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Table 3
Filled places on Employment Training at 2 December
1988
Region |Filled places
-----------------------------------------------------
South East |6,600
London |9,700
South West |6,000
West Midlands |10,800
East Midlands |8,000
Yorkshire and Humberside |14,500
North West |14,100
Northern |10,400
Wales |6,500
Scotland |9,900
|------
Great Britain |96,700
Table 3
Filled places on Employment Training at 2 December
1988
Region |Filled places
-----------------------------------------------------
South East |6,600
London |9,700
South West |6,000
West Midlands |10,800
East Midlands |8,000
Yorkshire and Humberside |14,500
North West |14,100
Northern |10,400
Wales |6,500
Scotland |9,900
|------
Great Britain |96,700
Table 3
Filled places on Employment Training at 2 December
1988
Region |Filled places
-----------------------------------------------------
South East |6,600
London |9,700
South West |6,000
West Midlands |10,800
East Midlands |8,000
Yorkshire and Humberside |14,500
North West |14,100
Northern |10,400
Wales |6,500
Scotland |9,900
|------
Great Britain |96,700
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to promote employment training in the arts.
Mr. Nicholls : My right hon. Friend has no specific plans to do so. Arts organisations are welcome to take part in employment training and indeed arts training is already a feature of the programme.
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to promote employment training in broadcasting.
Mr. Nicholls : My right hon. Friend has no specific plans to do so. Broadcasting organisations are welcome to take part in employment training and indeed some broadcasting skills are already a feature of the programme.
Vacancies
Mr. Leighton : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of vacancies notified to the employment service in each year since 1979.
Mr. Lee : The table shows the number of new vacancies notified to jobcentres, in the United Kingdom for each year from 1980 to 1987. The requested information is not available on the same basis for 1979.
Recent research has confirmed that, nationally, about a third of all vacancies are notified to jobcentres.
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Inflow of notified
vacancies-United Kingdom
|Number
------------------------------
1980 |2,119,640
1981 |1,799,280
1982 |1,991,490
1983 |2,180,160
1984 |2,326,830
1985 |2,419,180
1986 |2,546,380
1987 |2,716,640
School leavers
Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many school leavers there were in Derbyshire in the summer of 1988 : and how many people have not yet been employed or placed on a YTS scheme.
Mr. Cope : Information on the number of school leavers in the summer of 1988 for each local education authority is not yet available nor is information available on how many have not yet been employed or placed on a YTS scheme. However, at 31 October (the latest available date) there were 2,620 unfilled YTS places in Derbyshire. I am satisfied that the Training Agency has made sufficient places available to satisfy potential demand.
Manufacturing Industry
Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were employed in 1979 in manufacturing industry in the northern region ; and what is the comparable figure for the latest date available.
Mr. Lee : In September 1979 there were 411,000 employees in employment in manufacturing industry in the northern region. In September 1988, the latest date for which comparable figures are available, the number was 262,000.
Tourism
Mr. Butterfill : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps his Department is taking to encourage more private investment in the tourism industry.
Mr. Lee : Capital investment in the tourism and leisure sector is currently running at record levels. I have taken every opportunity to draw attention to the industry's growth potential in the many contacts I have had with different sectors of the industry and with representatives of financial institutions.
Mr. Butterfill : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many major private sector companies are participating in the English Tourist Board's England for Excellence award scheme ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lee : In 1988, the first year of the England for Excellence scheme 16 private sector companies provided sponsorship for individual awards. Representatives of a further 12 companies sat on the judging panels. The total cost of running the award scheme was covered by support from these private sector sponsors.
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YTS
Mr. Leighton : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the current average length of stay on YTS.
Mr. Cope : It is currently estimated that the average length of stay for entrants in 1988-89 will be 71 weeks for two-year entitlement trainees and 41 weeks for one-year entitlement trainees.
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people of YTS eligible age, registered with jobcentres or the careers service were awaiting an offer of a YTS place ; and how many of the unfilled places on the scheme available at those dates were on YTS schemes run by (a) employers and (b) agencies, at the end of October 1986, 1987, 1988 and at the most recently available date.
Mr. Cope : Information on the number of people of YTS eligible age awaiting an offer of a YTS place is not available nationally. The number of unfilled places on schemes run by employers and agencies at 31 October 1986, 31 October 1987 and 31 October 1988, the latest available date, is given in the table.
Unfilled places
----------------------------------------
31 October 1986 |56,465 |72,996
31 October 1987 |69,518 |108,167
31 October 1988 |59,403 |59,055
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many YTS trainees were in receipt of a board and lodging allowance to undertake training away from their home at the end of October 1986, 1987 and 1988, respectively.
