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Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what assistance the Government will give to local education authorities not opposed to section 58 of the Education (No. 2) Act 1986.
Mrs. Rumbold : The fact that an LEA may decide not to introduce a scheme for the payment of travelling and subsistence allowances does not mean that it is "opposed" to the section. It merely shows that the LEA has chosen to give priority to other areas of expenditure, which may, in the circumstances of the particular LEA, be entirely proper.
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to make mandatory the powers under section 58 of the Education (No. 2) Act 1986.
Mrs. Rumbold : We believe that it should be for local education authorities, in determining their expenditure priorities, to decide whether to introduce a scheme for the payment of travelling and subsistence allowances to governors.
We hope, nevertheless, that LEAs will provide allowances where not to do so would cause genuine hardship or would discourage people from becoming governors.
Open University
Mr. Baldry : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about the membership of the Open university visiting committee.
Mr. Kenneth Baker : I have appointed Mr. Kenneth Dixon, the chairman of Rowntree plc, to be chairman-designate of the committee. He will take over as chairman on 1 January 1990.
I am most grateful to Sir Austin Bide, who has been chairman of the visiting committee since it was set up in 1982. My predecessor and I have benefited greatly from the committee's advice and from its thorough analysis of the problems and opportunities which the Open university has faced over the years. I take this opportunity to thank Sir Austin for his enormous contribution in establishing the committee so successfully.
I have also appointed Professor Michael Hart, professor of physics at Manchester university and Mr. Chris Tipple, director of education for Northumberland, to be members of the committee for three years, until December 1991.
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ENERGY
British Coal (Survey)
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the pits that have been involved in British Coal's market research survey carried out by Research Services of Wembley ; the number of interviews carried out and the nature of the questions asked ; when the results will be made public and if he will make a statement as to whether this research has been undertaken in preparation for the privatisation of the coal industry.
Mr. Michael Spicer : This is a management matter for the British Coal Corporation, and I have asked the chairman to write to the hon. Member.
Coal Reserves
Mr. Illsley : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will give his Department's latest estimate of coal reserves in Great Britain.
Mr. Michael Spicer : The British Coal Corporation is responsible for making any assessments of coal reserves. I will ask the chairman to write to the hon. Member.
Mining Industry (Scotland)
Mr. Hood : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if he will list each deep-mined colliery in Scotland, giving details of the rates paid by each colliery to its local authority ;
(2) how many jobs have been lost in the Scottish mining industry since 1984 ; and if he will make a statement ;
(3) if he will give the number of employees at British Coal headquarters in Edinburgh each year from 1984 to date ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Spicer : These are matters for the British Coal Corporation, and I have asked the chairman to write to the hon. Member.
Nuclear Power Industry (Vetting Policy)
Mr. Livingstone : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his policy towards the vetting of prospective employees working at British Nuclear Fuels plc and the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority.
Mr. Michael Spicer : The security procedures of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority and British Nuclear Fuels plc towards prospective employees are similar to those employed in the Civil Service for comparable positions.
VAT
Mr. Heddle : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will initiate discussions with (a) the chairman of British Gas and (b) other bodies within his Department's responsibility about the effect of the imposition of value added tax on non-domestic construction work following the decision of the European Court on 21 June 1988, including the effect on partnership schemes to redevelop redundant inner city land with the private sector.
Mr. Parkinson : I refer my hon. Friend to the statement made by the Economic Secretary to the Treasury on 21
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June 1988 at columns 957-58. Customs and Excise has consulted interested parties on how the judgment of the European Court could be best applied. Action to protect public sector construction programmes, by allowing where necessary compensating adjustments to the relevant central Government expenditure provision, has already been taken in consultation with relevant bodies.NATIONAL FINANCE
VAT
Mr. Gregory : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimate of the tax yield if value added tax was imposed at 25 per cent. on those goods which were formerly taxed at this rate under purchase tax ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lilley : I regret that information is not readily available at the level of detail required.
Tax Revenue
Mr. Redwood : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the additional revenue to the Exchequer in (i) 1989-90 and (ii) a full year if (a) there were a 5 per cent. increase in duties on cigarettes, tobacco and alcoholic drinks, (b) value added tax were levied on new construction at 15 per cent., (c) the taxable benefit of company cars were increased by 25 per cent. and (d) mortgage interest relief were limited to the standard rate of tax.
