Written Answers

                    The text on this page has been created from Hansard archive content, it may contain typographical errors.
                

Written Answers To Questions

Thursday 27 February 1992

National Finance

Non-Taxpayers

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many single people and married couples do not pay tax in 1991–92.

There are about 6·6 million single people not liable to income tax and about 4·1 million married couples where neither spouse is liable to tax.

Car Tax

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost to the revenue in (a) 1991–92 and (b) 1992–93, giving in each case the first and full year costs, of a one per cent. cut in car tax, in the United Kingdom.

The requested estimates are as shown. They use the autumn statement forecast and are consistent with the methodology used in table 4·8 in chapter 4 of the 1991 autumn statement.

Revenue effect of 1 per cent. cut in car tax (£ million)
	1991–92	1992–93
First year	-125	-130
Full year	-140	-150

Child Care Tax Allowances

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the effect on Treasury revenues in 1992–93 and in a full year of extending the exemption of workplace nurseries from income tax as a benefit in kind to all forms of employer-provided or subsidised child care.

The annual cost would be approximately £5 million at current levels of provision and subsidies for child care. This estimate takes no account of behavioural effects, which could be substantial.

Value Added Tax

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the revenue yield of putting the standard rate of VAT on funeral payments.

Standard rating those elements of funeral expenses which are presently exempt from value added tax would raise an estimated £40 million in 1991–92.

Income Tax And Ni Liability

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the latest estimates of how many people with gross incomes of over £100,000 pay (a) a national insurance contributions bill and (b) a total income tax and national insurance contributions bill, of less than (i) 35 per cent., (ii) 30 per cent., (iii) 25 per cent., (iv) 20 per cent., (v) 15 per cent., (vi) 10 per cent. and (vii) 5 per cent. of their gross incomes, in the United Kingdom.

Available figures relate to the estimated 150,000 taxpayers in 1991–92 with gross incomes of £80,000 and above. Nearly all of these taxpayers pay less than 5 per cent. of their gross income in national insurance contributions. Estimates of combined income tax and national insurance contribution liabilities are that 60,000 have an effective rate above 35 per cent., 80,000 have an effective rate between 30 and 35 per cent. and the remaining 10,000 have an effective rate between 25 and 30 per cent.

Data Information Systems

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 12 February, Official Report, columns 521–22, whether there is any proposal to undertake manual data exchange between tax authorities in other European countries; and if he will make a statement.

In accordance with the Council directive of 19 December 1977 (77/799/EEC), competent authorities of the member states may exchange certain information to enable them to assess taxpayers correctly. These exchanges are subject to certain safeguards to preserve the confidentiality of the information and were given legislative effect in section 77 of the Finance Act 1978.The directive was extended to VAT on 6 December 1979 (79/1070/EEC) and all exchanges are subject to the confidentiality safeguards of directive 77/799/EEC. Directive 79/1070/EEC was implemented by section 17(2) of the Finance Act 1980. There is currently a proposal to extend directive 77/799/EEC to include excise duties on manufactured tobacco, alcohol and alcoholic beverages and mineral oils.

Taxation

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give figures for each standard region of England, and for Scotland and Wales, for a one-earner family with two children on (a) average male earnings for that region, stating what this is and (b) median male earnings for that region, stating what this is in both April 1979 and April 1990 and counting child benefit as negative taxation, for (i) the amount paid in income tax per week, (ii) the amount paid in national insurance contributions, (iii) the amount paid in VAT, (iv) the amount paid in indirect taxation, excise duties and so on (v) the amount paid in domestic rates or in community charge as appropriate and (vi) the total amount paid out in the listed categories above, giving in each case the figures in current prices, constant prices and as a percentage of gross earnings.

[holding answer 11 February 1992]: Figures for average male earnings in April 1979 and April 1990 and for median male earnings in April 1990 are shown in the table, along with the income tax and employee national insurance contributions payable on them under the 1979–80 and 1990–91 tax and NIC regimes respectively. Figures for regional median male earnings for 1979 are unavailable and could be derived only at disproportionate cost. Reliable estimates of the amounts payable in VAT, other indirect taxes, domestic rates and the community charge which reflect regional variations in spending

At regional mean male earnings
	England									Wales	Scotland
	Greater London	Remainder of South East	East Anglia	South West	England West Midlands	East Midlands	Yorkshire and Humberside	North West	North
£ per week at April 1979 prices
April 1979
Mean male earnings	113·40	99·90	93·80	90·90	96·80	95·70	97·70	97·80	98·30	96·50	99·30
Income tax	14·83	10·78	8·95	8·08	9·85	9·52	10·12	10·15	10·30	9·76	10·60
NICs	7·37	6·49	6·10	5·91	6·29	6·22	6·35	6·36	6·39	6·27	6·45
Total	22·20	17·27	15·04	13·99	16·14	15·74	16·47	16·50	16·69	16·03	17·05
£ per week at April 1990 prices
April 1979
Mean male earnings	261·33	230·22	216·16	209·48	223·07	220·54	225·15	225·38	226·53	222·38	228·83
Income tax	34·17	24·84	20·62	18·62	22·69	21·93	23·32	23·39	23·73	22·49	24·42
NICs	16·99	14·96	14·05	13·62	14·50	14·33	14·63	14·65	14·72	14·45	14·87
Total	51·16	39·80	34·67	32·23	37·19	36·27	37·95	38·04	38·46	36·94	39·30
April 1990
Mean male earnings	383·10	310·60	281·10	277·30	269·30	269·70	266·90	274·70	265·20	258·60	276·40
Income tax	58·56	40·43	33·06	32·11	30·11	30·21	29·51	31·46	29·08	27·43	31·88
NICs	28·28	24·73	22·08	21·74	21·02	21·05	20·80	21·50	20·65	20·05	21·66
Total	86·84	65·17	55·14	53·84	51·12	51·26	50·31	52·96	49·73	47·49	53·54
Percentages of gross earnings April 1979
Income tax (per cent.)	13·1	10·8	9·5	8·9	10·2	9·9	10·4	10·4	10·5	10·1	10·7
NICs (per cent.)	6·5	6·5	6·5	6·5	6·5	6·5	6·5	6·5	6·5	6·5	6·5
Total (per cent.)	19·6	17·3	16·0	15·4	16·7	16·4	16·9	16·9	17·0	16·6	17·2
April 1990
Income tax (per cent.)	15·3	13·0	11·8	11·6	11·2	11·2	11·1	11·5	11·0	10·6	11·5
NICs (per cent.)	7·4	8·0	7·9	7·8	7·8	7·8	7·8	7·8	7·8	7·8	7·8
Total (per cent.)	22·7	21·0	19·6	19·4	19·0	19·0	18·8	19·3	18·8	18·4	19·4
April 1990
£ per week at April 1990 prices
Median male earnings	320·00	275·70	247·80	249·50	242·30	242·40	241·80	246·50	241·80	237·70	243·30
Income tax	42·78	31·71	24·73	25·16	23·36	23·38	23·23	24·41	23·23	22·21	23·61
NICs	25·58	21·59	19·08	19·24	18·59	18·60	18·54	18·97	18·54	18·17	18·68
Total	68·36	53·30	43·81	44·39	41·94	41·98	41·77	43·37	41·77	40·38	42·28
Percentages of gross earnings
Income tax (per cent.)	13·4	11·5	10·0	10·1	9·6	9·6	9·6	9·9	9·6	9·3	9·7
NICs (per cent.)	8·0	7·8	7·7	7·7	7·7	7·7	7·7	7·7	7·7	7·6	7·7
Total (per cent.)	21·4	19·3	17·7	17·8	17·3	17·3	17·3	17·6	17·3	17·0	17·4

Notes to table:

(1) Income tax payments are calculated on the assumption that the households receive no tax reliefs other than the standard allowances and only have income from employment. All earners are assumed to pay Class 1 NI contributions at the contracted-in rate.

(2) Child benefit is treated as a negative income tax.

(3) Average and median earnings estimates are derived from the New Earnings Survey. To provide consistent estimates for the two years, average earnings figures for April 1979 have been multiplied by a splicing factor, taking account of a classification change in the 1983 New Earnings Survey, from 'males aged over 21 years' to 'all males on adult rates'. The regional average earnings shown for 1979 therefore differ from those in the published New Earnings Survey.

Student Taxpayers

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what, in the latest year for which information is available, is the number of students who pay income tax; and what is the total number of students who pay VAT.

patterns and local tax rates cannot be made as the sample size of the family expenditure survey, on which such estimates would be based, is too small.

[holding answer 24 February 1992]: Information on the number of students who pay income tax is not available centrally and could be collected only at disproportionate cost.

VAT is chargeable on a wide range of consumer expenditure and it is likely that everybody has to pay some in the course of a year.

Tobacco Taxation

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing the amount of tax paid on the 10 most popular brands of cigarettes in each EC member state and the average price of a pack of 20 cigarettes in each country.

[holding answer 26 February 1992]: Information is available relating only to 1991 and for the most popular cigarette brand in each EC member states as follows:

Pence per 20
	Retail selling price	Excise duty and VAT
Spain	32	18
Greece	42	30
Portugal	60	45
Luxembourg	81	58
Italy	87	63
France	105	71
Netherlands	105	74
Belgium	113	82
Germany	146	107
Ireland	184	138
United Kingdom	208	155
Denmark	233	200

Taxes And Duties

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what amounts to taxes and duty were raised in each of the last five years (a) at 1991 prices and (b) as a percentage of total revenues on tobacco and tobacco products;(2) what amounts of taxes and duties were raised in each of the last five years

(a) at 1991 prices and (b) as a percentage of total revenues on alcohol and alcohol products.

[holding answer 26 February 1992]: The following is the information in respect of excise duty and VAT on alcoholic drink and tobacco at 1991 prices and as a percentage of total Customs and Excise receipts.

	Excise Duty and VAT £ million 1991 prices		Percentage of Customs & Excise receipts
	Alcohol	Tobacco	Alcohol	Tobacco
1986–87	8,550	7,750	15·4	13·9
1987–88	8,600	7,500	14·8	12·9
1988–89	8,550	7,400	14·0	12·1
1989–90	8,000	6,950	13·5	11·7
1990–91	8,000	7,050	13·9	12·2

Transport

Redmire To Redcar Rail Link

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to intervene in the possible closure of the Redmire to Redcar rail link following the withdrawal of the British Steel limestone traffic; and what assessment he has made of the extent to which such a closure would be in accordance with his policy of transferring freight from road to rail.

Following discussions with my Department, British Rail and my hon. Friend the Member for Richmond, Yorks (Mr. Hague) British Steel has agreed to continue transporting limestone on the Redmire line until the end of September, rather than the end of March as they had previously proposed. British Rail, for its part, has agreed to defer its proposed increase in rail charges for the same period. My officials are to host further discussions with my hon. Friend together with representatives of British Steel, British Rail and North Yorkshire county council, to explore the scope for keeping the limestone traffic on the line in the longer term. We have indicated our willingness to consider assistance through the freight facilities grants scheme, if appropriate.

Railway Clearing House

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department has any plans to lease the former railway clearing house building at Eversholt street, London NW1, following the privatisation of railway services.

No. I understand from the British Rail property board that the former railway clearing house was vested in the assets of Sealink, which was sold by the British Railways Board in 1984.

Ports Act 1991

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to review the operations of part III of the Ports Act 1991 in so far as its effects upon lighthouse dues and the smaller ports are concerned; and if he will make a statement.

I am currently considering proposals made by Trinity House and the Northern Lighthouse board under part III of the Ports Act 1991. In reaching a decision I shall take account of the representations made by the various interested parties.

Motorcycle Leg Protection

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will withdraw his proposals for the use of motorcycle leg protection.

It is the Government's desire to encourage the development of safe motorcycle secondary protection devices so that they can be available on an optional basis to those motorcyclists who wish to make use of them.There remains considerable scepticism among manufacturers as to whether it is possible to design and produce motorcycle leg protectors which enhance total safety and do not increase the risk of head injuries. Research is therefore continuing with a view to allaying such concerns.

Roads And Traffic, Shropshire

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what were the capital and revenue contributions from central Government to road and traffic schemes in Shropshire for 1978–79, 1982–83, 1986–87 and 1991–92.

The capital allocations were as follows:

	1978–79	1982–83	1986–87	1991–92
	£ million
Borrowing/credit approvals or equivalent	N/A	2,927	2,434	5,621
Transport supplementary grant	N/A	¹	1,456	4,355
Total	—	—	3,890	9,976
¹ Before 1985–86 transport supplementary grant was paid on both capital and revenue expenditure but was not differentiated between the two elements.

Grants to local authorities for revenue expenditure have since 1982 been unhypothecated—that is, not split into allocations for separate services. Only the ceiling for expenditure by central Government is controlled. Shropshire county council is free to make as much or as little revenue expenditure as it considers appropriate on road and traffic schemes.

Euro-Routes

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the designation of Euro-routes between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

Euro-routes are designated in annex I of the European agreement on main international traffic arteries (AGR). This is a free-standing agreement managed by the Economic Commission for Europe of the United Nations in Geneva.The E routes designated between Ireland and Britain are:

the E16 which runs Londonderry-Belfast-Glasgow-Edinburgh;

the E 18 which runs Craigavon-Belfast-Larne-Stranraer-Gretna-Carlisle-Newcastle and then through Norway, Sweden and Finland to St. Petersburg;

Schemes newly accepted for Transport Supplementary Grant in 1989–90
n/s: Data not supplied by local highway authority
Authority	Scheme	First year rate of return (per cent.)	Total net present value (£ million)	Length of scheme (kilometres)	Duration of scheme (months)
Bexley	Bexleyheath Southern Relief Road	21	n/s	0·4	9
Enfield	Nags Head Road/High Street, Ponders End, Junction Improvement	9	n/s	n/s	21
Waltham Forest	Bakers Arms Junction Improvement	10	n/s	0·2	31
Bolton	Market Street Diversion Westhoughton	9	0·6	1·0	12
Manchester	Manchester/Salford IRR (A6/Mancunian Way)	14	3·7	0·7	24
Salford	Crescent Bridge Reconstruction	99	5·3	0·3	12
Salford	Irlam/Cadishead Bypass (Boysnope Wharf-Brinell Drive)	12	4·6	4·0	18
Trafford	City Link	n/s	n/s	1·4	18
Liverpool	Park Road Relief Road Phase 2	n/s	n/s	n/s	18
St. Helens	St. Helens Town Centre to M62 Link Road [C] (Exc. Con.)	9	4·2	7·6	30
Barnsley	East of Hoyland Swaine	10	0·3	1·8	12
Rotherham	A630/A631 Rotherham to M1 Link	32	8·5	2·6	38
Sheffield	(pt. 4350) Sheffield·M1 via Mosborough Stage II and III	n/s	1·9	5·6	42
Newcastle upon Tyne	(3435, 4486 and 4488) West Central Route	n/s	n/s	1·4	36
South Tyneside	Newcastle Road, South Shields	15	1·5	1·0	15
Birmingham	City UTC	88	n/s	n/s	24
Birmingham	Middle Ring Road (Key Hill Link)	20	n/s	0·7	18
Birmingham	Middle Ring Road (New John Street West)	20	n/s	1·3	18
Birmingham	Washwood Heath Road/High Street Junction	99	n/s	0·4	9
Wolverhampton	Willenhall Road Improvement (Deans Road-Neachells Lane)	n/s	n/s	0·5	54

the E20 which runs Shannon-Dublin-Liverpool-Manchester-Bradford-Leeds-Hull and then through Denmark, Sweden and Estonia to St. Petersburg;

the E30 which runs Cork-Rosslare-Fishguard-Cardiff London-Felixstowe and then through the Netherlands, Germany, Poland and Byelorussia to Moscow.

Road Schemes

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he plans to announce the detailed guidelines for the use of discretionary powers to acquire property affected by his Department's road schemes which were referred to in his answer to the right hon. Member for Tonbridge and Mailing (Sir J. Stanley) of 21 November, 1991 Official Report, column 237.

I announced the detailed guidelines for the use of the new discretionary powers of section 62 of the Planning and Compensation Act 1991 on 17 January, pursuant to my answer to my right hon. Friend the Member for Tonbridge and Malling (Sir J. Stanley).

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list in the Official Report for each highway authority (a) the value of the first year return, (b) the total net present value and (c) the length of each road project which qualified for transport supplementary grant in each year from 1989–90 to 1991–92; and if he will give the same information for each road project which has been accepted for transport supplementary grant in 1992–93 and for the proposed Squires Gate link road, phase 2, in Lancashire.

[holding answer 24 February 1992]: Listed are the details requested for major schemes newly accepted for transport supplementary grant in the years 1989–90 to 1992–93. The tables also include similar information on the Squires Gate link road phase II.

