Written Answers To Questions
Thursday 6 April 1989
Home Department
Mr Albert Baker
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a further statement on the case of Mr. Albert Baker of Her Majesty's prison, Long Lartin.
We are considering a number of petitions from Mr. Baker about his request for transfer to a prison in Northern Ireland and related matters, and we await the outcome of his application for leave to move for judicial review of the Government's decision last year not to transfer him to Northern Ireland. I understand that a hearing has been fixed for 15 May.
Fatal Accidents (Police Vehicles)
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fatal accidents during 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988 involved motor vehicles driven by the police in the course of their duties.
The available information in respect of fatal accidents involving police vehicles in 1987 is contained in the report of Her Majesty's chief inspector of constabulary for that year, a copy of which is in the Library.The information requested for earlier years is not recorded centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Figures for 1988 are not yet available.
Fire Service
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to change the consultative structure of the fire service as laid down in the Fire Services Act 1947; and if he will make a statement.
My right hon. Friend has no present plans to seek changes to the statutory basis of the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council constituted under section 29 of the Fire Services Act 1947 or of the arrangements under section 17 of the Act, as amended by the Fire Services Act 1959, relating to disciplinary matters.
Prison Wages
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the annual wage bill for prisoners at the present time; what the net cost is after administration charges are taken into account; and if he will make a statement.
Expenditure on the earnings of inmates in prison service establishments in England and Wales is forecast to be approximately £6·25 million in the financial year 1988–89. The cost of administering the earnings schemes is not separately identified in the operating costs of establisments. As my right hon. Friend explained in response to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Wimbledon (Dr. Goodson-Wickes) on 8 March, at columns 541–42, the current earnings arrangements are to be reviewed.
Immigration Control (Irish Republic)
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with the Irish Government concerning their immigration controls for visitors from non-European Community countries; and whether he will make a statement.
I regularly attend meetings with the responsible Ministers of all the member states of the European Community, including the Irish Republic, at which matters relating to immigration control are discussed.
Management Consultants
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the total fees paid out by his Department to management consultants in 1979–80 and each year to date; and what is the estimate for the current year.
[holding answer 13 March 1989]: The 1988–89 estimate of payments by the Home Office to management consultants is £1,257,000. Equivalent estimates of payments made in the financial years from 1984–85 were as follows:
| £ | |
| 1984–85 | 454,000 |
| 1985–86 | 367,000 |
| 1986–87 | 1,174,000 |
| 1987–88 | 784,000 |
Privatisation
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total sum paid out in fees to outside organisations in the furtherance of privatisation by his Department in 1979–80 and each year to date; and what is the estimate for 1989–90.
[holding answer 13 March 1989]: Since 1979–80, the Home Office has made payments of approximately £72,000 to outside organisations in the furtherance of privatisation. No expenditure is planned for 1989–90.
Self-Mutilation
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the number of those in custody who have committed acts of self-mutilation, by age and sex, together with the names of the establishments in which they were held and the dates of the incidents, since 1979.
[holding answer 8 March 1989]: The number of inmates of each prison service establishment who are recorded as having inflicted non-fatal injury on themselves between 1979 and April 1988 is set out in the table. Information on the age of the inmates and the dates of the incidents is not available.
Note on the table
Figures for 1979 to 1983 are recorded by calendar year. Figures for 1985–86 to 1987–88 are recorded by financial year. Figures for 1984–85 include incidents recorded as having occurred between 1 January 1984 and 31 March 1985.
Number of inmates Recorded as having Inflicted Non-fatal Injury on themselves
| |||||
1979
| 1980
| 1981
| 1982
| 1983
| |
Male Establishments
| |||||
| Acklington | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Albany | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Aldington | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Appleton Thorn | 1 | 0 | — | — | — |
| Ashford | 23 | 28 | 23 | 19 | 16 |
| Ashwell | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Aylesbury | 4 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 7 |
| Bedford | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Birmingham | 32 | 29 | 30 | 44 | 12 |
| Blantyre House | 3 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| Blundeston | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Bristol | 14 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 10 |
| Brixton | 8 | 11 | 13 | 17 | 20 |
| Brockhill | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 3 |
| Buckley Hall | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| Camp Hill | 2 | 3 | 2 | — | 5 |
| Campsfield House | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Canterbury | 19 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| Cardiff | 25 | 20 | 8 | 4 | 29 |
| Castington | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| Channings Wood | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Chelmsford | — | 0 | 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Coldingley | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Dartmoor | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Deerbolt | 7 | 6 | 13 | 1 | 0 |
| Dorchester | 3 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Dover | 14 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| Durham | 9 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 11 |
| Eastwood Park | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Erlestoke | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Everthorpe | 4 | 19 | 18 | 14 | 4 |
| Exeter | 7 | 5 | 11 | 11 | 0 |
| Featherstone | 11 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 2 |
| Feltham | 7 | 1 | 65 | 25 | 27 |
| Finnamore Wood | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ford | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Foston Hall | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Frankland | — | — | — | 0 | 2 |
| Gartree | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Gaynes Hall | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Glen Parva | 5 | 4 | 33 | 5 | 4 |
| Gloucester | 4 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| Grendon | 0 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 17 |
| Gringley | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Guys Marsh | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Haslar | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Hatfield | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Haverigg | 5 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
| Hewell Grange | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Highpoint | 0 | 2 | 25 | 20 | 2 |
| Hindley | 10 | 11 | 45 | 4 | 2 |
| Hollesley Bay | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hull | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Huntercombe | 0 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 2 |
| Kingston | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Kirkham | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kirklevington | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Lancaster | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Latchmere House | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Leeds | 10 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 8 |
| Leicester | — | 4 | 6 | 2 | 1 |
| Lewes | 15 | 8 | 9 | 27 | 13 |
1979
| 1980
| 1981
| 1982
| 1983
| |
| Leyhill | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Lincoln | 26 | 19 | 20 | 15 | 17 |
| Liverpool | 31 | 10 | 17 | 12 | 12 |
| Long Lartin | 3 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
| Lowdham Grange | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Low Newton | 17 | 12 | 47 | 31 | 14 |
| Maidstone | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 11 |
| Manchester | 75 | 2 | 107 | 128 | 169 |
| Medomsley | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| New Hall | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Northallerton | 2 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 |
| Northeye | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| North Sea Camp | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Norwich | 8 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 5 |
| Nottingham | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
| Onley | 11 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Oxford | 20 | 12 | 1 | 8 | 11 |
| Parkhurst | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| Pentonville | 4 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 9 |
| Portland | 15 | 2 | 12 | 9 | 9 |
| Preston | 5 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Pucklechurch | 13 | 24 | 12 | 13 | 12 |
| Ranby | 1 | 4 | — | 2 | 2 |
| Reading | 86 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| Risley | 7 | 5 | 2 | 10 | 8 |
| Rochester | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 37 |
| Rudgate | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Send | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Shepton Mallet | 3 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 3 |
| Shrewsbury | 6 | 6 | 4 | — | — |
| Springhill | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stafford | 18 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 13 |
| Standford Hill | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stoke Heath | 9 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 17 |
| Sudbury | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Swansea | 3 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 14 |
| Swinfern Hall | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| The Verne | 2 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| Thorp Arch | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| USK (Prescod) | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Wakefield | 3 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 5 |
| Wandsworth | 37 | 35 | 34 | 22 | 28 |
| Wellingborough | 24 | 16 | 14 | 7 | 11 |
| Werrington | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Wetherby | 3 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| Whatton | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Winchester | 8 | 8 | 7 | 12 | 4 |
| Wormwood Scrubs | — | 98 | 26 | 14 | 3 |
| Wymott | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
Female Establishments
| |||||
| Askham Grange | 171 | 135 | 77 | 130 | 112 |
| Brixton | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| Bullwood Hall | 136 | 163 | 87 | 54 | 38 |
| Cookham Wood | 5 | 6 | 2 | 10 | 10 |
| Drake Hall | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| Durham | 2 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 3 |
| East Sutton Park | I | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Holloway | 87 | 47 | 58 | 48 | 71 |
| Low Newton | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Moor Court | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — |
| Pucklechurch | 18 | 17 | 9 | 10 | 9 |
| Risley | 10 | 8 | 11 | — | 1 |
| Styal | 33 | 136 | 95 | 52 | 42 |
Number of inmates recorded as having inflicted non-fatal injury on themselves
| ||||
1984–85
| 1985–86
| 1986–87
| 1987–88
| |
Male Establishments
| ||||
| Acklington | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Albany | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Aldington | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Ashford | 34 | 26 | 44 | 15 |
| Ashwell | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Aylesbury | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Bedford | 21 | 13 | 14 | 14 |
1984–85
| 1985–86
| 1986–87
| 1987–88
| |
| Birmingham | 45 | 6 | 30 | 15 |
| Blantyre House | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Blundeston | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| Bristol | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| Brixton | 32 | 13 | 19 | 8 |
| Brockhill | 12 | 9 | 8 | 5 |
| Buckley Hall | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Camp Hill | 9 | 14 | 8 | 6 |
| Campsfield House | 0 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| Canterbury | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Cardiff | 51 | 62 | 50 | 31 |
| Castington | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| Channings Wood | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Chelmsford | 17 | 19 | 9 | 69 |
| Coldingley | 3 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
| Dartmoor | 0 | 27 | 4 | 8 |
| Deerbolt | 16 | 9 | 36 | 6 |
| Dorchester | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Dover | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Durham | 22 | 13 | 11 | 11 |
| Eastwood Park | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Erlestoke | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Everthorpe | 5 | 2 | 2 | 12 |
| Exeter | 5 | 0 | 2 | 29 |
| Featherstone | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Feltham | 12 | 15 | 19 | 23 |
| Finnamore Wood | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ford | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Foston Hall | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Frankland | 5 | 10 | 3 | 4 |
| Full Sutton | — | — | — | 0 |
| Gartree | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Glen Parva | 51 | 50 | 65 | 68 |
| Gloucester | 6 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
| Grendon | 16 | 20 | 13 | 14 |
| Gringley | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Guys Marsh | 4 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Haslar | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Hatfield | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Haverigg | 2 | 5 | 3 | 3 |
| Hewell Grange | 1 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Highpoint | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| Hindley | 14 | 12 | 40 | 20 |
| Hollesley Bay | 1 | 2 | 8 | 4 |
| Hull | 3 | 6 | 34 | 39 |
| Huntercombe | 6 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| Kingston | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Kirkham | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Kirklevington | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Lancaster | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Latchmere House | 2 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Leeds | 13 | 13 | 12 | 5 |
| Leicester | 2 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Lewes | 18 | 17 | 13 | 9 |
| Leyhill | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Lincoln | 23 | 26 | 25 | 44 |
| Lindholme | — | 2 | 5 | 4 |
| Littlehey | — | — | — | 13 |
| Liverpool | 6 | 12 | 35 | 50 |
| Long Lartin | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Lowdham Grange | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Low Newton | 21 | 20 | 14 | 16 |
| Maidstone | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Manchester | 89 | 83 | 101 | 150 |
| Medomsley | 0 | 2 | 3 | — |
| Morton Hall | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| New Hall | 6 | 3 | 4 | — |
| Northallerton | 6 | 10 | 9 | 5 |
| Northeye | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| North Sea Camp | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Norwich | 12 | 10 | 5 | 38 |
| Nottingham | 5 | 5 | 5 | 1 |
| Onley | 3 | 19 | 18 | 18 |
| Oxford | 7 | 11 | 15 | 11 |
| Parkhurst | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Pentonville | 25 | 13 | 5 | 9 |
| Portland | 15 | 9 | 10 | 5 |
| Preston | 3 | 7 | 4 | 6 |
1984–85
| 1985–86
| 1986–87
| 1987–88
| |
| Pucklechurch | 22 | 17 | 11 | 15 |
| Ranby | 6 | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| Reading | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Risley | 4 | 2 | 5 | 2 |
| Rochester | 41 | 35 | 26 | 54 |
| Rudgate | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Send | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Shepton Mallet | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Shrewsbury | 2 | 1 | 5 | 8 |
| Springhill | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stafford | 11 | 6 | 6 | 5 |
| Standford Hill | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stocken | — | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| Stoke Heath | 17 | 24 | 18 | 13 |
| Sudbury | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Swansea | 18 | 13 | 18 | 12 |
| Swinfern Hall | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| The Verne | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Thorn Cross | — | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Thorp Arch | 0 | 17 | 1 | 0 |
| USK (Prescoed) | 1 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| Wakefield | 5 | 6 | 4 | 3 |
| Wandsworth | 18 | 16 | 9 | 11 |
| Wayland | — | 6 | 5 | 1 |
| Wellingborough | 14 | 6 | 17 | 9 |
| Werrington | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Wetherby | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Whatton | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Winchester | 8 | 7 | 4 | 7 |
| Wormwood Scrubs | 4 | 18 | 7 | 30 |
| Wymott | 8 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
Female Establishments
| ||||
| Askham Grange | 78 | 64 | 72 | 65 |
| Bullwood Hall | 63 | 34 | 28 | 35 |
| Cookham Wood | 21 | 5 | 11 | 5 |
| Drake Hall | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Durham | 6 | 9 | 2 | 4 |
| East Sutton Park | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Holloway | 82 | 78 | 63 | 77 |
| Low Newton | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| New Hall | — | — | — | 19 |
| Pucklechurch | 19 | 24 | 18 | 22 |
| Risley | 28 | 5 | 9 | 1 |
| Styal | 157 | 56 | 32 | 18 |
Thames Tidal Flood Warning System
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions have taken place between his Department and the London residuary body in respect of the Thames tidal flood warning system; and what will be the arrangements after 30 April.
