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|Great Britain |Scotland<1> |Strathclyde<1> |Greenock and Port
|Glasgow<1>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1979-80 |16,236 |- |- |-
1980-81 |18,369 |- |- |-
1981-82 |13,856 |- |- |-
1982-83 |11,312 |- |- |-
1983-84 |5,989 |- |- |-
1984-85 |6,595 |463 |- |-
1985-86 |6,586 |541 |176 |3
1986-87 |6,258 |796 |147 |9
1987-88 |6,997 |769 |181 |3
<1> Information covering earlier periods is not held.
Family Credit
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many families receive family credit in (a) Greenock and Port Glasgow, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland as a whole and what is his estimated number of families in each of (a), (b) and (c) who are entitled to family credit.
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Mr. Peter Lloyd : I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Tottenham (Mr. Grant) on 6 February at column 483.
Water Charges
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what help he intends to introduce for those in
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receipt of retirement pensions to assist them in paying increased water charges and increased standing charges for water.Mr. Peter Lloyd : Retirement pension is uprated in line with the percentage movement in the retail prices index which reflects increases in water charges and standing charges for water.
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he has any proposals to assist those in receipt of income support to pay increased water charges and increased standing charges for water.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Unlike supplementary benefit, water charges are not a separately identifiable element in the income support rates. Compensation for water charges was included as a once and for all adjustment from April 1988. The income support personal allowance will be uprated from April 1990 but decisions on the amount of the increase will not be taken until the autumn.
School Meals and Milk
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what cash compensation is in the family credit child rates for the loss of (a) free school meals and (b) free welfare milk.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The amount is £2.55.
Child Benefit
Mr. Gordon Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his total provision for child benefit for 1988-89 and each of the next three years at constant 1987-88 prices.
Mr. Peter Lloyd [holding answer 24 January 1989] : The amounts are shown in the following table and are derived from the cash figures shown in table 15.1 of the 1989 public expenditure White Paper (Cm. 615).
Financial year |£ million --------------------------------------------- 1988-89 |4,256 1989-90 |4,065 1990-91 |<1>4,200 1991-92 |<1>4,200 <1> These figures are rounded to the nearest 100 million, in line with the convention in successive public expenditure White Papers.
DEFENCE Nuclear Missiles
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what steps are being taken to improve communications between the United Kingdom mainland and Royal Navy submarine-launched ballistic missile carrying submarines whilst those submarines are on patrol ; (2) what steps are being taken to improve the floating buoy communications system for use between the United Kingdom mainland and Royal Navy submarine-launched ballistic missile carrying submarines on patrol ;
(3) what steps are being taken to improve the trailing wire communications system for use between the United Kingdom mainland and Royal Navy submarine -launched ballistic missile carrying submarines on patrol ;
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(4) if any improvements have been made to the trailing wire very low frequency communications reception systems fitted to Royal Navy submarine-launched ballistic misile carrying submarines, which enable reception at the depth of more than 10 m ;(5) if any improvements have been made to the trailing wire very low frequency communications reception systems fitted to Royal Navy submarine- launched ballistic missile carrying submarines, which enable reception when the submarine is travelling at other than specific tangents to the shore- based transmitting station ; (6) whether the Anthorn very low frequency transmitter has been, or will be, hardened to resist the (a) blast and (b) electromagnetic pulse effects of a nuclear explosion ;
(7) whether the Inskip low frequency transmitter has been, or will be, hardened to resist the (a) blast and (b) electromagnetic pulse effects of a nuclear explosion ;
(8) whether the Rugby very low frequency transmitter has been, or will be, hardened to resist the (a) blast and (b) electromagnetic pulse effects of a nuclear explosion ;
(9) whether the Criggon very low frequency transmitter has been, or will be, hardened to resist the (a) blast and (b) electromagnetic pulse effects of a nuclear explosion ;
(10) whether the Glen Garry trial extremely low frequency transmitter will be, hardened to resist the (a) blast and (b) electromagnetic pulse effects of a nuclear explosion ;
(11) whether the Crimond low frequency transmitter has been, or will be, hardened to resist the (a) blast and (b) electromagnetic pulse effects of a nuclear explosion.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I am not prepared to comment for security reasons.
