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Greenhouse Effect
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on her initiatives to co-ordinate inter-departmental action on the greenhouse effect.
The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for South Shields (Dr. Clark) on 16 January 1989, at column 1.
Engagements
Mr. Cran : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 17 January.
Mr. Ian Taylor : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 17 January.
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 17 January.
Mr. Sumberg : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 17 January.
Mr. Dunnachie : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 17 January.
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 17 January.
Mr. Pike : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 17 January.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 17 January.
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 17 January.
Mr. Gill : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 17 January.
The Prime Minister : This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today.
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Fax Machines
Mr. Allen : To ask the Lord President of the Council how many fax machines were purchased by hon. Members for their use in the House ; and at what cost.
Mr. Wakeham : The information requested by the hon. Member is not available centrally since the purchase of such equipment is an individual matter for right hon. and hon. Members.
Library Papers
Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will ensure that a copy of every Library deposited paper is supplied to the branch library in Norman Shaw North ; and if he will monitor the situation in the future.
Mr. Wakeham : About 80 per cent. of papers deposited in the Members' Library are also available in the branch library. Some papers because of their size, format or
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restricted contents, cannot easily be duplicated. However, I have made arrangements to remind Government Departments of the desirability of sending a second copy to the branch library whenever possible. The Library keeps deposited paper arrangements under constant review.NATIONAL FINANCE
National Savings
Mr. Andrew Bowden : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total current number of national savings ordinary accounts.
Mr. Lilley : There are approximately 56.2 million ordinary accounts of which only 7.7 million are active, that is, which received a deposit during the last five years.
Drugs
Mr. Mudd : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list, according to substance, weight, street value and point of location or interception, major quantities of dangerous drugs seized by Her Majesty's Customs in each of the years 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988.
Mr. Lilley [holding answer 16 January 1989] : I regret that this information is not readily available in the form requested.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Israel (Palestinian Detainees)
Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his latest estimate is for Palestinians detained without trial in Israel ; how many of these come from the occupied territories ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Waldegrave : We understand that there are just over 900 Palestinian administrative detainees currently held by the Israeli authorities. These are among a total of between 4,000 and 5,000 Palestinians detained so far without trial in Israel and the occupied territories. In addition to the administrative detainees, there are those awaiting trial, under investigation, sentenced for short periods or of as yet undefined status. We have made clear repeatedly to the Israelis our strong opposition to the practice of administrative detention.
Citizenship (European Community)
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of Portugal or within the Council of Ministers regarding harmonisation of the citizenship and nationality arrangements for people in dependent territories of each member country of the European Community ; and if he will make a statement.
DEFENCE
Nuclear Weapons
Ms. Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy not to agree to North Atlantic
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Treaty Organisation modernisation of nuclear weapons until the House of Commons has expressed its view thereon.Mr. Archie Hamilton : The Government's support for modernisation is well known and is reflected in their endorsement of successive NATO communique s reiterating the Alliance's determination to keep its forces, nuclear and conventional, effective and up to date. The modernisation issue has already been raised in the House on numerous occasions. Moreover, the Government have undertaken to report to the House on nuclear modernisation as it affects British forces when the appropriate moment comes.
BAOR
Mr. Sean Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the average number of (a) British land forces, (b) British main battle tanks and (c) British armoured personnel carriers stationed on the mainland of Europe in 1987.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The figures requested by the hon. Member for 1987 were approximately as follows :
|Number
------------------------------------------------------------
(a) British land forces |<1>60,300
(b) British main battle tanks |<2>650
(c) British armoured personnel carriers |<3>1,900
<1> Includes 3,000 in Berlin.
<2> Does not include reserve stocks.
<3> Includes a number of non-troop carrying vehicles.
These figures include the British Army of the Rhine and forces stationed in Berlin.
Mr. Sean Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the average number of trained infantrymen in each British Army of the Rhine infantry battalion.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The establishment of infantry battalions in BAOR varies according to role. The current average establishment is approximately 660 officers and soldiers. This figure is subject to change as the re-equipping of infantry battalions with Warrior and Saxon, and the conversion of 6 Brigade from the airmobile role, continue.
Mr. Sean Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the average number of main battle tanks in each British Army of the Rhine armoured regiment.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : It is not our practice to give details of the number of tanks in operational units or formations.
Mr. Sean Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the average number of anti-tank guided missile systems in each British Army of the Rhine infantry battalion.
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Mr. Archie Hamilton : It is not our practice to give details of the number of anti-tank guided missiles in operational units or formations.
Mr. Sean Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the average number of surface-to-air guided missile systems in each British Army of the Rhine air defence regiment.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : It is not our practice to disclose the numbers of surface-to-air guided missile systems in operational units or formations.