[holding answer 4 April 1989]: I have been asked to reply.I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him earlier today.
National Finance
Economic Growth
13.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he next intends to forecast the rate of economic growth in 1989–90.
80.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he next intends to forecast the rate of economic growth in 1989–90.
106.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the expected rate of growth this year of the United Kingdom economy.
120.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he next intends to forecast the rate of economic growth in 1989–90.
In my right hon. Friend's Autumn Statement.
96.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the average annual rate of growth over the last seven years for which figures are available.
105.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the average annual rate of growth over the last seven years for which figures are available.
112.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the average annual rate of growth over the last seven years for which figures are available.
140.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the average annual rate of growth over the last seven years for which figures are available.
In the seven years to 1988, the average annual rate of growth of GDP was 3·3 per cent. This was the steadiest seven-year period of growth averaging above 3 per cent. since the war.
Indirect Taxes
16.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the total amount of indirect taxes paid by a family on three quarters of average earnings.
It is estimated that in 1988–89, a married man on three quarters of average male earnings with two children will pay £25 per week in indirect taxes (excluding rates).
Medical Insurance
17.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his proposal for private medical insurance tax relief will cost in a full year.
About £40 million in 1990–91.
49.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his proposal for private medical insurance tax relief will cost in a full year.
97.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his proposal for private medical insurance tax relief will cost in a full year.
130.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his proposal for private medical insurance tax relief will cost in a full year.
About £40 million in 1990–91. In subsequent years the cost is likely to rise as more over-60s are encouraged by the relief to take out medical insurance.
Asset Sales
18.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the Budget surplus is attributable to asset sales.
The PSDR in 1988–89 is expected to be £14 billion, or 3 per cent. of GDP. Even excluding privatisation proceeds, the PSDR would have been £7 billion, equivalent to 1½ per cent. of GDP, only the second net repayment on this basis in any year since the beginning of the 1950s—the earliest date for which comparable figures are available.
Inflation
19.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the current inflation rates in (a) Britain and (b) other members of the Group of Seven.
40.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the current inflation rates in (a) Britain and (b) other members of the Group of Seven.
The current 12-month inflation rates for the United Kingdom and the other members of the Group of Seven are given in the weekly OECD publication, "Current Economic Indicators", a copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library.
25.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the inflation rate to fall below 5 per cent.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the inflation rate to fall below 5 per cent.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the inflation rate to fall below 5 per cent.
170.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the inflation rate to fall below 5 per cent.
In the Financial Statement and Budget Report the annual rate of RPI inflation is forecast to moderate to 5½ per cent. by the final quarter of this year, and to fall further to 4½ per cent. by the second quarter of 1990.
33.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate what the impact of his Budget measures will be on the retail prices index.
53.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate what the impact of his Budget measures on the retail prices index will be.
63.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about the estimated effect of the Budget proposals on inflation.
94.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate what will be the impact of his Budget measures on the retail prices index.
153.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate what the impact of his Budget measures on the retail prices index will be.
Prudent monetary and fiscal policies will continue to bear down on inflation. The direct impact of the Budget proposals on the retail prices index will be negligible.
43.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many members of the European Economic Community have inflation rates lower than that in the United Kingdom.
117.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many members of the European Economic Community have inflation rates lower than that in the United Kingdom.
I refer the hon. Members to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Chancellor gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Hemsworth, South (Mr. Buckley).
65.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now revise the rate of inflation predicted in his Budget statement.
76.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he next intends to revise his Budget forecast for inflation for 1989–90.
85.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now revise the rate of inflation predicted in his Budget statement.
154.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now revise the rate of inflation predicted in his Budget statement.
159.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now revise the rate of inflation predicted in his Budget statement.
It is much too soon to revise the forecast in the FSBR. My right hon. Friend will next update his published inflation forecast in the Autumn Statement.
99.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received in the light of his Budget statement of future forecasts for inflation.
None.
103.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he now expects to achieve his target for inflation of zero per cent.
116.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to achieve his target for inflation of zero per cent.
142.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he now expects to achieve his target for inflation of zero per cent.
179.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he now expects to achieve his target for inflation of zero per cent.
The medium-term financial strategy set out in the Financial Statement and Budget Report on 14 March assumed the annual rate of inflation in the GDP deflator would be down to 2½ per cent. by 1992–93. The ultimate objective remains zero inflation.
131.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has received recent representations from the Confederation of British Industry about inflation; and if he will make a statement.
No. But my right hon. Friend receives copies of CBI publications. In his Budget speech the Chancellor noted that inflation was expected to fall to 5½ per cent. by the end of this year, and to 4½ per cent. in the second quarter of 1990.
135.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the rates of inflation for the United Kingdom from 1986 to 1989 and on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development average for 1986 to 1989.
The OECD "Economic Outlook" published in December 1988 gives the average rates of inflation in the OECD countries for the years in question with estimates and forecasts for 1988 and 1989. The Financial Statement and Budget Report contains a forecast for the United Kingdom inflation rate in the year to 1989 fourth quarter. United Kingdom inflation rates for earlier years can be calculated from figures contained in the monthly Department of Employment publication, Employment Gazette.
Budget (Representations)
20.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from industrial organisations in connection with his recent Budget statement.
The proposals in my right hon. Friend's Budget have been widely welcomed.
24.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on his Budget.
35.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on his Budget.
145.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on his Budget.
168.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on his Budget.
174.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on his Budget.
The proposals in my right hon. Friend's Budget have been widely welcomed.
Low Pay
21.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to further reduce the tax burden on the low paid.
My right hon. Friend outlined in his Budget statement on 14 March his proposals to increase the main allowances in line with statutory provisions and to reform the system of employees' national insurance contributions. When it is prudent and sensible to do so we intend to reduce the basic rate of income tax further to a target of 20p in the pound.
127.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what will be the effect of his Budget proposals upon those on lower incomes.
Those on lower incomes will benefit from the reduction and reform of national insurance contributions, the abolition of the pensioners' earnings rule and the extension of the over-80s age allowance to those aged 75 and over.
Balance Of Payments
22.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which countries in the European Economic Community have a larger balance of payments deficit as a percentage of gross domestic product than the United Kingdom.
88.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which countries in the EEC have a larger balance of payments deficit as a percentage of gross domestic product than the United Kingdom.
95.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which countries in the EEC have a larger balance of payments deficit as a percentage of gross domestic product than the United Kingdom.
On the basis of published figures, none.
23.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate when the balance of payments will return to surplus.
32.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate when the balance of payments will return to surplus.
77.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate when the balance of payments will return to surplus.
175.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate when the balance of payments will return to surplus.
The Financial Statement and Budget Report for 1989–90 published on 14 March provided forecasts of the balance of payments for 1989 and the first half of 1990. The balance of payments on current account is expected to remain in deficit over this period. Forecasts for later years are not published.
52.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the current balance of payments deficit.
83.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the current balance of payments deficit.
111.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the current balance of payments deficit.
114.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the current balance of payments deficit.
I refer the hon. Members to the recently published Financial Statement and Budget Report.
37.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the balance of payments deficit will begin to fall as a percentage of gross domestic product.
90.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the balance of payments deficit will begin to fall as a percentage of gross domestic product.
I refer the hon. Members to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Norwich, South (Mr. Garrett).
Share Ownership
26.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the extent of share ownership in Britain.
172.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the extent of share ownership in Britain.
The joint Treasury and stock exchange survey carried out in January and February 1989 estimated that approximately 9 million people own shares, 20 per cent. of the adult population. This represents a threefold increase since 1979.
Savings
27.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received about the level of savings in the British economy.
125.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received about the level of savings in the British economy.
167.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received about the level of savings in the British economy.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received about the level of savings in the British economy.
My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations about savings.
Earnings
28.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the percentage increase in the real take-home pay of a married man, with two children, on average male earnings from 1978–79 to 1988–89.
108.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the percentage increase in the real take-home pay of a married man, with two children, on average male earnings from 1978–79 to 1988–89.
171.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the percentage increase in the real take-home pay of a married man with two children on average male earnings from 1978–79 to 1988–89.
173.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the percentage increase in the real take-home pay of a married man with two children on average male earnings from 1978–79 to 1988–89.
Real take-home pay for a married man with two children on average male earnings is 29 per cent. higher in 1988–89 than in 1978–79.
115.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the percentage increase in the real take-home pay of a married man, with two children, on half average male earnings from 1978–79 to 1988–89.
I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Lancashire, West (Mr. Hind) on 22 March at column 585.
Government Expenditure
29.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the fall in general Government expenditure, excluding privatisation proceeds, as a percentage of gross domestic product since 1982–83.
139.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the fall in general Government expenditure, excluding privatisation proceeds, as a percentage of gross domestic product since 1982–83.
149.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the fall in general Government expenditure, excluding privatisation proceeds, as a percentage of gross domestic product since 1982–83.
The Financial Statement and Budget Report gave a figure of 39½ per cent. for the ratio of general Government expenditure (excluding privatisation proceeds) to gross domestic product in 1988–89. The corresponding figure for 1982–83 was 46¾ per cent.
Independent Taxation
30.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received about the introduction of independent taxation for husband and wife in April 1990.
123.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received about the introduction of independent taxation for husband and wife in April 1990.
152.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received about the introduction of independent taxation for a husband and wife in April 1990.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received about the introduction of independent taxation for husband and wife in April 1990.
My right hon. Friend has received a number of letters on this subject.
Productivity
31.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the percentage increase in British manufacturing productivity since 1979.
81.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the percentage increase in British manufacturing productivity since 1979.
93.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the percentage increase in British manufacturing productivity since 1979.
107.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the percentage increase in British manufacturing productivity since 1979.
Output per head in United Kingdom manufacturing industry in the three months up to January 1989 was 48.8 per cent. higher than its average level in 1979, an average annual growth rate of 4·3 per cent.
72.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about the trends in productivity in British industry.
