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Local Authority Rents
Sir Ian Gilmour : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing average local authority rents at 1987-88 prices, for each year since 1967-68.
Mr. Trippier [holding answer 6 December 1988] : Average weekly unrebated rents for English local authorities, revalued to 1987-88 prices using the retail prices index, are as follows :
|£ per week
---------------------------------
1967-68 |11.23
1968-69 |11.63
1969-70 |12.01
1970-71 |12.49
1971-72 |12.33
1972-73 |12.75
1973-74 |15.01
1974-75 |13.51
1975-76 |12.24
1976-77 |12.18
1977-78 |12.15
1978-79 |11.85
1979-80 |11.26
1980-81 |12.22
1981-82 |15.43
1982-83 |16.97
1983-84 |16.75
1984-85 |16.81
1985-86 |16.77
1986-87 |17.14
1987-88 |17.36
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Fish (Contamination)
Mr. McTaggart : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures his Department is taking to monitor the level of contamination of fish landed at British ports ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Donald Thompson : Scientists from my Department carry out a regular monitoring programme to assess the quality of fish and shellfish in terms of contaminant concentrations. Results of this programme are published at regular intervals in aquatic environment monitoring reports which are available in the Library of the House. The information gathered over almost 20 years has shown that levels of contaminants are low and that the quality of our fish complies fully with European Community environmental quality standards and national guidelines.
Fishing Vessels
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what EEC funding for the buying up of fishing vessels is available under regulation 4028/86 ; how many British vessels have been able to take advantage of this ; and what proposals he has for allowing more British fishing vessels to do so.
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Mr. Donald Thompson : The Commission has allocated 100 mecu (£65 million) over a five-year period from 1987 to 1991 under regulation 4028/86 for the buying up (decommissioning) of fishing vessels. The United Kingdom has not implemented this particular measure and at present we have no plans to do so.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many Spanish-owned vessels are currently on the register of British fishing vessels ; what ports they fish from ; and in which quota sectors they operate.
Mr. Donald Thompson : There are at present approximately 150 fishing vessels on the British register which are believed to be beneficially Spanish owned. Of these 97 are licensed to fish for stocks subject to quotas.
The vessels operate mainly in Western waters (ICES areas VI, Vb, VII and VIII) taking substantial quantities of hake, megrim and anglerfish. They also catch significant quantities of haddock and saithe from areas VII and VIII plus some whiting from area VII (exc VIIa), cod VII (exc VIIa) and VIII and sole VIIfg.
Whilst the majority of the vessels are nominally based in the ports of Milford haven, Plymouth or Fleetwood, the majority of their catches are landed and sold at ports in Northern Spain.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what reduction of number of fishing vessels and what proportion of the reduction has been secured to date in the multi annual guidance programmes for fishing for (a) the United Kingdom, (b) Denmark, (c) France and (d) Holland.
Mr. Donald Thompson : The information requested is only readily available as follows :
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|£ per week
----------------------------------------------------------------------
United Kingdom
GRT |151,823 |-10,203 |168,806 |-27,186
KW |789,241 |-40,996 |863,199 |-114,954
Denmark
GRT |136,488 |-17,088 |130,554 |-11,154
KW |571,996 |-56,696 |555,212 |-39,912
France
GRT |192,953 |-5,930 |195,488 |-8,465
KW |988,418 |-92,698 |1,037,220 |-141,500
Netherlands
GRT |77,500 |-12,704 |<1> |<1>
KW |462,900 |-80,622 |443,620 |-61,342
<1> Information not yet available.
Potato Marketing Board
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the overall response to his consultation paper regarding the Potato Marketing Board ; and whether he proposes to accept the majority or minority views expressed on the options suggested.
Mr. Ryder : The period for the response to the consultation paper on future potato market policy in Great Britain does not expire until 31 December 1988, and there are clearly many replies yet to be received.
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Aldrin
Mr. Alton : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will ban the use of the pesticide Aldrin immediately ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Ryder : Three minor pesticide uses of aldrin are currently permitted until the end of 1992, when approval for these uses will be revoked. This interval is intended to permit alternative treatments to be developed and growers' stocks to be used up safely. No further opportunity can be allowed.
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NATIONAL FINANCE
Domestic Credit
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each quarter since 1 January 1986 the contribution made to the expansion of domestic credit by the overseas sector.
Mr. Lilley : I refer the hon. Member to my reply to his earlier question on 9 November 1988 at column 240.
