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Water Pollution (Camelford)
Mr. Neale : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in providing a small group of independent experts to advise the local health authority on the health consequences of the water pollution in the Camelford area of north Cornwall.
Mr. Freeman : Professor Dame Barbara Clayton from Southampton university medical school, Professor G. A. Rose of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Professor J. A. Edwardson of the MRC neurochemical pathology unit, Newcastle, and Professor R. F. Packham from the Water Research Centre and Imperial college, London, have agreed to form an expert advisory group. I am most grateful to Dame Barbara Clayton, who will chair the advisory group, and the other members for undertaking this task at such short notice. The group, to be known as the Lowermoor incident health advisory group, will advise the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly district health authority on the implications for the health of the population in the Camelford area following the contamination of their drinking water in July 1988. They will start work as soon as possible, and their report will be available to Ministers and made public.
South Western Regional Health Authority
Mr. Steen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of Wednesday 14 December, Official Report, column 606, if he will list those private customers other than health authorities within the south-west region to whom fees have been charged for the use of the region's computer centre and the design service in each of the last three years ; and what percentage of the total cost of the region's computer centre and design service in each year each represents.
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Mr. Mellor : The regional design service has provided services almost entirely for district health authorities in South Western region.
The regional computer centre's sources of income for 1987-88 are shown in the table. In previous years, the amount of income from sources other than districts in south western region were not significant and records were not kept. Details of the centre's customers and of payments made are matters of commercial confidentiality.
1987-88 Income
|per cent.
------------------------------------------------------
Districts in South Western region |84.7
Private sector |4.0
Other NHS regions/districts |6.8
Other state funded systems |4.5
Doctors (Working Hours)
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will state, or estimate, the number of junior hospital doctors in England and Wales and Scotland who are currently contracted to work in excess of 84 hours and 100 hours, respectively, in the course of a working week.
Mr. Mellor : On 30 September 1987, 12,689 junior hospital doctors in England and Wales were contracted to work or be on call for 89 hours or more in the course of a working week. Included in that figure were 2,528 doctors who were contracted to work or be on call in excess of 100 hours. The information relating to Scotland is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland. In 1985, an independent survey showed that junior doctors actually worked an average of 57 hours a week.
Mr. Terry Davis : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ascertain the number of cases in coroners courts where a contributory cause of death has been found to be tiredness or length of duty of hospital doctors in each of the years 1985-88.
Mr. Mellor : Junior doctors' rotas are determined locally. I would expect local health authorities to investigate fully any case where a coroner's court were to find that a contributory cause of death was one of the factors described by the hon. Member.
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Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secrertary of State for Health what is the average number of hours in any one week required to be worked by a doctor who is working a one in three rota, as envisaged in his letter of recommendation of June 1988 EL(88)P.82 and the likely range of hours worked in any one week.
Mr. Mellor : A doctor who is working a one in three rota will be contracted to work and to be on call on average for a total of 84 hours in a week. The likely range of hours worked in any one week are dictated by local circumstances. They will depend on a number of circumstances including whether the practitioner is contracted for weekend duty in that week. The likely range would be between 40 and 104 hours. Actual weekly hours worked by junior doctors have, on average, fallen from 58.3 to 57 between 1981 and 1985.
Mr. Frank Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the maximum number of hours that can be worked by a junior hospital doctor within a seven-day period and the maximum number of hours that may be worked continuously within the terms of his current recommendations.
Mr. Mellor : We attach great importance to the reduction in hours worked by some junior hospital doctors. Health authorities have been asked to eliminate wherever possible rota commitments worse than one night and one weekend in three. The actual number of hours worked will vary depending upon the speciality and local circumstances.
Locum Doctors
Mr. Rooker : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the reduction in the number of available locum doctors, consequent to his request to district health authorities of 25 November 1988, concerning their terms of employment and remuneration.
Mr. Mellor : Health authorities were advised of the maximum rate they should pay to agencies supplying locum doctors for work in hospitals from 12 December 1988. We have no evidence that the advice has led to any significant reduction in the number of available agency locums ; but we are consulting widely on guidance to be issued to health authorities on their employment.
