Written Answers To Questions
Tuesday 20 March 1984
Defence
Surface-To-Surface Guided Missiles
asked the Secretary of State for Defence if, following the receipt of the rebids for the surface-to-surface guided weapon contract, he can now state when a decision will be reached.
As soon as possible.
Gas Warfare
asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if there are any restrictions on the export of weapons designed for use in gas warfare;(2) if there are any restrictions on the export of gas protection kits.
Under the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1981, a wide range of noxious chemicals, projectiles, detection devices, decontamination kits and protective clothing require an export licence before they can be sold overseas.
Porton Down (Animal Experiments)
asked the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received objecting to the use of animals in experiments at Porton Down; and if he will make a statement.
Some 120 right hon. and hon. Members have written to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State or to myself on behalf of constituents; nine of those Members expressed their own concern over experiments involving animals. Representations have been received from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Captive Animals Protection Society, the National Anti-Vivisection Society and the Mobilisation for Laboratory Animals Against the Government's Proposals. 350 letters have been received from members of the public, including those addressed to the Prime Minister and passed to my Department for reply.This correspondence will be replied to shortly. While concern over the use of living animals is understandable, it remains an essential part of the work conducted at CDE Porton Down. Animals are used only when essential, when no alternative method is available and within the requirements of the Cruelty to Animals Act 1876. Animals are not used to test the efficacy of weapons or ammunition.
Falkland Islands
asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what price per acre Her Majesty's Government have paid, or are paying, for land bought for the new airfield in the Falkland Islands; what was the total cost of this land; and how the price per acre compares with that of similar land recently sold to non-governmental buyers;
(2) what existing facilities on the airport site in the Falkland Islands were taken into account in calculating the cost of land;
(3) if he will ask the Falkland Islands Company if it will donate land for the airport;
(4) what is the total acreage required for the building of the Falklands airport;
(5) what consideration Her Majesty's Government gave to using compulsory purchase powers in relation to land for the Falklands airport;
(6) what independent guidance was taken by Her Majesty's Government before agreeing the price for land purchased in relation to Falklands airport;
(7) when he hopes to sign the contract with the Falkland Islands Company for land in the Falklands for the airfield; and how the price will be arrived at;
(8) what is the compensation to be paid for severance of Falkland Islands Company land for the airport;
(9) what assessment he has made of the damage sustained to Falkland Islands Company property and earnings as a result of the construction of the airport;
(10) how Her Majesty's Government have calculated the value of similar land to that on which the Falkland Islands airport is constructed;
(11) what donations have been made by Chartres to Her Majesty's Government for land for an artillery range in the Falklands;
(12) to what extent, when considering the purchase of land for the Falkland Islands airport, he gave consideration to the principle that the price should reflect the price which would have been paid on an assessment of compensation in arbitration on compulsory purchase; and if he will make a statement;
(13) how, when the price of land in the Falkland Islands is being calculated, its productivity is measured; and in particular how the number of sheep that it could sustain is assessed.
I shall answer shortly.
asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the nature of the mines in the Falklands which make further clearance impossible.
The FMK1 plastic anti-personnel mine.
asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many civilians are employed by his Department in the Falkland Islands; and what are their duties.
I shall answer shortly.
Greenham Common
asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many service men have been disciplined at Greenham common for offences arising out of fraternisation with protesters at the peace camps.
This information is not readily available and a search of the disciplinary records of all units of British armed forces that have served at Greenham common could not be carried out except at disproportionate cost. However, I am not aware of any such disciplinary proceedings.
Us Forces And Facilities
asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the number of United States military personnel in the United Kingdom who are not assigned to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation; and if he will give the numbers involved for each of the United States services;(2) if he will provide a list of United States military facilities in the United Kingdom which are not assigned to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.
With minor exceptions, all United States forces in the United Kingdom are here in support of NATO.
Professor Lawrence Freedman
asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether any officials of his Department have had meetings with Professor Lawrence Freedman during the past two weeks.
[pursuant to his reply, 15 March 1984, c. 214]; There have been no such meetings. Ministry of Defence officials have been in touch with Professor Freedman by telephone concerning the arrangements for a seminar he is giving on Soviet defence policy.
Prime Minister
Engagements
Q6.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 20 March.
Q7.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q9.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 20 March.
Q10.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q11.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q12.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q13.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official duties for 20 March.
Q14.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q15.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q16.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 20 March.
Q17.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q18.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q19.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q20.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q21.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q22.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q23.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 20 March.
Q24.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q25.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q26.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q27.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q28.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q29.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q30.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q31.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q34.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q35.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q37.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q38.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q40.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q41.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q42.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q43.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 20 March.
Q44.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q45.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 20 March.
Q46.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q47.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q49.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q50.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q51.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q52.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 20 March.
Q53.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q54.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 20 March.
Q55.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q56.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q57.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q58.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 20 March.
Q59.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q60.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q61.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q62.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q63.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 20 March.
Q64.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q65.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q66.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for 20 March.
Q67.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q68.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q69.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q70.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q71.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q72.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q73.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q74.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q75.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q76.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q77.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q78.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q79.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q80.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q81.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
Q82.
asked the Prime Minister what are her official engagements for 20 March.
Q83.
asked the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 20 March.
I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend is attending a meeting of the European Council in Brussels.
European Community
Q8.
asked the Prime Minister if she is satisfied with the progress which has been made by the European Council in carrying out the mandate agreed at the Stuttgart summit meeting of 1983.
Q48.
asked the Prime Minister whether she will make a statement on the latest position regarding the United Kingdom's financial contribution to the European Community.
I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister is still at the European Council where these matters are under discusion. She will be making a statement to the House on 21 March.
Animals (Experiments)
Q32.
asked the Prime Minister when she expects to be able to introduce legislation to implement the Government's White Paper entitled, "Scientific Procedures on Living Animals", Cmnd. 8883, of May 1983.
I have been asked to reply.My right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary will introduce legislation as soon as parliamentary time permits.
Ussr (Delivery Of Mail)
Q33.
asked the Prime Minister what guarantee she received that the 30 letters she wrote and delivered to the Russian embassy in London to be sent to Soviet citizens will be read by ordinary Soviet citizens.
I have been asked to reply.The Russian text of my right hon. Friend's reply will have been widely read in the Soviet Union, since it was published in the 10 March edition of the Soviet newspaper,
Komsomolskaya Pravda. The contents were also reported on the BBC's Russian service. The 30 individual replies were not delivered to the Soviet embassy in London, but were sent direct to the addressees.
Gulf States
Q36.
asked the Prime Minister:if she has any plans for an official visit to the Gulf states
I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend has no plans to do so at present.
National Economic Development Council
Q39.
asked the Prime Minister when next she intends to take the chair at the National Economic Development Council.
I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend has no current plans to chair a particular meeting of the National Economic Development Council.
Constituency Visits
asked the Prime Minister if she will make it the practice for Ministers paying official visits other than of an emergency nature to hon. Members' constituencies to give adequate notice to the hon. Members concerned.
I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend would expect Ministers to abide by the convention that a Member of Parliament undertaking an official visit outside his own constituency gives advance notice to the Member in whose constituency the visit is to take place.
Industrial Action (Secret Ballots)
asked the Prime Minister if Her Majesty's Government will introduce legislation to ensure that a voluntary secret ballot in contemplation of industrial action is available to all trade union members throughout the country.
I have been asked to reply.The Trade Union Bill now before Parliament will make trade unions' immunity for organising industrial action conditional on their holding a secret ballot to test the views of all their members who would be called on to take part in the action.
Trade And Industry
African Countries (Payments For Goods)
70.
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made as to the effect on jobs in the United Kingdom of non-payment to United Kingdom companies for goods received by some African countries.
It is not possible to quantify the effect that trade debts have on jobs in the United Kindom. Employment prospects are governed by many factors, of which non payment for the supply of goods is one.
Sub-Post Offices
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if, when he next meets the chairman of the Post Office, he will discuss the retention of sub-post offices in semi-rural areas; and if he will make a statement.
The retention or closure of particular sub-post offices and the overall size of the network are the responsibility of the Post Office board under the considerable powers of autonomy in running its day-to-day affairs granted by the Post Office Act 1969. The Government do not have the power to intervene and would not consider it proper to do so.Nevertheless, the Government have consistently said that they are committed to the maintenance of an adequate sub-post office network and the Post Office would certainly consult my right hon. Friend if it had plans for major changes to the size or distribution of the network. The recent announcement on the town office network, for example, was discussed with the Government and my right hon. Friend was satisfied that the proposals were consistent both with the corporation's duty as a commercial organisation and with its social obligations. Before any closure is undertaken there is full public discussion through local authorities, the local MP and the Post Office advisory council or chamber of commerce if there is no advisory council. This provides the opportunity for local reaction to be taken into account in reaching a decision.
Ec (Product Liability Directive)
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, further to the answer of 9 March, Official Report, column 732, on the Council of Ministers' meeting on consumer affairs, what is the individual national position given by Her Majesty's Government with regard to the product liability directive.
The Council on March 2 concentrated on the question of the extent to which there should be a financial limit to a producer's liability. I indicated that we are in general opposed to such limits since we foresee serious practical difficulties but that we are prepared to look constructively at suggestions for a compromise solution on this aspect of the directive.
Steel Industry
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what are the details of the agreement financed by the Government under the private sector steel scheme covering Lloyds, Brockhouse, Sheerness and the British Steel Corporation;(2) if the Government are satisfied that the transfer of Lloyds and Brockhouse quotas to Sheerness will lead to steel production staying in the United Kingdom;(3) if he is satisfied that the British Steel Corporation will provide the present customers of Lloyds (Dudley) billet in
(a) the qualities and (b) the quantities that they require;
(4) what arrangements have been made to keep Midlands re-rollers in supply following the closure of Lloyds (Dudley) and John Bagnall and Sons Ltd.; and what assessment he makes of the effect of these closures on the United Kingdom motor industry;
(5) if he will estimate how much steel the United Kingdom furniture and other companies will import as a result of supply difficulties arising from the closure of Brockhouse District Steels.
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will give the details of the agreement financed by the Government under the private sector steel scheme between Lloyds, Brockhouse, Sheerness and the British Steel Corporation;(2) if he will make a statement on the likely effects of the closures of Lloyds (Dudley) and John Bagnall and Sons Ltd. on the motor industry;(3) if he is satisfied that the transfer of Lloyds and Brockhouse steel quotas to Sheerness will lead to production staying in the United Kingdom.
The agreement signed between the companies on 2 February involves the closure of Brockhouse District Steel Limited, John Bagnall and Sons Limited and Lloyds (Dudley) Limited. Sheerness Steel gains ECSC production and delivery quota, and will undertake a major capital expenditure programme to extend their product range. The Government have been requested to support the joint scheme with £5 million assistance under the private sector steel scheme.The agreement represents a substantial step towards reducing over-capacity in "long products" (billets and light sections). We see no reason to doubt United Kingdom companies' ability to meet the needs of the vast majority of the closers' customers. It is not possible to quantify at this stage any increase in imports consequent on the closures. But in the view of the participants rationalisation of this kind is essential to secure the future of a strong, efficient and competitive United Kingdom steel industry, without which the risk of increased imports would be very much greater.
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has received any representations from customers of Lloyds and Brockhouse about the coming closure of the works and about the possibility of their taking their orders abroad.
My right hon. Friend has received one such representation from a customer of one of the closers. We are exploring whether alternative UK sources of supply can be found.
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will estimate (a) the lost energy demand, and (b) the lost materials demand, which will result from the closures of Lloyds (Dudley), John Bagnall and Sons, and Brockhouse District Steels; and which suppliers of materials, including safety equipment, will be most affected.
The information necessary to provide such estimates is not available to my Department.
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he is satisfied that the purchase of one steel company's quotas by another complies with the European Coal and Steel Community production quota regime.
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he is satisfied that the purchase of one company's steel quotas by another complies with the European Coal and Steel Community production quota rules.
Exchanges and purchases of quota are permitted under the Commission decision establishing the quota regime (Decision 234/84/ECSC). Such transfers are a matter between the companies concerned and the Commission.
Competition Policy
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to extend competition and to remove non-tariff barriers in the European Economic Community's internal market.
The Government believe that the creation of a genuinely free Community internal market for both goods and services will provide a major stimulus for competition. A good start has been made by the Internal Market Council to dismantle the remaining non-tariff barriers to goods. A list of the Council's achievements in 1983 was set out in the answer given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State with responsibility for corporate and consumer affairs to my hon. Friend the Member for Clwyd, North-West (Sir A. Meyer) on 29 February, at columns 180–81. The Internal Market Council on 8 March had a useful exchange of views on a wide range of internal market issues and agreed to extend the coverage of the temporary use regulation to commercial samples.
Weighing Machines And Measuring Equipment
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the names of the chairman and members of the committee he has set up to review the meteorological control of weighing machines and measuring equipment, and the affiliations of each.
The chairman of the committee will be Dr. E. N. Eden. It is not possible at the moment to list the names of all the members of the committee and their affiliations as some nominations have yet to be received.
Office Equipment Industry (Aid)
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what aid his Department and the former Department of Industry has given to British manufacturers of office duplicators and copiers in the last five years; and to what purpose such aid has been used.
Manufacturers of duplicators and copiers are, in common with manufacturing industry generally, eligible for financial assistance under a number of schemes administered by the Department. Over the past five years £83 million of selective assistance has been provided to the information technology industry (which includes duplicator and copier manufacturers). It is not possible to identify, without disproportionate cost, the part of this sum which went to manufacturers of duplicators and copiers.
Company Accounts
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for each year since and including 1979 how many directors of companies were prosecuted for not filing accounts at Companies House.
Records are not maintained which would enable me to give the number of directors prosecuted for failure to deliver accounts. The following figures relate therefore to prosecutions for failure to deliver accounts and-or annual returns.
| Prosecutions | |
| 1979 | 1,344 |
| 1980 | 1,058 |
| 1981 | 935 |
| 1982 | 920 |
| 1983 | 871 |
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list his powers to require registered companies to file their accounts annually at Companies House.
Failure to file is a criminal offence and I would normally institute criminal proceedings in cases of public complaint where normal reminder action had failed.
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many companies were in default by reason of their failure to file accounts at Companies House on 1 March in each year from 1979 to 1984.
The information is as follows:
| Number | |
| 1979 | 266,000 |
| 1980 | 285,000 |
| 1981 | 331,000 |
| 1982 | 399,000 |
| 1983 | 406,000 |
| 1984 | 399,000 |
Note: The figure for 1979 is an estimate.
