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WALES
Welsh Language
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he proposes to take to deal with lack of capacity in Welsh medium schools ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : There remains in Wales considerable surplus capacity in schools resulting from falling numbers of pupils. Where there is insufficient capacity in existing Welsh-medium schools to meet parental demands for Welsh-medium education, I would encourage local
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education authorities to take steps to reorganise their provision so as to meet the demand. It is for LEAs to initiate proposals for such schemes. Gross provision for local authority capital expenditure on education was increased by 42 per cent. between 1985 -86 and 1988-89. Next year provision will be increased by a further 11 per cent. to £52.9 million. One of the main objectives of these increases has been to encourage rationalisation.Rural Development Commission
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has any plans to establish in Wales a commission which has the same powers in rural areas as the Rural Development Commission in England.
Eggs
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will take steps to compensate those egg producers in Wales who have suffered a significant reduction in sales as a result of allegations of salmonella infection.
Mr. Peter Walker : My right hon. Friend, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, announced to the House on Monday 19 December 1988 the terms of an £18 million compensation scheme for the egg industry. The scheme comprises two measures. The first will provide a payment to egg packers for the destruction of surplus eggs for a period of four weeks from 21 December. The second measure will enable up to 4 million hens to be culled to help the industry reduce the size of the egg laying flock.
These measures apply equally to the egg industry in Wales and England.
Primary Schools
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether his Department issues any guidance to local education authorities concerning making available to head teachers of primary schools the names and addresses of three and four-year-olds within the local education authority area who may be potential pupils for those schools.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : Arrangements of that kind would generally be a matter for individual LEAs. Welsh Office Circular 5/83 on "Assessments and Statements of Special Educational Needs" gives advice about the admission to school of children under five with special education needs. It asks LEAs to give priority to such children when admitting children to nursery schools and classes ; and it draws attention to the need for co-operation with social service departments and health authorities in bringing such children to the attention of the LEA.
Planning Appeals
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer, Official Report, 12 December, column 395, what information his Department has concerning the number of planning appeal decisions in national parks in Wales which were (a) allowed, (b) dismissed, (c) withdrawn and (d) undetermined in each of the last five years ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Grist : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to him on 2 December at column 419. Statistics are kept
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concerning planning applications in national parks in Wales, but not planning appeal decisions. I am arranging for information about appeals to be collated from the beginning of 1989.ATTORNEY-GENERAL Immigration Appeals Mr. Darling : To ask the Attorney-General if he will provide a table showing the number of appeals
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toimmigration adjudicators allowed and dismissed in 1987 and the first quarter of 1988 broken down according to the nationality of the appellant and the type of decision appealed against.The Attorney-General : The information requested is set out in the tables.
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1 January to 31 March 1988
India Pakistan Bangladesh EEC All other countries
Appeal categories |Allowed |Dismissed |Allowed |Dismissed |Allowed |Dismissed |Allowed |Dismissed |Allowed |Dismissed
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Exclusion-Appeal at port |0 |2 |1 |5 |0 |5 |0 |0 |4 |28
2. Exclusion-External appeals |1 |4 |1 |6 |3 |5 |0 |3 |9 |163
3. Refusal of Certificate Entitlement |1 |0 |3 |2 |1 |0 |0 |0 |1 |5
4. Refusal of Entry Clearance for temporary
purposes (not husbands, wives, fiances or
fiancees) |3 |20 |5 |40 |31 |60 |0 |0 |54 |202
5. Refusal of Entry Clearance for employment,
business or independent means (not
husbands, wives, fiances or fiancees) |0 |3 |0 |2 |0 |1 |0 |0 |0 |7
6. Refusal of Entry Clearance requested by
wives and children, other dependent relatives
and returning residents |4 |21 |81 |156 |23 |39 |0 |0 |10 |39
7. Refusal of Entry Clearance requested by
female fiancees |0 |1 |0 |1 |0 |1 |0 |0 |0 |1
8. Refusal of Entry Clearance requested by
husbands |8 |15 |2 |5 |20 |35 |0 |0 |4 |5
9. Refusal of Entry Clearance requested by
male fiances |18 |24 |0 |0 |41 |59 |0 |0 |2 |2
10. Variation of Landing Conditions |0 |1 |0 |1 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |23
11. Refusal to vary leave to enter |8 |47 |0 |10 |4 |36 |0 |0 |42 |291
12. Decision to make deportation order |1 |9 |0 |3 |0 |11 |0 |1 |12 |86
13. Refusal to revoke deportation order |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |1 |5
14. Giving of removal directions |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |1 |0 |0 |0 |10
15. Destination only appeal |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |2
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Total |44 |147 |93 |231 |123 |253 |0 |4 |139 |869
1 January to 31 March 1988