AIDS
Mr. Marlow : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how may Irish citizens are receiving AIDS treatment in the United Kingdom ; and what information he has as to why they are not taking this treatment in the Republic of Ireland.
Mr. Mellor : Such information is not held centrally.
Cigarettes
Mr. Sims : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give an estimate of the number of cigarettes sold illegally to children, and their estimated current value ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : The best available source of information on illegal sales of cigarettes to children comes from the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys biennial study
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of smoking among secondary school children. From the 1986 study it can be estimated that children aged 11 to 15 in England and Wales smoked some 880 million cigarettes costing £66 million at a retail price of £1.50 per pack of 20. Not all of these cigarettes will have been sold illegally as some will have been obtained from other people aged over 16. However, in addition children who did not smoke also reported buying cigarettes and therefore it seems likely that total illegal sales are in excess of the estimates given above. We regard this failure to comply with the law as a serious matter and we are considering how the law might be better enforced. The Tobacco Advisory Council is currently engaged in a campaign to raise awareness of the law and to encourage its observance.Mr. Sims : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish any evidence that he has on how consumption of cigarettes, particularly by children, is affected by an increase in price ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : Evidence from many studies over a long period shows that an increase in the price of cigarettes reduces consumption, with a 1 per cent. increase in price leading to a reduction in consumption of rather less than 1 per cent. There is no evidence available on the effect of price increases on children's smoking in this country, but a study undertaken in the United States suggests that teenagers' smoking is more responsive to price, with a 1 per cent. increase in price leading to a reduction of more than 1 per cent. in consumption. A list of studies and their principal results is as follows.
Percentage Reduction in Consumption of Cigarettes following a One
per cent. Increase in Price
Study |Data |Change in Consumption
|Following a 1 per cent.
|Price Increase
|Percentage
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sumner (1971) |1955-68 |-0.8
|(annual and quarterly)
Russell (1973) |1946-71 (annual) |-0.5 to -0.6
Atkinson and Skegg |1951-70 (annual) |0.0 (men)
(1973) |-0.35 (women)
Peto (1974) |1951-70 (annual) |-0.37 to -0.64 (men)
McGuinness and |1957-68 |-0.99 (short run)
Cowling (1975) |(quarterly) |-1.05 (long run)
Metra (1979) |1958-78 |-0.34 to -0.54 (sr)
|(quarterly) |-0.42 to -0.54 (lr)
Witt and Pass (1981) |1955-75 (annual) |-0.32
Radfar (1985) |1965-80 |-0.23 (sr)
|(quarterly) |-0.39 (lr)
Lewitt, Coate and |US teenagers |-1.4
Grossman (1981)
Sources:
C. Godfrey and A. Maynard, "Price, Consumption of Tobacco and the Economic Effects of a
Taxation Policy Designed to Reduce Consumption", ESCRC Addiction Centre, University of York,
1987.
J. Townsend, Tobacco Price and the Smoking Epidemic, WHO Regional Office for Europe, 1988.
Drug Names
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases his Department is aware of where the similarity of some generic drug names have resulted in mistakes with prescriptions.
Mr. Mellor : We do not routinely collect such information. The number of reported serious accidents arising from prescribing mistakes due to apparent confusion over similar names (whether of generic or
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proprietary medicinal products) is thought to be extremely low--probably not more than one a year on average. Generic medicines marketed in the United Kingdom must be prescribed by their statutory British approved name. These names are devised having regard, among other factors, to the desirability of avoiding confusing similarity with other generic or proprietary names. Lists of names of medicines which look or sound alike are published from time to time in the medical and pharmaceutical press.Set-aside Agreements
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many set-aside agreements his Department has finalised by county in England and Wales ; what is the total hectarage for each county of same taken out of production by such means ; and what is his estimate by county of the total cost of this scheme.
Mr. Freeman : I am not aware of such agreements in respect of agricultural land in the ownership of the NHS in England.
