary powers to local authorities to sell council houses to sitting tenants at a discount of 60 per cent. on market value.
Yes. The necessary amendments to the present general consents to voluntary sales will be issued today, increasing the discount at which district and islands councils may sell houses to sitting tenants from the present 50 per cent. after 20 years to a new maximum of 60 per cent. after 30 years tenancy. I have also given similar consent to the SSHA and to the new towns. Consent will also be given to regional councils, police and fire authorities to apply the same maximum discount to sales to sitting tenants of houses which are surplus to their requirements.
Schools (Corporal Punishment)
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he proposes to ensure compliance with the 1982 judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the case Campbell and Cosans v United Kingdom in relation to corporal punishment in schools; and if he will make a statement.
The general aim in Scotland remains the elimination of corporal punishment in schools. My Department has today written to regional and island councils reiterating my view that the end of the school session 1983–84 is a reasonable target date by which education authorities should complete the process of elimination and reminding them that meantime they should ensure respect for the known philosophical convictions of parents with regard to corporal punishment.I shall consult the Scottish Council of Independent Schools about the implications of the judgment for the assisted places scheme.The opportunity has been taken to draw to the attention of education authorities and the Scottish Council of Independent Schools the need to ensure that where authorities place pupils in any independent or grant-aided schools, the managers of the school will guarantee respect for the philosophical convictions of the parents concerned as regards corporal punishment and as made known to the managers or to the education authority concerned.Copies of Scottish Education Department circular No. 1100 have been placed in the Library.
South Of Scotland Electricity Board
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has considered the response of the South of Scotland Electricity Board to the recommendations contained in the efficiency audit of that board's activities by Cooper and Lybrand Associates; and if he will make a statement.
I have now considered the response of the South of Scotland Electricity Board to the efficiency audit by the management consulting firm of Cooper and Lybrand Associates. A copy of the board's response has been placed in the Library.The consultants were asked to consider whether SSEB could economically improve its performance in a number of key areas: namely, management information, control of the generating system, fuel purchasing, and the planning and appraisal of new investment. The consultants overall conclusion was that SSEB's activities were generally well organised and performed to a good standard. Nevertheless, they make a number of recommendations aimed at further improving the board's performance.
In its response the SSEB has indicated its acceptance of most of these recommendations and has already taken steps to implement many of them. In the case of others, the board is re-examining its existing procedures with a view to incorporating the consultants' suggestions where appropriate.
Some of the recommendations touch upon the board's relationship with other public bodies, including the National Coal Board, British Nuclear Fuels Ltd., the Central Electricity Generating Board and British Rail. In particular, the report referred to the arrangements for the purchase of coal and the supply of nuclear fuel from NCB and BNFL respectively. These arrangements are urrently the subject of discussion between SSEB and these industries. SSEB is also discussing with CEGB the scope for improving arrangements for power transfer between the two boards and the Government will wish to be satisified that national generating capacity is being used as efficiently as possible.
In general the board has responded positively to the consultants recommendations and I know that it is its intention to secure the maximum benefit from the considerable amount of work which went into compiling the efficiency audit report. Nevertheless, there are a number of recommendations which the board felt unable to accept in their entirety. My Department will be having further discussions with the board on these and other topics arising from the report.
