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Mr. Ryder : The Ministry has published a leaflet "P190--Bracken Control". It is available from ADAS staff at local offices of the Ministry.
ENERGY
AERE, Harwell
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what contracts Harwell Atomic Energy Authority research centre has with the Ministry of Defence ; whether any of these involve handling plutonium ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Spicer : The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (Harwell) undertakes work, under commercial contract for the Ministry of Defence, which exploits its expertise in a range of matters including plutonium handling.
Trawsfynydd Magnox Plant
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if the additional cost incurred on the Central Electricity
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Governing Board to generate replacement electricity for the output of Trawsfynydd Magnox plant has been accounted against nuclear or fossil fuel expenditure.Mr. Michael Spicer : Output from nuclear plant is maximised at all times. Any shortfall in that output must be made up by an equivalent increase in fossil-fuelled generation. Nuclear and fossil-fuelled generation respectively are not separately accounted for within the bulk supply tariff.
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what information he has on the decision by the nuclear installations inspectorate to refuse permission to the Central Electricity Generating Board to restart the Trawsfynydd Magnox nuclear plant on 24 November ; and on what basis further decisions were made by the nuclear installations inspectorate to allow it subsequently to start.
Mr. Michael Spicer : Consent to start up reactor 1 at Trawsfynydd was given by the nuclear installations inspectorate of the Health and Safety Executive on 2 December 1988. This followed the satisfactory resolution of issues identified at a meeting between the nuclear installations inspectorate and the Central Electricity Generating Board.
Hinkley Point C
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what communications have been received by his Department from the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament pursuant to the attendance at the Hinkley Point C public inquiry by Christopher Wilcock of his Department ; and if he will set out the issues addressed in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament letter and the departmental responses.
Mr. Michael Spicer : A letter from the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament was received on 24 November. A reply will be sent as soon as possible.
Plutonium
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the current status of the joint United States and United Kingdom fast reactor research programme announced by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority in 1979 ; what is the total amount of plutonium to date transferred (a) from the United Kingdom to the United States of America and (b) from the United States of America to the United Kingdom under this programme ; and in what form this plutonium has been transported.
Mr. Michael Spicer : The research work under the joint United Kingdom and United States fast reactor research programme announced by the UKAEA in 1979 was successfully completed in 1987. The studies of the results are now being finalised. There have been no net transfers of plutonium (other than in gram quantities) between the United Kingdom and the United States arising from the programme.
Electricity Bill
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will initiate an investigation into the leaking of a draft of the Electricity supply industry privatisation Bill to the fortnightly publication Power in Europe which published details on 24 November.
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Natural Gas
Sir Trevor Skeet : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what percentage of total electricity in the European Community is produced from natural gas ; and what is the percentage of each member country.
Mr. Michael Spicer : In 1986, the latest year for which data are available for all member states, 6.5 per cent. of electricity in the Community was produced from natural gas. Figures for individual member states are in the following table.
Member state |Percentage of electricity
|produced from natural
|gas (1986)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Belgium |1.5
Denmark |1.9
Federal Republic of Germany |6.2
France |0.8
Greece |0.2
Ireland |22.4
Italy |15.8
Luxembourg |0.1
Netherlands |61.9
Portugal |-
Spain |1.7
United Kingdom |0.6
Source:Energy Statistical Yearbook, 1986.
(S.O.E.C December 1987).
DEFENCE
Atomic Weapons Research Establishment (Burghfield)
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what materials were being disposed of at the atomic weapons research establishment, Burghfield, on the morning of 2 December ; (2) what distance the area being used to dispose of explosive materials at the atomic weapons research establishment, Burghfield, on the morning of 2 December was from : (a) work places at the atomic weapons research establishment, Burghfield, (b) any surrounding buildings and (c) areas accessible to the public ; (3) what surface explosive material was being burnt at the atomic weapons research establishment, Burghfield, on the morning of 2 December ;
(4) how the explosive materials being disposed of at the atomic weapons research establishment, Burghfield, on the morning of 2 December were ignited ;
(5) if the site used for disposal of explosive materials at the atomic weapons research establishment, Burghfield, on the morning of 2 December has a water supply with sufficient stand pipes and hoses to allow access to all areas ; and if he will specify any other means of extinguishing fires that were present at the disposal site ; (6) if the site used for disposal of explosive materials at the atomic weapons research establishment, Burghfield, on the morning of 2 December (a) was fenced to prevent inadvertant entry and (b) had a red flag displayed to indicate disposal taking place ; (7) how many entrances there are to the site for the disposal of explosive materials at the atomic weapons research establishment, Burghfield, on the morning of 2 December ;
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(8) what protective clothing and other safety equipment was issued for the use of burning site operators at the site used for the disposal of explosive materials at the atomic weapons research establishment, Burghfield, on the morning of 2 December ; (9) what type of log was kept of disposal operations at the atomic weapons research establishment, Burghfield, on the morning of 2 December ; and what details it contains ;(10) why the disposal of explosive materials at the atomic weapons research establishment, Burghfield, on the morning of 2 December took place in the hours of darkness ;
(11) if the explosives disposal site at the atomic weapons establishment, Burghfield, is licensed by any organisation outside his Department.