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what instructions are given to the commanders of submarine-launched ballistic missile carrying submarines regarding launch autonomy ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : It has been the policy of successive Governments not to discuss operational matters of this kind.
Overseas Visits
Mr. Allan Roberts : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which hon. Members attended the defence visit to Norway on 31 January ; and on what basis they were selected.
Mr. Neubert : The Ministry of Defence has an agreement with the Government and Opposition defence Whips whereby they nominate hon. Members to go on official defence visits, following advertisement in the All-Party Whip. Those who went to Norway were nominated in accordance with this practice.
Mr. Allan Roberts : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many overseas visits his Department has arranged in the last two years for hon. Members ; and at what cost.
Mr. Neubert : Ten official visits overseas have been arranged for hon. Members over the last two years. In the same time, the Defence Select Committee has undertaken five trips overseas in connection with its official business.
The second part of the question could only be answered at disproportionate cost and effort.
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Mr. Allan Roberts : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all hon. Members who have participated in defence visits overseas in the past two years, stating which visits they have attended and to which political party they belong.
Mr. Neubert : The information requested is below. In addition to these visits a number of visits abroad were undertaken by the Defence Select Committee.
Date and Location |Visitors
------------------------------------------------------------------
February 1987 |Tim Wood
Royal Marines |Dame Janet Fookes
Winter Deployment |Frank Cook
to Norway |Labour
|Roger Gale
|Mark Wolfson
March 1987
British Forces |Tim Wood
Cyprus |Tony Marlow
John Corrie |Conservative
Derek Conway |Conservative
Mike Woodcock |Conservative
Kevin McNamara |Labour
John McWilliam |Labour
Frank Haynes |Conservative
April 1987
SHAPE |Robert Atkins
|Frank Cook
|Tom Cox
|Hugh Dykes
|Sir Peter Emery
|Harry Greenway
|Ian Gow
|Sir Eldon Griffiths
|Jeremy Hanley
|Paul Marland
|Cyril Townsend
|Neville Trotter
April 1987
British Forces |Ivor Stanbrook
Gibraltar |Reg Prentice
|Sir Reginald Eyre
|Albert McQuarrie
|Dame Janet Fookes
|Bill Walker
|Robert Wareing
|James Kilfedder
November 1987
British Forces |Bill Walker
Falkland Islands |Jack Aspinwall
|Tony Speller
|David Tredinnick
|Dale Campbell-Savours
|Dr. John Marek
|Gerry Steinberg
December 1987
BAOR and |Martyn Jones
RAF Germany |John McFall
|Frank Cook
|Marjorie Mowlam
|John Cummings
|Mark Wolfson
|Keith Mans
|Norman Miscampbell
July 1988
BAOR and 2nd | Sir Ian Lloyd
Tactical Air Force |Tim Devlin
July 1988
SHAPE Headquarters |John Ward
|Roger Moate
|Dame Janet Fookes
|Neville Trotter
|Alan Amos
|Sir Peter Emery
|Kenneth Hind
|Tony Marlow
|Sir Eldon Griffiths
|Dr. Goodson-Wickes
|Nicholas Bennett
January 1989
NATO and SHAPE |Norman Miscampbell
Headquarters |Sir John Stokes
|Tim Rathbone
|Martin Brandon-Bravo
|Bernie Grant
|Dawn Primarolo
|John McFall
February 1989
Royal Marines |Robert Jones
Winter Deployment |Andrew Mackay
to Norway |Roger Moate
|Norman Miscampbell
|John Battle
|Harold McCusker
RAF Molesworth
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what future use is proposed for RAF Molesworth.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave the hon. Member for Ashfield (Mr. Haynes) on 3 February at column 444.