Mr. Norman Lamont : (a) It is estimated that the net additional revenue yield from a 5 per cent. increase in the duties on cigarettes, tobacco and alcoholic drinks would be £355 million in 1989-90 and £385 million in a full year;
(b) It is estimated that, if value added tax were levied on new construction, both domestic and non-domestic, at 15 per cent., the net additional revenue yield from the private sector would be £1,280 million in 1989-90, and £1,670 million in a full year. Because of the uncertainties involved in estimating the effects of such a change, particularly on the housing market, the figures should be taken as no more than a general indicator of the additional revenue which would accrue;
(c) It is estimated that the revenue yield from a 25 per cent. increase in the scale charges for company cars would be £120 million in 1989-90 and £140 million in a full year;
(d) It would be premature to provide an estimate for 1989-90 of the additional revenue from the restriction of mortgage interest relief to the basic rate, since the yield will depend on the amount of mortgage lending and the level of interest rates as well as on the 1989-90 income tax rates and bands. The revenue yield in a full year at 1988-89 levels of lending, interest rates and tax rates would be £330 million.
Wages and Tax
Mr. Allen : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the average wage (a) for the United Kingdom and (b) in the Nottingham area ; and what is the total tax burden in each case for each of the years from 1979 to date.
Mr. Norman Lamont : The information requested for Great Britain was provided to my hon. Friend the Member for Hornchurch (Mr. Squire) on 10 January 1989 at
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columns 633-56. Data for average earnings in Nottinghamshire are available for April each year in the new earnings survey. They are as follows, with estimates of the implied burden of income tax and NICs. No data are available which would permit any estimates of the burden of indirect taxes to be made.
Income tax and NICs as
percentage of average
earnings
April |Average earnings(£ per |Single person |Married man, no children
|week)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1978 |88.50 |31.1 |27.2
1979 |101.50 |29.2 |25.5
1980 |122.60 |30.3 |26.7
1981 |138.40 |32.0 |28.8
1982 |147.80 |32.6 |29.2
1983 |158.40 |32.5 |28.8
1984 |164.30 |32.0 |27.9
1985 |174.70 |31.7 |27.6
1986 |194.40 |31.3 |27.5
1987 |210.20 |30.0 |26.6
1988 |227.30 |28.5 |25.3
Notes:
1. Average earnings are taken to be the average gross weekly earnings of all full-time males on adult rates with pay
unaffected by absence in Nottinghamshire.
2. Income tax payments are calculated on the assumption that the tax units have no other tax reliefs apart from the standard
allowances. Earners are assumed to pay class 1 NI contributions at the contracted in rate. The figures for NI contributions
are financial year averages.
European Monetary System
Mr. Beith : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will list the factors other than the prevailing exchange rates which will be taken into account in judging when the time is right for Britain to join the exchange rate mechanism of the European monetary system.
Mr. Lilley : All relevant factors will be taken into account.
GNP
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the gross national product has gone to the Exchequer since 1979 ; where this came from ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Major : Information on taxes and social security contributions as a percentage of gross national product is published each year in "The United Kingdom National Accounts" (table 15.7 in the 1988 edition). The publication is available in the Library of the House.
IMF (Meetings)
Mr. Allen : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many meetings he has had with the International Monetary Fund since becoming Chancellor ; and if he will give the dates of such meetings and the topics discussed.
Mr. Lilley : Since becoming Chancellor, my right hon. Friend has attended 10 meetings of the International Monetary Fund--including the interim committee, development committee, and in the autumn, the joint annual meetings of the IMF and World bank--on the following occasions :
25-30 September 1983 ;
12-13 April 1984 ;
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22-27 September 1984 ;17-19 April 1985 ;
9-11 April 1986 ;
28 September--3 October 1986 ;
9-10 April 1987 ;
27 September--1 October 1987 ;
14-15 April 1988 ;
25-29 September 1988.
The discussions have covered a wide range of subjects summarised in the communique s of the interim and development committees, copies of which have been deposited in the House of Commons Library.
VAT and Car Tax
Mr. Latham : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the revenue or duty received by Her Majesty's Government in the last financial year from value added tax and car tax, as applicable on (a) mopeds, (b) small motorcycles and (c) cars of 1,000 cc or under.
Mr. Lilley : I regret that information is not available at the level of detail required.
BP (Shares)
Mr. Colin Shepherd : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what will be the effect on his estimates of public sector debt repayment and of privatisation proceeds of the purchase by the British Petroleum Company plc of 790 million of its shares currently owned by the Kuwait Investment Office.
