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Mr. Lee : There are 109 investigators and no targets are set for these investigators by regional office.
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many fraud investigators reporting to the south-east regional office are operating from or are expected to operate from the Borough unemployment benefit office at Keyworth house ;
(2) why fraud investigators are employed at a regional level ; and what is their relationship with fraud staff employed at an area level.
Mr. Lee : The new inner London fraud team has been set up to investigate the hidden economy in London. It will concentrate on investigating fraud at the place of employment to identify those people who are working and also claiming unemployment benefit. Investigation of individual cases of fraud will be dealt with by existing sector fraud teams who may refer particular cases to the inner London fraud team if, for example, an employer is found to be employing a number of benefit recipients. None of the inner London fraud team will operate from Keyworth house.
Tourism
Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the effects of different per capita rates of public spending on tourism in the constituent parts of the United Kingdom.
Mr. Lee [holding answer 20 February 1989] : Government per capita support for tourism through the national tourist boards and the Highlands and Islands development board in 1987-88 was as follows :
|Funding |Average expenditure per
|head of population
|£ |£
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
England |23,335,000 |0.5
Scotland |17,211,000 |3.4
Wales |8,625,000 |3.0
Northern Ireland |4,813,000 |3.1
In addition, the Government provide a wide range of other forms of assistance in support of tourism-related industries. However, differences in the composition of public expenditure in different parts of the United Kingdom mean that information on the effect of this could not realistically be obtained.
Labour Statistics
Mr. Wray : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time jobs (i) male and (ii) female there were in March 1979 and
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March 1989 in the (a) industrial (b) nursing (c) agriculture and fishing and (d) service sectors in the (i) United Kingdom and (ii) Scotland.Mr. Lee [holding answer 20 February 1989] : The available information is given in table A and table B for March 1979 and September 1988 (the latest date for which figures are available) and relates to employees in
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employment. There are no estimates of full- time and part-time employees in employment in Northern Ireland for these dates, and therefore no estimates for the United Kingdom. The only available information about full and part-time employment in Scotland in March 1979 and September 1988 is for female employees in employment. Comparisons between March and September will be influenced by the effects of seasonal variation.Column 655
|c|Table A|c|
|c|Full-time and part-time employees in employment United Kingdom|c|
Thousands
March 1979 September 1988
|Males |Females|Males |Females
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All industries and services (divisions 0-9)<1> |13,401 |9,522 |12,001 |10,204
of which:
Production industries (divisions 1-4)<1> |5,736 |2,232 |3,952 |1,631
Coal extraction and manufacture of
solid fuels (class 11)<1><2> |287 |12 |122 |4
Agriculture, forestry and fishing
(division 0)<1> |291 |84 |252 |90
Service industries (divisions 6-9)<1> |6,268 |7,101 |6,899 |8,362
<1>Division or Class of the 1980 Standard Industrial Classification.
<2>Estimates below national level are subject to considerable estimation error due to
the relatively small number of employees in the industry in each English region,
Scotland and Wales.
|c|Table B|c|
|c|Full-time and part-time employees in employment Scotland|c|
Thousands
March 1979 September 1988
Males Females Males Females
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All industries and services (divisions 0-9)<1> |1,190|558 |316 |874 |992 |504 |389 |893
of which:
Production industries (divisions 1-4)<1> |477 |168 |30 |198 |293 |114 |21 |135
Coal extraction and manufacture of
solid fuels (class 11) <1><2> |26 |1 |<3>- |1 |6 |<3>- |<3>- |<3>-
Agriculture, forestry and fishing
(division 0)<1> |41 |4 |3 |7 |24 |2 |2 |4
Service industries (division 6-9)<1> |532 |379 |279 |658 |545 |382 |362 |744
<1>Division or Class of the 1980 Standard Industrial Classification.
<2>Estimates below national level are subject to considerable estimation error due to the relatively
small number of employees in the industry in each English region, Scotland and Wales.
<3>Nil or negligible.
