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Column 469
£ million
Total recurrent Mandatory awards<3> Total capital Total
|Cash |Real terms|Cash |Real terms|Cash |Real terms|Cash |Real terms
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1981-82 |8,896 |12,005 |770 |1,039 |406 |548 |10,072 |13,592
1982-83 |9,598 |12,088 |669 |843 |456 |575 |10,723 |13,506
1983-84 |10,102 |12,169 |734 |884 |469 |565 |11,305 |13,618
1984-85 |10,525 |12,068 |744 |853 |501 |575 |11,770 |13,496
1985-86 |10,912 |11,871 |710 |772 |530 |577 |12,152 |13,220
1986-87 |12,061 |12,697 |703 |740 |574 |604 |13,338 |14,041
1987-88<1> |13,222 |13,222 |761 |761 |562 |562 |14,545 |14,545
1988-89<2> |14,214 |13,378 |803 |756 |619 |580 |15,636 |14,716
<1> The 1987-88 figures incorporate a distribution by sector of total current spending by local authorities
based on their provisional outturn expenditure on education.
<2> The 1988-89 figures incorporate a provisional distribution by sector of total current spending by local
authorities based on their budgets.
<3> Includes payments to public sector higher education institutions as reimbursements of fees for EC
students.
Cash prices for the earlier years have been repriced to 1987-88 prices using the gross domestic product (market prices) deflator. The capital expenditure figures include expenditure which local authorities have financed from receipts arising from the sale of capital assets and from other sources.
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what has been the total annual amount of grant-related expenditure in respect of education in each year from 1981-82 to 1989-90, in cash and real terms.
Mrs. Rumbold : The total (the total for grant related expenditure does not include specific grant paid in aid of education expenditure) of grant-related expenditure for education, including school meals, in the years from 1981-82 to 1989-90 is set out in the table.
GREA for education |£ million cash |£ million at 1987-88
|prices
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1981-82 |9,081 |12,254
1982-83 |9,893 |12,460
1983-84 |9,997 |12,043
1984-85 |10,306 |11,817
1985-86 |10,727 |11,670
1986-87 |11,344 |11,943
1987-88 |12,623 |12,623
1988-89 |13,472 |12,680
1989-90 |13,833 |12,399
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information is available to his Department on the amounts of annual expenditure on education by local education authorities, including expenditure from sources such as reserves and balances ; and if he will make a statement.
Column 472
Mrs. Rumbold : Detailed outturn information for local authority expenditure on education is submitted to the Department of the Environment by local authorities on the revenue outturn (RO1) and capital outturn (CO1) forms. The latest year for which full information is available is 1986-87. LEAs are currently submitting RO1 and CO1 forms showing education expenditure in 1987-88. Local education authorities also provide information on their budgeted expenditure on the return of expenditure and rates (RER) form. This is used as the basis for estimating local authority education spending where actual information is not available. The revenue forms do not separately identify education expenditure financed by reserves. The capital forms do enable authorities to show the receipts arising from the sale of capital assets.
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish a list of the local education authorities which in 1987-88 spent more than their grant-related expenditure assessment in respect of education ; what was the amount of such excess spending for each authority, in cash terms and as a percentage of their total expenditure on education ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : The information requested is given in the table. The figures for local authorities' expenditure on education are taken from the revised outturns of expenditure as notified by the authorities to the Department of the Environment on form RER. These outturn figures are not necessarily identical to authorities' final education expenditure. The expenditure figures include some capital items and specific grants which do not appear within the grant-related expenditure assessment.
