Written Answers

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Written Answers To Questions

Thursday 27 April 1989

Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs

South Africa

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the implications for his policy towards South Africa of the report on the rights of detainees and other matters, by the Black Sash women's rights group of South Africa; and if he will make arrangements for a copy of the report to be procured for his departmental library.

We regularly receive information on human rights issued by Black Sash. The March issue of the Black Sash magazine is devoted to an overview of the current state of human rights in South Africa. We condemn all abuses of basic human rights wherever they occur.

United Kingdom Embassies

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries at present do not have a United Kingdom embassy; what is the reason for the absence; and what steps are being taken to establish an embassy in each case.

As all the information necessary is not immediately available, a further reply will be sent to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

India (Missiles)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has made any representations to the Indian Government over the implications for stability in the sub-continent of the planned programme of flight testing the Agni intermediate range ballistic missile in Orissa state.

No.

Soviet Submarine (Sinking)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what detailed information was received from the Soviet Government, at what time, and through which channels, to assure Her Majesty's Government that the sinking of the Mike class Soviet nuclear submarine provided no radiological hazard to the North sea and Arctic ocean.

A message from Mr. Gorbachev to the Prime Minister informing her of the accident was passed on in the early hours of 8 April. In it he assured her that there was no leak of radioactivity and that none was expected. Detailed information to the same effect was passed by the Soviet permanent representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna to that body at about 0545 BST on 8 April. This information was relayed to London through the British permanent representative's office at 0645 BST.

The Arts

"The Northern Region: Making Ends Meet"

To ask the Minister for the Arts what consideration he has given to the findings of the report published by the National Campaign for the Arts "The Northern Region: Making Ends Meet;" and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 25 April 1989]: The funding of regional arts associations is a matter for the Arts Council. I understand that the chairman of the Arts Council has already written to the National Campaign for the Arts about the report.

House Of Commons

Pension Fund

To ask the Lord President of the Council when the Government Actuary's valuation report on the parliamentary contributory pension fund will be laid before the House.

In accordance with section 5 of the Parliamentary and Other Pensions Act 1972, the Government Actuary's valuation report on the parliamentary contributory pension fund is being laid before the House today. The House will have an opportunity to debate the report and the Government will not take any decision on its recommendations until after that debate. The report includes a recommendation that the standard contribution for Members should be about 20 per cent. of salary, of which the Exchequer should contribute 11 per cent., while the Member's contribution should remain at 9 per cent. This compares with the position previously when the Exchequer contribution was set at 13 per cent. with a 5 per cent. supplement, during which time a substantial surplus has built up in the fund. This surplus would by convention normally be used to reduce the employers' contribution. The Actuary therefore recommended that the Exchequer contribution from April 1989 should fall to 4·4 per cent., returning to 11 per cent. from April 1997.

National Finance

"The Inland Revenue And The Taxpayer"

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he intends to initiate legislation, or consolidate legislation, as a consequence of the Board of Inland Revenue's consultative document entitled, "The Inland Revenue and The Taxpayer" published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office on behalf of the Board of Inland Revenue in December 1986.

Legislation was included in the Finance (No. 2) Act 1987 and the Finance Act 1988. Further clauses are contained in this year's Finance Bill which will substantially complete the legislation arising out of the proposals in the Inland Revenue's consultative document.

Consolidation of statute law is the responsibility of the Law Commission. A Bill consolidating the laws relating to capital allowances will be ready for introduction in the 1989–90 Session of Parliament. Work on further consolidations of tax law will then be put in hand.

Small Businesses (Tax Concessions)

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list in the Official Report the tax concessions specifically directed at small businesses since 1979.

In line with the Government's policy of encouraging enterprise, tax changes intended to benefit small businesses have been introduced in each Budget since 1979. Details are as follows:

1979 Budget

Small companies' profit limits raised to £60,000 and £100,000.

1980 Budget

Venture capital scheme introduced;

costs of raising business loan finance allowed as tax deduction against trading income;

small companies' profit limits raised to £70,000 and £130,000;

small companies' corporation tax (CT) rate reduced to 40 per cent.;

capital gains tax (CGT) exemption limit increased to £3,000;

removal of double charge to CGT and capital transfer tax (CTT) on gifts;

CTT threshold doubled to £50,000;

introduction of small workshops scheme;

relaxation of conditions for tax relief for interest paid on money borrowed for investment in, or lending to, a close company;

close company apportionment rules abolished in respect of trading income;

VAT registration threshold raised broadly in line with inflation;

percentage limit on retirement annuity relief increased and abolition of ceiling on premiums qualifying for relief;

measures to encourage employee share ownership;

easing of administrative burden on sub-contractors tax deduction scheme;

pre-trading revenue expenditure allowed as deduction against trading income.

1981 Budget

Venture capital scheme extended;

Business Start Up Scheme introduced;

small companies' profit limits raised to £80,000 and £200,000;

extension and relaxation of interest relief on money borrowed for investment in a partnership co-operative;

VAT registration threshold raised broadly in line with inflation;

threshold for tax relief on redundancy payments increased to £25,000;

introduction of pilot loan guarantee scheme.

1982 Budget

Expansion of business start up scheme;

no advance corporation tax (ACT) or income tax charge on certain purchases of own shares by unquoted trading companies;

small companies' profit limits raised to £90,000 and £225,000;

CGT exemption limit increased to £5,000 and indexed for future years;

CGT indexation of gains introduced;

CTT threshold increased to £55,000 and indexed for future years, rate bands extended;

beneficial changes to interest relief rules for investments in close companies made by working managers;

VAT registration threshold raised broadly in line with inflation;

deduction for VAT paid on supplies of services to VAT registered traders before registration;

limits of retirement annuity relief for older contributors increased;

qualifying period for tax relief for pre-trading expenditure increased to three years;

business contributions to local enterprise agencies to be tax deductible;

extension of small workshop scheme for very small workshops;

extension of pilot loan guarantee scheme.

1983 Budget

Introduction of business expansion scheme (BES);

small companies' CT rate reduced to 38 per cent.;

small companies' profit limits raised to £100,000 and £500,000;

CGT exemption limit raised in line with inflation;

CTT: threshold increased by more than inflation, longer period for paying tax on business assets without incurring interest charge;

further measures to encourage employee share ownership;

de minimis limit for assessment of investment income apportioned to members of a close company increased to £1,000;

interest relief extended to employee buy-outs;

VAT registration threshold raised broadly in line with inflation;

extension of loan guarantee scheme.

1984 Budget

small companies' CT rate reduced to 30 per cent.;

further measures to encourage employee share ownership;

CGT exemption limit raised in line with inflation;

CGT rollover and retirement reliefs extended to furnished holiday lettings—enables landlords of such properties to claim same deductions as traders;

highest rate of CTT cut to 60 per cent., rates for lifetime transfers reduced to half those on death;

VAT registration threshold raised broadly in line with inflation;

self-employed required to live in job-related accommodation given mortgage interest relief for purchase of own home elsewhere;

National insurance surcharge abolished;

relaxation of conditions for interest relief applied to employee buy outs;

Investment income surcharge abolished;

retirement relief doubled to £100,000.

1985 Budget

Tax relief on half class 4 NIC;

extension of BES;

reform of capital gains retirement relief, reducing qualifying age and introducing ill-health relief; extension of indexation to give full relief for assets held since 1982;

VAT registration threshold raised broadly in line with inflation, extension of bad debt relief.

1986 Budget

small companies' CT rate reduced to 29 per cent.;

BES extended and targeting improved;

Inheritance tax (IHT) replaced CTT, thereby abolishing tax charge on most lifetime gifts;

Increase in CGT small part-disposals relief unit;

VAT registration and deregistration thresholds raised broadly in line with inflation;

Enterprise allowance scheme expanded;

Employee share schemes: improved access for unquoted family companies, employee controlled companies, worker co-operatives;

Loan Guarantee Scheme extended an premium halved.

1987 Budget

Small companies' CT rate reduced to 27 per cent.;

package of measures to lighten VAT burden on small businesses including: cash accounting and annual accounting for businesses with turnover of up to £250,000, period in which businesses obliged to register extended to 30 days, simpler schemes to be more widely available for small and medium sized retailers;

VAT registration threshold raised broadly in line with inflation;

standstill in fuel duties and most vehicle excise duty rates;

BES changes to reduce effect of investment bunching in last quarter of tax year;

small companies' rate of CGT reduced to 27 per cent. with ACT offset against liability on gains;

ceiling for capital gains retirement relief increased to £125,000;

IHT business relief increased from 30 per cent. to 50 per cent. for minority holdings over 25 per cent. in unquoted companies;

IHT threshold increased by more than inflation;

introduction of tax relief for profit related pay (PRP);

new simplified occupational pension schemes will help small employers set up own schemes;

personal pensions introduced with improved, age related contribution limits.

1988 Budget

small companies' CT rate reduced to 25 per cent.;

small compamies' CGT charges reduced to 25 per cent.;

BES targeting improved to help smaller and newer businesses;

CGT retirement relief considerably extended, 50 per cent. relief introduced for gains between £125,000 and £500,000;

CGT rollover relief extended to milk and potato quotas;

VAT registration threshold raised broadly in line with inflation;

abolition of capital duty;

major changes to rules applying to unapproved employee share schemes;

simplification of IHT: flat rate of 40 per cent., threshold increased by more than inflation;

exemption for capital gains accruing before April 1982.

In addition, the following proposals are contained in this year's Finance Bill:

small companies' profit limits raised to £150,000 and £750,000;

simplification of pensions rules and substantial increases in personal pension contribution limits;

improved tax reliefs designed to encourage employee participation in PRP and employee share schemes (including ESOPS);

abolition of close company apportionment rules;

extended relief for pre-trading expenditure;

VAT registration threshold raised broadly in line with inflation:

CGT gifts relief retained for business assets.

And, of course, small businesses will also have benefited from the major reductions in the rates of income tax since 1979.

Old Ships

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to remove the balancing charge under which a British ship owner when disposing of old ships pays to the Treasury one third of the proceeds; and if he will make a statement.

I have noted my hon. Friend's suggestion. Balancing charges are made to recover tax relief for depreciation given in excess of the depreciation actually experienced. Whether such a charge needs to be made and, if so, the amount of the charge depends on the particular circumstances of each individual case.

Investment Statistics

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list in tabular form the amounts invested (a) in United Kingdom shares and (b) in foreign shares by (i) pension funds, (ii) insurance companies and (iii) unit trusts for each month from January 1979 to date.

Information on the investment of financial institutions in United Kingdom and overseas company securities is published regularly in "Financial Statistics"—for pension funds in table 7.14, for insurance companies in table 7.13, and for unit trusts in table 7.11. The figures published show the market value of investments at the end of each calendar year, and the cash value of net acquisitions (purchases less sales) in each quarter. There is no monthly information.

Gilts

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the amount of Government gilt edged securities sold by unit trusts, pension funds and insurance companies in each quarter since October 1987; and if he will make a statement.

The information requested is published in "Financial Statistics"—for unit trusts in table 7.11, for pension funds in table 7.14, and for insurance companies in table 7.13.

Ec Banking Directive

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made in the Council of Finance Ministers in considering the second banking directive; if it is the general purpose of the draft directive that banks approved by their own state should be permitted to seek deposits, to offer loans and to engage in the full business of retail banking in another member state; and if he will make a statement on the position of Her Majesty's Government on the directive.

The draft second banking coordination directive, which the Government have welcomed in principle as an important step towards the creation of a single market in financial services. It will give credit institutions (broadly, banks and building societies) the right to establish a branch in, or provide cross-border services into, another member state on the basis of their home state authorisation. This right will extend to a wide range of banking services including those mentioned. The directive is currently under detailed consideration in a Council working group of representatives from the member states and the Commission. The Commission has recently made revised proposals for a reciprocity provision in the directive. The Council of Ministers had an initial discussion of these new proposals on 17 April, and they are being considered further.

Finance Bill

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the notes on those clauses of the Finance Bill to be taken in Committee of the whole House will be made available to hon. Members.

Yes. The appropriate notes on clauses were placed in the Vote Office earlier today.

Computers

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many instances have been detected in the Inland Revenue computer system of computer (a) hacking, (b) viruses, (c) logic bombs, (d) Trojan horses or (e) other types of computer misuse, whether perpetuated by authorised or unauthorised users of computers; and how many unsuccessful attempts have been recorded.

[holding answer 24 April 1989]: It is not the policy of this Department to make public details and circumstances of computer security incidents, their perpetrators and their success or failure, since such information would be of assistance to potential attackers.

Income Tax

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total income tax payment for (a) a single person on £40,000, (b) a married man with no children on £40,000 and (c) a married man with two children on £40,000 with no other allowances apart from the basic allowances; and what would be the total payments in each category if the standard rate of income tax for those earning £40,000 were raised to 50 per cent.

[holding answer 20 April 1989]: The information is as follows:

Income tax liability¹1989–90 on income of £40,000
Category	Assuming 1989 Budget proposals £ p.a.	Assuming single rate of tax of per cent. £ p.a.
(a) Single person	11,781·00	18,607·50
(b) Married man with no children	11,145·00	17,812·50
(c) Married man with two children²	10,391·00	17,058·50
¹ Assumes no other allowances apart from the basic personal allowances.
² Deducting child benefit of £7·25 per week per child.

Double Taxation (Ireland)

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement indicating whether there have been any reviews of, or amendments to, the Treasury or Inland Revenue's interpretation of functions of a governmental nature covered by article 18(I) of the double taxation agreement with the Republic of Ireland; and if he will detail the date, content and status of any guidelines issued to Inland Revenue officials on such interpretation on and since the introduction of the double Taxation Agreement.

[holding answer 18 April 1989]: There have been no reviews. The article concerned is common in form to many of our double taxation agreements and guidelines on it have been available for many years to officials. Any matters of particular difficulty are handled centrally.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement listing the functions of a governmental nature covered by article 18(1) of the double taxation agreement between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

[holding answer 18 April 1989]: Where services are rendered directly to the Government or a local authority they are considered to involve the discharge of functions of a governmental nature. Where, however, services are rendered by employees to an agency, board or other statutory body, they are considered to render services to that agency, board or statutory body and not to the Government or a local authority.

Overseas Development

West Bank And Gaza Strip

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Coventry, South-East, Official Report, 20 April, columns 241–42, as to the aid over the last five years to the West Bank and Gaza Strip from (a) other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries, (b) other European Economic Community countries and (c) other sources.

Information on other donors' aid to the West Bank and Gaza is scarce. Our understanding is that France, Germany, Italy and Spain have programmes broadly comparable with that of the United Kingdom; that the United States of America provides substantially more; and that some other western donors maintain small programmes.Outside the OECD and the European Community the eastern bloc and Arab donors provide some assistance, the former mainly through training awards. Among Arab donors Jordan was particularly active in the occupied territories until last year.Among multilateral donors the European Community provided the equivalent of £5 million from 1981 to 1986 and some £2 million in each of 1987 and 1988. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees provided US$174·5 million in 1986, US$208·8 million in 1987 and US$216·4 million in 1988; these figures also include expenditure in Lebanon and refugee camps elsewhere in the region.

Wales

Siemens Printers

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many Siemens ND3 printers are used by his Department, either in-house or through a private contract; and what is the location of each.

My Department does not have any Siemens ND3 printers. Contracts which my Department has with private companies do not specify that particular printers should or should not be used.

Welsh Language

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what progress he has made, in conjunction with the Welsh Language Board, in discussing the changes to legislation with regard to the Welsh language; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has already taken action via the Local Government and Housing Bill to allow local authorities in Wales to adopt the Welsh version of their official title. The Welsh Language Board has made good progress in considering a number of other areas where difficulties have arisen with regard to the use of Welsh in the past and my right hon. Friend will consider its proposals as they emerge.

Esa Payments

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether ESA payments to farmers in Wales are made to those who are farming the relevant land whether as tenants or owner occupiers or to the landowners.

ESA payments are made to the applicant who will usually be an owner-occupier or tenant of the land. Joint applications can be accepted from landlord and tenant.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has issued any guidelines on the effect on agricultural rents of ESA payments; and if he will make a statement.

No. Agricultural rents are a matter for negotiation between landlord and tenant.

Specialty	Clwyd	East Dyfed	Gwent	Gwynedd	Mid Glamorgan	Pembro ke-shire	Powys	South Glamorgan	West Glamorgan
Number of operations by specialty—1985¹
General medicine	913	870	1,557	251	1,391	379	²	1,182	2,794
Paediatrics	140	²	231	176	522	²	²	788	213
Chest diseases	242	267	²	²	²	²	²	380	²
Dermatology	²	²	²	²	96	²	²	²	²
Neurology	²	²	²	²	²	²	²	75	357
Cardiology	²	²	²	²	²	²	²	966	²
Rheumatology	78	²	²	²	²	²²	²	²	56
Geriatrics	²	²	²	²	98	74	²	²	64
General surgery	10,071	5,039	7,315	5,652	7,608	2,177	51	7,276	5,298
ENT	2,863	1,478	2,508	899	2,932	²	²	3,193	1,841
Trauma and orthopaedic	4,190	1,593	2,815	1,749	3,979	968	²	4,100	2,906
Ophthalmology	1,520	812	852	1,024	1,443	²	²	932	692
Radiotherapy	²	²	²	²	²	²	²	2,637	907
Urology	²	²	1,470	²	1,609	²	²	2,041	1,296
Plastic surgery	²	²	3,402	²	²	²	²	²	²
Thoracic surgery	²	²	²	²	²	²	²	272	²
Dental surgery	891	208	933	367	959	²	²	1,797	1,035
Neurosurgery	²	²	²	²	²	²	²	305	689
Gynaecology	4,378	1,895	5,230	2,551	5,653	1,212	²	4,960	5,793
Obstetrics	4,338	1,895	5,155	2,200	5,737	1,363	²	5,709	5,161
Special care babies	²	²	²	²	²	²	²	75	²
Cardiac surgery	²	²	²	²	²	²	²	393	²
Burns	²	²	178	²	²	²	²	²	²
Neurology radiologist	²	²	²	²	²	²	²	193	²
GP Maternity	²	²	798	75	120	52	516	²	²
GP Medical	²	²	²	²	²	²	861	²	²
GP Dental	140	²	²	²	²	²	²	²	²
Other specialist units	125	²	179	²	751	²	²	111	²
Orthodontics	²	²	²	²	²	94	²	²	²
Intermittent haemodialysis	²	²	²	²	²	²	²	²	89
Acute geriatrics	266	²	59	²	²	²	²	157	280
Haematology	166	²	²	²	²	²	²	412	372
Short stay units	341	²	73	²	²	²	²	²	²
Other/not known	108	124	160	52	38	37	92	146	134
Number of operations by specialty—1986¹
General medicine	1,417	1,025	1,749	363	2,172	402	²	1,288	3,008
Paediatrics	178	²	311	191	646	²	²	1,152	285
Chest diseases	207	421	²	²	²	²	²	384	²
Dermatology	²	²	²	²	133	²	²	²	²
Neurology	²	²	²	²	²	²	²	52	435
Cardiology	²	²	²	²	²	²	²	788	²
Rheumatology	55	²	²	²	²	²	²	²	95
Geriatrics	²	²	²	²	²	103	²	²	330
General surgery	10,029	6,550	8,122	5,646	9,849	2,857	²	7,171	4,719
ENT	2,753	2,023	2,436	951	3,016	120	²	3,573	1,575
Trauma and orthopaedic	3,558	2,074	2,946	1,908	4,428	1,492	²	4,069	2,890
Ophthalmology	1,576	935	1,233	1,063	2,020	²	²	1,091	835

Health Service

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for each health authority the percentage of consultant hours in each specialty which are contracted to (a) the National Health Service and (b) private practice.