Output per head in the manufacturing sector in the three months up to January 1989 was 55 per cent. higher than its average level in 1980. This is equivalent to an annual average growth rate of 5·3 per cent. significantly higher than the 1·6 per cent. growth achieved in the 1970s and 3 per cent. a year in the 1960s. Since 1980, United Kingdom manufacturing productivity growth has been higher than in any other major industrialised country.
Imports
34.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the value of imports in the current financial year.
60.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the value of imports in the current financial year.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the value of imports in the current financial year.
Estimates for the value of imports for the whole of the financial year 1988–89 have yet to be published. The Financial Statement and Budget Report does not provide a forecast of the value of imports.
Income Tax
36.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the number of people who will pay income tax in 1989–90.
It is estimated that about 21·3 million single people and married couples (24·9 million individuals) will be liable to income tax in 1989–90. These estimates are based on a projection of the 1986–87 survey of personal incomes and are provisional.
Manufactured Goods
38.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what is his latest estimate of the balance of trade payments with respect to manufactured goods for the current financial year.
44.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the balance of trade payments with respect to manufactured goods for the current financial year.
55.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the balance of trade payments with respect to manufactured goods for the current financial year.
92.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the balance of trade payments with respect to manufactured goods for the current financial year.
Estimates for the balance of trade in manufactured goods for the whole of the financial year 1988–89 have yet to be published. The Financial Statement and Budget Report provides a forecast only for calendar year 1989.
Interest Rates
39.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are interest rates in (a) Britain and (b) United States of America.
58.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the interest rates in (a) Britain and (b) Japan.
91.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what are the interest rates in (a) Britain and (b) Japan.
118.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the interest rates in (a) Britain and (b) Japan.
166.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are interest rates in (a) Britain and (b) the United States of America.
I refer the hon. Members to the reply that I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, South-East (Mr. Turner).
45.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on interest rates.
100.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on interest rates.
124.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on interest rates.
126.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on interest rates.
Bank base rates are 13 per cent.
67.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the interest rates in (a) Britain and (b) Germany.
102.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the interest rates in (a) Britain and (b) Germany.
Three month interbank rates on 4 April were 13 per cent. in the United Kingdom and 6·5 per cent. in Germany.
89.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the level of interest rates since the Budget.
Bank base rates have remained at 13 per cent. since the Budget.
New Businesses
42.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the latest figures for the weekly rate of net business start-ups in 1988.
68.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the latest figures for the weekly rate of net business start-ups in 1988.
160.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the latest figures for the weekly rate of net business start-ups in 1988.
In 1987, the latest year for which figures have been published by the Department of Employment, the net increase in the number of businesses registered for VAT was 45,000, an average of approaching 900 a week. Indications are that the rate of increase in 1988 is even faster. The number of VAT registrations and de-registrations processed by Customs and Excise during 1988 indicate a net increase of over 1,200 a week. Department of Employment figures for 1988 will be available in the summer.
Taxation
46.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of their income people on three quarters of average earnings were paying in total taxation (a) in 1978–79 and (b) in 1988–89.
56.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of their income people on three quarters of average earnings were paying in total taxation (a) in 1978–79 and (b) in 1988–89.
109.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of their income people on three quarters of average earnings were paying in total taxation (a) in 1978–79 and (b) in 1988–89.
146.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of their income people on three quarters of average earnings were paying in total taxation in (a) 1978–79 and (b) 1988–89.
A single person on three quarters of average earnings is estimated to have paid 40·4 per cent. of their income in income tax, national insurance contributions and indirect taxes (excluding local authority rates) in 1978–79 and 40 per cent. in 1988–89. The figure is forecast to fall to 39·2 per cent. in 1989–90.
47.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of their income the average earner was paying in direct and indirect taxes in (a) 1978–79 and (b) 1988–89.
57.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of their income the average earner was paying in direct and indirect taxes in (a) 1978–79 and (b) 1988–89.
66.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of his income was the average earner paying in direct and indirect taxes in (a) 1978–79 and (b) 1988–89.
A single person on average male earnings is estimated to have paid 42·3 per cent. of their income in income tax, national insurance contributions and indirect taxes (excluding local authority rates) in 1978–79 and 41·3 per cent. in 1988–89. The figure is forecast to fall to 40·6 per cent. in 1989–90.
84.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list all the taxes which have been abolished since 1979.
134.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchquer if he will list all the taxes which have been abolished since 1979.
136.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list all the taxes which have been abolished since 1979.
155.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list all the taxes which have been abolished since 1979.
The main taxes abolished since 1979 are:
- investment income surcharge in 1984;
- national insurance surcharge in 1984;
- development land tax in 1985;
- capital transfer tax on lifetime gifts in 1986;
- capital duty and unit trust instrument duty in 1988.
132.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate how much the top 1 per cent. of tax units paid in tax in 1988–89 and how much would this group have paid had the 1987–88 tax levels remained unchanged except for indexing.
138.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate how much the top 1 per cent. of tax units paid in tax in 1988–89; and how much this group would have paid had the 1987–88 tax levels remained unchanged except for indexing.
157.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate how much the top 1 per cent. of tax units paid in tax in 1988–89, and how much would this group have paid had the 1987–88 tax levels remained unchanged except for indexing.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate how much the top 1 per cent. of tax units paid in tax in 1988–89 and how much would this group have paid had the 1987–88 tax levels remained unchanged except for indexing.
In 1988–89 the income tax liability of the top 1 per cent. of tax units liable to tax is estimated to be £6 billion. If the 1988 Budget had merely indexed tax thresholds and allowances and assuming the same levels of income as above, their liability would have been £8·1 billion.These estimates are based on a projection of the 1986–87 survey of personal incomes and are provisional.
Gross Domestic Product
48.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the increase in the output measure of gross domestic product in the year to the fourth quarter of 1988.
178.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the increase in the output measure of gross domestic product in the year to the fourth quarter of 1988.
The output measure of gross domestic product is estimated to have increased by 3 per cent. between the fourth quarter of 1987 and the fourth quarter of 1988.
Tax Relief
50.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer of tax relief in relation to (a) enterprise zones, (b) business expansion schemes and (c) personal equity plans.
74.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer of tax relief in relation to (a) enterprise zones, (b) business expansion schemes and (c) personal equity plans.
144.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer of tax relief in relation to (a) enterprise zones, (b) business expansion schemes and (c) personal equity plans.
I refer the hon. Members to the reply that I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Cardiff, West (Mr. Morgan).
Mortgage Payments
51.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much the average monthly mortgage repayment increased between March 1988 and March 1989.
It is not possible to make a direct comparison because of the variety of mortgages, some of which involve payments of interest and endowment premiums and others include repayments of capital as well as interest. But the additional interest payable on the average sized mortgage of £22,000 is about £50 per month. The increase is less in those cases where the repayment period has been extended or part of the interest has been deferred.
Profit-Related Pay
54.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the work force is currently participating in profit-related pay schemes as defined by the Inland Revenue.
73.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the work force is currently participating in profit-related pay schemes as defined by the Inland Revenue.
I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Motherwell, North (Dr. Reid).
Public Sector Debt
59.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received about the level of the public sector debt repayment.
87.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received about the level of the public sector debt repayment.
163.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received about the level of the public sector debt repayment.
The Treasury has received a number of representations welcoming the improvement in public sector finances, which is expected to result in 1988–89 in the largest budget surplus since figures has been kept on a comparable basis.
Low-Cost Housing
61.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what advice he has given to landowners regarding capital gains tax liability in respect of land made available at below market prices for the purpose of enabling the provision of low-cost housing.
I refer my hon. Friend to my right hon. Friend's Budget Statement.
Charitable Donations
62.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the change in charitable giving since 1979.
133.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the change in charitable giving since 1979.
177.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the change in charitable giving since 1979.
I refer my hon. Friends to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Economic Secretary on 16 March to my hon. Friend the Member for Beaconsfield (Mr. Smith), Official Report, columns 300–1, which included a number of changes introduced by the Government to encourage charitable giving.Some measure of the success of these changes is shown in the increases in gifts to charity. For covenanted giving, the estimated growth in real terms between 1978–79 and 1987–88 is 140 per cent. The real increase in bequests to charities over the same period is 150 per cent.
Retail Prices Index
64.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the impact of the public sector price rises announced for April on the retail prices index.
119.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the impact of the public sector price rises announced for April on the retail prices index.
122.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the impact of the public sector price rises announced for April on the retail prices index.
128.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the impact of the public sector price rises announced for April on the retail prices index.
The electricity board and the water authorities have already announced price increases to take effect this month. It is estimated that these changes, once they have fully worked through to consumers' bills, will raise the RPI by less than ¼ per cent.
79.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the average annual increase in the retail prices index for the period 1974 to 1979 and for the most recent five-year period for which figures are available.
The retail price index rose on average 15·5 per cent. a year in the five years to 1979, over three times higher than its average annual growth of 5·1 per cent. over the five years to February 1989.
Manufacturing Investment
69.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest information on the investment intentions of British manufacturing industry.
150.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest information on the investment intentions of British manufacturing industry.
I refer my hon. Friends to the reply that I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Hereford (Mr. Shepherd).
Sports Clubs (Vat)
70.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has of the number of amateur sports clubs which pay value added tax on collections to provide refreshments; whether he has any proposals to abolish this requirement; and what information he has as to whether this requirement obtains in other EEC countries.
The VAT treatment of sports clubs' collections is determined by European Community VAT law, which defines what constitutes a taxable supply. If no conditions are attached to the collections, they are outside the scope of VAT. However, where they amount to a general charge for facilities, such as the provision of refreshments, VAT does apply. Whether or not these provisions are likely to change depends on developments in the Council, which is considering possible amendments to the law in this area. I regret that detailed information about the treatment of sports clubs' collections in other member states is not available.
Personal Equity Plans
71.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was his original forecast for the take-up of PEP schemes; and what is his latest estimate of the number of existing schemes.
151.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was his original forecast for the take-up of personal equity plan schemes; and what is his latest estimate of the number of existing schemes.
When personal equity plans were announced in the 1986 Budget it was recognised that take-up would be heavily influenced by external factors. The estimated cost of the scheme assumed that take-up could reach 500,000 in the first year. Latest information suggests that more than 400,000 plans have been taken out to date.
104.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of those investing with personal equity plan schemes are higher rate taxpayers.
I regret that the information is not available.
Pensioners (Income)
72.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the change in the post-tax income of pensioners since 1979.
148.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the change in the post-tax income of pensioners since 1979.
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Bedfordshire, North (Sir T. Skeet).
Group Of Seven
75.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met his counterparts in the Group of Seven; and what was discussed.
82.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met his counterparts in the Group of Seven; and what was discussed.
98.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met his counterparts in the Group of Seven; and what was discussed.
169.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met his counterparts in the Group of Seven; and what was discussed.
My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer met his counterparts on 2 April at the meeting of the Group of Seven Finance Ministers in Washington. A statement was released.A wide range of topics were discussed, including progress and prospects for the world economy. Finance Ministers' commitment to close co-operation on exchange markets was reiterated. They committed themselves to resisting protectionist pressures wherever they arise. The recent proposals by several countries for further development of the debt strategy were also discussed, including ways by which the strategy could be strengthened by placing greater emphasis on voluntary debt and debt service reduction in agreement with commercial banks as a complement to new lending.
Hospital Radio Equipment
78.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received since his Budget statement of zero-rating hospital radio equipment.
One.
Exchange Rates
86.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on sterling exchange rate movements since the Budget.
Following the Budget statement, sterling rose against the dollar and the Deutschmark.
Privatisation
101.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the major businesses which have been privatised since 1979.
162.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the major businesses which have been privatised since 1979.
165.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the major businesses which have been privatised since 1979.
180.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the major businesses which have been privatised since 1979.