Community Care
Mr. O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many qualified social workers are required to meet the demand for community care ; how many qualified social workers there are ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Mellor : Information is collected centrally only on the number of social workers employed by local authorities. At September 1987 the number in post in England was 24,300. We do not have information available on the number who held a professional qualification. Nor does the information held centrally enable us to identify the number of social workers currently engaged, or likely to be required, on community care work.
Social Work Students
Mr. O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many students are taking courses leading to the certificate of qualification in social work ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Mellor : I understand from the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work that 4,933 students in England were attending courses leading to the award of the certificate of qualification in social work during the 1987-88 academic year. Of those students, 2,639 had commenced their courses during that year.
Mr. O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many students are taking courses leading to the certificate in social services ; what Government help is given to these students ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Mellor : I understand from the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work that 3,401 students in England were participating in schemes leading to the award of the certificate in social services during the 1987-88 academic year. Of those students, 1,325 had joined schemes during that year. These students are staff of local authorities and the costs therefore fall to their employers.
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Artificial Colouring
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has on the number of children below the age of 16 years who have become ill as a result of artificial colouring in confectionery in each of the last 10 years.
Mr. Freeman : Information to answer the question is not collected as part of the Department's health statistics system.
Occasionally letters are received in the Department attributing various ill effects in children to consumption of artificial food colouring in confectionery.
British Chicken Bureau
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if any prosecutions have been brought against the British Chicken Bureau under section 8 of the Food Act 1984 in each of the last 10 years.
Mr. Freeman : This information is not held centrally.
Private Hospice Patients (Drugs)
Ms. Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements exist for patients in non-National Health Service hospices to obtain necessary drugs under the National Health Service ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Mellor [holding answer 22 December 1988] : General medical practitioners are entitled to prescribe drugs for their patients who have been admitted to independent hospices. This entitlement applies to medical directors of hospices who are also general medical practitioners. In addition, health authorities have discretion to supply drugs to hospices without charge or at reduced rates, or to make financial contributions to the cost of the services they provide. Medical directors of hospices who are also employed by health authorities may, by arrangement with the authorities, prescribe drugs for hospice patients.
We are aware that some hospices find current arrangements insufficiently flexible, and the scope for improvements is under consideration.
Missing Persons
Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will make National Health Service central register records available to the Salvation Army for the forwarding of communications to missing persons on behalf of their families or where other efforts to trace them have failed.
Mr. Mellor [holding answer 19 December 1988] : The records held on the National Health Service central register are confidential and it is our policy not to disclose them in the way suggested. However, when organisations such as the Salvation Army ask for communications to be forwarded to a missing person, such a request is treated sympathetically in that the communication is usually passed to the relevant family practitioner committee, whose register contains patients' addresses, for onward transmission if they judge it appropriate to do so.
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Elderly People (Residential Homes)
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by local authority area the number of approved places in : (a) private, (b) voluntary and (c) local authority residential homes for the elderly, for each year since 1980. Mr. Freeman : The information readily available over the period relates to the number of places for elderly and younger physically handicapped people in local authorities own homes and places registered in private and voluntary homes under the Registered Homes Act 1984. The information for the years ending 31 March 1981 to 1986 is published in "Residential Accommodation for Elderly and Younger Physically Handicapped People : All Residents in Local Authority, Voluntary and Private Homes Year Ending 31 March 1981 to Year Ending 31 March 1986 England", a copy of which is available in the Library. The provisional information for year ending 31 March 1987 is given in the table.
Number of places in residential care homes for the elderly and for
younger physically handicapped people as at 31 March 1987
(Provisional).
