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Written Answers to Questions

Wednesday 1 February 1989

TRANSPORT

Fennell Report

Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made to implement recommendation 46 of the Fennell report that the annual inspection by the London fire brigade of underground stations and tunnels should continue and unsatisfactory features be remedied and reported on within six weeks and that copies of the reports be sent to the chief safety inspector and railway inspectorate and that arrangements be made by London Underground to publish the reports in consultation with the London fire brigade and London regional passengers committee.

Mr. Portillo : I understand that London Underground Ltd. has agreed a new procedure in response to this recommendation. The London fire and civil defence authority will send LUL a formal report of each inspection. Copies will be sent to the railways inspectorate and the chief safety inspector. LUL will respond to the LFCDA within six weeks. A copy of the report, together with LUL's response, will be passed to the London regional passengers' committee and to the House of Commons Library. This procedure will take effect from the receipt by LUL of the next LFCDA annual inspection report.

Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made to implement recommendation 141 in the Fennell report that London Underground shall review its proposals for the working of the underground ticketing system at stations and take advice from the railways inspectorate and the London fire brigade ; and if he will take steps to ensure that for all such final proposals which are at variance with the railway inspectorate's or London fire brigade's advice a reason shall be publicly given by London Underground.

Mr. Portillo : London Underground Ltd. had taken the advice of the London fire brigade and of the railways inspectorate on this matter prior to the publication of Mr. Fennell's report. However, London Regional Transport has, at my request, appointed consulting engineers to carry out an independent study of the Underground ticketing system. The study will focus on the implications for passenger safety and will be completed by the end of April. LRT intends to discuss the results of this review with the railways inspectorate and the London fire brigade.

Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress his Department has made in response to recommendation 120 of the Fennell report that the law on fire certification as it relates to underground stations should be clarified.

Mr. Portillo : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department has made an order under


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the Fire Precautions Act 1971, that was laid before Parliament on 27 January, under which underground railway stations will require a fire certificate unless regulations which are to be made under section 12 of the 1971 Act apply to them.

Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made to implement recommendation 48 of the Fennell report that locked emergency gates shall be fitted with alarmed panic bars ; and what trials have been carried out to see if they work under panic conditions following an incident which for passenger safety has to be responded to at great speed and where a large number of people are involved.

Mr. Portillo : I understand that London Underground has identified 24 exits and 11 sites at stations with lifts where it is necessary to fit alarmed panic bars. London Underground considers that a new design of gate may be necessary in order to accommodate the panic bars, and a prototype is being installed at Moorgate for evaluation in February. If the prototype is successful, London Underground will install the alarmed panic bars at the sites identified by 30 June 1989.

Exit Barriers (London Underground)

Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will direct London Underground Ltd. and London Regional Transport to make available a copy of all relevant correspondence, reports and documentation communicated between themselves and the fire authorities for London about the consequences for safety of automatic exit barriers installed at London underground stations ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Portillo : It is for London Regional Transport, London Underground Ltd. and the London fire and civil defence authority to consider whether to make available such exchanges.

Channel Tunnel

Mr. Dunn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make clear the likely sources of funding for environmental protection for communities and land potentially affected by a high-speed Channel tunnel rail link ; if he will clarify the position with regard to the use of Government funds for such purposes in the light of section 40 of the Channel Tunnel Act ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Portillo : The environmental protection measures which BR will need to take as part of its proposals for a new line will form part of the cost of the project which will have to be met from increased BR revenues. Government subsidy is ruled out by section 42 of the Channel Tunnel Act.

Mr. Gerald Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether there is any contractual arrangement or other commitment between Her Majesty's Government or British Rail with the French Government or French rail authorities on the speed of trains from the Channel tunnel to London, and over other parts of the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Portillo [holding answer 31 January 1989] : There are no agreements between the British and French


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Governments on the speed of Channel tunnel trains within the United Kingdom. The contractual arrangements between BR and SNCF are a matter for them, but I understand that they provide for the shares of revenues to reflect relative contributions towards the overall quality of service and hence its commercial success. BR would accordingly receive an increased share of the joint revenues from the service and pay a smaller share of the costs if the current journey time between London and the tunnel were reduced.

London Regional Transport (Director)

Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has as to the date on which Dr. Ridley, former director of London Regional Transport, vacated the premises from which he carried out his official duties on behalf of London Regional Transport.