Nineteen major businesses have been privatised since 1979. These are:
- British Aerospace (1981 and 1985)
- Cable and Wireless (1981, 1983 and 1985)
- National Freight Consortium (1982)
- Britoil (1982 and 1985)
- Amersham International (1982)
- Associated British Ports (1983 and 1984)
- Enterprise Oil (1984)
- Sealink (1984)
- Jaguar (1984)
- British Telecom (1984)
- British Shipbuilders warship yards (1984–85)
- British Gas (1986)
- National Bus Company (1986–88)
- British Airways (1987)
- Royal Ordnance (1987)
- Rolls-Royce (1987)
- BAA (1987)
- Rover Group (1988)
- British Steel (1988)
Inland Revenue Staff
110.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the review into the viability of relocating Inland Revenue staff out of London to be completed; and if he will make a statement.
My right hon. Friend the Paymaster General announced on 9 February that most large Departments had reviews of location in hand. The Inland Revenue's review is well advanced, but its report has not yet been published, nor will decisions be taken on its recommendations, until full consultations have taken place with the staff and the departmental trade union side. As yet, no timetable has been set for such consultation, so I cannot tell my hon. Friend when an announcement will be made.
Imf (Loan Conditions)
121.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he is taking to prevent the International Monetary Fund imposing conditions on loans to indebted countries which may harm the poorest people in those countries.
The purpose of programmes supported by the International Monetary Fund is to help stabilise economies and so create the right environment for sustained growth, thus reducing poverty. Some of the poorest groups may benefit immediately—for instance farmers, through the introduction of agricultural reforms giving them better prices for their crops. The fund is aware that there may be short-run adverse effects on other poor groups, and is ready to help design programmes in a way which minimises these, with help from the World Bank. But it cannot impose any given income distribution—this has to be for the countries concerned to decide.
General Aviation And Manufacturers Association
129.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met representatives of the General Aviation and Manufacturers Association; and what was discussed.
My right hon. Friend has not met representatives of GAMTA. However, I met a deputation led by my hon. Friend which included representatives of GAMTA on 20 December 1988 when the duty charge on aviation gasoline (AVGAS) was discussed.
European Monetary Systems
137.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is now in a position to decide the right moment for the United Kingdom to effect full membership of the European monetary system.
No.
Industrial Investment
141.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the level of industrial investment in the last year; and what change he expects in investment in the current year.
Total business investment in 1988 was £49·8 billion at 1985 prices, its highest level ever, as a percentage of GDP. It was forecast in the Financial Statement and Budget Report to increase yet further, by 8 per cent. in 1989.
Court Of Auditors Report
143.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will raise at the next meeting of the Council of Finance Ministers the issues set out in the Court of Auditors report; and if he will make a statement.
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Mid-Kent (Mr Rowe) on 15 March at column 245.
Disposable Income
147.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the growth of real personal disposable income between the third quarter of 1987 and the third quarter of 1988.
156.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the growth of real personal disposable income between the third quarter of 1987 and the third quarter of 1988.
161.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the growth of real personal disposable income between the third quarter of 1987 and the third quarter of 1988.
Real personal disposable income rose by 5 per cent. between the third quarter of 1987 and the third quarter of 1988. Latest estimates show that in 1988 as a whole, real personal disposable income also rose 5 per cent.
Company Returns
158.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the percentage increase in 1987 in the net real rate of return for non-North sea industrial and commercial companies.
176.
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the percentage increase in 1987 in the net real rate of return for non-North sea industrial and commercial companies.
The net real rate of return for non-North sea industrial and commercial companies rose a further 15 per cent. in 1987 to reach 10·2 per cent., its highest level for 18 years.
Pensioners (Income)
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the change in the post-tax income of pensioners since 1979.
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Bedfordshire, North (Sir T. Skeet).
Employee Share Ownership
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the latest figures he has for the growth in employee ownership among firms in the United Kingdom.
Nearly 1,600 all-employee share schemes have been approved, against 30 in 1979. More than 1¾ million employees have been given shares or options over shares under these schemes, with an initial market value in excess of £4 billion.
Transport
Vehicle Excise Duty
185.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the value of vehicle excise duty in the current financial year will be.
Revenue (in cash terms) from vehicle excise duty (VED) is estimated at £2,775 million for financial year 1988–89 and £2,889 million for 1989–90. Rates of VED for all vehicles are contained in leaflet VI49, "Rates of Vehicle Excise Duty", which is available in the House of Commons Library.
Railway Accidents
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the total number of fatal and non-fatal casualties for all railway accidents involving only railway employees in each year since 1959.
This information is not available in the form requested. Details of the total number of railway employees killed or injured in accidents each year are given in the chief inspecting officer of railways' annual report, copies of which have been placed in the House of Commons Library. It is estimated from available data that the number of casualties sustained in accidents involving only railway employees is not significantly less than the overall total of staff casualties in all accidents.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the date and place and the number of fatal and non-fatal casualties for all railway accidents involving non-railway employees in each year since 1959.
I regret that this information is not available.
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what comparative information he has as to the number of accidents per million passenger train miles operated in the United Kingdom, other European Community countries, the United States of America and Japan; and if he will make a statement.
In 1987, the significant accident rate per million train miles in the United Kingdom was 0·71. Directly comparable data for other countries is not readily available but inquiries are being made with the appropriate authorities. I will write to my hon. Friend when I have further details.
British Rail (Capital Investment)
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will detail at constant 1988–89 prices the total capital investment in British Rail in each year since 1959; and if he will make a statement.
British Rail has recently compiled the following table showing investment in the railway since 1948. The figures include investment in Freightliners, BRML and BREL, but exclude the laying of continuous welded track which British Rail does not now classify as investment.
£ million cash
| £ million 1988–89 prices
| |
| 1948 | 40 | 572 |
| 1949 | 44 | 607 |
| 1950 | 43 | 591 |
| 1951 | 41 | 519 |
| 1952 | 38 | 444 |
| 1953 | 56 | 631 |
| 1954 | 63 | 710 |
| 1955 | 68 | 731 |
| 1956 | 90 | 916 |
| 1957 | 120 | 1,171 |
| 1958 | 134 | 1,255 |
| 1959 | 154 | 1,433 |
| 1960 | 147 | 1,353 |
| 1961 | 130 | 1,156 |
| 1962 | 94 | 810 |
| 1963 | 73 | 612 |
| 1964 | 83 | 673 |
| 1965 | 92 | 709 |
| 1966 | 81 | 599 |
| 1967 | 65 | 463 |
| 1968 | 58 | 401 |
| 1969 | 39 | 253 |
| 1970 | 48 | 289 |
| 1971 | 59 | 328 |
| 1972 | 73 | 376 |
| 1973 | 81 | 389 |
| 1974 | 103 | 432 |
| 1975 | 157 | 518 |
| 1976 | 176 | 506 |
| 1977 | 193 | 484 |
| 1978 | 208 | 468 |
| 1979 | 248 | 491 |
| 1980 | 304 | 501 |
| 1981 | 277 | 410 |
| 1982 | 243 | 334 |
| 1983 | 252 | 329 |
11984 | 280 | 349 |
| 1985–86 | 399 | 465 |
| 1986–87 | 399 | 450 |
| 1987–88 | 526 | 563 |
| 1988–89 | — | 2596 |
1 1984–85 was a 15-month financial period. The figure shown for 1984 is the 12-month internally reported result. | ||
2 Forecast outturn. | ||
Indicative figures for BR's plans for future investment (excluding investment in BREL, which is being sold, and in the proposed high speed link to the Channel tunnel) are:
£ million
| |
| 1989–90 | 740 |
| 1990–91 | 820 |
| 1991–92 | 880 |
| 1992–93 | 820 |
In order to show the most consistent picture the figures in the table include some elements of "corporate" as well as "railway" investment. BR's standard definitions of these have changed over the years. The figures have been adjusted to current values by the most recent indices and include the latest available information. They show that there was a high level of investment during the modernisation programme of the late 1950s and early 1960s. BR's route mileage now is 45 per cent. less than it was in the peak investment year of 1959, but passenger mileage is currently at broadly the same levels as in 1959.
Commissioners Of Irish Lights
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the total income and expenditure of the Commissioners of Irish Lights for each year from 1985; how much of this sum in each year is spent on navigational aids in the Republic of Ireland; and how much of the income originates in the Republic.
The annual expenditure of the Commissioners of Irish Lights (CIL) is as follows:
| IR £ million | |
| 1985–86 | 13·4 |
| 1986–87 | 13·7 |
| 1987–88 | 13·5 |
| 1988–89 | 116·4 |
| 1 Estimated. | |
| IR £ million | ||
| Light dues earned in the Republic | Financial contribution for year1 | |
| 1985–86 | 1·49 | 1·29 |
| 1986–87 | 1·90 | 1·32 |
| 1987–88 | 2·20 | 1·40 |
| 1988–892 | 2·60 | 1·60 |
| 1 Paid in following year. | ||
| 2 Estimated. | ||
Uxbridge (Property Sale)
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he received from the district valuer, Harrow, on 28 February and 15 March concerning the external appearance and state of the gardens of the property known as Four Winds, Park road, Uxbridge; what consideration he is giving to the sale of this property in its existing condition; and if he will make a statement.
The Department acquired "Four Winds" in 1984 following the serving of a blight notice.Difficulties with the last tenant led to the property being unoccupied from December 1988.The district valuer wrote to the Department on 27 February and enclosed with his letter an exchange of correspondence he had had with the owner of a neighbouring property about lack of maintenance to "Four Winds" and its garden. The district valuer stated that in order to ensure that the property and gardens were maintained and kept tidy it was necessary to have the property occupied.The district valuer reaffirmed his advice that the Department should not dispose of this property until completion of the road works.
He has now been instructed to find a tenant.
Radioactive Material
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether radioactive material from Hinkley Point is transported via Combwich wharf; and what plans there are to do so in the future.
No radioactive material is transported via Combwich wharf, neither are there any plans to do so.
Oil Discharges
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what investigations have been conducted by his Department into recent alleged discharges of oil from the ferry Pride of Walmer.
All papers and photographs received by the Department have been passed to the litigation division of the Treasury Solicitor's Department. An inquiry officer of that Department is investigating the alleged incident and in due course will present his findings to the Treasury Solicitor, who will determine whether the evidence is sufficient to justify a prosecution.
Microlight Aircraft
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any proposals to change the law concerning the operation of the legislation and regulations currently in force concerning the safety, operation and construction both in respect of those flying microlight aircraft and those on the ground potentially affected by flying operations.
Article 96 of the Air Navigation Order 1985 was recently amended to include a definition of microlight aeroplane. I understand from the Civil Aviation Authority that there are no other changes proposed at the moment specifically affecting microlight aeroplanes.
Defence
Overseas Sales
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the level of sales overseas by the British defence industry.
The level of British defence exports remains impressively high, thanks to the efforts of British industry assisted by the Defence Export Services Organisation. Overall figures for United Kingdom defence sales are given annually in the Supplement on the Defence Estimates.
Attorney-General
Civil Justice Review
To ask the Attorney-General, what are the Government's plans for the implementation of the civil justice review.
The Government have considered the report of the review body on civil justice, and wish to record their gratitude to members of the advisory committee for their contribution to the work of the review over more than three years. In response to the report, the Government have decided to undertake a programme of improvements in the administration of civil justice in England and Wales. This is part of a general overhaul of the legal system, including reforms of child care law. The overall objective of these changes is to improve the service provided by lawyers and the courts to litigants in civil and family cases. The programme for civil justice will be phased over a period of up to five years, to take account of the need for primary and secondary legislation and further policy development, and of the capacity of the legal system to adapt to change in an effective and orderly way.
Jurisdiction and allocation of cases
A more appropriate distribution of business between the High Court and the county courts was identified by the civil justice review as the key to reducing delay and cost. The Government therefore intend, by means of primary legislation, to reserve the High Court for public law and other specialist cases, and for general cases of unusual importance, substance or complexity.