TRANSPORT
Railways (Electrification)
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the estimated cost of electrification of the Cambridge-King's Lynn railway line ; what is his estimate of the average numbers of passengers travelling between Ely and King's Lynn in any day or week ; and if he will publish the calculations which show the expected return on this investment over the route (a) Cambridge to Ely, (b) Ely to King's Lynn and (c) Cambridge to King's Lynn.
Mr. Portillo : The total cost of the project is estimated at £20.1 million, of which £11 million will be spent on the necessary infrastructure. The Department has no separate figures for passenger loadings between Ely and King's Lynn. This project was, as usual, appraised using a 7 per cent. discount rate, and was shown to be the most cost-effective way of continuing to operate this line.
Trunk Road Schemes
Mr. Amos : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those trunk road schemes in England on
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which he anticipates public inquiries being held during the current year with, where known, the likely date of the inquiry.Mr. Peter Bottomley : We anticipate that the following public inquiries may be held in February-March 1989, and 1989-90. An inquiry may not be necessary if all objections can be resolved after publication of draft orders.
|c|1. Schemes where a Public Inquiry has been announced|c| Scheme |Date ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A3 |Milford bypass |21 March 1989 A47 |Norwich southern bypass |Started 21 February 1989 A49 |Weaverham diversion |26 April 1989
|c|2. Schemes where Orders have been published|c| |c|and a Public Inquiry may be held|c| Scheme |Date ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A5 |Telford-Shrewsbury |April 1989 A6 |Burton Latimer bypass |May 1989 A13 |Thames avenue-Wennington |September 1989 A13 |Wennington-Mar Dyke |September 1989 A65 |Gargrave bypass |July 1989 A339 |Basingstoke northern bypass|June 1989 *A435 |Alcester bypass |April 1989 A516 |Etwall bypass |July 1989
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|c|3. Schemes where it is proposed to publish Orders,|c| |c|and where a Public Inquiry may subsequently be held|c| Scheme ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ M5 |widening Wardon-Strensham M65 |Blackburn Southern Bypass M66 |Denton-Middleton* M1-A1 |Link (6 schemes)* A1 |Brownieside Diversion A1 |Dishforth-Leeming Phase 1 A1 |Glatton Grade Separated Junction A1 |Marshall Meadows Improvement A5 |Fazely, Two Gates and Wilnecote Bypass A5 |Little Brickhill Bypass A11 |Besthorpe-Wymondham A12 |Hackney Wick-M11* A16 |Spalding-Sutterton Improvement A17 |Leadenham Bypass A17 |Wigtoft-Sutterton Bypass A23 |Handcross-Pease Pottage A27 |Brighton Bypass Contract 4* A27 |Westhampnett Bypass A30 |Okehampton-Launceston A35 |Yellowham-Troytown A38 |Dogshead Lane Overbridge A39 |Wadebridge Bypass A40 |Gipsy Corner Junction Improvement A40 |Western Circus Junction Improvement A41 |Aston Clinton Bypass A41 |Bicester Bypass A41 |Whitchurch Bypass A43 |Blisworth Bypass A47 |East Dereham-North Tudenham A49 |Skewbridge at Woofferton Improvement A59 |Mellor Brook Bypass A65 |Burley Bypass* A66 |Bowes-County Boundary Improvement A69 |Haltwhistle Relief Road A140 |Scole Bypass A406 |Pope's Lane-Western Avenue Southern Section A423 |Southam Bypass A435 |Norton-Lenchwick Bypass A523 |Macclesfield Inner Relief Road* A568 |Widnes E Bypass (N) A590 |Dalton Bypass A638 |Doncaster N Bridge
Schemes marked with an asterisk* are those where a public inquiry to establish the line has already been held, and supplementary orders, side roads orders and/or compulsory purchase orders are under consideration.
Scheme timings are based on the latest available planning information and may be subject to change.