Mr. Sean Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the average amount of time spent by each British Army of the Rhine infantry battalion in (a) training and (b) exercise in 1987.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : In 1987, BAOR infantry battalions deployed for up to 26 weeks of training, of which approximately 15 weeks was for battalion level training and 11 weeks for company level training. The form in which records are held does not differentiate between training and exercise deployment and the specific information requested by the hon. Member could be provided only at
disproportionate cost.
Mr. Sean Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the average amount of time spent by each British Army of the Rhine armoured regiment in (a) training and (b) exercise in 1987.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : In 1987, BAOR armoured regiments deployed for up to 23-25 weeks of training, of which approximately 14 weeks was for regimental training and eight weeks for squadron/troop training. The form in which records are held does not differentiate between training and exercise deployment and the specific information requested by the hon. Member could be provided only at
disproportionate cost.
Low Flying
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the number of complaints about low-flying aircraft for each training area for each month since January 1980 and give for each month the relative number of sorties involved.
Mr. Neubert : Monthly breakdowns of low-level military training sorties and complaints and inquiries received at the Ministry of Defence about such training are as follows. It should be noted that some of the monthly figures for earlier years were corrected on aggregation and yearly totals calculated by aggregating the monthly figures given may differ slightly from the yearly totals supplied previously to the House.
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Monthly Complaints in the United Kingdom Low Flying System
|1980 |1981 |1982 |1983 |1984 |1985 |1986 |1987 |1988
----------------------------------------------------------------------
January |222 |159 |142 |246 |206 |145 |238 |224 |283
February |194 |228 |257 |212 |145 |190 |210 |227 |311
March |170 |209 |323 |288 |150 |170 |164 |236 |324
April |276 |283 |367 |405 |288 |224 |308 |305 |449
May |242 |329 |235 |619 |370 |406 |401 |405 |668
June |383 |540 |232 |589 |885 |301 |569 |515 |634
July |372 |721 |405 |727 |1,009|487 |636 |777 |643
August |389 |483 |290 |814 |925 |573 |1,062|691 |917
September |459 |724 |418 |516 |480 |591 |701 |723 |497
October |328 |329 |192 |211 |401 |382 |454 |691 |349
November |160 |298 |276 |294 |324 |390 |294 |714 |-
December |170 |199 |168 |146 |186 |274 |267 |187 |-
Monthly Complaints in the United Kingdom Low Flying System
|1980 |1981 |1982 |1983 |1984 |1985 |1986 |1987 |1988
----------------------------------------------------------------------
January |222 |159 |142 |246 |206 |145 |238 |224 |283
February |194 |228 |257 |212 |145 |190 |210 |227 |311
March |170 |209 |323 |288 |150 |170 |164 |236 |324
April |276 |283 |367 |405 |288 |224 |308 |305 |449
May |242 |329 |235 |619 |370 |406 |401 |405 |668
June |383 |540 |232 |589 |885 |301 |569 |515 |634
July |372 |721 |405 |727 |1,009|487 |636 |777 |643
August |389 |483 |290 |814 |925 |573 |1,062|691 |917
September |459 |724 |418 |516 |480 |591 |701 |723 |497
October |328 |329 |192 |211 |401 |382 |454 |691 |349
November |160 |298 |276 |294 |324 |390 |294 |714 |-
December |170 |199 |168 |146 |186 |274 |267 |187 |-
It is not our practice to publish detailed information relating to specific low-flying training areas.
Royal Yacht (Costs)
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out the total running costs of the royal yacht Britannia for the year 1987.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The overall running costs for HMY Britannia for financial year 1987-88 were approximately £7.3 million.
Shipping Collision
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has received from the United States Navy about the collision between the USS Will Rogers and the fishing vessel New Dawn on 3 January ; what action he proposes to take ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The Ministry of Defence was informed on 3 January 1989 that the submarine USS Will Rogers had been involved in a minor collision while on the surface with the 50-ton fishing trawler New Dawn in the Firth of Clyde. The collision occurred at approximately 0730 during USS Will Rogers' passage to Holy Loch. The trawler reported only superficial damage and continued under way. On return to port, an initial hull inspection of USS Will Rogers revealed minor scraping and chipping of paint. The US navy is conducting an investigation regarding the incident.