Local authority |Places in local authority|Places in voluntary |Places in private |Total places in all
|homes |homes<1> |homes<1> |homes<1>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern Region |9,297 |1,019 |4,531 |14,847
Cleveland |1,494 |104 |367 |1,965
Cumbria |1,672 |127 |1,245 |3,044
Durham |1,883 |137 |560 |2,580
Northumberland |852 |173 |564 |1,589
Gateshead |649 |52 |107 |808
Newcastle upon
Tyne |886 |228 |393 |1,507
North Tyneside |509 |63 |738 |1,310
South Tyneside |511 |10 |194 |715
Sunderland |841 |125 |363 |1,329
Yorkshire/
Humberside |14,465 |1,749 |9,854 |26,068
Humberside |2,325 |187 |2,625 |5,137
North Humberside |2,004 |821 |2,893 |5,718
Barnsley |698 |0 |243 |941
Doncaster |748 |77 |345 |1,170
Rotheham |677 |16 |73 |766
Sheffield |1,813 |44 |282 |2,139
Bradford |1,425 |93 |1,418 |2,936
Calderdale |702 |32 |438 |1,172
Kirklees |1,163 |43 |534 |1,740
Leeds |2,165 |382 |709 |3,256
Wakefield |745 |54 |294 |1,093
North Western
Region |17,347 |4,673 |15,337 |37,357
Cheshire |2,134 |775 |1,083 |3,992
Lancashire |3,985 |691 |6,768 |11,444
Bolton |706 |74 |405 |1,185
Bury |462 |392 |181 |1,035
Manchester |1,842 |233 |700 |2,775
Oldham |671 |0 |528 |1,119
Rochdale |608 |0 |329 |937
Salford |831 |201 |194 |1,226
Stockport |637 |36 |588 |1,261
Tameside |459 |83 |319 |861
Trafford |521 |122 |613 |1,256
Wigan |824 |16 |216 |1,056
Knowsley |222 |0 |63 |285
Liverpool |1,441 |719 |496 |2,656
Sefton |705 |1,075 |1,816 |3,596
St. Helens |316 |84 |92 |492
Wirral |983 |172 |946 |2,101
West Midlands
Region |11,768 |2,289 |9,483 |23,540
Hereford and Worcester |1,207 |417 |2,131 |3,755
Shropshire |1,128 |31 |1,360 |2,519
Staffordshire |2,147 |370 |1,740 |4,257
Warwickshire |918 |372 |885 |2,175
Birmingham |2,509 |747 |1,358 |4,614
Coventry |677 |45 |601 |1,323
Dudley |563 |42 |581 |1,186
Sandwell |909 |0 |158 |1,067
Solihull |324 |166 |82 |572
Walsall |697 |0 |261 |958
Wolverhampton |689 |99 |326 |1,114
East Midlands
Region |9,210 |1,732 |6,652 |17,594
Derbyshire |2,116 |431 |1,717 |4,264
Leicstershire |2,159 |423 |1,066 |3,648
Lincolnshire |1,437 |203 |1,778 |3,418
Northampton |1,309 |337 |1,004 |2,650
Nottinghamshire |2,189 |338 |1,087 |3,614
Thames/Anglia
Region |14,426 |5,344 |11,791 |31,561
Bedfordshire |1,145 |172 |754 |2,071
Berkshire |1,158 |635 |1,060 |2,853
Buckinghamshire |1,029 |874 |507 |2,410
Cambridgeshire |1,378 |316 |942 |2,636
Essex |3,389 |1,168 |2,565 |7,122
Hertfordshire |1,753 |826 |1,318 |3,897
Norfolk |1,896 |514 |2,738 |5,148
Oxfordshire |1,183 |340 |476 |1,999
Suffolk |1,495 |499 |1,431 |3,425
Inner London
Region |6,785 |2,173 |874 |9,832
Camden |578 |206 |71 |855
Greenwich |560 |0 |109 |669
Hackney |523 |137 |0 |660
Hammersmith |461 |106 |16 |583
Islington |651 |58 |32 |741
Kensington |300 |249 |51 |600
Lambeth |702 |302 |172 |1,176
Lewisham |790 |18 |237 |1,045
Southwark |682 |300 |0 |982
Tower Hamlets |441 |125 |0 |566
Wandsworth |568 |636 |186 |1,390
Westminster |529 |36 |0 |565
City of London |0 |0 |0 |0
Outer London
Region |9,156 |4,392 |4,655 |18,203
Barking |379 |0 |38 |417
Barnet |544 |1,003 |534 |2,081
Bexley |437 |5 |45 |487
Brent |437 |159 |72 |668
Bromley |475 |646 |330 |1,451
Croydon |608 |320 |698 |1,626
Ealing |599 |389 |302 |1,290
Enfield |550 |56 |354 |960
Haringey |457 |360 |140 |957
Harrow |412 |134 |396 |942
Havering |514 |0 |303 |817
Hillingdon |505 |96 |57 |658
Hounslow |473 |136 |5 |614
Kingston upon Thames |253 |18 |370 |641
Merton |262 |165 |165 |592
Newham |616 |109 |24 |749
Redbridge |481 |174 |231 |886
Richmond upon Thames |353 |434 |85 |872
Sutton |338 |176 |299 |813
Waltham Forest |463 |12 |207 |682
Southern Region |13,658 |7,759 |26,655 |48,072
Dorset |1,380 |673 |4,256 |6,309
Hampshire |2,854 |962 |5,850 |9,666
Isle of Wight |316 |126 |1,253 |1,695
Kent |2,807 |1,226 |2,525 |6,558
Surrey |2,016 |1,845 |1,962 |5,823
East Sussex |1,491 |1,527 |5,465 |8,483
West Sussex |1,602 |1,135 |4,086 |6,823