Mr. Portillo : Dr. Ridley's official duties as a member of London Regional Transport terminated on 10 November 1988, when he resigned. Any temporary use of facilities granted subsequently by LRT at its discretion to help him clear up his affairs is a matter for LRT.

Coastguard

Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to recommence recruitment for professional, trained coastguards ; and if he will list in the Official Report the number of vacancies occurring at each registered coastguard rescue centre indicating the length of time for which any vacancy has lasted.

Mr. Portillo [holding answer 30 January 1989] : A recruitment campaign is currently in progress. Advertisements will appear shortly both in trade magazines and selected newspapers in order to reach suitably qualified and experienced candidates. The main thrust of this campaign is to attract candidates who are prepared to fill vacancies on the mainland of Scotland and in the Scottish islands. Particulars of vacancies as at 1 January 1989 are as follows :


Coastguard District                    |Number                                |Since                                                                        

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shetland                               |3                                     |15 November 1988                                                             

                                                                              |12 November 1988                                                             

                                                                              |4 March 1988                                                                 

Pentland                               |1                                     |5 October 1988                                                               

Moray                                  |5                                     |Watchkeeping duties cease on 30 March.                                       

                                                                              |Vacancies will not be filled.                                                

Tyne/Tees                              |2                                     |20 June 1988                                                                 

                                                                              |26 July 1988                                                                 

Yarmouth                               |4                                     |11 November 1988                                                             

                                                                              |15 August 1988                                                               

                                                                              |18 August 1988                                                               

                                                                              |19 September 1988                                                            

Thames                                 |1                                     |30 April 1988                                                                

Dover                                  |3                                     |7 May 1987                                                                   

                                                                              |4 April 1988                                                                 

                                                                              |31 July 1988                                                                 

Milford Haven                          |1                                     |8 February 1988                                                              

Liverpool                              |1                                     |15 November 1988                                                             

Belfast                                |4                                     |1 February 1988                                                              

                                                                              |20 February 1988                                                             

                                                                              |9 November 1987                                                              

                                                                              |25 November 1988                                                             

Oban                                   |1                                     |5 December 1988                                                              

Stornoway                              |2                                     |4 March 1988                                                                 

                                                                              |28 September 1988                                                            

Moray MRSC will close on 30 March 1989.

All other vacancies are planned to be filled by promotion, transfer or recruitment.

LRT (Fares)

Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will tabulate in the Official Report the overall increase in percentage of fares charged by London Regional Transport for each fare increase since January 1984, together with the respective increase in the cost of living index for the relevant preceding period.

Mr. Portillo [holding answer 30 January 1989] : The information requested is as follows. As a result of the increased use made of travelcards and capitalcards, the fare charged per mile travelled has remained broadly constant in real terms over the period 1984-85 to 1988-89.


                      |Annual fare increases|Annual cost of living                      

                                            |increase (using RPI)                       

                      |Per cent.            |Per cent.                                  

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

January 1985          |<1>8.5               |<1>7.8                                     

January 1986          |6.5                  |5.5                                        

January 1987          |4.0                  |3.9                                        

January 1988          |9.5                  |3.3                                        

January 1989          |12.4                 |<2>6.8                                     

Note: All figures indexed from January the previous year except as noted below.         

<1> Figures indexed from previous fare increase in May 1983.                            

<2> December 1988 prices indexed to December 1987 (January 1989 figures not yet         

available for comparison with January 1988).                                            

ENVIRONMENT

Palace of Westminster (Chandeliers)

Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has now completed the investigations referred to in his reply to the hon. Member for Nottingham, North, 10 January, Official Report, column 508.

Mr. Chope : Not yet, but I shall ensure that the advice is provided to the Select Committee as soon as it is available.

Water

Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he is taking in response to the Countryside Commission's report asking for a change in water privatisation plans to protect 300 sites it lists as being of conservation and recreational value and 15 sites warranting special protection because of their national importance which are owned by water authorities ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Moynihan : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Bolton, South-East (Mr. Young) on 19 January.

Mr. Beith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the measures he proposes to limit


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takeovers of water companies will apply to the Coquet water board ; what information he has on the present ownership and control of this undertaking ; and whether he will make a statement.

Mr. Moynihan : The Coquet water board will not be affected by the recently announced measures limiting takeovers of statutory water companies. It was wound up by the Newcastle and Gateshead Water (Coquet Water Board Dissolution) Order 1983, and its liabilities were taken over by the Newcastle and Gateshead water company. It now has no separate existence.