Mr. Cope : I regret that the information requested is not available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
YTS (Deaths)
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give details, in the form given by the central health and safety unit annual accidents report, of the circumstances of the four fatalities which occurred during the period July to September.
Mr. Cope : On 5 August a trainee was working at a garage removing dust from the rear of a petrol tanker with an airline whilst the proprietor was welding a crack in the main tank. An explosion occurred causing extensive damage to the building and fatal injuries to the trainee.
On 16 August a trainee electrician was working up a ladder on the side of a building clipping electric cables to trunking. It is understood that the trainee fell from the ladder and received fatal injuries.
On 18 August a trainee was working on an agricultural engineering scheme where he was assisting the foreman who was replacing the rear boom of a mechanical digger/loader. The arm of the digger was supported on a tyre and a trolley jack. The driver of the digger/loader was asked to lower the jack and during this process the rear boom arm and the bucket collapsed and fell on the trainee causing fatal injuries.
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On 14 September a trainee offered to drive a workmate (an electrician) to a job as the workmate's car had broken down. The trainee used his own car but on the way collided with a lorry after pulling out of a minor road. The workmate survived but the trainee received fatal injuries.The inquests or fatal accident inquiries on all four fatalities are still outstanding.
Creches
Mr. David Young : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will introduce a legal requirement for the provision of creche facilities by employers.
Mr. Nicholls : No. The Government welcome action by employers to help employees combine work and family responsibilities through measures such as the provision of creche facilities, and flexible working practices, but considers that it is for individual employers to decide which arrangements best suit their and their employees' needs and resources.
Careers Service
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans his Department has for the Inner London education authority careers service after the transfer of educational functions to inner London boroughs in April.
Column 474
Mr. Cope : Local education authorities have the statutory duty to provide a careers service. After 1 April 1990 this responsibility will pass from ILEA to the inner London boroughs. Discussions are currently taking place with those boroughs and LEAs in the London area about the assumption of these duties and about whether there is a need for some central provision in support of local careers services.
Health and Safety
Mr. Patchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list in the Official Report the total number of deaths at work, the total number of accidents at work and the total number of cases of workplace-related ill-health for each of the years 1974 to 1987 inclusive.
Mr. Nicholls : The available statistics, based on reported injuries covering all industries in Great Britain, are set out in the table below. It is believed that all cases of reportable fatal injuries are reported. Statistics for non-fatal major injuries, and over 3 day injuries for 1986- 87, are believed to be significantly reduced by under-reporting.
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Occupational injuries
Year Fatal injuriesNon-fat<1>Over 3 day
injuries to
Year Fatal injuriesNon-fat<1>Over 3 day
injuries to
(thousands)
-----------------------------------------------------
1974 |651 |.. |.. |577 |..
1975 |620 |.. |.. |.. |..
1976 |584 |.. |.. |553 |..
1977 |524 |.. |.. |579 |..
-------
1978 |499 |622 |.. |581 |..
1979 |492 |615 |.. |509 |..
<2>1980 |440 |579 |.. |407 |..
-------
1981 |444 |498 |12,407|435 |..
1982 |471 |519 |12,413|390 |..
1983 |447 |512 |12,567|.. |..
1984 |438 |498 |12,638|.. |..
1985 |399 |470 |13,381|.. |..
<3><4>1986 |98 |108 |4,053 |.. |..
-------
<5>1986-87 |356 |413 |20,872|158 |159
..Not available.
<1>Over 3 day absences leading to claims for
industrial injury benefit from DHSS, years starting
on 1st Monday in June 1974-80. Claims as notified to
HSE under the Notification of Accidents and
Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (NADOR) for the
calendar years 1981-82. The figures from 1974 to
1982 include absences caused by injuries currently
classified as major. For 1986-87 see footnote <5>.
<2>1978-80 fatalities include some to non-employees
not covered by then existing legislation, but which
were voluntarily reported.
<3>January to March.
<4>1981-March 1986 fatalities and major injuries to
employees and self employed persons reported to the
Health and Safety Executive or other appropriate
enforcing authority under, and as defined in, the
Notification of Accidents and Dangerous Occurrences
Regulations (NADOR).
<5>Fatalities, major injuries and over 3 day
absences to employees and self employed persons
reported under, and as defined in the Reporting of
Injuries Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences
Regulations, 1985 (RIDDOR) in the year commencing 1
April 1986.
