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Local Authority Building
Mr. Anderson : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his policy on building by Welsh local authorities for building for the non- specialist sector.
Mr. Grist : General guidance to local authorities on their capital programmes is contained in Welsh Office circulars 14/87 and 39/87.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Land Registry
Ms. Walley : To ask the Attorney-General what is the ratio of staff to applications for the Land Registry by districts.
The Attorney-General : The following table indicates the ratio of staff in post at 1 February 1989 to the average daily number of applications of all kinds, received at each district registry. It should be noted that some offices, particularly those in the south-east, have assistance from other offices. This is not reflected in the figures given as the level of assistance varies regularly to meet changing circumstances.
Office |Ratio of staff to
|applications
------------------------------------------------------
Croydon |1:4.8
Harrow |1:4.0
Tunbridge Wells |1:4.6
Lytham |1:4.2
Nottingham |1:5.0
Gloucester |1:3.1
Stevenage |1:4.8
Durham |1:3.6
Plymouth |1:4.0
Swansea |1:3.9
Birkenhead |1:4.1
Weymouth |1:4.8
Peterborough |1:4.3
Telford |1:3.8
Coventry |1:5.7
Hull |1:2.4
Ms. Walley : To ask the Attorney-General what extra resources have been made available for the Land Registry, to meet the increased activity in the property market and the backlog of applications.
The Attorney-General : An additional 1,245 posts were approved at the beginning of the current financial year. A further 900 posts were approved in August.
1,400 additional posts have been approved in the public expenditure survey White Paper for the next financial year.
Letter ("The Independent")
Mr. David Winnick (Walsall North) : To ask the Attorney-General if the Director of Public Prosecution's attention has been drawn to the letter published in The Independent on 17 February from one Inayullah Zaighan.
ENERGY
Reactor Fuel Elements
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what has been the average annual failure rate for fuel
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elements used in (a) Magnox reactors, and (b) advanced gas-cooled reactors for each year since these fuels have been used ; and what are the comparable fuel failure rates in pressurised water reactor fuel used in France and the United States of America, respectively.Mr. Michael Spicer : In recent years, the average annual failure rates of fuel elements used in Magnox reactors and fuel pins used in advanced gas cooled reactors (AGRs), for the United Kingdom as a whole, were as follows :
Magnox : 0.002--0.004 per cent.
AGR : 0.0001 per cent.
Comparable statistics relating to the fuel element failure rates for PWRs in France and the United States of America are not available.
The term failure in this context means a very minor leak of fission products into the coolant. There have been no significant safety or environmental implications.
Renewable Energy Research Projects
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list all renewable energy research projects sponsored by his Department that have resulted in successful exports ; and if he will make a statement on prospects for future exports of renewable energy technologies.
Mr. Michael Spicer : The development of commercially viable and environmentally acceptable renewable technologies is still at an early stage. One of the main aims of our programme is to reduce the uncertainty about the economies and potential contribution of those technologies currently classed as promising but uncertain. This is done by obtaining better market data and by improving technical performance and reducing capital costs. United Kingdom industry is playing a leading role in this work and a number of companies involved in our programme have been very successful in developing overseas markets. Notable examples are James Howden and Company and the Wind Energy Group, which have successfully exported their wind turbines.
If our research and development are successful many of the technologies being examined as part of our programme should offer considerable export potential for United Kingdom industry. Expertise derived from our programme is playing an important part in the collaborative programmes established by the European Commission and the International Energy Agency.
No list of research projects has been kept in the form requested.
Wood-based Fuel
Mr. Speller : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many projects exist to produce electricity from a wood-based fuel stock in the United Kingdom ; what is the total product ; and what is the kilowatt hour cost.
Mr. Michael Spicer : I know of no projects to produce electricity from a wood-based fuel stock in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Speller : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what statistics he has on the production of electricity in indivdual European Community countries from short rotation forestry of arable wood crops ; and what is the estimated cost per kilowatt hour.
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Mr. Michael Spicer : My Department has no statistics on the production of electricity in individual European countries from short rotation forestry of arable wood crops, nor is it aware of any actual projects.
Sites of Special Scientific Interest
Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many sites of special scientific interest are owned by each electricity board in England and Wales.
Mr. Michael Spicer : Questions about landholdings are operational matters for the individual boards. I am therefore asking the chairmen to write to the hon. Member.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
British Shipbuilders (Privatisation)
Mr. Patnick : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he has anything further to report on progress with privatisation of British Shipbuilders' facilities.
Mr. Newton : British Shipbuilders successfully completed the sale of its Clark Kincaid facility on 23 December and its Appledore yard on 26 January. Discussions with the preferred bidder for Marine Design Consultants are continuing. BS has invited bids for Sunderland Forge Services by 24 February.