Since the report and the board's response were reduced, I have agreed a financial target and performance aims for SSEB, together with a set of policy objectives for the
Local authority
| No. of sheltered units at 31.3.82
| Population of pensionable age * (thousand)
| |||||||||
Projected population (1979 based)
| |||||||||||
Estimate at 30.6.82
| 1982
| 1983
| 1984
| 1985
| 1986
| 1987
| 1988
| 1989
| 1990
| ||
| Berwickshire | 97 | 4·1 | 3·8 | 3·8 | 3·8 | 3·8 | 3·7 | 3·7 | 3·7 | 3·6 | 3·6 |
| Ettrick and Lauderdale | 87 | 7·0 | 6·9 | 6·9 | 6·9 | 6·9 | 7·0 | 7·0 | 7·0 | 7·0 | 6·9 |
| Roxburgh | 67 | 7·4 | 7·2 | 7·1 | 7·1 | 7·1 | 7·1 | 7·0 | 6·9 | 6·9 | 6·8 |
| Tweedale | 42 | 3·2 | 3·0 | 2·9 | 2·9 | 2·9 | 2·8 | 2·8 | 2·8 | 2·7 | 2·7 |
| Clackmannan | 147 | 7·1 | 6·9 | 6·9 | 7·0 | 7·1 | 7·1 | 7·2 | 7·2 | 7·2 | 7·3 |
| Falkirk | 147 | 23·2 | 23·0 | 23·1 | 23·2 | 23·5 | 23·8 | 24·0 | 24·1 | 24·2 | 24·4 |
| Stirling | 369 | 13·1 | 12·5 | 12·4 | 12·4 | 12·5 | 12·6 | 12·6 | 12·6 | 12·6 | 12·6 |
| Annendale and Eskdale | 51 | 6·9 | 6·6 | 6·6 | 6·7 | 6·8 | 6·8 | 6·9 | 7·0 | 7·0 | 7·1 |
| Nithsdale | 46 | 10·1 | 9·8 | 9·8 | 9·8 | 9·9 | 10·0 | 10·1 | 10·1 | 10·3 | 10·3 |
| Stewartry | 41 | 5·1 | 4·5 | 4·4 | 4·4 | 4·4 | 4·4 | 4·4 | 4·4 | 4·4 | 4·4 |
| Wigtown | 5 | 5·5 | 5·2 | 5·2 | 5·1 | 5·2 | 5·2 | 5·2 | 5·2 | 5·2 | 5·2 |
| Dunfermline | 171 | 19·2 | 19·5 | 19·6 | 19·8 | 20·1 | 20·4 | 20·5 | 20·7 | 20·8 | 20·9 |
| Kirkcaldy | 171 | 25·0 | 24·2 | 24·4 | 24·5 | 24·9 | 25·2 | 25·4 | 25·6 | 25·8 | 25·9 |
| North East Fife | 202 | 13·9 | 13·1 | 13·0 | 12·9 | 12·9 | 12·8 | 12·7 | 12·7 | 12·6 | 12·5 |
| City of Aberdeen | 777 | 37·3 | 38·1 | 38·0 | 37·9 | 38·1 | 38·2 | 38·2 | 38·1 | 38·0 | 38·0 |
| Banff and Buchan | 195 | 13·5 | 12·9 | 12·9 | 12·8 | 12·9 | 12·9 | 12·9 | 12·9 | 12·9 | 12·8 |
| Gordon | 150 | 9·2 | 9·2 | 9·2 | 9·2 | 9·3 | 9·3 | 9·4 | 9·4 | 9·5 | 9·6 |
| Kincardine and Deeside | 118 | 7·1 | 6·7 | 6·7 | 6·6 | 6·6 | 6·6 | 6·6 | 6·6 | 6·6 | 6·6 |
| Moray | 177 | 13·8 | 12·2 | 12·1 | 11·9 | 11·9 | 11·9 | 11·9 | 11·9 | 11·9 | 11·8 |
| Badenoch and Strathspey | 41 | 1·9 | 1·7 | 1·7 | 1·6 | 1·6 | 1·6 | 1·6 | 1·6 | 1·6 | 1·6 |
| Caithness | 107 | 4·3 | 3·9 | 3·9 | 3·9 | 3·9 | 4·0 | 4·0 | 4·0 | 4·0 | 4·0 |
| Inverness | 129 | 8·9 | 8·5 | 8·5 | 8·5 | 8·6 | 8·7 | 8·8 | 8·9 | 8·9 | 9·0 |
| Lochaber | 10 | 2·9 | 3·0 | 3·0 | 3·0 | 3·0 | 3·0 | 3·0 | 3·0 | 3·0 | 3·1 |
| Nairn | 52 | 1·9 | 1·7 | 1·7 | 1·7 | 1·7 | 1·7 | 1·6 | 1·6 | 1·6 | 1·6 |
| Ross and Cromarty | 90 | 7·1 | 6·3 | 6·3 | 6·2 | 6·3 | 6·3 | 6·3 | 6·4 | 6·4 | 6·4 |
| Skye and Lochalsh | 24 | 2·3 | 2·0 | 1·9 | 1·9 | 1·9 | 1·8 | 1·8 | 1·8 | 1·7 | 1·7 |
| Sutherland | 24 | 2·9 | 2·8 | 2·8 | 2·7 | 2·7 | 2·7 | 2·7 | 2·6 | 2·6 | 2·6 |
| East Lothian | 122 | 15·2 | 14·1 | 14·1 | 14·1 | 14·2 | 14·3 | 14·3 | 14·3 | 14·2 | 14·2 |