Trident (Costs)
Mr. John Browne : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the latest estimate of the cost of the Trident programme ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Younger : I am pleased to announce that for the third year running I am able to report a reduction in the estimated costs of the Trident programme. The revised estimate at average 1988-89 prices is £9,089 million. The estimate is based on the exchange rate of £1=$1.76 used for the current long-term costing of the defence programme. The forecast proportion of the programme to be undertaken in the United Kingdom has risen to 68 per
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cent., the highest level so far. After allowing for the effects of inflation and exchange rate variations, the new estimate represents a real reduction of some £104 million compared with last year's estimate and a real reduction of £1,051 million compared with the original 1982 estimate, over and above the savings of some £784 million resulting from the decision to have United Kingdom missiles processed in the United States facility at King's bay, Georgia. The Select Committee on Defence previously asked that when announcing the annual revised estimate I should report on the state of the project as a whole. I am pleased to say that the project remains on programme to enter service as planned in the mid-1990s. There has been no slippage in the in- service date since the decision to proceed with Trident II was announced in March 1982. I am, as in past years, sending to the Chairmen of the Select Committee on Defence and the Public Accounts Committee a more detailed report covering the progress of the various elements of the Trident programme. I am also placing a copy of the report in the Library of the House.HMS Resolution
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what decision has been reached over the refurbishment of HMS Resolution ; what is the estimated cost of such refurbishment ; and what would be the total defence budget allocation to Polaris for 1988-89 in the event of such refurbishment.
Mr. Sainsbury [holding answer 15 December 1988] : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Winchester (Mr. Browne) by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence today. In particular, I refer to the more detailed report mentioned in that reply. It has been placed in the House of Commons library, and states that the Ministry of Defence has decided that a fourth refit for the Polaris submarine HMS Resolution is not required.
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EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
Teachers
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many teachers have joined the profession in state schools over each of the last five years ; how many have left ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Butcher : The numbers of teachers entering and leaving the maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools sector in England in the last five years for which figures are available were :
Year ending 31 March |Entering |Leaving ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1982 |22,700 |30,800 1983 |23,400 |29,400 1984 |25,600 |29,600 1985 |24,600 |31,100 1986 |25,800 |30,800
These figures include teachers entering from or leaving to other parts of the maintained sector.
Vandalism
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many schools in the Bolton area were damaged by vandalism, in particular arson, during each of the last five years ; what was the cost to the education authority of this damage ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Butcher : Data concerning the number of schools affected by vandalism are not available, but I understand that the majority of schools in the Bolton area have been affected. The cost of damage during each of the last five years is given in the table. Such a level of loss is unacceptable, and I am discussing with the local authority associations a range of measures to improve the security of school premises.
Financial year |Vandalism £ |Arson £ |Number of fires -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1983-84 |114,098 |18,951 |17 1984-85 |136,911 |85,000 |12 1985-86 |155,032 |85,536 |11 1986-87 |160,967 |14,829 |14 1987-88 |193,808 |153,202 |20
Graduates
Dr. Hampson : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proportion of graduates went into industry in the latest year for which figures are available.
Mr. Robert Jackson : Seventeen per cent. of first degree graduates in Great Britain in 1987 of known destination entered industry.
Records of Achievement
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether his Department has any plans to provide additional funds for the development of records of achievement for pupils in secondary education ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mrs. Rumbold : Specific grant funding will be available in 1989-90, as in 1988-89, to support pilot projects in a number of areas and to support in-service training of teachers in all local education authorities. The final report of the records of achievement national steering committee will be published for consultation shortly. Decisions on future developments will be taken in the light of those consultations.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Fires (Investigation)
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report for each fire authority in England and Wales for each of the last five years (a) the number of domestic fires described as doubtful, where malicious or deliberate ignition is suspected, and (b) the number of domestic fires where malicious ignition has been established beyond reasonable doubt.
Mr. John Patten : The readily available information does not separate suspected deliberate fires from those where it is established beyond reasonable doubt that a fire was started deliberately. A total for the number of deliberate and possibly deliberate fires in occupied buildings for each fire brigade area is published annually in "Fire Statistics United Kingdom", (table 64 for 1986, table 63 for 1985, table 60 for 1984, table 58 for 1983 and table 57 for 1982). Comparable data for 1987 are expected to be published in spring 1989. Provisional estimates for 1987 are given in the following table.
Deliberate or possibly deliberate fires, by
brigade area, 1987
|Number
-------------------------------------------------
England and Wales Total |15,271
England-Non-metropolitan counties:
Avon |239
Bedfordshire |141
Berkshire |159
Buckinghamshire |130
Cambridgeshire |101
Cheshire |269
Cleveland |236
Cornwall |39
Cumbria |90
Derbyshire |111
Devon |153
Dorset |107
Durham |129
East Sussex |144
Essex |212
Gloucestershire |98
Hampshire |215
Hereford and Worcester |109
Hertfordshire |146
Humberside |314
Isle of Wight |18
Kent |355
Lancashire |365
Leicestershire |207
Lincolnshire |70
Norfolk |130
North Yorkshire |96
Northamptonshire |176
Northumberland |63
Nottinghamshire |363
Oxfordshire |70
Shropshire |79
Somerset |53
Staffordshire |175
Suffolk |107
Surrey |188
Warwickshire |100
West Sussex |100
Wiltshire |70
England-Metropolitan counties:
Greater Manchester |1,490
Merseyside |1,238
South Yorkshire |302
Tyne and Wear |713
West Midlands |1,295
West Yorkshire |756
Greater London |2,935
Wales:
Clwyd |69
Dyfed |28
Gwent |86
Gwynedd |51
Mid Glamorgan |152
Powys |16
South Glamorgan |146
West Glamorgan |67
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report for each fire authority in England and Wales whether it has a specialist fire investigation team.
