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Written Answers to Questions
Friday 16 December 1988
WALES
Nurses (Grading)
Mr. Denzil Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many nursing and midwifery staff from each of the old grades have been assimilated to each of the new grades in the clinical grading structure in Wales.
Mr. Grist : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the replies given to my hon. Friend the Member for Vale of Glamorgan (Sir R. Gower) on 30 November at columns 244-46 and on 1 December at columns 349-50.
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Haverfordwest Bypass
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when work on the Haverfordwest eastern bypass is to commence ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : The road programme for Wales is presently under review. Details of individual schemes will be given in "Roads in Wales", to be published in the new year.
Economic Assistance
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the total amount of agricultural guidance and guarantee fund moneys allocated to Wales in each of the years 1983 to 1987, inclusive, and for each assisted area or function so designated to receive such funds.
Mr. Peter Walker : The information is as follows :
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Public expenditure on grants and subsidies payable in Wales under the CAP<1>
(£ million; calendar year unless indicated otherwise)
Total Against which receipts
from EAGGF
|1983 |1984 |1985 |1986 |1987 |1983
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hill livestock compensatory allowances |23.8 |23.9 |25.4 |28.7 |28.9 |10.8
Suckler cow premium scheme |2.1 |3.4 |3.6 |3.9 |4.8 |1.6
Non-marketing of milk and conversion scheme |1.4 |0.8 |0.4 |- |Scheme terminated |1.4
Sheep annual premium scheme |5.0 |26.3 |26.8 |31.2 |28.3 |5.0
School milk subsidy |0.7 |0.8 |0.6 |0.4 |0.4 |0.6
Farm capital grants scheme (EC element) |15.4 |14.6 |9.8 |9.1 |9.1 |4.9
Marketing and processing improvement grants<3> |0.8 |0.7 |0.9 |0.3 |0.2 |0.8
Beef premium scheme |4.5 |5.0 |5.0 |5.0 |3.7 |4.9
Sheep variable premium scheme |28.2 |22.4 |21.3 |23.3 |17.3 |30.3
Common fisheries policy awards<3> |- |0.5 |0.2 |0.7 |0.1 |0.4
Milk supplementary levy (Outgoers) scheme |- |0.1 |0.6 |0.8 |0.7 |-
|-------
Totals<4> |81.9 |98.5 |94.6 |103.3 |93.5
<1> Excludes expenditure by the Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce on market regulation under the CAP because separate figures are not available for Wales.
<2> The figures shown for reimbursements from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) may not correspond exactly to these percentages because of lags between expenditues and
reimbursement from EAGGF. The percentage rates of reimbursement have also changed over time for some schemes.
<3> Awards from EAGGF under these schemes are made up to a maximum of 25 per cent. For both these schemes and the beef premium scheme the figures shown for EAGGF reimbursement are on a financial year basis.
<4> Total EAGGF reimbursements are not shown because figures for the individual schemes are based on financial and calendar years.
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the total amount of European regional development fund moneys allocated to Wales in each of the years 1983 to 1987, inclusive, broken down by county areas.
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Mr. Peter Walker : European regional development fund commitments to Wales since 1983 have amounted to more than £270 million. The county breakdown is shown in the following table :
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European regional development fund (1983 to 1987) commmitments (net)<1>
Total
County |1983 |1984 |1985 |1986 |1987 |1983-1987
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clwyd |9,658,852 |4,293,245 |18,312,315 |19,155,531 |10,204,739 |61,624,682
Dyfed |3,393,893 |3,922,841 |14,417,924 |2,730,857 |4,285,535 |28,751,050
Gwent |10,341,870 |7,679,511 |2,927,907 |10,020,199 |17,408,377 |48,377,864
Gwynedd |1,664,076 |1,305,972 |3,773,701 |4,102,332 |1,247,940 |12,094,021
Mid Glamorgan |5,828,655 |18,455,007 |3,733,570 |3,639,302 |<2>4,769,400|36,425,934
Powys |-5,139 |1,413,387 |1,328,249 |693,832 |74,161 |3,504,490
South Glamorgan |6,438,275 |22,712,497 |2,136,124 |1,755,475 |14,541,500 |47,583,871
West Glamorgan |6,894,318 |2,179,691 |8,318,214 |2,432,747 |5,256,395 |25,081,365
Other<3> |914,298 |1,050,000 |- |5,167,911 |- |7,132,209
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Total |45,129,098 |63,012,151 |54,948,004 |49,698,186 |57,788,047 |270,575,486
<1> Commitment figures are shown net of grants which have been decommitted.