| City of Edinburgh | 1,336 | 86·1 | 87·8 | 87·2 | 86·7 | 86·6 | 86·6 | 86·3 | 85·9 | 85·5 | 85·0 |
| Midlothian | 22 | 11·1 | 11·0 | 11·1 | 11·3 | 11·5 | 11·7 | 11·9 | 12·1 | 12·1 | 12·3 |
| West Lothian | 206 | 16·6 | 15·5 | 15·6 | 15·8 | 16·1 | 16·4 | 16·6 | 16·9 | 17·1 | 17·3 |
board which I announced earlier this year. All of these reflect the importance which both the board and I place on improving the performance and efficiency of the electricity supply industry in Scotland. I know the board will continue to make every effort to implement the consultants recommendations and improve the performance wherever possible. I have therefore asked SSEB to report to me on the progress made in implementing these recommendations before the end of 1984 at which time I will consider with the board what further action, if any, is necessary.
Sheltered Housing
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the number of women over 60 years of age and men over 65 years in each district council area in Scotland together with the number of sheltered housing units in the same area and also his forecast of the numbers of such persons and the amount of such housing which will be required in each year up to 1990.
[pursuant to his reply, 25 July 1983, c. 331]: The available information is shown in the following table.There is no recommended level of provision for sheltered housing and it is for each authority to determine needs in the light of local circumstances. The guideline for provision is 50 sheltered places per 1,000 elderly—aged 65 and over.
Local authority
| No. of sheltered units at 31.3.82
| Population of pensionable age * (thousand)
| |||||||||
Projected population (1979 based)
| |||||||||||
Estimate at 30.6.82
| 1982
| 1983
| 1984
| 1985
| 1986
| 1987
| 1988
| 1989
| 1990
| ||
| Argyll and Bute | 112 | 13·6 | 12·3 | 12·1 | 11·8 | 11·7 | 11·5 | 11·4 | 11·2 | 11·0 | 10·9 |
| Bearsden and Milngavie | 150 | 5·9 | 5·9 | 6·0 | 6·1 | 6·2 | 6·4 | 6·5 | 6·6 | 6·7 | 6·9 |
| Clydebank | 136 | 8·6 | 8·4 | 8·4 | 8·4 | 8·4 | 8·5 | 8·5 | 8·4 | 8·4 | 8·3 |
| Clydesdale | 113 | 9·1 | 8·9 | 8·9 | 8·9 | 9·0 | 9·1 | 9·1 | 9·1 | 9·2 | 9·2 |
| Cumbernauld and Kilsyth | 169 | 5·9 | 5·3 | 5·4 | 5·6 | 5·7 | 5·9 | 6·1 | 6·3 | 6·2 | 6·7 |
| Cumnock and Doon Valley | 80 | 6·9 | 7·1 | 7·2 | 7·2 | 7·4 | 7·5 | 7·5 | 7·6 | 7·6 | 7·6 |
| Cunninghame | 291 | 22·0 | 20·7 | 20·8 | 20·8 | 21·1 | 21·2 | 21·4 | 21·5 | 21·6 | 21·7 |
| Dumbarton | 182 | 12·0 | 11·9 | 11·9 | 11·8 | 11·9 | 12·0 | 12·0 | 12·0 | 12·1 | 12·1 |
| East Kilbride | 189 | 9·4 | 8·4 | 8·7 | 8·9 | 9·3 | 9·6 | 10·1 | 10·5 | 11·0 | 11·4 |
| Eastwood | 126 | 9·1 | 9·3 | 9·3 | 9·4 | 9·5 | 9·5 | 9·6 | 9·6 | 9·7 | 9·7 |
| City of Glasgow | 1,538 | 144·3 | 150·3 | 147·5 | 144·8 | 143·3 | 141·5 | 139·5 | 136·7 | 134·4 | 131·5 |
| Hamilton | 320 | 14·8 | 14·8 | 14·9 | 14·9 | 15·1 | 15·3 | 15·4 | 15·5 | 15·6 | 15·7 |
