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Written Answers

Volume 418: debated on Thursday 12 March 1981

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Written Answers

Crime Detection: Broadcasting

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, in view of the usefulness of the "Police Five" feature on London Weekend Television in detecting crime, they will propose through the Home Office that similar features should be broadcast throughout the country.

This is a matter for individual chief officers of police and the broadcasting organisations. Police forces do make use of television and radio facilities either on a regular basis or as the need arises to seek information from members of the public as an aid to the detection of crime.

Public Sector: Employment And Pay

asked Her Majesty's Government:What were, for each of the five years 1976 to 1980, the total numbers employed in (

a) central Government, ( b) local government, and ( c) nationalised industries; and the average percentage increase in the wage and salary bills in each year for ( a), ( b) and ( c).

Final outturn figures for 1980 are not yet available. For the other years the figures requested are as follows:

1976197719781979
(a) central Government
Numbers employed (thousands)2,3152,3052,3092,319
Wages and salaries bill (£m)8,5759,17410,14311,622
Percentage increase in wages and salaries bill over previous year1771115
(b) local authorities
Numbers employed (thousands)3,0242,9993,0133,070
Wages and salaries bill (£m)9,1269,69810,85212,303
Percentage increase in wages and salaries bill over previous year1161213
(c) public corporations
Numbers employed (thousands)1,9802,0892,0612,065
Wages and salaries bill (£m)8,6559,53311,12012,956
Percentage increase in wages and salaries bill over previous year13101717

The figures for numbers employed, and wages and salaries bills, are published in National Income and Expenditure 1980 Edition. The figures for central Government include civil servants, National Health Service employees and the armed forces. The wages and salaries bills include employers' national insurance contributions, superannuations etc., but exclude national insurance surcharge.

Separate figures are not available for the nationalised industries component of public corporations. For 1980, final figures for which are not yet available, the percentage increases in the wages and salaries bill between 1979 and 1980 for central Government and local authorities are estimated to be about 27 per cent. and 24 per cent. respectively. A corresponding estimate is not available for public corporations.

Data Protection And European Convention

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they propose to introduce legislation to apply the Council of Europe convention for the protection of individuals with regard to automatic processing of personal data.

My right honourable friend the Home Secretary will announce the Government's proposals on data protection shortly.

Kenya: Secondary School Teachers

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will reconsider their decision to reduce or terminate aid to the supply of British teachers in Kenya's secondary schools in view of their influence in educating people for administration, social work and industry.

The reduction in the number of British secondary school teachers who receive supplementation salary from the aid programme has been planned with the agreement of the Government of Kenya. To balance this reduction of support for secondary schools we have directed more of our aid to teacher training and other educational activities which will help Kenya to staff its education system with its own nationals. Supplementation policy is reviewed regularly with the Kenya Government; the next review will be later this year.

Un Conservation Plans

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will support proposals announced by the United Nations Environment Programme for conservation plans in the Caribbean, Mediterranean and Gulf regions.

Her Majesty's Government are in favour of the Regional Seas Programme put forward by the United Nations Environment Programme. As regards the proposals in this Programme for the Mediterranean and Gulf regions, it is for the states directly concerned to decide how they should best be implemented. As regards the proposals for the Caribbean region, Her Majesty's Government are engaged in consultations on them with our dependent territories and associated states in that region; no decisions have yet been taken on their implementation.

Ancient Monuments

asked Her Majesty's Government:(1) How many and which ancient monuments or historic buildings in the care of the Secretary of State for the Environment under the provisions of the Ancient Monuments Acts have been or are currently being considered by him for transfer to other custody;(2) how many and which ancient monuments or historic buildings in England in national ownership or guardianship, whether under the provisions of the ancient Monuments Acts or as historic properties of the Crown, have been temporarily or permanently closed to the public in whole or part as a result of the withdrawal or non-replacement of their custodians;(3) what consequential reduction is proposed to be made in the cost to visitors from home and overseas of the so-called "Season Ticket to History" admitting them to all monuments in the Minister's charge;(4) what arrangements have been made for advising would-be visitors that they are liable to find monuments hitherto advertised as permanently open either permanently closed or closed on the day they happen to arrive to see them; and(5) the number of the directly employed labour force engaged on Ancient Monuments preservation work on (

a) 1st March 1979 and ( b) 1st March 1981, in England.

(1) The Secretary of State is considering the possible transfer to the care of the local authority, which has similar powers with regard to ancient monuments to those of the Secretary of State, of Battle Abbey (to East Sussex County Council) and the Roman Amphitheatre at Cirencester (to Cirencester Town Council) and is considering changing arrangements at Fountains Abbey (North Yorkshire County Council).(2) This reply relates to ancient monuments and historic buildings in England in the care of the Secretary of State for the Environment. It would not be possible to answer for other historic properties in the ownership of the Crown, except at disproportionate cost. The following 20 monuments are temporarily closed because of withdrawal or non-replacement of custodians:

  • Bayham Abbey
  • Bishops Waltham Palace
  • Castle Acre Priory
  • Castle Rising Castle
  • Chiswick House
  • Dartmouth Castle
  • Dunstanburgh Castle
  • Furness Abbey
  • Guisborough Priory
  • Kirby Muxloe Castle
  • Langley Chapel
  • Launceston Castle
  • Maison Dieu
  • Mortimers Cross Mill
  • Netley Abbey
  • Norham Castle
  • Pevensey Castle
  • Rotherwas Chapel
  • St Augustines Abbey
  • Wall Roman Site

The following 15 monuments have reduced opening hours:

  • Ashby de la Zouche Castle
  • Banqueting House
  • Bolsover Castle
  • Boscobel House
  • Goodrich Castle
  • Haughmond Abbey
  • Kirby Hall
  • Lullingstone Roman Villa
  • Old Wardour Castle
  • Pendennis Castle
  • Rushton Lodge
  • Sherborne Castle
  • Totnes Castle
  • Wenlock Priory
  • Westminster Chapter House

Two other monuments are now only to be opened in the summer season, that is from April to September:

  • Denny Abbey
  • Upnor Castle

Authority has now been given for the recruitment of sufficient custodians to enable the monuments which are closed or experiencing restricted opening hours to revert to normal opening from 1st April 1981.

(3) None.

(4) The department issues a press notice in advance of the closure of a monument whenever possible;

(5)( a) 713

( b) 586

Private Members' Bills

asked the Leader of the House:How many Private Members' Bills have been introduced in each House since the beginning of Session 1960–61, and how many of them have since reached the statute book.

The information requested is as follows:1. House of Commons Private Members' Bills.

SessionIntroducedReceived Royal Assent
1960–615520
1961–625218
1962–635016
1963–647927
1964–657413
1965–66340
1966–6710218
1967–687613
1968–697410
1969–707010
1970–716310
1971–727812
1972–738013
1973–74420
1974355
1974–758410
1975–768514
1976–778710
1977–78848
1978–79502
1979–801178
2. House of Lords Private Members' Bills
SessionIntroducedReceived Royal Assent
1960–6120
1961–6242
1962–6382
1963–6487
1964–65134
1965–6630
1966–67155
1967–68100
1968–69142
1969–70135
1970–71143
1971–72165
1972–73122
1973–74100
1974132
1974–75120
1975–76112
1976–77211
1977–7883
1978–79131
1979–80222
House adjourned at seventeen minutes past eleven o'clock.