Authority	Scheme	First year rate of return (per cent.)	Total net present value (£ million)	Length of scheme (kilometres)	Duration of scheme (months)
Avon	(pt. 4096) Avon R.R. IB2: Westerleigh Road-Shortwood Road	14	26·1	2·3	18
Avon	Urban Traffic Control	80	3·5	n/s	30
Berkshire	Reading Urban Traffic Control	n/s	n/s	n/s	14
Buckinghamshire	Wing-Milton Keynes Fenny Stratford BP (MKDC Con.)[C]	n/s	3·7	2·2	18
Cambridgeshire	Elton/Chesterton BP (Excl. PDC Contribution) [C]	n/s	5·0	5·9	18
Cheshire	Diversion (Phase 2) Warrington	8	0·5	1·2	24
Cleveland	(pt. 1024) Guisborough Road Improvement	6	0·4	1·0	12
Cornwall	(1368) Sticker Bypass	8	0·4	3·0	18
Cumbria	Papcastle Diversion	21	3·3	2·0	24
Cumbria	Romney Road Link [C] (Excl. Developer's Contribution)	61	3·3	0·3	18
Devon	UTC/Scoot Phase 3	n/s	n/s	n/s	60
Durham	Wheatley Hill Bypass	13	2·0	3·5	30
East Sussex	Brighton Bypass-Hangleton Link [C] (Excl. DTP Contribution)	n/s	n/s	1·7	24
Essex	Little Waltham to Great Leighs Stages 1 and 2	n/s	n/s	1·6	13
Hampshire	West Totton Bypass (2)	15	10·5	1·2	24
Humberside	Hull Ennerdale Link	53	18·1	3·3	39
Humberside	Humber Bridge Northern Approach Road	12	3·3	5·3	21
Kent	Eastry Bypass	14	0·6	2·5	20
Kent	Maidstone Spine Road	46	30·4	2·7	42
Kent	Somerhill Park Link Tonbridge	17	1·9	2·3	26
Kent	South Ashford to Hamstreet	7	-01	6·2	27
Kent	Stockbridge to Brenzett	7	0·1	4·0	18
Kent	Sturry Road to Military Road Link Canterbury	32	1·1	0·2	12
Kent	Whitfield Bypass	11	0·4	2·1	17
Kent	Whitfield to Eastry	8	0·3	7·5	24
Lancashire	(RN) Penwortham Bypass Extension to Preston	14	9·8	1·2	19
Lancashire	Accrington Town Centre Relief Road	45	3·4	0·7	12
Lancashire	Freckleton Bypass	21	5·7	3·3	15
Lancashire	Kirkham and Wesham Bypass	16	2·7	1·9	18
Lancashire	Lancaster/Morecambe Bypass (Phase I)	81	8·3	5·8	24
Leicestershire	Syston Northern Bypass	6	0·5	2·3	16
Lincolnshire	Wainfleet bypass	20	1·4	3·8	20
Norfolk	Dersingham/Snettisham Bypass	n/s	7·7	5·8	18
Northamptonshire	Staverton Bypass	n/s	0·1	1·2	5
Nottinghamshire	Hucknall Bypass	n/s	4·5	5·4	55
Nottinghamshire	Portland Street to Inner Ring Road Mansfield	99	n/s	0·5	10
Shropshire	Whitchurch Bypass	n/s	0·2	2·1	24
Staffordshire	Hawkins Lane Link Burton-upon-Trent	22	1·0	0·5	15
Suffolk	Long Melford Bypass	9	1·5	5·4	18
Surrey	Ewell Bypass	26	3·9	1·6	18
West Sussex	Rustington Bypass	9	2·1	3·0	24

Schemes newly accepted for Transport Supplementary Grant in 1990–91
n/s: Data not supplied by local highway authority
Authority	Scheme	First year rate of return (per cent.)	Total net present value (£ million)	Length of scheme (kilometres)	Duration of scheme (months)
Croydon	Mitcham Road/Sumner Road Junction Improvement	19	1·0	n/s	17
Ealing	South Road Pedestrianisation (Southall TN Center)	n/s	1·6	0·1	21
Merton	(RN) Beddington/Mitcham Relief Road	61	59·8	3·3	32
Wandsworth	Battersea Park Road (Alexandra Avenue-Queenstown Road)	16	n/s	0·6	21
Bolton	Outer Ring Road Improvements	176	20·5	10·6	60
Manchester	Airport Access Roads Stage 2 (M56 Spur/ Airport)	66	1·8	0·6	14
Manchester	Intermediate Ring Road Stage 2 (Pottery Lane-Oldham Road)	17	6·8	3·1	36
Manchester	Intermediate Ring Road Stage 1 (Kirkmanshulme Lane-Pottery Lane)	51	11·6	1·4	20
Stockport	(5283) Brinksway Improvement Phase 2	12	4·2	0·6	19
Wigan	Lowton St. Mary's Bypass	14	2·6	1·4	18
Knowsley	(RN) M57-A562 Link Road	8	20·6	4·5	30
Liverpool	Great Howard Street Improvement Phase 1	n/s	n/s	0·8	18

Authority	Scheme	First year rate of return (per cent.)	Total net present value (£ million)	Length of scheme (kilometres)	Duration of scheme (months)
Sheffield	(0353) Outer Ring Road Darnall Stage II, III and IV	5	0·2	2·6	51
Sheffield	(5475 and 5476) Penistone Road Stages II and III	28	4·8	2·5	36
Sunderland	Eastern Relief Road	n/s	7·6	0·8	30
Birmingham	(5691) UDA Spine Road (Heartlands)	n/s	n/s	4·1	43
Birmingham	Lichfield Road Improvement Phase 1 (UDA Scheme)	52	66·2	1·2	42
Birmingham	Middle Ring Road (Lawley Street Viaduct Section)	53	4·4	0·5	18
Coventry	North-South Road Phase 1	37	28·4	2·4	18
Dudley	Dudley Southern Bypass	15	59·3	3·1	66
Solihull	(5404) Shirley Junction Improvements Phase I	24	3·2	0·8	14
Bradford	(5031) Bradford City Ring Road Stage II	23	71·9	1·2	24
Bradford	Killinghall Triangle	182	30·5	0·4	8
Leeds	Leeds Inner Ring Road Stages 6 and 7	n/s	n/s	2·2	24
Avon	(5657) Western Super Mare PDR Stages VA and VB	11	3·9	1·4	24
Avon	Avon Ring Road (IV): Marsham Way-A4 Bath Road	19	6·4	2·8	30
Bedfordshire	Stagsden Bypass	n/s	1·2	3·0	12
Berkshire	Sandhurst Crowthorne Bypass	n/s	27·9	3·8	18
Berkshire	Slough Bath Road Montem Lane-Wellington Street	n/s	11·1	0·6	18
Cambridgeshire	A14/A603/B1042 Junction Improvement Arrington	13	n/s	1·0	6
Cheshire	Wilmslow Local Bypass	n/s	n/s	3·0	30
Cleveland	(1026) Thornaby Bypass	22	18·8	5·0	87
Cornwall	Liskeard Industrial Distributor Road	2	5·6	1·5	13
Devon	Milehouse Junction Improvement Plymouth	79	28·6	0·4	12
Devon	Thorns Cross to Eagle Farm Stage 4	15	6·8	2·8	12
Devon	Torbay Ring Road Stage 2	62	34·8	2·7	12
Devon	Western Approach/Union Street Junction Improvement Plymouth	91	34·2	0·8	9
Dorset	(pt5740) Primary Network/A37 Improvement-Section A AIP	7	0·1	2·8	8
Durham	Consett Bypass Stage II	n/s	n/s	1·8	18
Durham	Metal Bridge to Bowburn	9	3·5	1·8	12
East Sussex	Boarshead to Eridge	14	10·0	3·9	24
Essex	Canes Lane Improvement (Final Stage)	n/s	1·8	1·7	18
Essex	Dovercourt Bypass Stage 2 Phase 2	n/s	2·9	2·5	24
Hampshire	M3 Link Minley	49	45·7	1·0	20
Hereford and Worcester	A44-A422 Link Worcester Road-Whittington Road Marl Bank	27	71·3	1·0	12
Hereford and Worcester	Roman Road Hereford Phase 4 Stage 2	4	-0·3	1·5	6
Kent	Dartford Northern Bypass	43	68·3	3·0	24
Kent	Thames-Side Industrial Route (TIR) Stage 1	56	21·3	2·4	24
Lancashire	Blackburn Inner Relief Road (Phase 1)	30	13·9	0·9	16
Lancashire	Park Road/St.-Helens Road Link Ormskirk	17	7·6	0·4	9
Lancashire	Squires Gate Lane Blackpool Dualling	19	6·4	1·4	12
Leicestershire	Ashby-Loughborough Coleorton Improvement	12	0·2	1·9	10
Leicestershire	Redland Quarry to Quorn/Mountsorrel Bypass Link	n/s	0·3	1·1	n/s
Norfolk	Watton Inner Relief Road	n/s	5·9	0·5	9
Northamptonshire	Middleton Cheney BP and Overthorpe Hall Improvement	n/s	13·8	3·2	17
Northamptonshire	Nene Valley Way I Crawler Lane	n/s	1·4	1·2	6
Northamptonshire	River Tove Bends	n/s	2·7	1·1	14
Northumberland	Prudhoe Northern Bypass	n/s	23·2	4·4	30
Northumberland	Swinburne Quarry to Fourlaws Stage 1	n/s	1·3	2·0	18
North Yorkshire	Sherburn-in-Elmet and South Milford Bypass	n/s	7·4	6·8	24
Nottinghamshire	Manvers Street Link Nottingham	n/s	3·8	1·8	57
Oxfordshire	(RN) Banbury Inner Relief Road	23	37·4	2·0	24
Shropshire	Ironbridge Bypass Extension	24	3·7	2·8	12
Somerset	Lysander Road to Hendford Yeovil	n/s	n/s	0·7	9
Staffordshire	Burslem Town Centre Bypass	2	0·5	0·5	15
Suffolk	Mutford Bridge	12	0·5	0·5	18
Suffolk	Stowmarket Relief Road	10	10·1	1·6	18
West Sussex	Crawley South Western Bypass	n/s	15·1	2·3	n/s
West Sussex	Littlehampton Bypass (Main Scheme)	n/s	24·7	1·8	n/s
Wiltshire	Burbage Bypass	13	2·6	2·6	24
Wiltshire	Swindon Cricklade Road Relief Road-Stage 2	n/s	n/s	1·2	14

Schemes newly accepted for Transport Supplementary Grant in 1991–92
n/s: Data not supplied by local highway authority
Authority	Scheme	First year rate of return (per cent.)	Total net present value (£ million)	Length of scheme (kilometres)	Duration of scheme (months)
Barking and Dagenham	Beacontree Heath Road Improvements	n/s	n/s	0·3	24
Bromley	Elmers End Road Railway Bridge	25	2·8	0·2	16
Ealing	Iron Bridge Highway Improvement	92	21·2	0·3	15
Hillingdon	Uxbridge Town Centre Improvement Scheme	44	34·6	1·0	29
Stockport	A34 Bypass (Etchells Road to Schools Hill)	n/s	1·1	1·1	30
Newcastle upon Tyne	Scotswood Road Phase 1	n/s	n/s	n/s	11
Berkshire	Phase 2 A33 Relief Road Rose Kiln Lane to I.D.R.	n/s	n/s	1·2	24
Buckinghamshire	A509/A422 Newport Pagnall BP Dualling (MKDC Con.)	n/s	8·6	4·2	12
Cheshire	Handforth BP and MAELR (Stockport/ Developer Funded)	31	93·1	11·2	24
Cheshire	Urban Traffic Control System (Chester Warrington)	n/s	n/s	n/s	48
Cleveland	Portrack Lane Dualling	38	19·6	0·9	45
Cornwall	Penryn and Falmouth Distributor Road	13	9·5	3·8	25
Cumbria	Rothay Link	10	1·3	0·7	20
Devon	A38O Relief Road (Kerswell to Hele Road)	70	15·9	1·6	24
Devon	Halcyon Road Newton Abbot Town Centre	103	34·5	0·4	12
Dorset	West Stafford Bypass	9	0·9	3·0	15
Durham	Darlington Cross Town Route Stage I	n/s	n/s	1·9	24
Durham	Teesside Link and Airport Access	14	10·0	5·4	24
East Sussex	East Hoathly Bypass	38	11·5	1·8	12
Essex	Stanford-le-Hope to Five Bells Stage 2	n/s	110·5	3·5	24
Gloucestershire	Eastington-Stroud Stage 2 (Stonehouse Court-Horsetrough Junction)	n/s	n/s	1·1	45
Hampshire	Totton Western Bypass (Stage 3)	22	43·6	2·6	n/s
Hereford and Worcester	Alvechurch Bypass	45	17·1	3·0	19
Humberside	Leven Bypass	16	5·2	4·3	24
Kent	Roydon Hall Bends to A26	22	3·5	1·5	12
Leicestershire	Hinckley Northern Perimeter Completion	40	7·9	3·1	25
Lincolnshire	Grantham Inner Relief Road	n/s	1·7	0·7	11
Norfolk	King's Lynn Traffic Management Scheme	n/s	n/s	n/s	22
Norfolk	Stratton Strawless-Hevingham Improvement	n/s	1·6	4·2	4
Northamptonshire	Brackley Southern Bypass	28	10·9	n/s	12
North Yorkshire	Ripon BP/Distributor Roads and Works in City Centre	16	17·7	3·5	24
Shropshire	Newport Bypass	13	5·4	3·0	16
Somerset	Shepton Mallet to East of Dean	6	1·6	7·6	36
Staffordshire	Keele Bypass	14	2·1	1·8	11
West Sussex	Hooklands Improvement	n/s	9·4	2·0	24
Wiltshire	Trowbridge Relief Road Stage 2	n/s	n/s	0·6	12

Schemes newly accepted for Transport Supplementary Grant in 1992–93
n/s: Data not supplied by local highway authority
Authority	Scheme	First year rate of return (per cent.)	Total net present value (£ million)	Length of scheme (kilometres)	Duration of scheme (months)
Hackney	Lea Bridge Road E5-Renewal of Bridge Deck	n/s	n/s	0·5	42
Waltham Forest	Lea Bridge Reconstruction-Con t. to Hackney	n/s	n/s	0·1	30
Wirral	New Chester Road Improvement (MDC Cont.)	11	2·8	1·0	12
Barnsley	Dearne Towns Link Road	12	31·6	12·4	57
Sheffield	A61 Sheffield Parkway/Park Square Junction Improvement	198	10·7	0·3	10
Gateshead	Western Riverside Route ST1 PH2 and ST2	n/s	n/s	0·9	18
Newcastle upon Tyne	Scotswood Road Impt.—West of Paradise	n/s	8·9	0·9	9
Sunderland	Doxford Park Access Road Stage 2 (Bypass)	n/s	4·4	0·5	7
Birmingham	Thimble Mill Lane (UDA Scheme) Phase 2	79	11·1	0·8	8
Dudley	High Street Amblecote	104	31·5	0·7	13
Solihull	West Midlands Renaissance Area	6	16·8	4·8	72
Kirklees	Huddersfield Ring Road IMP PH 2	n/s	20·3	11·9	6
Avon	Avonmouth Link	n/s	n/s	0·5	24
Buckinghamshire	Bletchley Road Diversion Buckingham (MKDC Con.)	17	2·6	1·8	12
Cambridgeshire	Spittals Link Huntingdon	61	15·9	0·8	14
Cheshire	Upton (Chester) Park and Ride	n/s	n/s	0·4	12
Cleveland	Guisborough Bypass	28	24·5	1·9	23
Cornwall	Egloshayle Bypass	n/s	n/s	1·5	9
Devon	Tavistock Road Dualling Stage 1 Plymouth	32	7·9	0·9	12

Authority	Scheme	First year rate of return (per cent.)	Total net present value (£ million)	Length of scheme (kilometres)	Duration of scheme (months)
Dorset	A37 IMP SEC B&C A356-Somerset Boundary	n/s	n/s	12·4	48
Durham	Newton Cap Diversion	17	10·5	1·8	24
East Sussex	A26 Mailing Hill (Local Traffic) Rel. Road Lewes	13	1·8	0·4	30
Essex	Aukingford Gardens-Talbot Roundabout ST 1 & 2	8	2·7	4·5	24
Gloucestershire	Lydney Highway Strategy-Part 1 (Bypass)	9	4·2	4·8	48
Hampshire	Bentley Bypass	11	18·2	2·3	18
Humberside	Beverley North East Bypass	n/s	n/s	2·5	12
Kent	Ash Bypass	12	4·5	5·5	16
Kent	Medway Tunnel	38	172·1	15·0	38
Lancashire	Chorley Town Centre Bypass Phase III	34	13·4	0·7	20
Leicestershire	Leicester Motorways Employment Area STIV Soar Valley Way	41	17·4	1·7	12
Lincolnshire	Swallow Bypass and Route Improvement	19	5·2	3·6	12
Norfolk	Kirstead Bypass	n/s	0·1	1·8	9
Northamptonshire	Deanshanger Bypass	15	3·1	1·5	10
North Yorkshire	A59 Bolton Bridge Bypass	8	0·9	2·1	12
Oxfordshire	Wallingford Bypass	8	4·6	4·4	24
Somerset	Glastonbury Western Relief Road	17	11·0	3·7	25
West Sussex	Chichester and Bognor Regis Improvement (Phase 1)	n/s	6·0	1·7	15
Wiltshire	The Meads Roundabout Swindon Grade Separation	9	n/s	0·8	19
For comparison the following information was provided for 1992–93:
Lancashire	Squires Gate Link Road Phase II	29	24·0	2·1	18

Helicopters, Central London

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the terms of reference of the study he has initiated on helicopter provision for central London; and if he will include in them an assessment of the need and of the demand for helicopter provision in central London.

The group undertaking the study will make a comparative evaluation of possible sites for a heliport to serve central London, and submit a report to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. The study will include an assessment of the need and the demand for helicopter services in central London. It will also consider safety and other operational factors, air traffic control constraints, noise and other environmental issues, and surface access. My right hon. Friend intends to publish the group's report, which he hopes to receive within 12 months.

Environment

Buildings In Scotland

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what funds his Department has spent on buildings in Scotland in each of the past five years; and if he will list the amount spent on each project.

The figures are as follows:

	£ million
1986–87	133·501
1987–88	115·389
1988–89	110·701
1989–90	130·856
1990–91	12·323

The figures for the years 1986–87 to 1989–90 represent expenditure by PSA Scotland. Since 1 April 1988 clients

have progressively untied from PSA services and become responsible for reporting expenditure against their own votes. Therefore:

(1) expenditure from 1 April 1988 excludes major schemes for Civil clients.

(2) expenditure in 1990–91 represents that by the Property Holdings directorate of DoE on civil accommodation in Scotland, but excludes expenditure by other civil departments and MOD.

Major construction schemes controlled by PSA headquarters are excluded as expenditure records are not maintained on a location basis. The figures also exclude rental costs.

It is not possible to provide details of the amounts spent on each project.

Departmental Staff

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing the number of (a) men and (b) women in his Department in each of grades (i) 1, (ii) 2, (iii) 3, (iv) 4, (v) 5, (vi) 6, (vii) 7, (viii) SEO, (ix) HEO, (x) administrative trainee, (xi) EO, (xii) CO and (xiii) CA.

The numbers of women and men at each grade level (including equivalent grades) in the Department of the Environment on 1 January 1992 were:

	Female	Male
Grade 1	0	1
Grade 2	2	6
Grade 3	5	31
Grade 4	0	9
Grade 5	21	126
Grade 6	20	259
Grade 7	118	658
SEO and equivalent	119	560
HEO and equivalent	298	641
EO and equivalent	544	697
AT	6	4
AO and equivalent	946	668

Female

Male

AA and equivalent

627

363

Total (6,729)

2,704

4,025

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total number of employees in his Department; and how many are (a) black and (b) disabled.