Column 471
|c|1987-88 comparison GRE v RER revised outturn expenditure<1>|c|
LEA |Revised outturn |Education GRE<2>|Overspend |Overspend
|expenditure
|£ million |£ million |£ million |per cent.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ILEA |987.38 |593.48 |393.89 |39.9
Haringey |82.22 |60.70 |21.52 |26.2
Manchester |167.57 |125.43 |42.13 |25.1
Brent |104.70 |81.03 |23.67 |22.6
Waltham Forest |78.80 |62.53 |16.27 |20.6
Newcastle |84.72 |67.26 |17.46 |20.6
North Tyne |61.67 |51.00 |10.68 |17.3
Liverpool |166.52 |137.70 |28.82 |17.3
Hounslow |65.67 |55.49 |10.19 |15.5
Richmond |36.74 |31.71 |5.02 |13.7
Ealing |96.01 |82.97 |13.03 |13.6
South Tyne |49.41 |42.70 |6.70 |13.6
Knowsley |59.39 |51.48 |7.90 |13.3
Walsall |89.83 |78.46 |11.36 |12.6
Sheffield |159.41 |139.30 |20.10 |12.6
Wigan |100.08 |87.56 |12.51 |12.5
Barking |44.52 |39.62 |4.90 |11.0
Cumbria |143.10 |127.38 |15.72 |11.0
Rochdale |67.77 |60.51 |7.26 |10.7
Gateshead |58.34 |52.20 |6.14 |10.5
Salford |69.14 |61.88 |7.26 |10.5
Wakefield |92.68 |83.41 |9.27 |10.0
Bradford |161.88 |146.02 |15.86 |9.8
Harrow |59.34 |53.56 |5.78 |9.7
Croydon |91.69 |82.89 |8.80 |9.6
Derbyshire |275.04 |248.80 |26.23 |9.5
Coventry |99.59 |90.09 |9.50 |9.5
Sandwell |97.54 |88.38 |9.16 |9.4
Calderdale |61.14 |55.63 |5.51 |9.0
Barnet |79.60 |72.54 |7.07 |8.9
Isle of Wight |31.97 |29.19 |2.78 |8.7
Somerset |121.81 |111.25 |10.56 |8.7
Bury |52.03 |47.62 |4.41 |8.5
Hillingdon |63.59 |58.23 |5.36 |8.4
St. Helens |60.11 |55.09 |5.03 |8.4
Avon |245.21 |225.01 |20.20 |8.2
Wolverhampton |87.12 |80.07 |7.05 |8.1
Nottinghamshire |292.09 |268.70 |23.39 |8.0
Doncaster |90.11 |82.94 |7.17 |8.0
Cleveland |185.31 |171.68 |13.63 |7.4
Tameside |63.56 |58.97 |4.58 |7.2
Newham |79.30 |73.70 |5.60 |7.1
Durham |171.51 |159.64 |11.87 |6.9
Leeds |200.69 |186.87 |13.82 |6.9
Bedfordshire |157.41 |146.64 |10.76 |6.8
Kingston |34.21 |31.90 |2.32 |6.8
Humberside |256.75 |239.85 |16.91 |6.6
Havering |66.79 |62.93 |3.86 |5.8
Northumberland |85.49 |80.68 |4.80 |5.6
Kirklees |120.74 |114.07 |6.66 |5.5
Cheshire |289.74 |273.82 |15.92 |5.5
Leicester |260.32 |246.06 |14.26 |5.5
Wirral |99.47 |94.17 |5.30 |5.3
Gloucestershire |139.52 |132.77 |6.75 |4.8
Hertfordshire |277.41 |264.07 |13.34 |4.8
Rotherham |77.35 |73.87 |3.48 |4.5
Sutton |42.94 |41.13 |1.81 |4.2
Stockport |81.05 |77.64 |3.41 |4.2
Oxfordshire |139.95 |134.59 |5.36 |3.8
Northamptonshire |161.25 |155.09 |6.16 |3.8
Lancashire |400.56 |386.15 |14.41 |3.6
Merton |41.12 |39.71 |1.41 |3.4
Barnsley |62.50 |60.45 |2.05 |3.3
Redbridge |59.84 |57.98 |1.86 |3.1
Bexley |60.75 |58.93 |1.82 |3.0
Cambridge |171.06 |166.08 |4.98 |2.9
Shropshire |115.55 |112.50 |3.05 |2.6
North Yorkshire |184.82 |179.95 |4.87 |2.6
Enfield |74.58 |72.84 |1.74 |2.3
Surrey |241.20 |235.58 |5.62 |2.3
Essex |408.55 |399.31 |9.24 |2.3
Buckinghamshire |179.78 |175.75 |4.03 |2.2
Warwickshire |136.28 |133.27 |3.01 |2.2
Oldham |65.75 |64.32 |1.43 |2.2
Sunderland |86.78 |84.92 |1.86 |2.1
Wiltshire |147.41 |144.32 |3.08 |2.1
Staffordshire |285.13 |279.42 |5.71 |2.0
Bromley |71.80 |70.54 |1.26 |1.8
Suffolk |154.56 |152.58 |1.98 |1.3
Sefton |81.59 |80.57 |1.02 |1.3
Dudley |81.74 |81.03 |0.71 |0.9
Trafford |60.27 |59.78 |0.48 |0.8
Hampshire |391.25 |388.48 |2.78 |0.7
Dorset |140.23 |139.51 |0.72 |0.5
<1> Provisional information based on form RER. The expenditure figures include some capital items and
specific grants which do not appear within the grant related expenditure assessment.