Ecgd (Foreign Government Loans)
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what criteria the Export Credits Guarantee Department may decide to support a loan to a foreign Government.
Before giving its support to a loan to a foreign Government, ECGD would have to be satisfied that the loan meets the following criteria:
Redundancy Payments
asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the total cost to British Steel since 1979 of statutory redundancy payments under the Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978 and any supplementary payments thereto.
[pursuant to his reply, 19 March 1984, c. 322]: Information in the form requested is not collected centrally by the British Steel Corporation and, to the extent available at individual works, could be obtained only with disproportionate effort and cost. In the four financial years 1979–80 to 1982–83, redundancy and related costs charged in the corporation's annual accounts totalled £827 million. Over this period BSC reduced its work force by 104,900, from 186,000 to 81,100.
Home Department
Women Prisoners (Strip Searches)
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the maximum number and the average number of strip searches for women prisoners in 1983 in an English women's prison.
The information requested is not available.
British Citizenship
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for (a) naturalisation, (b) registration and (c) registration of a minor as a British citizen he estimates will be received in 1984–85 and granted in that year.
Analysis of the numbers of applications received in the recent past indicates that the total number of applications received in the financial year 1984–85 will probably be within the range 44,000 to 57,000.The estimate of applications during the financial year 1984–85, on which the Department's plans are based, is 52,500, comprising 19,950 applications for naturalisation, 24,150 for registration and 8,400 for the registration of a minor. Estimates for grants in the same year are 24,500 for naturalisation, 31,160 for registration and 10,840 for registration as a minor. These estimates of grants take into consideration the work in progress at the end of the previous financial year, the estimates of applications likely to be received, the expected level of productivity and the provisos set out in annex B to the recent White Paper, Cmnd. 9183.
Convicted Persons (Northern Ireland)
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Republicans, Loyalists, members of the security forces and others found guilty of offences in Northern Ireland are currently in prisons in Great Britain; and if he will give a breakdown of the sentences they are serving.
This information is not available.
Shoplifting
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the police forces which, operate a discretionary system with regard to prosecuting (a) youngsters, and (b) those aged over 59 years for shoplifting.
There is no absolute duty on the police to prosecute offences; guidelines on criteria for prosecution, drawn up by my right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General, and promulgated to chief officers of police commend the practice that prosecution should take place only where there is sufficient evidence to justify it and where the public interest requires it. Precise details are not available, but a number of police forces have adopted special cautioning schemes in respect of juveniles; some of these schemes also make provision in respect of the elderly.
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will encourage the establishment of community service branches within police forces to deal with shoplifting cases which do not call for prosecution; and if he will make a statement.
The Department is reviewing with chief officers of police present police cautioning practices. This review is taking in the question of special cautioning schemes which at present operate in a number of forces in respect generally of juveniles, but extending in some instances to the elderly as well.
Many forces already have community liaison branches, whose oversight may extend to special cautioning schemes. These branches aim to develop close links between the police, other agencies and all sections of the community. Good liaison arrangements will ensure that a person coming to the attention of the police needing help and support would be directed to an existing social work agency.
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will provide information on what steps police forces take to ascertain if a person accused of shoplifting is physically ill or under emotional stress.
The steps taken will depend entirely on the circumstances of the individual case; they will generally include an interview with the offender, and, where this was sensible, would include seeking the advice of social work or medical agencies.
Dog Fighting
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any evidence that the provisions of the Protection of Animals Act 1911 reduces the incidence of organised dog fighting for sport.
The provisions of the Protection of Animals Act 1911, which make dog fighting unlawful, were originally enacted in the Cruel and Improper Treatment of Animals etc. Act 1835 and subsequently consolidated in the 1911 Act. Evidence of the scale of this activity before 1835 is not available, but there can be no doubt that these provisions have been effective in substantially eliminating this objectionable practice.
Prison Service (Establishment)
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total establishment of the prison service on 1 January 1982, 1 January 1983 and 1 January 1984, respectively.
The manpower ceilings for the prison service in England and Wales on the dates requested were as follows:
| Numbers | |
| 1 January 1982 | 25,890 |
| 1 January 1983 | 26,038 |
| 1 January 1984 | 26,937 |
Entertainment Clubs (Licences)
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek to amend section 29 of
| Average time spent under sentence* in Prison Department establishments in England and Wales by persons aged under 21 on reception under sentence: by type of custody, year of discharge†and sex | ||||
| Average number of weeks | ||||
| Year of discharge†| ||||
| Type of custody | 1982 | 1983‡ | ||
| Males | Females | Males | Females | |
| Imprisonment: | ||||
| Sentenced before 24 May 1983 | 27 | 9 | 35 | 14 |
the Licensing Act 1964 with a view to permitting district councils to make a reasonable charge for issuing certificates of suitability for music and dancing in entertainment clubs.
We have no plans at present to give district councils power to charge such fees.
Lion Intoximeter 3000
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints he had received at the latest available date regarding the Lion Intoximeter 3000.
Since the introduction of the Lion Intoximeter in May 1983, 39 letters commenting on these machines have been received by the headquarters division of the Home Office which is concerned with traffic matters. In the time available it has not been possible to check how much relevant correspondence has been received by other divisions or to distinguish complaints about particular machines from comments about these instruments as a general class.
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of the fact that the Lion Intoximeter 3000 was not available for use on Wednesday 29 February as it was not programmed for a leap year, what additional instructions were issued to the Metropolitan police and what alternatives were available on that day; and if he will make a statement.
The Metropolitan police, in common with other forces, were advised, following consultation with the Association of Chief Police Officers, that specimens of blood or urine should be required on 29 February 1984 instead of using the Intoximeter.
Young Offenders (Sentences)
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average length of sentence served by (a) male and (b) female young offenders released in each of the past four years.
[pursuant to his reply, 8 March 1984, c. 657]: The readily available information, based on central records which are approximate, is given in the following table. Figures for earlier years could be made available only at disproportionate cost. I would also refer the hon. Member to Home Office statistical bulletin, issue No. 3/84, which gives information on the effect of the new sentencing structure for young offenders on the time they serve.
Year of dischargeâ€
| ||||
Type of custody
| 1982
| 1983‡
| ||
Males
| Females
| Males
| Females
| |
| Youth custody: | ||||
| Sentenced before 24 May 1983║ | — | — | 31 | 33 |
| Sentenced on or after 24 May 1983 | — | — | 13 | 7 |
| Detention centre: | ||||
| Sentenced before 24 May 1983 | 8 | — | 9 | — |
| Sentenced on or after 24 May 1983 | — | — | 6 | — |
| Borstal training: | ||||
| Discharged before 24 May 1983 | 36 | 32 | 35 | 32 |
| Discharged on 24 May 1983¶ | — | — | 29 | 29 |
| Custody for life or detention under section 53 of Children and Young Persons Act 1933 | 171 | • | 234 | • |
| Committed in default of payment of a fine | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
* Excluding any time spent on remand in custody. | ||||
| †On completion of sentence or release on licence. | ||||
| ‡ 1983 figures are provisional and were affected by the transition to the new sentencing structure for young offenders. | ||||
| â•‘ Sentences of borstal training converted to youth custody. | ||||
| ¶ Persons discharged because of the application, under section 10, Criminal Justice Act 1982 of time spent on remand in custody. | ||||
| • There were very few discharges in this category. | ||||
Employment
Trade Union Membership
14.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will estimate the number of trade unionists who have had their rights in respect of trade union membership in any sense restricted since May 1979.
The certificates issued on 25 January by my right hon. and learned Friend excepting GCHQ staff from the statutory rights provided in the Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978 and in the Employment Protection Act 1975 represent the only occasion since 1979 when rights in legislation in respect of union membership have been restricted.
Apprenticeships
15.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what arrangements exist to assist apprentices whose apprenticeships are terminated by their employers going out of business; and how many apprentices have been helped by such arrangements in recent years.
Government support is available through industrial training organisations to help employers recruit and complete the training of apprentices who are made redundant. About 5,000 such apprentices have been helped in each of the last two years.
Public Service (Trade Union Membership)
16.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what recent discussions he has had with the Civil Service unions over trade union membership in the public services.
I attended the meetings on 1 February and 23 February between representatives of the Civil Service unions and my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to discuss the decisions announced on 25 January by my right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary.
Wages Councils
17.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received from trade unions affiliated to the Trades Union Congress about his plans to abolish wages councils.
While the position of wages councils is under consideration, no decisions have yet been taken. Although my right hon. Friend has received no direct representations from individual trades unions on this matter he has received a letter from the Trades Union Congress and he hopes to have a meeting with it shortly.
Young Persons
18.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to tackle the problem of unemployment amongst young people completing youth training schemes in the current year for whom jobs are not available.
In addition to the improving prospects for young people's employment from the upturn in the economy, the changes to the young workers scheme announced in December will help those completing the youth training scheme into jobs.
39.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what Government measures he envisages to increase the number of young people at work.
An improvement in employment opportunities for young people will be achieved through the general improvement in the economy which the Government's policies are helping to bring about. Young people will be better prepared to grasp these opportunities as a result of the Government's considerable range of special employment and training measures, especially the youth training scheme.
Labour Statistics
19.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people have been out of work for over a year at the latest available date; and how many of them are 50 years of age.
The number of claimants unemployed for over 52 weeks in the United Kingdom on 12 January, the latest available, was 1,188,014. Of these, 107,518 were aged 50 to 54 years; the analysis does not separately distinguish the individual ages within this band.
23.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest figures of unemployed people in the United Kingdom.
On 9 February, the number of unemployed claimants in the United Kingdom was 3,186,386.
31.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish percentage figures for the rates of unemployment broken down into jobcentre areas.
Unemployment rates are calculated only for travel-to-work areas, which are broadly self-contained labour markets. In some cases a single jobcentre area constitutes a travel-to-work area. Otherwise two or more jobcentre areas are grouped together. Percentage rates of unemployment for each travel-to-work area in the United Kingdom are published monthly in table 2·4 of Employment Gazette.
32.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many men and women are registered as unemployed at employment offices and careers offices in Lambeth; and how many vacancies are currently held by those offices.
On 9 February, the numbers of male and female unemployed claimants in the area covered by the Brixton, Stockwell, Streatham and West Norwood jobcentres, which corresponds closely to Lambeth, were 15,316 and 5,905, respectively.On 3 February, the numbers of notified vacancies remaining unfilled in the area were 385 at jobcentres and 40 at careers offices. Vacancies notified to jobcentres are estimated to be about one third of all vacancies in the country as a whole. Because of possible duplication the figures for jobcentres and careers offices should not be added together. The number of vacancies unfilled at a particular date takes no account of the flow of vacancies being notified, filled or withdrawn which would reflect activity more closely. For example, during the 12-month period to December 1983, the total number of people placed in jobs by the Brixton, Stockwell, Streatham and West Norwood jobcentres was 4,675. It is estimated that the public employment service accounts for about one in four of all placings.
45.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the change in total employment in the service sector of the economy between May 1979 and the latest available date.
The number of employees employed in service industries in Great Britain decreased by 35,000—seasonally adjusted—between June 1979 and September 1983. Estimates of total employment, including self-employment, in service industries are not yet available for periods after 1981.
52.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment how the change in total employment in the service sector of the economy compares with the change in the maufacturing sector over the last year for which figures are available.
Comprehensive estimates of employees in employment in both the service and manufacturing sectors are available quarterly, and the latest available are for September 1983. Between September 1982 and September 1983 the provisional numbers of employees in employment in the service industries in Great Britain increased by 165,000. The corresponding change for manufacturing industries was a decrease of 233,000.
55.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were in employment in each of the last six months compared with a year ago; and if he will make a statement.
Estimates of total employees in employment are collected quarterly and the latest available are for September 1983. These, and the figures for earlier dates, were published in table 1.1 of the labour market data section of the February 1984 issue of Employment Gazette, a copy of which is in the Library.
60.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the current number of people employed in full-time, or equivalent, work; and what proportion earn below £100 for a 40 hour week on basic rates of pay.
The latest available information relates to April 1983 when, according to the new earnings survey, about 32·5 per cent. of all full-time employees—then estimated at 15·8 million—had gross weekly earnings, excluding overtime earnings, of less than £100.Gross earnings excluding overtime earnings will not correspond precisely with basic rates of pay as they will also cover such pay supplements as shift premia, bonuses and London weighting.
62.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the present percentage rate of unemployment; and what are the numbers involved.
On 9 February the number of unemployed claimants was 3,186,386. This corresponds to an unemployment rate of 13·4 per cent. in the United Kingdom.
67.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the current rate of unemployment in the Rotherham, Mexborough and Wombwell employment areas.
On 9 February, the rates of unemployment in the Rotherham and Mexborough travel-to-work areas were 19·5 per cent. and 22·8 per cent., respectively. Wombwell is part of the Barnsley travel-to-work area and the rate is calculated for the complete travel-to-work area only and not for its constituent parts. The unemployment rate in the Barnsley travel-to-work area on 9 February was 15·9 per cent.
asked the Secretary of State, for Employment what were the 10 largest categories of employment in the Coventry travel-to-work area in 1954, 1961, 1966, 1971, 1976 and in the latest available year; how many were employed in each category; and what percentage of the total work force these represent.
| Numbers and percentage of employees in employment in the ten industry groups with the largest numbers of employees | ||||||
| Orders of the standard industrial classification 1968 | June 1971 | June 1976 | September 1981 | |||
| Number thousands | Per cent. | Number thousands | Per cent. | Number thousands | Per cent. | |
| Mechanical engineering | 19·2 | 8·3 | 20·3 | 8·9 | 17·2 | 9·0 |
| Electrical engineering | 19·0 | 8·2 | 15·8 | 6·9 | 14·0 | 7·4 |
| Vehicles | 70·8 | 30·6 | 56·2 | 24·8 | 26·9 | 14·1 |
| Metal goods nes | 8·4 | 3·6 | 6·9 | 3·0 | 6·9 | 3·6 |
| Construction | 6·7 | 2·9 | 6·6 | 2·9 | 6·3 | 3·3 |
| Transport and communication | 7·5 | 3·3 | 7·3 | 3·2 | — | — |
| Distributive trades | 19·0 | 8·2 | 19·5 | 8·6 | 19·1 | 10·0 |
| Insurance, banking, finance and business services | — | — | — | — | 7·6 | 4·0 |
| Professional and scientific services | 23·9 | 10·3 | 29·3 | 12·9 | 24·1 | 12·6 |
| Miscellaneous services | 15·6 | 6·7 | 19·7 | 8·7 | 19·1 | 10·0 |
| Public administration and defence | 8·4 | 3·7 | 10·0 | 4·4 | 18·0 | 9·4 |
| Comparable figures for years prior to 1971 are not available. | ||||||
Job Creation (European Community)
20.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he next intends to discuss with his European Community counterparts methods of reducing unemployment.
