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about income and expenditure and excluding certain loan charges expenditure arising from covenant agreements, rents in Glasgow need not increase by more than this amount. The council entered into its covenant commitments in the knowledge that their cost would be disregarded for the purposes of subsidy calculations.Tayside Health Board
64. Mr. Bill Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what savings have been made by Tayside health board as a result of competitive tendering.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Annual recurrent savings of nearly £148,000 have been achieved by the contracts awarded so far.
Electricity Boards (Capital Debt)
66. Mr. Doran : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has concerning the capital debt of the Scottish electricity boards.
Mr. Lang : The boards' capital structures will require to be revised prior to privatisation to create an appropriate ratio of debt to equity. The aim will be to choose a capital structure which maximises the returns to the taxpayer and also creates two financially robust companies.
Business Rating Practices
67. Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the progress being made to harmonise business rating practices between Scotland and England and Wales.
Mr. Lang : We are making good progress towards implementing our declared objective of harmonising business rates between Scotland and England and Wales. The problem is not new, but we are the first Government to have taken action to tackle it. Our objective is one which can only be achieved by stages, but a number of steps have already been taken that will bring us closer to harmony within the next two years. Further steps are under detailed consideration to carry that work further, and we have always made it clear that some of the mechanics of the later steps towards harmonisation will have to await the outcome of earlier ones. Our purpose, to achieve at the earliest opportunity fairness for Scottish businesses and better protection from the depredations of high-spending local councils, has never wavered.
Scottish Development Agency
68. Sir Hector Monro : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the chairman of the Scottish Development Agency about the level of employment in Scotland ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang : My right hon. and learned Friend and I met the chairman and board of the Scottish Development Agency on 16 May to discuss strategic issues which might be reflected in the agency's planning and budgeting process. Among other subjects, we discussed ways in which the agency might help to improve employment levels in particular areas of Scotland.
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Scottish NFU
69. Mr. Andrew Welsh : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next expects to meet representatives of the Scottish National Farmers Union ; and what matters he expects to discuss.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Both my right hon. and learned Friend and my noble Friend the Minister of State meet representatives of the Scottish National Farmers Union regularly. My noble Friend met the Union's general purposes committee last week for a very wide-ranging discussion of current issues.
Employment Training Scheme
70. Mr. Favell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many local authorities have agreed to participate in the Government's employment training scheme.
Mr. Lang : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Spelthorne (Mr. Wilshire) earlier today.
Scottish Bus Group
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what will be the consequences of privatisation of the Scottish Bus Group for consumers in Scotland ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : One of the objectives of privatisation is to increase competition and encourage companies to be more responsive to their customers. Locally based companies should be better placed to meet local needs and management will be freer to respond to local demands on the basis of local knowledge.
Donor Cards
Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the number of people whose organs are likely to be suitable for donation for transplant who are currently carrying donor cards.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : It is not possible to estimate how many people carry donor cards. The number of donor cards issued in Scotland since the inception of the scheme considerably exceeds the country's total population. It is the Government's policy to ensure that the cards are distributed as widely as possible, through central initiatives and local efforts.
Transplant Surgery
Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the availability of hearts, livers, pancreases, kidneys, lungs and eyes for transplant surgery.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Only kidney and corneal transplants are carried out in Scotland, although of course all organs donated can be used anywhere in the United Kingdom, wherever the most suitable tissue match can be found. The number of multiple organ donations in the United Kingdom has risen this year, enabling the heart, lung and liver transplant programmes to advance. It is a matter for serious concern, however, that the number of
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kidney and corneal transplants in Scotland has decreased over the last few years because suitable organs have not been available. It is important that the public in appreciating the benefit which transplant surgery can offer are aware of the need for organs. Such understanding and awareness are of great assistance to the medical profession in their approach to relatives of potential donors about donation.Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the number of people who have died in hospital whose organs would have been suitable for transplant but where no donation was made during the last five years ; and if he will list the principal reasons for such action not being taken.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Information in the form sought is not available.
Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many patients are waiting for transplant operations of (a) heart, (b) liver, (c) pancreas, (d) kidney, (e) lung and (f) cornea, respectively ; and what is the maximum and minimum waiting time for such operations.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : This information is not centrally available. The main constraint in undertaking such operations is the availability of suitable organs.