Smokeless Fuels
Ms. Walley : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to provide a tax incentive in favour of premium smokeless fuels ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lilley : Premium, smokeless fuel, like other forms of fuel and power, are zero-rated for VAT purposes. They are not liable to any other form of indirect taxation.
Disabled Persons (Staff)
Mr. Sean Hughes : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of Her Majesty's Treasury staff are classed as disabled.
Mr. Brooke : The current figure for the Treasury is 1.4 per cent.
Overseas Assets
Mr. Yeo : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the latest figures for the stock of net overseas assets.
Mr. Major : At the end of 1987 the United Kingdom's net stock of overseas assets was worth £89 billion, or 21 per cent. of GDP. These assets generated earnings of £5 billion in 1987. The surplus on invisibles in 1986 and 1987 was the largest in the world.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Civil Defence
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) which local authorities have applied for grant-aid for the purpose of establishing, equipping or maintaining emergency centres, pursuant to regulation 4(1)(b) of the Civil Defence (General Local Authority Functions) Regulations 1983, since 2 December 1985 ; (2) which local authorities have been given grant-aid for the purpose of establishing, equipping or maintaining emergency centres, pursuant to regulation 4(1)(b) of the Civil Defence (General Local Authority Functions) Regulations 1983, since 2 December 1985 ; and what was the amount of such grant.
Mr. John Patten : The local authorities which have applied for and been given grant aid for this purpose are listed. Details of grants paid in respect of these centres, for each local authority and over the particular period quoted, could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Counties and fire and civil defence authorities which have applied for and been given grant are as follows :
Avon, Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Cleveland, Clwyd, Cornwall,
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Cumbria, Derbyshire, Devon, Dorset, Durham, Dyfed, Essex, Mid Glamorgan, South Glamorgan, West Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Greater Manchester, Gwent, Gwynedd, Hampshire, Hereford and Worcester, Hertfordshire, Humberside, Isle of Wight, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, London, Merseyside, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Northumberland, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Powys, Shropshire (Salop), Somerset, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Surrey, East Sussex, West Sussex, Tyne and Wear, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Wiltshire, North Yorkshire.Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) which local authorities have applied for grant-aid for the purpose of establishing, equipping or maintaining emergency centres, pursuant to regulation 5(1)(c) of the Civil Defence (General Local Authority Functions) Regulations 1983, since 2 December 1985 ; (2) which local authorities have been given grant-aid for the purpose of establishing, equipping or maintaining emergency centres, pursuant to regulation 5(1)(c) of the Civil Defence (General Local Authority Functions) Regulations 1983, since 2 December 1985 ; and what was the amount of such grant.
Mr. John Patten : Civil defence grant is normally claimed by county authorities and fire and civil defence authorities on behalf of district level authorities. The local authorities which have applied for and been given grant in respect of district level emergency centres are listed. Details of grant paid in respect of these centres, for each local authority and over the particular period quoted, could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Counties and fire and civil defence authorities which have applied for and been given grant are as follows :
Avon, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Cleveland, Clwyd, Cornwall, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Devon, Dorset, Durham, Dyfed, Essex, Gloucestershire, Greater Manchester, Gwent, Gwynedd, Hampshire, Hereford and Worcester, Hertfordshire, Humberside, Isle of Wight, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, London, Merseyside, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Northumberland, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Shropshire (Salop), Somerset, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Surrey, East Sussex, West Sussex, Tyne and Wear, Warwickshire, Wiltshire, North Yorkshire.
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list the annual spending on civil defence research and development over the past four years ;
(2) what plans he has for future expenditure on civil defence research and development.
Mr. John Patten : Home Office expenditure on civil defence research and development (including scientific staff costs) for the past four years was as follows :
|£ million
------------------------------
1984-85 |0.560
1985-86 |1.192
1986-87 |1.028
1987-88 |1.293
The estimate for 1988-89 is £1.015 million ; proposed expenditure for future years is about £1.3 million per annum.
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the numbers of members of staff employed for emergency planning in district authorities whose salary costs are funded either wholly or partly by Home Office civil defence grant.
text Mr. John Patten : The total numbers of grant-aided local authority staff employed for emergency planning in England and Wales at 30 September 1988 were 499 emergency planning officers and 147 administrative and support staff. The great majority of these staff have some involvement in emergency planning in district authorities. The numbers employed directly by district authorities are 35 emergency planning officers and 10 administrative and support staff.
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the report of his Department's review of the United Kingdom warning and monitoring organisation will be published ; and whether he has considered the case for a moratorium on capital expenditure by the United Kingdom warning and monitoring organisation until the review report is available for consideration.