Mr. Lawson : At their extraordinary general meeting on 31 January 1989, the shareholders of BP approved the purchase of 790 million of BP shares from the KIO. Following the purchase, these shares will be cancelled and the KIO's holding will be reduced to 9.9 per cent. of BP's issued share capital, as recommended by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.
The KIO will pay the final instalment of £830 million on these shares in March rather than on the due date of 27 April 1989 and will be issued with share certificates forthwith. The Treasury has agreed to these arrangements
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because the powers available to BP to purchase its own shares apply only to fully-paid shares and not to partly- paid shares or shares held in the form of interim rights.Following the KIO's payment, the public sector debt repayment in 1988-89 will be £830 million higher than otherwise. There is no other effect on the PSDR in 1988-89. BP will be liable to advance corporation tax on the purchase and it has stated that the KIO is entitled to an equivalent tax credit from the Inland Revenue. BP can offset this ACT against its future corporation tax bill, but only if its United Kingdom taxable income is high enough in the years ahead. The cost of any such offset would in any event be far less than the gains from the Government's decision in October 1987 to proceed with the sale of shares in BP at the underwritten price of 330p The present estimate of £6.1 billion privatisation proceeds in 1988-89 will be increased to approximately £6.9 billion. There is some flexibility on the timing of privatisation receipts, and the central estimate of total proceeds remains at £5 billion for 1989-90.
Executive Agencies
Mr. Hayward : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the provisions of the Government Trading Funds Act 1973 will be applied to next steps executive agencies.
Mr. Major : Trading funds can already be created for agencies which meet the requirements in the Government Trading Funds Act 1973. However, some bodies including those which are directed by statute to provide a service and where the fees are fixed by regulation, are at present outside the scope of the 1973 Act. Some agencies which are at present outside its scope would be able to operate more efficiently under the more commercial regime. We therefore propose to bring forward legislation at the earliest opportunity so that trading or agency funds will be available in such cases. This change would add significantly to the range of financial regimes available to agencies and make a significant contribution to the implementation of the Government's next steps policy.
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OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
Recipient Countries
Sir John Stanley : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what information is available to his Department country by country on life expectancy rates in those countries that are actual or potential recipients of British overseas aid.
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(2) what information is available to his Department country by country on child mortality rates in those countries that are actual or potential recipients of British overseas aid.Mrs. Chalker : Information on life expectancy and infant mortality rates is included in the "United Nations Demographic Yearbook" for 1986, published in 1988. Information on child mortality is included in the UNICEF report on "The State of the World's Children", 1987, also published in 1988. The rates for all developing countries are given in the following table.