Occupational Diseases The total number of awards under the industrial injuries and disablement benefit schemes for cases of occupational disease arising between 1974 and 1987 is listed below. The figures quoted up to 1983 are for Injury and Disablement benefit cases combined ; thereafter they relate only to Disablement Benefit.
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Year |Awards total injury
|and disablement
|benefit
------------------------------------------------------------
1974 |16,010
1975 |15,542
1976 |15,829
1977 |14,806
1978 |13,912
1979 |12,820
1980 |11,435
1981 |9,246
1982 |8,267
1983 |5,574
|Disablement
|Benefit
1984 |3,628
1985 |3,993
1986 |4,975
1987 |4,795
Sex Discrimination Act 1975
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what individuals or organisations submitted responses to the consultation document on section 51 of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 announced on 10 December 1987.
Mr. Nicholls : A total of 83 individuals and organisations submitted responses, including the Health and Safety Commission and the Equal Opportunities Commission, which have statutory functions relevant to the matters covered by the consultation document. The responses are being treated in confidence except where the individual or organisation concerned has chosen to publish.
Disabled People
Sir Michael McNair-Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons are registered disabled within the meaning of section 6 of the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944.
Mr. Lee : The number of people registered as disabled under section 6 of the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944 on 18 April 1988, the latest date for which figures are available, was 374,238.
ENERGY
Coal Industry (Manning Levels)
13. Mr. McKelvey : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what are the projected manning levels in the British coal industry for each of the next two years.
Mr. Michael Spicer : The Government do not make such projections. The level of employment in the coal industry depends on a number of factors, including the industry's continued ability to raise its competitiveness.
Offshore Safety
22. Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what recent consideration he has given to the implementation of the recommendations of the Burgoyne report into offshore safety.
Mr. Peter Morrison : Many of the recommendations of the Burgoyne committee were either implemented before its report was published or shortly thereafter. The current offshore safety regime closely reflects that recommended by the Burgoyne committee.
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Electricity (Nuclear Generation)
23. Dr. Moonie : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what effect the generation of electricity by nuclear power is likely to have on the price paid by consumers over the next five years.
Mr. Michael Spicer : Nuclear generation will help to protect electricity consumers from fossil fuel price increases. The cost of nuclear power is already contained in electricity prices.
Severn Barrage
24. Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his latest assessment of the earliest date at which the proposed Severn barrage could be providing electricity.
Mr. Michael Spicer : The Severn estuary is one of the best potential sites in the world due to its exceptionally high tidal range. A barrage there would, if required, supply up to 6 per cent. of electricity demand in England and Wales in the year 2003 at the earliest.
Severn Tidal Bore Generation Project
25. Mr. Dykes : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects to announce a final decision for the River Severn tidal bore water energy generation projects.
Mr. Michael Spicer : The current phase of studies by the Severn Tidal Power Group is nearing completion and a report is expected early next year. The report will not include financing and related issues, which will be addressed in the time scale of electricity privatisation. Thereafter it will be a matter for commercial judgment under the terms of the Electricity Bill before the House as to whether the project goes forward.
Wave Energy
26. Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the level of investment in research into wave energy.
Mr. Michael Spicer : The level of spend on research and development on the technology this year is expected to be about £150,000.
Electricity Privatisation
27. Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what recent representations he has received about his proposals for privatising the electricity supply industry.
Mr. Michael Spicer : I continue to receive representations on electricity privatisation. It is clear from my discussions with many interest groups that there is a large body of support for our proposals.
30. Ms. Armstrong : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what proposals he has for the staffing of the regulator's office consequent on the privatisation of the electricity industry.
Mr. Parkinson : I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Sedgefield (Mr. Blair) on Friday 9 November.
Column 477
39. Mr. Amos : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what assessment he has made of how the privatisation of the electricity industry will benefit rural areas.
Mr. Michael Spicer : We believe that our proposals will create a more efficient, economic and competitive industry for the benefit of all consumers.
57. Mr. Galloway : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what are his latest proposals for the price controls which will operate in the event of privatisation of the electricity industry.
Mr. Parkinson : I refer the hon. Member to the answer given earlier today to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Maryhill (Mrs. Fyfe).
Electricity Generation
28. Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how much electricity is produced from (a) coal, (b) nuclear energy, (c) oil and (d) other sources ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Spicer : As state in tabled 9 of the Central Electricity Generating Board's annual report and accounts for 1987-88 (a copy of which is in the Library of the House) electricity supplied by the CEGB's power stations in 1987-88 was as follows :
|TWh |Per cent.