<2> Block grant is unhypothecated and based on GRE assessment for all services, and local authorities
have discretion on how they spend across services.
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish a list of the local education authorities which in 1986-87 spent more than their grant-related expenditure assessments in respect of education ; what was the amount of such excess spending
Column 474
for each authority, in cash terms and as a percentage of their total expenditure on education ; and if he will make a statement.Mrs. Rumbold : The information requested is given in the table. The figures for local authorities' expenditure on
Column 475
education are taken from the revised outturns of expenditure as notified by the authorities to the Department of Environment on the form RER. These outturn figures are not necessarily identical to authorities' final education expenditure. The expenditure figures include some capital terms and specific grants which do not appear within the grant-related expenditure assessment.Column 475
|c|1986-87 comparison GRE v. RER revised outturn expenditure<1>|c|
|Revised outturn |Education GRE<2> |Overspend |Percentage overspend
|expenditure
Local education authority |£ million |£ million |£ million
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inner London education authority |952.47 |541.28 |411.19 |43.2
Haringey |82.18 |56.07 |26.11 |31.8
Manchester |157.14 |112.50 |44.64 |28.4
Brent |97.05 |72.71 |24.34 |25.1
Newcastle |80.24 |60.27 |19.97 |24.9
Waltham Forest |70.20 |56.99 |13.21 |18.8
North Tyne |55.85 |45.54 |10.31 |18.5
Liverpool |154.08 |125.74 |28.35 |18.4
Richmond |35.36 |29.02 |6.33 |17.9
South Tyne |46.98 |38.80 |8.18 |17.4
Hounslow |59.74 |49.84 |9.90 |16.6
Knowsley |57.14 |47.71 |9.42 |16.5
Sheffield |151.22 |126.44 |24.77 |16.4
Newham |77.94 |65.47 |12.47 |16.0
Barking |41.45 |35.10 |6.34 |15.3
Ealing |88.14 |76.52 |11.62 |13.2
Gateshead |54.49 |47.55 |6.93 |12.7
Rochdale |62.24 |54.52 |7.72 |12.4
Wigan |89.62 |78.80 |10.82 |12.1
Derbyshire |251.23 |221.23 |30.01 |11.9
Walsall |81.18 |71.76 |9.42 |11.6
Cumbria |129.77 |114.81 |14.96 |11.5
Bradford |146.73 |129.98 |16.75 |11.4
Wakefield |84.69 |75.06 |9.63 |11.4
Harrow |54.64 |48.43 |6.21 |11.4
Avon |227.54 |202.44 |25.10 |11.0
Calderdale |55.79 |49.76 |6.02 |10.8
Salford |62.80 |56.10 |6.70 |10.7
Sandwell |89.46 |79.97 |9.50 |10.6
Croydon |83.64 |75.00 |8.63 |10.3
Coventry |91.08 |81.74 |9.34 |10.3
Notts |267.61 |241.34 |26.26 |9.8
Doncaster |82.68 |74.59 |8.09 |9.8
St. Helens |55.20 |50.09 |5.11 |9.3
Humberside |238.76 |217.01 |21.75 |9.1
Havering |63.10 |57.42 |5.68 |9.0
Isle of Wight |29.17 |26.55 |2.62 |9.0
Barnsley |59.51 |54.27 |5.23 |8.8
Cleveland |168.90 |154.14 |14.77 |8.7
Bury |46.70 |42.72 |3.98 |8.5
Cheshire |265.25 |243.16 |22.09 |8.3
Tameside |58.14 |53.34 |4.80 |8.3
Wolverhampton |78.57 |72.20 |6.37 |8.1
Hillingdon |57.23 |52.66 |4.57 |8.0
Leeds |182.42 |168.41 |14.01 |7.7
Barnet |72.88 |67.32 |5.56 |7.6
Leicester |237.50 |219.69 |17.81 |7.5
Northumberland |77.04 |71.35 |5.69 |7.4
Rotherham |71.09 |66.08 |5.01 |7.1
Somerset |106.61 |99.41 |7.20 |6.8
Bedfordshire |141.00 |131.63 |9.37 |6.6
Northants |148.41 |138.90 |9.51 |6.4
Bexley |56.42 |52.90 |3.52 |6.2
Hertfordshire |252.07 |236.44 |15.63 |6.2
Sunderland |80.48 |75.51 |4.97 |6.2
Durham |153.20 |143.76 |9.44 |6.2
North Yorkshire |170.31 |160.70 |9.61 |5.6
Kingston |30.43 |28.74 |1.69 |5.6
Lancashire |365.31 |345.89 |19.43 |5.3
Buckinghamshire |163.64 |155.23 |8.41 |5.1
Gloucestershire |125.32 |118.89 |6.42 |5.1
Cambridge |155.39 |147.63 |7.76 |5.0
Redbridge |55.04 |52.37 |2.67 |4.9
Staffordshire |263.99 |251.18 |12.81 |4.9
Shropshire |106.23 |101.08 |5.15 |4.8
Stockport |73.51 |70.04 |3.48 |4.7