| Inverclyde | 225 | 16·5 | 16·8 | 16·8 | 16·7 | 16·8 | 16·9 | 17·0 | 17·0 | 17·0 | 16·9 |
| Kilmarnock and Loudoun | 123 | 13·5 | 13·5 | 13·5 | 13·5 | 13·7 | 13·8 | 13·8 | 13·8 | 13·8 | 13·8 |
| Kyle and Carrick | 257 | 21·8 | 20·5 | 20·5 | 20·4 | 20·5 | 20·6 | 20·7 | 20·7 | 20·8 | 20·8 |
| Monklands | 180 | 14·8 | 15·3 | 15·4 | 15·5 | 15·7 | 15·9 | 16·1 | 16·2 | 16·2 | 16·3 |
| Motherwell | 371 | 23·3 | 23·1 | 23·1 | 23·2 | 23·4 | 23·5 | 23·7 | 23·7 | 23·7 | 23·7 |
| Renfrew | 323 | 31·1 | 31·0 | 31·3 | 31·4 | 31·9 | 32·2 | 32·6 | 32·9 | 33·2 | 33·5 |
| Strathkelvin | 85 | 10·8 | 10·7 | 10·8 | 10·9 | 11·1 | 11·3 | 11·5 | 11·6 | 11·8 | 11·9 |
| Angus | 389 | 17·9 | 17·1 | 17·1 | 17·1 | 17·1 | 17·2 | 17·2 | 17·2 | 17·1 | 17·1 |
| City of Dundee | 1,573 | 33·5 | 33·9 | 33·8 | 33·8 | 34·1 | 34·2 | 34·4 | 34·4 | 34·5 | 34·5 |
| Perth and Kinross | 282 | 24·6 | 22·9 | 22·8 | 22·7 | 22·8 | 22·9 | 22·9 | 22·9 | 22·8 | 22·8 |
| Orkney | 36 | 3·7 | 3·5 | 3·4 | 3·4 | 3·4 | 3·4 | 3·3 | 3·3 | 3·3 | 3·2 |
| Shetland | 238 | 3·7 | 3·4 | 3·4 | 3·3 | 3·3 | 3·2 | 3·2 | 3·1 | 3·1 | 3·1 |
| Western Isles | 138 | 6·8 | 6·3 | 6·2 | 6·1 | 6·0 | 5·9 | 5·8 | 5·8 | 5·7 | 5·6 |
| SCOTLAND | 12,849 | 876·5 | 864·9 | 862·0 | 858·9 | 863·3 | 865·6 | 866·7 | 865·6 | 864·4 | 863·1 |
* Males aged 65 and over: females aged 60 and over. | |||||||||||
Northern Ireland
Irish Conference Of Catholic Bishops
29.
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent representations he has received from the Irish Conference of Catholic Bishops about social conditions in Northern Ireland.
None.
Exclusion Orders
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have objected to an exclusion order since 1974; and in how many cases these objections have been successful.
Representations have been received on six occasions following the making of exclusion orders by successive Secretaries of State for Northern Ireland under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act of 1974 and 1976. In only two cases were the representations made within the period defined in the legislation. One order has been revoked as a result of these representations.
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in how many cases appplications have been made for exclusion orders to be reviewed after three years; and how many of these reviews have resulted in the order being revoked.
Exclusion orders are subject to automatic review after three years. Seven cases relating to persons excluded under orders made by successive Secretaries of State for Northern Ireland have been so reviewed, but no orders have been revoked under this procedure.
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have been served exclusion orders under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act from 1974 to the latest available date.