A69 (Hexham)
Mr. Amos : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the traffic flow on the A69 west of Hexham during the past 10 years for which figures are available.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : From information available traffic flows during the period are recorded as follows :
Location |Year |Annual average daily flow
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Between Haydon Bridge and Bardon Mill |1979 |5,804
|1985 |7,300
|1987 |7,705
|1988 |8,726
Between Haydon Bridge and Hexham |1982 |7,705
|1987 |8,308
Cottingley Bar-Shipley Bypass (Tunnel)
Mr. Waller : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the proposal for a long tunnel between Cottingley Bar and the Shipley eastern bypass, submited as option B in the current public consultation exercise, has been subjected to COBA analysis ; and if the will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : The tunnel option, included in the recent information brochure issued by the Department, was subjected to COBA analysis.
Relative to the other options considered, the tunnel schemes would have high constructions costs. This effects the economic return. A single carriageway scheme would have a low positive net present value, and a dual carriageway scheme would be negative. The other effects of the tunnel options were summarised in the framework shown in the brochure.
London Traffic Model
Mr. Bermingham : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what have been the total costs incurred to his Department in the development and use up until discontinuance of the London area model at the Transport and Road Research Laboratory ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Bottomley [holding answer 21 February 1989] : The total cost of the development and use of the London area model, up until the decision to withdraw it from further use, was some £138,000.
Mr. Bermingham : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the total costs incurred to his Department by the use of the London transportation studies model ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Bottomley [holding answer 21 February 1989] : The Department assumed responsibility for the LTS model and databases on the abolition of the GLC. Contracts for the continuation of LTS services were placed first with the London residuary body and then from May 1987 with the MVA consultancy. We intend shortly to invite tenders for a new contract.
The total costs incurred for the period April 1986 to December 1988 were about £2.1 million. This figure covers development, maintenance and use of both the London transportation studies model and the databases associated with it.
Mr. Bermingham : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any intentions to utilise a package of models to assist in the analysis of strategic policy options in relation to transport planning in London in view of inherent problems in any such model ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Bottomley [holding answer 21 February 1989] : The Department makes considerable use of mathematical transport models in its analytical work and, for London, the LTS is the principal model in use. The output from such models is only one consideration in deciding between policy options. Such models represent a much simplified view of the complex interaction between transport choices made by the individuals and the operational and financial consequences for the various transport modes. Great care has to be taken in interpreting their results.
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AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Wages Board
Mr. Strang : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will extend the Agriculture Wages Board Order to cover private gardeners, estate workers, gamekeepers and equestrian workers ;
(2) whether grooms who work at establishments which are both equestrian and farms are covered by the agricultural wages board ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Ryder : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 10 February 1989 to the hon. Member for Carlisle (Mr. Martlew) at columns 830- 31 .
Salmonella and Eggs
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, further to his answer of 13 February to the hon. Member for the Western Isles, Official Report, column 94, whether he placed a copy of the joint Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Department of Health and British Egg Industry Council working group report on salmonella and eggs in the Library at 10.45 am or 10.45 pm on Tuesday 7 February.
Mr. MacGregor : I placed a copy of the joint Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Department of Health and British Egg Council working group on salmonella and eggs in the Library of the House at about 10.45 am on Tuesday 7 February 1989.
Milk Quota
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimates he has made of the amount of additional milk quota agreed at the Council meeting of 23 January which will accrue to United Kingdom producers ; what proposals the European Economic community has for uses for the extra milk produced.
Mr. Donald Thompson : The additional amount of milk quota which will accrue to United Kingdom producers will depend on the number and size of eligible applications received. There are no proposals to divert the increased production to specific uses.
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will identify the nature of the additional costs of £64 million which will result in the European Economic Community budget in consequence of the decision of 23 January to increase milk quotas by 600,000 tonnes ; and if he will indicate the nature of the policy changes also adopted on 23 January which will offset £41 million of this cost.