Mr. Sainsbury : I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks) on 8 December at column 252.
Private Security Companies
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which of the private security companies listed in his answer to the hon. Member for Leyton of 2 November, Official Report, column 645, guard establishments in the (a) Bristol and (b) Oxford areas.
European Defence Contractors
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's policy towards cross-border alliances between European defence contractors.
Mr. Sainsbury : The Ministry monitors cross-border alliances between European defence contractors and assesses on a case-by-case basis their implications for our ability to secure value for money in procurement.
Retired Research Staff (Emigration)
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what restrictions exist on retired research staff from Aldermaston and Burghfield emigrating to the Soviet Union.
Mr. Sainsbury : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) on 8 December at column 267.
Property Sales
Mrs. Rosie Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether there are any plans to sell the Dreadnought seaman's hospital building and the nurses' home off King William walk in Greenwich.
Mr. Freeman : Greenwich hospital, of which my right hon. Friend is the trustee, is the freeholder of the Dreadnought seamen's hospital building and the Devonport nurses' home. There are no plans to sell the freehold of these buildings. Since the Dreadnought building is no longer required as a hospital, new uses for it and the associated buildings are now under consideration.
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NATIONAL FINANCE
Her Majesty's Stationery Office
Mr. Nicholas Baker : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made in developing Her Majesty's Stationery Office as an executive agency.
Mr. Lawson : I am pleased to announce that HMSO will today become an executive agency under the Next Steps initiative. HMSO is already a successful Government trading fund. Executive agency status will help it to develop its business on sound commercial lines, with significantly greater managerial freedom and a more flexible pay structure best suited to the achievement of its aims and objectives. HMSO will be expected, in return, to achieve progressively more demanding profit and performance targets. This is reflected in the framework document governing the operation of the agency and in a new Treasury minute which is being laid today under the Government Trading Fund Act 1973. Copies of the framework document are being placed in the Library of the House.
Family Incomes
Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has produced any estimate of the expected impact on the living standards of an average sized family on average incomes of the combined effects of the poll tax and the privatisation of electricity and water.
Mr. Major : No specific estimate is available. However, to raise the same revenue from community charge as from domestic rates will need no change in the average household bill. The introduction of competition and the disciplines of the private sector into the electricity and water supply industries will put downward pressure on costs and prices.
Debt Repayment
Mr. Butterfill : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what will be the total debt repayment paid by Britain in the current year ; if he will express the figures as a percentage of gross domestic product ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Major : The public sector debt repayment (PSDR) is expected to be about £10 billion in 1988-89, equivalent to 2 per cent. of gross domestic product. On the basis of this forecast, the PSDR in 1988-89 will be larger as a proportion of money GDP than in any year since the beginning of the 1950s, the earliest date for which figures on this basis are available.
VAT
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to exempt apnoea respiratory monitors from value added tax.
Mr. Lilley : Apnoea respiratory monitors may be zero-rated when supplied to specified "eligible bodies", provided that they are purchased with funds provided by a charity or from voluntary donations. "Eligible bodies" include health authorities, non-profit making hospitals and research institutions, charitable institutions providing care or medical or surgical treatment for handicapped people and charitable institutions providing rescue or first-aid services.
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Dr. Godman : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the hon. Member for Greenock and Port Glasgow can expect to receive answers to his letters of 12 October and 16 November about value added tax on new buildings.
Mr. Lilley : I replied to the hon. Member's letter on 12 December.
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) on how many occasions value added tax has been waived on contracts awarded by the health authorities to outside companies ;
(2) how many contracts awarded to tenders from companies outside the National Health Service have had value added tax applied to them.
Mr. Lilley [holding answers 12 December 1988] : Value added tax applies in the normal way to all such contracts. Health authorities can however claim refund of the tax where section 27(2A) of the Value Added Tax Act 1983 applies. Information on the number of contracts in question is not available.
Cancer Screening
Sir David Price : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer why the mobile breast screening unit provided by the Wessex Cancer Trust as a registered charity has now been made subject to value added tax.
Mr. Lilley [holding answer 8 December 1988] : Medical equipment donated to a health authority by a charity is entitled to zero- rating when it is to be used solely for medical research, diagnosis or treatment. The zero rate covers X-ray and other specialist medical equipment for a mobile breast screening service, but it does not, I regret, extend to equipment such as general purpose trailers or towing units. If the Wessex Cancer Trust can produce further evidence to show that the unit in question does constitute specialist medical equipment, Customs and Excise will of course be pleased to reconsider the case.