The information requested is not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list by health authority the average number of National Health Service operations done by consultants in each specialty in each of the past three years for which figures are available.

Information is not available in the form requested.The information shown in the following tables relates to the number of operative procedures performed in NHS hospitals, by specialty.

Specialty

Clwyd

East Dyfed

Gwent

Gwynedd

Mid Glamorgan

Pembro ke-shire

Powys

South Glamorgan

West Glamorgan

Radiotherapy

2,927

1,110

Urology

1,482

1,637

2,065

1,722

Plastic surgery

3,466

Thoracic surgery

266

Dental surgery

970

207

823

304

1,086

3,027

1,214

Neurosurgery

279

876

Gynaecology

4,576

2,212

5,058

2,673

5,873

1,667

5,994

5,810

Obstetrics

4,689

1,851

5,071

2,263

6,853

1,356

5,102

5,356

Special care babies

Cardiac surgery

317

Burns

Neurology radiologist

411

GP Maternity

632

504

GP Medical

803

GP Dental

Other specialist units

796

Orthodontics

248

Intermittent haemodialysis

178

Acute geriatrics

299

173

188

Haematology

103

330

358

Anaesthetics

208

Short stay units

509

262

Other/not known

143

155

193

160

180

Number of operations by specialty—1987¹

General medicine

1,432

1,353

1,762

684

2,572

349

1,277

3,260

Paediatrics

210

206

209

292

1,222

265

Chest diseases

180

618

339

Dermatology

125

Neurology

386

Cardiology

903

Rheumatology

Geriatrics

752

General surgery

10,110

6,930

8,379

5,617

11,464

2,883

6,928

5,266

ENT

2,635

2,310

2,256

995

2,975

114

3,457

2,014

Trauma and orthopaedic

3,859

2,209

3,257

1,923

4,902

1,409

4,058

3,421

Opthalmology

1,906

1,045

1,222

1,232

2,912

957

Radiotherapy

2,773

1,537

Urology

378

1,999

1,707

1,950

1,622

Plastic surgery

3,371

Thoracic surgery

267

Dental surgery

1,024

245

766

240

1,052

3,045

1,285

Neurosurgery

271

1,001

Gynaecology

4,909

2,323

4,688

2,671

8,238

1,675

6,365

6,180

Obstetrics

4,960

2,011

5,104

2,293

7,194

1,424

5,623

5,693

Cardiac surgery

268

Burns

197

Neurology radiologist

280

GP Maternity

555

112

494

GP Medical

811

GP Dental

Other specialist units

260

Orthodontics

253

Intermittent haemodialysis

Acute geriatrics

325

172

132

256

Haematology

130

131

125

365

Anaesthetics

115

217

Short stay units

572

278

Other/not known

143

157

218

217

173

227

¹ A number of non-operative procedures; may also be included

² denotes that fewer than 50 operative procedures were performed; where applicable such figures are included in the specialty 'other/not known'

Teachers

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish statistics for every local education authority in Wales showing the number of supply teachers registered for casual cover and showing what incremental point on the main professional grade for teachers' salaries a well-qualified and experienced supply teacher may progress to.

	Number
Clwyd	173
Dyfed	90
Gwent	225
Gwynedd	74
Mid Glamorgan	139

	Number
Powys	68
South Glamorgan	191
West Glamorgan	54

These figures exclude supply teachers with contracted employment of one month or longer.

LES's have discretion to pay supply teachers up to the maximum of the main scale and may also award them incentive allowances, subject to the requirements contained in the school teachers pay and conditions document 1988.

Local Education Authorities (Finance)

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list (a) the capital allocation to each local education authority and (b) the capital allocation to each local education authority as a percentage of the bid of that local education authority, in each of the last six years.

Capital allocations
£'000
	1984–85 Total	1985–86 Total	1986–87 Total	1987–88 Total	1988–89 Total	1989–90 Total
Clwyd	12,014	12,249	14,092	16,649	16,797	12,840
Dyfed	9,110	11,396	16,615	16,594	15,455	16,948
Gwent	21,437	13,000	17,582	21,466	18,479	24,019
Gwynedd	8,354	11,528	8,565	9,197	7,907	7,903
Mid Glamorgan	19,985	17,102	22,708	24,077	23,126	26,648
Powys	3,730	3,904	6,950	7,111	6,055	6,110
South Glamorgan	14,068	23,008	26,764	32,411	31,357	18,132
West Glamorgan	11,071	14,389	19,233	20,124	18,163	22,247

Scotland

Forestry Projects

68.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of forestry projects currently taking place in Britain; and if he will make a statement.

Between 1 April 1988 and 31 March 1989 the Forestry Commission has, under its grant schemes, approved 4,390 new applications for planting grants in Great Britain.

Electronic Companies

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what factors have contributed to the recent growth in Scottish-based electronic companies; and if he will make a statement.

A range of factors have contributed to the success of electronic companies in Scotland. These include the availability of a highly skilled labour force, backed by a strong higher education system, a diversity of established electronics companies and products which has led to the development of a supply infrastructure, low operational costs, good industrial relations, and the support and encouragement of the Scottish Office, the Scottish Development Agency and Locate in Scotland, the joint inward investment arm of the Scottish Office and the agency.

The capital allocations (for all services) for the years 1984–85 to 1989–90 are shown in the following tables. Since 1985–86 capital allocations to Welsh local education authorities (counties) have not been hypothecated to individual services and have been based on formulae agreed with the local authority associations.Details of bids and capital allocations for education, together with allocations for 1984–85 as a percentage of bids that year are shown in the following tables.

	1984–85
	Education capital expenditure bids	Education capital allocation	Education allocation as a percentage of bids
Clwyd	8,122	3,797	46·75
Dyfed	6,477	3,054	47·15
Gwent	9,571	4,344	45·39
Gwynedd	2,087	1,628	78·01
Mid Glamorgan	8,892	5,513	62·00
Powys	2,747	1,682	61·23
South Glamorgan	6,683	3,646	54·56
West Glamorgan	9,014	3,398	37·70

Nhs Reform

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many letters he has received from general practitioners, either direct or via hon. Members (a) supporting and (h) opposing the Government's proposals in the White Paper on new contracts.

It is not possible to supply the information in the form requested. About 1,000 letters have been received either from GPs or through hon. Members about the White Paper "Working for Patients" and the new contract for GPs. Many of these letters were written before the new contract proposals were issued in Scotland; and many are based upon a misunderstanding of the proposals in both documents. Some items in both documents are supported; others are queried or opposed.

Electoral Registers

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are his estimates of the numbers of potential first-time voters in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee who failed to submit their names and addresses for entry on current electoral registers.

The estimated numbers are approximately 2,200 in Glasgow, 1,800 in Edinburgh, 1,000 in Aberdeen and 1,000 in Dundee. These 6,000 represent 29 per cent. of the estimate of 16 and 17-year-olds eligible to be included in the registers for those cities. This is the same percentage as in both 1988 and 1987.

Highland Health Board

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will show for each of the members of the Highland health board their experience, expertise and background.

Highland health board
Member	Background
Appointed to 31 March 1991
Mr. G. Bruce	Company Manager; Former Chairman Caithness Local Health Council; Chairman Caithness Chamber of Commerce
Mr. M. Cumming	Principal Teacher of Mathematics
Dr. R. S. C. Fergusson	General Medical Practitioner; Former Chairman, Highland Area Medical Committee
Mrs. C. B. Fraser	Retired Registered General Nurse; Director Red Cross (Ross and Cromarty Branch); Involvement with many voluntary organisations
Dr. C. A. S. Galloway	Consultant Paediatrician; Member or Executive Member of various medical organisations
Mr. W. G. Johnston, JP	Accountant/Managing Director of Transport Company; Former Regional and District Councillor
Mrs. V. Maclver	Member Highland Regional Council and Ross and Cromarty District Council; Former Member Ross and Cromarty Local Health Council
Mr. A. K. Robertson	General Dental Practitioner; Member and Former Chairman, Area Dental Committee of Highland Health Board
Mrs. C. Thomson	Former State Registered Nurse; Former Member Ross and Cromarty Local Health Council
Appointed to 31 March 1993
Mrs. H. E. Betts-Brown	Senior Physiotherapist; Founder member/Former Chairman Scottish Society for the Mentally Handicapped (Sutherland Branch); Chairman East Sutherland Council of Social Service
Mr. J. Forbes JP	Farmer; Member Highlands and Islands Development Consultative Council; Governor North of Scotland College of Agriculture
Mr. J. G. Ligertwood	Retired Bank Manager; Treasurer of many charitable organisations at various times
Mr. B. A. Merchant	Solicitor; Former member Inverness Local Health Council
Mrs. S. M. C. South	Housewife; Former Chairman Badenoch and Strathspey Local Health Council; Secretary Local Branch Age Concern
Mr. R. R. W. Stewart	Health Board General Manager
Mrs. S. G. H. Stone	Managing Director of Highland Fine Cheeses Ltd.; Founder, Ross-shire Health Protection Trust
Miss I. Urquhart	Registered General Nurse; Member Management Committee of Crossroads (Ross and Cromarty); Member Highland Nursing Advisory Committee

Flood Damage

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether special Government assistance to local authorities will be made available in the light of the floods and storms of February; and if he will make a statement.

I indicated to the House on 14 February that I had invited local authorities and others to provide details of the damage which had occurred and of the remedial costs. I made it clear that in considering whether special Government help was needed, particularly to local authorities, the same principles would be applied as in the past. Highland regional council, the worst affected, Inverness district council and 43 housing authorities have responded. I have also received a number of representations from hon. Members, the National Farmers Union of Scotland, Scottish Landowners Federation and from individuals.Having reviewed the information now available to me, I am pleased to announce that the financial scheme to

The information requested is as follows:assist local authorities in emergencies—the Bellwin scheme—will be made available on this occasion on the same basis as it operated in England and Wales in 1987. This will ensure that special financial assistance goes to those local authorities which, as a consequence of the emergency, would otherwise incur an undue financial burden in providing relief and carrying out immediate works to safeguard life or property. Prudent authorities have long provided in their budgets for contingencies and emergencies and the scheme therefore requires authorities to meet the first tranche of expenditure on emergency work up to a threshold. I am setting the threshold at a level equivalent to that used in 1987 which is 0·32 or a penny rate product. Eligible expenditure above that will attract 75 per cent. Government grant. My Department is writing today to all Scottish local authorities explaining how the scheme operates and it will be up to any authority that considers itself eligible to apply to the Department. The scheme does not cover losses that are insurable.

On housing, 33 out of the 43 authorities which replied have estimated some additional housing revenue expenditure but only in one case (Lochaber) above the Bellwin threshold. Local authority capital expenditure is not covered by the Bellwin scheme. However, five authorities also reported a compelling need for increased housing capital expenditure and in the final housing capital allocations for 1989–90 I announced on 29 March I included extra capital allocations totalling £1·7 million for these authorities. Concerning other capital expenditure it would appear that authorities can manage within the capital allocations for 1989–90 which I increased by 16 per cent. over the previous year, but any unmanageable items can, if necessary, be included in their financial plans they will be submitting later this year and which will be carefully considered.

On the flooding of land and agricultural damage, grant-aid is available under the farm and conservation grant scheme. for those farmers who already have plans under the agriculture improvement scheme (EC) or agriculture and horticulture development scheme my officials will consider as sympathetically as possible any applications to vary the plans in order to remedy damage caused by the floods. It is clear that the main problem caused by the flooding and high winds has been the breaching of agricultural floodbanks. Grant for these works is already available at 50 per cent. in the less favoured areas and 40 per cent. elsewhere. Given the seriousness of the problems caused I am satisfied that additional aid is justified and am therefore proposing to increase these grants by 50 per cent., i.e. to 75 per cent. and 60 per cent., for a six months period from today in order to encourage riparian owners and fish farmers to carry out the necessary work. In making available this enhanced assistance, I am particularly conscious of the problems of those in the Conon area. I have consequently called for a more detailed report covering not only the agricultural interest of the area but the public safety aspects associated with the A832 and Conon village. In the light of that report I will review whether any government assistance is necessary.

On forestry, I have received advice from the Forestry Commission from which I have concluded that while a number of individual estates have suffered significant wind blow the scale of damage is not beyond existing harvesting resources and that there is likely to be little overall effect on the timber market. Almost 4 million cu m of timber were lost in the south in 1987 and timber prices were badly affected. The February storms damaged 0.3 million cu m and there has not been the same effect on timber prices. Planting grants are already available. There does not seem, therefore, to be a need for any special measures in this sector.

On private property the same principles that have applied in the past will apply on this occasion, namely that the Government cannot meet damage to private property which is normally insurable, otherwise few would take out insurance.

I have also considered assessments of damage and cost from other public services and utilities for which I am responsible. The physical damage and other repair costs will be found from within my resources.

The measures that I have announced will, I hope, be welcomed as providing both short-term assistance to those local authorities who undertook emergency work as well as assistance with repair in the longer term.

Business Rate

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list all the organisations and individuals who have responded to the 1989 consultation document on the transitional arrangements for non-domestic rating; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 26 April 1989]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment issued a consultation paper on 15 February setting out the Government's proposals for transitional arrangements to introduce gradually in England and Wales the changes resulting from the revaluation and introduction of the uniform business rate in 1990. We have made it clear that although the magnitude of the changes will he less in Scotland in 1990, Scottish business ratepayers will benefit from the same level of protection against any significant increases in rates bills. The detailed arrangements for implementing this phasing will be the subject of consultations later this year.

Community Charge

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his latest cost estimate for the collection of community charge as a proportion of the costs of collection of the rates.

Based on the latest estimates provided by regional and islands councils, the cost of collection of the community charge as a proportion of the cost of rates collection is 1.9:1.

Clyde Port Authority

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland upon what statutory basis the Clyde port authority is founded; what is the productive acreage held by it; and what acreage of property it has available for development.

The Clyde port authority is a trust established by the Clyde Port Authority Order Confirmation act 1965. Questions about the authority's land holdings are for it to answer; the Department does not have this information.

Prime Minister

Departmental Accounts

Q38.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will introduce legislation to require private secretaries to Cabinet Ministers, and chief departmental press officers who have lodged their accounts of departmental business for safe keeping in bank vaults to transfer such accounts after a three-year period to departmental records.

No.

Stuc

Q62.

To ask the Prime Minister if she has any plans to meet the Scottish Trades Union Congress.

I have at present no plans to do so.

Environment

Q100.

To ask the Prime Minister what representations she has received regarding the quality of the environment.

Q186.

To ask the Prime Minister what representations she has received regarding the quality of the environment.

Q208.

To ask the Prime Minister what representations she has received regarding the quality of the environment.

I have received a number of representations, many of which echo this Government's concern to maintain and improve environmental standards.

Training Schemes

Q119.

To ask the Prime Minister what representations she has received regarding the operating of training schemes for those seeking employment.

Q128.

To ask the Prime Minister what representations she has received regarding the quality of training schemes for those seeking employment.

Q144.

To ask the Prime Minister what representations she has received regarding the operating of training schemes for those seeking employment.

I receive many comments about YTS and employment training, both of which are successful in training people for jobs.

Bournemouth

Q129.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will make an official visit to Bournemouth.

I have at present no plans to do so.

Settle-Carlisle Railway

Q151.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will now visit the Settle to Carlisle railway.

I have at present no plans to do so.

Mv Perintis

Q160.

To ask the Prime Minister if, following the foundering of the MV Perintis, in the channel on or about 13 March, with its cargo of the pesticides Permethrin, Cypermethrin and the organochlorine Lindane, Her Majesty's Government have any proposals to put to the international community concerning the implementation of a hazardous and noxious substances convention; and if she will make a statement.

The United Kingdom is one of four states developing alternative approaches for a future hazardous and noxious substances convention. These alternatives will be considered by the Internation Maritime Organisation's legal committee at its meeting in 1990. The Department of Transport is to host a meeting to discuss the common elements of the four alternatives in May.

European Community

To ask the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on the objectives of Her Majesty's Government's policy on the European Community.

The United Kingdom is an active and committed member of the European Community. We want a prosperous, competitive and united Europe, open to enterprise and so creating more wealth, more jobs and more consumer choice. That is why we strongly support the 1992 programme, and believe it will benefit Britain, the Community, and the world trading system.

East Anglia

To ask the Prime Minister in the light of the all-day seminar on climatic change and global warning, what interdepartmental plans will be prepared to safeguard the coast of East Anglia.

Most coastal flood defence work in East Anglia is carried out by Anglian water authority. This authority is already taking account of the possibility of rises in sea level in the design of future flood and sea defence works, and has plans for a major programme of renewal and improvement work along the east coast. Increased Government funding for flood and coastal defences was announced in the Chancellor's Autumn Statement, and a major part of this extra funding has been earmarked to assist the authority in carrying forward this vital work.

Engagements

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 27 April.

This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today.

Trade And Industry

Manufacturing Industry

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will publish in the Official Report his best estimate showing the value of output of finished manufactures in the United Kingdom for home consumption and export for the years (a) 1970, (b) 1979 and (c) 1988, together with the percentage estimates of (i) imported service manufactures and intermediate finished manufactures and (ii) imported basic materials.

It is not possible to estimate a split between production for export and for the home market with any confidence because of lack of data on the very substantial entrepot trade. The closest available figures are as follows:

Gross output of finished manufactures
1985 prices
	£ billion
1970	129·5
1979	144·5
1988	156·6

Imports of:
	Semi-manufactures (SITC 5 + 6)	Intermediate finished manufactures (part of SITC 7+8) £ billion 1985 prices	Basic materials (SITC 2 + 4) OTS basis
1970	9·9	2·8	6·1
1979	17·8	7·0	6·0
1988	28·0	18·3	6·5

	Proportion of United Kingdom exports finished ¹ manufactures going to United States of America	Ratio of United Kingdom to United States of America export unit values of manufactures ²
		National currencies ³	United States dollars ⁴
	Per cent.	Per cent.	Per cent.
1970	11·3	100	100
1971	11·4	103	105
1972	12·7	106	111
1973	12·8	109	112
1974	11·6	113	110
1975	9·9	121	111
1976	10·5	135	102
1977	9·4	152	111
1978	10·7	157	126
1979	10·7	148	131
1980	10·9	150	145
1981	11·4	143	120
1982	11·3	144	105
1983	12·8	155	98
1984	16·1	165	92
1985	18·2	172	93
1986	17·7	173	106
1987	17·4	176	120
1988	15·2	⁵176	⁵130
¹ Standard International Trade Classification (STIC), Rev 2 Sections 7 and 8
² SITC. Rev 2, Sections 5 to 8
³ United Kingdom index in sterling compared with United States of America index in United States dollars
⁴ United Kingdom and United States of America indices both in United States dollars
⁵ First three quarters only

Sources: United Nations, Department of Trade and Industry.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will publish in the Official Report his best estimate of the number of cars assembled in the United Kingdom from imported components in 1970, 1979 and 1988 which would not qualify for free movement within the European Economic Community if the imported components were not of European Economic Community origin.

None. Under European Community rules, cars are regarded as having EC origin notwithstanding the origin of imported components provided that the last substantial manufacturing process is undertaken within the Community. All cars assembled in the United Kingdom since our accession to the Community in 1973 have qualified for free circulation on that basis.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will publish in the Official Report his best estimate of the value and proportion of

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each year since 1970 (a) the proportion of United Kingdom exports of finished manufactures sent to the United States of America and, (b) the ratio of United Kingdom to United States of America export unit values for manufactures, based on 1970 equals 100.

The available information is in the table. The relationship between the export unit values has been derived both in common currency, the US dollar, and in national currency terms.United Kingdom exports of manufactures which have been

(a) assembled in the United Kingdom from imported components and (b) imported for re-export in the same state, in the years 1970, 1979 and 1988.