Reserve Forces (Advertising)
Mr. Sean Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the cost of the recent advertising campaign for recruitment on behalf of the reserve forces.
Mr. Neubert : I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave the hon. Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks) on 11 November 1988 at column 321.
Admiralty Nuclear Reactor (Greenwich)
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what specific safety assessment has been made of the accident consequences of the Admiralty nuclear research and demonstration reactor at the Royal Naval College at Greenwich.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Reassessments of the consequences of an accident involving the nuclear reactor at the Royal Naval college, Greenwich, are conducted regularly. The most recent assessment, which was carried out in January 1989, concluded that it was difficult to conceive of any accident involving this extremely small reactor which would necessitate countermeasures outside a range of 50 metres. Nevertheless it is our policy to practice contingency arrangements for more severe accidents, however remote the chances of them occurring may be.
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Nuclear Submarines
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how often during each year from 1980 to 1988 Royal Navy submarines have docked at the port of Liverpool ; and what emergency procedures exist to protect the metropolitan population of Liverpool against radioactive contamination from an accident involving the radioactive core of the submarine ;
(2) how often during each year from 1980 to 1988 a nuclear-powered Royal Navy submarine docked in Cardiff ; and what emergency provisions are in force there to cope with an accident involving the nuclear reactor core in a submarine.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The annual number of visits by Royal Navy nuclear-powered submarines to Liverpool and Cardiff since 1980 are as follows :
|Liverpool|Cardiff
----------------------------------------
1980 |2 |1
1981 |3 |1
1982 |1 |0
1983 |2 |2
1984 |3 |0
1985 |3 |1
1986 |4 |2
1987 |2 |0
1988 |4 |3
Local authorities are informed three weeks in advance of all such visits, and for the duration of each visit a naval emergency monitoring team, a MOD health physicist and a naval incident commander are located at the port concerned as a precautionary measure.
I also refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Mossley Hill (Mr. Alton) on Tuesday 7 February at column 667 , and to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Member for Ayr (Mr. Younger) to the hon. Member for Mossley Hill on Tuesday 7 February at column 793 .
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether there has been any incidence of serious breakdown resulting in radioactive release and exposure to the operating work force in the operation of United Kingdom nuclear-powered submarines since the first such craft was launched.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : There have been no such incidents.
Soviet Forces
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence why Her Majesty's Government reject certain aspects of the Soviet compilation of its force deployment in Europe, released on 29 January ; and what data base it used.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The Government have welcomed the Warsaw Pact's publication of its view of the balance of forces in Europe as a sign that the Warsaw Pact is prepared to be more open about such matters than in the past and to acknowledge its superiority in key combat equipments based in Europe. There are, however, differences between the recent Warsaw Pact assessment of the balance and the one published by NATO in November 1988 ; in particular, NATO does not accept the Warsaw Pact's conclusion that there is a rough parity in forces. Work will be needed by the two Alliances to resolve these differences and to agree common definitions and counting rules.
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Procurement Policy
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is Her Majesty's Government's policy on procurement from (i) the United Kingdom, (ii) European and (iii) United States-owned defence industries.
Mr. Sainsbury : Whilst we have regard for other factors including the location of the manufacturer and the ownership of suppliers, our prime consideration is to obtain the best value for money.
EMPLOYMENT
VAT Registrations
Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many new registrations there were for value-added tax in the last 12 months ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Cope : In 1987, the latest year for which figures have been published, the estimated number of new registrations for value added tax was 205,000. The net increase in the number of VAT registered businesses in 1987 was 45,000 or nearly 900 a week on average. The indications are that the rate of increase during 1988 has been faster.
Employment Training
Mr. Leighton : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many trainees who have started on employment training have subsequently dropped out.
Mr. Nicholls : It is estimated that by the end of November 1988 about 12,000 trainees who were not transferees from previous programmes had left employment training earlier than planned.