Mr. Donald Thompson : EC Commission estimates assume that the additional 600,000 tonnes of milk quota will give rise to a corresponding increase in Community exports of milk products, which would increase expenditure on export refunds by 99 million ecus (£64 million). An additional cost, estimated at 21 million ecus (£14 million), results from a 0.5 per cent. reduction of the milk co-responsibility levy for producers delivering 60,000 kg of milk or less. The 2 per cent. reduction of the butter intervention price yields estimated savings of 85 million ecus (£55 million).
Column 660
Food Policy
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what expenditure by the European Economic Community on food policy is permitted under the February 1988 agreement on legally binding spending controls ; if possible additional spending on the consequences of exceptional circumstances as determined by the Council falls to be contained within the spending controls ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Ryder : The financial guideline for expenditure in the guarantee section of the CAP covers all expenditure on agricultural market support and 50 per cent. of expenditure on set-aside. The guideline for 1989 is 28,624 million ecu (£18,500 million), which is 1,863 million ecu (£1,200 million) above the corresponding provision in the 1989 Community budget.
There is no general provision which would permit expenditure to exceed the guideline in exceptional circumstances. However, there is a monetary reserve of 1,000 million ecu (£650 million) to cover additonal expenditure or savings arising from significant movements in the dollar against the ecu. If the dollar falls to such an extent that extra spending of more than 400 million ecu (£260 million) is generated, the excess amount is transferred from the reserve. Conversely savings of more than 400 million ecu resulting from a rise in the dollar are transferred from the agriculture budget into the reserve. If the dollar/ecu exchange rate maintains its current level payments into the reserve will take place in 1989.
Bovine Somatotropin
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice he has received from the Veterinary Products Committee concerning the safety of Monsanto's bovine somatotropin for cows ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Donald Thompson : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 6 February at column 573.
Eggs
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what production standards are required for eggs to be classified as free range.
Mr. Ryder [holding answer 20 February 1989] : The relevant production standards are laid down in Commission regulation EEC 95/69, as amended in particular by Commission regulation EEC 1943/85.
Feedstuffs
Mr. Michael : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which of the European Community states have a mandatory requirement for the sterilisation of animal feedstuffs, particularly poultry.
Mr. Ryder [holding answer 20 February 1989] : In the United Kingdom animal protein intended for use in feedingstuffs is heated or otherwise treated in order to destroy salmonella organisms. We do not have precise information on requirements in other member states of the European Community. But the provisions of the EC directives on feedingstuffs require all member states to
Column 661
prescribe that animal feedingstuffs may be marketed only if they are wholesome, unadulterated and of merchantable quality.Salmonella Enteritidis
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to commission research into the epidemiology of salmonella enteritidis in free-range flocks of laying hens.
Mr. Donald Thompson [holding answer 16 February 1989] : Cultural and serological findings from the veterinary laboratory are providing epidemiological information on salmonella enteritidis in poultry. A specific research project at the central veterinary laboratory is being formulated and the results are likely to have application to all laying hens.
SCOTLAND
Craft Enterprises
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will commission an independent study of the financial and other needs of small craft enterprises working in rural areas in Scotland.
Mr. Lang : Support for the crafts industry in Scotland is provided through the Scottish Development Agency and the Highland and Islands development board. Both bodies provide a range of financial and other support to the industry in line with its support for other types of small businesses. These bodies also fund Craftpoint, a limited company providing marketing services to the crafts industry throughout Scotland. The functions of Craftpoint are shortly to be reviewed and I have asked the agencies to prepare a consultation document on the long-term strategy for the crafts industry in Scotland incorporating the findings of this review.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will consider increased financial support for craft industries in rural areas in Scotland, and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang : The Scottish Development Agency and the Highlands and Islands development board both view support for the crafts industry as a priority function and there is no evidence that viable projects are being lost through lack of funding. Decisions on the level of financial support are for the agencies to make within their overall approved budget provisions.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report those powers that currently exist to provide capital or revenue grants or loans to small craft enterprises in rural areas.
Mr. Lang : Under the provisions of their Acts, both the Scottish Development Agency and the Highlands and Islands development board have a wide range of powers which enable them to support the crafts industry through the provision of financial assistance, premises, advisory, marketing and other services.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the initiatives he has taken to promote the interests of small craft businesses in rural areas since 1979.
