Written Answers
Royal Commission On The Environment
asked Her Majesty's Government:What work is currently being done by the Royal Commission on the Environment.
The Royal Commission is currently undertaking a study of environmental pollution and agriculture, which will form the basis of the Seventh Report of the Commission.
Public Buildings: Modern Warfare
asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will ensure that all new or renovated national buildings are constructed and equipped to withstand any form of modern warfare so far as that is possible; and whether they will encourage local authorities and other institutions to do the same.
It would not be practicable to design public buildings to withstand the effects of modern weapons of war.
National Accounts: Entertainment And Recreational Services
:What are the total receipts of
(a) theatres, (b) cinemas, (c) art galleries, (d) musical enterprises in recent years, and under what categories are they recorded in the National Income Blue Book.
Estimated expenditure on admissions to theatres, cinemas, art galleries and musical entertainments is included in the National Accounts within consumers' expenditure on entertainment and recreational services. Details for recent years are shown below:
| Current prices, £million | |||
| 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | |
| Admission to cinemas | 78 | 81 | 89 |
| Other admissions and recreational services | 363 | 437 | 534 |
Source: Table 4.9 National Income and Expenditure 1966-76, incorporating revisions up to April 1978. Figures for 1977 are provisional.
The second item of the table covers admissions to theatres, concert halls, sporting events, dance halls, skating rinks, exhibitions and all other places of public amusement; hire of horses, pleasure boat; and other recreational services. Admissions to theatres, dances, concerts and art galleries are thought to account for roughly 40 per cent. of this item.
Other receipts from consumers by places of entertainment are included in principle in the National Accounts under the appropriate heading of consumers expenditure. For example, sales of refreshments appear under "catering", sales of confectionery under "food" and sales of programmes under "books, newspapers and magazines". I regret that it is not possible to identify separately the receipts from these sales by places of entertainment.
The Arts: Overseas Earnings
asked Her Majesty's Government:What are the total overseas earnings of the arts (drama, dance, music, galleries), in recent years, and under which categories in the trade and balance of payments statistical publications are they recorded.
No figure is available for total overseas earnings of the arts. Detailed information on the United Kingdom's visible trade is published monthly in Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom and some of the categories identified therein represent overseas earnings of the arts, e.g. exports of paintings, original sculptures and gramophone records. Invisible earnings of the arts are included in the following categories in the Balance of Payments Pink Book but are not separately identifiable: travel royalties, film and television earnings and "other services not elsewhere identified".
Manufacturing Industry And Gross Domestic Product
asked Her Majesty's Government:What proportion of the gross national product was generated by manufacturing industry in
(a) 1938, (b) 1948, (c) 1958, (d) 1968 and (e) for the last available year.
The proportions of the gross domestic product generated by manufacturing industry were as follows:
| Percentage | |||
| 1948 | … | … | 33·6 |
| 1958 | … | … | 35·4 |
| 1968 | … | … | 32·3 |
| 1976 | … | … | 28·2 |
Source: National Income and Expenditure Blue Books.
1976 is the latest year for which this information is available. An estimate for 1938 is not available. The proportions have been given in terms of gross domestic product because gross national product includes net property income from abroad which cannot readily be allocated according to industry group.
Manufactured Exports And Overseas Earnings
asked Her Majesty's Government:What proportion of the gross overseas earnings of the United Kingdom is attributable to exports of manufactures.
In 1977 exports of manufactured goods represented 55 per cent. of the United Kingdom's gross overseas earnings from exports of goods and invisibles transactions combined.
Immigration Rules: Husbands And Fiances
asked Her Majesty's Government:When the Home Office expects to be able to inform advisory agencies of the action it proposes to take to remedy its misapplication of the new Immigration Rules affecting husbands and fiances, in the light of the decision of the Immigration Appeal Tribunal on 8th February 1978 in the case of
Taib.
(Lord Harris of Greenwich): One such agency has written to us about this matter and a reply was sent on 12th April.
The Ussr And Human Rights
asked Her Majesty's Government:What representations they have made to the Soviet Government during the past year concerning the rights of individuals to emigrate and of families to be reunited in a country of their choice; and in particular whether they have taken up the case of Mr. Anatoly Shcharansky.
The Government have on a number of occasions taken steps to ensure that the Soviet Government are fully aware of the concern in Britain about these human rights, and about cases such as that of Mr Shcharansky. But to publish details of private representations could diminish their effectiveness.
Madagascar: Fishingindustry
asked Her Majesty's Government:Bearing in mind the desire of the Government of Madagascar to develop its fishing industry and the established basic infrastructure for continental fishing activities—(
a) whether any assistance is being given to spread the knowledge there of fish farming techniques, or to improve the conservation and packaging of fish products and extend the distribution network; and (b) whether it is proposed to initiate discussions with a view to increasing co-operation in the development of local fishing and Marine fisheries.
Discussions with the Madagascar Government on the possibility of assistance for local fisheries projects are expected to take place later this year. We have financed from the aid programme the supply and installation of a small ice plant at Majunga for fish freezing.
Asbestos: Eec Resolution
asked Her Majesty's Government:What action has been taken by the Commission of the EEC following the receipt of the unanimous resolution on the health hazards of asbestos (after study and discussion of the report of the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection) passed by the European Parliament on the 9th January 1978.
I am informed that the Commission of the EEC is at present considering what action remains to be taken on the resolution on the health hazard of asbestos adopted by the European Parliament. However, several of the matters raised in the resolution already form the basis of a Commission proposal for a Directive which is currently being considered by an expert working group and include a ban on the use of crocidolite (blue) asbestos, with limited exceptions, and also on the use of other types of asbestos for certain specific purposes.Also, the Community's Advisory Committee for Safety Hygiene and Health Protection at Work are engaged in preparing an Action Programme on Asbestos to help the Commission to decide on the priorities of action to be taken to reduce the risk to persons within the Community from asbestos. This matter is on the agenda for a meeting this month in Luxembourg. The Commission has submitted its own draft action programme, covering general health and safety matters including asbestos, to Council and this is being actively discussed at Council working group level. This will provide a framework for any further work on asbestos.House adjourned at half past seven o'clock.