<2> Includes £3,930,400 drawn down for schemes within the Mid Glamorgan programme.
<3> Commitments that cannot be disaggregated to a county level.
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Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the total amount of loans made to Wales by the European investment bank ; and to whom they were given in each of the years 1983 to 1987, inclusive.
Mr. Peter Walker : The annual breakdown of loans provided to Wales between 1983 and 1987 by the European investment bank is as follows :
|£ million
------------------------------
1983 |23.1
1984 |13.2
1985 |47.1
1986 |25.3
1987 |31.7
Details of individual loans are listed in the bank's annual reports for the years in question.
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the geographical areas or functions in Wales which are eligible for moneys from (a) the European regional development fund, (b) the social fund, (c) agricultural guidance and guarantee fund and (d) the European investment bank.
Mr. Peter Walker : Eligibility for each of the four sources of finance is as follows :
(a) European regional development fund--Grants are available to local and public authorities for the promotion of regional development projects and programmes undertaken in the assisted areas and in the area covered by Mid Wales Development ;
(b) European social fund--Assistance is available throughout Wales including the following areas to which the Commission accords priority :
Clwyd, Gwent, Gwynedd, Mid Glamorgan, South Glamorgan, West Glamorgan and the Llanelli travel-to-work area ;
(c) Agricultural guidance and guarantee fund--Assistance under the individual grant schemes is available throughout Wales except for the environmentally sensitive areas grant which is limited to the Lleyn peninsula and the Cambrian mountains, and the hill and livestock compensatory allowances which are limited to the designated less favoured areas ;
(d) The European investment bank--Loans are available to public and private sector borrowers throughout Wales.
Welsh Language
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what advice his Department is giving to parents who wish their children's school to be exempted from the requirement to include Welsh as a foundation subject from September 1990.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : I would advise parents who are interested in the position of Welsh in their children's school to read the interim report of the national curriculum Welsh working group and to let the working group know their views. When we have received the final report of the working group--due at the end of April 1989--the Government will publish proposals on which there will be wide-ranging consultation. Until then it would be premature to consider cases where it might be appropriate for schools to be exempted. I hope that the working group's report will be widely acceptable and will minimise the need for exemptions.
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Housing (Expenditure)
Mr. Gwilym Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how expenditure which needs to be incurred by housing for Wales between now and 31 March 1989 is to be met.
Mr. Peter Walker : Housing for Wales has been established under powers contained in the Housing Act 1988. Parliamentary approval of expenditure on this new service will be sought in a supplementary Supply Estimate for the "Tourism, roads and transport, housing, other environmental services (including civil defence), education and science, arts and libraries, and health and personal social services, Wales" vote. Pending that approval, urgent expenditure estimated at £106,000 will be met by repayable advances from the contingencies fund.
TRANSPORT
Minibus Drivers
Mr. Allen McKay : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to ensure that drivers of mini-buses for voluntary organisations, charitable organisations and community transport organisations will be exempted from the provisions of the European Community directive on driver licensing harmonisation.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : There is no justification for tougher controls on minibus drivers. Statistics show that minibuses are at least as safe as cars.
Public consultations confirmed that the EC proposals would cause serious problems for voluntary and community transport organisations. The groups that they serve would suffer as a result.
We want to support a modified directive. We want to maintain and enhance safety. We want to maintain and enhance mobility for special needs groups and common interest groups. We do not want statutory additional driving and medical tests for non-commercial drivers of minibuses.