Mr. John Patten : We expect to publish shortly an account of the main findings of the review. During the course of the review, new capital expenditure on warning and monitoring was limited to items essential to the maintenance of the organisation's effectiveness and readiness for operation. Future capital programmes will be considered in the light of the review, taking fully into account the results of consultation with interested parties on its findings.
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many members of staff are employed by each county council and fire and civil defence authority (a) as emergency planning officers and (b) as emergency planning team administrative and support staff.
Mr. John Patten : The numbers of civil defence grant-aided staff employed in England and Wales at 30 September 1988 were as follows :
|Emergency planning |Emergency planning
|officer |team administrative
|and support staff
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Avon |5 |2
Bedfordshire |4 |1
Berkshire |10 |2
Buckinghamshire |6 |2
Cambridgeshire |9 |2
Cheshire |13 |4
Cleveland |5 |2
Clwyd |10 |2
Cornwall |10 |2
Cumbria |8 |2
Derbyshire |6 |3
Devon |18 |8
Dorset |10 |2
Durham |8 |1
Dyfed |8 |2
Essex |8 |3
Mid Glamorgan |6 |2
South Glamorgan |5 |3
West Glamorgan |7 |3
Gloucestershire |9 |1
Greater Manchester |13 |3
Gwent |9 |2
Gwynedd |5 |2
Hampshire |9 |2
Hereford and Worcester |6 |2
Hertfordshire |7 |3
Humberside |8 |6
Isle of Wight |4 |-
Kent |11 |3
Lancashire |6 |2
Leicestershire |6 |2
Lincolnshire |9 |2
London |34 |7
Merseyside |13 |5
Norfolk |4 |1
Northamptonshire |6 |4
Northumberland |8 |3
Nottinghamshire |9 |2
Oxfordshire |5 |1
Powys |5 |-
Shropshire (Salop) |7 |1
Somerset |8 |3
Staffordshire |7 |3
Suffolk |4 |1
Surrey |9 |4
East Sussex |6 |-
West Sussex |6 |1
Tyne and Wear |12 |3
Warwickshire |7 |3
West Midlands |14 |5
Wiltshire |9 |2
North Yorkshire |10 |4
South Yorkshire |12 |3
West Yorkshire |11 |3
|--- |---
Total |464 |137
Adults (Arrests)
Mr. Pendry : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of the adult population in England and Wales were arrested in 1987.
Mr. John Patten : This information is not available in the form requested. The latest available information relates to arrests of those aged 17 and over in England and Wales, excluding the Metropolitan police district, in 1987. There were 1.3 million such arrests among a population of the same age group of 33.5 million.
VAT
Mr. Heddle : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessments he has made as to the likely effect on (a) his Department's capital building programme and (b) the rent the Department will pay under occupational leases of implementation of the European Court of Justice's judgment on value added tax on non-domestic buildings.
Mr. Hurd : Implementation of the European Court of Justice's judgment on VAT will have no effect on my Department's capital building programme, since compensating adjustments have been made to the relevant expenditure provisions. At this stage, before landlords have decided whether to exercise their option to tax rents, it is not possible to offer meaningful estimates of the effects of the judgment on rental costs.
Wild Birds
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last consulted the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds over the use of its
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database to identify prosecution cases including the killing, sale and smuggling of British birds of prey and other wild birds ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Douglas Hogg : The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds wrote to the Home Office in July 1988 to seek assistance with the maintenance of its database. We consulted the Association of Chief Police Officers about this request. We understand from ACPO that the police service only rarely consults the RSPB database and we have informed the RSPB that in those circumstances Home Office assistance could not be justified.
Lindholme Prison (Disturbances)
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what inquiries will be undertaken into the disturbances in Her Majesty's prison Lindholme in July by (a) Her Majesty's chief inspector of prisons and (b) the prison's board of visitors ; and when reports will be produced.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : A full inquiry into the incident was conducted by the deputy director general of the prison service in July and a copy of his report is in the Library. Her Majesty's chief inspector of prisons has not been invited to make any new inquiry, and I understand that Her Majesty's prison Lindholme board of visitors has no plans to do so.
POA (Deduction of Subscriptions)
Mr. Beith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department why he has withdrawn the facility for allowing the voluntary deduction of Prison Officers Association subscriptions from members' pay.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The facility was suspended because the association, after due warning, has failed to take genuine steps to draw up and agree with prison service management a firm programme for ending national industrial action which has been taking place since 13 January 1988.