The United Kingdom is playing a full part in discussions within the European Community on ways of improving job prospects. I therefore welcome the two opportunities which I or my colleagues will soon have to discuss employment matters of mutual concern to member states, at the Standing Committee on Employment on 10 May and the Labour and Social Affairs Council on 7 June.
Women
21.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he intends to take to increase the level of full-time employment for women.
The number of real jobs for both sexes will be increased only by the adoption of policies to create a healthy and competitive economy. The Government intend to continue with these policies.
Tyne And Wear
22.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will state the number of people unemployed in the borough of Sunderland and the metropolitan county council of Tyne and Wear on 1 January 1983 and 1 January 1984, or the nearest possible date.
In January 1984, there were 26,489 unemployed claimants in the area covered by the Sunderland, Southwick and Houghton-le-Spring job-centres, and 97,143 in the Tyne and Wear metropolitan county. A comparison with January 1983, when the figures were 27,905 and 98,380, respectively, is affected by the 1983 Budget provisions.
The following is the available information for the Coventry travel-to-work area:
Ymca Training For Life Unit, Oldham
24.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will pay an official visit to the YMCA training for life unit in Oldham.
At present neither I nor my right hon. Friend have any plans to visit this scheme.
Dimbleby V Nuj
25.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will seek to amend the law following the decision in Dimbleby v. the National Union of Journalists so that employees do not lose their rights in such circumstances.
No. The Government are not prepared to make any changes in the law which would widen the immunity for organising secondary action.
Community Programme
26.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many projects under the community programme have been commenced in west Norfolk.
There are currently six projects under the community programme in west Norfolk, providing 66 temporary job opportunities for long-term unemployed people.
27.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will consider an increase in the allocation of community programme places to the county of Cumbria.
We are currently considering the regional allocation of places on the community programme from April 1984 to October 1986 and I will write to the hon. Member about the implications for Cumbria as soon as an announcement has been made.
34.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he plans any adaptations to the community programme to meet the particular needs of rural areas.
In general, the community programme has operated as successfully in rural areas as in other areas. If my hon. Friend has any particular problems in mind, I would welcome details.
65.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many placings will be available in the Marches area for the community programme for the year commencing April 1984.
2,050 filled places will be available on the community programme in the Marches area from April 1984.
Msc Workshops Scheme (Wandsworth)
28.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the future of the Manpower Services Commission workshops scheme in the London borough of Wandsworth.
Plans which will reduce the number of youth training scheme places provided by training workshops in Wandsworth in 1984–85 are currently under discussion although final decisions have not yet been taken. The Commission will be taking care to ensure that sufficient places continue to be available to meet the needs of all eligible young people in the area.
Community Programme Schemes (Unemployment Centres)
29.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether the moratorium on approval of community programme schemes for unemployment centres has been lifted.
No.
Youth Training Scheme
30.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of young people obtain a job within a month of completing a youth training scheme.
Information on what happens to youngsters after leaving the youth training scheme is not yet available. The first youngsters to have completed a full year's training on the scheme will not be leaving it until next month.
47.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many representations he has received on the change of emphasis from mode B to mode A places on the youth training scheme; and what is the balance of those representations.
We have received a number of representations about the operation of the youth training scheme in the coming year. A number of these latter representations have expressed concern over the planned provision of mode B places. None the less, we are satisfied that for 1984–85 sufficient suitable training places will be available on the scheme to meet the needs of all eligible young people.
56.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he is satisfied with the arrangements for meeting the cost of a training place on the youth training scheme where a local authority is involved; and if he will make a statement.
The level of grant paid by Manpower Services Commission under the youth training scheme is the same whether or not the managing agent or sponsor is a local authority. However, I am aware of the concern local authorities have expressed about funding arrangements, and my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Employment and for Education and Science and I met the associations last month to discuss this. We offered, without commitment, further discussions on the facts of the matter.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether community benefit remains a criterion for assessing the merits of youth training schemes under mode B1.
Approval of community projects under mode B1 of the youth training scheme no longer depends upon schemes demonstrating benefit to the community. However, the projects may continue to include activities of benefit to the community providing the training requirements of the youth training scheme are met.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what contribution towards the cost of the youth training scheme there has been from non-United Kingdom Government sources in 1983–84, or is expected, other than sums allocated from the European social fund for the period 1 September 1983 to 31 March 1984.
Apart from allocations from the European social fund, no financial assistance has been or will be received from non-United Kingdom Government sources in 1983–84 towards the expenditure by the Manpower Services Commission on the youth training scheme.
Health And Safety Commission
33.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to increase the funding of the Health and Safety Commission.
The provision in estimates and cash limit for the Health and Safety Commission for 1984–85 is £2,695,000 above the cash limit for 1983–84.
Skillcentres
35.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied with the performance and numbers of skillcentres.
My right hon. Friend has recently approved the Manpower Services Commission's business plan for the skillcentre training agency under which the agency is required to recover fully its costs from trading income from 1986–87 onwards and to move towards that position in the period before then. 'The commission will be reviewing progress in September, when it will submit a report to me. I am satisfied meanwhile that this plan provides a realistic basis for putting skillcentre operations on to an efficient and cost-effective footing.
Industrial Democracy
36.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he next intends to discuss with his European Community colleagues methods of improving industrial democracy.
My right hon. Friend has no plans to discuss industrial democracy with his European Communities colleagues.
Tuc (Political Levy)
37.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment on what grounds he bases his confidence that the Trades Union Congress has the authority over its members to deliver the agreement which has been reached over the political levy.
In our manifesto we made clear that we intended to invite the TUC to discuss the steps which the trade unions themselves could take to ensure that individual members are freely and effectively able to decide for themselves whether or not to pay the political levy. In the event that the trade unions were not willing to take such steps, the Government would be prepared to introduce measures to guarantee the free and effective right of choice.The TUC has made it clear to me that it is willing to take such steps and put before me a draft statement which has subsequently been endorsed by the general council. I made it clear that provided this statement was endorsed and issued to its member unions with their committed support, then the Government would not propose to introduce any further changes in the law beyond those already contained in the Trade Union Bill. I also made it clear, however, that this undertaking was given on the understanding that the steps that the TUC was taking would prove effective. If they do not prove to be so, the Government reserve the right to introduce further measures.
Skill Requirements
38.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if, in the planning of Government-sponsored training measures, he is satisfied that he is fully informed as to the future requirements of skills in British industry; and if he will make a statement.
It is essential for employers to identify and plan to meet their own skill training requirements. My right hon. Friend and I do, however, receive regular evidence about the extent of current or anticipated shortages in skill supply. In the recent White Paper "Training for Jobs" — Cmnd. 9135 — the Government endorsed the Manpower Services Commission's new strategy for adult training which is aimed specifically at bringing the commission's own programmes into line with market needs, including training in the new technologies.
Dock Labour Scheme
40.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he has had any representations from any section of the docks relating to the abolition or amendment of the national dock labour scheme.
In recent months we have received representations from three or four employers seeking amendments to the definition of dock work operating in specific ports.
Leicester (Business Premises Review)
41.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will consider assigning additional health and safety inspectors to the city of Leicester on a temporary basis to carry out a review of all business premises.
The Health and Safety Executive has no plans at present for increasing the number of inspectors in the east midlands area which covers the city of Leicester.
Low Pay
42.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what recent representations he has received on the subject of low pay.
The House debated low pay on 15 February 1984 and I have received letters from hon. Members and others.
Job Release Scheme
43.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will make a statement on the progress of the job release scheme.
266,179 people have entered the job release scheme—full-time and part-time—up to 7 March 1984. At the same date, 90,895 people were currently in receipt of the job release allowance.
Seasonal Jobs
44.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is his estimate of the number of seasonal jobs which exist within the economy.
Seasonal jobs are not separately identified in my Department's estimates of employment.
Unit Labour Costs
46.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the increase in unit labour costs in manufacturing industry in 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983, respectively.
The available figures are given in table 5.7 of labour market data in Employment Gazette for February 1984, a copy of which is in the Library.
"Training For Jobs"
48.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment when he will meet the chairman of the Manpower Services Commission to discuss implementation of the proposals in the White Paper, "Training for Jobs".
My right hon. Friend and I are in frequent contact with the chairman of the Manpower Services Commission to discuss matters relating to the commission's work. These now include the implementation of the policies set out in our recent White Paper "Training for Jobs"—Cmnd. 9135.
59.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has so far received from Southampton in response to the recent White Paper, "Training for Jobs".
We have so far received no representations from Southampton about the White Paper "Training for Jobs".
Gchq
49.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what recent representations he has received from the Trades Union Congress concerning its relations with Her Majesty's Government since the new conditions of service took effect at Government communications headquarters on 1 March.
None, although I am of course aware of the consideration the TUC has been giving to its continued membership of NEDC and other bodies.
Health And Safety At Work (Offences)
50.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the average fine per offence under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act for convictions recorded in the latest available year.
In 1983 the average fine was £289. This provisional figure does not cover convictions arising from prosecutions brought by local authorities.
Long-Term Unemployment
51.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will introduce a measure to tackle the problem of long-term unemployment amongst 18 to 25-year-olds.
The community programme provides some 130,000 temporary job opportunities on projects of benefit to the community for long-term unemployed people. Over half the entrants to the programme since it began in October 1982 have been aged from 18 to 24. This age group also benefits from the job opportunities made available by my Department's other special employment measures.
Part-Time Job Release And Job-Splitting Schemes
53.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people are using (a) the part-time job release scheme and (b) the job-splitting scheme; how much has been spent on publicising these schemes; and if he will make a statement.
At 7 March 1984, 37 people were receiving the part-time job release scheme allowance. By the end of February 1984, 801 jobs had been split under the job splitting scheme, providing 1,602 part-time job opportunities.The total cost of publicising both schemes is some £630,000.
Industrial Disputes (Wales)
54.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many days have been lost through strikes in Wales over the last five years; and how this compares to the national average.
The information is as follows:
| Year | Total days lost | Days lost per 1,000 employees | ||
| Wales | United Kingdom | Wales | United Kingdom | |
| 1978 | 444,000 | 9,405,000 | 437 | 413 |
| 1979 | 1,642,000 | 29,474,000 | 1,596 | 1,276 |
| 1980 | 2,918,000 | 11,964,000 | 2,915 | 523 |
| 1981 | 292,000 | 4,266,000 | 313 | 197 |
| 1982 | 283,000 | 5,313,000 | 314 | 252 |
| Comparable figures for 1983 are not yet available. | ||||
Job Creation
57.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many new jobs were created in February.
Estimates of the number of new jobs created, which can be defined in differing ways, are not available. Employees in employment estimates for February, which will show the net change in employment in manufacturing industries, will be available on 18 April.
Booklets (Information Technology)
58.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether his Department has reviewed its publishing policy on booklets concerning information technology.
Decisions about publishing booklets on all subjects in which the Department has an interest are taken individually as the need arises. However, I am informed that the Manpower Services Commission is reviewing its publishing policy on information technology booklets, including its pricing policy, with the aim of reducing the cost to the public purse.
Skill Shortages
61.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied that the monthly unemployment statistics give sufficient details of categories of vacancies to identify where there are shortages of skills and labour.
The Government recognise that the existing vacancy statistics do not in themselves constitute an adequate indicator of potential skill shortages and the Manpower Services Commission is currently taking steps to improve the flow of information about vacancies which are proving hard to fill.
Tvei (Pilot Projects)
63.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he considers the results of the new technical and vocational education initiative pilot projects are likely to warrant the wider adoption of the scheme; and if he will make a statement.
The first 14 pilot projects under the technical and vocational education initiative started last autumn and a second round will get under way later this year. It is too soon to evaluate these pilot projects, but I have been encouraged by the start that has been made and I am optimistic that local education authorities will wish to apply the educational lessons learned more widely.
Youth Training Scheme And Young Workers Scheme
64.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will clarify the new connection between the youth training scheme and the young workers scheme; and if he will make a statement.
I refer my hon. Friend to my right hon. Friend's reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Langbaurgh (Mr. Holt) on 21 December, at columns 258–59, when he outlined the amendments in the rules of the young workers scheme which ensure that it complements the youth training scheme more closely. If there is a particular point which my hon. Friend would like clarified, perhaps he would like to write to me.
Government Training Courses
66.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will state the number of people currently receiving training on special courses sponsored by the Government.
The total number of people covered by special employment and training measures at the end of January 1984 was estimated to be 660,000. Up to 531,000 will have received some form of training or other preparation for employment, but the type and content will vary according to the particular measure and project involved.
Self-Employed Persons
asked the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his parliamentary reply of 23 February, Official Report, column 611, why the figures for the number of self-employed in 1982 and 1983 are not yet available; and if he will make a statement.
Provisional estimates of the numbers of self-employed in 1982 and 1983, consistent with those given in my reply to my hon. Friend on 23 February, at column 611, are published in table 1.1 of Employment Gazette.Figures of the numbers of self-employed are based on the decennial census of population updated by reference to the labour force survey. The latest data from these sources relate to 1981 and the provisional estimates for later periods assume that the rate of growth which occurred between 1979 and 1981 has continued. The self-employment figures will be updated when the results of the 1983 labour force survey become available in the summer. The labour force survey has hitherto been conducted biennially, but changes are being implemented which will entail it being conducted more frequently. This will allow the self-employment figures to be updated at least annually in future.
Ymca Training For Life Programme
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report a table listing the centres run by the Young Men's Christian Association's training for life programme notified to the Manpower Services Commission as having to close as a result of withdrawal of training funds, together with the number of staff to be made redundant and the number of training places lost at each centre; and if he will make a statement.
The YMCA Grimsby training for life scheme, which has 80 approved training places, will close at the end of March. The YMCA has already made 11 staff redundant and the remaining five staff will be made redundant at the end of March. There are currently no proposals to close other training for life programmes, although a number will be reduced in size.
Eye Testing
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will introduce legislation to provide that those engaged in occupations requiring accurate eyesight will be tested for spectacles as a matter of safety.
We have no plans to introduce such legislation.
Training (Lambeth)
asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Norwood on 20 December 1983, Official Report, column 125, he is now able to take a final decision on the scale and nature of training in Lambeth.
Discussions about training provision in Lambeth are continuing and we hope to be able to make an announcement in the near future.
Community Industry
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a table similar to that contained in the review of community industry of April 1981 showing for the most recent period for which statistics are available the net weekly costs per place in community industry and in the comparable sections of the youth training scheme.