Elder Cottage Hospital
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from Greater Glasgow health board about the disposal of Elder cottage hospital ; what guarantees were given on its transfer to the National Health Service on its maintenance for a medical purpose ; and what proposals he has for its future.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : None. There is no legal requirement that the hospital, which has been empty since March 1988, be retained for a medical purpose. The Greater Glasgow health board has recently completed consultation about its proposals for the permanent closure of the hospital, which would require the consent of my right hon. and learned Friend.
Special Housing Association
Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what bids he has referred to the Scottish Special Housing Association for the purchase of Scottish Special Housing Association houses in Central Scotland ; for which properties ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Only one bid for the purchase of Scottish Special Housing Association houses in central Scotland, has been referred by the Scottish Office to the SSHA. The bid by a group of Scottish Special Housing Association managers was for 25,000 houses in the association's south region and Fife. Having considered the inquiry, the association has announced that it would not agree, in principle, to make a voluntary disposal of stock on the basis proposed.
Hospital Medical Staff
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to ensure that health boards implement circular 1988 (GEN) 38 on hospital medical staffing ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Michael Forsyth : Specific mechanisms will be introduced to ensure the implementation by health boards of the Government's medical manpower policies. These will include the establishment of health board plan for action groups, specifically charged with the task of advising boards on the complex issues arising from the movement towards achieving a balance in hospital medical staffing ; the setting of targets on a continuous three year rolling programme for career registrar posts ; and by annual monitoring of the number of doctors at all grades in the hospital service. A reconstituted advisory committee on medical establishments, with a wider membership drawn from major specialty groups and including a health board general manager will advise the Scottish Home and Health Department on the implementation of policy objectives.
Water Pollution
Mr. Steel : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he intends to introduce in Scotland environmental quality standards in water for certain substances commonly used as moth-proofing agents.
Mr. Rifkind : Yes. We expect in the near future to extend environmental quality standards for water in Scotland to cover substances commonly used as moth-proofing agents.
Criminal Convictions (Alcohol)
Mr. Hood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of the number of criminal convictions of people under 18 years of age where alcohol was directly or indirectly related to the offence.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Four hundred and sixty-one people under the age of 18 had a charge proved against them for drink related offences in 1987. In the official statistics, such offences comprise drunkenness (including the offences of being drunk and incapable, disorderly behaviour on licensed premises and certain others) which accounted for 183 of the cases, drunk driving (133) and offences under the liquor licensing laws (144). No information is available on the number of offences in which alcohol was indirectly related to the offence.
Emigration
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report for each of the years since 1961 (a) the number of persons who have
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emigrated from Scotland, including those who have emigrated to England, (b) the natural increase in population and (c) (a) as a fraction of (b) .Mr. Michael Forsyth : The information available does not provide accurate estimates of total emigration from Scotland. The table below presents estimates of net emigration from Scotland (including net emigration to other parts of the United Kingdom). Also shown are data on the natural increase in the population. The figures cover the period 1 July to 30 June in each case. The comparison requested at (c) is not presented, as ratios based on the two series is meaningless.
|Net emigration from |Natural increase in the
|Scotland |population
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1961-62 |29,000 |39,100
1962-63 |33,900 |38,200
1963-64 |39,100 |42,300
1964-65 |39,100 |40,600
1965-66 |43,200 |33,200
1966-67 |43,100 |38,100
1967-68 |32,000 |31,900
1968-69 |23,900 |30,300
1969-70 |20,100 |23,300
1970-71 |21,700 |26,100
1971-72 |28,600 |18,800
1972-73 |11,700 |12,400
1973-74 |3,000 |6,800
1974-75 |20,000 |4,600
1975-76 |5,800 |2,700
1976-77 |10,800 |-1,100
1977-78 |17,300 |-1,000
1978-79 |14,600 |1,800
1979-80 |16,300 |4,300
1980-81 |23,100 |6,600
1981-82 |14,900 |1,500
1982-83 |17,800 |1,800
1983-84 |9,100 |1,400
1984-85 |12,600 |3,700
1985-86 |16,100 |1,600
1986-87 |15,000 |4,700
Police (Manning Levels)
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the current manning levels of police forces in each regional authority area ; and what are the recommended manning levels.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The establishments authorised by my right hon. and learned Friend are shown below together with actual strengths as at 30 September 1988.
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Authorised Actual Strength
Establishment
Force |Police<1> |Civilians<2>|Police<1> |Civilians<2>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Central |589 |123 |590 |116
Dumfries and Galloway |344 |94 |348 |83
Fife |754 |182 |759 |178
Grampian |1,069 |326 |1,019 |311
Lothian and Borders |2,435 |851 |2,390 |789
Northern |620 |183 |608 |167
Strathclyde |6,954 |1,722 |6,780 |1,544
Tayside |1,001 |263 |989 |247
|------ |------ |------ |------
Totals |13,766 |3,744 |13,483 |3,435
<1>These figures include officers employed at ports, airports and oil related
industries where the cost is not borne entirely by the local authority.