The United Kingdom has wide experience in safe mobility for the handicapped. We aim to share our approach with others. We aim to achieve the modification needed so that each country may choose to develop safe services like ours.
Clapham Junction (Disaster Fund)
Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give further details of the Government's contribution to the disaster fund set up by the London borough of Wandsworth for the victims of the Clapham junction railway accident and their families.
Mr. Channon : As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister told the House yesterday, the Government will be making a contribution of £250,000 to the Clapham junction disaster fund. I very much hope that the Government's example will encourage others to join in helping the bereaved and those who suffered in the accident. Neither the fund nor the Government's donation to it will affect claims for compensation. Parliamentary approval for this payment will be sought in a supplementary Supply Estimate for the administration and transport services vote. Pending that approval, the
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£250,000 donation will be met by a repayable advance from the contingencies fund. As savings have occurred in class VIII, 2, there will be no increase in the public expenditure planning total.Rail Closures
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will call for a report from the chairman of British Rail on the status of British Rail's plans to close 36 lines, including the Swansea to Milford Haven line ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Portillo : I see no need to call for a report. The 36 lines referred to in an article in The Guardian newspaper concern a review of engineering costs by BR's freight business ; they are not a list of planned closures for passenger services.
EMPLOYMENT
Training
Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of trainees in companies, employing 100 or more YTS trainees, in (a) theUnited Kingdom, (b) the east midlands region and (c) Leicestershire, are from (i) the Afro-Caribbean community, (ii) the Asian community and (iii) ethnic minorities in general.
Mr. Cope : The information is not available in the form requested. Percentages of YTS trainees from Afro-Caribbean, Asian and all ethnic minorities in employer-led schemes are given in the table. Percentages of YTS trainees stating their ethnic origin as being from Afro-Caribbean, Asian and all ethnic minorities in employer-led schemes at 31 March 1988.
|Afro-Caribbean |Asian |Total ethnic minorities
|Per cent. |Per cent. |Per cent.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Great Britain |1.1 |1.1 |2.6
East midlands |0.8 |1.0 |2.3
Leicester |1.1 |2.4 |4.4
Mr. Frank Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many local authorities are co-operating with employment training ; and how many authorities and other public employers are known to the Training Agency to be boycotting employment training.
Mr. Nicholls : Contracts have been signed with 55 local authorities to be training agents and with 176 local authorities to be training managers. In addition, many other local authorities are involved as members of consortia or as subcontractors to training managers. We are aware of a small number of local authorities which are boycotting the programme or campaigning against it.
Mr. Frank Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion and number of trainees on employment training had either been offered or undertaken work placements by early December.
Mr. Nicholls : I refer the hon. Member to the reply to his earlier question on 28 November at column 114.
Mr. Frank Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what effect the decision by a number of
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Labour-controlled local authorities to boycott employment training has had on (a) the number of work placements available to trainees and (b) the overall quality of the programme.Mr. Nicholls : The opposition to employment training by some Labour- controlled local authorities has had no long-term effect on the number of training places available to trainees and has not impeded the development of good quality training.
However, the opposition to employment training by a small number of local authorities has in some cases unncessarily restricted opportunities for training, particularly in some inner city areas where co-operation by local authority is important in helping to secure access to suitable premises for training activities. I very much regret that in a small number of such cases the deplorable attitude of Labour local authorities is making it more difficult than necessary for long term unemployed people to undertake the quality training they need and want to get back into a job.
Disabled People
Mr. Hannam : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what proportion of registered disabled people who have received career development loans have gained employment within three months of completion of the training course funded by the loan ;
(2) how many registered disabled people have taken up career development loans since their introduction.
Mr. Lee : Career development loans were launched nationally in July. An in-depth survey next year will provide information about participants which is not sought on the application form, including whether the individual is registered as disabled. The survey will also cover employment after completing training with a loan.
Overseas Visitors
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of overseas visitors enter the United Kingdom by (a) plane and (b) ship ; and in(i) the latest available annual period, and (ii) 10 years previously.