Detailed information on the unit costs of the different types of youth training scheme provision will not be available before the summer.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many young people are currently employed by community industry; and how these figures compare with the numbers so employed in 1981 and 1979.
In February 1984, 6,988 young people were employed on the community industry scheme. The figures for February 1981 and 1979 were 6,149 and 5,130, respectively.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment how the value in real terms of the gross wage paid to 16 and 17-year-olds employed by community industry has changed since the scheme began.
The present wage levels of 16 and 17-year-olds employed on the community industry scheme are £29·70 and £33, respectively. In relation to the growth in prices this represents 77 per cent. and 72 per cent.respectively of the real level of the allowance in 1972.
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will support the expansion of community industry in Yorkshire, Humberside and the Rotherham metropolitan borough.
The level of local community industry provision within the national total of available places is a matter for negotiation between community industry and the relevant local authorities.
European Social Fund
asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list all allocations of finance from the European social fund towards the costs of schemes run by the Manpower Services Commission in the current financial year; and how these allocations compare with (a) the amounts applied for and (b) the gross costs of these schemes.
European social fund support for Manpower Services Commission schemes cannot be shown exactly for financial years since the length and timing of periods of ESF support varies for individual schemes. The total allocation for the 1983 ESF budget towards the costs of MSC schemes was £251,852,248. Further applications are currently being made or considered for 1984—including the last three months of the financial year 1983–84. Some MSC schemes have been given the full amount requested, others a proportion, according to the priority given to them by the European Commission under the fund guidelines. Since ESF allocations are made on the basis of estimated eligible expenditure and not all MSC expenditure on these schemes is eligible for fund assistance, it would be misleading to compare allocations directly with the gross costs of MSC schemes. Should the hon. Member require further information on the applications made in respect of particular MSC schemes, I will be pleased to write to him.
Benefit Investigation Teams
asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the purpose of regional benefit investigation teams; which areas they are now operating in; and which areas or categories of claimants are to be investigated by these teams in the coming months.
Regional benefit investigation teams have been established for the purpose of investigating claims to benefit that may be fraudulent. They are now operating in all nine regions and are based at our Department's regional offices. Their forward plans are subject to review according to changing local circumstances and we are therefore unable to give this information.
Transport
Airport Investment And Financing
asked the Secretary of State for Transport when his Department will next be reviewing the forecasts of air traffic in relation to airport investment and financing; when the exercise will be completed; and if he will place the results in the Library.
My Department is at present working on a new set of air traffic forecasts which should be completed by late spring. I shall place a copy of these forecasts in the Library of the House when they are available and let the right hon. Gentleman know.
Gatwick Rail Link (Privatisation)
asked the Secretary of State for Transport if it is the intention of the Government to privatise either in full or in part or to offer franchise contracts to private companies for the new rail link service between London Victoria and Gatwick airport starting from 14 May.
We have encouraged British Rail to seek partners for this venture, and it is considering the possibilities.
Agriculture, Fisheries And Food
Monetary Compensatory Amounts
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what would be the effect on the European Economic Community budget of eliminating the negative monetary compensatory amount of approximately 6 per cent. payable in the United Kingdom under the common agricultural policy; and if he will provide an estimate based on experience in 1983 of the gains and losses which would result.
The United Kingdom has a positive monetary compensatory amount—MCA—which fell from plus 6·2 to plus 3·7 on 19 March because of a fall in the market value of sterling.The Commission of the European Communities has, based on experience in 1983 and earlier years, estimated that each one percentage point reduction in the United Kingdom MCA brought about by a green rate revaluation would reduce Community expenditure under the EAGGF budget by some 10 million ECU—about £6 million—in a full year. Commission figures also indicate that such a revaluation would reduce own resources by some 25 million ECU—about £15 million.
Agricultural Holdings
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each year since 1954 the number of small units as shown for agriculture generally and for each product and each class of business in table 4 of the annual review White Paper (Cmnd. 9137), together with the proportion of the output or land accounted for in each case;(2) whether he will publish in the
Official Report a table showing for each year since 1954 the number of large units as shown for agriculture generally and for each product and for each type of business in table 4 of the annual review White Paper (Cmncl. 9137), together with the proportion of the output or land accounted for in each case.
Information about large units in the United Kingdom from 1973 is contained in the annual review of agriculture White Paper which is issued annually and copies of which are kept in the Library of the House. The same publication gives the number of small units. Similar information for the years 1954 to 1972 and the information on the proportion of output or land accounted for by small units cannot be provided without disproportionate cost.
Agricultural Production
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each year since 1954 production as a percentage of new supply for use in the United Kingdom in the case of wheat, barley, oats, sugar from beet, beef, and mutton and lamb;(2) whether he will publish in the
Official Report a table showing for each year since 1954 production as a percentage of total new supply for use in the United Kingdom in the case of apples, pears, cauliflowers, tomatoes, condensed milk (full cream), milk powder (full cream), and skimmed milk powder;
(3) whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each year since 1954 production as a percentage of total new supply in the case of wheat, barley, oats, sugar from beet, apples, pears, cauliflowers, tomatoes, beef, mutton and lamb, butter, cheese and wool.
The information requested is available from the annual review White Papers for each year from 1971 in the case of cereals, sugar, beef, mutton and lamb, and milk products, and from 1973 in the case of horticultural crops and wool.I regret that figures before these years would be available only at disproportionate costs.
Farm Incomes
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each year since 1954 the ratio of farming income to farm business income.
The information requested for the years 1954 to 1969 is not available.The following table shows the estimates of farming income and farm business income at current prices, together with their ratio from 1970 to 1983.
| Year | Farming income* | Farm business income†| Ratio*†|
| £ million | £ million | ||
| 1970 | 567 | 658 | 0·86 |
| 1971 | 640 | 737 | 0·87 |
| 1972 | 682 | 795 | 0·86 |
| 1973 | 952 | 1,112 | 0·86 |
| 1974 | 803 | 1,021 | 0·79 |
| 1975 | 1,005 | 1,247 | 0·81 |
| 1976 | 1,293 | 1,571 | 0·82 |
| 1977 | 1,269 | 1,572 | 0·81 |
| 1978 | 1,252 | 1,617 | 0·77 |
| 1979 | 1,141 | 1,676 | 0·68 |
| 1980 | 1,018 | 1,732 | 0·59 |
| 1981 | 1,318 | 2,061 | 0·64 |
| 1982 | 1,802 | 2,608 | 0·69 |
| 1983‡ | 1,536 | 2,367 | 0·65 |
| *The return to farmers and spouses for their labour, management skills and own capital invested after providing for depreciation. | |||
| †The return to farmers and spouses, non-principal partners and directors for their labour and a management skills and on all capital (own or borrowed) invested in the industry after providing for depreciation. | |||
| ‡forecast. | |||
Farm Subsidies
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, further to his answer of 23 February, Official Report, column 595, concerning the total amount spent on hill farming subsidies, whether he will itemise (a) the other hill farming subsidies and the amount spent or forecast to be spent in the most recent or present accounting period, (b) the number of holdings in each of the three groups listed, the numbers of sheep and cattle in each and the amount of subsidy paid to each, (c) the cost of the subsidy per pound of the meat content of the sheep and (d) the cost of the price support system for sheepmeat in 1983 per pound of meat.
Additional grants are available to farmers situated in the less-favoured areas under the agriculture and horticulture development scheme, the agriculture and horticulture grant scheme and the Northern Ireland agriculture development programme. The additional benefit under these schemes is estimated to be £22·2 million in 1983–84. As I told the hon. Member in my answer of 22 February, at column 539, we estimate that payments of £13 million in sheep annual premium and £12·5 million in suckler cow premium were made to farmers in the less-favoured areas in 1983.The numbers of holdings and of animals in the three groups listed in my answer of 23 February and the estimated amounts paid in hill livestock compensatory allowances in 1983 are as follows:
| Number of Livestock Units | |||
| 1–50 | 51–100 | Over 100 | |
| Number of holdings | 36,970 | 7,481 | 6,701 |
| Number of sheep (millions) | 3·1 | 2·8 | 3·2 |
| Number of cattle (millions) | 0·55 | 0·18 | 0·15 |
| Payments on sheep (£ million) | 16·7 | 15·7 | 19·1 |
| Payments on cattle (£ million) | 24·4 | 7·8 | 6·9 |
Environment
Local Authority Housing
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the net capital expenditure figure for local authority housing in England used as the cash limit for public expenditure purposes for the years 1979–80 and 1984–85.
Prior to 1981–82, cash limits were gross (that is including capital receipts). The cash limit for 1979–80 was £2·584 million. Net cash limits were introduced from 1981–82 onwards and housing became part of the overall local authority capital cash limit. For 1984–85 that overall cash limit is £2,453 million, including net provision for housing of £1,028 million. Gross provision, including capital receipts, for local authority housing investment next year is £2,493 million.
Lyme Bay (Nuclear Waste)
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any proposals to permit Lyme bay, or the immediate vicinity, to be used for the dumping of nuclear waste.
It is the task of the Nuclear Industry Radioactive Waste Executive to identify potentially suitable sites for waste disposal, and submit appropriate proposals, which will then be assessed by my Department against general principles. It has not identified any such site, in, or in the vicinity of, Lyme bay.
Dog Licences
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is (a) the total revenue received, (b) the total cost of administration and (c) the profit or loss arising from dog licence fees for 1980 and 1983.
The information is not available in respect of calendar years. The total amount collected by the Post Office in respect of dog licences was £1 million in 1980–81 and £0·9 million in 1982–83, the latest year for which information is available. The payment made by the Department to the Post Office to cover the costs of issuing dog licences was £2·8 million in 1980–81 and £3·3 million in 1982–83, the deficit was thus about £1·8 million in 1980–81 and £2·4 million in 1982–83.
Ancient Woodlands
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give his estimate of the area of ancient woodlands that remains in England and Wales on a county basis.
I am advised by the Nature Conservancy Council that the estimate of the area of ancient semi-natural woodland remaining in England and Wales in those counties for which information is available is as follows:
| Hectares | |
| Avon | 2,810 |
| Bedfordshire | 1,648 |
| Buckinghamshire | 6,809 |
| Cambridgeshire | 2,029 |
| Cornwall | 3,246 |
| Essex | 7,252 |
| Hertfordshire | 3,431 |
| Humberside | 767 |
| Leicestershire | 1,614 |
| Lincolnshire | 2,868 |
| N. Cumbria | 2,524 |
| Norfolk | 1,410 |
| Northamptonshire | 2,634 |
| Northumberland | 3,588 |
| Oxfordshire | 5,656 |
| Shropshire | 4,133 |
| Somerset | 5,687 |
| Suffolk | 3,022 |
| Surrey | 4,712 |
| Clwyd | 3,032 |
| Gwent | 3,249 |
| Gwynedd | 3,415 |
| Pembrokeshire | 1,244 |
Housing Grants
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will (a) increase the allocation for mini-housing association grant to meet the scale of the problem of empty dwellings and (b) liberalise the eligibility criteria to allow publicly owned and housing association properties to receive grants.
Outturn on mini-HAG is likely to be within the £1 million allocation agreed when the Housing Corporation's programme for 1983–84 was approved, and there are no proposals for an increase. Local authorities have the means to improve their short-life properties themselves, and I have at present no plans for making them eligible for housing association grant. Properties owned by other public bodies and housing associations are already eligible in those circumstances where it is justified.
Thames Valley Housing Association
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what public money has been paid to the Thames Valley housing association relating to the Islip manor estate, Northolt; when; and if he will make a statement.
No housing association grant has been paid to Thames Valley housing society in respect of Islip manor estate, Northolt. The housing society has management control only of that estate; the owners remain First Turret housing association. Interim housing association grant payments for the construction of the estate have been made to First Turret in 1980 and 1982 totalling £3,697,484 inclusive of allowances and interest.
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to inquire into the efficiency of the Thames Valley housing association's operations at the Islip manor estate, Northolt; and if he will make a statement.
I understand that the Thames Valley housing society, with the benefit of loans advanced by Ealing council, has undertaken emergency repair works to improve the living conditions of tenants on the estate. The society has plans for further repairs, and I will consider any application for housing association grant at the appropriate time.
Play Equipment (Lead Levels)
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, in view of evidence which has been sent to him about the level of lead in children's playground equipment, if he will make special funds available to local authorities to phase out play equipment with a high lead level; and if he will make a statement.
DOE circular 22/82 drew attention to the problems posed by high-lead paint, suggested possible remedies, and advised that low lead be specified for playground equipment wherever technically possible. It is for local authorities to decide how best to proceed in their local circumstances, and we would generally expect costs to be met within existing expenditure targets.
Houses Of Parliament And Buckingham Palace
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now seek to introduce measures to allow environmental health officers to enter and carry out an inspection of the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham palace.
Public health inspections, other than for food hygiene, are carried out by staff of the Property Services Agency, and safety inspections are made by officials of the Health and Safety Executive. I am satisfied that these arrangements are adequate. Food hygiene at Buckingham palace and in the Refreshment Departments of the two Houses of Parliament is a matter for the authorities of the palace and of the two Houses respectively.
Ministers (Regional Visits)
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment why the hon. Member for Liverpool, Riverside was informed less than 24 hours before his official visit to the hon. Member's constituency.
When Ministers in my Department plan regional visits the local MPs are informed as soon as the final programme has been confirmed—normally about a week before the date of the visit. My programme for the visit to which the hon. Member refers was confirmed only four days before it took place, but I am sorry that so little notice was given.
International Garden Festival (Liverpool)
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is now the estimated cost of the international garden festival in Liverpool; and how much employment he expects it to generate.
[pursuant to his reply, 12 March 1984, c. 27]: The approved budget of the international garden festival is now for gross expenditure of £.19·3 million, which will be substantially offset by private sector sponsorship and income including gate receipts. Some 350 people are at present employed on the construction of the festival. During the period that the festival is open, as many as 900 people will be employed directly in operating the festival, and many more jobs will be generated on Merseyside by the need to cater for the 3 million or more visitors expected to visit the festival.
Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs
Council Of Europe (North-South Conference)
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the briefing for British delegates to the Council of Europe Conference "North-South: Europe's Role," on 9 to 11 April will include reference to population issues.
The briefing will deal with the main themes of the conference as adopted by the organising committee last year. One of these concerns aspects of population issues; appropriate briefing will be arranged.
Diplomatic Service
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will provide a breakdown of the universities from which serving staff have been recruited into those grades of the Diplomatic Service broadly equivalent to those of the administration group of the Home Civil Service.