Information on which to base the required estimates is not available.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will publish in the Offical Report a table showing production, imports and exports of intermediate finished manufacturers, as defined in the monthly review of external trade statistics for the years 1970, 1979 and 1988 in terms of current prices, 1988 prices and as a percentage of United Kingdom production of finished manufactures in each year.

Figures for production of intermediate finished manufactures comparable with the trade statistics as defined in the "Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics" are not available. The remainder of the figures requested are as follows:

	Imports of intermediate finished manufacturers (£ billion)		Imports¹
	Current prices	1988 prices
1970	0·7	2·8	2·2
1979	4·9	6·9	4·8
1988	17·9	17·9	11·7
¹ Intermediate finished manufactures as per cent. of production of finished manufactures.

	Exports of intermediate finished manufacturers (£ billion)		Exports¹
	Current prices	1988 prices
1970	1·5	8·5	5·9
1979	7·3	13·0	8·0
1988	16·0	16·0	9·1
¹ Intermediate finished manufactures as per cent. of production of finished manufactures.

Israel

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list in the Official Report a breakdown by type of the trade between the United Kingdom and (a) Israel and (b) the West Bank and Gaza Strip in each of the last five years.

United Kingdom trade with Israel, broken down by standard international trade classification divisions, is published in the annual volumes of the Overseas Trade Statistics for 1984 to 1987 and the December volume for 1988 (tables II— imports, V—exports). Copies of these are available in the Library. United Kingdom trade with the West Bank and Gaza Strip is not separately identified.

Inter-Industry Agreements

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the inter-industry agreements on machining centres and numerically controlled lathes from Japan, referred to in his answer of 30 March 1988, Official Report, column 478, are still in operation.

Following a second annual review of the inter-industry voluntary restraint arrangements with Japan on numerically controlled lathes and machining centres, I have told the Machine Tool Trades Association that the Government see no case for these arrangements to continue after 30 June 1989.

Gas

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the Government will implement the recommendation of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission report on gas (Cm. 500) that British Gas should be required not to contract initially for more than 90 per cent. of deliveries from any new field within the United Kingdom continental shelf.

The Government accept the objective of the MMC recommendation, but believe that it can best be achieved in a modified way. They have therefore set as a target that 10 per cent. of the gas coming forward from new gas fields should be supplied to the market by suppliers other than British Gas. This target, which covers gas both on the United Kingdom continental shelf and imported, includes gas carried both by British Gas on a common carrier basis, and by any new dedicated pipelines that may be built by carriers other than British Gas. For the purposes of this target, all gas supplies contracted from producers after 31 May 1989 will be taken into account. However, a small number of large deals involving limited classes of customer will not of itself secure the early development of competition for the benefit of industrial and commercial contract customers for gas which is required. During the first two years in which the target operates the Government will monitor the position closely and will pay particular attention to the level of sales contracted into the general industrial and commercial gas market. The Department of Energy will publish the outcome against target for the years ending 31 May 1990 and 31 May 1991 and, within that, the level of sale to industrial and commercial contract customers achieved.I was attracted by the possibility of placing a ceiling of one or 2 per cent. on each contribution towards the target from a single customer's usage at a single site but decided against such a specific ceiling lest it distort the development of the market. However, when the arrangements are reviewed in July 1991, attention will be focused particularly on the size and diversity of gas users no longer solely dependent on British Gas. If progress towards the establishment of a competitive market is not satisfactory by that time, I may resort to order-making powers under the Fair Trading Act which flow from the adverse findings in the report by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.I am inviting the Director General of Fair Trading to seek an undertaking from British Gas under section 88 of the Fair Trading Act 1973 actively to facilitate the efforts of gas producers towards achievement of this target both in its contracting arrangements and, in particular, by agreeing as appropriate to carry the relevant quantities of gas as a common carrier.In addition the Government will continue to explore all means of developing competition in supplying gas to business users.

Barlow Clowes

30.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what progress has been made towards obtaining reimbursement for those affected by the British based and Gibraltar based elements of the Barlow Clowes organisation; what initiatives have been taken by his Department in the last six months; what initiatives he will now take to seek a speedier resolution of outstanding problems; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 15 March 1989, c. 259]: The 19 FIMBRA members referred to as subject to disciplinary action include both the Investment and Pensions Advisory Service and the Investment and Pensions Advisory Service Ltd. These two firms had close connections but were separate entities. However, in referring to the number of firms which had been suspended they were inadvertently treated as one. The correct comparison therefore is that of the 19 members subject to disciplinary action, four, not three, have been suspended.

Blue Arrow

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he intends to appoint inspectors under section 432 of the Companies Act to investigate Blue Arrow and the Peter de Savary deal; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 20 April 1989, c. 257]: On 26 April Blue Arrow announced that it intended by the middle of May to send to its shareholders a circular dealing with this transaction. The loan facility and its circumstances are principally a matter for Blue Arrow shareholders, but my Department is being kept fully informed and I trust that the company will meet the deadline it has set itself for briefing them. The International stock exchange is concerned with disclosure requirements and it has confirmed to me that it will require a circular which gives full details and a full explanation of the loan facility.

Education And Science

"The School Difference"

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make available in the library a copy of the report commissioned by his Department from the Policy Studies Institute entitled, "The School Difference"; and if he will make a statement on its findings.

The Policy Studies Institute is expected to publish its report on multi-racial secondary schools, entitled "The School Effect", in July. I shall then place a copy in the library.The major findings of this report are that there were striking differences between the schools surveyed in what they did and how they did it; and that the level of achievement of pupils of similar abilities, regardless of their ethnic or social background, varied markedly according to the school they attended.The findings will be of interest to all who share the Government's concern to improve standards and ensure that pupils of all ethnic groups have equal opportunity to benefit from what schools can offer.

Teachers

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Crosby of 13 April, Official Report, columns 630–32, he will publish a further table showing an analysis by age and sex of all such leavers below normal retirement age for each of the years ended March 1984, 1985 and 1986; and if he will make a statement.

Figures of full-time teachers in maintained secondary schools in England leaving full-time service in the maintained sector at ages under 60 are as follows:

	Year ending March
	1984	1985	1986
All leavers aged under 60	13,350	14,620	15,150
Men leavers aged under 60 of which, number aged:	4,590	5,270	5,810
less than 30	870	850	960

	Year ending March
	1984	1985	1986
30–34	860	930	1,000
35–39	670	810	900
40–44	350	470	570
45–49	320	370	370
50–54	520	620	710
55–59	1,010	1,210	1,300
Women leavers aged under 60 of which, number aged:	8,760	9,350	9,340
less than 30	2,510	2,470	2,140
30–34	2,490	2,500	2,330
35–39	1,150	1,340	1,470
40–44	640	750	920
45–49	470	530	610
50–54	600	720	810
55–59	910	1,050	1,050

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many full-time teachers in maintained secondary schools in England left full-time service in the maintained sector at the normal retirement age in each of the years ended March 1984, 1985 and 1986.

The numbers of full-time teachers in maintained secondary schools in England leaving full-time service in the maintained sector at age 60 or over in the years ending March 1984, 1985 and 1986 were 2,310, 2,250 and 2,090 respectively.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what assessment his Department has made of the extent to which the statistical evidence on secondary teacher resignations, given at table 21 of Cm. 625, "Second Report of the Interim Advisory Committee" is reliable; what comparable statistical evidence is available from his Department's database of teacher records; if he will make a statement on the extent of the apparent trends in numbers of secondary resignations shown by the evidence of table 21 for 1987 and the evidence from his Department for 1984, 1985 and 1986 given in reply to the hon. Member for Crosby, Official Report, 13 April, columns 630–32; when he expects to have a report on secondary resignations for 1987 from the database of teacher records; and if he will make a statement.

Table 21 of Cm. 625 is based on a survey carried out by the Local Authorities' Conditions of Service Advisory Board (LACSAB). It shows the number of secondary teacher resignations in the calendar year 1987 analysed by teaching subject and destination. The Department's database of teacher records (DTR) cannot readily yield data for this period, not does it contain information on either of these aspects. It is not possible therefore to derive from the DTR analyses that are comparable to (and so could test the reliability of) those in table 21, Cm. 625.No inferences can be drawn from the difference between the DTR estimates for 1984 to 1986 in

Official Report, 13 April, columns 630–32 and the LACSAB data for 1987 in table 21, Cm. 625. The DTR estimates relate to teachers leaving the maintained sector, the LACSAB data to those resigning from schools (many of whom may merely be moving to other schools within the maintained sector).

Estimates from the DTR for the year ending March 1987 are expected to be available shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a further statement on the implications for his policy on university finances of the Association of University Teachers pay dispute.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Oxford, East (Mr. Smith) on 23 March, at column 684. That is still the position.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish statistics for every local education authority in England showing the number of supply teachers registered for casual cover and showing what incremental point on the main professional grade for teachers salaries a well-qualified and experienced supply teacher may progress to.

Information about the numbers of supply teachers registered with local education authorities is not held centrally. However, the numbers of teachers employed in maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools for periods of less than one month on an occasional or short notice basis on 21 January 1988 are shown in the table. These figures exclude supply teachers with contracts of employment of one month or longer.Local education authorities have discretion to pay supply teachers, subject to the requirements of the school teachers pay and conditions document 1988, up to the maximum of the main scale, and may also award them incentive allowances.

Teachers in occasional service in maintained nursery, primary an secondary schools (January 1988)
LEA	Number
Barking	25
Barnet	70
Bexley	70
Brent	153
Bromley	53
Croydon	68
Ealing	88
Enfield	58
Haringey	63
Harrow	59
Havering	61
Hillingdon	49
Hounslow	69
Kinston	40
Merton	63
Newham	41
Redbridge	43
Richmond	44
Sutton	55
Waltham Forest	53
ILEA	1,043
Birmingham	281
Coventry	80
Dudley	100
Sandwell	55
Solihull	34
Walsall	49
Wolverhampton	42
Knowsley	13
Liverpool	59
St. Helens	67
Sefton	79
Wirral	151
Bolton	114
Bury	43
Manchester	106
Oldham	111
Rochdale	83
Salford	109
Stockport	115
Tameside	60

LEA	Number
Trafford	77
Wigan	187
Barnsley	69
Doncaster	80
Rotherham	70
Sheffield	8
Bradford	217
Calderdale	63
Kirklees	98
Leeds	100
Wakefield	73
Gateshead	69
Newcastle	97
North Tyneside	55
South Tyneside	19
Sunderland	54
Avon	283
Bedfordshire	145
Berkshire	169
Buckinghamshire	108
Cambridgeshire	63
Cheshire	330
Cleveland	164
Cornwall	130
Cumbria	158
Derbyshire	288
Devon	278
Dorset	35
Durham	61
East Sussex	125
Essex	398
Gloucestershire	58
Hampshire	296
Hereford and Worcester	139
Hertfordshire	392
Humberside	201
Isle of Wight	19
Kent	324
Lancashire	523
Leicestershire	197
Lincolnshire	178
Norfolk	130
North Yorkshire	178
Northamptonshire	129
Northumberland	59
Nottinghamshire	0
Oxfordshire	92
Salop	149
Somerset	32
Staffordshire	167
Suffolk	45
Surrey	222
Warwickshire	117
West Sussex	110
Wiltshire	127
England	11,974

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when the second report of the interim advisory committee on school teachers pay and conditions will be published.

[pursuant to his reply, 16 February 1989, c. 323–26.]: After careful consideration of the representations I have received I have decided to accept the recommendations on pay rates and conditions of employment contained in the second report of the interim advisory committee on school teachers pay and conditions of employment contained in the second report of the interim advisory committee on school teachers pay and conditions. Drafts of the school teachers pay and conditions document 1989, an order which will give effect to this document, and a circular to local education authorities are being sent today to the relevant local authority associations, teacher unions and bodies representing the interests of the governors of voluntary schools inviting their comments by Thursday 18 May 1989.

Schools

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many schools he has visited since his appointment; and how many of these are (a) state funded and (b) independent schools.

Approximately 126, of which about 14 were independent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the schools in England and Wales that have experienced major damage by fire in each of the last 24 months.

This information is not collected by the Department of Education and Science or the Welsh Office education department. The Fire Protection Association maintains a record of the majoriy of major fires in Great Britain, and I have asked for details. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as the information is available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much from each local authority's capital allocation has been spent on the improvement or replacement of existing school buildings in each of the last five years.

The information requested was not collected centrally before 1988–89. In 1988–89 expenditure on new improvement and replacement projects for all local education authorities was £119 million. In addition, authorities will have spent substantial sums on improvement projects which they had already started in previous years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about fire safety arrangements within schools.

Under the terms of regulation 24 of the Education (School Premises) Regulations 1981, local education authorities have a duty to provide fire precautions and means of escape in the case of fire in maintained schools.In the case of independent schools, registration under part III of the 1944 Education Act rests; amongst other things, on the provision and maintenance of adequate fire precautions.

Pupil Costs

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the average cost of (a) primary, (b) secondary and (c) special needs pupils for 1987–88 (i) in England and (ii) in Nottinghamshire.

The available information is given in the table.

Net Institutional Expenditure¹per pupil²1987–88
	Nursery and Primary	Secondary	Special
	(£)	(£)	(£)
Nottinghamshire	1,020	1,545	4,145
England	1,010	1,520	4,925

¹ Net Institutional Expenditure includes the cost of salaries and wages, premises and certain supplies and services. It does not include the cost of school meals, central administration and inspection, debt charges or revenue contributions to capital outlay.

² The figures are based on LEA expenditure returns to DoE and pupil number returns to DES.

Secondary School Placements (Appeals)

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many appeals against placement in secondary schools are expected for September; and what was the figure a year earlier.

The results of an informal survey of local education authorities suggest there were some 6,850 appeals in respect of secondary school admissions in the calendar year 1987. No figures are available for 1988. The Department has not made any specific forecast of the likely number of such appeals in 1989 but we hope that more parents will be satisfied this year, as a result of preparations for the implementation of more open enrolment in secondary schools in September 1990.

Student Loans

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received on the adverse impact, and deterrent effect, of the proposed loans for students, upon the number of women entering higher education; and whether he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations concerning the potential effects of top-up loans on women. The Government's proposals mean that loan repayments can be deferred w hen the borrower's income is low.Experience of student loan schemes abroad gives us no reason to expect that women will be deterred from entering higher education because of the operation of the loans scheme.

Pupil Statistics

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what were the average class sizes in primary and secondary education in state and private schools, respectively, in the years 1979, 1984 and 1988.

Information on average class sizes in private schools is not collected centrally. The average class size in maintained primary and secondary schools in England in January of each year 1979, 1984 and 1988 is as follows:Class sizes relate to those taught by one teacher during a selected period on the day of the census count in January and do not necessarily represent the pattern of classes over the academic year as a whole.

Average size of class
	January of each year
	1979	1984	1988
Primary	25·9	24·7	25·4
Secondary	210	20·4	19·9

Languages

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what is the best estimate available of the proportion of 14 and 15-year-olds in Britain, and in each of the other European Community countries, who are studying, as part of their school curriculum (a) French, (b) German, (c) Italian, (d) Spanish, (e) English and (f) other modern languages to a recognised standard;(2) if he will list the number of pupils and the proportion of total pupils so represented in the fourth and

Percentage of secondary school pupils in certain EC countries studying foreign languages
	EC countries			⁴England
	¹France	²Germany	³Ireland		Maintained Schools		Independent schools
	Per cent.	Per cent.	Per cent.
				Per cent, of school leavers	Numbers (000s)	Per cent, of all school leavers	Numbers (000s)	Per cent, of all school leavers
English	82	91	⁵—	⁵—	⁵—	⁵—	⁵—	⁵—
French	⁵—	21	71	41	260	39	35	78
German	22	⁵—	6	11	69	10	8	18
Italian	2	—	—	—	1	—	1	1
Spanish	16	—	3	2	14	2	3	6
Other modern languages	1	1	—	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.
¹ Age 11–14 in 1982–83.
Age 10–15 in 1982–83.
³ Age 12–14 in 1982–83.
⁴ School leavers attempting GCE O-level and CSE in 1986–87.
⁵ — Not applicable.

n.a.— Not available.

Source:

'Education and Training' 1985 Eurostat.

Secondary School Staffing Survey

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the conclusions of the secondary school staffing survey; and if he will now publish the survey.

Key results from the 1988 secondary school staffing survey will be available within the next few days, and I will ensure that the hon. Member receives a copy. Copies will also be placed in the Libraries of both Houses, and sent to the Education Science and Arts Committee. More extensive analyses are expected to be available within the next month or so.

Employment

Policy Targets

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the policy areas in which his Department has failed to achieve its targets since 1979.

I am satisfied that my Department's programmes and policies have generally met their objectives, but we keep them under review and are always looking for ways to improve their effectiveness.

Departmental Staff

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment with respect to the support grades in his Department (a) what is the number of staff employed, (b) how many vacancies there are and how many of these have existed for over one month and over three months, (c) how many temporary and casual appointments there are and (d) how much overtime was worked by them in London and elsewhere.

fifth years of secondary school in (a) the maintained sector and (b) the private sector who are studying: (i) French, (ii) German, (iii) Italian, (iv) Spanish, (v) other modern European languages and (vi) other modern non-European languages.

The following information is readily available.

My departmental staff records show a total of 1,256 staff in support grades in the Department of Employment group. The number of current vacancies is fewer than 20, of which about half have existed for more than three months. There are approximately 75 casual/temporary appointments. More precise figures and the amount of overtime worked can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Private Zoos

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what accident statistics are collected in relation to private zoos; and what is the record of injury shown by the statistics.

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985 require that accidents which arise out of or in connection with work activities covered by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 are reported to the relevant enforcing authority. The statistics collected include fatalities, injuries resulting from accidents and, for employees only, instances of disease and dangerous occurrences.Figures for accidents in private zoos are included with those for certain other recreational and cultural activities, and are not separately identifiable.

Job Gubs (Birmingham)

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what funds have been allocated to the Birmingham area of the employment service to finance job clubs during the year 1989–90.

Birmingham area office of the employment service has been allocated £547,000 to finance external job clubs in the year 1989–90. Funds to cover job clubs run directly by the employment service are not separately indentified, but form part of a wider allocation which covers all ES services in the area.

Special Equipment

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will list those items of special equipment which can be made available on free loan to enable persons on the disabled register to do a particular job.

Help available is not confined to items on a prescribed list. The special aids to employment scheme can provide a registered disabled person with whichever equipment is required to overcome the effects of his disability in his workplace in the most cost-effective way.

Member's Correspondence (Gower)

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Gower of 12 April, Official Report, column 588, he will write to the hon. Member as soon as the decision is taken.

holding answer 24 April 1989]: My Department has not yet received a reply from the European Commission in the case referred to, but as soon as we do, I will write to the hon. Member.

Employees (Public Duties)

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many complaints have been made to a tribunal each year for the last live years concerning failure by companies to allow employees time off to undertake public duties; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 26 April 1989]: No such cases were dealt with in the period 1 April 1988 to 31 March 1989. Figures for previous years are not available.

Energy

Petrol

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what petrol reserves were held in the United Kingdom at the latest date for which he has figures; how many days' supply this covers; and if he will make a statement.

At the end of February 1989 it was estimated that the United Kingdom had stocks equivalent to 4·7 million tonnes of petrol or some 74 days cover. This was made up of 2·05 million tonnes of motor spirit in stock and a further 2·65 million tonnes held as crude oil and unprocessed feedstocks available for refining.

Departmental Staff

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects the information on the number and percentage of officers in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 respectively, and overall, in his Department who are from ethnic minorities, to be available.

By the end of 1989.

Aea Constabulary

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if there has been any occurrences since the formation of the Atomic Energy Authority constabulary when officers of the force have (a) been forced to follow in hot pursuit alleged thieves of nuclear materials and (b) recovered stolen nuclear materials from civil nuclear plants.