Wiltshire |1,192 |265 |1,258 |2,715
South Western
Region |8,077 |2,844 |16,276 |27,197
Avon |2,538 |829 |2,295 |5,662
Cornwall |1,044 |251 |2,621 |3,916
Devon |2,217 |1,035 |8,929 |12,181
Gloucestershire |1,164 |480 |1,058 |2,702
Somerset |1,114 |249 |1,373 |2,736
England Total |114,189 |33,974 |106,108 |254,271
<1> Includes homes exempt from registration under Section 1(5)(j) of the Registered Homes Act 1984.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Unemployment Benefit
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people had their unemployment benefit stopped because they were considered not to be available for work during the period January to October 1988 in (a) Burnley ; (b) Pendle ; (c) Hyndburn and (d) Rossendale and Darwen.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I regret that information is not available in respect of the specific localities requested. Statistics on adjudication officers' decisions are not kept below sector level ; Blackburn sector adjudication office covers the area specified, in addition to others. Nor do records differentiate between availability decisions reached during the currency of a claim and those that start before any benefit has been paid.
Transitional Payments
Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security why transitional payments due to Mrs. Rhoda Thompson of 17 Manton avenue, Whinney Banks, Middlesbrough, have not been paid since 31 October 1988.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : There was a delay in sending out one payment to Mrs. Thompson. This delay was due to an error on the computer disc which contained the payment details. The error has been rectified and all payments due have been issued.
Industrial Injuries Scheme
Mr. O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people will be involved in the changes of the payment of benefit from the special hardship allowances under the industrial injuries scheme to the new reduced earnings allowance included in the Social Security Act 1988 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The Social Security Act 1988 introduced a new benefit--retirement allowance--to
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replace reduced earnings allowance (formerly known as special hardship allowance) for those people of pension age who retire on or after 10 April this year. We estimate that between 4,500 and 5,000 beneficiaries will reach pension age each year, and the change will affect them as and when they retire.Mr. O' Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish in full the views of the people who responded to the consultation paper issued in December 1985 on the proposed changes to the industrial injuries scheme ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : It is not our practice to publish the responses made by individuals or organisations to consultation papers. When we announced the changes proposed following this consultation paper, we reported on the balance of respondents' views on each of the proposals.
Family Credit
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many families are now receiving family credit ; and how many claims are awaiting determination.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : At the end of December, approximately 255,400 families were receiving family credit. A further 47,800 claims were awaiting determination. Both figures were depressed by a reduction in activity during the latter part of the month.
DEFENCE
Armenia (Relief Supplies)
Mr. Warren : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence why Royal Air Force transport aircraft were not made available to facilitate the transportation of relief supplies from the United Kingdom to Armenia following the recent earthquake ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Royal Air Force transport aircraft were available if required, but no formal request for their use was received.