The Department of the Environment had 6,729 non-industrial employees on 1 January 1992; 5,066 are white, 456 are of ethnic minority origin, and 1,207 have not yet revealed their ethnic origin.The Department employs 73 staff who are registered disabled and a further 58 who are known to have a disability but are not registered.

Rechar

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the granting of RECHAR to local authorities will carry with it supplementary credit approval.

I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for

Thousands of households
	Owner occupiers	Local authority	Renters Housing association	Private landlord	All
England
1981	9,600	5,500	300	2,000	17,300
1982	10,000	5,100	300	2,000	17,400
1983	10,500	5,100	400	1,700	17,600
1984	10,800	4,700	400	1,800	17,800
1985	11,300	4,600	400	1,700	18,000
1986	11,700	4,400	400	1,700	18,100
1987	12,000	4,200	500	1,600	18,300
1988	12,000	4,400	500	1,600	18,500
1989	12,500	4,200	500	1,500	18,700
1990	12,600	4,100	500	1,600	18,800
Greater London
1981	1,250	790	110	440	2,600
1984	1,390	790	120	400	2,700
1988	1,520	730	150	350	2,750
Outer London
1981	980	350	40	200	1,580
1984	1,100	330	40	180	1,660
1988	1,150	320	50	180	1,690
Inner London
1981	270	440	70	240	1,020
1984	300	460	70	220	1,050
1988	380	420	100	170	1,060

Notes

Estimates are derived from sample surveys and therefore subject to the usual sampling errors.

England—proportionsfrom the general household survey applied to the Department of the Environment's household estimates.

London—regional and sub-regional estimates require a larger sample which is only available for the years shown—from the labour force survey housing trailers. Figures for inner and outer London may not sum to the totals for Greater London because of rounding.

Information on the number of households by tenure for individual local authorities is available only from the census of population. Until 1991 census results are available, in early summer 1992, the most recent information is from the 1981 census. Copies of 1981 census reports are in the Library.

Trade and Industry on 17 February 1992, Official Report, column 22, in respect of the ERDF-aided RECHAR programme.

Energy Saver Scheme

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will consider introducing grants for local authorities as part of an energy saver scheme.

The Government are promoting energy efficiency-related schemes in local authority housing through the green house demonstration programme, the home energy efficiency scheme and through estate action schemes which can include improvements to the heating and insulation of local authority housing.

Housing, London

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the numbers of households in (i) owner occupation, (ii) private renting, (iii) local authority renting, (iv) housing association renting and (v) other for (a) each London borough, (b) Greater London, (c) outer London, (d) inner London and (e) England as a whole for each year from 1980–81 to 1991–92.

Available estimates from household surveys are as follows:

Air Pollution

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations have been received by his Department to date concerning the report, "Air Pollution and Tree Health in the UK;" and if he will make a statement on the progress made in the light of its recommendations.

None. The report is due for publication in the spring.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to review the targets for his Department's plan for reducing sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions from existing large combustion plants.

I have no immediate plans to review the emission limits set out in the national plan.

New Homes

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the estimated average first year cost of constructing a new home (a) nationally and (b) in each standard economic region; and if he will provide this information according to the available data on different sites of home.

The majority of new housebuilding is undertaken by private builders and consequently the information requested is not available to the Department.

Bed-And-Breakfast Accommodation

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average annual cost of keeping a family in bed-and-breakfast accommodation.

Annual costs can be derived from the information published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy in "Homelessness Statistics: 1989–90 Actuals", a copy of which is in the Library.

Government Contributions, Shropshire

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what were the capital and revenue contributions from central Government to Shropshire county council and Shrewsbury and Atcham borough council for 1978–79, 1982–83, 1986–87 and 1991–92.

The following is the information:

Central Government contributions
	Shropshire county council £ million	Shrewsbury and Atcham borough council £ million
1978–79 Revenue:
Rate support grant¹	27·550	4·108
Relevant specific grants to revenue	n.a.	n.a.
Rate rebate grant	0·0	0·190
Transport supplementary grant to revenue	0·490	0·0
Total Revenue	n.a.	n.a.
Capital	n.a.	n.a.
1982–83 Revenue:
Rate support grant²	64·734	2·518
Relevant specific grants to revenue	8·554	0·358

	Shropshire county council £ million	Shrewsbury and Atcham borough council £ million
Rate rebate grant	0·0	0·731
Transport supplementary grant to revenue	0·913	0·0
Total Revenue	74·201	3·607
Capital	n.a	n.a.
1986–87 Revenue:
Rate support grant²	74·597	2·761
Relevant specific grants to revenue	12·859	0·884
Rate rebate grant	0·0	1·826
Transport supplementary grant to revenue	0·037	0·0
Total Revenue	88·393	5·471
Capital	0·868	0·051
1991–92³ Revenue grants:
To Collection fund
Revenue support grant	0·0	11·074
Special grants	0·0	0·0
Community charge grant	0·0	9·550
To General fund
Specific grants inside AEF	20·202	0·151
Other revenue support:
NNDR entitlement (to Collection fund)	0·0	24·467
Total Revenue support inside AEF	20·202	47·579
Capital	7·751	0·750
¹ In 1978–79, rate support grant was made up of needs, resources and domestic elements. The needs element was paid to county councils and resources and domestic elements were paid to district councils.
² In 1981–82, following the introduction of a different rate support grant system, needs and resources elements were replaced by block grant payable to both upper and lower tier authorities.
³ In 1990–91 the community charge system was introduced. The figures include all grants into the collection fund administered by Shrewsbury and Atcham borough council, which supports the chargepayer in respect of spending by all tiers of authorities. The Government also pay specific grants into the general funds administered by both the named authorities. The figures given are estimates of those inside aggregate Exchequer finance (AEF). As the two authorities do not cover the same functions, the specific grants are quite different both in size and consumption.

Leeds Development Council

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 24 February, if he will set out, for each year since the establishment of the Leeds development corporation, the figures provided by the economic consultants; and if he will place in the Library a copy of each report prepared by the economic consultants.

The net gain in employment figures provided by the economic consultants for each year since the establishment of Leeds development corporation is as follows:

	Number
1988–89	2,007
1989–90	3,234
1990–91	621

The reports prepared by the consultants contain information which is commercial-in-confidence. If the hon. Member wishes to discuss the details further he should contact the chairman of the development corporation direct.

Thorn And Hatfield Moors

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations he has received concerning the future of Thorne and Hatfield moors; and how many of these were in favour of the agreement between English Nature and Fisons plc.

Since the details of the agreement between English Nature and Fisons were made public I have received only a few letters which express some reservations or seek further clarification of its contents. As knowledge of the agreement becomes more general I am sure that the public will recognise that the agreement is a significant step forward in the safeguarding of peatlands.

Peat

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will place in the Library copies of the research commissioned by English Nature from the Institute of Hydrology and Dundee university into the hydrology of peat bogs;(2) if he will publish any assessment made by English Nature of the effects of continual commercial peat cutting on Thorne and Hatfield moors adjacent to those areas now identified for conservation purposes and any hydrological or other research on which such assessment has been based.

The research commissioned by English Nature from the Institute of Hydrology and the University of Dundee concerning the hydrology of part of Thorne moors has just been published. A copy will be placed in the Library.In addition a study carried out by the University of Sheffield identified a need to retain water on the national nature reserve on Thorne moors and to block the drains running from the surrounding land. This will be done under the terms of the agreement reached between English Nature and Fisons.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if English Nature intends to remove site of special scientific interest status from any area of peat bog from which peat is commercially extracted.

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library a copy of the agreement between Fisons plc and English Nature concerning peat extraction.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Taunton (Mr. Nicholson) on 12 February 1992, Official Report, column 506. In addition I have arranged for a copy of the information package made available to the public by English Nature at the time of the announcement of the agreement to be placed in the Library.

Nature Conservation

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the draft planning policy guidance note on nature conservation will be published.

The Department of the Environment and the Welsh Office have today published a draft planning policy guidance note on nature conservation for public consultation and copies are being placed in the Library. The planning policy guidance provides up-to-date guidance on how the Government's policies on the conservation of our natural heritage are to be reflected in land use planning. It also sets out the main statutory obligations under both domestic and international law. We want to ensure effective conservation of wildlife and natural features while making adequate provision for development and economic growth. This planning policy guidance is designed to achieve that.

Wild Birds

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures he proposes to take to protect wild birds in trade.

With colleagues in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, we are acting on a number of fronts to protect birds and other wild animals in trade.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, wrote last week to the European Commission to urge it to make speedy progress in drawing up the special safeguards for the transport of birds, negotiated last autumn by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, as part of a directive on the welfare of all animals in transport. To achieve immediate improvements in the conditions in which birds are transported. I am also writing, with my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Agriculture, to the International Air Traffic Association (IATA) to seek worldwide limits on the size of shipments. Should this approach fail, MAFF will introduce stricter limits nationally.The Department has a particular responsibility for those birds and other animals whose import we licence. In preparation for next month's conference of the parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) I have identified with interested organisations, the introduction of checklists to monitor and enforce transport conditions as a top priority. The United Kingdom will complete these forthwith for imports of all animals subject to CITES controls. Checklists may be used as a basis for enforcement action; the application of stricter transport conditions; and for imposing restrictions on trade in particular species between particular countries. At the CITES conference, we shall urge others to follow our example on both the checklist and the collection of mortality statistics.We shall also press for a substantial improvement in the implementation of CITES controls worldwide. In particular, as identified by our scientific advisers last year, action must be taken to remedy the failure of many countries to meet the Convention's requirements for the issue of export permits.Our national licensing controls are already much more extensive than the basic CITES restrictions and we shall investigate further extension in the light of the latest mortality statistics. We shall also continue to encourage our partners in the European Community to join us in imposing tighter controls. I welcome the recent publication by the European Commission of proposals for a regulation which would meet many of the wide-ranging concerns I expressed to them last year. We shall examine the full implications of the proposals urgently starting with those relating to the care and housing of live animals. Where appropriate, we shall not hesitate to take action before the regulation comes into effect.

Hedgerows

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to introduce grants for hedgerow maintenance.

[pursuant to his reply, 20 November 1991, c. 159]: As part of our initiative "Action for the Countryside" which, together with my right hon. Friend the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, I launched today, we are introducing a new hedgerow incentive scheme to counter the problem of loss of hedgerows through lack of maintenance. The scheme will encourage farmers and landowners to manage hedgerows in ways that will ensure their long-term survival. The hedgerow incentive scheme will target hedgerows of particular historic, landscape or wildlife importance. Hedgerows are also being lost through removal and we have announced our intention to legislate when parliamentary time permits to introduce a hedgerow notification scheme.In addition to our proposed new hedgerow incentive scheme, "Action for the Countryside" reviews other countryside policies, looks at the changes under way and sets out new initiatives for the future.The new initiatives concentrate on action to maintain a prosperous economy and thriving communities in the countryside, to protect and enhance the landscape, to provide for public enjoyment of the countryside and to protect and conserve wildlife. They are not put forward in isolation. The initiatives described here carry forward the principles of "This Common Inheritance" (Cmd 1200) and

Comparison of 1991–92 and 1992–93 educaton services standard spending assessments for each local education authority in England showing overall percentage changes and the percentage change attributable to updating pupil numbers
Local authority	Percentage change 1991–92 to 1992–93 education standard spending assessment per cent.	Percentage change attributable to pupil numbers per cent.
Total England	7·1	—
Total Shire counties	6·9	-0·2
Total Metropolitan districts	6·4	0·0
Total inner London boroughs including City	9·8	1·2
Total outer London boroughs	8·2	0·7
Total London boroughs	8·8	0·9
Total Shire areas	6·9	-0·2
Total Metropolitan areas	6·4	0·0
Total London	8·8	0·9
Isles of Scilly	19·6	10·1
Greater London
City of London	-20·0	-29·5

are complementary to policies already in hand. They demonstrate the importance that the Government attach to integrating development to sustain rural communities with the conservation of the countryside.

The Government remain committed to keeping its policies in the countryside under review and will take further action when and where necessary to secure the delivery of its objectives.

I am arranging for copies of "Action for the Countryside" to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Education Expenditure

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing for each local education authority the percentage increase in standard spending assessment for education comparing 1992–93 with 1991–92; how much of this variation was accounted for by variation in pupil numbers; how much was to meet the full year effects of the 1991 teachers pay award; and how much was for the anticipated effect of the 1992 pay award.

The table shows for each authority the total percentage increase in the education standard spending assessment between 1991–92 and 1992–93 and the percentage increase accounted for by the changes in pupil numbers.The overall cost of teachers' pay awards is among the pressures which the Government have taken into account in determining the appropriate amount for authorities to spend collectively on education in 1992–93. The cost of the pay awards is not, however, one of the indicators used to calculate education standard spending assessments and it is not therefore possible to identify a separate allowance for this cost within individual authorities' standard spending assessments.Education authorities are to receive additional grant of £56.6 million in 1992–93 to fund the additional cost of the teachers' pay award. This will be distributed in line with the schools' elements of the education standard spending assessment.

Local authority	Percentage change 1991–92 to 1992–93 education standard spending assessment per cent.	Percentage change attributable to pupil numbers per cent.
Camden	6·3	-0·9
Greenwich	9·6	2·4
Hackney	9·9	1·0
Hammersmith and Fulham	11·9	4·6
Islington	12·9	3·2
Kensington and Chelsea	10·0	4·5
Lambeth	11·7	1·8
Lewisham	11·4	0·8
Southwark	9·4	1·5
Tower Hamlets	10·3	0·5
Wandsworth	3·3	-3·6
Westminster	11·8	2·1
Barking and Dagenham	8·2	1·1
Barnet	8·8	0·1
Bexley	7·5	0·5
Brent	7·5	0·3
Bromley	5·9	-0·8
Croydon	7·5	-0·9
Ealing	9·1	0·4
Enfield	7·7	0·3
Haringey	10·8	2·9
Harrow	6·0	0·1
Havering	5·5	-0·7
Hillingdon	6·7	0·1
Hounslow	9·5	1·8
Kingston upon Thames	6·7	-0·5
Merton	8·4	0·3
Newham	12·8	4·0
Redbridge	8·5	0·7
Richmond upon Thames	6·0	-0·4
Sutton	8·2	0·0
Waltham Forest	8·5	2·0
Greater Manchester
Bolton	6·4	0·1
Bury	7·1	0·1
Manchester	7·8	1·6
Oldham	4·7	0·8
Rochdale	4·8	-2·3
Salford	11·9	-0·4
Stockport	5·4	-0·8
Tameside	6·7	0·3
Trafford	6·3	-0·4
Wigan	7·1	-0·5
Merseyside
Knowsley	9·5	-0·1
Liverpool	5·9	0·4
Sefton	7·1	-0·4
St. Helens	4·3	-1·1
Wirral	4·3	0·2
South Yorkshire
Barnsley	5·3	-4·8
Doncaster	6·7	0·7
Rotherham	5·8	-0·3
Sheffield	5·2	-0·5
Tyne and Wear
Gateshead	7·2	-0·5
Newcastle upon Tyne	5·3	0·4
North Tyneside	7·8	0·6
South Tyneside	6·8	0·5
Sunderland	4·6	-0·6
West Midlands
Birmingham	6·2	0·8

Local authority	Percentage change 1991–92 to 1992–93 education standard spending assessment per cent.	Percentage change attributable to pupil numbers per cent.
Coventry	7·4	0·1
Dudley	6·4	-0·9
Sandwell	6·1	-0·4
Solihull	6·3	-1·7
Walsall	6·3	0·4
Wolverhampton	4·6	-0·2
West Yorkshire
Bradford	6·8	0·8
Calderdale	7·1	0·0
Kirklees	6·4	-0·5
Leeds	7·3	-0·2
Wakefield	7·0	0·6
Shire counties
Avon	5·8	0·1
Bedfordshire	8·2	0·4
Berkshire	7·8	0·1
Buckinghamshire	7·5	0·3
Cambridgeshire	7·6	0·3
Cheshire	6·2	-0·3
Cleveland	6·4	0·3
Cornwall	6·4	-1·0
Cumbria	5·8	-0·3
Derbyshire	6·0	-0·8
Devon	6·9	0·4
Dorset	8·5	0·2
Durham	5·2	-0·3
East Sussex	9·2	0·6
Essex	7·9	-0·7
Gloucestershire	7·0	-0·1
Hampshire	7·2	-0·1
Hereford and Worcester	6·4	-0·3
Hertfordshire	7·3	-0·7
Humberside	6·3	0·0
Isle of Wight	7·8	-0·3
Kent	6·5	-0·7
Lancashire	6·8	-0·6
Leicestershire	7·2	0·1
Lincolnshire	7·0	-0·5
Norfolk	7·6	-0·1
Northamptonshire	8·3	-0·1
Northumberland	6·9	0·5
North Yorkshire	5·9	-0·2
Nottinghamshire	6·2	-0·2
Oxfordshire	6·5	-0·3
Shropshire	5·9	-0·7
Somerset	5·8	-0·4
Staffordshire	7·0	-0·3
Suffolk	6·8	-0·1
Surrey	7·3	-0·9
Warwickshire	5·8	-0·7
West Sussex	8·4	0·2
Wiltshire	6·5	-0·1

Council Tenants Charter

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the cost of preparation, publication and distribution of the council tenants charter.

The estimated cost of the production, launch and distribution of 1 million copies of the full tenants charter and 5 million copies of the explanatory leaflet is £298,600, subject to final invoices. This includes the cost of translating the booklet into five languages and producing an audio-taped version for blind tenants. Further distribution costs will be incurred in response to demand.

North Yorkshire County Council

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what the total level of Government support to North Yorkshire county council was in 1990–91, and in 1991–92; and what is the projected figure for 1992–93.

[holding answer 26 February 1992]: The bulk of North Yorkshire's revenue finance is derived from precepts on collection funds administered by the district councils within the county. The council, however, receives certain specific grants from the Government which are paid directly into its own general fund. Those inside aggregate external finance were estimated to be £33409 million in 1990–91 and £36823 million in 1991–92. Estimates for specific grants for 1992–93 are not available as the relevant returns have not yet been received by the Department. In 1992–93, North Yorkshire will also receive an additional grant towards the teachers' pay award of £0.746 million.

Home Department

Crime Statistics

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the number of crimes (a) recorded and (b) detected by the West Yorkshire police for each year from 1976 to 1991 shown (i) in total and (ii) by each police station.

The available information is given in the table. Figures for 1991 are not available. The chief constable's annual report for West Yorkshire gives crimes recorded and detected by sub-division only.