Dorset |129.85 |124.00 |5.85 |4.5
Oldham |60.18 |57.54 |2.64 |4.4
Wiltshire |135.00 |129.13 |5.87 |4.3
Sutton |38.97 |37.28 |1.69 |4.3
Essex |374.93 |358.97 |15.96 |4.3
Suffolk |142.37 |136.66 |5.71 |4.0
Bromley |66.40 |63.79 |2.61 |3.9
Enfield |68.17 |65.49 |2.68 |3.9
Kirklees |106.33 |102.30 |4.02 |3.8
Surrey |221.36 |214.14 |7.22 |3.3
Wirral |87.93 |85.23 |2.70 |3.1
Dudley |75.25 |73.14 |2.11 |2.8
East Sussex |132.25 |128.72 |3.53 |2.7
Oxfordshire |124.25 |121.04 |3.20 |2.6
Hampshire |358.78 |349.66 |9.12 |2.5
Merton |36.78 |35.92 |0.86 |2.3
Warwickshire |122.48 |119.63 |2.85 |2.3
Sefton |73.90 |72.38 |1.52 |2.1
Devon |216.95 |212.82 |4.13 |1.9
Trafford |54.90 |54.14 |0.76 |1.4
Bolton |70.85 |69.97 |0.87 |1.2
Norfolk |161.58 |159.90 |1.68 |1.0
Berkshire |176.42 |174.70 |1.72 |1.0
Solihull |52.89 |52.46 |0.44 |0.8
Birmingham |276.68 |275.02 |1.66 |0.6
Cornwall |103.29 |102.83 |0.46 |0.4
Notes:
<1> Provisional information based on form RER. The expenditure figures include some capital items and specific grants which do not appear within the grant related
expenditure assessment.
<2> Block grant is unhypothecated and based on GRE assessment for all services, and local authorities have discretion on how they spend across services.
WALES
Information Technology
Mr. Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement of progress on the introduction of information technologies to facilitate internal communications in his Department and the provision of information to the public concerning those areas for which he is responsible ; and if he has any further plans to apply the newest technologies in these fields.
Mr. Peter Walker : My Department makes use of information technology (IT) in a number of ways to improve internal communications. For example a video-conferencing system links our Cardiff and London offices, and data and documents are transferred by facsimile, remotely located word processors and electronic mail systems. Advanced desk top publishing techniques are used in the production of many departmental publications which are available to the public. These uses of IT have been developed in accordance with my Department's IT strategy which sets out how IT may best be used to support the business aims and priorities of the Department. We will continue to make the fullest possible use of emergent technologies.
Expenditure
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list under each region expenditure programme and at constant prices his Department's expenditure in each of mid, south and west Glamorgan and Gwent for each of the last five years.
Mr. Peter Walker : The information is not available in the form requested. Total expenditure on programmes within my responsibility is not broken down on a county basis.
Column 478
River Pollution
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will publish in the Official Report details of the total lengths of Welsh rivers in each of the water authorities classifications 1 to 4 for each of the last 10 years.
Mr. Grist : River quality surveys are carried out once every five years. Over the last 10 years, therefore, figures are available only for 1980 and 1985, and these are set out in the table. The next survey is expected in 1990.
ClassifLengths kilometre
|1980 |1985
------------------------
1A |2,573|2,418
1B |1,237|1,377
2 |506 |523
3 |301 |256
4 |12 |26
It should be noted that exact comparison of these figures is not possible, as the lengths of rivers included in successive surveys has altered.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report the number of recorded incidents of river pollution, the number of related prosecutions and the number of convictions in Wales in each of the last 10 years.