<2>Excludes police cadets and part-time staff.
Police (Recruitment)
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what requests he has received in the past year from chief constables or regional councils for additional recruitment to local police forces ; and what has been his response in each case.
Lord James Douglas-Hamiliton : During the past 12 months the following forces have requested establishment increases :
Increase Requested
Force |Police |Civilians
--------------------------------------------------
Central |22 |1
Fife |- |3
Grampian |61 |14
Lothian and Borders |46 |17
Tayside |- |12
After careful consideration and taking account of advice from Her Majesty's chief inspector of constabulary all these increases in establishment were authorised by my right hon. and learned Friend.
Trunk Routes
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to publish the findings of his road study of the main trunk routes south of Edinburgh, and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave on 5 December at column 48 to the hon. Member for East Lothian (Mr. Home Robertson).
Mouthbridge Inquiry
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to publish his conclusions on the Mouthbridge inquiry ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The Scottish Development Department has today written to Borders regional council about the matter and I am arranging for the hon. Member to receive a copy of the letter.
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Arctic Tern
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures are available in Scotland to safeguard the feeding grounds of the Arctic tern ; and what progress has been made in implementing them.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Local fishermen have imposed voluntary restrictions on catches of very young sand eels, on which Arctic terns feed extensively, and the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland is monitoring the effectiveness of these measures to determine whether further management measures may be required. DAFS scientists are also participating in, and helping to co-ordinate, a co-operative programme of research designed to establish the reasons for the reduced availability of sand eels for food.
A94
Mr. Andrew Welsh : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects the junction on the A94 at Stracathro hospital to be completed ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Allowing for the time needed to complete the detailed design work, tendering and contract procedures and the construction itself, I anticipate that the new junction will be in use by the end of 1990.
Grampian Health Board (Grading)
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff from each of the old grades have been assimilated to each of the new grades in the recent clinical grading structure in Grampian health board.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The information requested is given in the table.
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Percentages
transferred to each new
clinical grade
Previous grade |Staff in post (whole time|A |B |C |D |E |F |G |H |I
|equivalent)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nursing Auxiliary |1,566.04 |96.7 |3.3 |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Hospital Staff (NNEB) |30.15 |8.6 |91.4 |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Enrolled Nurse |1,013.00 |- |- |58.8 |39.5 |1.7 |- |- |- |-
Enrolled District Training |33.45 |- |- |- |100.0 |- |- |- |- |-
Senior Enrolled Nurse |27.85 |- |- |- |92.8 |7.2 |- |- |- |-
Staff Nurse |962.40 |- |- |- |47.3 |50.0 |2.7 |- |- |-
Staff Midwife |153.42 |- |- |- |- |64.4 |35.6 |- |- |-
Deputy Sister |137.00 |- |- |- |- |99.3 |0.7 |- |- |-
Sister II |479.23 |- |- |- |- |- |32.4 |66.3 |1.3 |-
Sister II Midwife |83.38 |- |- |- |- |- |27.4 |69.0 |3.6 |-
District Nurse Sister II |137.53 |- |- |- |- |- |2.7 |95.5 |1.8 |-
Sister I |2.00 |- |- |- |- |- |- |100.0 |- |-
Sister I Midwife |1.00 |- |- |- |- |- |- |100.0 |- |-
Health Visitor |145.69 |- |- |- |- |- |- |94.8 |5.2 |-
Senior Nurse 8 |9.00 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |88.9 |11.1
Senior Nurse 8 Midwife |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Senior Nurse 7 |54.00 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |9.3 |90.7
Senior Nurse 7 Midwife |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Clinical Teacher |32.78 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |100.0 |-
Fieldwork Teacher |27.00 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |100.0 |-
Practical Work Teacher |24.80 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |100.0
Tutor |26.30 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |100.0
Tutor Midwife |4.00 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Post Basic Students
Enrolled |85.00 |- |- |100.0 |- |- |- |- |- |-
Staff Nurse |131.00 |- |- |- |100.0 |- |- |- |- |-
Deputy Sister |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Sister II |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Others |31.00 |- |- |- |41.9 |19.4 |19.4 |12.8 |6.5 |-
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Totals |5,197.02 |29.2 |1.5 |13.1 |20.4 |14.3 |6.7 |12.5 |2.3 |1.5
Farm Woodland Scheme
Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report, by region, the take-up to date in the less favoured areas of the £30 grant available under the farm woodland scheme.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The scheme opened on 1 October 1988 and those applications received in Scotland are currently being considered by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland and the Forestry Commission. The potential uptake, if these applications are approved, of planting on permanent pasture and rough grazings in the less-favoured areas (which will qualify for payments of £30 per hectare per annum) is as follows :
DAFS Area Office Areas |Hectares ------------------------------------------ Highland |48.5 Borders |23.3 Grampian and North East |34.3 Perth and Kinross |8.2 Southern |34.3
Less Favoured Areas
Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures are being taken to increase the current rate of payment available for less favoured areas under section 2(3) of the Farm Land and Rural Development Act 1988 in order actively to encourage take-up prior to 30 September 1991.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : As the farm woodland scheme was introduced only on 1 October 1988 it would be premature to review the rates of grant.