Mr. Lee : The information readily available from the international passenger survey relates to the mode of transport used by overseas visitors when leaving the United Kingdom rather than when arriving. During 1987, 66 per cent. of overseas visitors left the United Kingdom by air and 34 per cent. left by sea. The equivalent figures for 1977 were 59 per cent. and 41 per cent.
Labour Statistics
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many employees are in employment by industry in (a) non-metropolitan areas and (b) rural areas giving the figures by region and by county for 1979 and the most recent year available.
Mr. Lee : Information on employees in employment classified by non- metropolitan and rural areas is not available.
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give long and short-term unemployment rates in rural areas for 1979 and 1987.
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Mr. Lee : Information is not available in the form requested.
Earnings
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give average gross hourly earnings for males and females in (a) non-metropolitan and (b) rural areas in 1979 and 1987.
Mr. Lee : The available information is published in table 110 for males, and table 113 for females, of part E of the reports on the new earnings surveys for 1979 and 1987. Copies of the reports are in the Library.
NATIONAL FINANCE
Civil Service Manpower
Mr. John Greenway : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if copies of the Treasury report on Civil Service manpower changes in 1987-88 will be made available to hon. Members.
Mr. Major : Yes. The report for 1987-88 has been passed to the Treasury and Civil Service Select Committee today and copies placed in the Library of the House.
EEC
Mr. Anthony Coombs : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the outcome of the latest meeting of the European Community's Economic and Finance Council.
Mr. Lawson : The ECOFIN Council met in Brussels on 12 December. I represented the United Kingdom.
The Council agreed in principle on two own resources implementing regulations, successors to 2891/77 and 2892/77, and agreed on declarations to cover arrangements after 31 December until the new regulations are formally adopted.
The Council agreed the Commission's annual economic report for 1988-89 as amended in discussion with member states.
The Council reached a common position on the draft directive on own funds of credit institutions and on the draft directive on public offer prospectuses.
The Council agreed that the Commission's proposals for the abolition of fiscal frontiers need further study by the new Commission and the Council.
The Council agreed a two-year extension modifying a Danish derogation on traveller's allowances.
The Council agreed on proposed increases in the limits on travellers' allowances and tax relief for small consignments within the Community.
The Council heard a proposal from the Commission for a further instalment of the New Community Instrument (NIC V).
Court of Auditors
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which body within the Community has the responsibility for pursuing the reports made by the Court of Auditors ; and what action was taken on the report by the Court that 19 million lire of Community funds were spent on financing the delivery of non-existent fruit juice to NATO in Palermo by the Mafia- connected firm.
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Mr. Brooke : The court's annual report is discussed chapter by chapter by the Council's budget committee, which formulates a draft council recommendation for discharge of the accounts to which the report relates. Under article 206(b) of the treaty of Rome, the European Parliament has the final responsibility for deciding whether or not to grant the discharge.
I am looking into the specific issue referred to in the second part of the question and will let my hon. Friend have an answer as soon as possible.
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the report of the Court of Auditors published on 13 December.
Mr. Brooke : The Government will consider the court's report in detail, preparatory to a chapter by chapter examination of its findings by the Council's budget committee. In line with established practice, the House of Commons will have an opportunity to debate the report before it is considered by the Economic and Finance Council.
Interest Rates
Sir Ian Gilmour : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out figures showing his estimates of : (a) how many families with children have lost more as a result of increased interest rates than they gained as a result of the Budget tax cuts, (b) the amounts by which they are worse off and (c) the income groups worst affected.
Mr. Lawson [holding answer 29 November 1988] : I regret the delay in replying.
Out of some 6.9 million families with children, the number whose income tax and mortgage interest payments during 1988-89 are likely to exceed the payments which would have been made if the tax rates, allowances and average mortgage interest rates in force in 1987-88 had applied is estimated to be about 570,000. The table shows a breakdown by total income and also the average difference in tax and interest payments.