To date, 27 orders have been made by successive Secretaries of State for Northern Ireland under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Acts of 1974 and 1976.
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have been excluded from Northern Ireland to the Irish Republic since 1974 under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act.
To date a total of 21 people have been so excluded.
Terrorism
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland have been arrested under the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1973 and the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act.
I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for Oxford, West and Abingdon (Mr. Patten) to the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull, North (Mr. McNamara) on 11 April 1983 — [Vol. 40, c. 346–8.] —about arrests under the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act. During 1982, a total of 3,189 arrests were made by the security forces under that Act; and in the first six months of 1983, there were 991 arrests. Where a person was arrested initially by the Army and was then rearrested by the Royal Ulster Constabulary, both arrests are shown in the figures.A total of 2,871 arrests have been made in Northern Ireland under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Acts of 1974 and 1976 up to the end of June 1983.
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons arrested in Northern Ireland under (i) the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1970 and (ii) the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act were eventually charged and sentenced.
Information on the number of persons arrested under the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act and subsequently charged was provided by my hon. Friend the Member for Oxford, West and Abingdon (Mr. Patten) in his answer of 11 April 1983 [Vol. 40, c. 346]—to the hon. Member for Kingston-upon-Hull, North (Mr. McNamara). Further details on charges are not yet available.As at 30 June 1983, a total of 1,136 people arrested in Northern Ireland under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Acts 1974 and 1976 were subsequently charged.Statistics on sentences are not available in the form requested. However, records show that during the period 1 January 1975 to 30 June 1983 there were 7,146 convictions on indictment for terrorist-type offences in Northern Ireland.
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons arrested in Northern Ireland under section 12 of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act have been held for more than 48 hours; in how many cases a request for such an extension has been refused; and how many of those held for more than 48 hours have eventually been charged and convicted.
Up to 30 June there have been 2,187 occasions on which persons arrested in Northern Ireland under section 12 of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Acts 1974 and 1976 have been held for more than 48 hours. Three requests for such extensions have been refused. Charges have resulted on 986 of the occasions when extensions were granted. Figures on convictions are not held in the form requested.
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for what period of time those people arrested under the Northern Ireland (Emergency
| Statistics on security—Part I (Yearly figures) | |||||||||||||
| 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | Jan/June 1983 | |
| Shooting Incidents* | 1,756 | 10,628 | 5,018 | 3,206 | 1,803 | 1,908 | 1,081 | 755 | 728 | 642 | 815 (327) | 382 (165) | 136 (59) |
| Explosions | 1,022 | 1,382 | 978 | 685 | 399 | 766 | 366 | 455 | 422 | 280 | 398 | 219 | 116 |
| Bombs neutralised | 493 | 471 | 542 | 428 | 236 | 426 | 169 | 178 | 142 | 120 | 131 | 113 | 53 |
| Weight of Explosives in lbs† | |||||||||||||
| Explosions | 10,972 | 47,462 | 47,472 | 46,435 | 13,753 | 17,596 | 2,839 | 5,343 | 11,181 | 9,059 | 9,621 | 11,199 | 3,275 |
| Neutralised | 3,001 | 19,978 | 32,450 | 27,094 | 11,159 | 16,252 | 2,188 | 5,861 | 4,530 | 6,405 | 9,168 | 7,300 | 5,125 |
| Armed Robberies | 437 | 1,931 | 1,215 | 1,231 | 1,201 | 813 | 591 | 442 | 434 | 412 | 587 | 580 | 162 |
| Amount stolen | 303,787 | 790,687 | 612,015 | 572,951 | 572,105 | 545,497 | 446,988 | 232,650 | 568,359 | 496,829 | 854,929 | 1,392,202 | 416,367 |
| Malicious Fires‡ || | — | — | 587 | 636 | 248 | 453 | 432 | 269 | 315 | 275 | 536 | 499 | 231 |
Provisions) Act or the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act can be denied access to a solicitor, doctor and family.