The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority constabulary is required by the Atomic Energy Authority (Special Constables) Act 1976, section 3, to protect nuclear matter. There have been no occasions since the formation of the constabulary when they have been forced to follow in hot pursuit of alleged thieves of nuclear material, nor have they recovered stolen nuclear materials originating from any civil nuclear plants.

Bnf Plc

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will publish the objectives set for British Nuclear Fuels plc in January 1987 and set out the reasons for these objectives being formulated.

My Department's objectives in respect of British Nuclear Fuels plc are contained in paragraphs 2.1 and 2.2 of the report by the Comptroller and Auditor General published on 5 April. Copies are available in the Library. Although the objectives were already in existence in January 1987, an internal review suggested that they should be set down formally and reviewed from time to time. The primary objectives of the company are set down in paragraphs 1.6 and 1.7 of the report.

Coal Reserves (Scotland)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the quantity and quality of the coal reserves accessible from Bilston Glen and Monktonhall collieries, including the Musselburgh Bay reserves.

This is a matter for the British Coal Corporation. I have asked the chairman to write to the hon. Member.

Plutonium

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will set out in detail the stages of plutonium processing in the nuclear cycle on which reports are made to the Euratom and IAEA safeguards authorities; and what details are forwarded in each of these reports.

Euratom inspectors have access to all civil material at Sellafield on a continuing basis. The reports the inspectors make are a matter for Euratom and are confidential to it.

Radioactive Materials

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he has assessed the proof of evidence, CND4, prepared by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament for the Hinkley Point C public inquiry topic III on radioactive materials management; and if he will give consideration to the criticisms made in relation to those policy issues for which his Department has responsibility.

It is for the inspector to consider the evidence presented to him at the inquiry.

Northern Ireland

Farm Capital Grant Scheme

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the total amount, in grants, paid out by the Department of Agriculture, Northern Ireland, under

Schedule
Farm capital grant schemes
Counties	1973–74	1974–75	1975–76	1976–77	1977–78	1978–79	1979–80	1980–81
	Grant	Grant	Grant	Grant	Grant	Grant	Grant	Grant
Antrim	1,614,452	2,333,748	2,333,526	2,247,470	1,927,004	2,162,790	2,353,662	2,905,239
Armagh	887,237	1,395,581	1,251,388	1,106,038	832,460	1,080,418	1,312,827	1,768,321
Down	1,605,048	2,047,864	1,739,037	1,321,347	1,315,823	1,484,386	1,498,499	1,986,656
Fermanagh	699,820	1,005,845	1,032,421	1,002,808	2,060,507	3,200,552	3,602,064	4,791,579
Londonderry	1,360,065	1,802,821	1,654,413	1,526,824	1,440,342	1,970,515	2,275,327	3,031,126
Tyrone	1,879,770	3,082,883	2,567,302	2,626,966	2,588,018	3,302,878	4,123,974	5,186,945
Totals	8,046,392	11,668,742	10,578,087	9,831,453	10,164,154	13,201,539	15,166,353	19,669,866

Counties	¹1981–82	1982–83	1983–84	1984–85	1985–86	1986–87	1987–88	1988–89
	Grant	Grant	Grant	Grant	Grant	Grant	Grant	Grant
Antrim	2,407,006	2,338,197	1,920,603	2,600,785	2,508,338	3,055,405	1,132,908	268,192
Armagh	1,673,731	2,277,861	1,914,059	3,036,958	2,873,007	2,452,619	809,527	182,550
Down	1,855,728	1,444,361	1,836,226	2,442,574	1,610,020	1,616,785	523,307	121,468
Fermanagh	5,931,128	3,381,865	2,082,469	1,373,672	1,042,222	977,740	199,303	61,090
Londonderry	2,429,326	1,854,738	2,139,462	2,176,399	1,533,823	1,161,964	340,362	82,302
Tyrone	5,147,881	4,764,866	3,974,303	4,858,359	3,435,800	3,511,115	1,215,041	244,918
Totals	19,444,800	16,061,888	13,840,122	16,488,747	13,003,210	12,775,628	4,220,448	960,520
¹ Figures from 1981–82 onwards incudes grant paid under the agriculture and horticulture grant scheme.

Terrorism

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many people were arrested, detained and subsequently released without charge under section 12 of the Prevention of Terrorism Act on more than one occasion during the period 1984 to 1988;(2) how many people were arrested, detained and subsequently released without charge under section 12 of the Prevention of Terrorism Act on more than two occasions during the period 1984 to 1988.

Information is not readily available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Police Rent Allowance

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish in the Official Report in tabular form details for the most recent 12-month period for which figures are available of the total pay bill, compensatory grant received and income tax paid by each police authority in Northern Ireland in respect of police officers' rent allowance.

There is only one police authority for Northern Ireland. The information requested is as follows:

	1988–89 £ million
Rent allowance paid	24·2
Compensatory grant	9·2

A separate record is not maintained of income tax paid on rent allowance.

the farm capital grant scheme in each of the years since 1973 to applicants from each of the parliamentary constituencies in Northern Ireland.

The information requested is not available by parliamentary constituency. It has been given on County basis in the schedule.

Firearms

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table in the Official Report to show how many (a) shotguns, (b) 22 rifles, (c) rifles of large calibre, (d) handguns, (e) sub-machine guns, (f) other machine guns and (g) explosive devices, owned by or in the possession of (i) the Royal Ulster Constabulary, (ii) the Royal Ulster Constabulary Reserve, (iii) the Ulster Defence Regiment, (iv) the Army, (v) the Royal Navy and (vi) the Royal Air Force, have been lost or stolen in each year since 1976 to the latest available date; how many such weapons in each category of ownership were subsequently recovered; and how many have been identified in each category and ownership as having been used after theft of loss in criminal or terrorist activity or as much of such information as is available to him.

[holding answer 23 March 1989]: I have made extensive inquiries but it has not proved possible to collate the information in the form requested. I will write to the hon. Member in due course with such information as can be provided.

Traffic Police

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether, in view of the 9 per cent, increase in fatal and injury road traffic accidents and the 10 per cent, increase in casualties stated in the annual report of the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, he will call for a report on the Chief Constable's decision to reduce the number of officers in the traffic branch by 50; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 19 April 1989]: The chief constable is responsible for the operational control of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and it is for him to determine priorities and allocate resources.

Cross-Border Security

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the significance for the momentum of cross-border security of the announcement of the determination to intensify co-operation over border security in paragraph 2 of the communiqué of the meeting of the Anglo-Irish conference on 5 April.

[holding answer 24 April 1989]: The brutal murders of Chief Superintendent Breen and Superintendent Buchanan represented an attack on security co-operation. Far from diminishing the determination of the two sides to work closely together, they have actually reinforced it and, in particular, both police forces will work closely together to the fullest extent to ensure that those guilty of this and other crimes are brought to justice.

Transport

Shanklin (Oil Slick)

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to track down the vessel responsible for the oil slick on Shanklin beach.

We received on 17 April a report of an oil slick which had been observed on 15 April by a vessel at anchor to the south-east of the Isle of Wight. The slick was described as small globules of heavy crude oil amongst other debris and the report included the name of another vessel, which had also been at anchor, in the direction from which the oil had been observed to be coming. It is not yet clear whether there is any connection between that vessel and oil that came ashore at Shanklin on 16/17 April. Samples are now with the laboratory of the Government chemist for analysis.

Channel (Counter-Pollution Measures)

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how often the anti-pollution aircraft has patrolled the Channel in the last six weeks.

Since 9 March anti-pollution aircraft have carried out 6 patrols over the Channel. Two further planned patrols, on 21 and 22 April, were cancelled when the Department's contracted remote sensing aircraft was deployed to oil spill incidents in the Irish sea and North sea respectively.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department is participating in any review of the handling of major oil spills.

The Department will contribute to the review being carried out by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Department of Energy, on the handling by the oil industry of major spills from offshore installations.So far as tanker casualties are concerned, the Government have long accepted the responsibility for dealing with major spills that threaten United Kingdom interests and the Department's marine pollution control unit is a full-time response organisation with specific responsibility for planning contingency arrangements and taking charge of counter-pollution operations. We review these arrangements carefully after every major incident.

Departmental Staff

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with respect to the support grades in his Department (a) what is the number of staff employed, (b) how many vacancies there are and how many of these have existed for over one month and over three months, (c) how many temporary and casual appointments there are and (d) how much overtime was worked by them in London and elsewhere.

As at 1 April 1989 the Department of Transport employed 647 staff in support grades (that is, office keeper, paper-keeper, messenger, security officer, car driver, telephonist and reprographic grades and cleaners). There were 11 posts vacant in these grades, of which three had been vacant for more than one month and six for more than three months. Casual staff are employed to provide cover for vacancies and for staff absent on long-term sick arid other leave. Central records are not kept of casual appointments.Until 31 March 1989 the Departments of the Environment and Transport shared a common services organisation, in which the majority of support staff were based. The latest available overtime figures, which are for March 1989, therefore relate to the two Departments jointly. Overtime working by support grades, excluding cleaners, in March averaged approximately 6.4 hours per head in London headquarters offices and hours per head in the major regional offices.

Heavy Goods Vehicles

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to prevent heavy goods vehicles causing excessive water spray on motorways; and if he will make a statement.

We are strongly in favour of action to combat this problem.New trailers have had to be fitted with spray-reducing devices since May 1985 and new lorries since April 1986. Research is continuing into ways of achieving even greater improvements.Britain is pressing for the early agreement of the European Commission's draft directive on anti-spray devices. This is necessary if the United Kingdom is to continue to require anti-spray devices after the completion of the single European market.Drivers could significantly reduce the nuisance of spray to others, by driving more slowly in wet weather.

Advance Payment Compensation

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport why advance payment compensation, approved by the district valuer, has not been given to Mr. M. A. E. Thornton of Bishops Tachbrook, Leamington Spa.

The district valuer's report was received in the Department on 19 April. Necessary documentation was sent to Mr. Thornton's agents on 21 April. As soon as it is returned, advance payment will be made.

Severn Bridge

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will issue guidelines to prospective promoters of a second crossing of the River Severn.

The tender invitation document is being issued today. Copies of the substantive volumes of the document will be placed in the Library.This invitation reaffirms the Government's decision to give the private sector the opportunity to participate in the provision of a second Severn crossing. The shortlisted tenderers have been invited to submit proposals on two bases: to design and build the second crossing, and to finance and operate it with the existing crossing; and to design and build the second crossing for the Government. In either case the investment would be recovered through tolls. Under the first option the invitation allows tenderers to propose their own toll regimes within a finite concession period; they will also be required to take on the debt on the existing Severn crossing. Proposals must be submitted by 2 October.The new crossing will have a dual three-lane carriageway with hardshoulders, and windshielding has been specified.We are dealing with the approach roads separately, and will make another announcement shortly about these.

Traffic Management (Greater London)

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what arrangements he has made for road maintenance likely to add to traffic congestion in Greater London to be undertaken only at night, giving current or recent examples of any such practice.

[holding answer 26 April 1989]: Each case is considered individually after consultation with the police and the London boroughs. Peak-hour working is avoided wherever practicable.Consideration is given to night time working at locations where traffic flows are high throughout the day and at weekends.Recent examples include: carriageway closures on M4 for communication upgrading; resurfacing and annual maintenance work on the A406 north circular road; and lane closures for weekly maintenance in the Blackwall tunnel (southbound).Night-time working may be precluded because of safety considerations and disturbance to residents. Recent maintenance closures have been publicised in departmental press notices.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the numbers of persons, and their respective Civil Service grades, who are employed in his Department to discharge the traffic management responsibilities hitherto the duty of the Greater London Council; what are the names and duties of each unit; and what standing arrangements now exist or are planned for regular meetings between officials of these units, together, with representatives of the London borough councils and the Metropolitan police, to review incidents of congestion and to plan for effective traffic management consequent on known future events, including road works.

[holding answer 26 April 1989]: The Department has assumed the highways and traffic powers of the former Greater London council only in respect of 70 miles of metropolitan roads which are now trunk roads. It is not practicable to identify the numbers and grades of persons employed in the London Regional Office (Transport) on those roads from among their general responsibilities for trunk roads in London.At the request of the London boroughs, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is responsible for the traffic signals and urban traffic control in London. The corporation of the City of London acts as agent. It staffs and maintains the traffic control systems unit as a separate entity within the local government environment. Officials of the Department hold quarterly management liaison meetings with the unit and representatives of the Association of London Authorities, the London Boroughs Association and the Metropolitan and City police. In addition, the unit has regular monthly meetings with the Metropolitan police to review contingency plans for traffic incidents and planned events such as roadworks, bridge closures, and so on, and to plan for effective traffic management in those circumstances.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Newham, South on 13 January, Official Report, column 800, concerning causes of major incidents of traffic congestion, he will now monitor such incidents and, in conjunction with London Buses Limited and the respective unit of the Metropolitan police, record the incidence and extent of delay compared to normal free flow conditions and keep a record of any known cause, or contributory cause, leading to each major incident of congestion.

[holding answer 26 April 1989]: We are considering how it might be done.We keep in touch with London Buses Limited and the Metropolitan police on congestion points on trunk roads. The Metropolitan police make such arrangements as they consider necessary to maintain the safe and efficient flow of traffic in the case of day-to-day incidents and to be prepared for planned events.

Underground Railways (Safety)

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what exercises using volunteer passengers have taken place on the underground section of the Great Northern line of British Railways between Finsbury Park and Moorgate; what were the results of any such test; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 26 April 1989]: A major exercise to test evacuation procedures, in which all emergency services participated, was held on 7 February 1988. The need for various improvements was identified. British Rail is presently carrying out a £1 million programme which includes the provision of improved lighting and communications. It expects the work to be finished by September.

Airports

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to encourage greater use of regional airports.

[holding answer 26 April 1989]: The 1985 airports policy White Paper (Cmnd. 9542) noted that the Government had maintained a consistent policy of encouraging the maximum use of regional airports. They have a role to play in relieving pressure on the London airports. The Government encourage their growth and development.We provide special borrowing allocations for municipal airports whose expansion is justified.We continue, both in the EC and in bilateral negotiations, to pursue policies of liberalisation in order to maximise the scope for regional air services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on future runway capacity in the south east.

[holding answer 26 April 1989]: The Civil Aviation Authority is due to provide my right hon. Friend in July with advice on this and other aspects of airport and airspace capacity.

M25 Motorway

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give the one-way peak-to-daily flow ratio for the M25 (a) as predicted for the London orbital motorway at the 1974–75 public inquiry into the A10-Al2 section of the motorway by the Department's traffic witness, (b) as recorded, for each section for which data is available, when the M25 was fully opened in 1986 and (c) as recorded in the latest available year.

[holding answer 24 April 1989]: The ratios of peak to 24-hour weekday flows for the M25 at November 1986 (first complete month fully open) (expressed as a percentage) are:

Junction number	Clockwise	Anticlockwise
J1 to J2	—	—
J2 to J3	—	—
J3 to J4	10·7	10·2
J4 to J5	9·2	9·1
J5 to J6	11·1	10·3
J6 to J7	11·4	10·6
J7 to J8	—	—
J8 to J9	9·7	9·0
J9 to J10	9·6	83
J10 to J11	9·2	85
J11 to J12	9·4	8·3
J12 to J13	—	—
J13 to J14	9·8	9·0
J14 to 115	8·7	8·6
J15 to J16	—	8·9
J16 to J17	8·3	8·6
J19 to J20	8·2	8·6
J22 to J23	—	8·4
J25 to J26	9·;8	10·9
J26 to J27	9·6	10·6
J29 to J30	—	8·5
Dartford Tunnel	8·5	8·8

The ratios of peak to 24-hour weekday flows for M25 at March 1989 (latest available month) (expressed as a percentage) are:

Junction number	Clockwise	Anticlockwise
J1 to J2	—	—
J2 to J3	—	—
J3 to J4	8·0	9·2
J4 to J5	8·2	8·3

Junction number	Clockwise	Anticlockwise
J5 to J6	10·9	9·6
J6 to J7	11·5	9·3
J7 to J8	9·9	8·7
J8 to J9	9·6	8·4
J9 to J10	9·6	8·5
J10 to J11	—	¹—
J11 to J12	—	¹—
J12 to J13	—	¹—
J13 to J14	9·6	8·4
J14 to J15	8·5	8·1
J15 to J16	7·7	8·2
J16 to J17	8·2	7·7
J17 to J18	8·0	8·3
J18 to J19	8·0	7·9
119 to J20	7·8	7·6
J20 to J21	8·1	7·8
J21 to J22	8·1	8·6
J22 to J23	8·1	8·0
J23 to J24	8·2	8·6
J24 to J25	8·4	8·8
J25 to J26	8·5	9·7
J26 to J27	8·3	9·7
J27 to J28	9·2	10·3
J28 to J29	8·4	9·0
J29 to J30	7·4	8·0
Dartford Tunnel	7·5	7·8
¹ No detailed data due to widening works.

Comparable prediction for 1986 and 1989 are not readily available from the papers of the 1974–75 public inquiry.

Home Department

Human Rights (Broadcasting)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he intends to apply to the content of British broadcasting media the principle embodied in Her Majesty's Government's documentation for the Helsinki states information forum that the free flow of information both within countries and across frontiers is seen by the West as an integral part of human rights provisions.

The principle of the free exchange of information and ideas, guaranteed by article 10 of the European convention on human rights, is central to our broadcasting policy. We have played an active part in the preparation of the Council of Europe's convention on transfrontier television, which we hope will be opened for signature next month and which we plan to implement through the forthcoming Broadcasting Bill. The convention is designed to encourage the transfrontier circulation of television programme services on the basis of a number of commonly agreed basic standards. As our White Paper "Broadcasting in the 90's: Competition Choice and Quality" makes clear, the development of European regulatory instruments of this kind is consistent with the approach of the Government towards domestic broadcasting services in establishing an enabling regulatory framework to allow increased opportunities for broadcasters and viewers, while ensuring the maintenance of satisfactory programme standards.

Airports (Passports)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many British international airports still retain a passport entry desk for United Kingdom citizens only.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether all European Community countries have agreed to discontinue national channels at passport control entry at airports in favour of joint ones for European Community citizens.

This is a matter for national decision and practice varies throughout the Community. Where passenger volume makes it desirable to present passengers to more than one channel most EC countries direct all EC nationals to a special channel.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department why entry desks for British citizens only at passport control at Heathrow have been discontinued.

My right hon. Friend announced to the House on 14 December 1988, at column 576, the Government's intention to introduce in the spring a single immigration channel for all nationals of the EC (including British nationals) entering the country. Implemented from 10 March, this is a practical demonstration of our readiness, in line with the spirit of the Single European Act, to reduce as far as possible the levels of immigration checks on other EC nationals. There has been no change in our arrangements for immigration controls on nationals of non-EC countries.

Electoral Register

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what approximate percentage of people eligible to vote are not currently registered to vote; and if such people will be able to register prior to (a) country and (b) European elections.

The most recent major study into the accuracy of the electoral register ("Electoral Registration in 1981", Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, 1982) estimated that 6·7 per cent of people in England and Wales eligible to vote were not registered to do so. Under section 11(2) of the Representation of the People Act 1983 (as amended) claims for inclusion in the published register can be made at any time. However, no such claim can have effect for the purposes of an election unless it is allowed, and the alteration made, before the close of nomination for candidates at that election. It is therefore now too late for such claims to have effect at either the county council or European parliamentary elections.

Mr Joe Benjamin

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will recommend the granting of a pardon to Joe Benjamin in relation to a conviction on appeal by Knightsbridge Crown court and the imposition of a fine of £150 under an offence under the Public Order Act, in respect of the case of Regina v Benjamin, 29 October 1987, before Mr. Recorder Walker.