Total income £ |Number of families with|Average extra payment £
|children paying more in
|tax and interest at
|1988-89 rates<1>
|(thousands)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Up to £5,000 |225 |85
£5,000 to £10,000 |220 |100
Over £10,000 |125 |60
|---- |----
Total |570 |85
<1> Assumes that current mortgage rates remain unchanged for the rest of the financial year.
Most of these 570,000 families are likely to be in receipt of a pay increase which comfortably exceeds the extra payment that they will make, quite apart from any extra income from higher interest on savings.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Oil
Mr. Denzil Davies : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to what factors he attributes the fall from
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£1,063 million in the period August to October 1987 to £393 million in the period August to October 1988 in the United Kingdom's trade in oil.Mr. Peter Morrison : I have been asked to reply.
The biggest single factor explaining the change in the United Kingdom trade balance in oil over the period was the significant fall in crude prices, which reflects a weakening in the world oil market. In addition, oil production is provisionally estimated to have fallen by around 14 per cent. between the two periods--a significant part of which is due to the loss in output from fields affected by the Piper accident. Domestic oil consumption has also increased.
Non-Life Insurance
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster why the non-life insurance directive to operate in 1992 and later years does not include provisions for freedom of trade in mass risks ; and if he will explain the purpose of the Cumul rule included in the directive.
Mr. Maude : The non-life insurance services directive, which will enter into force in July 1990, lays down procedures for the conduct of business on a services basis for both large and mass risks. A majority of member states considered that for mass risks it should be open to them to impose measures needed in their view to protect consumers. The distinctions between mass and large risks was endorsed by the European Court of Justice judgments in December 1986 on certain insurance cases. The purpose of the Cumul rule is to assist these member states with the regulation of mass risks.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Gloucestershire Regiment (Official Visits)
Mr. Irving : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many visits he or Ministers and officials in his Department paid to the Gloucestershire regiment at Bally Kelly, Northern Ireland, during the past 12 months.
Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many motor cars have been stolen from the grounds of the Royal Victoria hospital, Belfast, in the past 12 months ; how many of those cars were recovered intact ; how many were recovered damaged ; how many were not recovered ; and what measures he will take to improve security for staff and visitors' vehicles within the grounds of this hospital.
Mr. Needham : A total of 238 cars were stolen from the grounds of the Royal Victoria hospital between 15 January 1988 and 7 December 1988 ; 23 were recovered intact, 195 were recovered damaged and 20 have not been recovered.
Security at the Royal Victoria hospital site is primarily the responsibility of the eastern health and social services board which, I understand, recently spent £400,000 on security measures recommended by the Royal Ulster Constabulary. The board is seeking at present to identify what additional steps can reasonably be taken to improve security.
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Accountancy Firms
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish the information he has readily available on the accountancy firms which have submitted business plans or proposals in each of the last three years to the local employment development unit and the industrial development board on behalf of clients.
Mr. Viggers : Although most applicants to the industrial development board and the local enterprise development unit for selective financial assistance are supported by business plans, these are not necessarily prepared by accountancy firms. Information on the authors of business plans for the approximately 2,900 applications received by IDB and LEDU over the last three financial years is not readily available and could be compiled only at disproportionate cost by examination of individual applications.
Health Visitors (Grading)
Rev. Martin Smyth : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the effect of the new grading structure on health visitors in Northern Ireland and upon individual health visitors.
Mr. Needham : As a result of the clinical grading review, 98.9 per cent. of health visitors in Northern Ireland were placed on scale G and are now on salary scales 13.7 per cent. to 19.1 per cent. higher than those applying prior to the review. 1.1 per cent. of health visitors were placed on scale H are are now on salaries 25.3 per cent. to 33.2 per cent. higher than before.
Rev. Martin Smyth : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the guidance issued to health boards by his Department as to how they should determine gradings for health visitors and any further advice he has issued.
Mr. Needham : Guidance on the grading of health visitors is contained within the management guidance issued to health and social services boards in the departmental circular HSS(TC5)3/88, copies of which are available in the Library. No other advice relating specifically to the grading of health visitors has been issued.
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