Any person arrested by the Royal Ulster Constabulary under the provisions of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1978 or the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1976 is, if he so wishes, allowed a visit from a qualified solicitor after 48 hours in police custody, and a further such visit after each subsequent period of 48 hours. These visits may be delayed by such short periods as are considered reasonably necessary to enable the arrested person to complete his statement to the police.The arrested person will be medically examined by a doctor as soon as possible after being taken into police custody, and may, if he so requests, be examined in each subsequent period of 24 hours. He will also, on request, be allowed visits by relatives — and to exchange telephone calls with them—except where this is likely to hinder or delay police investigations or the administration of justice.
Security Statistics
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the security statistics for the first six months of 1983 are now available.
Yes. I am including in the reply details of convictions obtained during the period from January to June 1983. The following is the information:
Statistics on Security
PART I—STATISTICS OF TERRORIST ACTIVITY
Yearly totals for 1971–1982
Six monthly total for January-June 1983
Statistics for terrorist activity comprise the following:
PART II—STATISTICS OF SECURITY FORCES' ACTIVITY
Yearly totals for 1971–1982
Six monthly total for January-June 1983
Statistics for security forces' activity comprise the following:
1971
| 1972
| 1973
| 1974
| 1975
| 1976
| 1977
| 1978
| 1979
| 1980
| 1981
| 1982
| Jan/June 1983
| |
Deaths
| |||||||||||||
| Civilian | 115 | 322 | 171 | 166 | 216 | 245 | 69 | 50 | 51 | 50 | 57 | 57 | 15 |
| Army/UDR | 48 | 129 | 66 | 35 | 20 | 29 | 29 | 21 | 48 | 16 | 23 | 28 | 5 |
| RUC/RUC'R' | 11 | 17 | 13 | 15 | 11 | 23 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 9 | 21 | 12 | 9 |
Injuries
| |||||||||||||
| Civilian | 1,838 | 3,813 | 1,812 | 1,680 | 2,044 | 2,162 | 1,027 | 548 | 557 | 530 | 878 | 328 | 87 |
| Army/UDR | 390 | 578 | 548 | 483 | 167 | 264 | 188 | 135 | 153 | 77 | 140 | 98 | 47 |
| RUC/RUC'R' | 315 | 485 | 291 | 235 | 263 | 303 | 183 | 302 | 165 | 194 | 332 | 99 | 30 |
* Figures in ( ) refer to shots heard only and are not included in the total. | |||||||||||||
| † Estimated weight only. | |||||||||||||
| ‡ Consolidated figures not available for earlier years. | |||||||||||||
| ║ No figure for April—June 1981. | |||||||||||||
Statistics on security—Part II (Yearly figures) | |||||||||||||
1971
| 1972
| 1973
| 1974
| 1975
| 1976
| 1977
| 1978
| 1979
| 1980
| 1981
| 1982
| Jan/June 1983
| |
| Houses searched* | 17,262 | 36,617 | 74,556 | 71,914 | 30,092 | 34,939 | 20,724 | 15,462 | 6,452 | 4,106 | 4,104 | 4,045 | 878 |
Finds
| |||||||||||||
| Firearms | 717 | 1,264 | 1,595 | 1,260 | 825 | 837 | 590 | 400 | 301 | 203 | 398 | 321 | 122 |
| Ammunition (Rounds) | 157,944 | 183,410 | 187,399 | 147,202 | 73,604 | 70,306 | 52,091 | 43,512 | 46,280 | 28,078 | 47,070 | 41,453 | 31,087 |
| Explosives | 2,748 | 41,488 | 38,418 | 26,120 | 11,565 | 21,714 | 3,809 | 2,108 | 1,996 | 1,810 | 7,536 | 5,066 | 1,603 |
* Includes occupied and unoccupied houses searched. | |||||||||||||
Persons charged with terrorist type offences *
| ||||||||||||
31 July-31 December 1972
| 1973
| 1974
| 1975
| 1976
| 1977
| 1978
| 1979
| 1980
| 1981
| 1982
| January-June 1983
| |
| Murder | 13 | 71 | 77 | 138 | 120 | 131 | 60 | 45 | 63 | 48 | 50 | 30 |
| Attempted murder | 16 | 85 | 76 | 88 | 121 | 135 | 79 | 39 | 59 | 72 | 96 | 23 |
| Firearms offences | 242 | 631 | 545 | 460 | 353 | 301 | 225 | 177 | 112 | 155 | 173 | 63 |
| Explosives offences | 86 | 236 | 161 | 100 | 215 | 146 | 79 | 40 | 39 | 39 | 41 | 19 |
| Theft act | 111 | 186 | 239 | 314 | 188 | 203 | 151 | 159 | 128 | 158 | 130 | 59 |
| Other | 63 | 205 | 276 | 97 | 279 | 392 | 249 | 210 | 149 | 446 | 196 | 66 |
| Total | 531 | 1,414 | 1,374 | 1,197 | 1,276 | 1,308 | 843 | 670 | 550 | 918 | 686 | 260 |
* These figures are not available in consolidated form for earlier years. | ||||||||||||
Convictions—for scheduled offences January to June 1983 | ||||||||||
Offence
| Number convicted
| Non-custodial sentence
| Young Offenders Centre Training Schools
| Less than 5 years
| 5 years and less than 7 years
| 7 years and less than 10 years
| 10 years and less than 15 years
| 15 years and less than 20 years
| 20 years and over
| Life
|
| Murder | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 |
| Attempted murder | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| Conspiracy to murder | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — |
| Manslaughter | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| Wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm | 3 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Causing grievous bodily harm | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Assault occasioning grievous bodily harm | 5 | — | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Causing explosion | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 6 | — |
| Placing explosive | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Possessing explosives with intent | 9 | 3 | — | 1 | — | 3 | — | 2 | — | — |
| Other explosive offences | 5 | 2 | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Possessing a firearm with intent | 15 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| Possessing a firearm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Carrying a firearm with intent | 19 | 10 | 6 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Other major firearms offences | 36 | 23 | 1 | 11 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Minor firearms offences | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Robbery | 108 | 21 | 13 | 36 | 20 | 16 | 2 | — | — | — |
| Aggravated burglary | —. | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Membership of illegal organisations | 3 | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Unlawful collection of information | 4 | — | — | 1 | — | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| Illegal training | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Offence
| Number convicted
| Non-custodial sentence
| Young Offenders Centre Training Schools
| Less than 5 years
| 5 years and less than 7 years
| 7 years and less than 10 years
| 10 years and less than 15 years
| 15 years and less than 20 years
| 20 years and over
| Life
|
| Kidnapping and false imprisonment | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Contributing to resources of a proscribed organisation | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Soliciting support for a proscribed organisation | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Malicious damage | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Possession of an offensive weapon | 4 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hi-jacking | 29 | 20 | 5 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Arson | 20 | 14 | 4 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| Petrol bomb offences | 17 | 13 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Criminal damage | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Escape offences | 5 | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Assisting offenders | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Intimidation | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Withholding information | 5 | 4 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Possessing prohibited articles | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Common law riot | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Conspiracy to arm terrorists | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — |
| TOTAL | 324 | 126 | 39 | 74 | 27 | 26 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 6 |
Mentally Ill Persons
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many hostels for the mentally ill are provided by the Northern health and social services board; how many places there are in each of these hostels; and how many places are provided in hostels for the mentally ill in the area covered by the Antrim, North parliamentary constituency;(2) what additional facilities the Northern health and social services board intends to provide for the mentally ill in its area in the next five years.
The Northern health and social services board provides three hostels for the mentally ill. Records are not held by parliamentary constituency, but at 31 December 1981, the latest date for which figures are available, two hostels in the Antrim and Ballymena district provided 14 places and eight places, respectively. The third hostel, in the Newtownabbey district, provided 12 places.A 60-bed unit for psychogeriatric patients is currently being constructed at Holywell hospital. The Northern board's plans for the development of services for the mentally ill over the next five years will have to take account of the regional plan for the health and personal social services in Northern Ireland 1983–88 which is to be published later this year.
Psychiatric Day Hospitals
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many psychiatric day hospitals there are in the Northern health and social services board area; how many places are provided for patients in such hospitals; and whether there are any such hospitals in the area covered by the Antrim, North parliamentary constituency.