My right hon. Friend will consider Mr. Benjamin's conviction if he is presented with any new evidence or other consideration of substance which calls its safety into question and which has not been before the courts.

Radio Tara Ltd

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received regarding the Irish Government's award of a frequency to Radio Tara Ltd; and if he will make a statement.

We have received letters from the Independent Broadcasting Authority, the Association of Independent Radio Contractors, two independent local radio stations and a number of hon. Members expressing concern at the effect which the proposed Irish station might have on United Kingdom radio broadcasting. We are in touch with the Irish authorities on the issue.

Entry Clearance

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the time taken to deal with interviews referred by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office concerning entry clearance in Manchester and London; and if he will make a statement.

I would refer the hon. Member to my reply of 23 March, at column 809, in answer to his earlier question. It remains the objective in Manchester and London, as elsewhere, to carry out interviews within three months of receipt of papers in the United Kingdom.

Residential Homes

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information is made available from computerised police records to social services departments, residential homes and other organisations offering care to vulnerable people who are considering the suitability of applicants for employment.

Arrangements have been set up which allow the police to disclose information to local authorities, the health service and independent schools about those seeking to work in posts with substantial access to children.The information disclosed would include details of convictions, cautions and bind overs. Other relevant information, such as details of acquittals, or decisions not to prosecute, where the circumstances of the case would give cause for concern, may also be disclosed exceptionally, on the authority of an assistant chief constable.Some of this information may be held in computerised records.

Ashwell Prison (Food Poisoning)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement on the recent outbreak of food poisoning at Ashwell prison; and what steps are being taken to prevent any further outbreaks.

An outbreak of suspected salmonella food poisoning occurred at Her Majesty's prison, Ashwell on 11 April 1989. 145 inmates reported sick between 11 and 13 April. Two were admitted to a local hospital and two to the prison hospital. The remainder did not require hospitalisation. The local authority environmental health officer together with a registrar from the public health laboratory have been assisting prison service personnel in tracing the source of the outbreak.Investigations continue and once the cause of the infection is known remedial action will be taken.

Football Grounds (Safety)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on (a) the costs and (b) the reduction in safe ground attendance capacity, of introducing his plan of seating only at all first division clubs.

As I said in my statement on Monday 17 April, the Government will be discussing with the football authorities the implications of moving towards all seated stadia for the major football clubs.

Community Charge

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that those people who may be exempted from the community charge clue to severe mental impairment will still retain their right to vote.

Payment of the community charge is not one of the qualifications for the franchise. It continues to be the duty of the electoral registration officer to have a house-to-house or other sufficient inquiry made as to the persons entitled to be registered to vote.

Broadcasting White Paper

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the proposals in the broadcasting White Paper on local services.

I am grateful to all those who responded to the invitation to comment on these radical proposals.As the White Paper undertook, we have considered carefully all the views which have been expressed. In the light of them we have decided to make some adjustments to our original proposals. I am placing in the Library of the House a note which details the modified proposals which we intend to recommend to Parliament.We continue to believe that there should be a new, flexible technology-neutral framework for local services, leaving operators free to decide upon the best mix of technologies. As the White Paper noted, this will in practice mean at present cable or MVDS, or a mixture of the two. The fact that we are proposing that local operators should in future have the choice to use technologies other than cable does not imply, as some commentators have suggested, that the Government do not foresee a prominent role for cable under the proposed new framework. The advantages of cable over other delivery technologies are well known; and we have been pleased to see that many recent applicants for cable franchises have plans to exploit these advantages in order to provide telecommunications as well as television services over their networks. The point of the freedom, which we are proposing should be offered to operators, is to enable them to choose which delivery technology or combination of technologies to use, based on their commercial judgment of the nature of the services for which there will be a demand.The new framework will be designed to allow operators themselves to choose the nature and level of service they wish to offer their customers. It is, however, important for all local delivery systems to meet certain standards relating not only to safety and interference, but also, for example, to compatibility between systems and equipment. The Government, after consulting all interested parties, will decide how this is to be achieved.In line with the White Paper, we propose that the new framework should be based on 15-year local franchises awarded by the new Independent Television Commission (ITC). Although we have considered carefully the contrary opinions which have been expressed, we hold to the view that some form of competitive tender mechanism will be the best method for allocating franchises. It will provide an objective method for choosing between applicants, and also takes account of the fact that successful applicants will be acquiring the exclusive right to use scarce MVDS frequencies. We will be giving further thought to the precise form of the competitive tender mechanism, taking due account of the arrangements decided upon for the allocation of licences for channels 3 and 5.We envisage that, initially at least, only one franchise is likely to be awarded for any given area. It will be open to the ITC to award a second franchise if it chooses to do so; but we are no longer proposing that it should be required; as the White Paper envisaged, to consider advertising a further franchise or franchises for an area a short time after awarding the initial franchise there.The aspect of the White Paper proposals which has attracted most comment is the suggestion that local delivery operators should not, except at the discretion of the ITC, be permitted to retail programme services. The objective of this proposal was to provide additional scope for competition in the retailing of programme services. While we still attach importance to this objective, we accept the argument put by many commentators that the White Paper proposal could inhibit investment in local delivery networks. We now therefore propose that local operators should be able to retail programme services without restriction, and without the need for permission from the ITC.The Government do, however, see a case for injecting some competition into the local delivery and retailing of services by loosening the present restrictions on the development of satellite master antenna television (SMATV) systems. The Cable Authority's policy towards the licensing of SMATV systems has flowed from its statutory duty to exercise its licensing powers in such a way as to promote broadband cable systems. As the White Paper indicated, the ITC will not have such a duty.We therefore believe that the restrictions placed on SMATV hitherto could not be sustained under the new framework, and we are proposing a significant, though not total, liberalisation of SMATV systems.Under these proposals systems covering single buildings or adjacent pairs of homes sharing a party wall will be automatically licensed by means of a class licence under the Telecommunications Act 1984. Systems larger than this and covering not more than 1,000 homes would be individually licensed under that Act provided that, in the case of an application for a system within a franchise area, the local delivery operator (or cable operator) had been given the right of first refusal to provide a service within a reasonable timescale. Unlike local delivery operators SMATV operators would not be granted telecommunications code powers, which would in practice make it difficult for them to build systems covering more than 1,000 homes. This size limit would in any case be applied flexibly. These proposals will be subject to review in the light of experience with any changes in its existing SMATV policy which the Cable Authority decides to make.Licensed SMATV operators would be able to carry any channels licensed by the ITC or originating from states signatory to either or both of the proposed Council of Europe convention on transfrontier television or the EC directive on broadcasting (assuming they come into affect). A system carrying channels falling outside either of these categories would need to be licensed separately by the ITC.The White Paper proposed that local operators should be liable to levy while they retained a local monopoly. We have, however, been persuaded on balance that it would be sensible not to introduce a new levy on local services. Whereas the White Paper proposed that broadcasting levies should mainly be based on advertising revenue, revenue from locally sold advertising appears at present unlikely to become a major source of finance for local services. Furthermore, we acknowledge the risk perceived by some commentators that the liability to levy might deter investment in a young industry, and we believe that this outweighs the benefits to the public purse of the modest amount of revenue which a levy might have yielded.We have given further thought to the choice of frequencies for MVDS. We have concluded that the pressures on the 2·5 GHz band, the uncertainties surrounding possible future international developments and the limited amount of spectrum that could at best be made available combine to make this band unsuitable for MVDS. We have also ruled out the band 27–29 GHz since the 40 GHz band has similar characteristics and the significant advantages of larger amounts of spectrum, no existing incumbents and is, in part, internationally designated for broadcasting.The White Paper also canvassed the possibility of frequencies being made available in the 12 GHz band. This band and that at 40 GHz have different characteristics and competing advantages and disadvantages. We shall need to consider further from which band, or bands, frequencies should be allocated to MVDS. In order to assess the reactions of potential users, now that we have put forward these firm proposals on local services, the Department of Trade and Industry will issue a short discussion paper early in May. We fully recognise the undesirability of continuing uncertainty over the choice of frequencies for MVDS, but this is an important decision which needs to take account of the interests of all parties, including other potential users of the spectrum, from whom the Government would welcome views.Many in the cable industry have argued that the present prohibition in the Cable and Broadcasting Act 1984 on non-EC control of cable licences should be lifted, and that no such prohibition should be placed on local delivery franchises under the proposed new framework. We have been giving careful thought to these representations in the context of our consideration of the general question of restrictions on the ownership and control of broadcasting licences. We hope to announce our views on this whole area before too long.As foreshadowed in the White Paper, we propose that all cable operators awarded franchises before the date of its publication (7 November 1988) should have the right to opt to become technology-neutral delivery operators under the proposed new framework. We have decided to propose that this right should also be extended to these applications for franchises which had to be submitted by 7 November and which were eventually successful. In both cases the right will apply only to franchise holders who have been awarded a licence by the Cable Authority before it ceases to exist.Under our proposals operators in this category will, if they so choose, be licensed as local delivery operators as of right by the ITC when it is set up. As such they will be entitled to use MVDS to deliver services to the home, subject to the availability of spectrum. It will be for the ITC to decide what frequencies can be made available to any operators who take this option. It may not always be possible for it to make available sufficient frequencies to cover an operator's entire franchise area.Cable operators who obtain their franchises after this cut-off date and who are awarded a licence by the Cable Authority will, under our proposals, retain their status as operators licensed under the Cable and Broadcasting Act 1984 for the remainder of the terms of their licences. The ITC will discharge in relation to such licences the duties now undertaken by the Cable Authority.

Health

Nursing And Residential Homes

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the number of (a) nursing homes and residential homes arid (b) beds in the Merseyside and north-west regions, by district health authority in (i) the public and (ii) the private sectors.

We do not have this information in the form requested. Information on the number of residential homes and places in the north western social services region, by local authority, in local authority, voluntary and private accommodation for years prior to 31 March 1986 is published in "Residential Accommodation for Elderly and Younger Physically Handicapped People: All Residents in Local Authority, Voluntary and Private Homes year ending 31 March England" and "Homes and Hostels for Mentally Ill and Mentally Handicapped People at 31 March England". Provisional information for 1987 is given in the tables.There are two experimental nursing homes within the NHS, one of 25 beds for frail elderly patients in Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde health authority and one of 21 beds for elderly mentally ill patients, in Liverpool health authority. The available information on independent nursing homes is published in form SBH 212. Information at 31 March 1988 will be available shortly. Copies of these publications are in the Library.

Number of residential care homes and places in North Western social services region, as at 31 March 1987 (revised)
	Elderly and younger physically handicapped		¹ Mentally ill		¹ Mentally handicapped		^{2 3} Other client groups
	Homes	Places	Homes	Places	Homes	Places	Homes	Places
NORTH WESTERN REGION
Local Authority Homes
Cheshire	62	2,134	16	105	31	390	0	0
Lancashire	98	3,985	10	101	36	568	0	0
Bolton	16	706	5	25	3	74	0	0
Bury	11	462	0	0	4	73	0	0
Manchester	46	1,842	19	111	41	311	1	16
Oldham	21	671	6	41	4	89	0	0
Rochdale	18	608	2	21	5	72	0	0
Salford	21	831	3	40	8	127	0	0
Stockport	17	637	10	50	18	130	0	0
Tameside	13	459	1	6	5	103	0	0
Trafford	12	521	2	6	2	55	0	0
Wigan	19	824	1	16	14	184	0	0
Knowsley	5	222	1	13	6	104	0	0
Liverpool	30	1,441	11	92	3	163	0	0
Sefton	18	705	4	27	7	107	0	0
St. Helens	7	316	1	20	4	93	0	0
Wirral	26	983	1	10	18	187	0	0
Total	440	17,347	93	684	209	2,830	1	16
Voluntary Homes
Cheshire	13	775	5	57	3	80	1	11
Lancashire	20	691	0	0	7	175	0	0
Bolton	3	74	0	0	0	0	0	0
Bury	4	392	0	0	1	62	0	0
Manchester	8	233	1	39	0	0	0	0
Oldham	0	0	2	39	0	0	0	0
Rochdale	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Salford	7	201	0	0	2	29	0	0
Stockport	1	36	0	0	1	12	0	0
Tameside	2	83	1	11	0	0	0	0
Trafford	5	122	0	0	2	45	0	0
Wigan	1	16	0	0	1	10	0	0
Knowsley	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Liverpool	21	719	2	38	7	156	2	29
Sefton	24	1,075	1	22	0	0	0	0
St. Helens	3	94	0	0	0	0	0	0
Wirral	7	172	0	0	3	49	1	14
Total	119	4,673	12	206	27	618	4	54
Private Homes
Cheshire	63	1,083	1	17	3	26	0	0
Lancashire	463	6,768	2	13	17	123	0	0
Bolton	25	405	0	0	0	0	0	0
Bury	10	181	0	0	0	0	0	0
Manchester	48	700	6	98	1	28	0	0
Oldham	28	528	0	0	0	0	0	0
Rochdale	15	329	0	0	0	0	0	0
Salford	8	194	0	0	1	12	0	0
Stockport	41	588	0	0	0	0	0	0
Tameside	19	319	0	0	0	0	0	0
Trafford	43	613	6	36	0	0	0	0
Wigan	12	216	1	9	0	0	0	0
Knowsley	4	63	0	0	0	0	0	0
Liverpool	24	496	1	25	0	0	0	0
Sefton	109	1,816	I	8	7	110	0	0
St. Helens	3	92	0	0	0	0	0	0
Wirral	58	946	2	30	14	82	0	0
Total	973	15,337	20	236	43	381	0	0
¹ Includes unstaffed homes and hostels.
² Collected from 1987 onwards.
³ Includes alcohol and drug misusers.

Hearing Aids

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the number of hearing aid centres, and their location, by district health authority.

Since the procurement and distribution of hearing aids has been administered by Mersey regional health authority on behalf of the National Health Service, a list of hearing aid centres has not been maintained centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has as to the usage of National Health Service hearing aids, once dispensed.

The Institute of Hearing Research estimated in a survey conducted between 1980 and 1986 that 76 per cent. of National Health Institute hearing aids dispensed to adults were in regular use.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will take steps to ensure that better information is available to people with a hearing loss as to the help available;(2) what is done to ensure that those issued with National Health Service hearing aids are given adequate advice and instruction on how to derive benefit.

Anyone worried about his hearing should first consult his general practitioner. Where necessary, the patient will be referred to a hospital for examination by a consultant who, if appropriate, will refer the patient to a hearing aid centre for the correct hearing aid to be fitted. Audiological technicians will provide advice and information on how to use and maintain hearing aids and all new users are given a copy of the Department's booklet which explains how to use a hearing aid. Some health authorities also employ hearing therapists to assist people requiring particular rehabilitative help.We are at present giving careful consideration to suggestions for changes in the current arrangements for the provision of hearing aid services in response to the "Fair Hearing" campaign launched by the Royal National Institute for the Deaf.

National Health Service hospitals activity, 1959 to 1987–88
Thousands
Out-patients
Year	In-patient cases treated	⁴Day cases	New	Total attendances	¹Ward attenders	Average daily available beds	^{2 3}In-patient waiting list
1959	3,782·7	—	6,872·3	27,768·4	—	448·8	447·5
1960	3,911·1	—	6,913·0	28,281·7	—	447·5	443·0
1961	4,035·4	—	6,975·2	28,391·8	—	442·3	450·7
1962	4,149·6	—	6,978·0	28,590·0	—	440·3	446·8
1963	4,318·0	—	7,026·5	28,707·0	—	439·2	454·2
1964	4,455·1	—	7,265·4	29,887·4	—	438·4	476·4
1965	4,540·2	—	7,240·2	30,024·2	—	437·4	492·1
1966	4,616·7	—	7,356·1	30,372·4	—	434·8	510·4
1967	4,722·4	—	7,482·3	30,974·9	—	434·4	509·5
1968	4,848·2	—	7,505·2	31,382·7	—	432·1	505·1
1969	4,968·4	—	7,629·7	31,801·4	—	428·7	532·4
1970	5,011·7	—	7,744·6	32,354·8	—	423·6	525·9
1971	5,170·8	—	7,918·6	33,129·2	—	419·6	493·7
1972	5,223·0	376·5	7,926·6	33,243·5	—	412·7	479·2
1973	5,132·3	408·5	7,916·1	33,317·9	—	403·5	508·6
1974	5,171·7	449·6	7,824·8	33,352·1	—	396·2	517·4
1975	4,975·8	421·7	6,925·9	30,947·5	—	387·6	588·5
1976	5,254·6	480·5	7,498·5	32,396·4	—	383·1	583·9
1977	5,345·0	536·2	7,612·1	33,282·2	—	375·9	595·5
1978	5,370·3	562·2	7,711·9	33,950·3	—	369·2	603·2
1979	5,400·1	592·1	7,713·5	34,099·7	—	361·7	752·4
1980	5,670·0	670·8	7,942·2	35,2430	—	356·0	664·9
1981	5,759·9	713·9	8,024·7	35,571·4	—	351·7	628·3
1982	5,719·6	706·5	8,097·0	35,651·2	—	348·1	622·5
1983	6,018·6	813·2	8,310·9	36,519·6	—	343·1	726·2
1984	6,177·5	902·9	8,508·1	37,042·7	—	334·5	692·9
1985	6,353·8	962·8	8,682·1	37,440·3	—	325·5	674·5
1986	6,413·8	1,050·2	8,767·8	37,727·6	—	315·7	673·1
1987					—		687·9
1987–88	6,619·4	1,005·0	8,529·8	36,874·3	774·3	297·3	678·8

Nhs Employees (Freedom Of Speech)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what disciplinary sanctions are available to Health Service managers in relation to any public comments made about the National Health Service, the health authority or any National Health Service matter by National Health Service employees;(2) what restrictions on freedom of speech are incorporated in the contracts of those working within the National Health Service.

Disciplinary action and the terms of individual contracts of employment for National Health Service employees are matters for individual employing health authorities.

Hospital Statistics

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many hospital in-patients were treated in National Health Service hospitals in each year since 1959;(2) how many beds there were in National Health Service hospitals in each year since 1959;(3) what was the size of the in-patient waiting list at National Health Service hospitals on 31 March in each year since 1959;(4) how many hospital day cases were treated in National Health Service hospitals in each year since 1959;(5) how many hospital out-patients were treated in National Health Service hospitals in each year since 1959.

The information requested is given in the table.

¹ Ward attenders are a new category of patient. Some of them may previously have been classified as out-patients or days cases.

² Figures as at 31 March are only available from 1976. Data for previous years are for 31 December.

³ Total less self deferred for 31 March 1988.

⁴ Day case figures were not collected before 1972. The figure for 1987–88 is provisional.

Nhs Doctors

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors were employed in National Health Service hospitals in each year since 1959, expressed in terms of whole-time equivalents.

The information requested is set out in the following table:

Hospital medical stuff in England and Wales¹
Year	Whole time equivalent
1959	16,033
1960	16,584
1961	16,932
1962	17,557
1963	17,971
1964	18,346
1965	18,905
1966	19,541
1967	20,395
1968	21,232
1969	22,001
1970	22,585
1971	23,806
1972	25,043
1973	26,151
1974	26,999
1975	28,441
1976	29,251
1977	30,047
1978	30,998
1979	32,142
1980	33,257
1981	34,047
1982	34,538
1983	35,261
1984	35,430
1985	35,940
1986	36,317
1987	36,298
¹ Information is given for England and Wales because it is not available for England only prior to 1971.

Notes:

1. Figures include permanent paid and honorary staff but exclude locums and staff in the special hospitals.

2. To maintain comparability to data hospital practitioners and clinical assistants (para 94) have been excluded throughout.

Nhs Expenditure

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent on the National Health Service in each year since 1959, at constant prices.