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Expectation of life at Deaths per 1000 live
birth (years) births
|Males |Females |Infants under 1 year old|Children under 5 years
|old
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Europe
Cyprus |72.3 |77.0 |16.5 |17
Gibraltar |71.2 |78.1 |9.8 |-
Greece |72.2 |76.4 |12.3 |18
Malta |70.8 |76.0 |13.6 |-
Portugal |68.4 |75.2 |17.8 |22
Turkey |60.0 |63.3 |92.1 |104
Yugoslavia |67.7 |73.2 |27.3 |31
Africa-North of the Sahara
Algeria |58.5 |61.4 |88.0 |117
Egypt |56.8 |59.5 |70.5 |136
Libya |56.6 |60.0 |96.5 |130
Morocco |56.6 |60.0 |96.5 |130
Tunisia |60.1 |61.1 |85.3 |110
Africa-South of the Sahara
Angola |40.4 |43.6 |148.5 |242
Benin |42.4 |45.6 |120.1 |193
Botswana |52.7 |59.3 |76.2 |99
Burkina Faso |43.7 |46.8 |150.3 |245
Burundi |44.9 |48.1 |124.1 |200
Cameroon |49.2 |52.6 |103.2 |162
Cape Verde |59.0 |61.0 |76.5 |95
Central African Republic |41.4 |44.6 |142.0 |232
Chad |41.4 |44.6 |142.8 |232
Comoros |48.3 |51.7 |88.3 |135
Congo |44.9 |48.1 |81.1 |122
Djibouti |- |- |- |-
Equatorial Guinea |42.4 |45.6 |137.3 |223
Ethiopia |39.3 |42.5 |154.9 |257
Gabon |47.4 |50.7 |111.9 |178
Gambia |33.5 |36.5 |174.1 |292
Ghana |50.3 |53.8 |98.3 |153
Guinea |38.7 |41.8 |159.1 |259
Guinea-Bissau |41.4 |44.6 |142.8 |232
Ivory Coast |48.8 |52.2 |109.9 |157
Kenya |51.2 |54.7 |80.2 |121
Lesotho |46.3 |52.3 |111.1 |144
Liberia |47.4 |50.7 |132.5 |215
Madagascar |48.9 |50.4 |67.0 |97
Malawi |38.1 |41.2 |130.0 |275
Mali |46.9 |49.7 |120.9 |302
Mauritania |42.4 |45.6 |137.3 |223
Mauritius |64.4 |71.2 |26.3 |32
Mayotte |- |- |- |-
Mozambique |44.4 |46.2 |153.5 |252
Namibia |46.6 |49.9 |115.6 |-
Niger |40.9 |44.1 |145.7 |237
Nigeria |46.9 |50.2 |114.2 |182
Reunion |65.5 |74.0 |13.1 |-
Rwanda |45.1 |47.7 |132.0 |214
St. Helena |- |- |29.7 |-
Sao Tome and Principe |- |- |61.7 |-
Senegal |41.7 |44.9 |142.2 |231
Seychelles |66.2 |73.5 |17.4 |-
Sierra Leone |32.5 |35.5 |179.5 |302
Somalia |39.3 |42.5 |154.9 |257
Sudan |46.6 |49.0 |117.8 |187
Swaziland |46.9 |50.2 |129.2 |182
Tanzania |49.3 |52.7 |114.8 |183
Togo |48.8 |52.2 |102.3 |160
Uganda |47.4 |50.7 |111.9 |178
Zaire |48.3 |51.7 |107.3 |170
Zambia |49.6 |53.1 |88.3 |135
Zimbabwe |54.0 |57.6 |80.2 |121
America-North and Central
Anguilla |- |- |33.9 |-
Antigua |- |- |7.7 |-
Bahamas |- |- |26.4 |-
Barbados |67.2 |72.5 |13.1 |16
Belize |- |- |21.5 |-
Bermuda |68.8 |76.3 |7.1 |-
Cayman Islands |- |- |10.9 |-
Costa Rica |70.5 |75.7 |18.9 |23
Cuba |72.7 |76.1 |13.6 |19
Dominica |- |- |19.6 |-
Dominican Republic |60.7 |64.6 |74.5 |88
El Salvador |62.6 |67.1 |35.1 |91
Grenada |- |- |15.4 |-
Guadeloupe |66.4 |72.4 |15.3 |-
Guatemala |55.1 |59.4 |56.0 |109
Haiti |51.2 |54.4 |127.8 |180
Honduras |53.4 |56.9 |81.5 |116
Jamaica |70.3 |75.7 |10.0 |25
Martinique |67.0 |73.5 |14.1 |-
Mexico |62.1 |66.0 |53.0 |73
Montserrat |- |- |7.7 |-
Netherlands Antilles |- |- |- |-
Nicaragua |58.7 |61.0 |76.4 |104
Panama |69.2 |72.9 |25.6 |35
St. Kitts-Nevis |- |- |27.8 |-
St. Lucia |67.3 |73.1 |17.6 |-
St. Pierre et Miquelon |- |- |- |-
St. Vincent |- |- |26.5 |-
Trinidad and Tobago |66.9 |71.6 |12.7 |26
Turks and Caicos Islands |- |- |24.5 |-
Virgin Islands (Br) |- |- |12.2 |-
America-South
Argentina |65.5 |72.7 |35.3 |40
Bolivia |48.6 |53.0 |124.4 |184
Brazil |60.9 |66.0 |70.6 |91
Chile |61.3 |67.6 |19.5 |26
Colombia |61.4 |66.0 |50.0 |72
Ecuador |59.5 |61.8 |69.5 |92
Falkland Islands |- |- |- |-
French Guiana |- |- |20.1 |-
Guyana |65.8 |70.8 |36.2 |41