Notifiable offences recorded by the police in West Yorkshire 1976–90¹
Year	Offences recorded	Offences cleared up
1976	110,864	57,876
1977	127,942	60,445
1978	122,874	60,250
1979	118,418	43,702
²1980	127,527	54,368
1981	138,571	57,191
1982	152,136	63,728
1983	146,307	68,806
1984	158,656	66,751
1985	159,351	67,214
1986	165,586	62,213
1987	173,313	68,062
1988	166,195	71,096
1989	179,185	68,512
1990	227,631	77,073
¹ Excluding criminal damage value £20 and under.
² Figures for 1980 onwards are not precisely comparable with those for previous years.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will indicate the number of (a) sexual offences and (b) sexual assaults against men in each year of the last five years for (i) London and (ii) nationally.

Information on sexual offences recorded by the police for 1986 to 1989 is published in table 2.9 of "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales 1989" and figures for 1990 are published in table 3 of Home Office "Statistical Bulletin 13/91." The equivalent figures for London are published in Table 13.2 of the "Report of the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis 1990". Copies of all these publications are available in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the number of crimes (a) recorded and (b) detected by the North Yorkshire police between October 1976 and September 1977 and in the same October to September period each year since then up to October 1990 to September 1991.

The available information is contained in the table. Clear up statistics are published only for calendar years.

Notifiable offences recorded in North Yorkshire
Period	Recorded
12 months ending
September 1977	22,858
September 1978	23,769
September 1979	21,856
September 1980	22,128
September 1981	24,523
September 1982	27.987
September 1983	28,622
September 1984	32,019
September 1985	34,071
September 1986	36,657
September 1987	36,678
September 1988	36,132
September 1989	34,604
September 1990	42,899
September 1991	50,465

Police, North Yorkshire

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the number of additional uniformed police officers, excluding special constables, that have been authorised to be added to the strength of the North Yorkshire police in each year from 1975 to 1991.

It is not possible to distinguish between increases in uniformed and non-uniformed police officers as such information is not held centrally. The establishment of the North Yorkshire police has been increased by the following amounts between 1975 and 1990:

Year	Police posts
1975	111
1979	40
1989	15
1990	25
1991	6

The police authority did not request establishment increases in the years 1980–81 to 1987–88 inclusive.

Fingerprint Technology

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made since the publication of Cm 1163 in applying automatic fingerprint recognition technology to the work of the National Identification Bureau.

It remains an objective of the Government to apply automatic fingerprint recognition —AFR—technology to the work of the National Identification Bureau. To this end, the Home Office has been collaborating with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States of America since autumn 1990 on studying how best to apply this technology to very large collections of fingerprints. Specialist staff are being recruited to the Home Office to manage a programme of work aimed at developing a national automatic fingerprint identification system to support both the identification of arrestees work undertaken presently by the NIB and the matching of fingerprint marks left at scenes of crime.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether all computerised systems used by police forces in England and Wales to handle fingerprints are (a) mutually compatible, (b) compatible with the system used in Scotland and (c) compatible with other systems in use or being developed by TREVI countries.

The automatic fingerprint recognition —AFR—systems supplied by any particular AFR manufacturer are based on proprietary standards which do not allow these systems to communicate directly with systems supplied by any other manufacturer. As police forces in England and Wales have purchased, or plan to purchase, AFR systems from different manufacturers, these systems will not be compatible. Nor will they all be compatible with the system in Scotland. Similarly, there are a number of different systems in use or being planned in TREV1 countries.The Home Office, the FBI and others, including the suppliers of AFR systems, have been co-operating with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (N 1ST) in the USA to develop non-proprietary standards for image storage and for the interchange of fingerprint information between different AFR systems. Insofar as police forces in England and Wales purchase systems which meet these non-proprietary standards, these systems will be compatible. This matter is currently being discussed with the Association of Chief Police Officers. The issue of compatibility between AFR systems in use in Europe is being considered by TREVI.

Electoral Roll (Prisoners)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the rules relating to the time at which a prisoner released after 31 October can register on the electoral roll.

No. Convicted prisoners who are detained on the qualifying date of 10 October cannot be regarded as resident for electoral registration purposes at either their place of detention or their home address. There is no provision for adding to the register the names of people who became resident after the qualifying date. Released prisoners are in the same position as anyone else who becomes resident after the qualifying date.

Police, West Mercia

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the capital and revenue contributions from central Government to the West Mercia police authority for 1978–79, 1982–83, 1986–87 and 1991–92.

Information on the amounts of police specific grant paid by the Home Office to the West Mercia police authority in respect of its expenditure in 1978–79, 1982–83 and 1986–87, and expected to be paid in respect of 1991–92, is as follows. That part of the authority's expenditure which is not met by specific grant is apportioned between its constituent county councils, and their contributions to the authority's expenditure are supported by central Government through the revenue support grant system.

Specific grant paid to West Mercia Police Authority
£millions
1978–79¹²	8·2
1982–83^{1 2}	17·8
1986–87^{1 3}	24·1
1991–92^{3 4}	42·7
¹ Grant paid on revenue expenditure, loan charges and revenue contributions to capital expenditure.
² Rate of grant 50 per cent.
³ Rate of grant 51 per cent.
⁴ Grant paid on revenue expenditure, loan charges on pre-April 1990 debt, and capital expenditure.

Prison Suicides

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prisoners are recorded as having attempted suicide in 1990 and 1991;(2) how many prisoners committed acts of self-injury in 1990 and in 1991 which resulted in medical treatment;(3) how many 15-year-old boys and girls in prison attempted suicide in 1990 and 1991.

[holding answer 10 February 1992]: In 1991 there was a recorded total of 2,846 acts of deliberate self-harm by prisoners in Her Majesty's Prison Service establishments. (Some prisoners committed acts of deliberate self-harm on more than one occasion.) Of the total, 11 were committed by 15-year-old prisoners.All reported acts of deliberate self-harm result in medical treatment. There may be some cases, however, in which the prisoners harmed themselves in a minor way but did not bring this to the attention of staff, and so the injury would not have been reported.It is not possible to distinguish reliably how many acts of deliberate self-harm were suicidal in intent.The information requested for 1990 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs

Middle East

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the middle east peace process; and if he will list the forthcoming bilateral and multilateral meetings.

A fourth round of bilateral negotiations started in Washington on 24 February. The first substantive meetings of the five multilateral working groups set up at the co-ordinating meeting in Moscow at the end of January are due to take place at the end of April and the beginning of May. They will cover economic development, water issues, the environment, refugees and arms control. We continue, with our European partners, to give full support to the process. Progress is bound to be slow but some momentum has now been achieved.

Nato Secretary-General

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions were held with the Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation in advance of his recent visit to Ukraine and Russia.

The alliance's relations with the republics of the former Soviet Union have been regularly discussed at NATO, and the Secretary-General told allies of his plans to visit the Ukraine and Russia well in advance.

Overseas Development

Morocco

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's position on the recent decision of the European Parliament to suspend EC aid to Morocco.

The European Parliament vote on 15 January denied the necessary assent to the proposed EC/Morocco fourth financial protocol. Her Majesty's Government support the protocol as an important element in strengthening EC relations with Morocco. We believe that concern over human rights is best expressed separately and does not justify withholding assent to this protocol which we believe should be implemented.

Attorney-General

Jury Trials

To ask the Attorney-General for each of the last three years for which figures are available, how many people elected for trial by jury; how many of those who elected for trial by jury were subsequently convicted; and how many of those who were convicted had a previous conviction, for an offence involving violence or dishonesty, whether or not such convictions were spent within the meaning of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

I have been asked to reply.I will write to the hon. Member.

Energy

Offshore Oil And Gas

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will publish a table showing the regional breakdown of British oil and gas production, defined by the regional location of the terminals at which offshore oil and gas was landed, and the wellhead site in the case of onshore oil and gas.

The information in tabular form, on a provisional basis, for 1991 is as follows:

Offshore oil and gas landings by region/ terminal for 1991
Region/ Terminal	Crude (million tonnes)	Natural gas liquids (million tonnes)	Gas (million cubic metres)
East Anglia
Bacton	—	0·1	18,897

Region/Terminal	Crude (million tonnes)	Natural gas liquids (million tonnes)	Gas (million cubic metres)
East Midlands
Theddlethorpe	—	0·1	9,424
North
Barrow	—	0·1	6,701
Yorkshire/Humber
Easington	—	0·1	2,770
Dimlington	—	0·0	4,664
Regional Total	—	0·1	7,434
Scotland
St. Fergus	—	2·1	9,242
Flotta	8·9	0·2	—
Forties	16·6	0·9	—
Nigg	1·0	—	—
Sullom Voe	35·4	0·7	—
Regional Total	61·9	3·9	9,242
Grand Total	61·9	4·3	51,698

Note:

In addition to the gas landed at terminals 3,346 million cubic metres was produced and used mostly on production platforms. This gives an overall production figure for 1991 of 55,440 million cubic metres.

Onshore oil and gas production by region for 1991
Region	Oil (million tonnes)	Gas (million cubic-metres)
East Midlands	0·2	24
South East	0·2	¹21
South West²	3·2	153
Total	²3·7	198
¹ Includes 3–9 from other land fields.
² Additional 01 million tonnes of NGL's were produced onshore in the South West region.
³ Due to rounding the sum of the constituent items may not equal the total.

Departmental Staff

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will publish a table showing the number of (a) men and (b) women in his Department in each of grades (i) 1, (ii) 2, (iii) 3, (iv) 4, (v) 5, (vi) 6, (vii) 7, (viii) SEO, (ix) HEO, (x) administrative trainee, (xi) EO, (xii) CO and (xiii) CA.

The information requested is in the following table:

Grade	Males	Females
1	1·0	—
2	2·0	—
3	10·0	—
4	1·0	—
5	31·0	3·0
6	21·0	1·0
7	121·5	12·0
SEO	39·0	3·5
HEO	77·0	19·0
Admin. Trainee	1·0	—
EO	88·0	43·0
AO (CO)	50·5	79·0
AA (CA)	25·5	31·0

Notes:

1. Figures are as at 1 April 1991.

2. Full-time staff count as I and part-time staff 0–5.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the total number of employees in his Department; and how many are (a) black and (b) disabled.

As at 1 April 1991 the Department employed 969 staff of whom 808 (83 per cent.) had responded to the surveys; of the respondents 85 (10.4 per cent.) have identified themselves as from the ethnic minorities. As at 1 June 1991 there were 13 registered disabled staff in the Department. These figures are on a headcount basis, that is, full and part-time staff count as one.

Energy Efficiency

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will extend the energy management and assessment scheme to include grants for equipment installed as part of an energy efficiency drive.

No. The energy management assistance scheme is designed to help with the cost of consultancy and project management costs. Any capital investment identified as necessary within the scheme will be recovered in a short period from greater efficiency and savings.

Prime Minister

Market Research

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the companies recently commissioned by his office, the Cabinet Office and the citizens charter unit to carry out polling and market research; and if he will list the areas of research, the questionnaires to be used and the groups to be questioned.

No such research has been commissioned recently by my office, the Cabinet Office or the citizens charter unit.

Trade And Industry

Company Directors

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many applications have been made by him or his predecessors to the courts for the disqualification of directors under the terms and provisions of the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986; how many have been successful; and if he will make a statement;(2) how many referrals there were to the disqualification unit of the Department of Trade and Industry for applications to be made for the disqualification of directors under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 for the years 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1991; and if he will make a statement;(3) if he will set out the criteria under which applications are made to the court for the disqualification of directors under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986; and if he will make a statement.

The criteria under which applications are made for the disqualification of directors under section 6 of the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 on the ground of unfitness are set out in schedule Ito that Act. They include breach of duty, misapplication of funds, contraventions of the Companies Acts and the Insolvency Act and the extent of a director's responsibility for the causes of the company becoming insolvent. The courts must have regard to these matters in determining whether a person's conduct as a director of a particular company or companies makes him unfit to be concerned in the management of companies generally.The following numbers of unfit conduct reports have been made by official receivers and insolvency practitioners:

	Numbers
1987	3,115
1988	4,231
1989	3,234
1990	4,235
1991	5,747
	20,562

In the period from 28 April 1986 to 31 December 1991, 2,184 disqualification applications have been made under section 6 of the Act; 1,193 orders have been made and 190 applications have been dismissed or withdrawn.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what support has been, and is being provided to Northern Ireland industrialists by way of the Export Credits Guarantee Department.

The full range of ECGD facilities continues to be available to companies carrying on business in Northern Ireland.

Beer Orders

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent meetings he has had with representatives of brewery companies on matters related to the implementation of the beer orders; and if he will make a statement.

1 met the chairman of Grand Metropolitan plc, on 30 January 1992. My officials have also had recent meetings with a number of brewers about the implementation of the beer orders.

Barlow Clowes (Government Shareholdings)

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when and in what manner Her Majesty's Government intend to dispose of the shareholdings which they acquired following the transfer of assets from the collapsed Barlow Clowes holdings.

The assets of the former Barlow Clowes entities are being administered by the appointed office holders.

Wales

Equal Opportunities

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total number of employees in his Department; and how many are (a) black and (b) disabled.

As at 1 January 1992 my Department employed 2,411 whole-time equivalent staff; 32 respondents to the ethnic origin survey have described themselves as being of ethnic minority; 41 members of staff have chosen to register as disabled.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a table showing the number of (a) men and (b) women in his Department in each of grades (i) 1, (ii) 2, (iii) 3, (iv) 4, (v) 5, (vi) 6, (vii) 7, (viii) SEO, (ix) HEO, (x) administrative trainee, (xi) EO, (xii) CO and (xiii) CA.

The numbers of staff, as at 1 April 1991 were:

Grade¹	Men	Women
1	1	—
2	2	—
3	10	1
4	6	—
5	55	10
6	74	13
7	133	29
SEO	113	21
HEO	164	89
AT and HEO (D)	4	3
EO	191	235
AO	169	317
AA	113	199
¹ Including equivalent professional grades.

Second Home Owners

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish figures showing the amount of poll tax received by each local authority in Wales which derived from second home owners within the local authority area in both 1990 and 1991; and what are the estimated levels of council tax to be collected from second home owners in each local authority area in Wales for the first year of its operation.

Information on local authority standard charge income derived from second homes in Wales is not held centrally. Council tax income from second home owners in Wales will depend on the number of discretionary discounts awarded by local authorities, the valuation of the properties concerned, and the tax set by each local authority for 1993–94.

Ministerial Record

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list (a) his departmental failures and (b) his departmental achievements over the past year.

I shall be making a statement on the performance of my Department in the Welsh day debate on Thursday 27 February.

Roads

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he intends updating the information given in the 1991 supplement to "Roads in Wales: Progress and Plans for the 1990s."

I have today published the 1992 supplement to "Roads in Wales: Progress and Plans for the 1990s". Copies have been placed in the Library of the House.

Employment

Training

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of (a) men and (b) women taking Government employment training courses and registered as living in the London borough of Wandsworth as of 18 February.

In the period 1 April 1991 to 5 January 1992 it is provisionally estimated that here were 20,500 employment training (ET) entrants in the London region.Of these about 56 per cent. were men and 44 per cent. were women.Absolute numbers are not available because information about gender is not provided for all trainees.Training and enterprise councils (TECs) are required to ensure the promotion of equality of opportunity between all individuals in access to, treatment on, and outcome from the agreement between the Secretary of State and the TECs.

Trainees

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what guidance he gives to training and enterprise councils on the levels of output-related funding for organisations training trainees with severe learning difficulties;(2) what guidance he gives to TECs on developing performance indicators for output related funding specifically suited to providers training special needs trainees with learning difficulties.

Output-related funding is paid to training and enterprise councils by the Department for a number of outputs under employment training and youth training. In 1992–93, these will include City and Guilds of London Institute wordpower and numberpower qualifications for trainees with severe literacy and numeracy difficulties, and national vocational qualifications at level 1 for YT trainees with special training needs for whom training aimed at NVQ level 2 is not thought to be realistic. It is entirely a matter for training and enterprise councils as to how they pass on funds to training providers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the level of funding for special needs training within the youth training and employment training budgets for 1992–93.

TECs are obliged to take into account training needs of special needs clients within their business plans.The proportion of training budgets allocated to provision for people with special training needs is the responsibility of individual training and enterprise councils (TECs) and is determined by local needs and priorities.

Older Workers

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what will be the composition of the advisory group to assist in encouraging, identifying and disseminating good employment practice with regard to older workers, as proposed in "People, Jobs and Opportunity" (Cm. 1810).

I shall chair the advisory group for older workers as the Minister with responsibility for equal opportunity in employment. The membership will be chosen from a variety of sources, including voluntary sector organisations representing the interests of older people, and organisations representing the interests of employers and employees. I am particularly keen to see women well represented in the group. There may also be places for individuals known to have an interest in the field.

Degrees

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish the percentage of the population within each region of the country, including Greater London, who hold first degrees.

The latest available estimates are given in the following table.

Percentage of persons of working age who hold a degree¹
Region	Percentage
Great Britain	8·5
North	5·6
Yorkshire and Humberside	6·0
East Midlands	7·5
East Anglia	8·2
South East	12·1
Greater London	14·7
Rest of South East	10·4
South West	7·7
West Midlands	6·4
North West	7·2
Wales	6·0
Scotland	7·1
¹ Includes first degrees, higher degrees and other degree level qualifications such as graduate membership of a professional institute.

Persons of working ages comprise men aged 16–64 and women aged 16–59.

Labour Force Survey: Spring 1990.

Labour Statistics, York

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many full-time males, part-time males, full-time females and part-time females in employment in the City of York currently earn less than £3.40 per hour.

The information from the "1991 New Earnings Survey" closest to that requested is given in the following table.Employees on adult rates whose pay was unaffected by absence: Percentage whose gross hourly earnings (excluding overtime) were less than £3.40.

North Yorkshire	April 1991
Full-time males	9·4
Part-time males	n/a
Full-time females	18·3
Part-time females	45·5

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many jobs were on offer in jobcentres in York in each month since January 1990.

The information requested can be obtained from the NOMIS database in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will state the total number of men and women in employment, both full and part-time, in the City of York, and the number in each of these categories who currently earn (a) more than £21,060 per annum, (b) more than £35,000 per annum, (c) more than £40,000 per annum and (d) more than £50,000 per annum.