Redundant Mineworkers
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will visit Nottingham, North and address a meeting of former miners on the redundant mineworkers pension scheme who have received letters to undertake restart ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lee : I have no plans to visit the Nottingham, North constituency. As I told the hon. Member in my reply to his question of 2 January 1989, the redundant mineworkers payment scheme is the responsibility of the Department of Energy. Officials from my Department and the Department of Energy are examining the redundant mineworkers payment scheme regulations and benefit procedures which bring those in the redundant mineworkers payment scheme within the coverage of the restart programme.
Race Relations and Equal Opportunity
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will describe his Department's principal achievements in respect of race relations and equal opportunity since May 1979.
Mr. Nicholls : The principal achievements in my Department in respect of race relations and equal opportunities since May 1979 are as follows :
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(i) In the race relations fieldThe extension of race discrimination legislation (the Race Relations Act 1976) to offshore employment.
The significant role played by my Department's race relations employment advisory service in promoting the recommendations of the CRE 1984 code of practice's recommendations to employers on the implementation of equal opportunities policies. The service is now giving greater publicity to the use of the positive action provisions of the Race Relations Act.
The commissioning of a number of research projects by my Department which have informed the Government and others on the position of ethnic minorities in the labour market.
The regular meetings of my Department's race relations employment advisory group, whose members include the chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality and distinguished representatives of ethnic minorities, have provided successive Ministers with valuable advice on the employment of people from ethnic minorities.
(ii) In the sex discrimination field
The extension of the Equal Pay Act to provide equal pay for work of equal value.
The removal of restrictions on adult women's hours of work thus freeing women to compete on equal terms with men for higher paid shift and night work.
The extension of sex discrimination legislation (the Equal Pay and Sex Discrimination Acts) to offshore employment--an employer can no longer refuse a women a job on an oil rig simply because she is a woman.
Equalising retirement ages--the woman, who wants to, can now work to the same age as her male counterpart.
Freeing single sex training from unnecessary legislation. A training provider no longer has to obtain Ministerial designation before running a women only course.
The regular meetings of the Department's advisory committee on women's employment. This committee, which includes the chairman of the Equal Opportunities Commission and members of women's organisations, has provided successive Governments with valuable advice on the employment of women.
(iii) In Training Agency programmes
All Training Agency programmes are available equally to all eligible people, regardless of their race, religion, sex, marital status or disability.
Both YTS and employment training have equal opportunities codes of practice. A commitment to equal opportunities is one of the criteria for achievement of approved training organisation status ; this is under-pinned by a contractual requirement. Publicity material for both schemes promotes equal opportunities and avoids stereotypes. Single sex and race training is provided where appropriate. The skill training agency has an equal opportunities statement and has issued guidance forbidding pin-up material in skill centre premises.
Education authorities and schools participating in technical and vocational education initiative have equal opportunity statements. (iv) In the Department's employment service
The employment service is an equal opportunities organisation and as such has a responsibility to ensure its services are available to all regardless of race, sex or disability.
The ethnic origin traffic surveys of 1986 and 1987 provided information on the needs of people from ethnic minorities. As a result 48 inner city officers have been appointed to help make services more accessible and relevant to inner city job seekers, many of whom are from ethnic minorities. A number of leaflets have also been translated into minority languages.
People can attend job clubs at times convenient for childcare and domestic arrangements. A leaflet aimed at women who are thinking of returning to work has been produced. Eligibility for the job start and enterprise allowance schemes is based on receipt of benefit ; people whose partner is in receipt of benefit are also eligible. (v) In the Department's contribution to action for cities Many people from ethnic minorities live in inner cities and have benefited from these initiatives. For example the small firms service have recently opened six inner city sub-offices ;
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their services will be available to all small businesses but their expertise in ethnic minority business matters will be particularly helpful to ethnic minority entrepreneurs.(vi) as an employer
In 1986 the race relations employment advisory service audited the equal opportunities policy within my Department with regard to race. Most of their recommendations, which relate to training, instructions etc., were accepted and are being implemented. In addition we are, or are about to begin, monitoring recruitment, staff in post, access to training and promotion. Whilst representation of ethnic minority groups remains concentrated in lower grades there have been gradual improvements.