Racial Discrimination
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many service men in the armed forces have instituted a complaint of racial discrimination or abuse under (a) the Race Relations Act 1976 and (b) revelant sections of the Service discipline Acts ; and if he will publish the details of such cases ;
(2) how many service men in the armed forces have instituted a complaint of racial discrimination or abuse under the grievance procedures provided in the Service discipline Acts ; and if he will publish the details of such cases.
Mr. Neubert : Section 75(8) of the Race Relations Act 1976 provides that complaints of racial discrimination made by members of the armed forces shall be dealt with in accordance with the provisions for the redress of complaints set out in the service discipline Acts. Submissions for redress of complaint may be dealt with by commanding officers or at any of the higher levels of command up to, and including, the service boards of the Defence Council.
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No central records are kept of the total number of submissions made. However, of submissions considered by the service boards since the Race Relations Act 1976 came into force in 1977, none was concerned with alleged racial discrimination or abuse.Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) on how many occasions since the Race Relations Act 1976 became law has the special investigations branch investigated allegations of racial discrimination or abuse ; and if he will publish the details of such cases ;
(2) on how many occasions since the Race Relations Act 1968 became law have incidences of racial discrimination or abuse, whether actual, reported or alleged, been brought to the attention of the special investigations branch, senior regimental officers or the authorities of his Department ; and if he will publish the details of such cases.
Mr. Neubert : Records are not maintained in a form which enables this information to be provided.
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what circumstances led the Commission for Racial Equality to make representations to his Department about ways of dealing with racial discrimination ; what has been his Department's reponse to these representations ; and what arrangements are in force or planned within the armed services to prevent racial abuse or provocation and to improve awareness of dangers of racial discrimination.
Mr. Neubert : My Department has received no recent representations but has had a number of discussions with the Commission for Racial Equality both directly and in the forum of the Home Secretary's Advisory Council on Race Relations. The CRE has been helpful, for example, in the drafting of terms of reference for a study by independent consultants following the results of the first year of ethnic monitoring of applicants and recruits to the armed forces. The aim of the study, for which invitations to tender have now been issued, is to attract more young people from the ethnic minorities to careers in the armed forces.
Measures to discourage racial discrimination were set out in the memorandum from the Ministry of Defence to the House of Commons Defence Committee which was published in the First Report from the Defence Committee, Session 1987-88 (HC 391) and I refer the right hon. Member to pages 4 to 9 of that report. More recently instructions have been issued to recruiting staff, further Defence Council instructions have been issued and some 65,000 copies of the leaflet "The Armed Forces--Your Rights and Responsibilities" have been distributed, primarily to recruits. This leaflet sets out in summary form the armed forces' policy of equal opportunity and the procedures for any complaints of injustice or ill-treatment.
Rubble Dumping (Pirbright)
Mr. Onslow : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps the Property Services Agency is taking to prevent unauthorised dumping of rubble on Ministry of Defence land in the vicinity of School lane, Pirbright, details of which have been sent to the Department.
Mr. Neubert : I shall write to my right hon. Friend shortly.
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Personnel (Duties)
Mr. Marlow : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give an estimate (i) as to the numbers of military personnel whose duties include (a) part time and (b) full time, the care of horses owned privately by officers and(ii) the cost to public funds ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Neubert : Privately owned horses are permitted to be stabled in Army stables only on the basis that there are no additional costs (including manpower costs) to public funds and that their owners meet the costs incurred.
Chieftain Tank Replacement
Mr. Rowe : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if, further to his statement on 20 December 1988 on the Chieftain tank replacement, a contract has now been signed with Vickers.
Mr. Sainsbury : Negotiations on the detailed terms and conditions of the contract are in hand and it is hoped that the contract will be signed shortly.
Neutron Beam Detectors
Mr. Bermingham : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research is being commissioned in relation to the use of neutron beam detector systems for use in security at Royal Air Force bases ; what level of funding is being allocated to this area ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sainsbury : MOD is assisting the Department of Transport in its work aimed at improving airport security. The results of such work could be of benefit to the RAF. I am sure that the hon. Member will appreciate that it would be inadvisable on security grounds to comment on particular technologies.