The table shows expenditure on the NHS inclusive of charges in each year since 1959 in constant 1988 prices. The figures have been derived from the United Kingdom national accounts prepared by the Central Statistical Office.

£ million
Year	Gross¹
1959	7,173
1960	7,776
1961	8,066
1962	8,134
1963	8,486
1964	8,947

Year	Gross ¹
1965	9,052
1966	9,465
1967	10,124
1968	10,585
1969	10,851
1970	11,596
1971	12,124
1972	12,982
1973	13,651
1974	16,245
1975	17,308
1976	17,799
1977	17,561
1978	18,092
1979	18,374
1980	19,710
1981	20,348
1982	19,968
1983	21,445
1984	21,583
1985	21,840
1986	22,648
1987	23,683
1988	24,186
¹ Gross National Health Service expenditure at 1988 prices.

Dependent Territories (Nhs Treatment)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set out the detailed arrangements for implementing the new scheme under which medical referrals to the United Kingdom for free National Health Service treatment will be allowed for patients from the dependent territories of Montserrat, Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, the Turks and Caicos Islands and St. Helena; and if he will make a statement.

Detailed arrangements for implementing the scheme, which began on 1 April 1989, are still under discussion with the territories involved. For the moment, however, where cases arise we have suggested that territories should make contact with the Department of Health, which will recommend suitable treatment centres for individual patients. The operation of the scheme will be kept under review in the light of experience.

Sonia Cagey

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if payment is now to be waived of the costs of treating the late Sonia Cabey of Montserrat under the National Health Service at the Brompton hospital; and if he will make a statement.

The Overseas Development Administration has paid the costs of the private treatment received by Miss Cabey.

Organ Transplants

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what representations he has received seeking assurances that adoptive parents and adoptive brothers and sisters are not precluded from donating organs for transplant;

(2) what representations he has received seeking assurances that spouses will not be precluded from donating organs for transplant.

None. The Human Organ Transplants Bill, now before the House, is not intended to deny individuals the opportunity of donating organs for altruistic motives.Under the provisions of the Bill, the transplantation of a human organ from a live donor who is not genetically related to the recipient will be permitted if certain conditions are satisfied. These conditions will be the subject of regulations to be drawn up following consultation with the profession and other bodies.

Adult Placement Schemes

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if, following the recent conclusions of the survey of adult placement schemes conducted by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, he proposes to encourage the growth of such schemes.

Adult placement schemes have their place in the full range of community care provision. It is for local social services authorities to decide what services to provide in the light of local needs and opportunities and the overall level of resources available. We are considering the funding and organisation of community care generally in the light of Sir Roy Griffiths' report and hope to bring forward our proposals in the near future.

Social Security appeal tribunals
Period	Total number of appeals heard	Total number represented	Total in claimant's favour	Total number not represented	Total in claimant's favour
Scotland
Nine months ending December 1984	11,252	3,332	1,551	7,920	1,355
12 months ending December 1985	19,003	6,133	3,016	12,870	2,304
12 months ending December 1986	22,561	6,464	3,203	16,097	2,959
12 months ending December 1987	31,819	9,713	4,922	22,106	4,138
Nine months ending September 1988	36,467	11,921	6,990	24,546	6,554
North East
Nine months ending December 1984	11,757	2,757	1,141	9,000	1,400
12 months ending December 1985	18,724	4,003	1,677	14,721	2,206
12 months ending December 1986	20,040	4,288	1,951	15,752	2,702
12 months ending December 1987	27,198	5,106	2,231	22,092	3,312
Nine months ending September 1988	27,364	5,905	2,850	21,459	3,597

Siemens Printers

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many Siemens ND3 printers are used by his Department, either in-house or through a private contract; and what is the location of each.

The Department has a total of seven Siemens ND3 printers in use, located at the following buildings:

Doncaster Health Authority (Chairman)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the name of the new chairman of the Doncaster health authority, the date his appointment will commence, his terms of contract, and his annual salary; and if he will make a statement.

The current chairman has resigned with effect from 1 June 1989. The name and term of office of the new chairman will be announced shortly. Chairmen are entitled to receive remuneration which currently stands at £11,868 a year. If they choose not to receive this they may in certain circumstances be eligible to claim financial loss allowance.

Social Security

Social Security Appeal Tribunals

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish information on (a) the total number of appeals, (b) the number of appellants who were represented, and (c) the number of appellants in both these categories where appeals were successful for each of the social security appeal tribunals in the Strathclyde and County Durham areas for each of the years since 1980.

National administrative statistics for social security appeal tribunals are not disaggregated for areas smaller than a social security region.Information is not available in the form requested prior to 1984. The tables give the required information from 1984 to the quarter ending September 1988 (the latest figures available).

Location	Number of primers in use
DSS, Government Buildings, Moorland Road, Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire	3
DSS, Hesketh House, 22–202 Broadway, Fleetwood, Lancashire	2
DSS, Durham House, Town Centre, Washington, Tyne and Wear	2

None is in use through private contract.

Refuges

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will take steps to ensure that after 9 October all refuge rents, of however short a duration, will be paid.

From 9 October people who now receive income support at hostel rates (including those in refuges) will be treated in the same way as hostel dwellers not on income support and will need to claim housing benefit to help with the accommodation element of the hostel charge. The housing benefit regulations already allow entitlement to housing benefit to accrue on a daily basis, provided the liability is daily. Regardless of the basis on which housing benefit is calculated it cannot be paid more frequently than weekly, and normally no more often than fortnightly. It will generally be for the claimant to pay any balance of the charge which housing benefit does not meet (including any amount for fuel or meals) from their income support or other resources.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if, after 9 October, young women claimants will be paid the same amount of income support as other women in refuges, whether they are parents or not.

From 9 October 1989 the normal income support rules will apply to all women living in refuges. Their applicable amount will be made up of a personal allowance plus allowances for any dependent children living with them and any premiums which may be appropriate. All of these elements are related either to age or to whether or not the claimant is a parent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when details of transitional payments to refuges will he made available.

We are introducing special arrangements to assist existing hostels and claimants after the implementation of the changes to income support for hostel dwellers in October 1989. Payments to hostels will initially be made by DSS local offices, and subsequently from a central unit which will be set up in the Department. This unit will be responsible for monitoring the effects of the reform on individual hostels, and making payments to compensate for resulting loss in revenue from charges currently met by income support. In finalising these arrangements consideration will be given to the views of the hostel sector through discussions which are already under way.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what extra financial help will be given to local authorities to assist in the extra workload when housing benefit replaces board and lodgings payments for women and children staying in refuges.

Proposals for supporting local authorities' costs in handling the additional workload arising from the inclusion of hostel dwellers in the housing benefit scheme are due to be discussed shortly with the local authority associations. Local authorities will be advised of the additional support to be made available to them as soon as these discussions have been completed.

Income Support

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security where after 9 October, the shortfall between a woman and two children being entitled to £80·40 board and lodgings and the new £61·75 income support will come from; and whether there will be any conditions attached to any shortfall money given.

From October 1989 people living in hostels, in common with the majority of households, will be eligible for housing benefit to help with their accommodation costs and normal income support to help with other necessities. Claimants living in hostels at the time of the change who would otherwise suffer a drop in their disposable income, after the full hostel charge has been met, will receive special payments from the Department. These payments will continue for as long as the claimant continues to live at the same hostel. They will be reduced only as normal income support rates increase.

Pensions

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement setting out details of the costs of the proposed enhanced pensions referred to in his Department's letter reference LS619/243/2 DML/17/89 which will be payable to staff on leaving his Department.

It is not possible to detail the costs of pensions under flexible early retirement (FER) as each case is assessed according to grade, salary, number of years reckonable service, age, etc. As the actual decision whether to retire is for the officer alone, it is not possible to anticipate the number of payments. Provision is however made within the Departmental budget.

Shettleston Office

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he is now able to state the exact date when work will start on the construction of his Department's new office in Shettleston.

I am unable to state the exact date, but present indications are that work will start on site at the beginning of next month.

Taxes And Benefits

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will update his answer to the hon. Member for Hornchurch, 17 February, Official Report, column 393, to take account of the freeze in child benefit in April.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will update the answer of 17 February to the hon. Member for Hornchurch, (Mr. Squire) Official Report, column 393, concerning marginal tax and benefit withdrawal rates facing households, to take account of the proposed benefit uprating in April and the estimated effect of the changes to the national insurance system announced by Mr. Chancellor in the 1989 Budget.

[holding answers 22 March and 7 April 1989]: Taking account of the effect of the March 1989 Budget and the reform of the employees' national insurance contributions reforms which occur in October, it is estimated that in 1989–90 a total of 420,000 working heads with 1 million adult and child dependants may sometimes experience combined marginal rates of deduction exceeding 50 per cent.

Environment

House Condition Survey

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will publish by (a) tenure, (b) income and (c) age of head of household, the following information gathered for the English house condition survey (a) the number of homes with rising damp, penetrating damp, slight would mould growth, serious mould growth, excissive draughts, (b) the number of houses with seriously defective, defective, just acceptable, satisfactory and unknown dampness and provide written material used in instructing surveyors on how to intepret these categories and on how to decide whether a dwelling was unfit for human habitation under the Housing Act 1955 for reason of dampness or other reason and (c) to tabulate slight and serious mould growth by main types of exterior wall;(2) if he will publish by

(a) tenure, (b) income, (c) age of head of household, (d) employment status, (e) age of dwelling, (f) type of heating system and (g) main fuel type, where applicable, the following information gathered in the interview survey for the English home condition survey: (i) questions 19a, 19c, 19d, 19f, (ii) questions 21 to 23c, (iii) questions 24 to 26b, (iv) questions 28 to 42, (v) question 44 and (vi) question 48.

As my right hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government indicated in Standing Committee G on 20 April, information on these topics will be published in a supplementary report on the English house condition survey.

Housing Investment

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list at 1987–88 outturn prices local authorities' housing capital investment (a) in Greater London, (b) in other metropolitan areas, (c) in non-metropolitan areas, (d) in the non-metropolitan areas in the south-east and (e) in England (i) during 1980–81, (ii) during 1982–83, (iii) during 1984–85 and (iv) during 1986–87 (1) in new building, (2) in renovation of their existing stock, (3) in renovation grants, (4) in loans to housing associations and (5) in other housing activities.

I have today placed tables giving the relevant information in the Library.

Hazardous Waste

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek to have included in the recently completed global convention on the control of transboundary movements of hazardous wastes, organised under the auspices of the United Nations environment programme, radioactive wastes amongst the controlled substances.

No. This is unnecessary. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is the appropriate United Nations body dealing with all aspects of radioactive substances.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the figures in tonnes for imports of special waste to the United Kingdom; if he will break those figures down by country of origin; from which ports these imports left, giving figures in tonnes; and what was their destination port in the United Kingdom; in each of the last five years.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Dr. Thomas) on 28 October 1988 at column 427. It is not yet possible to update this information. Her Majesty's inspectorate of polluton expects to have the information from waste disposal authorities later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, if he will list those United Kingdom companies producing special waste currently incinerated at sea.

Information is not held centrally to enable producers of special wastes for marine incineration to be identified. The decision as to whether a waste is special under the Control of Pollution (Special Waste) Regulations 1980 is made by the waste producer. Notifications that result are held by the appropriate waste disposal authority.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the Government's response to the Environment Committee's report on toxic waste.

I have today published the Government's response (Cm. 679). 1 am pleased that the Committee is in virtually complete agreement with the Government's proposals to improve the present system of waste management. These proposals have been put forward in a series of consultation papers over the last three years. Much progress has been made in this important but difficult area and legislation is now being prepared for introduction at the earliest opportunity.I regret that the Committee has chosen to give little credit for this major reform covering the whole of waste legislation. Instead the Committee has chosen to make serious allegations about the waste management industry in this country which are not supported by the evidence presented in the body of the report. Indeed, the Committee records that it found little evidence of pollution from waste management processes in this country.The Committee acknowledges that the United Kingdom is one of the few countries not to have developed its waste management policy in the wake of environmental disaster. But the Government believe that potential hazards should be anticipated and that the present legal framework can be strengthened to give the best possible protection for the future. The Committee has fully endorsed our proposals to extend legal responsibility to the producers of waste and to strengthen the existing law on licensing and the aftercare of landfills.Neither are the Government confining their reforms to the present licensing system. We are also proposing to reform the waste disposal authorities themselves. In the only significant area of disagreement between the Government and the Committee, the Government do not propose to follow the recommendation to create new regional waste regulation authorities or an environmental protection agency. Instead, the Government propose to build on the strengths of the present system by separating waste regulation from authorities' own operations and providing clearer and more accountable procedures for new waste regulation authorities to operate by.The Government firmly believe that waste management practices in the United Kingdom are environmentally safe and our record, in comparison to many other countries, fully supports that view. The improvements to be made in legislation and enforcement will be our continuing safeguard against pollution from wastes for many years to come.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice he has given to those companies currently using ocean incineration to develop alternative means of disposal as a means of ending toxic waste incineration at sea, in line with the recommendations of the North sea ministerial conference.

I have been asked to reply.Officials of my Department have advised companies which currently hold licences for incineration of waste at sea of the need to seek alternative methods of disposal of their wastes. Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution is discussing alternative land-based disposal routes with the companies concerned. We fully expect to meet the timetable agreed at the second international conference on the protection of the North sea for phasing out marine incineration.

Sewage Disposal

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make public the costings and content for any work required at each of the sewage works controlled by the Severn-Trent water authority to meet any tightened consents approved by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution, or other consents at the expiry of any of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution approved temporary relaxation.

On 7 December 1988 (Official Report. column 199) I announced a capital programme involving expenditure of £900 to £1,000 million designed to bring substandard sewage works into compliance with their discharge consents by March 1992. Capital investment programmes are being discussed with the individual authorities concerned, including Severn-Trent, and detailed figures are not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received regarding the proposed sewer outfall pipe at Rossall Point, Fleetwood; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has received about 16,000 representations regarding the proposed long sea outfall at Rossall Point. These representations will be taken into account before any decision is made on whether North West water authority's applications for discharge consents should be granted.

Water Authorities (Debts)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the total current capital debts of the 10 water authorities; and how much of those debts he intends to write-off on the privatisation of the industry.

Details of outstanding capital loans to water authorities are recorded in their respective annual reports and accounts, copies are available in the Library. The Water Bill will enable National Loans Fund and Public Works Loans Board debts to be written off and replaced as appropriate by a combination of equity and debentures. These powers will be used to put in place capital structures appropriate for the new companies.

Rating Reform

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions and representations he has had about the collection of unpaid poll tax.

The Government have no intention of introducing a poll tax. We have discussed the community charge recovery system extensively with a wide range of interested bodies.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what factors influenced his decision to begin registration for the poll tax after, rather than before, the county council elections.

The Government have no plans to introduce a poll tax. My letter of 23 December 1988 to the chairman of the local authority associations sets out the reasons for the operative date of the regulations enabling community charge registration officers to require information from individuals for the purposes of compiling their registers. I am placing a copy of the letter in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he intends to take to provide protection to agricultural workers in tied housing in relation to the payment of the community charge.

The personal community charge is not related to the type of property occupied. People in tied accommodation who are subject to it will, in common with all chargepayers, have the protection of the rebate scheme, which specifically links people's liability to their ability to pay.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he intends to issue guidance to local authorities on the rights of access to local services of those community charge payers who are either living or registered in a local authority area for a short period of time due to their itinerant lifestyle.

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if adults placed with carers on adult placement schemes will be required to pay poll tax.

The Government have no plans to introduce poll tax.Exemption from the personal community charge depends on the circumstances of the individual concerned. Any exemption in cases described by the hon. Gentleman would depend on whether the individual qualifies for exemption on any of the grounds set out in schedule I to the Local Government Finance Act 1988.

Conservation Areas (Trees)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what particulars he has specified in relation to the provision of section 61(A)(7) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971 concerning the need for district councils to keep a register of trees in conservation areas.

Section 61(A)(7) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971 places a duty on district and London borough councils to compile and keep available for inspection a register of notices served on the council of intention to carry out work on trees in conservation areas, where such trees are not already protected by tree preservation orders or otherwise exempt. It also empowers the Secretary of State to determine what particulars should be included in such registers. The following matters were specified for this purpose in DOE circular 36/78:

(a) the address of the land on which the tree stands and sufficient information to identify the tree;

(b) details of the work proposed.

Water Charges

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the justification for the proposed increase in water charges by the Eastbourne waterworks; and if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the increase in the charges to (a) domestic consumers on and off meters and (b) private industry and public undertakings.

It is for the company to satisfy itself that the charges that it levies are within its statutory powers. The specific information requested is not held centrally.

Water Privatisation

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps will be taken after privatisation to stop the water supply undertakings from inflating their costs in order to inflate their profits.

After privatisation inflated costs will reduce the companies' profits because their charges levels will be limited. In reviewing the charges limits the Director General of Water Services will be able to obtain all the information needed to assess the cost of operation of an efficient undertaking, and to set the limits accordingly.

Rates

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish his proposals for determining the allowance to be made to local authorities for the collection of non-domestic rates and for offsetting losses or collection against their contribution to the national non-domestic rate pool.

Our proposals were published in a consultation paper on "Payments into the National Non-Domestic Rating Pool" issued on 16 March. The closing date for responses is 12 May and discussions with the local authority associations are continuing. I am placing copies of the consultation paper in the Library.

Sssis (Planning Applications)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the criteria which apply in considering whether a planning application affecting a site of special scientific interest should be referred to him.

Every request to call in a planning application is considered on the individual merits of the case. In general, applications are called in only if planning issues of more than local importance are involved. Such cases may include, for example, those which in our opinion could have wide effects beyond their immediate locality, which give rise to substantial regional or national controversy, which may conflict with national policy on important matters, and those where the interests of national security or of foreign Governments may he involved. In considering whether to call in an application affecting a site of special scientific interest the scale of the proposed development and the extent of its effect on the site would be relevant considerations to be taken into account.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list, in respect of each of the last three years, those cases where the Nature Conservancy Council has asked him to call in a planning application and indicate (a) those cases which were referred back to the planning authority to determine and (b) those cases which were determined in favour of the application.

The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Planning Permission (Revocations)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on how many occasions since 1959 planning permission has been revoked; what compensation was paid on each occasion; and if he will make a statement.

It is primarily for the local planning authority to decide, having regard to the development plan and to any other material consideration, whether to revoke any planning permission. Between April 1979 and December 1988 my right hon. Friend and his predecessors confirmed more than 1,300 revocation orders. Information is not available centrally about the number of unopposed orders which required no confirmation or about the amounts of compensation which were paid by local authorities.

Cryptosporidium

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what moves he has initiated, following the outbreak in February of diarrhoea and sickness caused by the waterborne parasite cryptosporidium, to ensure that every water authority has the expertise to carry out tests to detect cryptosporidium.

Monitoring methods necessary to detect cryptosporidium in water supplies are being examined by the group of experts established by the Government under the chairmanship of Sir John Badenoch. I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 2 March to my hon. Friend the Member for Delyn (Mr. Raffan) at column 286.

Bradford (Development)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has received any application from Bradford local authority of Arrocraft plc either separately or jointly for a city grant for the development of the Bradford West End scheme; and if he will make a statement.

No formal application for city grant for the Bradford West End scheme has been received by the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has had any applications for in and out agreements for the purchase of land for the West End development in Bradford by Bradford council; and if he will make a statement.

No.

Alaska Works Development, Southwark

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has concerning the commercial office development of the Alaska works development in Southwark and on the area of office accommodation made available under this scheme; and if he will make a statement.

The Alaska works project has been offered city grant of £4,162,000. The project comprises the part refurbishment and part redevelopment of a former fur treatment works to provide a business complex of at least 127,000 sq. ft. of net lettable floor space. The space available will accommodate offices, workshops, studios and training facilities. Associated car parking facilities and a garden for use by local residents, and users of the development, will be provided.