My Department has also introduced a number of initiatives to ensure both men and women have the same opportunities. These include increased opportunities to work flexible working hours and/or part time, the provision of a preferential reinstatement (career break) scheme and advice on the granting of special leave for domestic purposes. Representation of women is gradually increasing at most levels within my Department.
(vii) The introduction of equal opportunities proofing All the Department's policies are now examined to ensure that they do not unlawfully discriminate against women and ethnic minorities.
Early Retirement
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he collects statistics on the levels of early retirement and those due to ill health (a) generally, (b) in local authorities and (c) in Gedling borough council.
Mr. Lee : I regret that the statistics as requested are not collected centrally.
Watercooling Plants
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will introduce legislative controls to make all water cooling plants subject to regular inspection and control.
Mr. Nicholls : Water cooling plants in workplaces are already subject to the provisions of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, which places a responsibility on those in control of buildings and their engineering services to implement and monitor appropriate controls. Additionally, the Health and Safety Executive has issued guidance on these controls and inspectors monitor the performance of employers during routine inspections.
New Jobs
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many full-time and part-time jobs were created in the 12 months to September 1988 in Great Britain.
Mr. Lee : There are no figures for job gains and job losses. In the year to September 1988 the work force in employment in Great Britain increased by 399,000 of which 220,000 were in full-time employment and 179,000 were in part-time employment. The work force in employment is the sum of employees in employment, the self-employed, Her Majesty's forces and participants in work-related Government training programmes. In classifiying the work force in employment between full and part-time, all programme participants are counted as in part-time employment.
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Employment Training
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many trainees on employment training are (a) getting meals paid, (b) getting the maximum of £5 of travel paid, (c) experiencing a £5 deduction because their spouse works and (d) confined to a £10 premium because their partner works 24 hours plus a week ; and if he will express each figure as a percentage of the total numbers of employment trainees.
Mr. Nicholls : The information requested at (a), (b), and (d) is not available. It is not clear what the hon. Member is referring to at (c). There is no £5 deduction on employment training. All trainees get a training allowance of at least £10 a week more than their benefit entitlement.
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many trainees undergoing employment training are receiving enhancements over benefit paid for training managers ; and if he will express this figure as a percentage of the total on employment training.
Mr. Nicholls : The information requested is not available.
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total number of dismissals from the employment training programme so far, distinguishing between reasons for dismissal.
Mr. Nicholls : The information requested is not available.
Tourism
Dr. Owen : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total of Government support for the tourist industry in 1988 prices for each year from 1960 to 1988 for the south west region and separately for Devon and Cornwall ; and what is the projected amount for the next five years.
Mr. Lee : Total funds made available by the English tourist board to support tourism in the south west region, through subventions to the west country tourist board, payments under section 4 of the Development of Tourism Act 1969 and, in 1971-72 and 1972-73, under the hotel development incentives scheme, at constant 1987-88 prices, were as follows :
|£
------------------------------
1971-72 |129,472
1972-73 |830,381
1973-74 |801,818
1974-75 |866,538
1975-76 |1,241,240
1976-77 |991,504
1977-78 |951,349
1978-79 |904,050
1979-80 |1,781,136
1980-81 |1,633,740
1981-82 |2,171,574
1982-83 |1,331,250
1983-84 |3,443,496
1984-85 |2,351,520
1985-86 |2,796,238
1986-87 |3,954,080
1987-88 |3,431,000
1988-89 |<1>-
<1> estimated to end of
January 1989, at actual
prices-£2,538,500
Separate figures for Devon and Cornwall, and for Government assistance prior to the formation of the west country tourist board in June 1971, could only be provided at disproportionate cost. No projections have been made as to the amount of support for the next five years.
In addition, the tourist industry receives substantial support through a number of other Government Departments.
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