India Pakistan Bangladesh EEC All other countries
Appeal categories |Allowed |Dismissed |Allowed |Dismissed |Allowed |Dismissed |Allowed |Dismissed |Allowed |Dismissed
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Exclusion-Appeal at port |0 |2 |1 |5 |0 |5 |0 |0 |4 |28
2. Exclusion-External appeals |1 |4 |1 |6 |3 |5 |0 |3 |9 |163
3. Refusal of Certificate Entitlement |1 |0 |3 |2 |1 |0 |0 |0 |1 |5
4. Refusal of Entry Clearance for temporary
purposes (not husbands, wives, fiances or
fiancees) |3 |20 |5 |40 |31 |60 |0 |0 |54 |202
5. Refusal of Entry Clearance for employment,
business or independent means (not
husbands, wives, fiances or fiancees) |0 |3 |0 |2 |0 |1 |0 |0 |0 |7
6. Refusal of Entry Clearance requested by
wives and children, other dependent relatives
and returning residents |4 |21 |81 |156 |23 |39 |0 |0 |10 |39
7. Refusal of Entry Clearance requested by
female fiancees |0 |1 |0 |1 |0 |1 |0 |0 |0 |1
8. Refusal of Entry Clearance requested by
husbands |8 |15 |2 |5 |20 |35 |0 |0 |4 |5
9. Refusal of Entry Clearance requested by
male fiances |18 |24 |0 |0 |41 |59 |0 |0 |2 |2
10. Variation of Landing Conditions |0 |1 |0 |1 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |23
11. Refusal to vary leave to enter |8 |47 |0 |10 |4 |36 |0 |0 |42 |291
12. Decision to make deportation order |1 |9 |0 |3 |0 |11 |0 |1 |12 |86
13. Refusal to revoke deportation order |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |1 |5
14. Giving of removal directions |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |1 |0 |0 |0 |10
15. Destination only appeal |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |2
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Total |44 |147 |93 |231 |123 |253 |0 |4 |139 |869
Mr. Darling : To ask the Attorney-General if he will provide a table showing the number of appeals to the immigration appeal tribunal allowed and dismissed in 1987 and the first quarter of 1988.
The Attorney-General : The information requested is set out in the table :
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|Allowed |Dismissed
------------------------------------------------------------
1 January to 31 December 1987 |205 |344
1 January to 31 March 1988 |16 |50
Price increase per 20 |Effect on RPI Per cent. cigarettes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5 pence |0.1 10 pence |0.2 15 pence |0.3
NATIONAL FINANCE
Small Businesses
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which organisations involved in promoting small businesses he expects to meet during his discussions prior to his 1989 Budget.
Mr. Norman Lamont : My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has not been asked to meet any organisations involved solely in promoting small businesses. Each year my right hon. Friend receives many requests for meetings and whilst it is not possible for him to meet everyone, all representations are considered most carefully in the run up to the Budget.
Cigarettes (Duty)
Mr. Pendry : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the effect on the retail prices index if duty on cigarettes was raised by (a) five pence, (b) 10 pence and (c) 15 pence for a pack of 20 cigarettes.
Mr. Lilley : It is estimated that the effect on the retail prices index would be as follows :
Table file CW881220.011 not available
Payroll Giving
Mr. Butler : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much tax revenue he estimated would be forgone under the payroll giving scheme for 1987-88 and 1988-89 at the time of the launch of the scheme ; and if he will make a statement on the progress of the scheme.
Mr. Norman Lamont : The payroll giving scheme was announced in the March 1986 Budget. The financial statement and Budget report issued at that time noted that the cost of the new relief would depend on take-up but that it could reach £20 million in 1987-88. No estimate for 1988-89 was made. In practice the initial take-up was lower, but about 3,200 schemes have now been set up and the number of participants is continuing to increase.
International Tax Convention
Mr. Tim Smith : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the United Kingdom proposes to sign the joint Organisation for Economic Co- operation and Development and Council of Europe convention on mutual administrative assistance in tax matters which was opened for signature on 25 January.
Mr. Norman Lamont : Earlier this year, I invited representative bodies who had expressed an interest in this matter, together with any other interested parties, to express their views on whether the United Kingdom should sign this convention and, if so, with what reservations. I am grateful to those who responded and have given very careful consideration to all the views which were expressed. The Government recognise the value which is rightly attached to international co-operation among fiscal
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authorities and the need to make adequate and effective arrangements to this end which are fair to taxpayers and the Revenue authorities concerned. Such co-operation plays an important part in ensuring the proper determination of tax liabilities on an international level. However, in view of the existing provisions for mutual assistance in this area provided, for example, by our extensive network of double taxation treaties and our European obligations, we have concluded that the United Kingdom need not become a party to the convention.Tax Thresholds
Mr. Burns : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) by how much tax thresholds have increased in real terms between 1979-80 and 1988-89 ;
(2) how many people have been removed from paying income tax as a result of the raising of tax thresholds between 1979-80 and 1988-89 ;
(3) how much extra tax would (a) a single person and (b) a married couple with two children who have been taken out of paying income tax by the raising of thresholds be paying if tax thresholds had been increased in line with inflation.