The latest available information about employment in local areas is from the 1989 census of employment and relates to employees only. The numbers of employees in employment in the York local authority district at September 1989 were as follows:

	Thousands
Males
Full time	25·5
Part time	2·4
Females
Full time	15·6
Part time	15·0

Information on the percentages of employees earning more than certain amounts per week is available from the "1991 New Earnings Survey". Figures are available only at county level and for full-time employees. They are given in the following table, for the available levels of weekly earnings which correspond most closely to the annual amounts specified in the question.

Full·time employees on adult rates whose pay was unaffected by absence:
Percentage with gross weekly earnings above the following amounts
	North Yorkshire		April 1991
	£ 390	£ 600	£ 700	£ 900
Men	16·0	2·6	1·2	0·4
Women	4·1	0·6	0·2	0·2

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a table showing the number of full-time employees in employment in the City of York in 1979 and in each year since (a) in all manufacturing jobs and (b) in each of the following industrial groups (i) railways, (ii) cocoa, chocolate and sugar confectionery, (iii) manufacturing of railway and tramway vehicles, (iv) printing and publishing, (v) scheduled road passenger transport, (vi) road haulage, (vii) postal services and (viii) telecommunications.

Information for employees in employment according to industry and by district is available only from the censuses of employment for 1981, 1984, 1987 and 1989. This can be obtained, subject to the confidentially restrictions of the Statistics of Trade Act 1947, from the NOM IS database in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a table showing the average gross weekly earnings of full-time males, full-time females and part-time females on adult rates in (a) the City of York, (b) north Yorkshire, (c) England, (d) Greater London and (e) the City of Canterbury in 1979 and each year since then.

The available information is published in tables 110 and 113 of part E and table 180 of part F of the "New Earnings Survey" reports for each year since 1979, except for that shown in the following table. Information is not available for the cities of York or Canterbury.

Average gross weekly earnings of part time women employees on adult rates whose pay was unaffected by absence

£ per week

April each year

County

1979

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

North Yorkshire

23·5

29·9

34·7

37·9

39·9

42·8

44·1

47·8

52·6

54·1

62·8

68·2

77·2

Kent

26·8

32·8

40·0

42·0

47·4

49·7

56·4

59·9

61·7

67·8

69·6

79·7

89·8

Source: New Earnings Survey.

Note: It is estimated that around one fifth of part time women employees were not covered by the survey because their gross weekly earnings were below the PAYE threshold.

Job Centre, Stamford-Le-Hope

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will consider re-opening the Stamfordle-Hope jobcentre.

Questions on operational matters in the Employment Service executive agency are the responsibility of Mike Fogden, the agency's chief executive, to whom I have referred this question for reply.

Health

Ozone Layer

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has been undertaken to identify the groups most at risk from the consequences of the thinning of the ozone layer in the northern hemisphere.

The total number of: 1) Cases (registrations); and 2) deaths, from skin cancer (ICD's 172 and 173), by sex, 1971 1980, 1985 and 1986.
1987–1990, deaths only. England and Wales
ICD—Site description— Year	Sex	Registrations	Deaths
172—Malignant melanoma of skin
1971	Male	357	234
	Female	770	370
1980	Male	656	361
	Female	1,264	452
1985	Male	931	455
	Female	1,725	532
1986	Male	989	445
	Female	1,813	595
1987	Male	—	464
	Female	—	566
1988	Male	—	470
	Female	—	608
1989	Male	—	493
	Female	—	606
1990	Male	—	564
	Female	—	606
173—Other malignant neoplasm of skin
1971	Male	8,633	248
	Female	7,330	209
1980	Male	10,827	193
	Female	9,388	173
1985	Male	12,597	263
	Female	10,746	199
1986	Male	14,152	229
	Female	12,615	183
1987	Male	—	263
	Female	—	178
1988	Male	—	246
	Female	—	184
1989	Male	—	255
	Female	—	192
1990	Male	—	257
	Female	—	179

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Dewsbury (Mrs. Taylor) on 20 December 1991 at column 354.

Skin Cancer

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the number of cases and deaths from skin cancer in 1970, 1980 and between the years 1985 and 1990.

The available data are set out in the table. The upward trend in the number of both registrations and deaths from malignant melanoma of the skin is a matter of concern. The possible relation between this trend and exposure to UV radiation is one of the issues on which we are seeking advice from the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE), as announced in my reply to the hon. Member for Dewsbury (Mrs. Taylor) on 20 February at column 272.

Capital And Revenue Expenditure, Shropshire

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what was the capital and revenue expenditure by Shropshire health authority and its predecessor authority in 1978–79, 1982–83, 1986–87 and 1991–92;(2) what was the capital and revenue expenditure on family practitioner services in Shropshire in 1978–79, 1982–83, 1986–87 and 1991–92.

The information requested and derived from annual accounts submitted to the Department for the financial years 1978–79, 1982–83, 1986–87 and 1990–91 (the latest available) is shown in the table. Equivalent information for 1991–92 will be available in the autumn.

Shropshire health authority
	Total revenue expenditure		Total capital expenditure
	£000 (cash)	£000 (at 1991–92 prices)	£000 (cash)	£000 (at 1991–92 prices)
1978–79	29,127	79,017	1,011	2,742
1982–83	52,346	87,554	3,651	6,106
1986–87	67,376	94,117	8,648	12,054
1990–91	100,730	107,781	8,629	9,233

Shropshire family health services authority
	Total expenditure on family health services
	£000 (cash)	£000 (at 1991–92 prices)
1978–79	10,956	29,721
1982–83	21,248	35,540
1986–87	28,777	40,199
1990–91	45,000	48,150

Sources: Annual accounts of the Shropshire health authority, the West Midlands regional health authority and the Shropshire family health services authority and those of the predecessor health authorities and family practitioner committee (FPC).

Notes:

1. The figures have been expressed at 1991–92 prices by the use of the gross domestic product deflators.

2. The figures for total capital expenditure include costs for schemes within Shropshire which were accounted for by the west Midlands regional health authority (RHA). All expenditure incurred by that RHA for its region as a whole is excluded.

3. Capital expenditure in particular localities tends to vary from year to year mainly reflecting changes in the pattern of capital investment throughout the country.

4. All expenditure on family health services—FHS (formerly family practitioner services)—is essentially regarded as current (i.e. revenue) expenditure. It is not strictly attributable to particular districts and is recorded in annual accounts after the deduction of charges to patients.

5. The FHS figures for 1986–87 and 1990–91 also include the administrative expenses of the Shropshire family health services authority—£268,000 (cash) revenue, and £145,000 (cash) capital, in 1986–87 and £799,000 (cash) revenue, in 1990–91. Prior to 1 April 1985 the Shropshire FPC was associated with the Shropshire district (formerly area) health authority and its administrative costs formed a comparatively small part of the health authority's total expenditure and are not separately identifiable.

Chemists (Drug Purchases)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his estimate of the value to the NHS of the discount claw-back on drug purchases privately negotiated by pharmaceutical chemists in each of the past four years for which figures are available.

The discount recovered from community pharmacists in England and Wales in each of the past four years is given in the table.

Year	Discount recovered £ million
1987–88	134·0
1988–89	154·7
1989–90	171·5
1990–91	220·5

The discount recovery scheme ensures that the NHS benefits from the discounts pharmacists receive from wholesalers and manufacturers. The increase over the four years is due partly to increased drug costs and partly to increased discounts achieved.

Health Authorities (Staff)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for (a) each regional health authority and (b) each district health authority the number of (i) nurses and midwives, (ii) medical staff, (iii) general and senior managers, (iv) administrative and clerical staff, (v) ancillary staff and (vi) ambulance staff for 1991.

The regional health authority data are not yet available. District data could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Generic Drugs

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what new initiatives he intends to produce to increase the proportions of generic drugs prescribed by general practitioners.

The proportion of prescriptions written generically has risen from 20 per cent. in 1979 to 44 per cent. in 1990 as a result of the policies pursued by this Government. Further initiatives were introduced this year, with the indicative prescribing scheme and the appointment by each family health services authority of prescribing medical advisers. Medical advisers encourage general practitioners to prescribe drugs by their generic names for reasons of good professional practice and because of the opportunities for savings such prescribing creates.

Eye Tests And Dental Checks

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what would be the full year cost to the Exchequer in 1991–92 of introducing free eye tests and dental checks for (a) all people over state retirement age, (b) all those in receipt of a disability benefit and (c) both (a) and (b) together.

The estimated cost of introducing free sight tests for all people aged 65 and over in England for 1991–92 is approximately £25 million, and for introducing free dental examinations approximately £7 million. No estimate is available for people in receipt of a disability benefit. About 40 per cent. of the population are exempt from charges for dental examinations and sight tests.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is the estimated saving to the Exchequer from the abolition of free dental check-ups in the financial years (a) 1990–91, (b) 1991–92 and (c) 1992–93, in the United Kingdom;(2) what would be the cost of every 10p reduction in the charges for

(a) eye tests, (b) dental check-ups and (c) prescriptions, in 1991–92 and 1992–93, in the United Kingdom;

(3) what is the estimated saving to the Exchequer from the abolition of free eye tests in the financial years (a) 1990–91, (b) 1991–92 and (c) 1992–93 in the United Kingdom.

[holding answer 24 February 1992]: The estimated income from dental examination charges in England was about £55 million in 1990–91. We currently anticipate revenue of some £58 million in 1991–92, and £61 million in 1992–93. About 40 per cent. of the population are exempt from dental examination charges.The cost of each lop reduction in the charge for dental examinations is estimated at about £1·5 million in England in 1991–92; costs in 1992–93 would be similar. The cost of a notional 10p reduction from the current prescription charge level is estimated at a minimum of about £4 million in England in 1991–92, rising to about £5 million in 1992–93.Costs would accelerate for each subsequent incremental reduction. There are no charges for NHS sight tests which are available to approximately 40 per cent. of the population.Restricting entitlements to NHS sight tests to priority groups has resulted in estimated savings in England of about £90 million in 1990–91, with projected savings of about £100 million in 1991–92 and £110 million in 1992–93. The full year cost of re-introducing free NHS sight tests for everyone is estimated to be £165 million.Information on Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are matters for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Social Security

Departmental Staff

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table showing the number of (a) men and (b) women in his Department in each of grades (i) 1, (ii) 2, (iii) 3, (iv) 4, (v) 5, (vi) 6, (vii) 7, (viii) SEO, (ix) HEO, (x) administrative trainee, (xi) EO, (xii) CO and (xiii) CA.

The information for the Department, including its agencies, at 31 January 1992 is in the table.

Grade¹	Men	Women	Total
1	1	0	1
2	4	0	4
3	9	6	15
4	5	2	7
5	38	16	54
6	72	19	91
7	432	94	526
SEO	1,164	302	1,466
HEO	3,518	1,901	5,419
HEO (D)²	7	12	19
EO	9,142	13,600	22,742
A0³	9,049	29,407	38,456
AA³	3,147	9,456	12,603

Grade

Men

Women

Total

Total

26,500

54,793

81,293

¹ For each grade we have included equivalent professional grades.

² Includes Administrative Trainees.

³ The AO and AA grades have replaced the CO and CA grades.

Claimants, Leeds

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in the month of January in the Leeds metropolitan district how many people in receipt of income support or housing benefit were registered as being in receipt of retirement pension, disabled, or having children aged under five years; and how many of those so registered received cold weather payments.

I understand from Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency, that the information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Benefits, York

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people in York were in receipt of supplementary benefit in each year from 1979 to 1987; and how many were in receipt of income support in each year since then.

The complete range of information requested in this question is not available. This is because statistics of a local nature are destroyed at regular intervals ranging from 18 months to five years. The information available from 1987 has been drawn from the income support management information statistics.Statistics relating to supplementary benefit and income support recipients are collected from benefit offices on a quarterly basis. The figures show the number of recipients at a given date rather than for a particular period.The York benefit office covers an area of approximately 450 square miles. It is not possible, except at disproportionate cost, to identify those customers who were living in the city of York itself. The figures for York benefit office since May 1987 are in the table.

Customers in receipt of Supplementary Benefit or Income Support from York benefit office since May 1987
Year	February	May	August	November
Supplementary Benefit (Predecessor of Income Support)
1987	—	15,109	15,423	14,705
Income Support
1988	¹—	13,784	14,252	13,507
1989	14,063	13,660	14,251	13,979
1990	14,344	12,723	13,734	13,826
1991	14,445	13,893	14,637	14,705
¹ A quarterly supplementary benefit count was not conducted in February 1988.

Community Care, York

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table indicating (a) the number of applications for community care grants received, (b) the number of community care grants paid and (c) the cash value of community care grants paid by the York local office in each month from January 1990 to December 1991 for each of the (i) elderly, (ii) mentally ill/handicaped, (iii) disabled/chronically sick, (iv) young persons leaving local authority care, (v) persons who have misused drugs/alcohol, (vi) ex-offenders, (vii) persons without a settled way of life and (viii) families under exceptional pressure priority groups.

I understand from Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency that the information is not available in the form requested.

Social Fund, York

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will (a) state how many applications for social fund loans from the York local office were refused on the grounds of inability to pay and (b) show this figure as a percentage of all applications for loans from the York local office in 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91 and so far in 1991–92.

The administration of the social fund is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.

Social Security Benefits

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security for each social security benefit what has been (a) the number of claimants, (b) the cash expenditure and (c) the expenditure expressed in 1991 prices for each year since 1979.

The available information is in the following tables.

Table 1: Estimated average numbers receiving benefit at any one time
(thousands)
	1978–79	1979–80
Benefit
Retirement Pension	8,530	8,680
Widows' Benefit	495	490
Unemployment Benefit	570	550
Sickness Benefit	560	490
Statutory Sick Pay	—	—
Invalidity Benefit	600	620
Death Grant	—	—
Industrial Disablement Benefit	270	270
Industrial Death Benefit	30	30
Other II Benefits	—	—
Maternity Allowance	100	115
Statutory Maternity Pay	—	—
Non-contributory RP	65	55
War Pension	385	370
Attendance Allowance	265	285
Invalid Care Allowance	5	5
Severe Disablement Allowance	150	165
Mobility Allowance	95	140
Income Support/Support Benefit	3,020	2,920
Child Benefit (Children)	13,480	13,330
One Parent Benefit	290	370
Family Credit/FIS	85	80
Rate Rebate	3,055	3,065
Rent Allowance	225	220
Rent Rebate	1,210	1,205
Community Charge Benefit	—	—

	1980–81	1981–82
Benefit
Retirement Pension	8,880	9,015
Widows' Benefit	475	460

	1980–81	1981–82
Unemployment Benefit	960	1,220
Sickness Benefit	435	445
Statutory Sick Pay	—	—
Invalidity Benefit	620	660
Death Grant	—	—
Industrial Disablement Benefit	265	260
Industrial Death Benefit	30	30
Other II Benefits	—	—
Maternity Allowance	120	125
Statutory Maternity Pay	—	—
Non-contributory RP	50	50
War Pension	360	345
Attendance Allowance	315	350
Invalid Care Allowance	5	5
Severe Disablement Allowance	175	180
Mobility Allowance	185	210
Income Support/Supplementary Benefit	3,110	3,725
Child Benefit (Children)	13,160	13,145
One Parent Benefit	430	470
Family Credit/FIS	95	125
Rate Rebate	3,350	3,700
Rent Allowance	240	250
Rent Rebate	1,330	1,590
Community Charge Benefit	—	—

	1982–83	1983–84
Benefit
Retirement Pension	9,115	9,210
Widows' Benefit	445	440
Unemployment Benefit	1,090	1,020
Sickness Benefit	395	170
Statutory Sick Pay	—	—
Invalidity Benefit	700	760
Death Grant	—	—
Industrial Disablement Benefit	265	265
Industrial Death Benefit	30	30
Other II Benefits	—	—
Maternity Allowance	125	110
Statutory Maternity Pay	—	—
Non-contributory RP	45	40
War Pension	330	315
Attendance Allowance	390	445
Invalid Care Allowance	10	10
Severe Disablement Allowance	195	210
Mobility Allowance	265	315
Income Support/Supplementary Benefit	4,165	4,435
Child Benefit (Children)	12,890	12,660
One Parent Benefit	510	540
Family Credit/FIS	165	200
Rate Rebate	5,320	7,020
Rent Allowance	260	1,015
Rent Rebate	3,050	3,735
Community Charge Benefit	—	—

	1984–85	1985–86
Benefit
Retirement Pension	9,350	9,400
Widows' Benefit	425	410
Unemployment Benefit	1,020	955
Sickness Benefit	180	160
Statutory Sick Pay	240	245
Invalidity Benefit	825	865
Death Grant	—	—
Industrial Disablement Benefit	260	265
Industrial Death Benefit	30	30
Other II Benefits	—	—
Maternity Allowance	120	115
Statutory Maternity Pay	—	—
Non-contributory RP	35	35
War Pension	305	295
Attendance Allowance	490	555
Invalid Care Allowance	10	10
Severe Disablement Allowance	245	245
Mobility Allowance	390	420
Income Support/Supplementary Benefit	4,665	4,765

	1984–85	1985–86
Child Benefit (Children)	12,430	12,375
One Parent Benefit	565	590
Family Credit/FIS	205	205
Rate Rebate	7,230	7,020
Rent Allowance	1,080	1,150
Rent Rebate	3,745	3,710
Community Charge Benefit	—	—

	1986–87	1987–88
Benefit
Retirement Pension	9,575	9,685
Widows' Benefit	400	385
Unemployment Benefit	1,005	815
Sickness Benefit	100	105
Statutory Sick Pay	320	345
Invalidity Benefit	935	1,010
Death Grant	—	—
Industrial Disablement Benefit	285	290
Industrial Death Benefit	30	25
Other II Benefits	—	—
Maternity Allowance	110	30
Statutory Maternity Pay	—	80
Non-contributory RP	40	35
War Pension	280	270
Attendance Allowance	605	670
Invalid Care Allowance	25	80
Severe Disablement Allowance	265	265
Mobility Allowance	460	515
Income Support/Supplementary Benefit	5,095	5,020
Child Benefit (Children)	12,175	12,040
One Parent Benefit	615	660
Family Credit/FIS	215	220
Rate Rebate	7,050	6,875
Rent Allowance	1,180	1,195
Rent Rebate	3,720	3,665
Community Charge Benefit	—	—