A new system will be introduced to ensure that cases are handled and tried at the appropriate level. The upper financial limit of county court jurisdiction will be removed. Entry to the High Court and eligibility for High Court trial will be regulated. The criteria for allocation of cases will include financial limits applied to particular classes of business. These powers will be exercised to effect a major shift of lower level personal injury cases from the High Court to the county courts. Similar provision will be made in due course for debt cases. Housing possession cases currently dealt with in the High Court will be moved to the county court at a later stage, following discussion with interested parties.
Increases in both the trial jurisdiction of registrars and the upper financial limit of the automatic small claims jurisdiction will complete the new pattern of case distribution, and will help to offset the additional workload for circuit judges resulting from the shift of cases out of the High Court. Development of continuous trial facilities at suitable centres will also help the county courts to absorb an increased volume of cases.
Related procedural changes
The new system of case allocation will be accompanied by a number of changes designed to eliminate unnecessary differences between High Court and county court procedure. Subject to certain exceptions, the same remedies will be available in both courts. An appropriate costs regime will be introduced for common cases and in the longer term, a common core of procedural rules will be developed to cover general High Court and county court business.
Improvements in the handling of cases
A number of procedural changes will be introduced as a means of speeding up and improving the handling of full trial cases in both the High Court and the county courts. The Government intend to give the courts a more active role in the management of case progress, in order to reduce delay before trial. A full system of court control will take some years to achieve, and in the meantime other steps are being taken to reduce pre-trial delay, especially in personal injury cases. The Government consider that the normal permitted period between issue and service of process should be reduced from 12 to four months, and that the court should have power of its own motion to order a split trial, in which the issue of liability is tried in advance of the issue of damages. The object of this is to reduce delay, which may be caused by, for example, waiting far adequate diagnosis of a plaintiff's medical condition.
Other bodies have a role in the reduction of pre-trial delay. One of the principal objectives of the Legal Aid Board is to improve the quality of service provided to users of the legal aid system, and this will include reducing the present level of delay in the handling of applications for civil legal aid. The Home Office will pursue with the police the proposal for early release of accident reports pertaining to civil proceedings. Similarly, revised guidelines will be issued by the Department of Health to health authorities, encouraging early release of medical reports.
New arrangements to encourage openness between parties, including early exchange of witness statements, are expected to encourage settlement in appropriate cases and reduce the length of hearings in cases which go to trial. There will also be new arrangements for the conduct of civil trials, to reduce the need for the lengthy taking of oral evidence.
Debt enforcement and issue of summonses
Arrangements for handling debt enforcement in the county courts will be rationalised so that in the majority of straightforward cases, judgment debts will be payable direct to the creditor. At the same time, a central, computerised summons production centre will be set up to deal more efficiently with the bulk issue of summonses by large creditors.
The division of responsibility for enforcement of judgment debts between county court bailiffs and High Court sheriffs will remain as at present, with the bailiffs' responsibility in county court cases defined by an upper financial limit of £5,000. All High Court judgments, of whatever value, will continue to go to the sheriffs. Various aspects of the system for managing bailiffs are currently being reviewed. Proposals for reform of the sheriff system are under consideration.
Access to justice
The increase in the small claims jurisdiction will be accompanied by procedural improvements, with a view to protecting unrepresented litigants and to encouraging individuals to participate more fully in the handling of small county court cases generally. These improvements include simplified court forms and printed information, and more guidance to unrepresented litigants from court staff.
The Government is planning a number of changes to the handling of housing cases in the counyy courts, including reform of existing possession procedures so as to provide the court with fuller evidence on the basis of the claim and the circumstances of the defendant. Simplified procedures will be introduced to enable landlords to recover rent arrears quickly and cheaply, without recourse to the full possession procedure; and to provide easier access to the court system for tenants and others involved in disputes about matters such as repairs. The precise scope and form of these procedures will be determined after further consultation with court users and others with an interest in housing matters.
Administration order procedures will be reviewed with a view to ensuring that they are used more effectively as a means of dealing with multiple debts.
Closer links between courts and advice agencies will be encouraged, and the Legal Aid Board will be asked to consider, in the context of its other responsibilities, whether agencies whose staff maintain a regular presence at courts, and which provide representation and other services to litigants, should be eligible for funding by the board in respect of such services. Wider availability of lay representation in smaller cases is among the matters put forward for consultation in the Government's recent Green Paper on the legal profession. The precise nature and scope of the service offered by the county courts to litigants in smaller cases will be reviewed when the results of this consultation process are known.
Judicial studies
The Government recognise the importance of enabling the judiciary to keep fully up to date with the new arrangements, particularly in relation to the proposed changes in procedure. The Judicial Studies Board will be invited to develop detailed plans to deal with this.
Other matters
There are a small number of outstanding matters to which further consideration is being given. The usefulness of the hearsay rule and the current machinery for rendering hearsay evidence admissible in civil proceedings will be examined in due course. The case for relaxing the current prohibition on contingency fees has already been opened for re-examination in a recently issued Green Paper. Finally, the Government intend to give effect to the recommendation for a judicial title for registrars.
Law Changes
To ask the Attorney-General how many matters formerly covered by the civil law now come under the auspices of the criminal law and vice versa; which are the principal areas in which change has occurred; and if he will make a statement.
I will write to my hon. Friend.
Prime Minister
Gibraltar (Terrorists)
Q12.
To ask the Prime Minister if she will place in the Library copies of her correspondence with the Spanish authorities following the deaths of the three suspected IRA terrorists in Gibraltar.
I have been asked to reply.My right hon Friend the Prime Minister has not corresponded with the Spanish authorities over the deaths of the IRA terrorists in Gibraltar.
Environmental Conference
Q22.
To ask the Prime Minister what response she sent to the invitation from the Dutch Government to participate in the environmental conference at The Hague during the week beginning 6 March.
I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister told the Prime Minister of the Netherlands that Her Majesty's Government would not be represented at the meeting in The Hague. As my right hon. Friend told the hon. Member for Cardiff, West (Mr. Morgan) on 23 February, we had a number of reservations about the proposed declaration.
Road Building (London)
Q24.
To ask the Prime Minister when Her Majesty's Government expect to make a statement on the future of road building in London.
I have been asked to reply.We are currently conducting the regular biennial review of the national trunk road programme, including the programme in London. We hope to make an announcement later.
Finchley Central Station
Q34.
To ask the Prime Minister when she next expects to make an official visit to Finchley central station.
I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend has at present no plans to do so.
Economic Performance
Q37.
To ask the Prime Minister what representations she has received regarding the performance of the economy.
I have been asked to reply.I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Eddisbury (Mr. Goodlad).
Budget
Q139.
To ask the Prime Minister what representations she has received regarding the tax changes in the Budget.
Q206.
To ask the Prime Minister what representations she has received regarding the tax changes in the Budget.
Q210.
To ask the Prime Minister what representations she has received regarding the tax changes in the Budget.
I have been asked to reply.The tax changes in the Budget have been widely welcomed.
Fraud
Q171.
To ask the Prime Minister what proposals she will submit to the European Council meeting in Madrid about fraud; and if she will make a statement.
I have been asked to reply.I refer my hon. Friend to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's answer to his question of 2 March 1989 at columns
295–96.
An important development since then has been the meeting of the Economic and Finance Council on 13 March at which the Commission promised new or revised proposals to combat fraud and mismanagement in a number of areas, notably agricultural export refunds and intervention storage. Some of these proposals are expected to be tabled before the June meeting of the Economic and Finance Council at which action against fraud will once again be discussed. The Government's approach to the Madrid European Council will reflect the terms of this discussion.
Margaret Marsh
Q188.
To ask the Prime Minister if she will pay an official visit to Margaret Marsh.
I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend has at present no plans to do so.
Quangos
To ask the Prime Minister if she will list the number of quangos abolished for each year since 1979 to the present date.
The numbers abolished are as follows:
| Number | |
| 1979–83 | 608 |
| 1983–84 | 73 |
| 1984–85 | 75 |
| 1985–86 | 60 |
| 1986–87 | 81 |
| 1987–88 | 40 |
Armed Forces (Medical And Dental Officers)
To ask the Prime Minister if she will make a statement about the pay of medical and dental officers in the armed forces.
The armed forces pay review body has submitted to me a supplementary report on the pay of medical and dental officers in the Armed Forces which recommends increases of between 4·7 per cent. and 8·3 per cent. with effect from 1 April 1989. For the majority the recommended increase is 8 per cent. These awards are derived from those to civilian doctors and dentists which I announced in the House on 16 February 1989 and the Government have decided to accept them in full.The report has been published as Cm 667 and copies are available in the Vote Office.
Engagements
To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 6 April.
To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 6 April.
To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 6 April.
To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 6 April.
I have been asked to reply.
This morning my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister presided at a meeting of the Cabinet. In the course of the day she will be having meetings with President Gorbachev. This evening she will give a dinner for him.
Scotland
Beef Variable Premium
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many cattle herds in Scotland are defined as (a) specialist rearing herds and (b) finishing herds for the purposes of payment under the variable premium scheme.
Cattle herds were not distinguished for the purposes of payment under the beef variable premium scheme, which ended on 2 April 1989.
Set-Aside Scheme
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the total number of applications received for set-aside from farmers in each Scottish region to the latest available date, indicating the number of hectares involved in each region.
I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave the hon. Member for Angus, East (Mr. Welsh) on 19 December 1988. The closing date For applications to enter the set-aside scheme in 1988 was 21 October.
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the total level of set-aside arrangements which have been reached to the latest available date, giving a break-down of hectares per Scottish region.
The information requested, in respect of applications accepted by 31 March 1989, is set out in the table.
| Region | Number of applications accepted by 31 March 1989 | Total set-aside area (hectares) |
| Borders | 17 | 867 |
| Central | 3 | 181 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 3 | 42 |
| Fife | 17 | 718 |
| Grampian | 222 | 6,760 |
| Highland | 25 | 1,143 |
| Lothian | 7 | 351 |
| Orkney Islands Area | — | — |
| Shetland Islands Area | — | — |
| Strathclyde | 13 | 268 |
| Tayside | 56 | 1,733 |
| Western Isles Island Area | — | — |
| All Scotland | 363 | 12,063 |
National Health Service Grading
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report the number of appeals currently lodged with each of the health boards concerning the clinical grading of National Health Service employees; how many of these appeals have been dealt with; and, of these, how many were upheld.
This information is not held centrally.
Community Charge
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his latest assessment of the number of losers and gainers under the poll tax in (a) Inverclyde, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland as a whole.
Our calculations show that the number of households in Scotland gaining and losing as a result of the introduction of the community charge is roughly equal. There is no reason to suppose that the situation in Inverclyde or Strathclyde would be any different.
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether British citizens married to United States service men stationed in Scotland are exempt from payment of the community charge as members of visiting forces and their families.
No. The exemption for members of visiting forces does not extend to dependants who are citizens of the United Kingdom or who are ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom.
Fish Farms
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether owners of fish farms are eligible for compensation from the Government for recent storm damage.
Government have no general financial liability for storm damage. Details of the damage sustained in mid-January and early February, however, have been obtained from local authorities and others affected, including fish farmers. These are now being analysed and my right hon. and learned Friend will be making a statement shortly.
Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs
Egypt
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Dr. Ashraf Marwan is an accredited diplomat representing the Arab republic of Egypt in the United Kingdom.
According to our records, Doctor Ashraf Marwan is not, nor has ever been, an accredited diplomat representing the Arab republic of Egypt in the United Kingdom.
Soviet Jewry
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has as to those Soviet Jews who are still unable to leave the Soviet Union or who are unable to teach, learn or practise their religion; and if he will list those individuals about whom his Department is aware.