Mr. Grist : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 26 May 1988. I have asked the chairman of the Welsh water authority to write to the hon. Gentleman in respect of the remainder of the last 10 years.
Column 479
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
Ethiopia
Sir John Stanley : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy on the provision of development aid both directly and through non-governmental organisations to Ethiopia.
Mr. Chris Patten : I refer my right hon. Friend to the Government's observations (Cm 432) on the first report from the Foreign Affairs Committee (Session 1987-88) "Famine in the Horn of Africa". The response to paragraph 101 of the report contains a statement of the Government's policy on provision of development aid to Ethiopia.
ENERGY
Electricity Industry (Safety)
Mr. Sheerman : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what steps his Department is taking to ensure that adequate safety measures are enforced by private companies in the electricity industry after the phasing out of the inspector department in April.
Mr. Michael Spicer : I have no intention of phasing out the Department's engineering inspectorate which has responsibility for enforcing the Electricity Supply Regulations 1988. These regulations are designed to secure the safety of the general public against risks associated with the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity. The provisions of these regulations will apply to the privatised electricity supply industry.
Fluidised Bed Technology
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what consideration he has given to providing matching financial support to the £5 million offered by Ahlstrom of Finland to ensure the continuance of the British Coal topping cycle gasifier and pressurised fluidised bed combustion plant at Grimethorpe ; (2) what is his policy towards Government investment in integrated gasification combined cycle power generation technology ; (3) what is his policy towards Government investments in circulating fluidised bed coal combustion technology ;
(4) what is his policy towards Government investment in bubbling fluidised bed combustion coal technology ;
(5) if his Department or consultants to his Department have made any study of the benefits of using fluidised bed combustion technology for power plants to reduce carbon dioxide releases and help reduce greenhouse gas build up.
Mr. Michael Spicer : Integrated gasification combined cycle, bubbling fluidised bed combustion, and circulating fluidised bed combustion are alternative means of consuming coal in an environmentally sensitive way in order to produce heat or to generate electricity. A considerable amount of public sector funding has been directed at the development of these technologies. It is for private sector companies and the energy industries to evaluate these methods of power generation against the more conventional forms of coal combustion, and to exploit their potential accordingly. My Department is
Column 480
studying carefully the British Coal request for Government support of research at Grimethorpe into the topping cycle concept. "Energy Paper 56", which was published in July 1988, is a comprehensive appraisal of advanced coal-based power generation systems. This report considers the advantages and disadvantages of several technologies, including variants of fluidised bed combustion, and provides an indication of their potential for reduction of emissions of carbon dioxide.Energy Efficiency Office
Mr. Ward : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the work of the Energy Efficiency Office.
Mr. Parkinson : The next step in the work of the Energy Efficiency Office is a new programme to be called best practice, beginning on 1 April 1989. Its aim will be to advance and spread best practice in energy efficiency in industry, commerce, housing and the public sector. Further details are given in a leaflet available from the Energy Efficiency Office. Copies of this leaflet will be available in the Libraries of both Houses.
The current energy efficiency demonstration and research and development schemes will close for applications on 31 March 1989. Projects accepted up to that date will however be supported to completion, and the Energy Efficiency Office will continue to promote the lessons learned from successful projects.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Regional Enterprise Grants
Mr. Patnick : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many applications have been received to date under the regional enterprise grants scheme ; and how much has been awarded in grants under the scheme.
Mr. Atkins : The regional enterprise grants scheme commenced on 1 April 1988 and by 28 February 1989, a total of 2,197 applications had been received from businesses in Great Britain. Grant worth a total of £9.3 million has been offered in 1,102 of these cases.
SIB (Chippenham) Limited
Sir Charles Morrison : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when his Department was first appraised of any concern about the operation of the companies based in Chippenham, Wiltshire, trading as Selective Investment Brokers Ltd. or SIB (Chippenham) Ltd.
Export Credits Guarantee Department
Mr. Robert B. Jones : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if there are any proposals to change the 1988-89 running costs limit for the Export Credits Guarantee Department.