	1988–89	1989–90
Benefit
Retirement Pension	9,710	9,795
Widows' Benefit	370	375
Unemployment Benefit	600	375
Sickness Benefit	105	105
Statutory Sick Pay	365	360
Invalidity Benefit	1,100	1,190
Death Grant	—	—
Industrial Disablement Benefit	295	295
Industrial Death Benefit	30	30
Other II Benefits	—	—
Maternity Allowance	15	20
Statutory Maternity Pay	80	90
Non-contributory RP	35	35
War Pension	265	265
Attendance Allowance	730	795
Invalid Care Allowance	100	115
Severe Disablement Allowance	270	280
Mobility Allowance	560	585
Income Support/Supplementary Benefit	4,310	4,155
Child Benefit (Children)	12,010	12,000
One Parent Benefit	705	735
Family Credit/FIS	280	305
Rate Rebate	5,150	4,320
Rent Allowance	965	955
Rent Rebate	3,125	2,950
Community Charge Benefit	—	865

	1990–91	1991–92
Benefit
Retirement Pension	9,895	9,9920
Widows' Benefit	350	350
Unemployment Benefit	425	650
Sickness Benefit	105	120
Statutory Sick Pay	355	345

	1990–91	1991–92
Invalidity Benefit	1,265	1,325
Death Grant	—	—
Industrial Disablement Benefit	305	330
Industrial Death Benefit	25	25
Other II Benefits	—	—
Maternity Allowance	20	20
Statutory Maternity Pay	80	85
Non-contributory RP	35	35
War Pension	255	260
Attendance Allowance	875	970
Invalid Care Allowance	135	155
Severe Disablement Allowance	290	300
Mobility Allowance	620	660
Income Support/Support Benefit	4,190	4,820
Child Benefit(Children)	12,135	12,185
One Parent Benefit	760	835
Family Credit/FIS	320	250
Rate Rebate	—	—
Rent Allowance	1,030	1,115
Rent Rebate	2,925	3,085
Community Charge Benefit	6,740	6,570

Table 2
Expenditure in cash terms
(£ million)
	1978–79	1979–80
Benefit
Retirement Pension	7,552	8,816
Christmas Bonus-Contributory	96	96
Widows'Benefit	505	563
Unemployment Benefit	632	653
Sickness Benefit	696	655
Statutory Sick Pay	—	—
Invalidity Benefit	840	995
Death Grant	16	16
Industrial Disablement Benefit	216	244
Industrial Death Benefit	32	36
Other II Benefits	5	5
Maternity Allowance	105	125
Maternity Grant	16	16
Statutory Maternity Pay	—	—
Guardian's Allowance/CSA	2	2
Non-contributory RP	37	36
Christmas Bonus-Non-Contributory	5	5
War Pension	340	375
Attendance Allowance	168	201
Invalid Care Allowance	4	4
Severe Disablement Allowance	69	85
Mobility Allowance	47	79
Income Support/Support Benefit	2,256	2,436
Child Benefit	1,776	2,787
One Parent Benefit	22	43
Family Credit/FIS	24	27
Maternity Grant	16	16
Independent Living Fund	—	—
Motability	—	—
Rate Rebate	165	201
Rent Allowance	38	40
Rent Rebate	207	238
Community Charge Benefit	—	—

	1980–81	1981–82
Benefit
Retirement Pension	10,526	12,126
Christmas Bonus-Contributory	98	101
Widows' Benefit	638	691
Unemployment Benefit	1,280	1,702
Sickness Benefit	654	680
Statutory Sick Pay	—	—
Invalidity Benefit	1,150	1,370
Death Grant	16	17
Industrial Disablement Benefit	282	315
Industrial Death Benefit	42	47
Other II Benefits	5	5

	1980–81	1981–82
Maternity Allowance	149	158
Maternity Grant	16	16
Statutory Maternity Pay	—	—
Guardian's Allowance/CSA	2	2
Non-contributory RP	38	39
Christmas Bonus-Non-Contributory	5	6
War Pension	424	479
Attendance Allowance	260	330
Invalid Care Allowance	5	6
Severe Disablement Allowance	108	130
Mobility Allowance	125	173
Income Support/Supplementary Benefit	3,172	4,840
Child Benefit	2,944	3,372
One Parent Benefit	61	76
Family Credit/FIS	42	66
Maternity Grant	16	16
Independent Living Fund	—	—
Motability	—	—
Rate Rebate	271	381
Rent Allowance	48	65
Rent Rebate	317	497
Community Charge Benefit	—	—

	1982–83	1983–84
Benefit
Retirement Pension	13,549	14,613
Christmas Bonus—Contributory	102	103
Widows' Benefit	725	771
Unemployment Benefit	1,500	1,497
Sickness Benefit	554	265
Statutory Sick Pay	—	—
Invalidity Benefit	1,593	1,872
Death Grant	17	17
Industrial Disablement Benefit	343	369
Industrial Death Benefit	51	54
Other II Benefits	5	5
Maternity Allowance	152	141
Maternity Grant	16	17
Statutory Maternity Pay	—	—
Guardian's Allowance/CSA	2	2
Non-contributory RP	40	41
Christmas Bonus—Non-Contributory	6	6
War Pension	504	524
Attendance Allowance	403	495
Invalid Care Allowance	8	10
Severe Disablement Allowance	154	182
Mobility Allowance	236	304
Income Support/Supplementary Benefit	6,261	5,591
Child Benefit	3,660	3,988
One Parent Benefit	91	107
Family Credit/FIS	94	123
Maternity Grant	16	17
Independent Living Fund	—	—
Motability	—	—
Rate Rebate	550	1,220
Rent Allowance	74	536
Rent Rebate	929	1,980
Community Charge Benefit	—	—

	1984–85	1985–86
Benefit
Retirement Pension	15,268	16,584
Christmas Bonus-Contributory	105	105
Widows' Benefit	785	800
Unemployment Benefit	1,578	1,589
Sickness Benefit	279	276
Statutory Sick Pay	508	545
Invalidity Benefit	2,142	2,349
Death Grant	17	18
Industrial Disablement Benefit	381	407
Industrial Death Benefit	55	58
Other II Benefits	5	5
Maternity Allowance	161	164
Maternity Grant	18	17
Statutory Maternity Pay	—	—

	1984–85	1985–86
Guardian's Allowance/CSA	2	1
Non-contributory RP	39	41
Christmas Bonus-Non-Contributory	6	7
War Pension	544	581
Attendance Allowance	576	686
Invalid Care Allowance	11	13
Severe Disablement Allowance	236	266
Mobility Allowance	356	422
Income Support/Supplementary Benefit	6,444	7,377
Child Benefit	4,276	4,468
One Parent Benefit	120	134
Family Credit/FIS	126	130
Maternity Grant	18	17
Independent Living Fund	—	—
Motability	—	—
Rate Rebate	1,291	1,442
Rent Allowance	645	792
Rent Rebate	2,065	2,225
Community Charge Benefit	—	—

	1986–87	1987–88
Benefit
Retirement Pension	17,779	18,648
Christmas Bonus-Contributory	107	107
Widows' Benefit	825	839
Unemployment Benefit	1,734	1,468
Sickness Benefit	179	193
Statutory Sick Pay	757	840
Invalidity Benefit	2,673	2,968
Death Grant	18	3
Industrial Disablement Benefit	440	453
Industrial Death Benefit	61	56
Other II Benefits	4	4
Maternity Allowance	168	51
Maternity Grant	14	—
Statutory Maternity Pay	—	193
Guardian's Allowance/CSA	2	1
Non-contributory RP	37	37
Christmas Bonus-Non-Contributory	8	9
War Pension	590	599
Attendance Allowance	779	897
Invalid Care Allowance	104	184
Severe Disablement Allowance	285	295
Mobility Allowance	514	596
Income Support/Supplementary Benefit	7,962	7,952
Child Benefit	4,513	4,598
One Parent Benefit	148	163
Family Credit/FIS	161	180
Maternity Grant	14	—
Independent Living Fund	—	—
Motability	1	1
Rate Rebate	1,562	1,677
Rent Allowance	951	1,012
Rent Rebate	2,356	2,461
Community Charge Benefit	—	—

	1988–89	1989–90
Benefit
Retirement Pension	19,237	20,697
Christmas Bonus-Contributory	109	112
Widows' Benefit	850	852
Unemployment Benefit	1,107	733
Sickness Benefit	192	204
Statutory Sick Pay	898	949
Invalidity Benefit	3,359	3,837
Death Grant	—	—
Industrial Disablement Benefit	451	470
Industrial Death Benefit	59	59
Other II Benefits	4	4
Maternity Allowance	27	30
Maternity Grant	—	—
Statutory Maternity Pay	250	286
Guardian's Allowance/CSA	1	1
Non-contributory RP	36	35
Christmas Bonus-Non-Contributory	9	9

	1988–89	1989–90
War Pension	610	641
Attendance Allowance	1,003	1,159
Invalid Care Allowance	173	184
Severe Disablement Allowance	316	346
Mobility Allowance	675	769
Income Support/Supplementary Benefit	7,575	7,675
Child Benefit	4,515	4,537
One Parent Benefit	179	199
Family Credit/FIS	394	425
Maternity Grant	—	—
Independent Living Fund	1	11
Motability	1	1
Rate Rebate	1,336	1,142
Rent Allowance	1,035	1,171
Rent Rebate	2,565	2,733
Community Charge Benefit	—	190

	1990–91	1991–92
Benefit
Retirement Pension	22,699	25,538
Christmas Bonus-Contributory	112	114
Widows' Benefit	889	983
Unemployment Benefit	870	1,506
Sickness Benefit	216	268
Statutory Sick Pay	941	724
Invalidity Benefit	4,431	5,255
Death Grant	—	—
Industrial Disablement Benefit	520	600
Industrial Death Benefit	60	65
Other II Benefits	4	4
Maternity Allowance	34	39
Maternity Grant—	—
Statutory Maternity Pay	314	344
Guardian's Allowance/CSA	2	2
Non-contributory RP	36	37
Christmas Bonus-Non-Contributory	9	8
War Pension	708	805
Attendance Allowance	1,382	1,706
Invalid Care Allowance	208	262
Severe Disablement Allowance	429	583
Mobility Allowance	883	1,061
Income Support/Supplementary Benefit	8,891	11,891
Child Benefit	4,591	5,206
One Parent Benefit	229	247
Family Credit/FIS	494	617
Maternity Grant	—	—
Independent Living Fund	24	54
Motability	1	3
Rate Rebate	—	—
Rent Allowance	1,530	1,976
Rent Rebate	465	583
Community Charge Benefit	2,085	1,228

Note: —1991–92 figures are estimated outturn. Most central Government support for rent rebates appears in the Department of the Environment and Welsh Office programmes in 1990–92, and subsequent years, as rent rebate subsidy in England and Wales and is now paid from local authorities' housing revenue accounts.

Table 3: Expenditure in 1991–92 terms
£ million
	1978–79	1979–80
Benefit
Retirement Pension	20,487	20,497
Christmas Bonus-Contributory	260	223
Widows' Benefit	1,370	1,309
Unemployment Benefit	1,714	1,518
Sickness Benefit	1,888	1,523
Statutory Sick Pay	—	—
Invalidity Benefit	2,279	2,313
Death Grant	43	37
Industrial Disablement Benefit	586	567
Industrial Death Benefit	87	84
Other II Benefits	14	12
Maternity Allowance	285	291

	1978–79	1979–80
Maternity Grant	43	37
Statutory Maternity Pay	—	—
Guardian's Allowance/CSA	5	5
Non-contributory RP	100	84
Christmas Bonus—Non-Contributory	14	12
War Pension	922	872
Attendance Allowance	456	467
Invalid Care Allowance	11	9
Severe Disablement Allowance	187	198
Mobility Allowance	128	184
Income Support/Support Benefit	6,120	5,664
Child Benefit	4,818	6,480
One Parent Benefit	60	100
Family Credit/FIS	65	63
Maternity Grant	43	37
Independent Living Fund	—	—
Motability	—	—
Rate Rebate	448	467
Rent Allowance	103	93
Rent Rebate	562	553
Community Charge Benefit	—	—

	1980–81	1981–82
Benefit
Retirement Pension	20,682	21,728
Christmas Bonus-Contributory	193	181
Widows' Benefit	1,254	1,238
Unemployment Benefit	2,515	3,050
Sickness Benefit	1,285	1,218
Statutory Sick Pay	—	—
Invalidity Benefit	2,260	2,455
Death Grant	31	30
Industrial Disablement Benefit	554	564
Industrial Death Benefit	83	84
Other II Benefits	10	9
Maternity Allowance	293	283
Maternity Grant	31	29
Statutory Maternity Pay	—	—
Guardian's Allowance/CSA	4	4
Non-contributory RP	75	70
Christmas Bonus-Non-Contributory	10	11
War Pension	833	858
Attendance Allowance	511	591
Invalid Care Allowance	10	11
Severe Disablement Allowance	212	233
Mobility Allowance	246	310
Income Support/Supplementary Benefit	6,232	8,672
Child Benefit	5,784	6,042
One Parent Benefit	120	136
Family Credit/FIS	83	118
Maternity Grant	31	29
Independent Living Fund	—	—
Motability	—	—
Rate Rebate	532	683
Rent Allowance	94	116
Rent Rebate	623	891
Community Charge Benefit	—	—

	1982–83	1983–84
Benefit
Retirement Pension	22,663	23,360
Christmas Bonus-Contributory	171	165
Widows' Benefit	1,213	1,233
Unemployment Benefit	2,509	2,393
Sickness Benefit	927	424
Statutory Sick Pay	—	—
Invalidity Benefit	2,665	2,993
Death Grant	28	27
Industrial Disablement Benefit	574	590
Industrial Death Benefit	85	86
Other II Benefits	8	8
Maternity Allowance	254	225
Maternity Grant	27	27
Statutory Maternity Pay	—	—
Guardian's Allowance/CSA	3	3

	1982–83	1983–84
Non-contributory RP	67	66
Christmas Bonus-Non-Contributory	10	10
War Pension	843	838
Attendance Allowance	674	791
Invalid Care Allowance	13	16
Severe Disablement Allowance	258	291
Mobility Allowance	395	486
Income Support/Supplementary Benefit	10,473	8,938
Child Benefit (Children)	6,122	6,375
One Parent Benefit	152	171
Family Credit/FIS	157	197
Maternity Grant	27	27
Independent Living Fund	—	—
Motability	—	—
Rate Rebate	920	1,950
Rent Allowance	124	857
Rent Rebate	1,554	3,165
Community Charge Benefit	—	—

	1984–85	1985–86
Benefit
Retirement Pension	23,244	23,928
Christmas Bonus—Contributory	160	151
Widows' Benefit	1,195	1,154
Unemployment Benefit	2,402	2,293
Sickness Benefit	425	398
Statutory Sick Pay	773	786
Invalidity Benefit	3,261	3,389
Death Grant	26	26
Industrial Disablement Benefit	580	587
Industrial Death Benefit	84	84
Other II Benefits	8	7
Maternity Allowance	245	237
Maternity Grant	27	25
Statutory Maternity Pay	—	—
Guardian's Allowance/CSA	3	1
Non-contributory RP	59	59
Christmas Bonus-Non—Contributory	9	10
War Pension	828	838
Attendance Allowance	877	990
Invalid Care Allowance	17	19
Severe Disablement Allowance	359	384
Mobility Allowance	542	609
Income Support/Supplementary Benefit	9,810	10,644
Child Benefit	6,510	6,446
One Parent Benefit	183	193
Family Credit/FIS	192	188
Maternity Grant	27	25
Independent Living Fund	—	—
Motability	—	—
Rate Rebate	1,965	2,081
Rent Allowance	982	1,143
Rent Rebate	3,144	3,210
Community Charge Benefit	—	—

	1986–87	1987–88
Benefit
Retirement Pension	24,835	24.705
Christmas Bonus—Contributory	149	142
Widows' Benefit	1,152	1,112
Unemployment Benefit	2,422	1,945
Sickness Benefit	250	256
Statutory Sick Pay	1,057	1,113
Invalidity Benefit	3,734	3,932
Death Grant	25	4
Industrial Disablement Benefit	615	600
Industrial Death Benefit	85	74
Other II Benefits	6	5
Maternity Allowance	235	68
Maternity Grant	20	—
Statutory Maternity Pay	—	256
Guardian's Allowance/CSA	3	1
Non-contributory RP	52	49
Christmas Bonus—Non-Contributory	11	12
War Pension	824	794

	1986–87	1987–88
Attendance Allowance	1,088	1,188
Invalid Care Allowance	145	244
Severe Disablement Allowance	398	391
Mobility Allowance	718	790
Income Support/Supplementary Benefit	11,122	10,535
Child Benefit	6,304	6,092
One Parent Benefit	207	216
Family Credit/FIS	225	238
Maternity Grant	20	—
Independent Living Fund	—	—
Motability	1	1
Rate Rebate	2,182	2,222
Rent Allowance	1,328	1,341
Rent Rebate	3,291	3,260
Community Charge Benefit	—	—

Benefit	1988–89	1989–90
Retirement Pension	23,778	24,025
Christmas Bonus-Contributory	135	130
Widows' Benefit	1,051	989
Unemployment Benefit	1,368	851
Sickness Benefit	237	237
Statutory Sick Pay	1,110	1,102
Invalidity Benefit	4,152	4,454
Death Grant	—	—
Industrial Disablement Benefit	557	546
Industrial Death Benefit	73	68
Other II Benefits	5	5
Maternity Allowance	33	35
Maternity Grant	—	—
Statutory Maternity Pay	309	332
Guardian's Allowance/CSA	1	1
Non-contributory RP	44	41
Christmas Bonus-Non-Contributory	11	10
War Pension	754	744
Attendance Allowance	1,240	1,345
Invalid Care Allowance	214	214
Severe Disablement Allowance	391	402
Mobility Allowance	834	893
Income Support/Supplementary Benefit	9,363	8,909
Child Benefit	5,581	5,266
One Parent Benefit	221	231
Family Credit/FIS	487	493
Maternity Grant	—	—
Independent Living Fund	1	13
Motability	1	1
Rate Rebate	1,651	1,326
Rent Allowance	1,279	1,359
Rent Rebate	3,171	3,172
Community Charge Benefit	—	221

	1990–91	1991–92
Benefit
Retirement Pension	24,288	25,538
Christmas Bonus—Contributory	120	114
Widows' Benefit	951	983
Unemployment Benefit	931	1,506
Sickness Benefit	231	268
Statutory Sick Pay	1,007	724
Invalidity Benefit	4,741	5,255
Death Grant	—	—
Industrial Disablement Benefit	556	600
Industrial Death Benefit	64	65
Other II Benefits	4	4
Maternity Allowance	36	39
Maternity Grant	—	—
Statutory Maternity Pay	336	344
Guardian's Allowance/CSA	2	2
Non-contributory RP	39	37
Christmas Bonus—Non-Contributory	10	8
War Pension	758	805
Attendance Allowance	1,479	1,706
Invalid Care Allowance	232	262
Severe Disablement Allowance	459	583

	1990–91	1991–92
Mobility Allowance	945	1,061
Income Support/Supplementary Benefit	9,513	11,8911
Child Benefit	4,912	5,206
One Parent Benefit	245	247
Family Credit/FIS	529	617
Maternity Grant	—	—
Independent Living Fund	26	54
Motability	1	3
Rate Rebate	—	—
Rent Allowance	1,637	1,976
Rent Rebate	498	583
Community Charge Benefit	2,231	1,228

War Pensions Scheme

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the latest position regarding discussions to simplify the war pensions scheme.