CINDER (Aldermaston)
Sir Michael McNair-Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will define the role, task and training of CINDER at AWRE, Aldermaston ; and if he will make a statement about its composition.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I assume my hon. Friend is referring to recent articles in the press about the Government's counter-terrorist arrangements. Contingency plans exist to deal with a number of potential terrorist threats. It would not, however, be in the public interest to discuss specific plans.
SCOTLAND
Teacher Training
Mr. Kennedy : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list by subject (a) the number of students in Scotland currently enrolled on teacher training courses and (b) the number of available places on teacher training courses in Scotland for the current academic year and the projected number for the forthcoming academic year ; and if he will make a statement on any shortfall in particular subject areas of students enrolling for teacher training courses in Scotland.
Column 777
Mr. Michael Forsyth : My right hon. and learned Friend prescribes the overall number of places to be provided for each teacher training course in the colleges of education, but does not determine limits for subject specialism which may be offered within postgraduate secondary courses. The balance of subject specialisms is determined by individual colleges of education in consultation with their local education authorities.
The information requested is set out in the table below. There is no shortfall in the numbers enrolled for this
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academic session for the primary courses, the postgraduate secondary courses and the bachelor of education in physical education course. Recruitment to the new bachelor of education courses in music and in technology has not matched the places available. A Government publicity leaflet about technology teaching has been sent to every school and further education college, and I understand that access courses for both degrees are being planned.Column 777
|Students enrolled<1> |Places available 1988-89|<2>Provisional places
|1988-89 |available 1989-90
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Primary
4-year BEd |2,070 (503 in year 1) |500 |850
Postgraduate course | 201 |200 |300
Secondary<3>
4-year BEd in Physical education | 277 (80 in year 1) |80 |90
Music<4> | 53 (36 in year 1) |55 |70
Technology<4> | 61 (39 in year 1) |80 |80
3-year Diploma in music<5> | 14 (year 3) |- |-
4-year Diploma in speech and drama<5> | 15 (years 3 and 4) |- |-
Postgraduate course | 418 |400 |600
English | 40 |- |-
History | 13 |- |-
Geography | 12 |- |-
Modern studies | 11 |- |-
French | 20 |- |-
German | 3 |- |-
Gaelic | 2 |- |-
Computing | 25 |- |-
Mathematics | 61 |- |-
Biology | 26 |- |-
Chemistry | 34 |- |-
Physics | 41 |- |-
Art | 23 |- |-
Business studies | 29 |- |-
Home economics | 18 |- |-
Technology | 19 |- |-
Music | 10 |- |-
Drama | 5 |- |-
Religious education | 26 |- |-
<1> Figures correct at 17 October 1988.
<2> These figures are at present the subject of consultation.
<3> It is also possible to undertake teacher training as part of an undergraduate degree course at the university of Stirling. By
agreement with the University Grants Committee, the university is restricted to producing a maximum of 50 secondary teachers annually.
<4> Entry to these courses began in 1987-88.
<5> The final intake to these courses was in 1986-87.
Loch Katrine
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has on the fluoride levels both natural and artefact of Loch Katrine water ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The natural fluoride content of Loch Katrine water is negligible and remains consistently below 0.05 milligrammes per litre. The water supply authority does not add fluoride.
Health Service (Grading)
Mr. Ron Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has received recent representations from trades unions regarding nurses' regrading in Lothian's National Health Service hospitals ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : I have received no recent representations from trades unions on this matter.
Column 778
Football
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list Scottish League clubs together with the following information for each of them during the 1987-88 season : the number of matches played at their grounds, the total season's attendance, the total arrests in association with such matches, the average attendance per match, the average number of arrests per match and the arrests as a proportion of the attendance ; and if he will make a statement about the numbers of charges and convictions which have arisen from such arrests.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Attendance figures for season 1987-88 are summarised in the following table. Figures are not collected centrally for European cup ties, friendly matches and regional competitions. The police forces have advised that the total number of arrests within the grounds at these matches was 845. Charges were prepared in all these cases. Information as to whether such charges resulted in criminal convictions is not held centrally.