Column 662
Mr. Lang : The Scottish Development Agency and the Highlands and Islands development board, together with Craftpoint, are actively involved in the promotion of the crafts industry in Scotland. For example, Craftpoint sponsors an annual highland trade fair held each year in Aviemore and the Scottish Development Agency maintains a crafts collection which is used for promotional purposes.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a catalogue of established craft enterprises in Scotland financed by central funds, to be updated on a regular basis.
Mr. Lang : The Scottish Development Agency publishes a quarterly news sheet entitled "Crafts News" which includes a list of all crafts enterprises assisted by the agency through grant funding during the previous quarter. Information on assistance provided to crafts enterprises by the Highlands and Islands development board is not available.
Taxi Licensing
Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total number of taxi operators' licences available for issue by Glasgow district council ; how many have been issued ; and how many are available for re-issue.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : This information is not held centrally. A forthcoming consultation paper on the review of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 will address, inter alia, the licensing arrangements for taxis and private hire cars.
Rural Areas (Hospital Beds)
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many beds there were available in hospitals in rural areas in Scotland at the latest date for which figures are available ; and how many there were in 1979.
Mr. Rifkind : The information requested is not available. There is no satisfactory definition of a rural area in relation to hospitals and their catchment population.
Rural Areas (General Practitioners)
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many general practitioners there are in rural practices in Scotland at the latest date for which figures are available ; and how many there were in 1979.
Mr. Rifkind : For statistical purposes medical practices are classified by health boards as urban, semi-urban or rural. At 1 April 1988, the date of the latest information available, the number of medical practices classified as rural was 341 ; at 1 October 1979 the number similarly classified was 316.
Health Authorities (Priorities)
Mr. Steel : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will order the publication of the "Scottish Health Authorities, Review of Priorities for the Eighties and Nineties".
Mr. Rifkind : The SHARPEN report was published on 9 November 1988. Copies are available in the Library.
Column 663
School Meals
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing the expenditure on school meals for each year between 1978-79 and the latest date available, in current and constant prices.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The information is as follows :
Year |Cash (Net expenditure)|Adjusted to 1988-89
|prices using the GDP
|deflator
|£000's |£000's
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1978-79 |34,057 |74,244
1979-80 |37,939 |70,794
1980-81 |38,495 |60,630
1981-82 |39,896 |57,211
1982-83 |40,234 |53,833
1983-84 |41,828 |53,540
1984-85 |41,859 |50,984
1985-86 |42,847 |49,531
1986-87 |44,638 |49,950
1987-88 |46,503 |49,433
Grant-aided Colleges
Mr. Allan Stewart : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will announce the allocations of grant-in-aid for recurrent expenditure to the grant-aided colleges in Scotland ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : I am pleased to announce that the Secretary of State has made the following offers of recurrent grant to the 17 grant- aided colleges for the financial year 1989-90. The offers, which are conditional on parliamentary approval of the Supply Estimates, are as follows :
|Offer 1989-90 |Per cent. increase
|£ million
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Central Institutions
Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art |3.965 |8.0
Dundee Institute of Technology |7.260 |8.0
Edinburgh College of Art |4.223 |3.0
Glasgow College of Technology |12.916 |8.0
Glasgow School of Art |3.795 |3.0
Napier Polytechnic of Edinburgh |18.140 |8.0
Paisley College of Technology |11.054 |3.0
Queen Margaret College |4.591 |8.0
Queen's College, Glasgow |3.285 |8.0
Technology |12.589 |3.0
Music and Drama |2.553 |3.0
Scottish College of Textiles |2.553 |7.5
Colleges of Education
Craigie |1.570 |4.1
Jordanhill |10.299 |3.5
Moray House |7.852 |8.0
Northern |6.325 |3.0
St. Andrew's |3.828 |3.2
Local Government (Electoral Arrangements)
Mr. Allan Stewart : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects work to begin on the next review of local government electoral arrangements in Scotland ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland has a statutory duty
Column 664
to review the electoral arrangements for each region, islands area and district in the period of 10 to 15 years after the commission submitted its report on the initial review of each area. The commission submitted its reports on the islands areas in the period October 1976 to June 1977, on the regions in the period June 1977 to December 1978 and on the districts in the period July 1978 to April 1985.My right hon. and learned Friend has approved a proposal by the commission to commence as soon as practicable the next statutory review of local government electoral arrangemens in the same order as that in which the commission submitted its reports on the initial review, i.e. the islands areas, the regions and finally the districts. The review will be conducted in accordance with the rules set out in schedule 6 to the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973.