In the case of the Ferguson yard at Port Glasgow, for which the firm of Ailsa Perth Ltd. was named as preferred bidder on 14 November 1988, I regret that detailed negotiations have not resulted in agreement on a satisfactory basis for the sale to proceed. In these circumstances, I have accepted the advice of the BS chairman that BS should invite new bids for Ferguson to be in place by 31 March 1989. Ailsa Perth Ltd. may offer a further bid if it wishes.
Wood-processing
Mr. Bowis : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what current developments there are for promoting wood-processing industries in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Maude : The Government continue to promote enterprise and prosperity among businesses through the encouragement of open competitive markets. Within this economic framework, we believe that the wood- processing industries themselves are best placed to judge and profit from future market developments, with companies able to draw upon the range of advice available under the enterprise initiative.
Produce Liability
Mr. Gordon Brown : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the European Commission has approached the Government under article 169 of the Rome treaty regarding the implementation of the European Community directive on product liability.
Mr. Forth : There have been regular discussions with the European Commission at official level about the implementation of the EC directive on produce liability.
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The Commission also issued a press release in December 1988 announcing that a decision had been taken to start proceedings against 11 member states under article 169 of the treaty of Rome but as yet there has been no formal approach from the Commission.Column 818
Consumers (Assistance)
Mr. Gordon Brown : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the Government contribution to (a) the National Consumer Council, (b) the National and Scottish Associations of Citizens' Advice Bureaux and (c) the nationalised industries consumer councils for each year from 1978 to date at cash and constant prices.
Mr. Forth : The information is as follows :
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£ million
NCC NACAB and SACAB NICCs<1>
Year |Cash |1987-88 prices|Cash |1987-88 prices|Cash |1987-88 prices
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1978-79 |0.627 |1.287 |1.276 |2.617 |1.939 |3.979
1979-80 |0.820 |1.440 |1.852 |3.251 |2.270 |3.986
1980-81 |0.999 |1.481 |4.018 |5.956 |3.021 |4.478
1981-82 |1.086 |1.466 |4.913 |6.630 |3.285 |4.433
1982-83 |1.199 |1.510 |5.533 |6.970 |3.602 |4.537
1983-84 |1.339 |1.613 |6.041 |7.277 |3.872 |4.664
1984-85 |1.423 |1.631 |7.094 |8.134 |3.879 |4.448
1985-86 |1.554 |1.690 |7.993 |8.696 |4.189 |4.557
1986-87 |1.733 |1.824 |8.604 |9.058 |<2>3.789 |<2>3.989
1987-88 |1.752 |1.752 |9.004 |9.004 |<2>2.850 |<2>2.850
<1> The figures for Government grant in respect of the accommodation of the national industry consumer councils is not
available and is not included here.
<2> Under the Gas Act 1986, the expenditure of the Gas Consumers Council has been met through the gas licence fee by
grant-in-aid, so it is not a charge to the Exchequer. The expenditure of the GCC is therefore excluded from 1 August
1986, but the cash amounts were: 1.8.86-31.3.87 £1.401 million, 1987-88 £2.620 million.
Mr. Gordon Brown : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the number of (a) citizens' advice bureaux and (b) consumer advice centres in 1978 and the latest available year.
Mr. Forth : No record is held centrally of the number of consumer advice centres. The number of citizens' advice bureaux in Great Britain in each of the financial years shown was as follows :
Year |Number ---------------------- 1978-79 |828 1979-80 |818 1980-81 |852 1981-82 |880 1982-83 |907 1983-84 |939 1984-85 |975 1985-86 |952 1986-87 |1,123 1987-88 |1,210
Mr. Gordon Brown : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people sought the assistance of citizens' advice bureaux in each year since 1978.
Mr. Forth : No record is held of the number of people who sought the assistance of citizens' advice bureaux. However, the number of inquiries made to bureaux in Great Britain in each of the financial years shown was as follows :
Year |Number millions ------------------------------------------------ 1978-79 |3.536 1979-80 |3.796 1980-81 |4.284 1981-82 |4.738 1982-83 |5.268 1983-84 |5.735 1984-85 |6.100 1985-86 |6.604 1986-87 |7.144 1987-88 |7.554
Office of Fair Trading (Complaints)
Mr. Gordon Brown : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what was the number of complaints to the Office of Fair Trading concerning (a) holidays and (b) entertainment and accommodation in 1978 and the latest year for which figures are available ; (2) what was the number of complaints to the Office of Fair Trading concerning the used car trade for 1978 and the latest year for which figures are available.
Mr. Forth : This is a matter for the Director General of Fair Trading. I will ask him to write to the hon. Gentleman.