Paraguay |62.8 |67.5 |45.0 |64
Peru |56.8 |60.5 |98.6 |133
Suriname |65.6 |70.6 |36.2 |41
Uruguay |65.7 |72.4 |30.4 |32
Venezuela |64.9 |70.7 |26.1 |45
Asia-Middle East
Bahrain |65.9 |68.9 |31.6 |35
Iran |55.8 |55.0 |108.1 |-
Iraq |61.5 |63.3 |77.1 |101
Israel |73.1 |76.6 |11.4 |16
Jordan |64.6 |71.0 |54.1 |65
Kuwait |69.6 |73.7 |18.5 |25
Lebanon |63.1 |67.0 |48.0 |56
Oman |51.0 |53.7 |117.2 |172
Qatar |65.4 |69.8 |37.8 |43
Saudi Arabia |59.2 |62.7 |66.1 |109
Syria |63.8 |64.7 |58.8 |71
United Arab Emirates |65.4 |69.8 |37.8 |43
Yemen |46.9 |49.9 |134.9 |210
Yemen (Democratic) |46.9 |49.9 |134.9 |210
Asia-South
Afghanistan |36.6 |37.3 |181.6 |329
Bangladesh |55.3 |54.4 |128.2 |196
Bhutan |46.6 |45.1 |138.7 |206
Burma |55.8 |59.3 |70.0 |91
India |55.6 |55.2 |104.9 |158
Maldives |53.4 |49.5 |57.5 |-
Nepal |50.9 |48.1 |138.7 |206
Pakistan |59.0 |59.2 |94.5 |174
Sri Lanka |67.8 |71.7 |30.5 |48
Asia-Far East
Brunei |70.1 |72.7 |12.0 |-
China |66.7 |68.9 |39.3 |50
Hong Kong |73.8 |79.2 |7.5 |11
Indonesia |52.2 |54.9 |84.4 |126
Kampuchea |42.0 |44.9 |159.9 |216
Korea (DPR) |64.6 |71.0 |29.7 |35
Korea (Republic) |62.7 |69.1 |29.7 |35
Laos |48.3 |51.2 |122.5 |170
Macao |- |- |12.6 |-
Malaysia |67.6 |72.7 |17.0 |38
Mongolia |60.0 |64.1 |53.0 |64
Philippines |60.2 |63.7 |50.6 |78
Singapore |68.7 |74.0 |9.1 |12
Taiwan |- |- |- |-
Thailand |57.6 |63.6 |47.5 |55
Timor |39.2 |40.7 |183.3 |-
Viet Nam |56.7 |61.1 |75.8 |98
Oceania
Cook Islands |63.2 |67.1 |8.1 |-
Fiji |67.0 |71.0 |18.5 |34
Kiribati |- |- |- |-
Nauru |- |- |19.0 |-
New Caledonia |71.0 |76.8 |16.8 |-
Niue Island |- |- |- |-
Pacific Islands (United States) |- |- |23.2 |-
Papua New Guinea |51.2 |53.7 |74.4 |94
Pitcairn Island |- |- |- |-
Polynesia, French |- |- |20.5 |-
Solomon Islands |- |- |- |-
Tokelau Islands |- |- |- |-
Tonga |- |- |5.0 |-
Tuvala |- |- |- |-
Vanuatu |- |- |- |75
Wallis and Futuna |- |- |- |-
Western Samoa |61.0 |64.3 |33.0 |-
Sources:
Life expectancy at birth and infant mortality are taken from the UN Demographic Yearbook for 1986, published in 1988.
Child mortality statistics are taken from a report by UNICEF called The State of the World's Children 1987, also published in 1988.
Data is the most recent that is readily available.
Data that is not available is shown by -.
Note:
The list of countries is taken from the Development Assistance Committee's list of Developing Countries.
Sir John Stanley : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information is available to his Department for each of those countries that are actual or potential recipients of British overseas aid as to the numbers of people who would be considered to be in a state of starvation or semi-starvation by international bodies such as the World Health Organisation.
Mrs. Chalker : Few developing countries have nutritional monitoring systems. Statistics on nutritional status are therefore unreliable. The United Nations sub-committee on nutrition has used data from many sources to produce the world nutrition situation report, which provides a regional perspective on nutritional status. The World Bank also publishes national estimations of daily per capita calorie supply as a percentage of calorie requirement. This gives an indication of the proportion of people in any country who have too few calories to maintain health.
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Southern Africa
Miss Lestor : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what new initiatives he will propose at the coming meeting of the Southern Africa Development Co-ordination Conference in Angola.