Homelessness

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he is going to publish the findings of the study of homelessness carried out by the university of Birmingham's centre for urban and regional studies.

The findings are published today. Copies of the report have been placed in the Library. We very much welcome this study which has lessons for both central and local government.The report demonstrates clearly that homelessness is a complex problem which needs attacking on a number of fronts. Local authorities are generally doing a good job, but there is room for streamlining procedures and standardising the service to homeless people across local authorities. Conditions in temporary accommodation, and bed and breakfast in particular, are often poor and people are waiting for long periods to be rehoused into permanent accommodation.The Department has considered the report carefully and the findings are providing a valuable contribution to our current review of homelessness legislation.

Rivers (Yorkshire)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report a schedule showing the changes between 1987 and 1988 in the quality of rivers in the Yorkshire region, including the lengths over which improvement or deterioration has taken place.

[holding answer 24 April 1989]: I understand that the lengths of rivers and canals recorded in each water quality class by the Yorkshire water authority were as follows:

Freshwater quality class
Kilometres
	1987	1988
1A Good quality	2,264	2,261
1B Good quality	2,198	2,141
2 Fair quality	779	839
3 Poor quality	629	646
4 Bad quality	165	148
Total	6,035	6,035

These figures are not directly comparable with those obtained from the 1985 river quality survey of England and Wales as they are based on more limited surveys carried out by the water authority.

Carbon (Levy)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the proposal agreed by the Toronto conference for a world levy on carbon as a basis for an environmental fund.

[holding answer 26 April 1989]: One of the three working groups set up by the intergovernmental panel on climate change, in which the United Kingdom is playing a full part, is studying a variety of possible international response strategies, including financial and economic measures. The work is at an early stage but the IPCC has set itself the ambitious target of reporting by mid-1990.

Anti-Competitive Practices

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, further to his answer of 17 April, Official Report, column 36, to the hon. Member for Isle of Wight (Mr. Field) he will list the approximately 80 complaints of alleged anti-competitive practices identifying the local authorities involved.

[holding answer 26 April 1989]: The Department has received complaints alleging anticompetitive behaviour by the following authorities:

Alnwich DC
Barking and Dagenham LB
Barnsley MBC
Barrow-in-Furness BC
Beverley BC
Birmingham CC
Bolton MBC
Braintree DC
Brighton BC
Bristol CC
Bromley LB
Broxbourne DC
Broxtowe BC
Buckinghamshire CC
Carlisle BC
Carrick DC
Charnwood BC
Christchurch DC
Cleveland CC
Corby DC
Cotswold DC
Darlington BC
Eastleigh BC
East Staffordshire DC
East Sussex CC
Ellesmere Port and Neston BC
Exeter CC
Forest of Dean DC
Gloucester CC

Gosport BC
Guildford BC
Halton BC
Havant BC
Hereford CC
Horsham DC
Hove BC
Lancashire CC
Leeds CC
Maidstone BC
Melton BC
Middlesbrough BC
Newark and Sherwood DC
Newbury DC
Norfolk CC
North Cornwall DC
North Yorkshire CC
Peterborough CC
Purbeck DC
Reading BC
Ribble Valley BC
Rochdale MBC
Rother DC
Rotherham BC
Rugby BC
Sedgefield DC
Sefton BC
South Buckinghamshire DC
South Kesteven DC
South Tyneside MBC
South Wight BC
Southwark LB
Stafford BC
Staffordshire Moorlands DC
Stevenage BC
Stroud DC
Tameside BC
Taunton Deane BC
Test Valley DC
Wakefield MBC
Waltham Forest LB
Worcester CC
Worthing BC
Wycombe DC
Wyre Forest DC
York CC

Bathing Water (Pollution)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the highest level of (a) E. cob and (b) total coliforms per 100 ml. found in the 1988 bathing waters survey at Seaton Carew centre, Hartlepool bay; and if he will publish in the Official Report full details of all the water samples at Seaton Carew centre that failed both the total coliform and the faecal coliform tests.

[holding answer 25 April 1989]: The results obtained during the 1988 bathing season at the Seaton Carew centre sampling point are as follows:

Date	Total coliforms number per 100 ml	Faecal coliforms number per 100 ml
6 May 1988	110	80
20 May 1988	3,500	680
14 June 1988	3,700	1,200
24 June 1988	10	10
1 July 1988	13,000*	13,000*
15 July 1988	820	220
29 July 1988	3,100	600
3 August 1988	2,900	670
25 August 1988	3,700	2,000
31 August 1988	10,000	3,000*
2 September 1988	110,000*	110,000*
19 September 1988	3,000,000*	3,000,000*

Those results marked with an asterisk do not comply with the relevant imperative standard set in directive 76/160/EEC and those for 19 September are wholly exceptional. Northumbrian water authority has plans to improve the bathing waters at Seaton Carew to ensure that they consistently meet the EC standards.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what will be the cost of bringing beaches in Norfolk up to EEC standards; and from what date he expects the standards to be met.

[holding answer 25 April 1989]: My right hon. Friend has asked Anglian water authority to draw up detailed plans with a view to bringing its bathing waters up to EC standards by 1995. Until these plans have been fully assessed it is not possible to give details of the cost involved.

Drinking Water

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information his Department holds that enables him to assess the extent to which potable water in England complies with the European Community directive relating to the quality of water intended for human consumption (80/77/EEC).

[holding answer 25 April 1989]: The Department has information about supplies which regularly do not meet one or other of the standards in the directive and about programmes to achieve compliance. Information concerning supplies where there is occasional non-compliance is currently being submitted by water undertakers to the Department in the context of further improvement programmes.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate the cost at current prices to each water authority in England of complying with the European Community directive relating to the quality of water intended for human consumption (80/77/EEC).

[holding answer 25 April 1989]: Water undertakers have submitted to the Department projections of the costs involved in complying with the EC drinking water directive. We are reviewing these and discussing them with individual water undertakers. Until we have examined all the programmes it is not possible to estimate the costs. However, the programme will be included in prospectuses to be published later this year.

Church House, Westminster

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which of the European Economic Community guide levels and maximum admissible concentration levels for pollutants are exceeded by the drinking water supply in Church house, Westminster.

[holding answer 19 April 1989]: The maximum admissible concentrations for drinking water are exceeded for sodium and fluoride. Those exceeding the guide levels are chlorides, sulphates, zinc and iron.

Defence

Low-Flying Aircraft

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give details of the new monitoring service he is installing to detect those low-flying service aircraft which disobey their given height instructions.

The RAF police conduct surveys of military low flying in the United Kingdom from time to time to establish that height and other rules are being observed. Following trials, it has been decided that a Skyguard fire control radar system will be deployed in a low-flying monitoring role later this year and this should provide a valuable aid to the RAF police in this work. Surveys of low flying in the United Kingdom have shown that there is a healthy respect for low-flying regulations and the new system should provide further confirmation of the high standards and professionalism of the Royal Air Force.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will arrange for the new monitoring service used to detect aircraft flying below permitted levels to operate in the areas around Leamington Spa which are under the service training flight paths.

The RAF police monitor low flying at different locations in the United Kingdom during the course of the year, but it is not our practice to release details of the programe in advance.

Command And Control System

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the cost of the new computer system at the recently opened United Kingdom air defence ground defence environment command and control system, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire; why this computer system was originally specified to use four different programming languages; why it is being converted to a single language; what is the cost of this change; and if he will make a statement.

Only part of the improved United Kingdom air defence ground environment (IUKADGE) command and control system (ICCS) will be at High Wycombe. Equipment and software costs of the entire system, of which NATO is paying over 80 per cent. will amount to some £225 million at September 1988 prices. It would not be meaningful, however, to identify the cost of part of the system in isolation.The ICCS is being developed and installed by UKSL Ltd. under a fixed-price contract. The number of programming languages was not specified by the MOD and is the responsibility of the contractor.

Siemens Printers

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Siemens ND3 printers are used by his Department, either in-house or through a private contract; and what is the location of each.

Details of the many thousands of printers bought annually by the Department are not kept centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The Department does not keep records of the printers used by the 10,000 or so companies which are under contract to the Department.

Raf Upper Heyford

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the compensation arrangements to be introduced at RAF Upper Heyford following his visit there on 19 April; and if he will include the name and address of the official to whom claims should be made.

Details of the new compensation arrangements were announced at the presentation held at RAF Upper Heyford on 19 April and will be made known in the area by newspaper adverstising and by means of a leaflet delivered to every home within the area of the scheme.From 17 May some 70 additional homes, including the whole village of Stoke Lyne, which fall within the average 70dB(A) contour will become eligible for a grant for the installation of acoustic secondary glazing to all bedrooms and up to two living rooms. In addition, the original noise insulation grant scheme is being re-opened for a period of six months from 17 May to allow the 35 or so residents who did not previously apply a further opportunity to do so.It is Ministry of Defence policy to offer to purchase homes which are subject of average noise levels of 83dB(A) or more. There is no obligation to sell and this offer is made because some residents may find the noise unacceptably intrusive; not because of any risk to health or hearing. Letters have already been sent to all property owners within the new 83dB(A) contour informing them of the position.Although the change of flight paths at RAF Upper Heyford does not satisfy the conditions laid down in the Land Compensation Act 1973 for the payment of injurious affection compensation, it has been decided, exceptionally, to consider claims for compensation. From 1 June 1989 owners of residential property (or small businesses with a rateable value of less than £2,250) in the vicinity of RAF Upper Heyford may submit claims if they believe that the value of their property has been adversely affected as a direct result of an increase in noise following the change in flight paths on 1 June 1988. Claims for such compensation will be considered independently by the district valuer in the light of the evidence available to him.The noise compensation scheme at RAF Upper Heyford is being administered by the Defence Land Agent, Block D, Brooklands Avenue, Cambridge, CB2 2DZ.

Arms Sales

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the value of military equipment exported under collaborative projects in the year 1987–88 was not the subject of memoranda of understanding which required the agreement of Her Majesty's Government before this equipment could be re-exported to third countries.

In the context of Government collaborative ventures involving Her Majesty's Government, all military equipment exported in the year 1987–88 required the agreement of Her Majesty's Government.

Headquarters Contracts

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the reasons for the difference in the figures quoted on the value of headquarters contracts for goods and services destined for the British armed services awarded by his Department to Rolls-Royce Ltd. and Rolls-Royce plc in 1985–86 given in answers to the hon. Member for Coventry, South-East, Official Report, 4 April, columns 127–28 and 12 April, column 612.

The answers given earlier about Rolls-Royce plc responded to the terms of the questions, and gave information respectively on the payments made, at columns 127–28, on 4 April, and value of contracts placed, at column 612, on 12 April. Clearly there is a delay between placing a contract and payments being made against that contract.

Sir Colin Chandler

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make public details of the performance bonuses paid to Sir Colin Chandler as head of defence export services; and, in each case, when a performance bonus was paid and how it was earned.

The terms under which Sir Colin Chandler is seconded from British Aerospace as head of defence export services at the Ministry of Defence do not provide for the payment of performance bonuses.

Hms Conqueror

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the captain's narrative of HMS Conqueror covering the years 1982–83 is still in the possession of the Ministry of Defence.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the captain's narrative of HMS Conqueror's Falklands deployment. Copies of this are still held by the Ministry of Defence.

Usa (Chemical Weapons)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to seek from the United States Secretary of Defence full publication of the United States chemical weapons stockpile at the earliest possible date.

The United States has already made available a great deal of information concerning its chemical weapons stockpile: this includes details of its composition by agent type and percentage; the location of their CW storage facilities in the United States; and full details of the comprehensive United States programme for the destruction of its unitary CW stocks, which has resulted in the destruction of about 15 million pounds of chemical agent since 1970.

Radioactive Waste

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions have taken place with UK Nirex Ltd. on the future disposal options for military radioactive wastes.

The Ministry of Defence is represented at official level at the quarterly Nirex customers' meetings, at which representatives of the civil radioactive waste producers are also present. There is in addition a series of technical working groups at which MOD is represented.

Nuclear Weapons

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if, during the NATO nuclear planning group meeting in Canada in April, consideration was given to the large public demonstration in Belgium against the modernisation of short-range nuclear weapons in Europe.

No.

Usaf Aircraft

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many United States Air Force A-10 Tank Buster aircraft based in the United Kingdom have crashed in the United Kingdom since 1 January; how many people have been killed in these accidents; whether any assessment has been made of the maximum credible accident that could arise from the training exercises involving these aircraft in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen), at column 365, on 24 April 1989. Every effort is made to conduct essential military aircraft training in as safe a way as is possible. It is not our practice to make statements about hypothetical events.

Rn—Warsaw Pact Countries

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any contacts between the Royal Navy and Warsaw pact countries are planned.

In a move to increase contacts between the Royal Navy and Warsaw pact navies, the destroyer Warszawa, flagship of the Polish Navy, is to visit London from 9–12 May. In a reciprocal visit, HMS Bristol will visit Gdynia from 9–12 June as part of the Dartmouth training squadron's summer deployment to the Baltic.On the same deployment, HMS Bristol will also visit Leningrad from 26–30 May. This will be the first Royal Navy visit to the Soviet Union since HMS Devonshire made a port call in Odessa in 1976, and only the second ship visit since 1966. An invitation has been extended to the Soviet Navy to send a warship to the United Kingdom.

Raf Mildenhall And Lakenheath

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the introduction at RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath of noise insulation grants and injurious affection compensation; and if he will make a statement.

I am pleased to announce that, following analysis of the results of noise surveys in the vicinity of RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath, noise and injurious affection compensation schemes have been approved. From today the occupants of some 5,600 homes in the area will be eligible to claim a grant for the sound insulation of all bedrooms and up to two living rooms. The scheme also provides for the payment of injurious affection compensation, if there is evidence that the value of a residential property, or small business with a rateable value of less than £2,250, was adversely affected by an increase in noise or other physical effects following the bringing into use of hardened aircraft shelters at the airfields in July 1983. As any increase in noise will have been limited to the immediate areas, claims for compensation will only be considered for those residents who live in close proximity to the hardened aircraft shelters.An announcement is being made at RAF Lakenheathtoday to local councils and media and details of the scheme will be made known in the area by advertising and by means of a leaflet delivered to properties within the boundary of the scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what modifications to the approach routes of military aircraft landing at RAF Lakenheath he expects to be introduced by the United States Air Force; and if these will reduce noise levels overhead in the residential areas of Brandon, Suffolk.

A minor modification to the visual approach route at RAF Lakenheath has been made following discussions with the Army. This will allow aircraft in the visual pattern to turn over the Stanford training area when joining the final approach path. Although this will affect only a relatively small number of flights, there should be some reduction in the levels of disturbance experienced in residential areas of Brandon, though they will continue to be overflown. All other flight paths remain unchanged.

Agriculture, Fisheries And Food

Agricultural Research

13.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the current level of funding of agricultural research.

25.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the current level of funding of agricultural research.

The Government expect to spend £186 million on research and development in agriculture alone in this financial year. This amply demonstrates our strong commitment to the technological underpinning of the farming industry and to public good research in this area. This does not include the additional research and development on food, fisheries and related activities.

Countryside Commission

14.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met the chairman of the Countryside Commission; and what matters were discussed.

I met the chairman of the Countryside Commission on 7 November, when we discussed many issues relating to the countryside. I am always ready to discuss matters of mutual concern with the Countryside Commission.

Containers (Disposal)

15.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on his policy on the disposal of unwanted pesticides, veterinary products and associated containers.

The policy of this Ministry is to make positive efforts to encourage compliance with the legal requirement, which is that all hazardous waste substances from agriculture including pesticides, veterinary products and their containers, should be disposed of safely and without harm to the environment.

Pesticides

16.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will review the list of pesticides approved for use on fruit.

The independent advisory committee on pesticides is undertaking a programme of routine reviews of all pesticides, including those used on fruit, starting with those active ingredients which have been approved the longest and are most widely used. In addition emergency reviews will be carried out when particular concerns have been raised.

Hedgerows

17.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a further statement about hedgerows.

As I have explained to the hon. Gentleman before, we acknowledge the value of hedges as wildlife habitats and landscape features, as well as their value for agricultural purposes. My Department is always ready to provide advice to farmers on hedgerow management, and grants are available for hedgerow planting and laying.

State Veterinary Service

18.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the future of the state veterinary service.

43.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the future of the state veterinary service.

As my hon. Friend said in a reply to the then hon. Member for Glasgow, Central (Mr. McTaggart) on 16 March, at column 345, I consider it of great importance that this country should hawe a veterinary service dedicated to the maintenance of our high health status. I will ensure that this factor is taken into acount in the review of veterinary manpower which I announced on 11 April, at column 441.

Gatt

19.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the European Council last discussed the agricultural implications of the general agreement on tariffs and trade round.

The Agriculture and Foreign Affairs Councils at their meetings on 20–22 March discussed and approved the Community's approach on agriculture for the GATT negotiations held in Geneva earlier this month. A successful agreement was reached there on a framework for negotiation on further agricultural reform. In Community discussions we are now encouraging the Commission to develop constructive proposals on how this is to be achieved.

26.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Geneva talks on the agricultural aspects of the general agreement on tariffs and trade.

My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster made a statement to the House on 10 April, at columns 396–97, about the outcome of the recent GATT meeting. The agreement reached there on agriculture provides a firm basis for work to be carried forward on the ways and means of securing long-term policy reform. For the short term, it confirms that present levels of support and protection are not to be increased. We shall be urging the Community to press ahead with detailed work to build on and continue the process of agricultural reform that is already under way.

51.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he has had with the United States Agriculture Minister, Mr. Yeutter, on recent general agreement on tariffs and trade developments on agriculture.

I met Secretary Yeutter in Washington on 24 April. We had extensive discussions, concentrating in particular on the current GATT round. We both welcomed the agreement that had been reached in the GATT trade negotiations committee on 8 April and their firm basis that it now provides for negotiations on long-term reform of agricultural policies worldwide. We also agreed that the commitment not to increase support and protection beyond current levels will be an important contribution to this process.

Watercourses (Pollution)

20.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the pollution of watercourses by the agricultural industry; and if he will make a statement.

67.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment has been made of the pollution of watercourses by the agricultural industry; and if he will make a statement.

The total number of reported farm pollution incidents increased by 6 per cent. in 1988, although there was a 5 per cent. reduction in those classified serious. The Government are taking a number of steps to tackle this problem, incuding free general advice to farmers on pollution avoidance and the most generous grant-aid in the EEC. But Government action alone cannot solve it. It is the duty of every farmer to comply with the law, of the water authorities—soon the National Rivers Authority—to enforce it, and of the courts to set appropriate penalties.

Farm Support Systems

21.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is able to calculate, using a net value of support of subsidy index base of 100 for the United Kingdom, from the latest available figures, the equivalent current cost of farm support systems to the average family in (i) the United States of America (ii) Japan, (iii) Canada, (iv) Austria, (v) Sweden and (vi) Norway.

I regret that information in the form requested is not available. However, published OECD studies provide some indications of the relative costs of agricultural support that prevailed on average in 1984–1986. The calculations take account of consumer transfers through higher food prices as well as direct budgetary expenditures. These studies include the European Community of 10 members as a whole, but not the United Kingdom separately. Figures have not yet been published for Sweden and Norway. If these OECD estimates are adjusted to per head of population, and the Community set at 100, they imply the following index numbers for that period: United States, 113; Japan, 142; Canada, 92; Austria, 86. Such comparisons should be treated with caution: they are sensitive to changes in exchange rates and other factors. Estimates for more recent years, when available, could well show different relationships, in particular for the United States whose currency has fallen substantially against the ECU and where spending on agricultural policies has been falling.

Sugar Beet Growers

22.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent representations he has received from sugar beet growers.