Mr. Norman Lamont [holding answer 19 December 1988] : Between 1979-80 and 1988-89, the single person's income tax allowance increased by 22 per cent. in real terms and the married man's allowance by 23 per cent. in real terms.
It is estimated that about 670,000 fewer single people and married couples are liable to income tax in 1988-89 compared with those who would be liable if 1979-80 allowances had been indexed for inflation to 1988-89 according to the statutory indexation provisions. With the basic rate at 25p, a single person has gained up to £1.35 per week and a married man up to £2.26 per week from the increases in allowances compared with indexation.
Mortgage Interest Relief
Mr. Clay : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much a tax unit on the 40 per cent. tax rate would currently receive in mortgage interest tax relief on a mortgage of £30,000.
Mr. Norman Lamont [holding answer 19 December 1988] : In 1988 -89, if current mortgage interest rates remain unchanged, a higher rate taxpayer with a typical £30,000 mortgage would receive mortgage interest tax relief of £1,390.
Missing Persons
Mr. Janner : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make it his policy to forward communications sent to him from the investigation department of the Salvation Army on behalf of families seeking missing relatives to those relatives.
Mr. Norman Lamont [holding answer 19 December 1988] : If the person concerned can be traced from the information provided, the Inland Revenue does forward letters in such cases.
Share Options
Mr. Beith : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has any plans to increase the limits on savings-related share option schemes for employees.
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Mr. Norman Lamont [holding answer 19 December 1988] : The operation of approved employee share schemes is kept under constant review. We shall continue to examine sympathetically the wide variety of proposals made for improvements in this area, to see how far they are capable of building on the impressive progress in employee share ownership which has already been achieved.
Personal Borrowing
Mr. Denzil Davies : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what, at the last available date, was the amount on a per capita basis of the net borrowings of the personal sector in (a) the whole of the United Kingdom, (b) the south east of England, (c) the south west of England, (d) the north west of England, (e) the north of England, (f) Scotland and (g) Wales.
Mr. Lawson [holding answer 16 December 1988] : There is no single agreed definition of "net borrowings" on which an answer can be based. Some relevant information may be found in statistical publications in the Library of the House. Balance sheet information on the United Kingdom personal sector is given in "Financial Statistics", table 14.4. The latest edition is for November 1988. More detailed but slightly less timely information is shown in "United Kingdom National Accounts"--the blue book-- 1988 edition, table 11.2. Similar information in terms of financial transactions rather than amounts outstanding is given in "Financial Statistics", tables 1.10, 9.2 and 9.3.
I regret that these data are not available on a regional basis.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Remand Cells
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will name the person who reports to his Department on the conditions under which people are held in police station cells or magistrate court cells ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The conditions in which prisoners are held in police stations and magistrates court cells are the responsibility of the chief officers of the police forces concerned. Chief officers are not required to report to my right hon. Friend on the operational aspects of their work, but we are very well aware of their concerns. Strenuous and successful efforts are being made to reduce reliance on police cells for housing people who ought to be in prison. Lay visitors schemes are operating in most of the London boroughs. Lay visitors have access to police station and magistrates court cells and they may report to my right hon. Friend on the conditions for prisoners held there.
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the police stations cells and magistrate court cells in England and Wales in which people on remand are held.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Records of which police stations and magistrates court cells are being used by the police to hold remand prisoners are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. On 12 December, prisoners were held in cells belonging to the following police forces :
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BedfordshireCheshire
City of London
Essex
Greater Manchester
Hampshire
Hertfordshire
Humberside
Kent
Lancashire
Leicestershire
Merseyside
Metropolitan
South Yorkshire
Surrey
Sussex
Thames Valley
Warwickshire
West Midlands
West Yorkshire
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of people being held on remand in police station cells or magistrate court cells on 6 December.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : On 6 December, 945 persons, most of whom would have been on remand, were held in police or magistrates court cells in England and Wales.
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the procedures under which a person being held on remand in police station cells or magistrate court cells can make complaints on the conditions in which they are being held ; and how many complaints have been made in the last three years.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Prisoners may make complaints about the conditions of their detention to the custody officer at the police station or magistrates court in which they are held. Any such complaints received will be reported to the chief officer of the police force concerned. Prisoners may also complain to lay visitors to police stations and magistrates court cells in London, who may convey such complaints to the chief officer via the officer in charge at the police station or court.