The universities from which serving staff of the Diplomatic Service in the administrative group have been recruited are as follows:
| Numbers | |
| Aberdeen | 10 |
| Aberystwyth | 3 |
| Bangor | 1 |
| Bath | 3 |
| Belfast | 3 |
| Birmingham | 10 |
| Bradford | 1 |
| Bristol | 20 |
| Cambridge | 290 |
| Cardiff | 5 |
| Dundee | 2 |
| Durham | 15 |
| East Anglia | 2 |
| Edinburgh | 23 |
| Exeter | 5 |
| Glasgow | 11 |
| Hull | 6 |
| Keele | 4 |
| Kent | 3 |
| Lampeter | 1 |
| Lancaster | 2 |
| Leeds | 11 |
| Leicester | 3 |
| Liverpool | 4 |
| London | 101 |
| Manchester | 21 |
| Nottingham | 6 |
| Newcastle | 5 |
| Oxford | 321 |
| Reading | 7 |
| Salford | 2 |
| Sheffield | 5 |
| Southampton | 4 |
| St. Andrews | 13 |
| Strathclyde | 2 |
| Surrey | 5 |
| Sussex | 11 |
| Swansea | 4 |
| Ulster | 1 |
| Warwick | 1 |
| York | 2 |
| Polytechnics | 4 |
| Overseas Universities | 53 |
| Total | 1,006 |
Departmental Staff
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the grades of staff and the numbers in each grade in his Department.
The grades of staff in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the numbers in each grade on 1 March 1984 are as follows:
| Numbers | |
| FCO Diplomatic Wing | |
| Diplomatic Service Grades and Home Civil Service Administration Group | |
| Senior Grade | 149 |
| DS4/HCS5 | 301 |
| HCS6 | 3 |
| DS5/Principal | 479·5 |
| DS6/SEO | 314 |
| DS7E/HEO | 506 |
| DS7D/8 | 111 |
| DS9/EO | 829 |
| DS10/CO | 866 |
| CA | 137 |
| Other Grades and Classes | |
| Secretarial | 698 |
| Legal | 23 |
Numbers
| |
| Research | 58 |
| DS Security Officer | 307 |
| Queen's Messenger and Escort | 35 |
| Home Security Officer | 136 |
| Cypher and Signals | 193 |
| Office Keeper/Paper Keeper/Messenger | 255 |
| Professional and Technical | 169 |
| Economist | 12 |
| Librarian | 12 |
| Museum Grade | 6 |
| Photoprinter | 41·5 |
| Driver | 23 |
| Cleaner | 37·5 |
| Field Investigating Officer | 20 |
| Others (catering grades, stores officers, nurses etc.) | 94 |
| Industrial | 139 |
| DS Communications Branch | 215 |
| TTO/DS Technical Branch | 346·5 |
| Operator Technician | 14 |
| Radio Technician | 69 |
| Processing and General Supervisory Class | 29 |
Overseas Development Administration
| |
Administration Group
| |
| Open Structure 1A | 1 |
| Open Structure 2 | 2 |
| Open Structure 3 | 7 |
| Open Structure 4 | 1 |
| Open Structure 5 | 41 |
| Open Structure 6 | 53 |
| Principal | 70·5 |
| SEO | 43 |
| HEO/HEO'D'/AT | 150·5 |
| EO | 204 |
| CO | 353 |
| CA | 30 |
Other Grades and Classes
| |
| Secretarial/Typing | 128 |
| Teleprinter/Telephonist | 10 |
| Photoprinter | 24 |
| Office Keeper/Paper Keeper/Messenger | 112·5 |
| Cleaner | 6 |
| Security | 9 |
| Economist | 28 |
| Statistician | 6 |
| Librarian | 9 |
Numbers
| |
| Information | 7 |
| Departmental Advisers | 18 |
| Scientific | 225 |
| Research | 11 |
| Professional and Technical | 12 |
| Draughtsman/Cartographer/Mapping | 109·5 |
| Photographer | 12 |
| Laboratory | 8 |
| Survey | 22 |
| Industrial | 39·5 |
Passport Office
| |
Administration Group
| |
| Open Structure Grade 5 | 1 |
| Open Structure Grade 6 | 1 |
| Principal | 4 |
| SEO | 7 |
| HEO | 27 |
| EO | 124 |
| CO | 479 |
| CA | 242·5 |
Other Grades and Classes
| |
| Photoprinter | 1 |
| Teleprinter Operator | 3 |
| Typing Grade | 20 |
| Office Keeper/Paper Keeper/Messenger | 64 |
Overseas Development
St Vincent
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Her Majesty's Government will consider providing financial assistance to the Government of St. Vincent for the extension of the runway at Amos Vale airport by a further 2,500 ft into the sea up to Black Nancy.
Her Majesty's Government would be ready to consider making a contribution to such a project within the limits of available resources and subject to appraisal. The St. Vincent Government have been advised accordingly.
Social Services
Unemployment Benefit
68.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the relative purchasing power of unemployment benefit in Lerwick as compared to Glasgow.
I regret that this information is not available.
Regional Health Authorities (Finance)
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will give a breakdown of the financial allocations to each of the district health authorities within the North-East Thames regional authority for 1983–84 and 1984–85, respectively.
The information is as follows:
| North-East Thames Regional Health Authority Revenue Allocations to District Health Authorities 1983–84 and 1984–85 (£'000's) | ||
| DHA | 1983–84 | 1984–85 |
| Basildon & Thurrock | 42,110·7 | 43,414·0 |
| Mid Essex | 36,249·5 | 39,623·0 |
| North East Essex | 48,254·4 | 52,855·0 |
| West Essex | 28,474·6 | 29,365·0 |
| Southend | 34,856·4 | 36,809·0 |
| Barking, Havering & Brentwood | 60,789·1 | 63,347·0 |
| Hampstead | 58,883·4 | 60,404·0 |
| Bloomsbury | 107,265·2 | 109,581·0 |
| Islington | 42,542·5 | 43,401·0 |
| City & Hackney | 71,935·6 | 74,208·0 |
| Newham | 31,002·0 | 31,960·0 |
| Tower Hamlets | 61,573·6 | 63,373·0 |
| Enfield | 30,089·2 | 30,812·0 |
| Haringey | 34,719·2 | 35,405·0 |
| Redbridge | 31,291·2 | 32,932·0 |
| Waltham Forest | 54,527·1 | 55,799·0 |
Notes:
1. 1983–84 figures relate to the position after the July 1983 cash limit adjustments.
2. Allocations for joint finance and non-recurring adjustments are not included.
3. Capital allocations are not shown as only a small amount is allocated on a district basis. (The rest funds the capital programme managed by the RHA).
4. Allocations do not include districts' shares of services provided directly by the RHA (eg. salaries of senior medical staff).
5. The figures are not at constant prices.
Coronary Drugs (Safety)
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied that all slow-release formulations of potassium chloride, used as drugs for those with coronary problems, are safe.
The possible adverse effects of slow-release potassium chloride formulations are well known and described in the current product data sheets. I remain satisfied on the evidence and advice at the moment available to me that the benefits outweigh the risks when these products are used in approved indications.
Health Authorities (Jobs Target)
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services which regional health authorities have cut more jobs than necessary under targets set in March 1983; and by how much these regional health authorities have cut jobs in excess of the target level.
The manpower targets settled with regional health authorities in September 1983 relate to March 1984. No judgment can be made on the relationship between targets and numbers in post until the staff in post figures for 31 March become available. The targets are intended as an aid to the better and more cost-effective use of manpower. There can be no such concept as cutting "more jobs than necessary" so long as the necessary standard of service to patients is provided in an efficient way. The targets should certainly not be regarded as a minimum number of staff posts that have to be provided whatever the needs of the service.The latest available figures relate to 31 December 1983, and are as follows:
| Non-medical staff in post at 31 December 1983* | |
| Regional Health Authority | Whole-time equivalents |
| 1. Northern | 51,310 |
| 2. Yorkshire | 58,040 |
| 3. Trent | 70,190 |
| 4. East Anglian | 28,690 |
| 5. N W Thames | 54,710 |
| 6. N E Thames | 68,940 |
| 7. S E Thames | 61,930 |
| 8. S W Thames | 47,140 |
| 9. Wessex | 41,710 |
| 10. Oxford | 31,900 |
| 11. South Western | 50,450 |
| 12. West Midlands | 79,780 |
| 13. Mersey | 41,990 |
| 14. North Western | 71,300 |
Notes:
1. Excludes all medical and dental staff for whom no December count is make.
2. Excludes agency nursing and midwifery staff.
3. All figures are independently rounded to the nearest 10 whole-time equivalent.
* Provisional.
Clinical Medicine Teachers
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many clinical medicine teachers were in post in 1980; and how many he expects to be in post in 1984.
The number of full-time and part-time clinical medicine teachers in post in England and Wales was 2,692 on 30 September 1980 and 2,791 a year later. There is no comparable prediction of this figure for 1984.
Housing Benefit
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people are now receiving housing benefit in the London borough of Lambeth; and how this compares with the number separately receiving rent allowance, rent rebates, rate rebates and full payment of rent by the Supplementary Benefits Commission before the inception of the housing benefit scheme.
Based on information provided by the London borough of Lambeth the number of housing benefit recipients at January 1984 was as follows:
| Certificated | Standard | |
| Rent rebates | 17,807 | 11,940 |
| Rent allowances | 9,686 | 4,807 |
| Rate rebate | 28,826 | 22,350 |
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received about housing benefits from the Manchester Child Poverty Action Group, Greater Manchester Campaign for the Homeless and Rootless, Manchester Women's Aid, Shelter (North West) and the Manchester Federation of Advice Centres; what reply he is sending; what action he is taking; and if he will make a statement.
We have received no representations, although the Department has received, and has noted, copies of "Housing Benefits Campaign Bulletin" (No. 3) prepared jointly by these organisations.
Nhs Staff (Back Injuries)
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether his Department will now provide additional funds for implementing the recommendations of the Health Services Advisory Committee to curb back injuries to National Health Service staff; and if he will make a statement.
I have nothing to add to the reply given to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South (Mr. Ashley) on 27 February 1984, at column 76.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of National Health Service nurses suffer yearly from back pain.
This information is not available.
Kidney Donor Cards
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, further to his letter of 9 March to the right hon. Member for Mansfield turning down the suggestion from Mansfield Kidney Patients' Association to send kidney donor cards with the new national insurance cards, if he will specify the practical and administrative difficulties referred to.
The production of the new plastic national insurance number card is fully automated. The equipment is purpose-built and could not be adapted to enable the kidney donor card to be issued as part of the same process. The practical and administrative difficulties referred to in the letter related to the possibility of issuing donor cards with the old manila national insurance card. It was found that the mechanical process then in use could not be modified to issue donor cards as well. Instead, it would have been necessary to use a part manual, part mechanical process which would have been staff-intensive, slow and costly.
Leptospirosis
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many cases of human leptospirosis were notified to the Communicable Disease Records Office for each of the years between 1978 and 1983 inclusive, broken down into categories relating to cases deriving from contact with rats, cattle and dogs.
The information on reports from England and Wales is as follows: it does not include cases of human leptospirosis in which the infection was contracted abroad.
| Associated With | |||||
| Year | Total | Rats | Cattle | Dogs | Others not Specified |
| 1978 | 45 (3)* | 18 | 21 | 3 | 3 |
| 1979 | 34 (3) | 16 | 11 | 2 | 5 |
| 1980 | 25 (4) | 16 | 6 | 2 | 1 |
| 1981 | 42 (1) | 26 | 12 | 2 | 2 |
| 1982 | 35 (2) | 10 | 10 | 7 | 8 |
| 1983 | 82 (3) | 26 | 40 | 8 | 8 |
| Total | 263 (16) | ||||
| * Figures in brackets are deaths. | |||||
International Centre For Child Studies
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what direct or indirect assistance is given by his Department to the International Centre for Child Studies.
My right hon. Friend attended the launch of the International Centre for Child Studies last year. Officials at DHSS have had discussions with Professor Butler about his programme and the need for support.
World Health Assembly
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to receive the final agenda for the next meeting of the world health assembly; and if this will be published.
We have now received a provisional agenda which will be considered for adoption by the World Health Assembly in May. It is normally published as part of the summary record of the assembly's proceedings.
Overseas Visitors (Health Charges)
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now estimate the income from charging overseas visitors for National Health Service treatment for the first 12 months of the scheme.
The estimated income from these charges alone for the period 1 October 1982 to 30 September 1983 was £1 million. In addition, the National Health Service will have benefited to an extent which cannot be precisely calculated from the charges paid for treatment in NHS hospitals by individuals who opted to become private patients rather than pay overseas visitor charges.
E111 Certificates
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will arrange for the period of validity of E111 certificates to be extended.
I shall let my hon. Friend have a reply as soon as possible.
Medical Appeal Tribunals (Delay)
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is (a) the average delay between the date of a medical appeal tribunal hearing and notification of the decision to the claimant, (b) the period of such delay for the London, north region, and (c) the cause of continuing delay in the case with reference MOB A 958128 heard by the medical appeal tribunal on 14 November 1983.
It is estimated that the average time between a medical appeal tribunal hearing of a mobility allowance claim and the notification of the decision to the claimant by the mobility allowance unit is currently about three weeks for all regions including London, north. The case to which the right hon. Member refers was unusually complex and, following the medical appeal tribunal' hearing on 14 November 1983, the members of the tribunal took more time than normal to provide a record of their decision. The notification of the decision was sent to the claimant on 9 March.
Benefits
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what guidance is given to staff in determining whether a young person has unreasonably refused a training place; and where refusal has been so deemed, what additional tests are applied in deciding whether benefit should be reduced.
If a young person refuses a training place his case is referred to an insurance officer, who is an independent adjudicating authority, for a decision whether he had good cause for his refusal. Before the case is referred to the insurance officer the young person is told of the information provided by the careers service or by the Manpower Services Commission and he is invited to give his comments. In particular he is asked to give his reasons for the refusal, and he is told the reason for the inquiry. No specific guidance is given to the insurance officer on the criteria to be applied in deciding whether the young person had good cause. He is expected to exercise his judgment on the evidence in each case.If the insurance officer finds no good cause for the refusal, no further tests are applied and he is required to disqualify the young person for receiving unemployment benefit for up to six weeks. If the young person is claiming supplementary benefit, regulations require that that benefit be reduced, normally by 40 per cent. of the personal scale rate, for a similar period. A copy of the insurance officer's decision, including the basis for it, is sent to the young person. If he is dissatisfied, he has the right of appeal to an independent local tribunal.