Mr. Goodlad : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to assess whether the acquisition of a stake in the Folkestone water company in partnership with AIPF by the Southern water authority will lead to greater competition.

Mr. Moynihan : The special provisions for water mergers announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 11 January do not apply to mergers involving water companies with assets of less than £30 million. The continued independence of such companies is not essential to comparative competition, which those provisions are designed to safeguard. The acquisition of shares in smaller water companies continues to be subject to fair trading legislation, the administration of which is the responsibility of my right hon. and noble Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.

Mr. Nicholas Baker : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will indicate the increases in water charges proposed by the water authorities for 1989-90 ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Howard : The water authorities are facing demands from the public and from Government to meet increasingly stringent quality standards for drinking water, for our rivers and for coastal waters. These improvements cost money.

The Government have therefore agreed to a 20 per cent. increase in capital expenditure in 1989-90 which will enable the authorities to continue to move towards these higher standards. I announced this to the House on 2 November, when I also expressed the expectation that increases in charges for next year should, on average, be kept to single figures.

Several of the water authorities' chairmen would have preferred even more ambitious programmes of investment next year. However, in considering the need for increases in water charges I have given full weight to the interests of the consumer and the need to avoid sharp increases in any one year. I have also had to take into account the national pressures on the construction industry and the need to avoid unreasonable demands which would lead to higher construction prices. The discussions I have held with the water authority chairmen enable me to confirm that their proposals on charges for 1989-90 will result in an average increase of under 10 per cent., with individual authorities' average increases ranging from 7 to 13 per cent. I am confident that the figures we have agreed will enable the water authorities to make good progress towards our targets for improved environmental standards in the coming year. They represent an appropriate balance between charges and borrowing next year, taking account of the authorities' long-term financial


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requirements. Once the industry is privatised, it will no longer have to compete for public funds ; it will be free to raise finance on the markets.

Mr. Goodlad : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the Southern water authority has given him an undertaking that it will not use minority stakes in statutory water companies' to block either the removal of limits on dividends or the companies' conversion to plc status ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Moynihan [holding answer 30 January 1989] : No such undertaking has been given.

Football Hooliganism

Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what account was taken by his working party on football hooliganism of the arrangements existing in Scotland, particularly those introduced as a consequence of the McElione report ; what are the reasons for his non- adoption of any of these arrangements in England and Wales ; or what steps he has taken to encourage their adoption.

Mr. Moynihan : The McElione report of 1977 made a number of recommendations on the conduct of football matches in Scotland in relation to the Scottish football authorities and Scottish football at that time. Many of these recommendations were taken up in Scotland and similar steps have been taken in England and Wales, including restrictions on the sale of alcohol and the segregation of rival groups of supporters.

My working party was established to review the main principles of a national membership scheme for football supporters. This is not an issue on which the McElione report made recommendations.

Football Membership Scheme

Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to ensure that any charges levied for the proposed football supporters' identity cards do not depend on the holder's willingness to allow personal details to be used for marketing purposes ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Moynihan : I will discuss this with the Data Protection Registrar and the Football Membership Authority at the appropriate stage.

Beaches (Pollution)

Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all those beaches in England which failed to meet the European Community directive on bathing water quality standards in the last year for which data is available ; when it is planned for each of these beaches to meet these standards ; and what is the estimated cost in each case.

Mr. Moynihan : The information on the quality of English bathing waters during the 1988 bathing season is at present being collated. I expect to announce the results before the start of this year's bathing season. We are currently discussing with water authorities their plans for improving those bathing waters which do not yet meet the required standards.


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Water Pollution

Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek to introduce legislation to make it an offence to allow polluted drinking water to come through a tap ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Moynihan : I refer the hon. Gentleman to clause 51 of the Water Bill, which will make it an offence for a water undertaker to supply to any premises water that is unfit for human consumption.

Homeless People

Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when his Department's review of the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977 will be published.

Mr. Trippier : I have nothing to add to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Tottenham (Mr. Grant) on 17 January at column 150.

Woking Local Plan

Mr. Cranley Onslow : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to publish his inspector's report on the Woking local plan.