----------------------------------------
Coal |186.4 |81.7
Nuclear |32.8 |14.4
Oil |9.3 |4.1
Other |-0.4 |-0.2
49. Mr. Rooker : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what assessment his Department has made of the relative cost of generating electricity by coal, oil and nuclear energy after taking account of the waste disposal and decommissioning investment allowed for.
Mr. Michael Spicer : This is an operational matter for the Central Electricity Generating Board. I have asked the chairman to write to the hon. Member.
Director General of Gas Supply
29. Mr. Frank Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he next intends to meet the Director General of Gas Supply ; and what matters will be discussed.
38. Mr. Haynes : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he next intends to meet the Director General of Gas Supply to discuss the implementation of the recent Monopolies and Mergers Commission report.
Mr. Peter Morrison : I regularly meet the Director General of Gas Supply and we discuss a range of matters of mutual concern.
Marginal Oil Fields (North Sea)
31. Mr. Moss : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what representations he has received on the effect of the Petroleum Royalties (Relief) and Continental Shelf Bill on the development of marginal oil fields in the North sea.
Mr. Peter Morrison : I hold frequent discussions about offshore developments with the oil industry. I am happy to
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say that I have had no adverse representations on the effects of the royalties Bill on marginal developments. Indeed, as I told the House on 30 November, Hamilton Brothers announced earlier this year that as a direct result of the Government's intention to abolish royalties in the southern basin it would develop the Ravernspurn north field.Retired and Redundant Miners
32. Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will meet the chairman of British Coal to discuss the position of retired and redundant miners.
Mr. Michael Spicer : I meet the chairman of British coal regularly to discuss all aspects of the coal industry.
CEGB
33. Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he last met the chairman of the Central Electricity Generating Board ; and what subjects were discussed.
34. Ms. Mowlam : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he last met the chairman of the Central Electricity Generating Board ; and what matters were discussed.
35. Mr. Allan Roberts : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he next intends to meet the chairman of the Central Electricity Generating Board ; and what he proposes to discuss.
Mr. O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he will be meeting the chairman of the Central Electricity Generating Board ; and what subjects he will be raising.
Mr. Parkinson : I regularly meet the Chairman of the Central Electricity Generating Board to discuss a range of issues.
Energy Needs
36. Mr. Chapman : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his estimate of the percentage of United Kingdom energy needs in the year 2000 which will be met by coal, oil, gas, nuclear and renewables ; and how these proportions vary from the present.
Mr. Michael Spicer : My Department has not published such estimates for several years. Experience of the energy market has shown that changes in the future composition of energy demand cannot be forecast with any certainty.
37. Mr. Ward : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what proportion of the United Kingdom's total national energy needs was met by the private sector for the last year for which figures are available ; if he will give the comparable figures for 1979 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Cecil Parkinson : In 1987 the proportion of energy used which was produced in the private sector was 74 per cent. ; this compares with 41 per cent. in 1979.
Private Mines
40. Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make it his policy to ease the restrictions on private mines within this Session of Parliament.
Column 479
Mr. Parkinson : As I said to the House on 7 November 1988 at column 2, changes to the statutory limits on licensed mining have been overtaken by our decision to privatise the coal industry in the next Parliament. In the meantime private mines should benefit from the opportunities from a more open market for coal in this country following the privatisation of the generating companies. I am exploring with British Coal the scope for greater flexibility towards licensed mining within the present statutory framework.
Nuclear Waste
41. Mr. David Davis : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what was the total volume of waste produced by the generation of electricity by the nuclear industry in 1987 ; and what are the comparable figures for the coal industry.
Mr. Michael Spicer : This is an operational matter for the Central Electricity Generating Board. I have asked the chairman to write to my hon. Friend.
British Coal
42. Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he last met the chairman of British Coal ; and what matters were discussed.
44. Mr. Hood : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he next intends to meet the chairman of British Coal ; and what matters will be discussed.
48. Mr. Jack Thompson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he last met the chairman of British Coal ; and what issues were discussed.
Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he next intends to meet the chairman of British Coal ; and what matters he proposes to discuss.
Mr. Parkinson : I have regular meetings with the chairman of British Coal to discuss all aspects of the coal industry.
Atomic Energy Authority
43. Mr. Wray : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he last met the chairman of the Atomic Energy Authority ; and what matters were discussed.
Mr. Michael Spicer : My right hon. Friend last met the chairman of the AEA on 21 September 1988. A variety of matters were discussed.
52. Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he next intends to meet the chairman of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority to discuss research allocations.
Mr. Michael Spicer : My right hon. Friend and I meet the chairman from time to time to discuss these matters.
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