Tadworth Court Hospital
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will publish the financial arrangements that his Department has entered into with the charitable trust that now administers Tadworth Court hospital;(2) if he will place in the Library a resume of discussions he had with the charitable trust that now administers Tadworth Court hospital.
I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's reply on 14 March 1983, at columns 48–50 and to my reply on 18 November 1983, at columns 614–15, to my hon. Friend the Member for Reigate (Mr. Gardiner). The hospital is to be transferred on 1 April 1984.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many of the National Health Service staff employed at Tadworth Court hospital will be employed by the charity that will administer the inistitution in the future.
This is a matter for the Tadworth Court trust.
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, in his discussions on the establishment of a charitable trust, he considered arrangements for the trade union representation of staff at Tadworth Court hospital.
No. I would always have regarded any question of the representation of the staff after the transfer of the hospital to the Tadworth Court trust as a matter for the new employers, but, so far as I am aware and can recall, the matter was never raised with me.
Health Facilities (Personal Policies)
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if his Department will issue guidelines for the administration of personnel policies in charitably run health facilities.
No.
Nhs (Staff Earnings)
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the average earnings per week of domestics, porters and nurses in National Health Service hospitals.
The average earnings of full-time ancillary staff in the pay groups covering domestics (Group 1) and porters (Groups 2–4) are as follows:
| £ per week | |
| Pay Group 1 | 89·00 |
| Pay Group 2 | 95·00 |
| Pay Group 3 | 104·00 |
| Pay Group 4 | 104·10 |
Maternity Beds
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many maternity beds are provided for the use of general practitioners by each district health authority in England; and what is the length of stay allowed following delivery of patients.
[pursuant to his reply, 15 February 1984, c. 232]: The number of GP maternity beds in each district health authority in England is given in the following table.The length of stay following delivery will vary depending on the needs of the mother and baby.
| NHS Hospitals in England—1982 | |
| Average Daily Number of Available GP Maternity Beds | |
| District health authority | Beds |
| Region—Northern RHA | |
| Hartlepool | 4 |
| North Tees | 13 |
| South Tees | 37 |
| East Cumbria | 12 |
| South Cumbria | 27 |
| West Cumbria | 10 |
| Darlington | — |
| Durham | — |
| North West Durham | — |
| South West Durham | — |
| Northumberland | 43 |
| Gateshead | 6 |
| Newcastle | — |
| North Tyneside | — |
| South Tyneside | — |
| Sunderland | — |
| REGIONAL TOTAL | 152 |
| Region—Yorkshire RHA | |
| Hull | 1 |
| East Yorkshire | 62 |
| Grimsby | 24 |
| Scunthorpe | 46 |
| Northallerton | — |
| York | 14 |
| Scarborough | 12 |
| Harrogate | 23 |
| Bradford | 9 |
| Airedale | 20 |
| Calderdale | 10 |
| Huddersfield | — |
| Dewsbury | — |
| Leeds Western | 16 |
| Leeds Eastern | — |
| Wakefleld | — |
| Pontefract | 12 |
| REGIONAL TOTAL | 248 |
| Region—Trent RHA | |
| North Derbyshire | 51 |
| South Derbyshire | 83 |
| Leicestershire | 98 |
| North Lincolnshire | 23 |
| South Lincolnshire | 14 |
| Bassetlaw | — |
| Central Nottinghamshire | 20 |
| Nottingham | — |
| Barnsley | 14 |
| Doncaster | 18 |
| Rotherham | 6 |
| Sheffield | — |
| REGIONAL TOTAL | 327 |
District health authority
| Beds
|
Region—East Anglian RHA
| |
| Cambridge | — |
| Peterborough | 12 |
| West Suffolk | 13 |
| East Suffolk | 27 |
| Norwich | 33 |
| Great Yarmouth and Waveney | 14 |
| West Norfolk and Wisbech | — |
| Huntingdon | 22 |
| REGIONAL TOTAL | 121 |
Region—North West Thames RHA
| |
| North Bedfordshire | 6 |
| South Bedfordshire | — |
| North Hertfordshire | 6 |
| East Hertfordshire | — |
| North West Hertfordshire | 9 |
| South West Hertfordshire | 12 |
| Barnet | — |
| Harrow | .— |
| Hillingdon | — |
| Hounslow and Spelthorne | — |
| Ealing | — |
| Brent | — |
| Paddington | — |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | — |
| Victoria | — |
| REGIONAL TOTAL | 33 |
Region—North East Thames RHA
| |
| Basildon and Thurrock | 5 |
| Mid Essex | 28 |
| North East Essex | 49 |
| West Essex | 13 |
| Southend | — |
| Barking, Havering and Brentwood | 2 |
| Hampstead | — |
| Bloomsbury | — |
| Islington | 6 |
| City and Hackney | — |
| Newham | — |
| Tower Hamlets | — |
| Enfield | 11 |
| Haringey | — |
| Redbridge | — |
| Waltham Forest | — |
| REGIONAL TOTAL | 114 |
Region—South East Thames RHA
| |
| Brighton | — |
| Eastbourne | 8 |
| Hastings | 6 |
| South East Kent | — |
| Canterbury and Thanet | 1 |
| Dartford and Gravesham | 1 |
| Maidstone | 20 |
| Medway | — |
| Tunbridge Wells | 34 |
| Bexley | 8 |
| Greenwich | — |
| Bromely | — |
| West Lambeth | — |
| Camberwell | — |
| Lewisham and North Southwark | — |
| REGIONAL TOTAL | 77 |
District health authority
| Beds
|
Region-South West Thames RHA
| |
| North West Surrey | 30 |
| West Surrey and North East Hants | 4 |
| South West Surrey | 10 |
| Mid Surrey | 5 |
| East Surrey | 11 |
| Chichester | — |
| Mid Downs | 21 |
| Worthing | — |
| Croydon | 1 |
| Kingston and Esher | — |
| Richmond, Twickenham and Roehampton | — |
| Wandsworth | — |
| Merton and Sutton | — |
| REGIONAL TOTAL | 81 |
Region—Wessex RHA
| |
| East Dorset | 6 |
| West Dorset | 12 |
| Portsmouth and South East Hampshire | 61 |
| Southampton and South West Hampshire | 56 |
| Winchester | 12 |
| Basingstoke and North Hampshire | 22 |
| Salisbury | 8 |
| Swindon | 2 |
| Bath and West Wiltshire | 103 |
| Isle of Wight | — |
| REGIONAL TOTAL | 281 |
Region—Oxford RHA
| |
| Regional Management | — |
| East Berkshire | — |
| West Berkshire | 54 |
| Aylesbury | 18 |
| Wycombe | 31 |
| Milton Keynes | 36 |
| Kettering | 20 |
| Northampton | 12 |
| Oxfordshire | 46 |
| REGIONAL TOTAL | 216 |
Region—South Western RHA
| |
| Bristol and Weston | 31 |
| Frenchay | 10 |
| Southmead | 16 |
| Cornwall and Isles of Scilly | 43 |
| Exeter | 47 |
| North Devon | 19 |
| Plymouth | 43 |
| Torbay | 33 |
| Cheltenham | 8 |
| Gloucester | 57 |
| Somerset | 52 |
| REGIONAL TOTAL | 359 |
Region—West Midlands RHA
| |
| Bromsgrove and Redditch | 12 |
| Herefordshire | 10 |
| Kidderminster and District | 22 |
| Worcester and District | 29 |
| Shropshire | 70 |
| Mid Staffordshire | 28 |
| North Staffordshire | 30 |
| South East Staffordshire | 14 |
| Rugby | — |
| North Warwickshire | 10 |
| South Warwickshire | 11 |
| Central Birmingham | 20 |
| East Birmingham | — |
District health authority
| Beds
|
| North Birmingham | 28 |
| South Birmingham | — |
| West Birmingham | — |
| Coventry | 21 |
| Dudley | 63 |
| Sandwell | 5 |
| Solihull | 3 |
| Walsall | 11 |
| Wolverhampton | 23 |
| REGIONAL TOTAL | 410 |
Region—Mersey RHA
| |
| Chester | 2 |
| Crewe | 20 |
| Halton | 18 |
| Macclesfield | 11 |
| Warrington | — |
| Liverpool | — |
| St. Helens and Knowsley | — |
| North Sefton | — |
| South Sefton | — |
| Wirral | 2 |
| REGIONL TOTAL | 52 |
Region—North Western RHA
| |
| Lancaster | 2 |
| Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde | 17 |
| Preston | 9 |
| Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley | 55 |
| Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale | 14 |
| West Lancashire | —' |
| Chorley and South Ribble | 23 |
| Bolton | 1 |
| Bury | 5 |
| North Manchester | 5 |
| Central Manchester | — |
| South Manchester | — |
| Oldham | 3 |
| Rochdale | — |
| Salford | — |
| Stockport | 15 |
| Tameside and Glossop | 14 |
| Trafford | 6 |
| Wigan | 33 |
| REGIONAL TOTAL | 203 |
| ENGLAND TOTAL | 2,675 |
Note:
Discrepancies are due to rounding.
—Denotes Nil or less than 0·5.
National Finance
Value Added Tax
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the personal data held on Customs and Excise computers for a person who is registered for value added tax.
The data held are those relevant to the control of the individual's business activities and the verification of his tax payments. The range of data is extensive and normally includes the name and trading name, the VAT registration number, the address of the business, details of trading activity, turnover, identification of bank account and amounts of tax payable. If the registered person is also an importer, details of his import activities will be held on the Customs import computer and will include the importer's identifying number, duty deferment arrangements, valuation agreements and any special import procedures for which he has been approved.
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list in the Official Report those main items which at present are zero-rated for value added tax.
In addition to exports, the main items zero-rated at present are food; books, newspapers and periodicals; water; fuel and power; construction; transport; and young children's clothing and footwear. A comprehensive list of items together with their details is set out in schedule 5 to the VAT Act 1983. Following my right hon. Friend's Budget statement, it is proposed to withdraw the zero rate in respect of hot take-away food from 1 May 1984 and that in respect of alterations to buildings and certain other items connected with construction from 1 June 1984.
Personal Taxation
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the comparison between the yield in real terms in 1978–79 and what he is now proposing for a full year in (a) direct taxes on personal incomes, including national insurance contributions and (b) indirect taxes.
The figures are given in the following table. The "full year" yield has been taken to mean 1984–85 yield on an accruals basis.
| £ billion | ||
| 1978–79 revalued to 1984–85 prices | 1984–85 | |
| (a) Income tax and employees' NICs | 41·5 | 45·2 |
| (b) Indirect taxes | 54·1 | 64·4 |
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will indicate the gain or loss to those with incomes under £5,000, £5,000 to £10,000, £10,000 to £15,000, £15,000 to £20,000, £20,000 to £30,000, £30,000 to £50,000 and over £50,000 a year in each Budget separately since 1979, including the 1984 Budget, including both aggregate changes for those in each category and the average change per taxpayer in each category, and in every case indicating how much is due to indexation and how much is a real gain.
I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.
Airports (Duty-Free Goods)
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the future of duty-free goods at airports.
The supply of duty-free goods at airports is at present the subject of a draft directive of the European Community which would confirm present practices and which is supported by Her Majesty's Government.
Finance Bill
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Finance Bill will be published.
The Finance Bill will be published on Thursday 29 March.
Company Accounts
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will be making any changes to the target proportion of company accounts for in-depth investigations in 1983–84 and 1984–85.
[pursuant to his reply, 16 March 1984, c. 285]: The target proportion of company accounts selected for investigation in depth was set at 1·3 per cent. for 1983–84 and that target will be achieved. For the year 1984–85 a target of 1·2 per cent. has been set. The new target reflects mainly an increase in the number of accounts eligible for selection. An increase in the complement of inspectors has been allowed for in the 1984–88 Inland Revenue manpower target to maintain levels of investigation in the light of the growth of accounts.
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the amount of extra revenue collected in respect of the classes of accounts referred to in his answer of 5 March, Official Report, columns 406–7; and if he will make a statement outlining how such accounts are selected for in-depth investigation.
[pursuant to his reply, 16 March 1984, c. 285]: The amount of extra revenue collected in each of the three classes of taxpayer referred to was:
| £ million | |
| (i) Companies in year ended 31 October 1983 | 24·99 |
| (ii) Partnerships in year ended 31 October 1983 | 26·56 |
| (iii) Trusts in year ended 31 October 1982 | 7·03 |
Taxation
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated yield from all sources of taxation, including excise and other duties, for 1984–85; and what was the comparable yield in 1978–79 revalued at 1984–85 prices.
[pursuant to his reply, 19 March 1984, c. 319]: The estimated total yield of taxes, LA rates and national insurance contributions is £127·5 billion in 1984–85; the yield in 1978–79 revalued at 1984–85 prices using the GDP deflator is £105 billion.
Departmental Staff
asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why the number of civil servants in the Treasury has increased from 1,052 on 1 January 1979 to 2,377 on 1 January 1984.
The increase in the number of civil servants in the Treasury between 1 January 1979 and 1 January 1984 resulted from the transfer of certain functions, and the staff employed on them, from the Civil Service Department to the Treasury on 7 December 1981 by the Transfer of Functions (Minister for the Civil Service and Treasury) Order 1981 (S.I. No. 1670). The figure of 2,377 on 1 January 1984 shows a decrease of 205½ from the figure of 2,582½ on 1 January 1982 following that transfer of functions.
| Occupational group/trade | Skillcentre | |||||
| Port Talbot | Cardiff | Llanelli | Newport | West Gwent | Wrexham | |
| Engineering (Mechanical) | ||||||
| Auto Lathe | 8 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Capstan setting | 15 | 7 | — | — | 11 | — |
| Centre Lathe | 32 | 24 | 22 | — | 22 | 24 |
| Milling | 21 | 25 | — | — | — | — |
| Engineering inspection | 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Precision grinding | 21 | 15 | — | — | — | — |
| Toolmaking | 15 | 19 | — | — | — | 37 |
| Fitter maintenance | 20 | 22 | 21 | — | 21 | 39 |
| Fitter pneumatic and hydraulic | 33 | 27 | — | — | 24 | 49 |
| Instrument maintenance | 14 | 12 | — | — | — | 16 |
| Draughtsmanship | — | 18 | — | — | — | — |
| Fitter machine tool maintenance | — | 9 | — | — | 16 | — |
| Domestic appliance servicing | — | — | — | 19 | — | — |
| Sewing machine repair and maintenance | — | — | — | 18 | — | — |
| Engineering (Fabrication) | ||||||
| Plate structural and steel welding | 15 | — | — | — | 19 | — |
| Welding | 34 | 56 | 59 | 31 | 24 | 54 |
| Welding (ASME ix) | 49 | — | — | 42 | — | — |
| Sheet metal work | — | 29 | — | — | — | — |
| Automotive | ||||||
| Heavy vehicle repair and maintenance | 21 | — | — | 23 | 20 | 26 |
| Motor vehicle maintenance and body repair | 14 | — | 46 | 22 | 22 | 29 |
| Motor vehicle paint spraying | 14 | — | — | 19 | — | 24 |
| Contractor plant repair and maintenance | — | — | 18 | — | 13 | — |
| Construction | ||||||
| Bricklaying | 20 | 30 | 31 | 50 | 27 | 41 |
| Carpentry | 29 | 59 | 30 | 52 | 24 | 33 |
| Painting and decorating | 25 | — | — | 26 | — | — |
| Plastering | 26 | — | — | 27 | — | 27 |
| Heating and Ventilating fitter | — | 11 | — | — | — | — |
| Plumbing | — | 13 | — | 17 | — | — |
| Electrical and Electronic | ||||||
| Industrial electronics | 14 | 41 | — | — | — | — |
| Electrical installation maintenance | — | 13 | — | 28 | — | — |
| Radio and TV Servicing | — | 13 | — | — | — | — |
| Electronic testing and service | — | — | — | 18 | — | — |
| Operative | ||||||
| Basic engineering machine operator | 23 | 26 | 14 | — | 40 | — |
| Sewing machinists | 62 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sewing machinists (young people) | 41 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Stores | 4 | 3 | 4 | — | 3 | 5 |
| Miscellaneous | ||||||
| Hairdressing | — | 23 | — | — | — | — |
| Wider opportunities course | — | — | — | 86 | — | 142 |
asked the Secretary of State for Wales why skillcentres in Wales will be providing fewer places in 1984–85 compared with 1983–84.