Mr. John Patten : Only the London and West Midlands fire and civil defence authorities have full-time specialist fire investigation teams. About half the remaining fire authorities have teams whose members combine their duties with other responsibilities. But all fire authorities now have officers trained in fire investigation techniques and are able to use their services, ad hoc, whether individually or as a team as circumstances demand.
Passport Office, Belfast
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) permanent, (b) temporary and (c) part-time staff have been employed in the Belfast passport office ; how many applications for passports have been handled by that office in each of the last five years ; and what proposals he has to increase permanent staffing levels at the Belfast passport office.
Mr. Renton : The information requested in respect of the Belfast passport office is as follows :
Year |Number of passports|Permanent staff<1> |Casual staff<2>
|issued
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1984 |33,707 |15 |6
1985 |34,655 |15 |6
1986 |45,472 |16 |6
1987 |51,305 |18 |5
1988 |60,248 |18 |8
<1>The figures for permanent staff include two part-time staff in 1986 and six part-time staff in
1987 and 1988.
<2>The figures for casual staff are the maximum for the year.
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Staffing levels at all the United Kingdom passport offices are closely monitored. There are no current plans to increase the permanent staff complement at Belfast.Prisons
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list the new prison buildings under construction in England and Wales, giving in each case the original date for completion and the present expected completion date :
(2) how many of the prisons now under construction are on target for the scheduled date of completion ; and if he will make a statement ;
(3) if he will list all current delays in completion of the building of new prisons or the refurbishment of prison wings in England and Wales together with the length of the delays and their reasons.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The contracts for the construction of prisons, as for comparable schemes, customarily allow for the possibility that there may be delay for reasons such as bad weather. Planning is accordingly taken forward on the basis of the target opening of the new establishment. The original target opening date for the prisons now under construction were as follows ; it is still expected that these targets will be met.
Prison |Target opening date ------------------------------------------------------------ Brinsford |September 1990 Bullington |April 1991 Whitemoor |May 1991 Woolwich |April 1991 Lindholme 2 |June 1991 Lancaster Farms |July 1992 Milton Keynes |July 1992
Wings are currently being refurbished at the following establishments. Except where indicated, the contracts are in each case expected to be completed on time.
Prison |Delay
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Liverpool |-
Risley |-
Stafford |-
Pentonville |Nine months. Contract extended to
| include provision of low cost
| integral sanitation.
Wormwood Scrubs |Six to 12 months. Staffing difficulties.
Lay Visitors
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what insurance cover exists for lay visitors visiting magistrates courts or police stations ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : There is no insurance cover as such for lay visitors, but lay visitors within the Metropolitan police district have been informed that sympathetic consideration will be given to paying compensation, on an ex gratia basis, to any lay visitor who suffers injury or loss or damage to personal property while carrying out his or her duties as a lay visitor. Claims will be paid out of the Metropolitan police fund. Lay visitors were advised of the arrangements in a circular letter dated 2 March 1988.
Arrangements outside the Metropolitan police district are a matter for the police authority concerned.
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Mobile Homes (Parking)
Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to tighten the laws on illegal parking and trespass by tinkers and other travellers with mobile homes.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We have no plans to change the laws on illegal parking or trespass.
Football (Arrests)
Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrests in Football League grounds during season 1987-88 led to convictions.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : This information is not recorded centrally.
Football (Identity Cards)
Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the Police Federation in respect of the proposed identity cards scheme for spectators at Football League matches ; what was the nature of any such representations ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The Police Federation has made its representations to my hon. Friend the Minister for Sport.
Blasphemy
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration he has given to the Law Commission's report on the laws of blasphemy ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. John Patten : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the question from the hon. Member for Bolton, South-East (Mr. Young) on 20 December 1988, at column 185.
Mr. Layman (Cardiff Prison)
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reply to the hon. Member for Caerphilly's correspondence concerning his constituent Mr. Layman, currently held on remand in Cardiff prison.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : I hope to reply to the hon. Member within the next two weeks.
Badgers
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received in respect of the publication and distribution of a book entitled "Badger Digging with Terriers"; and if he will make a statement on his proposed response.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : In reply to correspondents who wrote three years ago we explained that if the book openly encouraged people to commit an offence, a charge could be brought of incitement to commit a crime.
Breathalyser Tests
Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish information available
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