Energy Act 1983
Mr. Bill Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what arrangements he proposes to succeed the provisions of sections 5 and 7 of the Energy Act 1983 as they apply to Scotland.
Mr. Lang : The Government appreciate that there are existing projects in Scotland where investment has been advanced against the backdrop of the rules of the obligation to purchase contained in the Energy Act 1983. We are, therefore, keen to ensure that the changes brought about by electricity privatisation neither disadvantage those who have invested nor materially affect the working of contracts already agreed.
The two Scottish boards have confirmed that any generator in Scotland whose decision on plant investment has been influenced by the existence of the provisions of the Energy Act 1983 in planning for the future and who has arrangements with a board to purchase electricity generated by him under the provisions of the Act will, if he chooses, be able to continue those for a five-year transitional period following privatisation. In commercial terms this is a significant commitment by the Scottish boards.
It would be inconsistent with the general thrust of privatising the industry to enshrine in legislation a permanent protection for a specific category of generators. The guiding principle behind our proposals in this area is to ensure that all economic sources will have fair access. The commitment given by the Scottish boards complements our proposals by securing that appropriate transitional arrangements are set in place.
Education (Parents' Views)
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list in the Official Report the full list of questions asked in the market research survey conducted by MVA consultants of parents' views on Scottish education ;
(2) what was the total cost of the survey conducted by MVA consultants of parents' views on Scottish education ;
(3) what random process was used in the selection of interviewees for the purposes of conducting the MVA survey of parents' attitudes towards Scottish education ;
(4) what was the total number of people contacted (a) per region and (b) per age group in the course of the MVA survey of parents' attitudes towards Scottish education.
Column 665
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 20 February 1989] : The main fieldwork on the recently commissioned survey of parents' views on Scottish education has not yet begun and would not be helped by releasing the list of questions before interviews take place. The consultants are an established market research organisation and are responsible for the methodology, including detailed arrangements for organising and conducting the fieldwork.
As regards the cost of the survey, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 13 February to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Garscadden (Mr. Dewar) at column 43.
DEFENCE
Low Flying
Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the speed, height and purpose of the low level flight by three jet aircraft over Whittinghame, East Lothian, at 3.35 pm on Wednesday 8 February.
Mr. Neubert : Three Hawk aircraft from RAF Chivenor were authorised to carry out a simulated attack exercise in the area at heights down to 250 ft and under the normal speed restrictions for the aircraft and type of sortie.
Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the speed, height and purpose of the low level flight by two jet aircraft over Biel, Dunbar, East Lothian, at 12.48 pm on Thursday 2 February.
Mr. Neubert : Two F-111 aircraft from RAF Lakenheath were authorised to carry out a routine low-level training sortie over the area at heights down to 250 ft and under the normal speed restrictions for the aircraft and type of sortie.
YTS Training Centres
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many YTS training centres there are outside Great Britain ; where these are located ; who is eligible to attend them ; and what is the cost per country to the Exchequer for which the most recent figures are available.
Mr. Sainsbury : There are two YTS centres overseas, one in Cyprus and one in Hong Kong. All dependants of armed forces and Civil Service personnel in both locations between the ages of 16 and 19 years of age are eligible to attend. The current staff cost of running the centres is £32,500 per annum in Cyprus and £20,000 per annum for Hong Kong.
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