Column 779
Attendances at Matches played in Season 1987-88 in the Fine Fare
league championship and in the Skol Cup and the Scottish Football
Association Cup competitions
|Total attendances |Number of matches |Average attendance per
|match
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Premier Division
Aberdeen |349,207 |26 |13,431
Celtic |796,261 |25 |31,850
Dundee |259,753 |27 |9,620
Dundee United |253,278 |24 |10,553
Dunfermline Athletic |249,271 |25 |9,970
Falkirk |160,321 |23 |6,970
Heart of Midlothian |422,443 |26 |16,247
Hibernian |275,898 |26 |10,611
Morton |110,432 |23 |4,801
Motherwell |168,303 |26 |6,473
Rangers |924,557 |24 |38,523
St. Mirren |172,148 |24 |7,172
First Division
Airdrieonians |37,843 |23 |1,645
Clyde |24,085 |23 |1,047
Clydebank |28,794 |23 |1,251
Dumbarton |34,260 |24 |1,427
East Fife |23,054 |23 |1,002
Forfar Athletic |17,600 |23 |765
Hamilton Academical |55,380 |24 |2,307
Kilmarnock |48,201 |23 |2,095
Meadowbank Thistle |19,398 |24 |808
Partick Thistle |68,385 |25 |2,735
Queen of the South |32,449 |24 |1,352
Raith Rovers |63,734 |25 |2,549
Second Division
Albion Rovers |7,342 |20 |367
Alloa |11,393 |20 |569
Arbroath |17,298 |21 |823
Ayr United |67,215 |21 |3,200
Berwick Rangers |9,429 |21 |449
Brechin City |12,577 |21 |598
Cowdenbeath |6,617 |22 |300
East Stirlingshire |10,847 |21 |516
Montrose |7,988 |19 |420
Queen's Park |13,613 |21 |648
St. Johnstone |47,782 |22 |2,171
Stenhousemuir |7,203 |20 |360
Stirling Albion |26,945 |21 |1,283
Stranraer |9,757 |20 |487
Cup Semi-Final Ties |191,588 |6 |31,931
Cup Final Ties |140,034 |2 |70,017
|--------- |----
Grand Totals |5,182,701 |881
Community Charge
Mrs. Ray Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the estimated number of second homes liable for the standard community charge by local authority areas.
Mr. Lang : The estimated number of second homes for each district and islands council area as at 30 June 1986 is set out in the following table. The figures have been derived from information supplied by local authorities.
District/Island |Second homes
Authorities
--------------------------------------------------------
Berwickshire |184
Ettrick and Lauderdale |257
Roxburgh |313
Tweeddale |200
Clackmannan |37
Falkirk |125
Stirling |162
Annandale and Eskdale |171
Nithsdale |283
Stewartry |478
Wigtown |331
Dunfermline |68
Kirkaldy |126
North East Fife |801
Aberdeen City |312
Banff and Buchan |393
Gordon |355
Kincardine and Deeside |293
Moray |515
Badenoch and Strathspey |565
Caithness |205
Inverness |304
Lochaber |374
Nairn |55
Ross and Cromarty |663
Skye and Lochalsh |527
Sutherland |428
East Lothian |564
Edinburgh City |726
Midlothian |44
West Lothian |44
Argyle and Bute |2,763
Bearsden and Milngavie |3
Clydebank |35
Clydesdale |155
Cumbernauld and Kilsyth |27
Cumnock and Doon Valley |38
Cunninghame |1,884
Dumbarton |311
East Kilbride |42
Eastwood |16
Glasgow City |674
Hamilton |51
Inverclyde |84
Kilmarnock and Louden |70
Kyle and Carrick |539
Monklands |65
Motherwell |16
Renfrew |141
Strathkelvin |38
Angus |599
Dundee City |208
Perth and Kinross |994
Orkney |166
Shetland |166
Western Isles |460
|------
Scotland total |19,446
Mrs. Ray Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people have been fined for not registering for the poll tax to date ; how many people have been placed on the register despite not having registered ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang : Responsibility for compiling community charges registers rests with individual community charges registration officers and information of the kind requested is not held centrally.
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