Mrs. Chalker : My hon. Friend the Minister for Overseas Development will be attending the annual donors meeting of the Southern Africa Development Co-ordination Conference in Angola on 2-3 February. An announcement will be made shortly on the contents of his statement.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Nursing Staff
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many nursing staff at all levels are employed in Downshire hospital, Downpatrick ; how
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many of these staff have been advised of their new grades under clinical grading review ; and how many appeals have been received.Mr. Needham : There are 474 nursing staff employed in Downshire hospital Downpatrick all of whom have been advised of their new grades. Informal review of grades was requested by 180 staff, of whom 14 initiated this review by using the formal grievance form.
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many nursing staff at all levels are employed in Downe hospital, Downpatrick ; how many of these staff have been advised of their new grades under the clinical grading review ; and how many appeals have been received.
Mr. Needham : There are 117 nursing staff employed in Downe hospital, Downpatrick all of whom have been
Column 236
advised of their new grades. Informal review of grades was requested by 38 staff, of whom 25 initiated this review by using the formal grievance form.Student Numbers
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what were the student numbers in the diploma in the advanced study of education in each of the years 1983-84 to 1987-88 in (a) Stranmillis college of education and (b) St. Mary's college of education, Belfast.
Mr. Needham : Before 1985-86, colleges of education offered the advanced certificate in education. From that year, it has been gradually replaced by the diploma in the advanced study of education.
The numbers of full and part-time students receiving support from the Department of Education for Northern Ireland for either course are as follows :
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|1983-84|1984-85|1985-86|1986-87|1987-88
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Full-time students<1>
Stranmillis
Advanced Certificate |18 |24 |16 |9 |Nil
DASE |Nil |Nil |Nil |Nil |7
St. Mary's<2>
Advanced Certificate |Nil |Nil |7 |6 |Nil
DASE |4 |6 |7 |7 |14
Part-time students
Stranmillis
New Starts DASE |Nil |Nil |Nil |Nil |20<1>
New Starts Advanced Certificate |Nil |Nil |25 |10 |Nil
Carry over Advanced Certificate |Nil |Nil |Nil |25 |10
St. Mary's<2>
New Starts DASE |Nil |Nil |Nil |Nil |16
New Starts Advanced Certificate |3 |2 |13 |Nil |Nil
Carry over Advanced Certificate |3 |3 |Nil |13 |Nil
<1> A further 58 students are undertaking modular courses which could lead either
to the DASE or the Advanced Certificate.
<2> The numbers for St. Joseph's College of Education are included with St.
Mary's for 1983-84 and 1984-85. The colleges amalgamated on 1 September 1985 to
form St. Mary's College.
Theatre Sisters
Mr. Mallon : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the hospitals in Northern Ireland where no theatre sisters' posts have been regraded under the new grading structures and the number of theatre sisters who have not received a regrading.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 27 January 1989] : All theatre sisters' posts in Northern Ireland have been regraded under the clinical grading review.
Strip Searches
Ms. Mowlam : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many strip searches were made of female prisoners in Her Majesty's prisons Armagh and Maghaberry in each year for which information is
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available up to and including 1988, giving the number of times each person was searched, if any prison contraband, smuggled item or illegal correspondence was discovered in any search, including which items ; in how many cases prisoners refused to be searched and had to be restrained while the search was being conducted ; and what were the reasons for the search under each of the following headings (a) making a remand appearance at a trial, (b) attending trial, (c) inter- prison visit and (d) other reasons.Mr. Ian Stewart [holding answer 31 January 1989] : Details of the numbers of, and reasons for, strip searches made of female prisoners in Her Majesty's prisons. Armagh and Maghaberry were first recorded in April 1983. Information on the number of times each prisoner was searched could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The remaining information requested is as follows :
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Number of Searches |1983(April-December)|1984 |1985 |1986 |1987 |1988
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total number of searches carried out |701 |355 |490 |463 |408 |336
Reasons for Search
First admission on remand/
awaiting trial |51 |51 |82 |81 |77 |82
First admission on sentence/
final discharge |68 |118 |164 |199 |219 |177
Attending Remand Court |84 |31 |19 |34 |25 |2
Attending Trial |50 |5 |8 |6 |1 |-
Attendance Court for Appeal |11 |2 |1 |9 |4 |-
Attendance Court for Bail |50 |47 |56 |66 |33 |1
Pre-release home leave scheme |126 |66 |63 |39 |31 |53
Compassionate home leave |- |- |8 |4 |2 |-
Inter-prison visits |22 |30 |10 |16 |11 |8
Visits to outside hospital |1 |2 |8 |8 |2 |5
Pre-release programme (Lifers) |232 |- |66 |- |- |-
Attendance Court/Police Station
(Sect. 16 Prison Act (NI) 1953) |6 |- |5 |1 |- |-
Bail paid |- |- |- |- |- |1
Temporary release (Sect. 18
Prison Rules (NI) 1982) |- |3 |- |- |- |-
General Search of Prison |- |- |- |- |1 |-
Fines Paid |- |- |- |- |- |2
After a Visit |- |- |- |- |2 |5
Items Discovered
Occasions when items discovered |<1>4 |- |<2>1 |- |- |-
Refusals
Number of prisoners searched after refusing to be searched |- |1 |- |- |- |-
<1> Items included drugs, perfume, money and correspondence.