The Skillcentre Training Agency has determined its provision for 1984–85 in the
Wales
Skillcentres
asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the numbers of persons who have been trained on each of the various courses available at each of the skillcentres in Wales for the most recently available 12-month period.
Most recent comprehensive information relates to 1982–83. In that year the numbers of people completing training were as follows:light of its assessment of the demand for training, the needs of the labour market and the level of take-up of its current provision.
Rates
asked the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of the premises on which local rates are paid in each county of Wales, respectively, are (a) commercial properties and (b) industrial properties; and, of the commercial properties, what proportion are lock-up garages.
| Percentage of total hereditaments | |||
| Industrial premises | Commercial premises | Of which lock-up garages | |
| Clwyd | 0·65 | 11·17 | 50·42 |
| Dyfed | 0·88 | 12·15 | 44·71 |
| Gwent | 0·53 | 13·86 | 63·01 |
| Gwynedd | 0·73 | 12·95 | 42·56 |
| Mid Glamorgan | 0·50 | 11·60 | 58·94 |
| Powys | 1·48 | 14·46 | 52·16 |
| South Glamorgan | 0·35 | 10·76 | 41·18 |
| West Glamorgan | 0·46 | 9·72 | 47·35 |
| Wales | 0·61 | 11·88 | 51·40 |
Note: Industrial premises includes public utilities and transport undertakings.
Dairy Farming
asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the numbers of (a) farmers engaged in dairy farming in Wales and (b) those employees working in Wales in the dairy industry, including the milk distribution trade, at the current time.
At December 1983, the number of registrations held by milk producers in Wales totalled 7,428. The number of farmers—including partners and directors doing farm work—associated with this total is not known. However, at June 1983, 7,138 holdings were classified as "specialist dairy" and "mainly dairy" farms, and the number of farmers, partners and directors engaged on these farm types amounted to 9,030.The number of employees, comprising regular workers, salaried managers and seasonal or casual workers, on the specialist dairy and mainly dairy farms totalled 6,292. The number of employees engaged in the milk and milk products sector of manufacturing industry totalled approximately 3,000 in 1981. Those engaged in milk distribution cannot be separately identified.
Artificial Limb And Appliance Centre
asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many people are employed in the artificial limb and appliance centre and sub-centres in Wales; and how many people they catered for in the years 1981, 1982 and 1983, respectively.
There are 50 Welsh Office and 27 limb contractor staff employed in the artificial limb and appliance centres in Wales. The number of people catered for in each of the centres was as follows:
| 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | |
| Cardiff | 17,710 | 19,342 | 20,876 |
| Swansea | 1,817 | 1,779 | 1,798 |
| Wrexham | 3,971 | 4,397 | 4,952 |
| Total | 23,498 | 25,518 | 27,626 |
At 1 April 1983, the latest date for which figures are available, the proportions of the total number of hereditaments represented by industrial and commercial properties were as follows:
Solvent And Drug Abuse
asked the Secretary of Stale for Wales how many people received hospital treatment in Wales in 1983 for (a) solvent abuse and (b) abuse of hard drugs.
While information is available about people receiving hospital inpatient treatment for the effect of solvents, it is not possible to determine how many were a result of personal abuse and how many a result of accident—for example, industrial accident. Information is available from the mental health inquiry about people receiving inpatient treatment for drug psychoses and drug dependence, but since this would cover both hard and soft drugs it is not possible to separate out hard drug use.
Benefits
asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many people in Wales by county in absolute terms and expressed as a rate per 1,000 of population, are in receipt of (a) mobility allowance, (b) attendance allowance, (c) assistance for payment of telephone rentals and (d) adaptations to their homes.
Information on mobility allowance and attendance allowance is not available at county level, and the figures for Wales are as follows:
| Number of persons currently* in receipt of allowance | Rate per 1,000 population | |
| Mobility allowance | 24,639 | 8–77 |
| Attendance allowance†| 16,011 | 5·70 |
| * At 12 March 1984. | ||
| †At higher or lower rates. | ||
| Number of cases of assistance with telephone rentals* | Rate per 1,000 population | Number of cases of assistance with adaptations to property* | Rate per 1,000 population | |
| Clwyd | 308 | 0·78 | 348 | 0·88 |
| Dyfed | 515 | 1·54 | 39 | 0·12 |
| Gwent | 1,148 | 2·61 | 126 | 0·29 |
| Gwynedd | 341 | 1·47 | 216 | 0·93 |
| Mid Glamorgan | 1,357 | 2·52 | 1,212 | 2·25 |
| Powys | 53 | 0·48 | 31 | 0·28 |
| South Glamorgan | 1,002 | 2·57 | 310 | 0·80 |
| West Glamorgan | 787 | 2·14 | 357 | 0·97 |
| * During year ending 31 March 1983. | ||||
Electronics Industries
asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the electronics industries which have located in Wales in each of the years 1980 to 1984, the estimated number of jobs provided by each project and the total amount of (a) selective financial assistance and (b) regional development grant in each year.
I shall reply to the hon. Gentleman as soon as possible.
Development Board For Rural Wales
asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement concerning the commercial and marketing management of the Development Board for Rural Wales.
Management of its functions is a matter for the board, but my regular contacts with the chairman and the board ensure that I am kept informed of any major current policy issues or developments.
Welsh Water Authority
asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he has decided the financial target to be set for the Welsh water authority for 1984–85.
Under section 29(2) of the Water Act 1973, as amended, I shall shortly be laying the appropriate order setting the rate of return required on the net revalued assets of the Welsh water authority at 1·25 per cent. for 1984–85.I would also advise that in consultation with the chairman of the Welsh water authority and in the light of its continuing programme of cost-cutting efforts, I have set a performance aim for 1984–85 of £101·3 million. This represents the operating costs for all the authority's services and is a reduction in real terms of some 2·9 per cent. over the expected outturn figure for 1983–84.
Education And Science
Teacher Quality
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what improvements in teacher quality in primary and secondary schools he expects local education authorities to make in the next five years; and what steps he is taking to help them do so.
The Government's plans are set out in the White Paper "Teaching Quality" (Cmnd. 8836). They include improvements in the content and structure of initial training, the development of further training (with direct Government grants for national priorities), measures to promote a better match between qualifications and the needs of schools, and promoting arrangements for assessing teacher performance. We also seek to improve the selection and training of headteachers and other senior staff.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what guidance he gives to local education authorities on how best to exercise their judgment so as to foster teaching quality in their primary and in their secondary schools.
Under the Education (Teachers) Regulations, local education authorities have a duty to employ at any school a staff of teachers suitable and sufficient in numbers for the purpose of securing the provision of education appropriate to the ages, abilities, aptitudes and needs of the pupils. The Government propose to amend the regulations so as to require employers to have regard to the formal qualifications of teachers in determining whether or not the staff of teachers in any school is suitable. In future the letters sent by the Department to those who successfully complete courses of initial teacher training to notify them that they are recognised by the holder of my office as qualified schoolteachers will specify the pupil ages and school subjects for which the course of training was intended, and so should act as a guide to employers and schools in the fulfilment of this duty. Other guidance relevant to the fostering of teaching quality is contained in the White Paper "Teaching Quality", in the reports of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Schools, and in departmental circulars.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science against what yardstick he expects local education authorities to measure teacher quality in their primary and in their secondary schools.
The Government's views on the value of the assessment of teacher performance are set out in paragraph 92 of the White Paper "Teaching Quality" and I would expect such assessment to be made by local education authorities by reference to the effectiveness of each teacher's contribution to the life and work of the school.
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what improvements in teacher quality in primary and in secondary schools have been achieved in the last five years; and if he will make a statement.
There are no simple measures of change in the quality of the teacher force but steps taken to improve it include the following. Requirements that new teachers must normally be graduates and that all entrants to initial teacher training must have attained specified standards in mathematics and English have been introduced. The proportion of serving teachers who are graduates has risen from 28 per cent. in 1977 to 39 per cent. in 1982. Fresh advice on the treatment and assessment of probationary teachers has been circulated to local education authorities. The number of attendances at in-service training courses for school teachers in England rose from 700,000 in 1978–79 to some 800,000 in 1982–83. Since 1977 local education authorities have been able to offer older teachers premature retirement on grounds of efficiency; some 21,000 teachers have accepted premature retirement on these grounds.
School Admission Practice
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if, in view of the educational disadvantages for summer-born children of present school admission practices, he will treat as a priority the provision of places for all these children in schools at the beginning of the summer term in which they reach five years of age;(2) what percentage of summer-born rising-fives were at school at the beginning of the summer term in which they reached five years of age in the years 1982 and 1983; and what he estimates the figures will be for 1984;(3) what would be the additional cost if all summer-born rising-fives were admitted to schools at the beginning of the summer term in which they reached five years of age.
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Mr. Hannam) on 5 July 1983, at column 142. Information about the participation of under-fives in education is derived from returns completed each January for the Departmnt by maintained nursery and primary schools. Statistics are not collected of those additional children, summer-born and others, who start school after the enumeration date and before the end of the summer term. Consequently it is not possible to estimate the additional cost of admitting all summer-born rising-fives.
Non-Advanced Further Education
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received about the proposals in the Government's White Paper "Training for Jobs", Cmnd. 9135, to transfer non-advanced further education resources from local education authorities to the Manpower Services Commission.
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave on 6 March, at columns 726–27, to the question from the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish (Mr. Bennett). On 21 February I met representatives of the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education, who expressed concern about the lack of prior consultation and the timing of the initiative. I have also received written representations from local education authorities which are critical of the Government's decision. In addition I have received letters from the National Association of Local Government Officers, individual colleges of further education and members of the public.
Open University
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many complaints he has received about Marxist bias in Open University courses, from Open University staff, students and other people, respectively.
The Department has received the following numbers of complaints since 1976, from:
| Numbers | |
| Staff | 1 |
| Students | 9 |
| Others | 12 |
Scotland
Youth Training Scheme
69.
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is satisfied that the training in new technologies available under the youth training scheme in Scotland is adequate to meet the trend in that country towards the industries of the future; and if he will make a statement.
The youth training scheme aims to provide broad-based foundation training, of which a core element is an introduction to computer literacy and information technology. More specialised training within the scheme is provided at 16 information technology centres in Scotland, offering 600 places; 10 more such centres are planned to open during 1984–85. In general, I am satisfied that the Manpower Services Commission and the education service in Scotland are collaborating well in developing and adapting vocational education and training provision to meet the needs of Scottish industry.
Education Costs
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the amount spent on education per pupil in Scotland in each year since 1974–75; and if he will express each figure at 1982–83 prices.
The information is shown in the following table:
| Net school expenditure in Scotland per full-time equivalent pupil (At 1982–83 prices) | |
| Year | £ Expenditure |
| 1974–75 | 1,016 |
| 1975–76 | *898 |
| 1976–77 | 935 |
| 1977–78 | 925 |
| 1978–79 | 971 |
| 1979–80 | 1,006 |
| 1980–81 | 1,019 |
| 1981–82 | 1,048 |
| 1982–83 | 1,069 |
| * 10½ month year because of local authority reorganisation. | |
Health Visitors And Home Nurses
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many home visits were made by health visitors in 1983 and in each year from 1979;(2) how many visits were carried out by home nurses to patients in 1983 and in each year from 1979.
Statistics for the years 1979 to 1982 are given in "Scottish Health Statistics 1981 and 1982", a copy of which is in the Library. Statistics for the calendar year 1983 are not yet available.
Day Nurseries
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many places were available in day nurseries in 1983 and in each year from 1979.
Figures for the years 1979–82 are contained in Social Work Services Group statistical bulletin "Home Care Services, Day Care Establishments and Day Services, 1982" a copy of which is in the Library. Figures for 1983 are not yet available.
Pre-School Playgroups
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many children were attending pre-school playgroups in 1983 and in each year from 1979.
Figures for the years 1979 to 1982 are contained in table 17 in Social Work Services Group statistical bulletin "Home Care Services, Day Care Establishments and Day Services, 1982" a copy of which is in the Library. From 1980 onwards the figures in the table under the heading "Children Attending" relate to the number of places available. Figures for 1983 are not yet available.
Voluntary Homes (Children)
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many residential places were available for children in local authority homes and registered voluntary homes in 1983 and in each year from 1979.
Figures for the years 1979 to 1982 are contained in Social Work Services Group statistical bulletin "Residential Accommodation for Children, 1982" a copy of which is in the Library. Figures for 1983 are not yet available.
Elderly Persons
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many meals were served in lunch clubs for the elderly in 1983 and in each year from 1979;(2) how many elderly persons were in residential care in local authority homes in 1983 and in each year from 1979.
Figures for meals served in the years 1979 to 1982 are contained in table 3 in Social Work Services Group statistical bulletin "Home Care Services, Day Care Establishments and Day Services, 1982". Corresponding figures for the number of elderly persons in residential accommmodation are contained in table 1 of the bulletin "Residential Services for the Elderly and Certain Other Adults, 1982". Copies of both bulletins are in the Library. Figures for 1983 are not yet available.