Town and Country Planning
Mr. Allan Stewart : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what conclusions the Government have reached following the consultation on the proposals to modernise the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) (Scotland) Order 1973 ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : My right hon. and learned Friend and I are grateful to all those who commented on the proposals set out in consultation paper of 4 August 1988. The paper attracted over 100 responses, as a result of which we intend to make a number of changes to the original proposals. I shall outline these briefly.
Class 1 Retailing Financial and Professional Services
Our proposals for this class have been proved to be the most controversial in the consultation paper. Although
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there was some support for the creation of a use class embracing shops and offices selling services directly to the public we have concluded, in view of the opposition to the proposal, not to proceed with the new combined class. We propose instead the creation of 2 classes which would separate shops from financial and professional services and retain the requirement to obtain planning permission for a change of use from shop to office.Class 2 Food and Drink
Our original proposals involved the creation of a use class embracing hot food shops, cafes, snack-bars and licensed premises. In their comments, however, a number of respondents expressed concern that licensed premises, particularly public houses, generate more severe environmental problems than cafes and snack bars and that this would lead to a significant reduction in residential amenity, particularly in areas of tenement housing. Moreover as a result of the neighbour notification procedures which we introduced the public are now more aware of planning applications for public houses than they would be in the case of applications for licences which are not as widely publicised in the locality. We have considered these comments carefully and have concluded that, in order to meet the concerns of the public on these points, we should exclude premises with a public house license from this use class.
Class 13. Dwellinghouses
Many who commented welcomed the idea of this class, but although we stressed in the consultation paper that the purpose of this class was to clarify the circumstances in which multiple occupancy constitutes development requiring planning permission and was not intended to deal with the social and other issues raised by multiple occupancy, much of the comment has none the less focused on these issues. In response therefore to the concern voiced about the possible weakening of controls over multiple occupancy as a result of the new use class, we intend to amend our proposals so that the class excludes flats and the threshold at which, in planning terms, a change of use from a dwellinghouse to multiple occupancy occurs, is reduced from six persons living together to five.
The Scottish Development Department is currently considering the outcome of a wide ranging consultation exercise on multiple occupancy. These changes to the planning use classes are not intended to pre-empt any action which may be taken as a result of that consultation exercise. If necessary we shall be ready to adjust the provisions of the use classes order to be consistent with other controls over multiple occupancy.
Other proposals in the consultation paper, a copy of which I have placed in the Library of the House, remain largely unchanged. The Scottish Development
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Department will issue guidance which will explain the operation of the order in more detail when it is brought into force.Since, under the terms of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1972, the revised use classes order does not require to be laid before Parliament for approval, my right hon. and learned Friend will now proceed to make the order comprising the revised use classes. An amendment to the Town and Country Planning (General Development) (Scotland) Order 1981 will also be required to implement certain of our proposals which my right hon. and learned Friend will lay before the House. It is our intention that the revised use classes order and associated general development order amendments will come into force early in 1989.
Adoption Allowance Schemes
Mr. Bill Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has for the future of adoption allowance schemes approved under section 32 of the Children Act 1975 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : My right hon. and learned Friend has published today a summary report on the outcome of a research project designed to assess the effectiveness of the adoption allowance schemes in Scotland. The favourable outcome of that research has led him to the view that schemes, operated on an experimental basis since 1982, should become a continuing feature of adoption legislation. In accordance with the statutory requirement, he will shortly lay an order before Parliament, seeking the approval to provide a permanent statutory base for the schemes by repealing the original temporary provisions.