<2> Drugs.
Table file CW890201.019 not available
THE ARTS
Georgian Theatre, Richmond, Yorks
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Minister for the Arts what assistance his Department will be providing to Richmond council and the Yorkshire Arts Association to keep open the Georgian theatre at Richmond, North Yorkshire ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Luce : The Georgian theatre at Richmond receives regular funding from Yorkshire Arts and from all three local authorities : North Yorkshire county council, Richmond shire district council and Richmond town council. I understand that the theatre management has plans to improve the level of private funding.
CIVIL SERVICE
Next Steps
Mr. Baldry : To ask the Minister for the Civil Service what progress is being made with the next steps initiative ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Luce : The next steps initiative is making good progress. The responsible Ministers have now established the first three agencies, and another 30 (plus three in the Northern Ireland Civil Service) have been announced as candidates. These are listed. Together they cover nearly 200,000 people, or about one third of the Civil Service. I expect at least four more to be set up before the summer recess ; these are likely to include the resettlement units, the employment service, the QE II conference centre and, in my own Department, the Civil Service college. The project manager is continuing his review of Departments' activities, against the Government's decision that to the greatest extent practicable the executive functions of Government should be carried out by agencies.
As the House knows, the purpose of next steps is to improve management in the Civil Service. It enables the Minister responsible for each agency to define more clearly
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the objectives and tasks required for the execution of policies, and the resources within which this must be done. People in agencies will be better able to tailor management structures and practices to the specific needs of their work, will have better defined jobs and objectives, and greater personal responsibility and accountability for achieving them. The aim is better value for money and better service to the public.As the Government said in their reply to the Treasury and Civil Service Committee in November, they share the Committee's view that decentralised agencies offer scope for delegating more responsibility to managers for operational matters. The actions we have already taken since the announcement of the initiative by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister demonstrate the importance that we attach to ensuring that this should take place to the greatest extent possible, within a framework governing the agency's operations. On 10 November my right hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury announced, following a recommendation of the TCSC and after consultation with the Public Accounts Committee, that agency chief executives would take on significant accounting officer responsibilities. In a further development, aimed at permitting a more commercial regime in suitable cases, my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury has today announced that the Government will seek legislation at the earliest opportunity to amend the Government Trading Funds Act 1973 to apply also to agencies through the medium of agency funds.
The action plan to secure improved management training which the project manager has drawn up is now being implemented in Departments, and good progress is being made. This is helped by the £1 million challenge funding scheme which we announced in November and which is now coming into effect.
Executive agencies established
Vehicle Inspectorate
Companies House
Her Majesty's Stationery Office
Executive agency candidates announced
Building Research Establishment
Column 239
Business Statistics OfficeCivil Service College
Civil Service Occupational Health Service
Crown Suppliers Fuel Branch
Defence Non-Nuclear Research Establishments
Department of Registers of Scotland
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Directorate
Driver Testing and Training
Employment Service
Historic Buildings and Monuments Directorate, Scottish Office Historic Royal Palaces
Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce
Insolvency Service
Laboratory of the Government Chemist
Land Registry
Meteorological Office
National Physical Laboratory
National Weights and Measures Laboratory
Passport Department
Patent Office
Planning Inspectorate
QEII Conference Centre
Radiocommunications Division, DTI
Resettlement Units
Royal Parks
Social Security Operations
Training Agency
Vehicle Component Approval Division, DTp
Warren Springs Laboratory
Northern Ireland Civil Service :
Employment and Training Services, Agricultural Research Establishments, Social Security Operations
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