Women Police Surgeons (South Yorkshire)
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the establishment requirement for women police surgeons in the South Yorkshire police force ; and how many are in post.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Police surgeons are appointed by police authorities, which determine their own establishment requirements. No central record is maintained.
Passports (Cabinet)
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which members of the Cabinet have been issued with the new common format passport.
Mr. Renton : United Kingdom passports in the European Community common format are at present held by the Home Secretary and the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary.
Asylum (Singhalese and Tamils)
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to review the current level
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of political and inter-racial violence in Sri Lanka with regard to the application of criteria for granting of asylum to Singhalese and Tamils ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Renton : The situation in Sri Lanka is kept under constant review. Applications for asylum from Sri Lankans, as for all nationalities, are considered on an individual basis and refugee status is granted to those who meet the criteria established by the 1951 convention. The Government remain of the view, however, that membership of any particular ethnic group in Sri Lanka does not of itself provide the basis of a claim to refugee status under the convention. Asylum applicants who fail to meet the requirements of the convention are liable to be returned to Sri Lanka. Exceptional leave to enter, or remain, in the United Kingdom may be considered taking into account all the individual circumstances of a case, including in particular an applicant's personal acceptability, the length of time he has been in the United Kingdom and any compassionate factors.
Driving While Disqualified
Mr. Hunter : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions there were in England and Wales in 1987 for the offence of driving while disqualified ; and what assessment he has made of the actual incidence of driving whilst disqualified which remains undetected.
Mr. John Patten : The number of findings of guilt for driving while disqualified is published annually in Home Office statistical bulletins, "Offences, relating to motor vehicles, England and Wales" (table 9 of issue 32/88 gives figures up to 1987). Further information is given in a companion volume of supplementary tables ; the issue for 1987 will be published soon.
Information on the level of undetected offences of driving while disqualified is not available.
Vietnamese Refugees
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give a breakdown of Vietnamese refugees from Hong Kong admitted to the United Kingdom by each year, for the last 10 years.
Mr. Renton : The total numbers of south-east Asian refugees accepted for settlement in the United Kingdom in the years 1978 to 1987 and in the first half of 1988 are published in table 18 of "Control of Immigration : Statistics United Kingdom 1987" (Cm. 415) and in table 3 of Home Office statistical bulletin "Control of Immigration ; Statistics--Second Quarter 1988" (Issue 27/88). Separate figures are not available for the number of these refugees who have come from Hong Kong.
Prisoners (Repatriation)
Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the countries with which the United Kingdom has a reciprocal arrangement for the repatriation of prisoners to serve their sentences in their home countries.
Mr. John Patten : Austria, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United States of
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America ; and the following overseas territories : Anguilla, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Montserrat, Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, St. Helena, St. Helena Dependencies, and the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia in the Island of Cyprus.Broadcasting
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to his White Paper, "Broadcasting in the 1990s," whether he will specify the criteria which will be used in assessing the diversity of programming.
Mr. Renton : The positive programming requirements will be spelt out in general terms in legislation, and it would be for the new Independent Television Commission to decide precisely how to apply them in practice.
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many items of news reporting and current affairs which were broadcast on (a) BBC 1, (b) BBC 2, (c) ITV, (d) Channel 4, (e) independent local radio, (f) BBC Radio 1, 2, 3 or 4 and (g) BBC local radio have been affected by the order on restrictions on reporting from Northern Ireland.
Mr. Tim Renton : My right hon. Friend has given general directions to the BBC and the IBA requiring them to refrain from broadcasting direct statements by Northern Ireland terrorist organisations and their apologists. It is now for the BBC and the IBA to apply those directions. They are not, of course, required to make returns to my right hon. Friend about the effect of the directions. In any case, the directions do not prevent the second-hand reporting of events, only the coverage of direct broadcast statements.
Extradition
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many extradition requests have been received from the Republic of Ireland in each year since 1968 for (a) terrorist and terrorist -related offences and (b) other offences ; and how many in each category have been refused in each year.
Mr. John Patten : The readily available information for extradition requests from the Republic of Ireland to England and Wales is given in the table. It is based on statistics provided by police forces.
H
|Requests received|Requests refused
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1982 |9 |-
1983 |15 |-
1984 |31 |-
1985 |29 |-
1986 |15 |3
1987 |20 |-
1988 |<1> |<1>
<1>Not yet available.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many extradition requests have been received from Belgium in each year since 1968 for (a) terrorist and terrorist-related offences and (b) other offences ; and how many in each category have been refused in each year.