There is one psychiatric day hospital in the Northern health and social services board area. It is located in the Newtownabbey district and at 31 December 1981 the number of persons attending was 39.
Sheltered Workshops
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many sheltered workshops there are in the area covered by the Northern health and social services board; and how many places they cater for;(2) how many of the sheltered workshops in the Northern health and social services board area are located in the area covered by the Antrim, North constituency; and how many places they provide.
The sheltered workshops which are provided by the Northern health and social services board cater mainly for mentally handicapped people and are known as adult training centres. There are seven such facilities providing a total of 359 places. Two of these, with 100 places, are located in the Antrim and Ballymena unit of management. In addition, an industrial therapy unit is provided for the mentally ill at Holywell hospital. The numbers attending are not held centrally.
Confused Elderly Persons
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many establishments for the confused elderly there are in the Northern health and social services board area; and how many places there are in each such establishment;(2) how many establishments for the confused elderly there are in the area covered by the Antrim, North constituency; and how many places are provided in each;(3) how many beds in hospitals in the Northern health and social services board area are allocated to the elderly confused for short periods to enable their relatives who normally are caring for them to have a short break; and how many such beds there are in hospitals in the area covered by the Antrim, North constituency.
Accommodation for the mentally confused elderly in Northern Ireland, including short-stay facilities, is provided both in residential homes and psychiatric hospitals. The number of residential homes and places in the Northern health and social services board, by unit of management, is as follows. The number of hospital beds or short-stay places is not readily available. Records are not maintained for parliamentary constituencies.
| Northern Health and Social Services Board | ||
| Unit of management | Number of homes | Number of places |
| Antrim/Ballymena | 1 | 31 |
| Newtownabbey | 1 | 40 |
| Larne/Carrickfergus | — | — |
| Magherafelt/Cookstown | — | — |
| Coleraine/Ballymoney/Moyle | — | — |
| TOTAL | 2 | 71 |
Pollution
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many incidents of pollution in (i) the river Lagan and (ii) other inland waters have occurred in each year from 1974 to the latest available date;(2) how many prosecutions for pollution in (i) the river Lagan and (ii) other inland watercourses and lakes excluding the river Lagan have taken place in each of the years from 1974 to the latest available date;(3) what has been the estimated cost in fishing areas of pollution in inland watercourses and lakes as a result of pollution in each of the years from 1974 to the latest date;(4) how many incidents of pollution in the (i) river Lagan, (ii) other inland watercourses and lakes can be attributed to the Department of the Environment in each of the years from 1974 to the latest date.
The available information is as follows:
(1)
| (2)
| (3)
| ||
Prosecutions
| ||||
Incidents of pollution
| (a) River Lagan
| (b) Other
| Pollution incidents due to sewage effluent
| |
| 1974 | N/A | 2 | 10 | 67 |
| 1975 | 432 | 0 | 2 | 48 |
| 1976 | 775 | 0 | 1 | 28 |
| 1977 | 605 | 3 | 37 | 63 |
| 1978 | 551 | 0 | 17 | 67 |
| 1979 | 719 | 1 | 27 | 80 |
| 1980 | 616 | 2 | 31 | 64 |
| 1981 | 501 | 0 | 20 | N/A |
| 1982 | N/A | 0 | 12 | N/A |
Information on the numbers of pollution incidents in the river Lagan is not immediately available. I shall write to the hon. Gentleman.
Separate information on incidents attributable to the Department of the Environment (Northern Ireland) is not available, but it is estimated that approximately 25 per cent. of the incidents in column (3) originated from private sources.
The information requested in respect of costs is not available.
Domestic Fires (Fatalities)
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people died in domestic fires in Northern Ireland in 1981, 1982 and to the latest date in 1983.
The numbers of deaths registered as caused in domestic fires in Northern Ireland were as follows:
| Number | |
| 1981 | 26 |
| 1982 | 34 |
| 1983 (to 30 June) | 11 |
Ulster Museum
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what were the actual figures for the expenditure of the Ulster museum on (a) purchases and (b) general expenses, respectively, during the year 1982–83.
Subject to audit, (a) £92,000, (b) £1·7 million.