Mr. Howard : Inspectors are appointed by the Secretary of State to conduct inquiries into objections to local plans. However the inspector reports direct to the local planning authority. This particular inquiry raised a number of very complex issues and, together with necessary site visits, extended over some 17 weeks. The inspector is making every effort to complete his report as soon as possible and expects to submit it to Woking borough council for its consideration by July.

Subsequent publication of the report is then a matter for the local planning authority itself.

Exeter Airport

Dr. Cunningham : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, pursuant to his answer of 19 December 1988, Official Report, column 47, he will now make an announcement in respect of the future development of Exeter airport.

Mr. Ridley : I hope to announce my decision later this month.

Urban Programme

Mr. Patnick : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what resources will be available for local authorities in the urban programme in 1989-90 ; and whether he will make a statement.

Mr. Trippier : I am today announcing initial urban programme resource allocations for 1989-90, totalling over £245 million. The resources will be allocated to the 57 urban programme partnership and programme authorities. The money will be used to support projects which will encourage economic development and environmental improvements to rebuild confidence and encourage private investment in those areas.

The urban programme is one of the Government's range of programmes to help revitalise our inner cities. It


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complements the Department of the Environment's other urban initiatives including the urban development corporations, city grant and derelict land grant. Together these programmes will provide £674 million for inner city regeneration in 1989-90.

The urban programme allocations made today are provisional ; formal allocations are made after inner area programmes have been assessed and approved. Allocations will not be confirmed until authorities have provided a satisfactory annual report on achievements through the UP in 1987-88. Additional resources sometimes become available for redistribution in the course of the year which may lead to outturn being different from these initial allocations.

I attach considerable importance to the improvement in the management of the urban programme and am grateful to authorities for their continuing commitment to and achievements in the urban programme management initiative.

The allocations to individual authorities are as follows .


£ million                                                          

Region and Authority     |Initial allocation                       

                         |1989-90                                  

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Northern                                                           

Newcastle/Gateshead      |17.061                                   

Hartlepool               |1.750                                    

Langbaurgh               |1.750                                    

Middlesbrough            |5.349                                    

North Tyneside           |3.400                                    

South Tyneside           |4.700                                    

Stockton                 |1.368                                    

Sunderland               |5.019                                    

                                                                   

North West                                                         

Manchester/Salford       |21.773                                   

Blackburn                |4.000                                    

Bolton                   |3.625                                    

Burnley                  |1.891                                    

Oldham                   |3.583                                    

Preston                  |2.120                                    

Rochdale                 |3.545                                    

Wigan                    |2.366                                    

                                                                   

Merseyside                                                         

Liverpool                |19.353                                   

Halton                   |1.325                                    

Knowsley                 |3.768                                    

St. Helens               |1.662                                    

Sefton                   |1.429                                    

Wirral                   |3.253                                    

                                                                   

West Midlands                                                      

Birmingham               |23.000                                   

Coventry                 |4.575                                    

Dudley                   |1.340                                    

Sandwell                 |4.407                                    

Walsall                  |1.595                                    

Wolverhampton            |4.867                                    

The Wrekin               |0.680                                    

                                                                   

East Midlands                                                      

Derby                    |1.480                                    

Leicester                |4.750                                    

Nottingham               |5.120                                    

                                                                   

Yorkshire and Humberside                                           

Barnsley                 |1.598                                    

Bradford                 |4.500                                    

Doncaster                |1.793                                    

Hull                     |4.636                                    

Kirklees                 |0.889                                    

Leeds                    |4.315                                    

Rotherham                |1.794                                    

Sheffield                |5.059                                    

                                                                   

London                                                             

Hackney                  |8.034                                    

Islington                |8.717                                    

Lambeth                  |9.932                                    

Brent                    |3.332                                    

Greenwich                |0.970                                    

Hammersmith and Fulham   |3.330                                    

Haringey                 |2.650                                    

Kensington and Chelsea   |1.775                                    

Lewisham                 |1.700                                    

Newham                   |2.589                                    

Southwark                |2.494                                    

Tower Hamlets            |4.373                                    

Wandsworth               |3.183                                    

                                                                   

South West                                                         

Bristol                  |1.373                                    

Plymouth                 |1.003                                    

Redundant Farm Buildings

Mr. Maxwell-Hyslop : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether on appeal against refusal of planning permission for the conversion of redundant farm buildings, the guidance given in his Department's document PPG7 dated January 1988 will prevail when that conflicts with an earlier county structure plan.