Mr. Alan Clark : The running costs limit for the Export Credits Guarantee Department in 1988-89 (class V, vote 5) has been reduced by £4,000 from £38,758,000 to
Column 481
£38,754,000. This decrease is offset by a corresponding increase in the running costs limit for the Office of the Minister for the Civil Service (class XX, vote 1) and reflects the transfer of costs for recruitment under the direct entry grade 7 competition 1988.Films Order
Mr. Andrew Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he intends to lay the Films Order.
Mr. Maude : I have today laid before the House the Films (Exclusivity Agreements) Order 1989 which will come into force on 3 April. Except for minor amendments, this will follow articles 4 to 6 of the draft order, published in August 1988. The order does not include articles addressing the delay in release of popular films, because it is now clear from the representations received and recent developments that there has been a marked and welcome increase in competition in the cinema exhibition industry as well as a further increase in cinema attendances.
If the benefits of increased competition do not materialise, it remains open to me to take further action under the Fair Trading Act.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Teachers
Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what contacts he has had with the Professional Association of Teachers in recent months ; what issues have been discussed ; and what plans he has for further meetings with the association.
Dr. Mawhinney [holding answer 3 March 1989] : I met representatives of the Professional Association of Teachers on 8 February 1989. The issues discussed were the relationship of the association with the Department of Education, education reforms in Northern Ireland, and discipline in schools. I have no specific plans for further meetings with the association.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Iran
138. Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to change the terms of the current prohibition on the sale of arms to Iran.
Mrs. Chalker : I have nothing to add to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Trade on 18 January.
Vaclav Havel
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Czechoslovak Government on behalf of Vaclav Havel.
Mrs. Chalker : We have already raised this issue with the Czechoslovak Government and will do so again as necessary.
Column 482
Prisoners of Conscience
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list countries to which he has made representations on behalf of prisoners of conscience in each year for which information is available.
Mr. Eggar : There is no year for which this information is readily available. It could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Sharpeville Six
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are his reasons for making representations to the South African Government on behalf of the Sharpeville Six.
Mrs. Chalker : In the case of those sentenced to death in South Africa, we consider making representations only in cases that are clearly political, and where there are strong extenuating circumstances or grounds to doubt the fairness of the judicial process. We do so exceptionally, and when all other avenues have been exhausted.
Mr. Charles Bester
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will review his decision on the Charles Bester case ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are his reasons for refusing to make representations on behalf of Mr. Charles Bester to the South African Government.
Mrs. Chalker : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the right hon. Member for Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale (Mr. Steel) on 21 December 1988.
Chemical Weapons
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has given consideration to the results of the international nuclear non-proliferation treaty in the drafting of proposals from the United Kingdom for a parallel international chemical weapons non- proliferation and disarmament treaty.
Mrs. Chalker : Where appropriate, we draw on the experience gained in the negotiation and implementation of existing arms control agreements, including the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT). However, we do not believe that a chemical weapons
non-proliferation treaty along the lines of the NPT would effectively remove the threat of chemical weapons. With other states we are, therefore, pursuing an effectively verifiable global convention, completely prohibiting the development, production, acquisition, stockpiling or retention, and transfer of chemical weapons.
PRIME MINISTER
Iran
Q20. Dr. Godman : To ask the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on relations between Her Majesty's Government and Iran.
Column 483
The Prime Minister : Our position on all the issues involved was explained fully to the House by my right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary on 21 February.
Homelessness
Q140. Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Prime Minister what action she is taking to co-ordinate departmental action to provide secure accommodation for all homeless people.
The Prime Minister : All appropriate Departments are being consulted as part of the current review of the homelessness legislation.
Government Information Service
Q173. Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister if she will set out the duties of the head of the Government information service and the Minister to whom he is responsible.
The Prime Minister : The head of the Government information service has a general responsibility for its leadership and well-being. He is available personally to help Departments, who are responsible for the day- to-day management of their own information staff, on both general and individual management problems. He has a general responsibility for recruitment, training and career development policies. The head of the Government information service is responsible to the head of the home Civil Service for these duties, and, through him, to me.
Broadwell, Rugby
Q186. Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Prime Minister if she has any plans to make an official visit to Broadwell, near Rugby.
The Prime Minister : I have present no plans to do so.
Engagements
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 March.
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 March.
Mr. Stern : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 March.
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 March.
Mr. Yeo : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 7 March.
The Prime Minister : This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. I also attended the closing session of the ozone layer conference. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today. This evening I hope to have an Audience of Her Majesty the Queen.