Records of the number of complaints made are not available.
Racial Harassment
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to encourage local authorities to take a more active role in countering racial harassment ; whether he will make funds available for this purpose ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. John Patten : The Government believe that it is important that vigorous and visible action is taken to combat racial harassment. The ministerial group on crime prevention is considering a report by an interdepartmental working group which has examined ways in which the police and local authorities might improve their response to racial harassment within their existing resources.
National Disaster Centre
Mr. Allason : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to introduce a national disaster/emergency centre to co -ordinate the supply of information.
Mr. John Patten : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. McCrindle) on 15 December at column 699.
Abortion (Inquests)
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has
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received concerning the procedures adopted in determining whether inquests should be held on the deaths of babies discovered alive following an abortion ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Douglas Hogg : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Erith and Crayford (Mr. Evenett) on 15 December 1988 at column 711.
Vehicle Clamping
Mr. Holt : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to how many vehicles have been clamped since the introduction of the clamping procedures.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : I understand from the commissioner that a total of 353,106 vehicles were clamped by the Metropolitan police between 15 May 1983, when clamping operations began, and 31 October 1988.
Football (Offenders)
Mr. Pendry : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the convicted criminals who have received exclusion orders during the last twelve months have been caught re-offending by attempting to enter a football ground.
Mr. John Patten : The information requested is not available.
Compensation (Metropolitan Police)
Mrs. Ann Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much in compensation, both in court and in out of court settlements, the Metropolitan police has paid to members of the public who have brought civil cases for damages against them in each of the years 1985 to 1988.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the amounts paid by the Metropolitan police under awards made by the courts and in settlements out of court arising from allegations of wrongful acts by Metropolitan police officers are as folows :
|Awards made by the courts|Settlements out of court
|£ |£
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1985 |13,949 |193,588
1986 |46,836 |330,332
1987 |11,233 |173,714
1988<1> |101,535 |231,726
<1> To 15 December.
Leicestershire Constabulary
Mr. Latham : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statememt on his response to requests from the Leicestershire police authority for an increase in the force establishment of the Leicestershire constabulary.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : My right hon. Friend is not yet in a position to announce his decision on the Leicestershire application, and others, for more police posts. He hopes to do so soon.
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Prison Visits
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many visits prisoners at Camp Hill prison are allowed per month ; and what is the average duration of those visits.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Prisoners at Camp Hill are allowed two visits per month. The average duration of visits is one hour 30 minutes.
Deportation
Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) decisions to deport and (b) deportation orders were authorised in each quarter of 1988 to the latest available date ; and how many people left the United Kingdom under supervised departure in each quarter of 1988 to the latest available date.
Mr. Renton : The available information is contained in table 14 of Home Office Statistical Bulletin 38/88 "Control of Immigration : Statistics --Third Quarter 1988" which was published on 15 December.
Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will indicate when, and under which statutory provision, he delegated his powers to issue notices of intention to deport persons, to issue restriction orders, to detain and to authorise supervised departures to officers of the immigration service ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Renton : Except where specifically provided otherwise, it is well understood that powers conferred on a Minister by statute can be exercised on his behalf by his officials. The Immigration Act 1971 clearly distinguishes between the powers of the Secretary of State (including, therefore, officials acting on his behalf) and those of an immigration officer. Nevertheless, it is possible for the Secretary of State to delegate his powers to a senior member of his staff in the immigration service who is not, in his capacity as an immigration officer, involved in the case in question. Where potential deportees under section 3(5)(a) are traced by the immigration service, my right hon. Friend decided, on this basis, and with effect from 1 August 1988, to delegate his powers to issue a notice of intention to deport, to issue a restriction order, to detain and to authorise supervised departure to members of the immmigration service at not less than inspector level.
Immigration Applications
Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average length of time taken to process applications for (a) registration and (b) naturalisation ; and how long those applying in both of those categories in December 1987 can expect to wait.
Mr. Renton : The latest available information about processing times was contained in the reply that I gave to the hon. Member on 30 November at column 247. It is not possible to give a reliable forecast of how long applications for naturalisation received in the month of December 1987 will take to complete, but all applications for registration received by the end of 1987 will have been completed by April 1990 and many of them will have been completed well before then.
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Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for settlement by wives and children in (i) Dhaka and (ii) Islamabad were (a) received, (b) granted, (c) refused, (d) deferred at first interview, (e) lapsed and (f) outstanding and awaiting first interview for each quarter since the beginning of 1987.
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Mr. Renton : Information up to the first quarter was published in the Official Report, columns 647-50, in answer to a question from the hon. Member for Bradford, West (Mr. Madden) on 20 July 1988. Corresponding information for the second and third quarters of 1988 is given in the table.
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