Coventry Four
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what charges are still outstanding against Colonel Hendrik Botha, Stephanus de Jaser, William Metelerkamp and Jacobus la Grange.
Mr. Lilley [holding answer 12 December 1988] : The four would face charges that they conspired with each other and with others on diverse dates between 23 February 1982 and 1 April 1984 to evade prohibitions in force on the exportation of goods from the United Kingdom pursuant to the provisions of the Export of Goods Control Order 1981 whereby an offence or offences contrary to section 170(2) of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 would have been committed.
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date in 1984 passports were returned to those persons known as the Coventry four.
Mr. Lilley [holding answer 12 December 1988] : Passports were not returned to the persons known as the "Coventry Four".
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the bail money offered by Mr. Andre
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Pelser in the case of the persons known as the Coventry four has been returned to persons acting for or on behalf of the South African Government.Mr. Lilley [holding answer 12 December 1988] : The £400,000 offered by Mr. Andre Pelser was estreated by the Coventry magistrates court. Estreated bail is paid into the Consolidated Fund.
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many summaries of developments in the inquiries by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise into the case of those persons known as the Coventry four were written ; and to whom they were despatched.
Mr. Lilley [holding answer 12 December 1988] : I regret that this information is not available.
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will name the four persons remanded before magistrates at Coventry in March 1984 on charges of breaching arms embargo regulations.
Mr. Lilley [holding answer 12 December 1988] : The four persons were William Randolph Metelerkamp, Hendrik Jacobus Botha, Stephanus Johannes de Jager and Jacobus Francois La Grange.
Building Societies
Sir Michael McNair-Wilson : To ask the Chancellor of the Exhequer what is the ratio of investors in building societies to those who have mortgages from them.
Mr. Lilley [holding answer 12 December 1988] : Figures in the annual report of the Building Societies Commission for 1987-88 suggest that at the end of 1987 there were in total 45.6 million investing shareholders and depositors in building societies. Since some people have an account at more than one society and many people have joint accounts, the exact number of individual investors is not known. During the same period there were 7.2 million borrowers with mortgages. This figure treats as single borrowers almost all holders of joint mortgages.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Mr. Frank Ballard
Mr. Heddle : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will investigate the reasons why his Department's records division at Newcastle upon Tyne has not acknowledged or replied to the letters sent by Mr. Frank Ballard of 20 High street, Colton, Rugeley, Staffordshire, on 14 July and 23 October regarding a deficiency in credits for the year 1986-87.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I regret that there is no record of receipt of Mr. Ballard's first letter in July. His letter of 23 October with which he enclosed a copy of his original letter was forwarded to the Department's local office at Lichfield to answer and a reply was sent on 14 November. I am writing to my hon. Friend.
Pensioners
Mr. Andrew Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many retirement pensioners are in receipt of an occupational pension ; and what is the average weekly income from occupational pensions.
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Mr. Peter Lloyd : Approximately 3.4 million pensioner tax units were in receipt of an occupational pension in 1986 ; the average weekly amount was £39.54.
Source : Family Expenditure Survey 1986.
A pensioner tax unit is a single pensioner over state pension age or a couple where the man is over state pension age.
Mr. Andrew Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of (i) all pensioners,(ii) single male pensioners, (iii) single female pensioners, (iv) pensioner couples, (v) single women aged 75 years or over, (vi) single men aged 75 years or over and (vii) couples where at least one partner is aged 75 years or over, are in receipt of an occupational pension ; and, for each group, what is the average amount received.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The information requested is as follows :
|Proportion of pensioner|Average weekly amount
|tax units<1> with |received<2>
|occupational pensions
|percentage |£
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All pensioners |50 |39.43
Single males |55 |32.20
Single females |38 |27.66
Pensioner couples |65 |50.79
Single women aged 75 and over |31 |27.60
Single men aged 75 and over |50 |31.12
Couples where at least one partner is aged 75 and over |42 |36.73
Source: Family Expenditure Survey 1986.
<1> A tax unit is a single person of pensionable age or a couple where the man is of pensionable age.
<2> Average amounts are based on the number of pensioners actually in receipt of occupational pensions.
Mr. Andrew Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of (i) all pensioners and (ii) newly retired pensioners have neither a state additional pension nor an occupational pension.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I regret that the information requested is not available.