Proposals for simplifying the war pensions scheme and improving its administration were discussed with the war pensions central advisory committee on 5 December 1991. Its response was broadly to welcome the thrust of the proposed changes. Final decisions will be made and announced after consideration of the many detailed comments is completed. We have previously indicated that resources available to the war pensions scheme and individual cash entitlements of war pensioners will not be reduced as a result. That remains the position.

Income Support

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many income support claimants who work between 16 and 24 hours a week currently (a) receive direct help with mortgage interest payments and (b) are eligible to apply to the social fund for help with the cost of furniture and other essential household items; and if he will subdivide the figures into childless, couples with children, and lone parent household categories;(2) whether income support claimaints who work between 16 and 24 hours a week and who currently

(a) receive direct help with mortgage interest payments and (b) are eligible to apply to the social fund for help with the cost of furniture and other items will have their eligibility for assistance fully protected after April 1992 by special protection arrangements.

We estimate that around 15,000 people currently receiving income support and working between 16 and 24 hours a week are receiving help with mortgage interest payments. Because of the small size of the sample, it is not possible to subdivide this number into household categories. Anyone receiving income support, whether or not they are working, is eligible to apply to the social fund for help under the normal rules.People whose entitlement to income support is protected when the hours rule changes from 24 to 16 a week from 7 April will have the same rights to help with their mortgage interest payments and to apply for social fund payments as they do at present.

Business Reply Envelopes

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of DSS agency offices have withdrawn business reply envelopes; how many people were affected by the withdrawal of business reply envelopes; and what are the estimated savings for the agency in the year 1992–93 from the withdrawal of these envelopes.

Customer services are a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.

Independent Tribunal Service

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what influence the president of the Independent Tribunal Service has over allocation of resources from the DSS; to whom the president is accountable; and to whom complaints about dissatisfaction about the administrative arrangements of the independent Tribunal Service may be addressed.

The president of the Independent Tribunal Service, his honour Judge Holden, is appointed by the Lord Chancellor. He may appoint such officers and staff as he thinks fit to carry out his statutory duties, with the consent of the Secretary of State and the Treasury as to numbers, remuneration and other terms and conditions of service. In using the resources so provided he is accountable to the departmental accounting officer. Complaints about dissatisfaction with the administrative arrangements of the Independent Tribunal Service should be addressed to the president, his honour Judge Holden.

Mirror Group Pension Fund

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the cost of underwriting the guaranteed minimum pension for the Mirror Group pension fund; and if he has agreed to underwrite the guaranteed minimum pension for the Mirror Group pension fund.

It is too early to make any assessment of the possible costs involved. Existing legislation provides protection for those members of pension schemes who have been contracted out of the state earnings related pensions scheme (SERPS) introduced in 1978. If any scheme is wound up there is a statutory provision designed to protect the guaranteed minimum pension which contracted out schemes are required to provide.

Personal Pensions

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the latest information available on the level of earnings of people with personal pensions.

The latest available information for the year ended April 1990 is that the average pay of appropriate personal pension holders, including those in part-time work, is £9,740.

Pension Contributions

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether the protocol to the treaty of Rome deeming pension contributions paid before May 1990 not to be deferred pay in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands includes employee pension contributions which are deducted from the employee's pay packet or salary.

The protocol to article 119 of the treaty of Rome, agreed at Maastricht, will, when ratified, apply to all member states and relates to benefits under occupational social security schemes attributable to periods of employment prior to 17 May 1990.Contributions to occupational pension schemes before 17 May 1990 will continue to qualify scheme members for benefits on the same basis as when their contributions were made.

Pensions (Christmas Bonus)

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the rationale for paying the Christmas bonus to people in receipt of their pension in the week commencing 2 December and excluding those whose pensions were first payable in the Christmas week.

Since the Christmas bonus was introduced in 1972 the practice has been to make payments to those who qualify no later than the first week in December. This ensures the bonus reaches all 12 million recipients in time for Christmas.

Benefits (Expenditure)

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the spending on (a) disabled people's benefits and (b) retired people's benefit in (i) 1979–80, (ii) 1983–84, (iii) 1987–88 and (iv) 1991–92 at September 1991 prices.

Total benefit spending on long-term sick and disabled people and on elderly people, in cash and in 1991–92 prices, is given in the table.

	Disabled people		Elderly people
	Cash £ million	1991–92 prices £ million	Cash £ million	1991–92 prices £ million
1979–80	2·1	4·9	10·1	23·6
1983–84	4·1	6·6	17·7	28·2
1987–88	6·7	8·8	23·1	30·5
1991–92	12·3	12·3	31·4	31·4

Note: 1991–92 figures are estimated outturn.

Income Support Disability Premium

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will ensure that all claimants in receipt of attendance allowance or the new disability housing allowance are informed that their benefit acts as a passport to the income support disability premium.

When customers are awarded either attendance allowance or disability living allowance they will receive an information sheet with their award notice explaining that if they are on income support they may be able to get more money because of their disability, or indeed that they may now qualify for income support if they did not get it previously. More fundamentally, we are introducing special procedures so that income support entitlement can be reassessed automatically following the award of either attendance allowance or disability living allowance.

Statutory Sick Pay

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the number of (a) men and (b) women who will lose in real terms as a result of the freezing of statutory sick pay for 1991–92 and 1992–93.

The information requested is not available and cannot be accurately estimated. Over 90 per cent. of employees work for employers with occupational sick pay (OSP) schemes and will have their statutory sick pay (SSP) topped up by OSP. The 1988 survey of occupational sick pay schemes found that the majority of employers with such schemes top up SSP to full pay. Most employees affected by the freezing of the higher rate of SSP will, therefore, have experienced no reduction in the amount they received when sick. Those employees on the lower rate have had their SSP entitlement fully protected by full retail prices index increases.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the total savings to the Exchequer for each year as a result of freezing higher rate statutory sick pay in 1991–92 and 1992–93.

The total estimated savings are:

	£ million
1991–92	67
1992–93	89

Pensioners (Home Owners)

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of pensioners are owner occupiers and have paid off their mortgage.

The latest figures available show that in 1988, 50 per cent. of pensioners were owner occupiers, of whom 46 per cent. owned their homes outright. This compares well with 1979, when only 38 per cent. owned their homes outright.

Education And Science

Teachers, North Yorkshire

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will show the full-time equivalent number of teachers employed in (a) north Yorkshire infant and primary schools and (b) north Yorkshire secondary schools in each year from 1974 to 1991.

The full-time equivalent number of qualified teachers in maintained primary and secondary schools in North Yorkshire local education authority in January of each year is shown in the following table.

Full-time equivalent of qualified teachers in maintained primary and secondary schools in North Yorkshire Local Education Authority— January 1974–1991.
(thousands)
	Primary¹	Secondary
1974	2·6	2·7
1975	2·7	2·8
1976	2·7	2·9
1977	2·7	3·1

	Primary ¹	Secondary
1978	2·7	3·1
1979	2·7	3·2
1980	2·6	3·2
1981	2·5	3·2
1982	2·4	3·2
1983	2·3	3·2
1984	2·3	3·2
1985	2·3	3·1
1986	2·3	3·0
1987	2·3	2·9
1988	2·4	2·9
1989	2·4	2·8
1990	2·5	2·8
1991	2·4	2·8
¹ Includes infant schools.

Pupil Expenditure

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the expenditure per pupil in the county of Shropshire in 1978–79, 1982–83, 1986–87 and 1991–92.

The latest year for which actual spending information is available in 1989–90. Shropshire local education authority's school—based expenditure per nursery, primary and secondary school pupil is shown in the table. The real terms increase in per pupil spending between 1978–79 and 1989–90 was 56 per cent.

Net institutional expenditure¹per pupil²
Nursery, primary and secondary schools
Year	Current prices	1989–90 prices³
	£	£
1978–79	405	940
1982–83	765	1,100
1986–87	1,070	1,290
1989–90	1,470	1,470
Notes to table
¹ Net institutional expenditure covers the direct costs in schools of salaries and wages, premises and certain supplies and services. It does not include the cost of school meals, home to school transport, LEA central administration, and financing costs of capital expenditure.
² The figures are derived from Shropshire local education authority's returns of its spending to the Department of the Environment and of its pupil numbers to the Department of Education and Science.
³ Figures for 1978–79, 1982–83 and 1986–87 have been repriced to 1989–90 prices using the GDP (Market Prices) Deflator Index.

Sixth Forms

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the total number of school sixth forms in England in (a) 1979–80 and (b) on the latest available figures.

The numbers of maintained secondary schools with sixth forms in England, in 1980 and 1991 were 2,487 and 1,998 respectively. These figures include sixth form colleges in England.

Teachers' Superannuation

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to his answers of 11 December, Official Report, column 448–49 and 2 December, Official Report, column 16 on the teachers' superannuation scheme, what is the basis for paying widowers' pensions in respect of service from 6 April 1988 and charging extra for the optional cover from 1 April 1972 to 5 April 1988 when widows' pensions are paid on all service from 1 April 1972.

The normal contribution rate, of which an individual teacher pays 6 per cent. of salary and his or her employer the balance, is determined by the Government Actuary in his quinquennial valuations of the scheme. For the period 1 April 1972 to 5 April 1988, the Government Actuary took into account the cost of providing widows' pensions as a benefit of the scheme but not widowers' pensions and the normal contribution rate reflected this. In his most recent valuation, the actuary has taken account of the fact that widowers' benefits are now provided by the scheme with effect from 6 April 1988. Widowers' benefits prior to 6 April 1988 have not been covered by the contributions already paid by teachers and employers and on that basis the arrangements set out in my answer of 2 December were introduced.

A-Levels, Islington

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he intends to publish the report of Her Majesty's inspectorate in relation to the inspection carried out in November of the Islington sixth form centre and the two Islington further education colleges; and what was the finding of this report in relation to the proportion of A-level passes as compared with the national average.

The report from HM inspectorate is shortly to be received by my right hon. and learned Friend, once received, it will be published as quickly as possible. When the report is published I will write to the hon. Member with the information on A-level passes.

School Meals

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what has been the number of children entitled to free school meals in each year since 1979.

Since the implementation of the 1986 Social Security Act in 1988, only children whose families are in receipt of income support and those children who are themselves eligible for income support are entitled to receive free school meals. Prior to this local authorities had discretionary powers to provide free school meals and a variety of schemes existed. Consequently, it is not possible to give the number of children entitled to free meals before this date.A total of 821,373 free school meals were taken in maintained schools in England on the census date in January 1991.

Sport

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the chairmanships of the proposed United Kingdom Sports Commission and the Sports Council for England.

As announced on 19 December 1991 in the policy statement "Sport and Active Recreation", the Government intend to replace the Sports Council of Great Britain with a United Kingdom sports commission and a sports council for England, subject to the approval by the Queen in Council, of the royal charters for the new bodies.

My right hon. and learned Friend intends to appoint Peter Yarranton as chairman of the United Kingdom sports commission, and Ian Beer as chairman of the sports council for England. Mr. Yarranton is presently chairman of the Sports Council of Great Britain. He has agreed to continue in that capacity until the transition to the new arrangements has been effected.

Northern Ireland

Political Talks

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the progress of talks between the political parties of Northern Ireland.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Falkirk, West (Mr. Canavan).

19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what further steps he proposes to take in respect in respect of new political initiatives in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on his current efforts to bring about a political settlement in the Province.

I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Falkirk, West (Mr. Canavan).

Security

15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with the recently elected Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland on security issues.

My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, the Minister of State and I held a meeting with the new Taoiseach, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister of Justice yesterday, during which a range of security and other issues were discussed. I shall be meeting the Irish Foreign Affairs and Justice Ministers again at a meeting of the Anglo-Irish Conference which will be held shortly.

20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the security situation.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Attercliffe (Sir P. Duffy).

24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a further statement on the security situation in the Province.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Attercliffe (Sir P. Duffy).

Brook Advisory Clinic

16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he will visit the newly opened Brook advisory clinic in Belfast to discuss funding.

I understand that the Belfast Brook centre has not yet, in fact, been opened. As the Eastern health and social services board is responsible for the funding of the services to be provided by the Brook centre when operational, it would not be appropriate for either my right hon. Friend or I to enter into separate discussions with the centre on this matter.

Industrial Development Board

17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the achievements to date of the Industrial Development Board in targeting new jobs.

During the six-year period from 1 April 1985 to 31 March 1991, 27,583 jobs were promoted by the IDB against a target of 32,435.

Local Management Of Schools

18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many schools have devolved budgets under the local management of schools arrangements; how many schools are grant maintained; and if he will make a statement.

In Northern Ireland 237 schools and 24 colleges of further education have fully delegated budgets and 1,050 have partially delegated budgets under LMS and LMC arrangements. There are no grant-maintained schools.

Tourist Board

21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he will appoint a new chief executive of the Northern Ireland tourist board.

The appointment of a chief executive is a matter for the Northern Ireland tourist board. I understand, however, from the chairman of the board that the post was recently advertised, with a closing date for receipt of applications on 2 March 1992.

Buses

22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he has visited plants in Northern Ireland producing buses.

I visited Walter Alexander and Co. (Belfast) Limited's bus body building plant at Newtownabbey on 1 November 1990. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State visited Robert Wright and Son (Coachworks) Ltd. at Balleymena on 19 June 1990.

Rural Development

23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made towards encouraging rural development; and if he will make a statement.

Following the report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on Rural Development in 1991 an independent Rural Development Council, representing a wide spectrum of rural interests has been established to provide advice and resources to rural communities to help them develop multi-sectoral regeneration plans for their local areas.

Within the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland a rural development policy division has also been set up and three rural development area co-ordinators at senior level have been appointed to provide integrated statutory responses to local community plans.

Museums

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what plans he has to provide funding for museums in Northern Ireland other than those he already funds;(2) what plans he has to publish a policy statement for museums in Northern Ireland.

There are no immediate plans to extend funding to local authority museums, other than those to meet half of the cost of any improvement grant which may be awarded by the museums and galleries improvement fund, a joint venture between Government and the Wolfson charity trust.Future policy for the support of local authority museums in Northern Ireland will be considered following the publication, later this year, of a report by the Northern Ireland museums advisory committee of its study into the feasibility of establishing an area museum service for the Province.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he last met the Irish Museums Association in Ireland to discuss the role and funding of museums in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has never met the Irish Museums Association.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the budgetary allocation to museums in Northern Ireland in each of the financial years from 1 April 1988 to 31 March 1991 inclusive.

The information requested is as follows:

	1988–89 £	1989–90 £	1990–91 £
Ulster Museum	2,876,400	3,529,300	4,136,000
Ulster Folk and Transport Museum	2,124,300	2,364,700	2,747,300
Ulster American Folk park	685,000	641,000	792,800

Community Services

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the amount allocated to each district council in Northern Ireland for community services in the financial years from 1 April 1988 to 31 March 1991.

The amounts allocated were as follows:

Recurrent funding
Council	1988–89 £	1989–90 £	1990–91 £
Antrim	46,275	47,700	50,175
Ards	33,675	34,650	36,450
Armagh	16,800	19,275	20,250

Council	1988–89 £	1989–90 £	1990–91 £
Ballymena	53,625	55,200	58,125
Ballymoney	6,675	6,900	7,275
Banbridge	15,750	17,250	18,150
Belfast	679,125	685,350	717,000
Carrickfergus	37,875	39,000	41,100
Castlereagh	83,700	83,700	88,125
Coleraine	30,150	31,050	32,700
Cookstown	6,000	7,500	7,875
Craigavon	172,275	172,275	181,500
Derry	112,350	115,500	121,575
Down	30,975	33,750	35,550
Dungannon	7,725	9,825	10,350
Fermanagh	36,375	37,500	39,450
Larne	19,425	22,275	23,475
Limavady	15,375	15,750	16,575
Lisburn	61,950	63,825	67,200
Magherafelt	4,725	4,725	5,025
Moyle	14,100	14,550	15,300
Newry and Mourne	85,950	88,500	93,150
Newtownabbey	51,600	54,750	57,750
North Down	44,475	46,500	48,975
Omagh	56,175	61,950	65,250
Strabane	66,375	72,750	76,650
Total	1,789,500	1,842,000	1,935,000
Capital Funding Council
Antrim	38,836	6,052	Nil
Ards	39,667	21,448	26,860
Armagh	32,872	Nil	86,182
Ballymena	99,697	nil	17,213
Ballymoney	20,537	11,145	985
Banbridge	1,706	33,680	2,784
Belfast	144,423	20,618	3,405
Carrickfergus	nil	nil	nil
Castlereagh	32,531	nil	4,866
Coleraine	106,745	26,422	5,838
Cookstown	65,580	nil	nil
Craigavon	63,697	49,415	6,443
Derry	104,378	162,820	125,688
Down	38,332	5,109	25,064
Dungannon	59,521	3,376	44,770
Fermanagh	nil	4,535	nil
Larne	151,375	177	517
Limavady	17,903	7,085	5,770
Lisburn	43,005	61,376	18,957
Magherafelt	26,408	6,841	517
Moyle	9,895	nil	nil
Newry and Mourne	100,146	34,834	13,505
Newtownabbey	nil	7,598	nil
North Down	18,199	2,776	18,586
Omagh	26,940	8,308	35,919
Strabane	38,734	65,435	nil
Total	281,127	539,050	443,869

Notes:

1. Capital cost figures cover both community and recreation facility provision.

2. Grants made to councils are made in respect of expenditure on individual approved projects.

Government Offices (Relocation)

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to relocate central Government offices into the constituency of South Down in response to the provision of the Star telecommunications network within the area.