We are encouraged by the recent improvements in Soviet human rights, including the granting of exit visas to a number of refuseniks known to us. But while individual gestures are always welcome there are many other cases still to be resolved. We want to see, above all, the fundamental reforms needed to ensure that human rights abuses do not recur. The quantity of such visas should not be dependent on lobbying by Her Majesty's Government and non-governmental organisations nor on the intervention of Mr. Gorbachev or Mr. Shevardnadze, however welcome these interventions may be.
Poland (Talks)
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the conclusion of the round table talks in Poland.
I think that we have all watched events in Poland with fascination in recent weeks.The round table itself deserves a place in history. We, and others in the West, now hope to see its proposals on political reform put into practice, to the benefit of the Polish people and the whole of Europe. We trust this will be done in such a way that there can be no question of a reversal.Forty-four years ago at Yalta, the three powers called for free and unfettered elections in Poland. Such elections were never held. Now, for the first time in post-war Poland, we have the prospect of elections in which an opposition has a real chance to participate. This is a remarkable step forward. There is still far to go before the hopes of Yalta can be realised. But let us hope that the forthcoming elections will prepare the way.Poland still has many problems to confront. The round table produced mainly generalities on economic policy. The Polish authorities and opposition will need to continue to work together to translate these generalities into practical policies. They need to agree an economic adjustment programme which can in due course secure the approval of the international community and financial institutions.There is a great will here for Poland to succeed. The Government are already spending considerably increased sums to help the Poles help themselves, for example, by providing more training and scholarships. We shall certainly be looking seriously and urgently at other practical, carefully targeted ways of helping the Poles fulfil the hopes for political and economic advance that the round table agreement has raised.
Wales
Gynaecologists
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many gynaecologists are employed in the National Health Service in Wales as a whole and by district; and how many are (a) men and (b) women in each district.
The information, which relates to consultants with a main specialty of obstetrics and gynaecology, is given in the table.
| Numbers of consultants in post as al 30 September 19871 | |||
| Health Authority | Male | Female | Total |
| Clwyd | 6 | — | 6 |
| East Dyfed | 10 | — | 10 |
| Gwent | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| Gwynedd | 7 | — | 7 |
| Mid Glamorgan | 6 | 4 | 10 |
| Health Authority | Male | Female | Total |
| Pembrokeshire | 2 | — | 2 |
| Powys | 5 | — | 5 |
| South Glamorgan | 6 | 2 | 8 |
| West Glamorgan | 5 | 1 | 6 |
| Wales2 | 39 | 8 | 47 |
| 1 Provisional. Excludes locum staff. | |||
| 2 Consultants working for more than one authority are shown against each and therefore the Wales total may not be the sum of numbers in individual authorities. | |||
Energy
Electricity Prices
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement about the expected price of electricity over the next five years.
The electricity industry is currently announcing its prices for 1989–90. After privatisation, the combination of competition in electricity generation and supply and the controls contained in the public electricity supply licences will put downward pressure on prices.
Combined Heat And Power
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will update the estimates provided in energy papers 20, 35 and 53, which calculated the reduction in fossil fuel burn that would result from the introduction of combined heat and power, assuming (a) the fuel for CHP plant will be coal, gas, or nuclear, and (b) a more competitive regime resulting from the privatisation of the electricity industry.
My Department has no plans to update the estimates made in energy papers 20, 35, 53.While CHP would reduce the overall primary energy requirement compared to separate production of heat and power the extent of implementation of CHP and the resultant fuel savings will depend on investment decisions of developers. The inherent thermal efficiency of CHP means that it should be well placed to take advantage of the more competitive arrangements resulting from our privatisation proposals.
Reprocessing (Sellafield)
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy, Official Report, 8 March, column 546, if he will set out the policy reasons underlying his statement that it is not in the national interest to give timing and operational reasons of reprocessing campaigns at Sellafield.
I have nothing to add to my answer of 8 March 1989, at column 546.
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if, in light of the statement to Standing Committee E on the Electricity Bill, 7 March, Official Report, column 1480, by the hon. Member for Mid-Worcestershire (Mr. Forth) that every contract signed to reprocess foreign matter includes a requirement that all the waste products should be sent back to the country of origin, he will state when contracts signed before 1976 for reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel at BNFL Sellafield, which did not originally include such a requirement, were renegotiated to include such a clause.
The pre-1976 contracts to which the hon. Member refers have not been renegotiated to include return of wastes clauses.
Sellafield
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if Her Majesty's Government will give permission to the European Commission to give further details to Llwellyn Smith MEP, in reply to his question, number 881/88 of 2 August 1988, replied to on 21 February 1989 by Commissioner Cardoso E. Cunha on the specific issues of (a) the number of installations on the BNFL Sellafield site, (b) the number that handle only civil nuclear materials, (c) the number also contain simultaneously or sequentially military materials, and (d) the number of installations at BNFL Sellafield that have particular safeguard provisions under Commission regulation CR 3227/76 in force.
The particular safeguards provisions for facilities at BNFL Sellafield are currently under discussion and to date four have been brought into force. The additional information requested is confidential.
Hinkley Point C
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what representations he has received about the future use of Combwich wharf resulting from the construction of the proposed Hinkley Point C power station; and what response he has made;(2) what steps he is taking to ensure that the natural environment near Combwich wharf, Combwich, Somerset and the living conditions of local residents are not adversely affected increased activity resulting from the construction of Hinkley Point C.
The CEGB submitted the Central Electricity Generating Board Compulsory Purchase (Combwich) Order 1988 to my right hon. Friend for confirmation on 2 February 1989.Seventeen statutory objections to the order have been received from owners and occupiers affected by it, together with 68 other objections. A public local inquiry into the order has therefore been arranged.Mr. Michael Barnes QC has been appointed to hold the public local inquiry which will commence at 9.30 am on Tuesday 13 June 1989 at Cannington court, Church street, Cannington, Bridgewater, Somerset.
Shell (Exploration Licence)
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy where exploration licence EXL 083, granted by his Department to Shell in 1986, is available for public inspection; and whether he will place a copy in the Library.
Landward exploration licences (EXLs) are not made available for public inspection because they contain commercially confidential information. EXL 083 was issued pursuant to the Petroleum (Production) (Landward Areas) Regulations 1984, S.I. 1984 No. 1832, which sets out the model clauses to be incorporated in such a licence. Copies of these regulations are available in the Library of the House.
Quangos
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations either (a) created or (b) closed, since 1979 for which he has departmental responsibility; and how many people he appoints to these bodies.
[holding answer 5 April 1989]: The following non-departmental public bodies were created:
- Oil and Pipelines Agency1
- Offshore Safety and Technology Board
- Renewable Energy Advisory Committee
- Offshore Industry Advisory Board
- Advisory Committee on Fixed Offshore Installations
- Energy Commission
- Offshore Safety Committee
- Advisory Council on Energy Conservation
In addition the Office of Gas Supply, a non-ministerial department, was established under the Gas Act 1986. The Director General of Gas Supply was appointed under the terms of the Act.
Information on appointments, excluding those relating to Ofgas, can be obtained from "Public Bodies 1988", a copy of which is in the Library of the House. Questions about the staffing of Ofgas are a matter for the Director General of Gas Supply.
1 The Oil and Pipelines Agency took over responsibility for the property, rights and liabilities of the British National Oil Corporation on 1 December 1985.
Employment
Claimant Advisers
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what advice his Department issues on the personal liability claimant advisers have if the advice they give to claimants about in-work benefits is incorrect and as a consequence the claimant loses money and is much worse off in work than was suggested to them; and if he will make a statement.
When giving advice on in-work benefits, claimant advisers are specifically instructed that any personal calculations provided should be clearly shown as estimates only and that entitlements can be assessed only when applications are properly made. The following disclaimer is included:
"Entitlements can only be assessed when applications are properly made and processed. The calculations below are therefore estimates only. The Department will not accept liability for loss occasioned if reliance is placed upon them".
Restart
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what happens to the newly, and any previously, completed RR6s that claimants have to fill in as part of their restart interview; and whether they can be passed on to other restart counsellors or claimant advisers, or other members of the employment service, such as fraud investigators.
Restart clients complete a restart interview form (RR6) every six months. The most recent form is kept with the client's records at the local office. Previous forms are usually destroyed. The RR6 may be passed on to other members of the employment service who are involved in follow-up reviews or concerned with entitlement to benefit.
Claimants
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether, after a claimant has filled in an availability questionnaire, either a UB671 or an RR6, they can (a) subsequently obtain a copy of their answers on request; and (b) change their answers to the questions before or when they are passed on to an adjudication officer.
Yes.
Social Security
Child Benefit
181.
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would have been the cost of increasing child benefit in line with earnings in each of the last two years.
182.
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would have been the cost of increasing child benefit in line with earnings in each of the last two years.
183.
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would have been the cost of increasing child benefit in line with earnings in each of the last two years.
184.
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would have been the cost of increasing child benefit in line with earnings in each of the last two years.
After taking account of the uprating in April 1987, the additional cost (net of savings on other benefits) would have been about £70 million in 1987–88 and a further £260 million in 1988–89.
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will place in the Library the papers relevant to his Department's re-estimation of the numbers eligible to receive family credit.
We will do so shortly.
Environment
Rents
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to the average level of registered rents being set for (a) a one-bedroom flat, (b) a two-bedroom flat, and (c) a three-bedroom flat or house, in (i) inner London and (ii) the borough of Islington, in December 1986, December 1987, and now.
The available estimates for each of the last three years are given in the table. Monthly estimates are based on samples too small to give reliable figures.
Annual average registered rents in regulated properties £ per annum1 2
| ||||||
1986
| 1987
| 1988
| ||||
Islington
| Inner London
| Islington
| Inner London
| Islington
| Inner London
| |
| Flats with one habitable3 room | 897 | 1,161 | 1,420 | 1,357 | 845 | 1,394 |
| Flats with two habitable rooms | 979 | 1,174 | 1,077 | 1,283 | 1,199 | 1,444 |
| Houses or flats with three or more habitable rooms | 1,229 | 1,360 | 1,282 | 1,454 | 1,366 | 1,612 |
1 Rents for rooms let as part of a house or flat are not included. | ||||||
2 Under pre-1988 legislation rents were registered for two years at a time so 1987 figures are not strictly comparable with 1986. | ||||||
3 Excluding bathrooms, kitchens, WCs, hallways, attics used for storage and cellars. | ||||||
Rating Reform
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the guidance to be sent to general practitioners on community charge exemption processing for those who are severely mentally impaired.
When the guidance to general practitioners has been finalised, a copy will be placed in the Library.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements are being made to financially support local authorities for revenue forgone on individuals exempt from the community charge.
The distribution of the needs grant will take into account the fact that authorities will raise no community charge income from exempt persons.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the rights of appeal available to residents of premises where a collective community charge is payable on the level of their contribution to the community charge.
The level of the daily contribution is fixed by statute as the daily rate of the charging authority's personal community charge. There is no appeal against the level of the personal community charge and, therefore, similarly there is no appeal against the level of the statutory contribution. Information on the correct level of contributions will be available from the charging authority.
Council House Sales
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many houses purchased by council tenants under the right-to-buy scheme have since been resold to the local authority; and if he will make a statement.
Information on the repurchase of ex-council houses sold under the right-to-buy scheme is not available.
Dog Registration Scheme
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make an estimate of the annual cost of implementing a dog registration scheme on the basis proposed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Animals on the assumption that such costs are borne (a) by dog owners and (b) by the Exchequer.
No. The setting up of a national dog registration scheme would require elaborate bureaucratic machinery. The Government do not intend to introduce such a scheme and therefore no estimate has been made of the costs involved.
Parish Councils
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish his best estimates of the total amount of business rate income lost to parish councils with (a) a population of more than 10,000 and (b) a population of less than 10,000 due to the introduction of the community charge in April 1990.