SCOTLAND
Scottish Office (Profile)
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made with the brief "the Scottish Office and its activities" issued in June 1988 ; whether he
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still intends to appoint consultants in terms of that brief to raise the profile of the Scottish Office ; what is the intended budget for this project ; when such an appointment will be made ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Rifkind : I am giving careful consideration to the nature of any commission which might be given to consultants in the light of the brief issued in June 1988 and the responses to it ; and I shall make my conclusions known in due course.
Procurators Fiscal
Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many reports submitted by the police to procurators fiscal were marked "no proceedings" in each fiscaldom in Scotland for the whole of 1987 and 1988.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 6 March 1989] : The number of reports submitted by the police and other reporting agencies to procurators fiscal which were marked "no proceedings" in each fiscaldom in Scotland for the whole of 1987 and 1988 is as follows :--
|1987 |1988
-----------------------------------
Aberdeen |3,604 |1,536
Airdrie |487 |640
Alloa |251 |343
Arbroath |177 |229
Ayr |1,350 |1,344
Banff |145 |93
Cambeltown |91 |67
Cupar |207 |265
Dingwall |241 |270
Dornoch |69 |48
Dumbarton |842 |809
Dumfries |280 |273
Dundee |848 |1,082
Dunfermline |1,263 |1,325
Dunoon |187 |196
Duns |137 |188
Edinburgh |10,903|4,933
Elgin |760 |688
Falkirk |1,626 |1,976
Forfar |87 |37
Fort William |270 |122
Glasgow |19,772|18,514
Greenock |1,046 |762
Haddington |825 |606
Hamilton |2,184 |4,271
Inverness |859 |655
Jedburgh |144 |238
Kilmarnock |1,351 |1,530
Kirkcaldy |1,399 |1,217
Kirkcudbright |89 |33
Kirkwall |80 |78
Lanark |213 |574
Lerwick |110 |129
Linlithgow |409 |575
Lochmaddy |11 |8
Oban |138 |123
Paisley |2,277 |2,654
Peebles |56 |47
Perth |1,670 |1,641
Peterhead |515 |647
Portree |66 |56
Rothesay |71 |39
Selkirk |315 |268
Stirling |675 |466
Stonehaven |238 |199
Stornoway |65 |36
Stranraer |178 |194
Tain |242 |250
Wick |196 |223
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Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of reports submitted by the police to procurator fiscal were marked "no proceedings" for the whole of 1987 and 1988.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The proportion of reports submitted by the police and other reporting agencies to procurators fiscal which were marked "no proceedings" for the whole of 1987 and 1988 were 16.69 per cent. and 14.97 per cent. respectively.
Rents
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what he treats as a reasonable affordable rent in (a) Greenock and Port Glasgow, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland as a whole.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Rent-setting is a matter for the landlord concerned, having regard to a range of factors including the nature and size of the property, and to conditions in the particular segment of the rented market which the landlord seeks to serve. Affordability is an important factor, but it cannot be determined mechanically and will vary according to the circumstances. Financial assistance, available to tenants through housing benefit and to housing association and public sector landlords through grants and subsidies, is designed to create the conditions in which the requirements of both landlord and tenant in terms of affordability can be met.
Training
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps his Department is taking to assist training in Greenock and Port Glasgow with a view to ensuring that jobs go to local people.
Mr. Lang : The full range of Training Agency training programmes is available in Greenock and Port Glasgow to assist local people in competing for jobs in the local labour market. The creation of the Inverclyde enterprise zone will generate greater economic activity in the Greenock and Port Glasgow area, leading to increased employment opportunities. However, it is a matter for individual employers to decide whom they will employ.
Housing
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is Her Majesty's Government's policy for housing those citizens who cannot afford to buy or rent houses in the open market.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The policies which the Government are pursuing, including the allocation of substantially increased resources both to the housing association movement and to local authorities for capital expenditure on housing, together with the deregulation of the private rented sector, are designed to increase the availability of housing to let particularly at rents within the means of those in lower paid employment. The housing benefit system is available to assist those who are unable to meet their housing costs.
Rating Reform
Mrs. Ray Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what further representations he has received about payment of the community charge by agricultural workers and their spouses in tied housing.
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Mr. Lang : My right hon. and learned Friend has received a number of inquiries and representations from Members of Parliament and individuals about this issue.
Mrs. Ray Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many agricultural workers in tied housing by district in Scotland will have to pay the personal community charge.
Mr. Lang : This information is not held centrally.
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