Mr. Chope [holding answer 31 January 1989] : Planning appeals are determined on their merits, taking account of all material planning considerations. Where the provisions of a structure or local plan clearly conflict with more recently issued national guidance they will usually be accorded less weight in that process. An up-to-date development plan may justify acceptable local variations from national policies.

New Towns

Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy that all section 7(1) submissions from new town development corporations be sent contemporaneously to hon. Members whose constituencies are affected.

Mr. Trippier [holding answer 30 January 1989] : My right hon. Friend is under a statutory obligation to consult local authorities before deciding on applications from new towns development corporations for planning consent under section 7(1) of the New Towns Act 1981. I shall ask corporations also to ensure that they have satisfactory arrangements in place for informing hon. Members of such applications, where they have expressed an interest.

Football (Arrests)

Mr. Pendry : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations he has received from Football League clubs regarding arrests made in the 1987-88 and 1988-89 seasons ; and if, in the light of such representations, he will amend his table of arrests and the annex to his letter of 21 December 1988.

Mr. Moynihan [holding answer 20 January 1989] : I have received letters from three Football League clubs


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about the arrest figures for the 1987-88 season. One Football League club has written to me about the arrest figures included in the list of incidents of football hooliganism in 1988-89, annexed to my letter of 21 December 1988 to parliamentary colleagues. Re- examination of the 1987-88 statistics has revealed that the local police made one transcription error in the figures notified to ACPO. The number of arrests at Leicester City football club should be amended from 81 to 31. The revised total of arrests at league matches in the 1987-88 season is 6,097. The correct entry for Leicester City is the table given in my reply of 19 December to a question from the hon. Member for Derbyshire, North- East (Mr. Barnes), at columns 55-60 , is therefore :


Leicester City                                                                  

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Matches                                           |22                           

Total attendance                                  |223,049                      

Total arrests                                     |31                           

Average attendance per match                      |10,139                       

Average arrests per match                         |1.41                         

Arrests as a proportion of attendance (Per cent.) |0.01                         

A revised version of the illustrative incidents list was made available on publication of the Football Spectators Bill.

PRIME MINISTER

Taxation

Mr. Allen : To ask the Prime Minister if she will make it her policy to reduce total taxation on those individuals and families where it has increased since 1979 to the level prevailing in 1979.

The Prime Minister : It is our policy to reduce the burden of taxation as and when it is prudent to do so.

Negative Vetting

Mr. Livingstone : To ask the Prime Minister (1) if she will make a statement on the use of negative vetting of (a) civil servants and (b) others working directly or indirectly for the Government ; (2) if she will publish a table showing how many civil servants have been negatively vetted in each Government Department from 1979 to the current date ;

(3) if she will publish a table showing the total number of civil servants as part of their duties involved in negative vetting investigations of employees and potential employees in each Department from 1979 to the current date ;

(4) if she will publish a table showing the total number of negative vetting investigators employed in each Department from 1979 to the current date ;

(5) if she will place in the Library official forms issued to negative vetting investigators from each Government Department ; (6) if she will describe the procedures used in negative vetting ; (7) how many civil servants in each Government Department failed negative vetting in each of the last 10 years ;

(8) which civil service or other Government-appointed posts require negative vetting ;


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(9) what guidelines to Government Departments are issued on how negative vetting of employees and prospective employees is to be undertaken ;

(10) how individual civil servants are informed that they have failed negative vetting procedures ; and what rights of appeal they have.

The Prime Minister : It is not my practice to give detailed information about security vetting procedures.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Child Abuse

Mr. Allen : To ask the Attorney-General what involvement his Department has had in the Broxtowe child sex abuse case ; and if he will make a statement.

The Attorney-General : The Crown Prosecution Service conducted the prosecution of members of the Taylor family.

In cases such as this it is necessary that the jury should hear the evidence of the young children involved, both in chief examination and in any cross-examination. I welcome the successful use of a video link facility to minimise the distress which testifying inevitably causes to the victims of these abhorrent crimes.

Departmental Staff (Child Care)

Ms. Richardson : To ask the Attorney-General what child care provision the Attorney-General's and Lord Chancellor's Department provides for pre-school age


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children of the Department's employees ; what child care provision for school holidays or after school care is provided for employee's children aged five years and over ; and what plans there are for increasing provision in the next five years.