[holding answer 23 March 1989]: I have made no such estimates of the effects of the national non-domestic rate on individual parish councils.
House Of Commons Cleaners
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the cleaners in the House of Commons use biodegradable cleaning products.
[holding answer 4 April 1989]: The cleaning products purchased by the parliamentary works office for use by the House of Commons staff are biodegradable. Some cleaning work is also undertaken by a contractor who is responsible for providing his own materials. I understand that the cleaning materials they use are also biodegradable.
Sewage Treatment Works
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those sewage treatment works in each English water authority which discharged effluent below the required standard for the most recent year for which full figures are available.
[holding answer 4 April 1989]: Copies of reports from water authorities, listing those sewage treatment works which failed to comply with their discharge consents in 1987, are available in the Library of the House. I expect shortly to publish results for 1988.
Bathing Waters
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment further to his answers to the hon. Member for Norwich, South on 20 March, Official Report, columns 421–22 and 21 March, Official Report columns 506–7, if he will list in the Official Report the number and location of beaches in 1988 in the EEC guide and mandatory levels for those standards in respect of cadmium, arsenic, pesticides, nitrogen, ammonia, phosphates and faecal streptococci in bathing waters which were the responsibility of the Anglian water authority, which are not listed in the summary of the 1988 "Survey of Bathing Waters" he has placed in the Library.
[holding answer 4 Apri11989]: The report placed in the Library contains all the information reported to the Department by the Anglian water authority in connection with the 1988 bathing water quality survey.
London Residuary Body
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment who were the two London residuary body board members identified in the 1987–88 accounts to be in receipt of emoluments in the range £20,000 to £25,000; and how many days per week each of them worked.
[holding answer 4 April 1989]: Mr. Jack Esling and Mr. Michael Roberts. Their remuneration as members of the London residuary body board during 1987–88 was based on time commitments of four and three days a week respectively.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment why the London residuary body decided to levy the sum of £297,000 in 1989–90 on the outer London boroughs; and if he will make a statement.
[holding answer 4 April 1989]: The levy is required to meet the costs of pension payments to former magistrates courts' staff.
| £ per annum | |||
| Number of days per week | (from 1 April 1988) | (from 1 October 1988) | |
| Mr. Alan Blakemore, CBE | 2 | 13,608 | 13,972 |
| Mr. Jack Esling | 2 | 13,608 | 13,972 |
| Mr. Jack Wolkind, CBE | 2 | 13,608 | 13,972 |
| Mr. Wallace Mackenzie, OBE | 2½ | 17,010 | 17,240 |
| Mr. Michael Roberts | 3 | 20,412 | 20,688 |
| Cllr. Sir Peter Bowness, CBE | 1 | 6,804 | 6,896 |
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment to whom the London residuary body's freehold interest in the Matthews yard residential properties and the shops at 27 and 29 Shorts gardens WC2 was sold; and what was the disposal price in each case and collectively.
[holding answer 4 April 1989]: This is a matter for the London residuary body and the purchaser.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what properties have been disposed of by the London residuary body to the London docklands development corporation.
[holding answer 4 April 1989]: None, but negotiations are in hand on a number of properties.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what sum was received by the London residuary body for the sale of the freehold interest in 45–59 Albion street, Southwark, to Storechart Property Ltd.
[holding answer 4 April 1989]: The disposal of 45–59 Albion street Southwark has yet to be completed.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what matters remain to be resolved as between his Department and the London residuary body in respect of the Greater London Supplies.
[holding answer 4 April 1989]: Discussions about the future of Greater London Supplies are continuing between the Department of the Environment, the Department of Education and Science, the London residuary body and the Inner London education authority.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details of the days worked each week by the part-time appointees to the London residuary body; and what was the sum each received in the financial year 1988–89.
[holding answer 4 April 1989]: The time commitments of part-time members of the London residuary body to LRB work and their salaries during 1988–89 were as follows:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment to whom the London residuary body's freehold interest in Bush house was sold; and what was the disposal price.
[holding answer 4 April 1989]: This is a matter for the London residuary body and the purchaser.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment why the disposal decision of the London residuary body in respect of 100–124 Shaftesbury avenue to Gratex Ltd. was changed in favour of Carmellia Holdings Ltd; and what was the disposal price.
[holding answer 4 April 1989]: In this case the name of the purchasing firm was changed in the course of the transaction. Information on the disposal price is a matter for the London residuary body and the purchaser.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has regarding the sale of the London residuary body's freehold interest in Southwark bridge business centre to Mackenzie and Campbell House Ltd; and if he will make a statement.
[holding answer 4 April 1989]: The London residuary body has yet to decide on the disposal of its interest.
Thames Flood Warning
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements he proposes will exist beyond 30 April in respect of the Thames tidal flood warning system.
[holding answer 4 April 1989]: Recent meetings involving London boroughs, Government Departments and the London residuary body have concluded that it is for the boroughs using the powers available to them to consider the future of the tidal flood warning system.
Unitary Plans
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report the timetable for the submission of unitary plans to his Department.
Once a commencement order has been made following the issue of strategic guidance by the Secretary of State, an authority is required to prepare its unitary development plan. DOE circular 3/88 advises that authorities should publish their draft plans within two years of commencement. Those with a good up-to-date local plan base should achieve this stage within one year of commencement.Commencement orders were made for the west midlands and Merseyside in 1988. Commencement orders for London and the remaining metropolitan areas are likely to be issued by the summer.
Agriculture, Fisheries And Food
Cattle Herds
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cattle herds in England and Wales are defined as (a) specialist rearing herds and (b) finishing herds for the purposes of payment under the variable premium scheme.
Cattle herds were not distinguished for the purposes of payment under the beef variable premium scheme, which ended on 2 April 1989.
Sheepmeat Regime
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he anticipates completion of negotiations on the European Community sheepmeat regime; if he will make a statement on the current state of these negotiations; and what account he has taken of the importance attached by farmers to store sales.
Discussions on the EC Commission's proposals for changes to the sheepmeat regime have made little progress. Negotiations may well continue for some time. I am well aware of the desirability of ensuring that any changes to the regime are introduced with sufficient notice so that farmers can plan ahead, particularly when making purchases at store sales.
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list in the Official Report the pound sterling equivalent of the per ewe payment allocated to farmers in each member state of the European Community under the sheepmeat regime as presently constituted.
The Commission regulation setting rates of ewe premium is due to be published shortly. I will write to the hon. Member when the details are available.
Set-Aside Schemes
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list in the Official Report the current level of progress on set-aside schemes in each member state of the European Community, showing such progress as percentage of levels currently attained. in the United Kingdom.
The United Kingdom was the first member state to implement the set-aside scheme, and others remain at various stages of implementation. No figures are yet available for Luxembourg and Denmark, who are still in the process of introducing schemes, and for Greece and Italy, who are still receiving applications for their schemes. The schemes in most other member states are also still open for applications, and the figures for uptake are therefore provisional. Portugal does not yet have to apply a scheme.The information available to date on uptake in other member states compared with set-aside in the United Kingdom of about 58,000 hectares is as follows:
| Hectares set-aside | Percentage of United Kingdom hectares set- aside | |
| Belgium | 383 | 0·7 |
| France | 2,409 | 4·2 |
| Ireland | 1,918 | 3·3 |
| Netherlands | 1,222 | 2·1 |
| Spain | 6,202 | 10·8 |
| Germany | 170,635 | 296·2 |
Cereal Substitutes
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list in the Official Report the level of imports into the United Kingdom of cereal substitutes in each of the past five years.
The following table shows the total tonnage of materials on the European Community list of cereal substitutes imported into the United Kingdom in each of the most recent five years.
| Calendar year | Imports of cereal substitutes (thousand tonnes) |
| 1984 | 1,048 |
| 1985 | 1,038 |
| 1986 | 1,035 |
| Calendar year | Imports of cereal substitutes (thousand tonnes) |
| 1987 | 1,091 |
| 1988 | 1,099 |
Northern Ireland
Road Programmes
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what were the individual costings of the following road programmes covered by the additional £8·7 million recently announced by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment: both the M1 and M2 motorways, route A4 Dungannon to Enniskillen, route A2 near Carrickfergus, Bushmills and Ballykelly, route A37 between Coleraine and Limavady, route A20 Newtownards to Portaferry and Mountstewart, route A23 Belfast to Ballygowan, near Castlereagh, route A54 at Castleroe, near Coleraine, route A24 Belfast to Newcastle, near Seaforde and route A7 Carryduff to Saintfield, near Carryduff and Lisdoonan.
Individual costings of road maintenance works on the routes named are as follows:
- M1 and M2 motorways—£618,000 (M1 £568,000, M2 £50,000)
- Route A4—Dungannon to Enniskillen—£450,000
- Route A2—near Carrickfergus, Bushmills and Ballykelly£213,000
- Route A37—between Coleraine and Limavady—£86,000
- Route A20—Newtownards to Portaferry and Mountstewart —£76,000
- Route A23—Belfast to Ballygowan, near Castlereagh—£116,000
- Route A54—At Castleroe, near Coleraine—£28,000
- Route A24—Belfast to Newcastle, near Seaforde—£43,000
- Route A7—Carryduff to Saintfield, near Carryduff and Lisdoonan—£93,000
Medical Practices (Patients)
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his written reply of 11 January to the right hon. Member for Strangford, Official Report, columns 693–94, how many persons are on the lists of each of the three medical practices based at Portaferry and Kircubbin.
Information about the number of patients on a general medical practitioner's list is treated as confidential and may not be disclosed without the permission of the doctor concerned.
Griffiths Report
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish his Department's reponse and observations on Sir Roy Griffiths' report "Care in the Community-Agenda for Action"; and what advice his Department is giving to health and social services boards as to how they should plan their services in the light of the findings in this report.
Sir Roy Griffiths was asked by the Secretary of State for Social Services to review the way in which public funds are used to support community care policy specifically in England and to advise on possible ways of improving the use of those funds to achieve a more effective delivery of community care. The issues raised by his report are being considered by the Government. The conclusions reached will be of interest throughout the United Kingdom, but differences in the arrangements for the management of community care in the various parts of the United Kingdom will have to be taken into account in framing proposals for action.
Sexual Abuse (Children)
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what Government-funded research into the sexual abuse of children (a) has taken place since 1979, (b) is currently taking place and (c) is under consideration, giving the cost of each project listed.
The Department of Health and Social Services has provided £46,250 to finance the Northern Ireland children's study. The study, undertaken by a research team from the department of child psychiatry at the Royal Belfast hospital for sick children and the department of community medicine and medical statistics at the Queen's university of Belfast, investigates the incidence and prevalence of child sexual abuse in Northern Ireland. The findings should be published later this year. Proposals for following up the study by further research into questions about the incidence of child sexual abuse in Northern Ireland are being considered.
Housing
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what were the sums tendered for the demolition of each block of flats in the Bogside, Londonderry; when the work began and finished; when the last contract let begins and finishes; what technical standards are required of contractors tendering; if the Housing Executive employed outside consultants and what consultancy fees have been paid or are pending in respect of each stage of the work.
[holding answer 22 March 1989]: This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and the chief executive has advised me that the tenders accepted for the demolition of the Rossville flats in Londonderry were as follows:
| £ | |
| Block 1 | 128,860 |
| Blocks 2 and 3 | 297,800 |
Access To Information
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he has any plans to extend to Northern Ireland the change in the law introduced by (a) the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, (b) the Access to Personal Files Act 1987, and (c) the Access to Medical Reports Act 1988.
[holding answer 4 April 1989]: Many of the functions carried out by local authorities in Great Britain are carried out by central Government in Northern Ireland. There are no plans at present to introduce legislation similar to the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985.A draft Northern Ireland Order in Council, which will contain provisions corresponding to the Access to Personal Files Act 1987 and the Access to Medical Reports Act 1988, is currently in preparation.