The location or relocation of civil service work is considered whenever a new function emerges, an existing function changes its organisational structure, or when the lease of a civil service occupied building expires. The provision of good communication links, such as those now available under the STAR telecommunications network, is just one of a number of factors which are taken into account when deciding upon relocation options.There are no plans at present to relocate any central Government functions to the South Down constituency.

South Eastern Education And Library Board

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals he is currently considering from South Eastern education and library board in respect of a headquarters on a single site.

The South Eastern board is currently reviewing the options for locating its headquarters on a single site. The Department of Education is awaiting the outcome of these investigations before entering into further discussions with the board.

Earnings

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) men and (b) women in each region earn (i) above and (ii) below the national insurance lower earnings limit; and how many are between the lower earnings limit and the upper earnings limit, in Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland is regarded as a single region for national insurance purposes. The information requested is as follows. The figures refer to the latest estimates for the current year.

	Men	Women
Number of people who earn above lower earnings limit	245,000	185,000
Number of people who earn below lower earnings limit	25,000	65,000
Number of people who earn between upper lower earnings limit	200,000	180,000

Pensioners

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the latest estimates of how many pensioners are (a) male, (b) female, (c) single and (d) married in Northern Ireland.

In mid-1990 the estimated numbers of men and women at state pension age and over in Northern Ireland were as follows:

	Number
Men	76,000
Women	155,000

Source: OPCS mid-year estimates.I regret that information is not available on the marital status of these pensioners.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pensioners there are over the age of 75 years divided into males and females; and what is (a) their average income from all sources and (b) the income distribution of such pensioners, in Northern Ireland.

[holding answer 24 February 1992]: In mid-1990 the estimated numbers of men and women over the age of 75 in Northern Ireland were as follows:

	Number
Men	28,000
Women	54,000

Source: OPCS mid-year estimates.

I regret that sufficient information is not available to enable reliable estimates of the average income or income distribution of these men and women to be made.

Social Security Fraud

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what is his estimate of the cost of social security fraud to his Department of Health and Social Services in each of the last five years;(2) how many people have been jailed as a result of being found guilty of social security fraud in each of the last five years;(3) how many people were charged with social security fraud in each of the last five years.

Social security operational matters are the responsibility of Mr. Alec Wylie, chief executive of the Social Security Agency. He will write to the hon. Gentleman and copies of his reply will he placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.

Butchers' Blocks

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what requirements have been introduced by the European Community in connection with the butcher's wooden block upon which cuts of meat are prepared; and if he will make a statement on the future of this butcher's block.

None. A proposed European Community directive on hygiene of foodstuffs presently under negotiation, would require that all articles, fittings, and equipment with which food comes into contact should be so constructed, be of such materials and be kept in such good order, repair and condition as to prevent, so far as is reasonably practical, any risk of contamination of the food. Similar provisions are already contained in existing United Kingdom food hygiene law.

Fisheries Patrol Boat

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the acquisition cost and what are the budgeted running costs of the Northern Ireland fisheries patrol boat, Ken Vickers.

The acquisition cost was some £450,000, 50 per cent. of which will be met by the EC. The estimated running costs, including crewing, for 1992–93 are £72,400.

Citizens Charter

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the cost to date of the preparation, printing, publication and distribution of the citizens charter for Northern Ireland.

A total of £120,400

Low Energy Lighting

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will make it his policy progressively to introduce low-energy lighting in all the buildings operated by his Department.

[holding answer 25 February 1992]: Low-energy light fittings are already used in all new installations and to replace fittings which have reached the end of their useful life. In other circumstances low-energy units are fitted where it is cost-effective to do so.

Agriculture, Fisheries And Food

Captive Birds

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what further information he has on the levels of mortality in imported captive birds.

The third report by the Ministry on mortalities in imported captive birds, relating to imports in 1990, shows that of 176,000 birds, 3,500 were dead on arrival and a further 18,100 died in post-import quarantine. The average mortality remains unacceptable but has fallen slightly to 12·3 per cent. compared with 12·7 per cent. in the previous year. The statistics give further evidence of the major problems in the bird trade which the Government are taking vigorous action to address. I am placing copies of the report in the Library of the House.The Under-Secretary of State for the Environment, the hon. Member for Banbury (Mr. Baldry), has just announced a far-reaching package of measures which underline our commitment. Clearly these issues need to be addressed internationally, and at the forthcoming Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species conference the United Kingdom will take a leading role in pressing for strengthened international controls. We are also seeking tough action in the European Community. We are determined that any future trade in wild birds should be conducted under proper conditions and that exporting countries, airlines and traders should all play their part and recognise their responsibilities for ensuring the highest standards of care.

Ministerial Appointments

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list all the public bodies to which he makes appointments and all the committees within his Ministry which include outside experts appointed by him.

Information about public bodies to which 1 make appointments is given in "Public Appointments: a Handbook for Women's Organisations" and annually in "Public Bodies", copies of which are in the Library. To provide a fully comprehensive list of all bodies and committees to which I make appointments would be disproportionately expensive.

Oilseed Harvest

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what EC support arrangements will apply in the United Kingdom for the 1992 oilseed harvest.

A new EC support system is being introduced because the existing arrangements were found to be incompatible with GATT rules. The scheme will apply to rapeseed, sunflower seed and soya bean crops harvested in summer 1992. The scheme will provide a payment related to the world price made at a flat rate per hectare and paid direct to growers.The agriculture departments will be operating the scheme and will issue explanatory booklets and application forms as soon as possible. These will be sent to all known oilseed growers. Others will be able to obtain copies from the Ministry's regional service centres and the offices of other agriculture departments. I will place copies in the Libraries of the House.The general rules of the scheme were adopted in December 1991 in council regulation 3766/91. A Commission regulation establishing more detailed rules is expected to be published shortly. When it is, I will make a further announcement. Growers sowing seed after the entry into force of the Commission regulation (three days after the date of its publication in the Official Journal) will be subject to certain restrictions on the land on which they may sow if they are to be eligible for aid. They will only be eligible if they plant on arable land. That is defined in the Council regulation as

"land cultivated during the period 1989–90 to 1990–91, including land shown to have been fallowed in conformity with a publicly funded scheme, temporarily under grass as part of an arable rotation or exceptionally arable land fallowed throughout this period".

The intention of this provision is to prevent the ploughing up of permanent grassland.

In addition to crops harvested from certified seed, home-saved seed will be eligible for aid, as will seed grown for industrial use and seed grown for sowing. Various requirements in relation to these matters, which are laid down in the Commission regulation, are being waived this year because it would be inequitable to apply them after growers have taken decisions on what seed to sow for the 1992 harvest. Specific obligations will however apply in future years, and these will be publicised in advance of growers' decisions on plantings for 1993 harvest.

Growers' completed applications must be received by the agriculture departments by 30 May. The Commission regulation provides for applications received in the following 30 days to suffer a 1 per cent. cut in the aid for each day that they are late up to a maximum cut of 30 per cent. of the aid. Applications received thereafter will be ineligible for any aid. Applications must be supported by a map—from the 1:10,000 Ordnance Survey series, or a map of an equivalent quality—showing the precise location of the crops.

After growers' applications have been checked, a first payment (of up to 50 per cent. of the total) will be made by 30 September. After the grower has submitted a "harvest declaration", further checks will be made.

The remainder of the aid will be paid by the end of March 1993. There will also be some payments, on which the Commission has not yet made a proposal, to growers who hold the crop off the market, and thus help to ensure orderly marketing.

Different rates of aid will be paid in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, to reflect their different average yields. Last autumn's and this spring's sowings will receive the same rate of aid. This may change for 1993 crop.

The regulations contain a number of measures designed to penalise inaccurate applications and to prevent fraud. Penalties for fraud can include disqualification from support in the year following the committal of certain offences. A statutory instrument will be introduced providing in particular for powers of entry and inspection.

This scheme is free-standing. There is no linked set-aside requirement, nor is there any simplified scheme for small producers.

Dietary Supplements

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on future controls on dietary supplements.

In March last year the Government published a report by officials from the Department of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on dietary supplements and health foods. The report was not a statement of policy but was intended to provide a basis for discussion. It was circulated to some 160 trade, consumer and other organisations for comment. Last December the European Commission issued a discussion paper on possible future controls on dietary supplements which covered much of the same ground as our earlier report. Views on the Commission paper were invited from all those who had commented on our report.In the light of all the comments that we have received on the two documents we have concluded that there is a good case for the introduction of some specific controls on dietary supplements. However, we believe that a balance needs to be struck between on the one hand ensuring public health together with clear labelling information and, on the other hand, maintaining the availability of safe products for which there is clearly a strong public demand.We have recently submitted our views on future legislation to the European Commission in the form of an outline draft directive on dietary supplements. I have arranged for copies of the draft to be sent to all those who responded to the consultation exercises and to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament.At this stage we are only seeking to establish the broad framework for a directive. Regulatory regimes for supplements differ considerably throughout the Community and it will be important to settle questions of principle before we move on to more technical matters.I understand that the Commission is due to hold a preliminary discussion on dietary supplements in early March. We will continue to keep all the interests involved informed on the progress of these discussions and will be consulting further on particular detailed issues such as the maximum daily dose limits which might be laid down for individual supplements.

Adulterated Wine

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has about adulterated Italian wine on sale in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

My Department learnt on 11 February that some imported Italian wines had been illegally contaminated.AS soon as the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food became aware of the potential problem, Ministry officials drew together United Kingdom trade interests and the Italian authorities to discuss the illegal addition of methylisothiocyanate to those Italian wines. Meetings of all parties concerned were held last week and again this week. A list of all producers known to have been using this chemical has been obtained from the Italian Government and we have identified nine importers in the United Kingdom. They have all been notified of the need to implement a full recall of suspect wines and to submit samples for analysis and have co-operated fully with my Department. Details of those wines have also been sent to local authorities and to environmental health officers to enable them to check that no stock remains on sale, including at minor outlets, hotels and restaurants. Territorial departments and the port health authorities have been similarly notified. In addition we have asked the trade to put in hand immediate testing of all Italian wines to confirm that no other supplies are affected. Independent checking is also being undertaken by the Ministry. We have asked for all test data to be sent to us for incorporation into a comprehensive data base and those results will be made available to the public. Should any further cases of contamination be discovered, immediate steps will be taken to ensure that affected supplies are immediately withdrawn from sale.Our officials have expressed serious concern to the Italian authorities about this incident and are engaged in further discussions to clarify the extent of the problem, how it arose and what steps are being taken in Italy to ensure that no further adulterated wine is placed on the market.

Fish Conservation

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a further statement on the recent agreement of EC fisheries Ministers for the conservation of fish stocks.

[pursuant to the reply, 6 February 1992 column 275]: Fishing effort in Europe exceeds what the stocks can at present withstand. Some commercially important species are under severe pressure. Significant steps have already been taken at Community and national level, including the technical measures that will take effect later this year. But more than this is needed if our conservation policies are to be fully effective.My colleagues in the other Fisheries Departments share this concern. We have looked at a wide range of options. It has not been easy to identify the best way forward. Conservationist have concentrated on their fears for the future of the stocks, while the fishing industry has continued to press strongly for a decommissioning grant scheme. The Government have made clear that this could be considered, but only as part of a package that would have to make a definite contribution to the conservation of fish stocks. Our key objective must be to reduce fishing effort if we are to protect the stocks for fishermen today and their children tomorrow.My right hon. Friends and I therefore now propose to introduce a programme of closely-linked measures. The objective will be to reduce fishing effort over the period up to 1996, to meet a target which we shall need to quantify and agree with the Commission in line with our Community obligation under the 1992–1996 multi-annual guidance programme. An essential feature of our programme will be control over fishing effort, through the introduction of a freeze in 1993 to hold effort at its 1991 level, followed in the years 1994 to 1996 by arrangements to reduce entitlements to days at sea to the extent necessary to achieve the overall target. In assessing the size of these reductions, account will be taken of the impact on fishing effort of the other measures described here.It is our intention to seek to have effort control arrangements in place for 1993. Once this is done, we can bring forward measures to reduce capacity. There will be a decommissioning scheme to operate over two years, with provision for expenditure of up to £25 million. The scheme will be cash limited and subject to tight controls and will be designed to take out the maximum amount of fishing effort. No decommissioning payments will be committed until measures for controlling and reducing fishing effort are in place.In the meanwhile, the producer organisations established under Community rules to which many fishermen belong will be encouraged to play a more active part in rationalising the structure of the fleet, and certain changes in rules will be made to facilitate that.Also, the rules governing transfer of vessel licences will be amended so that the existing amount by which capacity has to be reduced on aggregation will be increased, and a penalty will be applied to other forms of transfer too.To complement these measures to reduce effort and capacity, restrictive licensing will he extended to vessels 10 metres and below in length so that this sector of the fleet cannot expand further. This change will take effect in 1993 but in principle licences will then be issued only to vessels which are already actively involved in fishing now, My Department is making a separate more detailed announcement on this.Finally, in relation to effort controls provision will be made for fishermen to trade their days at sea entitlements along with fishing licences. This will help the industry to adjust to effort restrictions through rationalisation.We have begun discussions with the Commission on ways in which these measures could be accommodated in Community legislation and we shall be consulting the Commission and the industry about the details of this important conservation package. When parliamentary time permits the Government will introduce the primary legislation which will be needed for some elements of this package such as the trading arrangements described above.My right hon. Friends and I believe that a package on these lines will greatly assist the conservation of fish stocks, and will thus be in the best long-term interest of our fishermen. We look forward to constructive discussion of this package with the industry.

Scotland

Insulin

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many representations he has received (a) in favour of and (b) against issuing needles for insulin-injecting pens on prescription to diabetics during the current session; and if he will make a statement;

(2) when he intends to provide needles for insulin-injecting pens on prescription for diabetics; and if he will make a statement.

In the current session there have been I I representations in favour of the issue of needles for insulin injecting pens on prescription to diabetics. Where such needles are considered by a consultant to be clinically necessary, they can be obtained free of charge through the hospital service.The wider availability of needles for insulin injecting pens on prescription will be considered when the evaluation of the specification and costs, presently being carried out by the Department of Health on behalf of all health departments, is completed.

Lockerbie

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what new evidence he has received about the responsibility for the Lockerbie bombing since 14 November.

The warrant issued on 14 November 1991 for the arrest of two Libyans for their involvement in the bombing of PA 103 resulted from an independent investigation lasting over three years. That investigation continues. As the Lord Advocate said in his announcement on 14 November 1991 proceedings are active for the purposes of the Contempt of Court Act 1981 and he cannot and will not comment on the evidence on which the charges are based. Nor can he comment on evidence received since the warrant was issued.

Crime Statistics

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many crimes per 100,000 people were recorded in 1979 and the latest year for which figures are available;(2) how many crimes were recorded in Scotland in 1979 and the latest year for which figures are available.

[holding answer 26 February 1992]: The number of crimes recorded by the police per 100,000 people in Scotland in 1979 and 1990 was 6,710 and 10,502 respectively. The number of crimes recorded by the police in Scotland for those same years was 346,680 and 535,864 respectively.¹

¹ All the figures given are based on the revised classification of crimes and offences which was introduced at the beginning of 1980. The 1979 figures include crimes reported to the Procurator Fiscal by agencies other than the police (for example the Department of Health and Social Security) in which a prosecution was taken. In 1982, there were about 6,400 such cases so the overall effect on recorded crime is small.

Nhs Waiting Lists

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people were on national health service waiting lists in Scotland in 1979; and how many there were on the latest date for which figures are available.

[holding answer 26 February 1992]: The number of in-patients on the waiting list at 31 March 1979 was 76,968 compared with 60,693 at 31 March 1991. These figures are not directly comparable as an improved statistical information system was introduced in 1988.

Separate day case waiting list figures are available only from 1989. The number of day cases on the waiting list at 31 March 1991 was 18,673.

Manufacturing

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the level of manufacturing output in 1979: and what was the change between 1979 and latest year for which figures are available.

[holding answer 26 February 1992]: The index (1985 = 100) of manufacturing output in Scotland in 1979 was 103· and in 1990, the latest year for which figures are available, was 115·4. This represents an increase of 11·8 per cent. in the 11 years between 1979 and 1990.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the level of manufacturing investment in 1979 and the latest year for which figures are available.

[holding answer 26 February 1992]: The levels of manufacturing investment in 1979 and 1989, the latest year for which data are available, are set out in the table.

Manufacturing Investment
£ million
Year	Net capital expenditure
1979	588·9
1989	1,232·2

Source: Annual Census of Production.

Volume 204: debated on Thursday 27 February 1992

Written Answers To Questions

National Finance

Non-Taxpayers

Car Tax

Child Care Tax Allowances

Value Added Tax

Income Tax And Ni Liability

Data Information Systems

Taxation

Student Taxpayers

Tobacco Taxation

Taxes And Duties

Transport

Redmire To Redcar Rail Link

Railway Clearing House

Ports Act 1991

Motorcycle Leg Protection

Roads And Traffic, Shropshire

Euro-Routes

Road Schemes

Helicopters, Central London

Environment

Buildings In Scotland

Departmental Staff

Rechar

Energy Saver Scheme

Housing, London

Air Pollution

New Homes

Bed-And-Breakfast Accommodation

Government Contributions, Shropshire

Leeds Development Council

Thorn And Hatfield Moors

Peat

Nature Conservation

Wild Birds

Hedgerows

Education Expenditure

Council Tenants Charter

North Yorkshire County Council

Home Department

Crime Statistics

Police, North Yorkshire

Fingerprint Technology

Electoral Roll (Prisoners)

Police, West Mercia

Prison Suicides

Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs

Middle East

Nato Secretary-General

Overseas Development

Morocco

Attorney-General

Jury Trials

Energy

Offshore Oil And Gas

Departmental Staff

Energy Efficiency

Prime Minister

Market Research

Trade And Industry

Company Directors

Beer Orders

Barlow Clowes (Government Shareholdings)

Wales

Equal Opportunities

Second Home Owners

Ministerial Record

Roads

Employment

Training

Trainees

Older Workers

Degrees

Labour Statistics, York

Job Centre, Stamford-Le-Hope

Health

Ozone Layer