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many lunch club meals per 1,000 population aged 65 years and over were served in 1983 and in each year from 1979;(2) what was the total of residents of old people's homes per 1,000 population aged 65 years and over in 1983 and in each year from 1979.
The information for 1983 is not yet available. The figures for the years 1979 to 1982 are as follows:
| Year Ended 31 March | Number of Meals served in lunch clubs (per '000 population 65+) | Number of residents in homes for the elderly (per '000 population 65+) |
| 1979 | 3,236 | 18·9 |
| 1980 | 3,761 | 18·7 |
| 1981 | 3,584 | 18·7 |
| 1982 | 3,188 | 18·3 |
"Crossing The Boundaries"
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he has considered recommendation 13.2 of the Scottish Home and Health Department report, "Crossing the Boundaries", that a 25 per cent. expansion of the establishment of consultant child and adolescent psychiatrists is required; and if he will make a statement;(2) what steps he is taking to ensure an adequate range of residential educational provision for children with emotional or behavioural disorders and for those with severe learning difficulties, in view of paragraphs 9.12, 9.13 and 9.14 of the Scottish Home and Health Department report, "Crossing the Boundaries";(3) what steps he is taking to implement the recommendation by the Scottish Home and Health Department in its report, "Crossing the Boundaries", that a unit providing intensive support for severely disturbed young people should be established in Scotland.
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him yesterday to his other questions on this report.
Electronics Industries
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the electronics industries which have located in Scotland in each of the years 1980 to 1984, the estimated number of jobs provided by each project and the total amount of (a) selective financial assistance and (b) regional development grant in each year.
I shall reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
Labour Statistics
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many new jobs have been created and how many lost in each of the new towns in the most recent 12-month period for which statistics are available.
This information is not available on a comprehensive or wholly consistent basis. Each development corporation compiles estimates of the numbers of jobs created and jobs lost in industry in its new town: the estimates for the year ended December 1983 are set out in the following table:
| Numbers | |
| Cumbernauld | |
| Jobs created | 1,095 |
| Jobs lost | 613 |
| East Kilbride | |
| Jobs created | 860 |
| Jobs lost | 1,100 |
| Glenrothes | |
| Jobs created | 1,010 |
| Jobs lost | 796 |
| Irvine | |
| Jobs created | 691 |
| Jobs lost | 130 |
| Livingston | |
| Jobs created | 910 |
| Jobs lost | 150 |
A80 (Traffic Surveys)
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many traffic surveys have been carried out in the past 10 years on the A80 between Stepps and Haggs.
Only traffic counts have been undertaken in the past 10 years. These are not sufficiently detailed for present planning purposes. The last origin and destination survey, which is now to be brought up to date, was carried out in 1971.
Northern Ireland
Co-Ownership Scheme
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much is owed in arrears of (a) rent and (b) mortgage repayment to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive from those who have bought their homes under the co-ownership scheme; and what was the position in each of the last four years.
This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, but I understand from the chairman that on (a) there are no such arrears, and on (b) this information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Repairs And Improvement Grants
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many applications for (a) repair grants and (b) improvement grants have been received by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive for houses with a rateable value between £165 and £225 since the Housing Order (NI) 1983 came into operation; how many have been processed; and how many actually paid out;(2) how many applications for repair grants for houses built between 1946 and 1965 have been received by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive since the Housing Order (NI) 1983 came into operation; how many have been processed; and how many actually paid out.
This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, and I understand from the chairman that the information is not available in the form requested, but that details of improvement and repair grant approvals and completions in the period 1 October 1983 to 31 January 1984, with comparative figures for the same period last year, are as follows:
| 1 October 1983 to 31 January 1984 | 1 October 1982 to 31 January 1983 | |||
| Number | Amount Approved | Number | Amount Approved | |
| £ million | £ million | |||
| Approvals | ||||
| Improvement Grant | 1,838 | 11·74 | 1,532 | 8·81 |
| Repair Grant | 7,851 | 7·41 | 7,570 | 7·28 |
| Completions | ||||
| Improvement Grant | 1,553 | 9·76 | 1,522 | 8·25 |
| Repair Grant | 7,614 | 5·12 | 6,302 | 4·38 |
Uht Milk
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether health standard certificates are still required for ultra-heat treated milk going from Northern Ireland to other parts of the United Kingdom.
No; the requirement for animal health certificates for this purpose ceased with effect from 5 March 1984.
Bees
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many queen bees (a) of the Brother Adam type, and (b) other types have been imported into Northern Ireland (i) from Israel, and (ii) from elsewhere, by country in the past 12 months; what health checks are carried out on the importation of such bees; and if he will make a statement;(2) what controls are placed on the subsequent movement into Great Britain of bees from outside the United Kingdom imported into Northern Ireland.
[pursuant to his reply, 13 March 1984, c. 135]: The number of queen bees imported into Northern Ireland in 1983 was 1,444, 1,434 of which came, from Israel, 10 from the United States of Ameria; separate records are not kept as to their types.Under the Importation of Bees (Northern Ireland) Order 1980, imports are restricted to queen bees — with necessary attendant workers — from countries with a high bee health status and are subject to licences which are issued to individual importers for a particular consignment or consignments from a specified country; licences are not issued for imports from countries where the varroa mite had been found. A health certificate is required for each consignment and it is a condition of the licence that attendant worker bees are sent immediately to a Government laboratory for microscopic examination for disease.The bee health status of Northern Ireland is similar to that of Great Britain and there are no special conditions attached to the subsequent movement of legally imported bees, which is permitted by general licences; however, importers are required to keep a record of where imported bees are sent.
Housing Executive
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, in the forthcoming year 1984–85, how many units of accommodation the Northern Ireland Housing Executive hopes to start and complete; what is the total anticipated cost of the 1984–85 Northern Ireland new build programme; what contribution money from the sale of Northern Ireland Housing Executive stock will make to sitting tenants to this programme; and what contribution money released by European Economic Community funding for urban renewal in Belfast will make to the 1984–85 Northern Ireland Housing Executive new build programme.
[pursuant to the reply, 15 March 1984, c. 246]: The Northern Ireland Housing Executive plans to let contracts for 3,000 new dwellings during 1984–85 and to complete 3,200 dwellings already on site; the executive estimates that total expenditure on new house building and related works during 1984–85 will be £96 million and that sales to sitting tenants will generate capital receipts of about £40 million which it will be permitted to apply fully in support of its programmes which are expected to cost some £480 million in that year.In the 1984 European Community budget, provision has been made for the second payment under the urban renewal regulation amounting to about £20 million. Anticipation of this payment has released funds which will be applied in full to the housing capital programme in accordance with the Commission's additionality requirement, in the same way as the funds released by the 1983 payment were applied; these funds are not differentiated between new build and other housing elements.
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many units of accommodation the Northern Ireland Housing Executive started and completed in each of the years 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, and to date in 1983–84; how much money was spent on the Northern Ireland Housing Executive new build programme during each of these financial years; and how much of the cost of the new build programme has been met with money which the executive obtained from the sale of its properties to sitting tenants.
[pursuant to the reply, 15 March 1984, c. 246]: The information requested is as follows:
| Dwellings started | Dwellings completed | New build expenditure | Capital receipts from sales to tenants | |
| £ million | £ million | |||
| 1979–80 | 2,461 | 2,962 | 54·4 | 2·6 |
| 1980–81 | 2,374 | 2,710 | 68·3 | 10·7 |
| 1981–82 | 3,378 | 2,342 | 67·5 | 46·6 |
| 1982–83 | 3,316 | 3,628 | 93·3 | 38·2 |
| 1983–84 | *3,150 | *2,857 | †98·2 | †41·0 |
| * To December 1983. | ||||
| †Estimate for whole year. | ||||
Tenant Purchasers
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the reasons for tenant purchasers being kept in ignorance of impending changes in methods of assessing prices of Housing Executive dwellings in Ballyduff, New Mossley and Monkstown.
[pursuant to the reply, 15 March 1984, c. 248]: This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, and I will ask the chairman to write to the hon. Gentleman.
Defence
Royal Marines (Commando Forces Band)
asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the annual cost of maintaining the Royal Marines commando forces band; and if he will outline the main activities of the band in the last 12 months for which details are available.
The estimated cost of the band in 1983–84 is £900,000, which includes all training and administrative costs. During 1983 the band took part in many engagements, including military training, beating retreat, navy days and concerts, and visited Northern Ireland and the Falklands.
asked the Secretary of State for Defence what are the duties of the Royal Marines commando forces band in wartime.
Nursing auxiliaries in support of 3 Commando Brigade.
asked the Secretary of State for Defence for how many years the Royal Marines commando forces band has existed in its present form.
Twelve.
Service Families (Boarding School Fees)
asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will state the current maximum amount payable per child for boarding school fees to members of Her Majesty's forces serving (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) overseas.
The current maximum annual rates of boarding school allowance are as follows:
| £ | |
| First and second child | 2,400 |
| Third child | 2,850 |
| Fourth and each additional child | 2,970 |
Flight Lieutenant Alexander Nicholson
asked the Secretary of State for Defence what was the result of the most recent examination of Flight Lieutenant Alexander Nicholson of RAF Honington; and whether his medical employment standard is being altered from A4 G3 21 with additional limitations, with the effect of making him unemployable in the Royal Air Force.
Flight Lieutenant A. C. M. Nicholson underwent a computer assisted tomography scan on 2 March. A further medical board will be held today.My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces will write to my hon. Friend as soon as the result of this board is known.
Youth Training Scheme
asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he is satisfied with the number of places offered by the armed forces in the youth training scheme and with the level of acceptance of such places.
Some 1,900 places have been made available for the current financial year covering a wide variety of trades and skills and I am satisfied with this number. By the end of February over 3,000 applications had been received for the scheme of which some 670 had been accepted. I am therefore satisfied that there is a good level of interest in the scheme. The number of applicants accepted for places in the scheme reflects the requirement for trainees to meet the normal entry standards for the armed forces since they are required to work and train alongside their regular counterparts.
Trident Programme
asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish in the Official Report the estimated cost of the Trident programme at a sterling to dollar exchange rate of $1·25 to $1·75 to the pound sterling in bands of one cent.
No. Exchange rates remain subject to frequent change and it would not be realistic to assume a constant rate throughout the long period of Trident's procurement. The dollar exchange rate used by the Department in compiling estimates for the coming financial year was $1·53 to the pound and for this reason that rate was used by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Defence in presenting last week's revised Trident estimate of £8,729 million. Approximately 45 per cent. of this estimate represents dollar spend.
British Troops (Secondment Overseas)
asked the Secretary of State for Defence to which foreign powers British troops are attached; and what, by country, are their duties.
[pursuant to his reply, 15 March 1984, c. 216]: British armed forces personnel were on loan to the following countries or territories at the end of 1983 providing military assistance, advice or training:
| Australia | Lesotho |
| Bahamas | Maritius |
| Bangladesh | New Zealand |
| Barbados | Nigeria |
| Belize | Oman |
| Bermuda | Qatar |
| Brunei | Saudi Arabia |
| Chile | Singapore |
| Ecuador | St. Vincent |
| Fiji | Sudan |
| Ghana | Swaziland |
| Hong Kong | Uganda |
| Jordon | United Arab Emirates |
| Kenya | Zimbabwe |
| Kuwait |
Falkland Islands
asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what price per acre Her Majesty's Government have paid, or are paying, for land bought for the new airfield in the Falkland Islands; what was the total cost of this land; and how the price per acre compares with that of similar land recently sold to non-governmental buyers;(2) when he hopes to sign the contract with the Falkland Islands Company for land in the Falklands for the airfield; and how the price will be arrived at;(3) what is the compensation to be paid for severance of Falkland Islands Company land for the airport;(4) what assessment he has made of the damage sustained to Falkland Islands Company property and earnings as a result of the construction of the airport.
[pursuant to his answer, 20 March 1984, c. 384]: On the price of the land I cannot add to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member on 9 December 1983, at column 270. An assessment of any damage sustained by reason of severance of the land acquired will form part of the price to be paid for the land in question. On the timing of the signing of the contract, I cannot add to the answer given to the hon. Member by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Defence Procurement on 22 December 1983, at column 432.
asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total acreage required for the building of the Falklands airport.
[pursuant to his answer, 20 March 1984, c. 384]: Some 8,300 acres, subject to final survey.
asked the Secretary of State for Defence what existing facilities on the airport site in the Falkland Islands were taken into account in calculating the cost of land.
[pursuant to his answer, 20 March 1984, c. 384]: None.
asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will ask the Falkland Islands Company if it will donate land for the airport.
[pursuant to his answer, 20 March 1984, c. 384]: The Falklands Islands Company has made it clear that it does not wish to donate the whole of the land required.
asked the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration Her Majesty's Government gave to using compulsory purchase powers in relation to [and for Falklands airport.
[pursuant to his answer, 20 March 1984, c. 384]: The Faklands Islands Government possess these powers and their use has been considered.
asked the Secretary of State for Defence what independent guidance was taken by Her Majesty's Government before agreeing the price of land purchased in relation to Falklands airport.
[pursuant to his answer, 20 March 1984, c. 384]: The usual professional advice was made available to Her Majesty's Government from within the Government service.
asked the Secretary of State for Defence how Her Majesty's Government have calculated the value of similar land to that on which the Falkland Islands airport is constructed.
[pursuant to his answer, 20 March 1984, c. 384]: The Ministry of Defence has not made any other purchases of such land in recent years.
asked the Secretary of State for Defence what donations have been made by Chartres to Her Majesty's Government for land for an artillery range in the Falklands.
[pursuant to his answer, 20 March 1984, c. 384]: No land donations have been made by the Chartres Sheep Farming Company Ltd. to Her Majesty's Government. The company has, however, made available an area of its land for military training at a nominal annual charge. It is not considered that the use of the area for military training materially affects its value for sheep grazing.
asked the Secretary of State for Defence to what extent, when considering the purchase of land for the Falkland Islands airport, he gave consideration to the principle that the price should reflect the price which would have been paid on an assessment of compensation in arbitration on compulsory purchase; and if he will make a statement.
[pursuant to his answer, 20 March 1984, c. 384]: This is one of the factors taken into consideration.
asked the Secretary of State for Defence how, when the price of land in the Falkland Islands is being calculated, its productivity is measured; and in particular how the number of sheep that it could sustain is assessed.
[pursuant to his answer, 20 March 1984, c. 384]: Land transactions in the Falklands generally are not matters for my right hon. Friend.