Self-Governing Hospitals
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what guidance he is issuing to health and social services boards as to the identification of hospitals which may wish to apply for self-governing status; what information he has about any hospital in Northern Ireland being a candidate for this status; and if he will make a statement.
[holding answer 4 April 1989]: On 23 March 1989, I announced the publication of seven working papers which describe in greater detail how particular proposals outlined in the White Paper "Working for Patients" (Cm 555) will be implemented in Northern Ireland. Copies are available in the Library.Working paper 1 "Self Governing Hospitals in Northern Ireland" makes it clear that the Government regard all hospitals as potentially eligible for self-governing status, but it is likely to be particularly appropriate to major acute hospitals with over 250 beds and I would expect initial proposals to come from this type of hospital.
Stolen Weapons
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brent, East of 23 January, Official Report, column 395, if he will state the number of weapons stolen from police stations in Northern Ireland in each of the categories from 1970 to the present date.
[holding answer 4 April 1989]: As I indicated in the answer given to the hon. Member on 23 January 1989 at column 395, centralised records do not differentiate between the actual sources of theft.
Mr Peter Bell (Bombing)
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will call for a report from the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary as to the stage which investigations have reached into the bombing of the home of Mr. Peter Bell, a civil servant working for his Department.
[holding answer 4 April 1989]: A bomb explosion occurred on 12 March 1976 between the homes of Mr. Bell and another civil servant. Although there was extensive damage to both houses no one was injured in the explosion. I understand that the police file in this case remains Open.
Health
Organ Donors
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will request regional health authorities to include the words, "Are you an organ donor?" on all hospital admission forms.
No. The working party chaired by Sir Raymond Hoffenberg examined this suggestion and considered that it would increase the anxiety of patients entering hospital. It would be unlikely to increase substantially the availability of organs because most potential donors are unconcious on admission to hospital.
Prescriptions
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has as to the total saving which has been made by the National Health Service since the limited list was introduced.
In 1985–86 the selected list scheme saved £75 million on the drugs bill. It is difficult to make meaningful estimates for subsequent years but we have no reason to doubt that significant savings continue to be made.
Cook-Chill Food
To ask the Secretary of State for Heallth when the revised guidelines on cook-chill will be published.
I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 24 February 1989 to the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, North (Ms. Walley) at columns 824–25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there will be stiffer regulations regarding temperature control of cook-chill food in the revised guidelines on cook-chill.
My Department's expert group and the relevant recent research have confirmed that the temperature controls specified in the 1980 guidelines are still appropriate and they are likely to form the basis of the guidance given in the revised guidelines when these are published.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what scientific advice has been taken by his Department in revising the guidelines on cook-chill.
My Department convened an expert group to review the guidelines on cook-chill catering systems and they provided the core of the scientific advice during the review.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he intends to introduce new statutory powers governing the preparation of cook-chill foods.
The preparation of cook-chill foods is subject to the requirement of the Food Act 1984 and the regulations made under that Act, in the same way as any other food business. Following extensive consultation, the Food Hygiene (General) Regulations 1970 are currently being reviewed.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he intends to take and what proposals he intends to include in the revised guidelines on cook-chill to ensure a high microbiological quality of food used in cook-chill.
During the review of the existing guidelines my Department's scientific expert group considered the recommended microbiological criteria and considered them to be satisfactory. They took the view that providing the 1980 guidelines were followed, they would provide food of sound microbiological quality. However, absence of listeria monocytogenes has been included in the recommended microbiological specification.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he intends to take and what proposals he intends to include in the revised guidelines on cook-chill to ensure adequate hygiene education and training of cook-chill food handlers.
The production of cook-chill foods covered by the guidelines is subject to the requirements of the Food Act 1984 and the regulations made under that Act, as are all food businesses.Following extensive consultation the Food Act and its regulations are currently being reviewed and the present proposals include regulation-making powers for Government to require appropriate hygiene training for those involved in food handling.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many studies, and at what cost, his Department has conducted into the microbiological quality of cook-chill foods.
I refer the hon. Member to the reply by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on 9
| AIDS Cases (United Kingdom figures) | HIV anti-body positive (England and Wales) | |||||
| Men | Women | Total1 | Men | Women | Total2 | |
| Total | 2,031 | 72 | 2,103 (1,116) | 7,358 | 557 | 8,025 |
| Injecting drug users only | 31 | 12 | 43 (22) | 418 | 219 | 642 |
| Injecting drug users who are homosexual | 33 | — | 33 (15) | 72 | — | 72 |
| 1 Deaths shown in brackets | ||||||
| 2 Includes small number where sex not specified | ||||||
To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will make a statement on the funding of Mainliners.
Mainliners, a voluntary organisation recently formed to help HIV positive drug users, has applied for a grant towards its administrative expenses to be incurred in 1989–90. The Department has notified Mainliners that, while we value the work that it is doing in this field, its current work is too local to fall within the scope of the general grant scheme that the Department operates under section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968.
Airline Food (Safety)
To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has now received a copy of the report, "A Survey of Microbiological Quality of Airline February at columns 780–81 which provides details amongst others of research funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which is of relevance to the microbiological quality of cook-chill foods.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health where his Department intends to conduct any further research into the microbiological quality of cook-chill foods.
I see no need at this stage to conduct further research into the microbiological quality of conventional cook-chill foods other than that already sponsored by Government.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he intends to take and what proposals he intends to include in the revised guidelines on cook-chill to prevent cross-contamination in the preparation of cook-chill foods.
The guidance on proper time and temperature control and the separation of cooked and uncooked food during the production process in the existing guidelines are intended to reduce the microbiological contamination to a minimum.I expect these points will be emphasised in the reviewed guidelines.
Drug Abuse
To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will make a statement on the incidence of HIV amongst drug users.
The following table shows the cumulative totals of AIDS cases and HIV anti-body positive reports at the end of February 1989.Foods", by the London boroughs of Hillingdon and Hounslow and Spelthorne borough council; and whether he will make a statement.
I have just received a copy of the report and I will give it due consideration.
Project 2000
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if, pursuant to his reply of 31 January, Official Report, column 189, he can give any estimate of when (a) the level of bursary for a nursing student enrolling on a course under the Project 2000 nursing education reforms will be announced, and (b) the arrangements for the longer term administration of such bursaries will be determined; and if he will make a statement on the progress towards the implementation of the Project 2000 reforms so far.
We intend to make an announcement shortly on the level of bursaries for Project 2000 nursing students and the arrangements for administration. On progress on Project 2000 generally, my right hon. and learned Friend announced on 3 April that approval had been given to the development of Project 2000 courses in the following districts/schools of nursing:
- East Suffolk and Great Yarmouth
- Crewe and Macclesfield
- Newcastle
- North East Essex
- Parkside
- North and South Bedfordshire
- North Manchester
- North West Surrey/South West Surrey/West Surrey and North East Hampshire
- Avon
- Sheffield
- North Staffordshire
- Portsmouth and Isle of Wight
- Winchester and Basingstoke
Health
Community Care
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanisms his Department has established to oversee the transfer of residents of long-stay institutions to the community; and if they are working satisfactorily.
It is for health authorities, in consultation with social services departments and other care agencies to determine arrangements for the transfer of residents of long-stay institutions to the community. The annual accountability review process is the principal mechanism by which health authorities' performance across the whole range of their activities is monitored by the Department. During the course of this year, we intend to get a clearer picture of the development of mental health services throughout the country. The objective is to provide us with a properly informed basis for considering whether there are any steps it would be right and proper for us to take to improve the care of mentally disordered people, including former long-stay patients now in the community.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when he now expects to respond to the report by Sir Roy Griffiths on community care;(2) if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy on community care.
We remain committed to a policy of promoting the development of community services so that people can return to, or remain in, the community and live as independently as possible, wherever this is best for them. We are currently giving active consideration to the future organisation and management of community care following Sir Roy Griffiths' report and hope to be in a position to bring forward our own proposals in the near future.
Residential Care
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many mentally ill and mentally handicapped patients have been moved from hospital care into residential care in each of the last five years;
(2) what are his Department's estimates of the numbers of mentally ill and mentally handicapped people not receiving long-stay hospital care in each of the last five years.
The numbers of discharges from mental illness and mental handicap hospitals and units in England directly into residential care are not available centrally.Many of the National Health Service patients discharged from mental illness and mental handicap hospitals and units after a stay of one year or more will transfer to residential care.The table shows the numbers of patients discharged to the community from National Health Service mental illness and mental handicap hospitals and units in England after a stay of one year or more, for the last five years for which information is currently available. The figures exclude deaths, and transfers to another hospital.
| Discharges from mental illness and mental handicap hospitals and units, England (1982 to 1986) | |||
| Year | Mental illness | Mental handicap | Total |
| 1982 | 3,465 | 1,229 | 4,694 |
| 1983 | 3,563 | 1,457 | 5,020 |
| 1984 | 3,928 | 1,919 | 5,847 |
| 1985 | 3,441 | 2,052 | 5,493 |
| 1986 | 3,751 | 2,528 | 6,279 |
Day Care
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many day care places for mentally ill and mentally handicapped people were available in each of the last five years.
The table shows the number of day places allocated on the last full working day of each year at National Health Service day hospitals; the number of day care places at single specialty mental illness and mental handicap hospitals are excluded as the data were not centrally collected.The table also shows the number of day care places provided by local authority social services departments in each of the last five years for which figures are available.
| Number of day care places in England for people with a mental illness or mental handicap, 1983–87 | ||||
| Number of places in NHS day hospitals for | Number of places provided by local authority social services departments for | |||
| Year | Mental illness | Mental handicap | Mental illness1 | Mental handicap |
| 1983 | 16,293 | 1,142 | 8,689 | 46,558 |
| 1984 | 16,996 | 1,195 | 8,919 | 47,464 |
| 1985 | 17,903 | 1,519 | 9,308 | 48,824 |
| 1986 | 18,661 | 1,528 | 9,216 | 50,374 |
| 1987 | n/a | n/a | 9,993 | 51,732 |
| 1 Including places made available to local authorities by voluntary or private organisations and estimates of places for mentally ill people in day centres for mixed client groups. | ||||
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the rate of provision of day care places for the elderly per 1,000 people aged 75 years and over in each of the last five years.
| Table 1 | |||||
| Geriatric medicine: Day care attendances, 1982 to 1987–88 and available place days, 1987–88 only National Health Service hospitals in England | |||||
| 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987–88 | |
| Rates per thousand population 75 + | |||||
| Available place days | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | 713·5 |
| New patients | 24·2 | 23·8 | 25·2 | 24·9 | 23·4 |
| TOTAL ATTENDANCES | 552·4 | 540·8 | 525·1 | 525·0 | 498·0 |
| Table 2 | |
| Number of day care places for the elderly per 1,000 people aged 75 or over provided by local authority social services departments in England: 1983–871 | |
| Number of places per 1,000 population aged 75 or over | |
| As at 31 March | |
| 1983 | 13·3 |
| 1984 | 13·3 |
| 1985 | 13·4 |
| 1986 | 13·5 |
| 1987 | 13·4 |
| 1 Including estimates of places for the elderly in day centres for mixed client groups and day care places in local authority residential accommodation. | |
The available information for (a) National Health Service hospitals and (b) local authority social service departments is given in the tables.
House Of Commons
Research Assistants
To ask the Lord President of the Council, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Nottingham, North, Official Report, 20 March, column 455, if he will arrange for the register signed by research assistants using the Library to be available for inspection by hon. and right hon. Members.
The register signed by research assistants using the Members' Library is kept permanently in the Oriel Room of the Library. It can be made available on request to any right hon. or hon. Member who wishes to inspect it.