Radio Spectrum
Mr. McCrindle : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) if he plans to introduce legislation to privatise the nation's air waves ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) if he will make an announcement on measures to introduce market forces into the radio spectrum.
Mr. Maude : The Government are anxious to ensure that the most effective use is made of the radio spectrum. No decisions have yet been taken on which of the wide range of options will best meet that objective, within the framework of our international obligations and the aim of our policies in related areas.
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Debt Collectors
Mr. Gordon Brown : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will give the number of applicants refused licences as debt collectors under the Consumer Credit Act in each year since 1978.
Mr. Maude : The administration of the consumer credit licensing system is the responsibility of the Director General of Fair Trading. I will ask him to write to the hon. Member.
Pesticides
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the balance of trade in agricultural pesticides and associated chemicals with (a) the EEC and (b) the rest of the world.
Mr. Forth [holding answer 23 February 1989] : The balance of trade in agricultural pesticides and associated chemicals (defined by Standard International Trade Classification Revision 3, group 591 less sub- group 591.4) for the 12 months to December 1988 shows surpluses of £101.8 million with the EEC and of £153.5 million with the rest of the world.
THE ARTS
Elton John Exhibition
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Minister for the Arts what information he has on whether curatorial staff at the Victoria and Albert museum were involved in (a) the selection of objects, (b) the writing of catalogues and (c) the labelling of exhibits for the Elton John exhibition last year at the museum.
Mr. Luce [holding answer 15 February 1989] : This is a matter for the museum's director and trustees. I will ask the director to write to the hon. Member.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Minister for the Arts what information he has on how many curatorial staff days were involved in putting on the (a) Elton John and (b) Sock Shop exhibition at the Victoria and Albert museum.
Mr. Luce [holding answer 15 February 1989] : This is a matter for the museum's director and trustees. I will ask the director to write to the hon. Member.
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Minister for the Arts what information he has on the costs of mounting the (a) Elton John, (b) Sock Shop, (c) Burberrys and (d) Month in the Country at Harrods exhibitions by the Victoria and Albert museum.
Mr. Luce [holding answer 15 February 1989] : This is a matter for the museum's director and trustees. I will ask the director to write to the hon. Member.
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Minister for the Arts what information he has on the level of financial support that has been received by the Victoria and Albert museum from (a) Sotheby's, (b) the Sock Shop, (c) Burberrys and (d) Harrods for exhibitions organised by the museum.
Mr. Luce [holding answer 15 February 1989] : This is a matter for the museum's director and trustees. I will ask the director to write to the hon. Member.
Column 820
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Minister for the Arts how many staff are to be made redundant at the Victoria and Albert museum following the proposed restructuring of staff.
Mr. Luce [holding answer 15 February 1989] : The management of the museum's staff is a matter for the director and trustees. I will ask the director to write to the hon. Member.
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Minister for the Arts what financial savings will result from the proposed restructuring of staff at the Victoria and Albert museum.
Mr. Luce [holding answer 15 February 1989] : The management of the museum's resources is a matter for the director and trustees. I will ask the director to write to the hon. Member.
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Minister for the Arts what discussions he has had in the past year about the restructuring of staff at the Victoria and Albert museum with (a) the director and (b) the chairman of the trustees.
Mr. Luce [holding answer 15 February 1989] : I have made it my practice to discuss the corporate plans of national museums and galleries with their directors and trustees. In this context, I was aware that the Victoria and Albert museum intended to review its organisational structure. The precise details of the review are a matter for the director and trustees.
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Minister for the Arts what will be the cost of the Victoria and Albert museum's proposed redundancy programme (a) in the current year and (b) in each of the next 10 years.
Mr. Luce [holding answer 15 February 1989] : The management of the museum's resources is a matter for the director and trustees. I will ask the director to write to the hon. Member.
NATIONAL FINANCE
Incomes
Mr. Gordon Brown : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has on the average income per head in pounds sterling in 1978 and for the latest available year in (a) New Zealand, (b) Australia, (c) Korea and (d) the United States of America and each of the countries of the European Economic Community.
Mr. Lilley : Figures for gross domestic product per head in 1978 and 1987 coverted to United States dollars using purchasing power parities are given in the OECD publication "National Accounts Main Aggregates Volume 1 1960-1987" for all the countries in question except South Korea. The United States dollar/pound sterling exchange rate needed to convert the figures into pounds sterling are given in the same publication. Comparable figures for South Korea are not available.
HEALTH
Cook-Chill Food
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health why the Department of Health's 1980 review of guidelines
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on pre-cooked chilled foods has not yet been published ; when it is due to be published ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Kenneth Clarke : My Department has obtained further expert advice to ensure that the revised guidelines, when issued, will be as up to date and effective as possible. We intend publishing the guidelines as soon as this advice has been fully considered.