We have recently received a number of representations from sugar beet growers and from the National Farmers Union on their behalf concerning the EC Commission's price proposals for sugar. This was prior to the settlement at the Agriculture Council last week.

Torry Research Station, Aberdeen

23.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last visited the Torry research station, Aberdeen.

On 31 August 1988.

Fish Farming

24.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has any plans to increase the level of Government funding for research and development in fish farming.

The Government spent some £3·2 million on research and development in relation to fish farming in 1988–89 and plan for a similar level of expenditure in this financial year.

Agricultural Surpluses

27.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made in reducing European Community agricultural surpluses.

The measures agreed at the European Council in February 1988, notably on budgetary discipline and the reform of the CAP, have greatly reduced the incentive to surplus production.

Intervention stocks of most major commodities have reduced significantly. Stocks of butter are down by 94 per cent. since 1986. Cereals stocks are down about 60 per cent. since 1985. Skimmed milk powder stocks, which were over 1 million tonnes in 1986, are now virtually non-existent. Beef stocks are down about a half since 1985.

Potatoes

28.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a further statement on the future of the Potato Marketing Board.

46.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the outcome of his review of the potato marketing scheme.

I refer my hon. Friend and the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Ludlow (Mr. Gill) on 19 April 1989, at column 175.

Rspb

29.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met the president of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds; and what matters were discussed.

My right hon. Friend the Minister and I met the president of the RSPB council on 17 November, when we discussed the RSPB's consultation paper on the reform of the common agricultural policy.I had a separate meeting with the chairman on 3 November, at which we discussed a wide range of issues. Both these meetings were helpful and constructive.

Veterinary Surgeons

30.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects that the assessment of the number of veterinary surgeons will reach its conclusions.

I hope to be able to announce the details of this review shortly, but am not yet in a position to say when it will reach conclusions. However, I am glad to note that the Universities Funding Council has put off consideration of the Riley report until the review is completed.

National Parks (Intensive Farming)

31.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will extend the scheme of payments to encourage less intensive farming in environmentally sensitive areas to cover national parks.

I have no plans to extend the ESA scheme to cover all national parks.

Cod Fishing

32.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the latest position with regard to cod fishing in the channel.

In line with the wishes of the area VII industry advisory committee, we have adopted a management strategy for this year's Channel cod fishery designed to spread the annual quota availability as evenly as possible over the year, and to avoid, as possible, a repetition of last year's uninterrupted closure of six months. I have accordingly closed the fishery twice this year for time-limited periods, currently until 1 July. Latest estimates indicate that we took about half of our annual quota by Easter. I am fully aware of the difficulties facing cod fishermen, and I am pursing all possible means of adjusting the level of the quota.

35.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on what date the industry was informed of individual cod quotas for the current year.

Following agreement at the Council of Fisheries Ministers on 9–11 December 1989, quotas for the United Kingdom's cod fisheries were announced to the industry on 13 December 1988.As regards the North sea and west of Scotland fisheries, the allocation of United Kingdom quotas among the various groups in the fisheries has this year given rise to new and important issues which have needed further consideration within Fisheries Departments. We are looking to conclude discussions as a matter of urgency and will be contacting the industry as soon as possible thereafter.

Licensed Netsmen

33.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has any proposals regarding future developments of the north-east licensed salmon fishery.

34.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement regarding the implications of the most recent southern T net order.

37.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent representations he has received concerning the north-east licensed salmon fishery.

I refer the hon. Members to the reply given earlier to the hon. Member for Sunderland, South (Mr. Mullin).

Salmonella

36.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the results of action being taken by his Department to assist and encourage the eradication of salmonella from poultry flocks.

63.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a further statement on the action which he is taking to combat salmonella infection in flocks of hens.

The Government have adopted a comprehensive range of measures to tackle the problem of salmonella in eggs and poultry.Codes of practice have been introduced on the control of salmonella in laying flocks, breeding flocks, hatcheries, broilers and turkeys and guidelines issued on the control of salmonella in feedingstuffs.Laying flocks and processed animal protein produced for use as feedingstuffs are statutorily subject to compulsory bacteriological monitoring for the presence of salmonella. All identifications of the organism must be reported to my Department.Notices have been served prohibiting the sale of eggs from flocks found to be contaminated with invasive salmonellas, such contaminated flocks have been compulsorily slaughtered, and compulsory cleansing of contaminated laying houses required.Statutory powers have been exercised to prevent the movement of contaminated material from animal protein processing plants.The laying controls on imported animal protein have been strengthened.It is still too early to assess the results of these measures. Salmonella organisms are too pervasive for eradication to be possible but I am confident that the action which we are taking will have a significant effect in reducing the problem.

National Dairy Herd

38.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by what proportion the size of the national dairy herd has declined in the last five years; and if the decline in each of the other member states of the European Community is greater or less than that in the United Kingdom.

The information requested is shown in the table.

Percentage decline in dairy cow numbers in member states of the European community¹
December 1983 to December 1988
	Per cent.
Denmark	22·7
France	22·6
Netherlands	20·6
Luxembourg	15·1
United Kingdom	13·2
Germany	12·2
Belgium	10·1
Ireland	9·7
Italy	7·0
Greece	1·9
Source: Eurostat.
¹ Figures for Spain and Portugal are not available.

Nfu

39.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met the president of the National Farmers Union; and what matters were discussed.

I meet the president of the National Farmers Union frequently to discuss agricultural matters.

Experimental Farms (Closure)

40.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he has had with the National Farmers Union, the Country Landowners Association and other organisations regarding the closure of Liscombe Hill experimental farm and Roswarne experimental station; and if he will make a statement.

My noble Friend the Parliamentary Secretary held a series of meetings with all interested parties in 1988 concerning our future research and development programme. The facilities required to undertake our R and D programme will form part of further consultations with industry organisations at official level with my noble Friend in May. In addition, my officials are pursuing with local interests those specific proposals that have been made for future funding of work at Liscombe and Rosewarne, bearing in mind the need to meet the full costs of the work retained.

Farm And Conservation Grants Scheme

41.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on reactions to his announcement of the farm and conservation grants scheme and the degree of interest being shown by farmers wanting to pursue it.

This scheme, which was introduced on 20 February, has received a generally very warm welcome from farming, conservation organisations and others.Interest so far shown by farmers is high. In England 449 formal notifications have been received from farmers intending to begin pollution control work and 83 for the repair of traditional farm buildings. Fifty-six applications for farm improvement plans have also been received. In addition, divisional offices have dealt with a substantial number of inquiries about the scheme leading to a widescale distribution of the advisory literature.This is a very encouraging response in the opening weeks of the new scheme. I am particularly pleased by the high level of interest in grants for waste disposal given the pressing need to reduce the incidence of farm pollution.

Agriculture Act 1947

42.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is considering amending any parts of the Agriculture Act 1947.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply he received on 16 February, at column 362.

Chernobyl Fallout

44.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will estimate how long restrictions will have to remain in force on farms affected by fall-out from Chernobyl.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 20 April 1989 to the hon. Members for Stretford, (Mr. Lloyd) and for Derbyshire, North (Mr. Barnes), at column 281.

Tied Cottages

45.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has received recent representations from the National Farmers Union about tied cottages; and if he will make a statement.

No.

Milk

47.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the proposal to ban the sale of unpasteurised milk in England and Wales.

I have nothing to add to the reply my right hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member for Basingstoke (Mr. Hunter) on 23 February, at column 712–13.

53.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what statistical evidence his Ministry currently has to show whether unpasteurised milk produced hygienically is damaging to human health.

The evidence is not so much statistical as scientific. Unpasteurised milk poses a threat to human health mainly because pathogens may be carried by an apparently healthy cow and passed on in its milk. The risk of such transmission is not significantly affected by production conditions.

Bovine Somatotropin

48.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received from consumer and producer organisations about bovine somatotropin.

I have received a number of representations from such organisations expressing a variety of views about BST.

Health And Hygiene Standards

49.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on steps to improve the health and hygiene standards in the agriculture and food industries.

The Government attach the highest priority to ensuring food safety. Our policy has been and will remain to take such steps—in the form of prompt action coupled with advice to consumers—as are shown to be necessary. Recent examples of this include: a wide ranging set of measures dealing with salmonella in eggs and poultry and covering all stages of the food chain; guidance to the public on salmonella in eggs and on listeria; and the setting up of an independent expert committee to make recommendations on the microbiological safety of food. We shall shortly be launching an education campaign of food hygiene in the home.We shall continue to act promptly on the findings of our extensive system of food surveillance and any other matters that come to light through scientific research and assessment.

Senor Carlos Romero Herrero

50.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met Senor Carlos Romero Herrero, President-in-Office, European Community Council of Fisheries Ministers; and what subjects were discussed.

My right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food meets Senor Romero frequently in his capacity as President of the Council of Agriculture Ministers. I last met Senor Romero in La Toja, Spain on 10–11 April at an informal meeting of the EC' Fisheries Ministers, where discussion ranged over a number of aspects of the common fisheries policy.

Farm Animal Welfare Council

52.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met representatives of the Farm Animal Welfare Council; and what subjects were discussed.

I met representatives of the Farm Animal Welfare Council on 13 April and talked to them about space allowances for battery hens, the council's remit, and implementation of the FAWC reports on redmeat and religious slaughter.

Country Landowners Association

54.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met the president of the Country Landowners Association; and what matters were discussed.

I last met the president of the Country Landowners Association on 15 February, when we discussed various matters relating to the tenanted sector. My noble friend has since met him on 17 April, when a wide range of agricultural issues were discussed.

Dairy Industry

55.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied with the present state of the dairy industry; and if he will make a statement.

l refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Pembroke (Mr. Bennett) on 5 April, at columns 214–15.

57.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he is next due to meet the chairman of the Milk Marketing Board to discuss the dairy sector.

I have regular contacts with the chairman of the Milk Marketing Board to discuss various issues affecting the dairy industry.

Nature Conservancy Council

56.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met the chairman of the Nature Conservancy Council; and what matters were discussed.

I met the chairman of the Nature Conservancy Council on 7 November last year, when we discussed a wide range of subjects.

Farm Woodlands Scheme

58.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will indicate the progress being made with the farm woodlands scheme.

Farmers have shown a very encouraging level of interest in the farm woodlands scheme. In the first six months of the scheme over 800 applications have been received to plant a total of 5,700 hectares (14,084 acres) of trees throughout the United Kingdom. A high proportion of the planting will be with broadleaved trees.

Council Of Ministers

59.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last attended the EEC Council of Ministers; and what subjects were discussed.

62.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met Agriculture Ministers of the other European Economic Community member states; and what was discussed.

I last attended the EEC Council of Ministers on 17–21 April in Luxembourg, the outcome of which I reported to the House yesterday.

Cap

60.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the efficiency of safeguards against fraud in the common agricultural policy; and if he will make a statement.

I have been pressing the Council and Commission for some time to take firmer action against fraud.In Luxembourg last week I drew the attention of the Council to disturbing reports that ineligible butter had been bought in by intervention agencies, which demonstrated the need to take action to improve the controls on intervention. I received assurances from the Commission that it would report to the Council soon how it intended to follow-up recommendations made by the European Court of Auditors in its report on intervention.I also emphasised the importance of considering the implication for fraud before proposals for new agricultural regulations were adopted by the Council, and of establishing in such regulations specific and cost effective control provisions which would minimise the risk of fraud. I noted that the Commission was reviewing existing regulations against these criteria and received assurances that they intended to improve the clarity and consistency of control provisions in all agriculture regulations.

Toxic Emissions

61.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment has been made of the effect on farm animals of toxic emissions from industrial processes; and if he will make a statement.

In the past 10 years the state veterinary service has investigated 21 cases of toxicity thought to be caused by emissions from industrial processors. In eight of these, two involving cattle, two involving sheep and four various forms of wild life, chemical evidence was found. Seven were linked with contamination of water courses by fuel oils or chemical preservatives, and one with toxic emission from an incineration plant.

Animal Diseases

66.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on measures to prevent the importation of animal diseases after the establishment of the European internal market.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on measures to prevent the importation of animal diseases in the context of the development of the single European market.

The Government will be aiming to secure the right balance between minimising barriers to trade and maintaining the effective veterinary controls necessary to prevent the introduction of disease.

Labour Statistics

64.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the number of full-time employees in the agriculture industry in 1979 and at the latest available date; and if he will make a statement.

The information requested on the number of full-time employees in agriculture in the United Kingdom is as follows:

	Number of workers
	(000's)
1979	187·0
1988	134·9

Source: June agricultural census.

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy

65.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will review his policy concerning compensation for the slaughter of cattle infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

I have no plans to do so. I have no evidence at all that farmers are cheating or trying to cheat.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will state for each month of the current year the number of cattle identified as bovine spongiform encephalopathy-suspect by ante-mortem inspections at markets or slaughterhouses in the United Kingdom; and how many of these were subsequently confirmed as infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy by post-mortem inspection.

This information is not held centrally.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish a table showing the cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy confirmed in each county of the United Kingdom for the four-week period ended 14 April.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for South Shields (Dr. Clark) on 20 April at columns 282–83, which covers the period in question.

Eggs

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has any proposals concerning the sale, to the general public, of eggs which have not been graded by an authorised packer; and if he will make a statement.

In its report on salmonella in eggs, the Agriculture Select Committee drew particular attention to the fact that cracked eggs carried a greater risk of salmonella contamination; and that such eggs are often sold directly to consumers by the producer at the farm gate, door-to-door or in a public market. These direct sales by producers of their own production are not covered by the European Council regulations laying down standards for egg marketing.

Cracked eggs carry an increased risk of contamination because the cracks facilitate entry of bacteria into the inside of the egg, for example through contact with farmyard manure or dust, which may contain salmonella. The Government therefore propose to ban the retail sale by egg producers of eggs with cracks visible to the naked eye. We have today issued a consultation document seeking the view of interested organisations on this proposal and are seeking comments within two months.

I have placed a copy of the consultation document in the Library.

Departmental Staff

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food with respect to the support grades in his Department (a) what is the number of staff employed, (b) how many vacancies there are and how many of these have existed for over one month and over three months, (c) how many temporary and casual appointments there are and (d) how much overtime was worked by them in London and elsewhere.

The information is as follows:

¹(a) My Department has 474 permanent staff employed in the office support grades.

¹(b) There are 38 vacancies, four existed for over one month and 34 have existed for over three months.

¹(c) There are 24 casual appointments.

¹(d) During the period 1 September 1988—31 December 1988 office support grades employed in central London worked approximately 9,900 hours overtime; those outside central London worked approximately 1,700 hours overtime.

¹ As at 21 April 1989.

Slaughterhouses

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make it his policy to ensure that by the end of 1991 all red meat slaughterhouses in the United Kingdom conform to EEC export standards.

The standards of hygiene and meat inspection required by our regulations for non-exporting plants are similar to those required for intra-Community trade. There are however different structural standards, and exporting plants are required to operate under veterinary supervision. Non-exporting plants are supervised by environmental health officers for whom we have high regard.I shall be discussing with the EC Commission and other member states the rules which are to be adopted for all slaughterhouses on completion of the internal market. In those discussions I shall take account of views expresed to my by the interests concerned.

Apples, Cheese And Eggs

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will issue a statement confirming that it is safe to eat apples, cheese and eggs.

There is no need whatever for the public to stop eating apples, and similar advice, incidentally, has been issued by the United States authorities and confirmed by the United States surgeon general. Nor is there any reason for average healthy people to avoid eating either eggs or any kind of cheese—though we do advise everyone against eating raw eggs or uncooked food made from them. We have issued special warnings on lightly cooked eggs and soft-ripened cheese to pregnant women and other vulnerable groups. But I readily confirm the safety of these valuable foodstuffs for consumers generally.

Herpes

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make herpes in horses and any other animals a notifiable disease; and if he will make a statement.

The herpes family of viruses causes a number of diseases. Aujeszky's disease, which is notifiable in pigs, cattle, sheep, goats, deer, horses, dogs and cats, is one of them. I have no plans to make any other a notifiable disease.

Fishing Industry

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he next intends to visit Grimsby to discuss the fishing industry.

I visited Grimsby on 21 November 1988. I have no immediate plans for a further visit.

Lindane (Recovery)

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what consultations are taking place between his officials and others regarding the retrieval of the container, containing five tonnes of organochlorine insecticide, Lindane, which was lost when the vessel Perintis foundered north-west of Guernsey on or about 13 March; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Greenock and Port Glasgow (Dr. Godman) on Wednesday 19 April.

Cook-Chill Food

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what recent representations he has received about the control of cook-chill foods; and if he will make a statement.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply he received from the Secretary of State for Health on 15 March 1989, at column 249.

Mink And Fox Farming

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, whether he has received a copy of the press notice headed, "Farm Animal Welfare Council disapproves of mink and fox farming", dated 4 April; and whether he will make a statement on its recommendation that the state veterinary service should be required to effectively monitor standards of management on existing mink and fox farms by visiting them regularly.

I have received a copy of the Farm Animal Welfare Council's statement on mink and fox farming. The state veterinary service already includes visits to fur farms as part of its monitoring of all types of livestock farms for welfare purposes. This monitoring will continue.

Food Poisoning (Research)

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what funding is allocated to basic and technological research into food poisoning at universities and food research associations; and if he will make a statement.

In 1988–89 the estimated funding by my Department of food R and D at universities and food research associations relating to food poisoning, was £445,000. The programme for 1989–90 is still being negotiated.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science also makes funds available to the Agricultural and Food Research Council and universities for basic and strategic scientific research. It is up to the institutions themselves to allocate the resources made available to them. Some will be spent on research into food poisoning.

Intervention Stores

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many days supply of (a) milk, (b) butter, (c) meat and (d) grain are currently in store in Britain; and if he will make a statement.

[holding reply 26 April 1989]: Estimated days supply, in store in the United Kingdom, are as follows:

Commodity	Days supply
Milk¹	0
Butter²	26
Lamb³	21
Beef²	11
Pork	3
Ham and Bacon	10–14
Wheat and Barley²	20
¹ Raw milk is stored only for very brief periods prior to packaging or processing.
² Intervention and EC assisted private storage only. Information on the quantities in commercial storage is unavailable.
³ Frozen imported lamb.

Volume 151: debated on Thursday 27 April 1989

Written Answers To Questions

Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs

South Africa

United Kingdom Embassies

India (Missiles)

Soviet Submarine (Sinking)

The Arts

"The Northern Region: Making Ends Meet"

House Of Commons

Pension Fund

National Finance

"The Inland Revenue And The Taxpayer"

Small Businesses (Tax Concessions)

Old Ships

Investment Statistics

Gilts

Ec Banking Directive

Finance Bill

Computers

Income Tax

Double Taxation (Ireland)

Overseas Development

West Bank And Gaza Strip

Wales

Siemens Printers

Welsh Language

Esa Payments

Health Service

Teachers

Local Education Authorities (Finance)

Scotland

Forestry Projects

Electronic Companies

Nhs Reform

Electoral Registers

Highland Health Board

Flood Damage

Business Rate

Community Charge

Clyde Port Authority

Prime Minister

Departmental Accounts

Stuc

Environment

Training Schemes

Bournemouth

Settle-Carlisle Railway

Mv Perintis

European Community

East Anglia

Engagements

Trade And Industry

Manufacturing Industry

Israel

Inter-Industry Agreements

Gas

Barlow Clowes

Blue Arrow

Education And Science

"The School Difference"

Teachers

Schools

Pupil Costs

Secondary School Placements (Appeals)

Student Loans

Pupil Statistics

Languages

Secondary School Staffing Survey

Employment

Policy Targets

Departmental Staff

Private Zoos

Job Gubs (Birmingham)

Special Equipment

Member's Correspondence (Gower)

Employees (Public Duties)

Energy

Petrol