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Mr. John Patten : Since January 1968 the Belgian Government have made extradition requests to the United Kingdom in respect of 50 persons. Of these 26 were charged in connection with the Heysel stadium riot. No requests were for terrorist or terrorist-related offences. Requests relating to other offences were made in the following years :
|Number of requested|Refused
|persons
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1968 |3 |3
1971 |1 |1
1972 |1 |1
1973 |2 |1
1975 |1 |-
1977 |2 |-
1979 |1 |-
1980 |2 |-
1981 |4 |1
1983 |2 |1
1984 |1 |-
1985 |1 |1
1986 |28 |2
1987 |1 |-
|-- |--
|50 |11
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of extraditions requested in each year since 1968 from Belgium for (a) terrorist and terrorist-related offences and (b) other offences ; and how many requests in each category were refused in each year.
Mr. John Patten : Since January 1986 the Government have made extradition requests for 14 persons to be returned from Belgium. Only one request, made in 1988, was for terrorist or terrorist-related offences and this was refused. Requests relating to other offences were made in the following years :
|Number of requested|Refused
|persons
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1969 |2 |-
1971 |1 |-
1972 |3 |1
1978 |1 |-
1981 |1 |-
1983 |1 |-
1985 |2 |-
1986 |2 |-
|-- |--
|13 |1
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of extraditions requested in each year since 1968 from the Republic of Ireland for (a) terrorist and terrorist- related offences and (b) other offences ; and how many requests in each category were refused in each year.
Mr. John Patten : The readily available information for extradition requests from England and Wales to the Republic of Ireland is given in the table. This is based mainly on information provided by police forces. Requests involving terrorist offences are specified where known.
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|Requests made |Requests refused
--------------------------------------------------------------------
1982 |41 |1
1983 |31 |-
1984 |29 |-
1985 |23 |-
1986 |<1>12 |<1>1
1987 |5 |2
1988 |<2>7 |-
<1> includes 1 case involving terrorist offences
<2> includes 2 cases involving terrorist offences
SCOTLAND
Public Bodies
Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his policy on ministerial appointments to public bodies ; if he will publish an up-to-date list of the quangos to which he nominates members, showing the level of public funding for each body and listing the individual members appointed by himself and showing any renumeration that they receive in connection with such membership ; and if he will indicate any political allegiance that has been drawn to his attention in the nomination of candidates for such positions.
Mr. Rifkind : In making appointments to public bodies, I seek to draw from all sections of the community candidates who will be able to make a significant personal contribution to the body to which they are appointed. In all cases I expect to appoint the best person available.
The list of non-departmental bodies to which I make appointments is contained in the Cabinet Office publication "Public Bodies", a copy of which is available in the Library. A new edition is to be published shortly. The list includes information about the public funding of each body and the remuneration paid to members. No consistent record is kept of the political affiliation of persons nominated for or appointed to public office.
The list of individuals appointed is too long for publication in Hansard. I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and place a copy of my letter in the Library.
Greater Glasgow Health Board
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland why officials of the Greater Glasgow health board came to London to meet the Scottish representatives of the Royal College of Nursing and Royal College of Midwives ; what was the cost to public funds ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : These are matters for the health board, and I am asking the chairman to write to the hon. Gentleman.
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to his answer of 30 November, if he will instruct Greater Glasgow health board, under section 2 of the Health Services (Scotland) Act 1974, to provide him with the information requested in order that it can be made available to Parliament.
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Mr. Michael Forsyth : There is no such Act. I understand that the information that the hon. Gentleman is seeking was made public by the health board through a press release on 28 November.
Water Research Council
Mr. Allan Stewart : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what will be the effects on the work in Scotland of the Water Research Council of the privatisation of the water industry in England and Wales ;
(2) what representations he has received concerning the future role of the Water Research Council in Scotland ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The organisation and work of the Water Research Centre is determined by its members, among them the Scottish water authorities and river purification boards. Arrangements are being made for the WRC to continue to serve the water industry, Government and other customers and for its work in Scotland to be maintained. No representations on the future role of WRC in Scotland have been received.
Health Service (Grading)
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a breakdown of the new grading structure for nurses, midwives and health visitors broken down by grade, type of hospital including psychiatric, geriatric and acute, by district and region.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : This information is not held centrally and could be gathered only at disproportionate cost. I would, however, refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Tayside, North (Mr. Walker) on Thursday 1 December 1988, at column 342.
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