Mrs. Wise : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether guidelines have been issued to environmental health officers as to whether the refrigerated cabinets in which cooked-chilled foods are stored, when displayed for sale, should be kept at a specified temperature and as to the frequency of inspection of such cabinets.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : I expect to announce proposals for new temperature control requirements in the Food Hygiene Regulations very shortly. Environmental health officers will be responsible for enforcing any revised regulations in the same way as they are responsible for enforcing the current regulations, and no special advice has been issued.
Mrs. Wise : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ensure that cooked-chilled food offered for sale is only in cabinets which have a visible thermometer reading not more than 3 deg. celsius.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : I expect to announce proposals for new temperature control requirements in the Food Hygiene Regulations very shortly.
Mrs. Wise : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has any plans to specify a permitted shelf life for cooked-chilled foods.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 17 February to the hon. Member for Wakefield (Mr. Hinchliffe) at column 423.
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to announce new regulations governing storage temperatures for cook -chilled food in shops ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke [holding answer 21 February 1989] : I expect to be able to announce proposals for new regulations very shortly.
Salmonella
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for each of the last five years the number of cases of salmonella infection in its various forms that have been reported and treated in (a) Trent regional health authority and (b) Yorkshire regional health authority by district health authority ; and how many cases resulted in the death of the patient.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : The figures on laboratory reports of salmonellosis (cases and excreters) that have been reported to the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre from public health and hospital laboratories in the Trent and Yorkshire regional health authorities are as follows :
Total Reports
Year Yorkshire RHTrent RHA
------------------------------------
1983 |1,745|(6) |1,264|(4)
1984 |1,826|(20) |1,374|(2)
1985 |1,138|(4) |1,069|(5)
1986 |1,539|(5) |1,311|(2)
1987 |1,694|(6) |1,534|(4)
Notes:
The bracketed figures indicate the
number of deaths where salmonella
was registered as the underlying
cause of death.
Reports of salmonellosis are not
collected on a district health
authority basis.
Child Sexual Abuse
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received from the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children on the priority which is given to research into child sexual abuse.
Mr. Mellor : Officials and the NSPCC meet regularly to discuss subjects of mutual concern, including research. In addition an official from the social services inspectorate attends the NSPCC's professional advisory committee which discusses research issues. The Department is currently funding a feasibility study being conducted at the National Institute of Social Work in collaboration with the NSPCC to follow up of children who were placed on NSPCC child protection registers in 1981. An outline proposal concerning the evaluation of child protection registers is being considered by the Department. The Department and the NSPCC have also discussed how the NSPCC's register research programme, which has been a major source of information on the incidence of child abuse registrations and the characteristics of abusing families, can best complement the annual statistical survey which the Department now undertakes of children on local authority child protection registers.
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times his Department has given evidence to inquiries involving child sexual abuse since 1979.
Mr. Mellor : Once, at the inquiry into child abuse in Cleveland, 1987.
Tamoxifen
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he intends to implement to encourage those consultants who do not use the drug Tamoxifen in the treatment of breast cancer to change their management of such cases in the light of the recent results from the Cancer Research Fund's cancer study unit.
Mr. Freeman : An individual patient's suitability for a particular drug treatment is a matter for the clinical judgment of the doctor concerned.
Nursing Homes
Mr. Pendry : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many private residential homes and private nursing homes have been closed in England and Wales because they have failed to comply with local authority and Health Services registration requirements.
Mr. Mellor : Information about cancelled registrations has been notified to the Department only since 1 January 1985. Up to 31 December 1988, 75 residential care homes,
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17 nursing homes and one home dually registered as a nursing home and residential care home have been notified.Hospital Waste
Mr. Frank Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the disposal by Arrowe Park hospital of waste due for incineration by dumping in landfill sites.
Mr. Mellor : I understand from the Wirral health authority that it has no knowledge of any clinical waste from Arrowe Park hospital, or clinical waste from elsewhere transported to the Arrowe Park incineration plant for incineration, which has subsequently been dumped on a landfill site. I hope that the hon. Member will pass any evidence that he has to the district health authority.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Dementia
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has concerning the incidence of Creutzfeldt-Jakob dementia.
Mr. Freeman : We do not hold this information centrally.
Hospital Referrals
Ms. Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients in each of the last five years have been refused referral to a hospital on the grounds that they do not live in the district in which the hospital is situated.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : We do not collect this information centrally. GPs are free to refer patients to the consultant they consider most appropriate ; equally, the consultant is free to accept or refuse the referral. Under the arrangements set out in "Working for Patients", where money will follow patients across district boundaries, hospitals and their consultants should increasingly be willing to accept patients from other districts if they consider that the patient will benefit from their particular skills and services.
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