Mr. Andrew Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what is (i) the total number and (ii) the proportion of (a) single pensioners and (b) pensioner couples who are in receipt of income support ;
(2) what is (i) the total number and (ii) the proportion of single pensioners aged (a) 75 years and over and (b) 80 years and over who are in receipt of income support ;
(3) what is (i) the total number and (ii) the proportion of pensioner couples aged (a) 75 years and over and (b) 80 years and over who are in receipt of income support.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The information requested is as follows :
|Total numbers in 000's|Proportion
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All pensioners
Single |1,340 |27
Couples |335 |9
Pensioners 75 and over
Single |735 |31
Couples |100 |13
Pensioners 80 and over
Single |435 |31
Couples |40 |13
Notes:
1. For the purpose of this table pensioners are defined as those in receipt of a pensioner
premium.
2. Proportions are those in receipt of Income Support as a percentage of total pensioner
units within the group.
Mr. Andrew Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is (i) the total number and (ii) the proportion of (a) single pensioners and (b) pensioner couples who are in receipt of housing benefit.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Special arrangements have been made with the Department of Employment's claimant adviser service for family credit claims made by families of people assisted into work by them to be dealt with through a streamlined procedure. The target is for 90 per cent. of these claims to be cleared within five working days. This target is being met and 95 per cent. are cleared within 10 working days. Other claimants resuming work after claiming income support are sent a specially marked family credit claim form so that, if necessary, their claims can be given priority. The target is to clear these claims, as other family credit claims, in an average of 18 working days. In November a clearance rate of just under 23 days was achieved.
Mr. Adley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received from pensioners' organisations about the effect on their pensions of recent changes in the financial climate.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Since the beginning of October we have received 18 such representations.
Mr. John Marshall To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of gross national product is devoted to payments to pensioners.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I regret that the information is not available in the form requested. Social security expenditure on the elderly is approximately 5 per cent. of GDP.
Taxes and Benefits
Mr. Squire : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will update his answer on taxes and benefits on 25 March, Official Report, column 244 for 1989-90 assuming that tax allowances are indexed according to the statutory formula and taking account of the uprating of benefits.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Figures for 1989-90 are not available.
Mr. Squire : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if there is a specific target for clearing claims for family credit for people who have moved into paid work.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Special arrangements have been made with the Department of Employment's Claimant Adviser Service for Family Credit claims made by families of people assisted into work by them to be dealt with through a streamlined procedure. The target is for 90 per cent. of these claims to be cleared within 5 working days. This target is being met and 95 per cent. are cleared within 10
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working days. Other claimants resuming work after claiming Income Support are sent a specially marked Family Credit claim form so that, if necessary, their claims can be given priority. The target is to clear these claims, as other Family Credit claims, in a average of 18 working days. In November a clearance rate of just under 23 days was achieved.Severe Disablement Allowance
Ms. Quin : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he plans any alteration in severe disablement allowance ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Scott : We do not have any plans for major changes to the structure of severe disablement allowance pending our consideration of the reports on the survey of disabled people undertaken by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys.
Crisis Loans
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average length of time between a claimant applying for a crisis loan and the person receiving the girocheque in payment of the loan.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The information requested is not available. Crisis loan applications are decided as soon as all necessary information has been obtained. Inevitably it takes longer to proces some applications than others, but a majority are decided and paid on the date of application.
Transitional Payments
Mr. Heddle : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when his Department's Glasgow office will determine the eligibility or otherwise of transitional payments for Mrs. P. D. Mills of 1 John Till Close, Rugeley, Staffordshire following the return of the completed questionnaire requesting information relating to housing benefit by the Cannock Chase district council on 10 October.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The notification about the outcome of the application for housing benefit transitional payments, in the case referred to, was sent out to the applicant on 3 November.
Durham Local Office
Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, for Durham Department of Social Security office since April in all cases, what was (a) the total budget and (b) the amount spent to date for (i) budgeting and crisis loans and (ii) community care grants expressing (b) as a proportion of (a) in each case ; (c) what was the average (i) budgeting loan, (ii) crisis loan, (iii) community care grant, (iv) maternity payment and (v) funeral payment paid out ; (d) how many people have been refused (i) a loan, (ii) a community care grant and (iii) both ; (e) how many people were refused a loan more than once in a one month period ; (f) how many applications were refused under the 26-week rule ; and (g) how many people were refused extention loans on the grounds of their existing commitments.
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Mr. Peter Lloyd : Information on numbers of applications for social fund loans and grants processed and awarded, listed by local office, including information on budget allocations and expenditure, is available from the details held in the Library.
A statutory amount of £85 is available in respect of maternity payments. However, any capital held by the applicant in excess of £500 is taken into account on a pound-for-pound basis. In the period from April to November 1988 the average amounts paid out from the social fund in the Durham office in respect of funeral payments was £310.44.
In the period from April to November 1988 a total of 129 applicants were refused awards on the grounds that they had either not been in receipt of income support for 26 weeks or that they had previously applied for the same item or service in the preceding 26 weeks and their circumstances had remained unchanged.
Information on the number of applicants refused a loan more than once in the one month period or the number of applicants refused a second or subsequent loan on the grounds of existing commitments is not available.
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