Shipping Subsidies
Mr. Allan Stewart : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has for shipping subsidies for sea transport services to Scotland in 1988-89 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Rifkind : Subject to parliamentary approval of the estimates, I propose to make available in 1989-90 total subsidy provision of £12.10 million. The deficit subsidy for
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Caledonian MacBrayne will reduce in line with recent trends in the company's improved performance to £6.28 million. The estimated requirement to continue the fare reduction support for P and O services to Orkney and Shetland is increased to £4.32 million. On the basis of budgets submitted by coastal shippers within the tarriff rebate subsidy scheme, the funding requirement next year will be £1.5 million.The proposed level of subsidy reflects the Government's continuing commitment to assisting the essential sea transport services to the west coast islands and the Northern Isles.
Pacemakers
Mr. Allan Stewart : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, further to the answer given by the hon. Member for Stirling (Mr. Forsyth) to the hon. Member for Eastwood on Friday 9 December, Official Report, column 372-33, what information he has received from the Greater Glasgow health board concerning the allegations made to the board on the utilisation of pacemakers.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 19 December 1988] : I have had inquiries made of Greater Glasgow health board about the allegations over the improper use of pacemakers made by the hon. Member for Strathkelvin and Bearsden (Mr. Galbraith). I understand from the health board that the allegations are without foundation and that the hon. Member for Strathkelvin and Bearsden has yet to respond to the health board's request for him to apologise.
Foresty Commission
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the area of land sold by the Forestry Commission in each of its conservancies for each year since 1981.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 9 December 1988] : The area of land sold by the Forestry Commission in each of its conservancies in each year since 1981 was as follows :
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Table 2
(Hectares)
Year ending
Conservancy<1> |31 March 1986 |31 March 1987 |31 March 1988
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
North England |773 |1,056 |2,694
East England |1,365 |1,355 |1,493
West England |651 |375 |406
Wales |3,229 |1,950 |977
North Scotland |7,557 |3,746 |444
Mid Scotland |2,149 |1,541 |2,759
South Scotland |849 |933 |156
|------- |------- |-------
|16,573 |10,956 |8,929
<1> The Forestry Commission structure was re-organised on 1 April 1985
reducing the number of conservancies from 11 to seven.
Table 2
(Hectares)
Year ending
Conservancy<1> |31 March 1986 |31 March 1987 |31 March 1988
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
North England |773 |1,056 |2,694
East England |1,365 |1,355 |1,493
West England |651 |375 |406
Wales |3,229 |1,950 |977
North Scotland |7,557 |3,746 |444
Mid Scotland |2,149 |1,541 |2,759
South Scotland |849 |933 |156
|------- |------- |-------
|16,573 |10,956 |8,929
<1> The Forestry Commission structure was re-organised on 1 April 1985
reducing the number of conservancies from 11 to seven.
The figures for year ending 31 March 1982 are only available by country.
DEFENCE
Tucano Aircraft
Mr. Eastham : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he now expects all Tucano aircraft to be in service with the Royal Air Force.
Mr. Sainsbury : The contractor estimates that deliveries will be completed by early 1992.
Radar Contracts
Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the examination of the tenders for the European fighter aircraft radar contracts to be completed ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sainsbury : It is hoped that a decision on the winning consortium in the competition for the nose radar for the European fighter aircraft will be made early next year.
Trident
Mr. Hind : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a further statement on the progress of the Trident programme.
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the next review of the Trident programme is likely to take place.
Mr. Sainsbury : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence will announce a revised estimate of the cost of Trident early next year, and at the same time submit a report on the progress of the programme to the Defence Committee. A copy of this report will be placed in the Library of the House.
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Foxhunter Radars
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the retrofitting to Tornado aircraft of Foxhunter radars already delivered to the RAF will begin.
Mr. Sainsbury : All Tornado aircraft in front-line service have Foxhunter fitted and the RAF has sufficient radars to meet all its current requirements.
Identity Cards
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has investigated, or is currently studying, the usefulness of a national identity card to his departmental responsibilities ; and whether he will make a statement.
Mr. Sainsbury : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, Central (Mr. Darling) on 15 December 1988 at column 1080.
Nuclear Submarines
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many SSNs will be taken out of active service by the year 2000 ; (2) how many SSBNs will be taken out of active service by the year 2000.
Mr. Sainsbury : I have nothing to add to my reply to the hon. Member for Woolwich (Mr. Cartwright) on 13 April 1988 at column 137.
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