The Attorney-General : A pilot scheme for children of school age will run from 13 to 17 February 1989 and 28 March to 7 April 1989 in London. Together with other Whitehall Departments, staff in my Departments and the Lord Chancellor's Department have been circulated with an invitation to place their children with the scheme. My Departments and the Lord Chancellor's Department are considering proposals to provide nursery facilities for children of pre-school age. It is likely that some nursery facilities will be in operation within the next two years.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

A-level Examinations

Ms. Quin : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many students have taken German, French, and Spanish at A-level standard over the last three academic years ; and what was the success rate in each year, showing the figures by region and in percentage and numerical terms.

Mrs. Rumbold : The information is as follows. The figures relate to the numbers of pupils attempting A-level examinations, and the proportion who passed.


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Numbers of school leavers obtaining an A-level pass expressed as a           

percentage of those who attempted the examination                            

Percentages                                                                  

                            Mathematics    Biology        Computer science   

                           |1985|1986|1987|1985|1986|1987|1985|1986|1987     

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Regions                                                                      

  North                    |77.2|77.7|78.1|70.3|73.3|82.3|67.2|85.2|86.3     

  Yorkshire and Humberside |72.9|74.6|74.6|70.1|73.0|76.2|71.1|76.7|66.5     

  North West               |76.4|74.1|71.6|81.3|72.7|77.5|80.2|66.3|84.6     

  East Midlands            |76.1|72.3|74.5|77.8|71.5|74.4|93.6|59.8|79.0     

  West Midlands            |75.1|74.8|75.2|75.3|73.2|77.6|85.7|68.1|57.1     

  East Anglia              |75.0|78.8|75.6|75.3|81.3|85.8|73.5|87.1|84.7     

  Greater London           |75.4|76.6|74.5|79.0|76.4|76.2|87.2|66.5|73.4     

  Other South East         |81.2|78.6|79.5|78.7|78.0|77.6|80.7|84.3|83.0     

  South West               |75.6|81.4|74.0|78.0|72.4|76.6|79.4|75.0|83.1     

  England                  |77.1|76.8|75.9|76.9|74.8|77.5|79.7|74.8|77.3     


Numbers of school leavers obtaining an A-level pass expressed as a           

percentage of those who attempted the examination                            

Percentages                                                                  

                            Mathematics    Biology        Computer science   

                           |1985|1986|1987|1985|1986|1987|1985|1986|1987     

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Regions                                                                      

  North                    |77.2|77.7|78.1|70.3|73.3|82.3|67.2|85.2|86.3     

  Yorkshire and Humberside |72.9|74.6|74.6|70.1|73.0|76.2|71.1|76.7|66.5     

  North West               |76.4|74.1|71.6|81.3|72.7|77.5|80.2|66.3|84.6     

  East Midlands            |76.1|72.3|74.5|77.8|71.5|74.4|93.6|59.8|79.0     

  West Midlands            |75.1|74.8|75.2|75.3|73.2|77.6|85.7|68.1|57.1     

  East Anglia              |75.0|78.8|75.6|75.3|81.3|85.8|73.5|87.1|84.7     

  Greater London           |75.4|76.6|74.5|79.0|76.4|76.2|87.2|66.5|73.4     

  Other South East         |81.2|78.6|79.5|78.7|78.0|77.6|80.7|84.3|83.0     

  South West               |75.6|81.4|74.0|78.0|72.4|76.6|79.4|75.0|83.1     

  England                  |77.1|76.8|75.9|76.9|74.8|77.5|79.7|74.8|77.3     

Ms. Quin : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many students have taken English, physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology and computer


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studies at A-level standard over the last three academic years ; and what was the success rate in each year, showing all figures by standard planning region and in percentage and numerical terms.


Column 222

Mrs. Rumbold : The information is as follows. The figures relate to the numbers of pupils attempting A-level examinations, and the proportion who passed.


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Table file CW890201.008 not available
Table file CW890201.008 not available
Table file CW890201.008 not available
Table file CW890201.008 not available

Column 223

Education (No. 2) Act 1986

Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many local education authorities have implemented section 58 of the Education (No. 2) Act 1986.

Mrs. Rumbold : All local education authorities in England and Wales are subject to section 58, which empowers an LEA to pay travelling and subsistence allowances to governors of schools and establishments of further education, in accordance with the provisions of a scheme made by it.

I do not have any information about the number of authorities which have implemented schemes.


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