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The Attorney-General : Historical data on the total number of patients whose annual income are insufficient for any fee to be payable is not collected. The current figure is 1,410.
PRIME MINISTER
Environmental Research
Mr. Gordon Brown : To ask the Prime Minister what information she has on Government spending on environmental research in (i) Britain, (ii) West Germany and (iii) the EEC countries as a whole.
The Prime Minister : The Government of the United Kingdom will spend £161.2 million in 1988-89 on environmental research. Comparable figures are not available for West Germany and other EC countries.
Special Advisers
Mr. David Blunkett : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list the Civil Service salary scales on which special advisers attached to Government Ministries are paid, giving by Department employing the special advisers the scale upon which they are placed.
The Prime Minister : Special advisers are not paid on Civil Service salary scales but, with some exceptions, on a special advisers spine comprising 28 points, as follows :
Scale point |Salary (inclusive)
|£
---------------------------------------------------------
28 |40,520
27 |39,570
26 |38,625
25 |37,420
24 |36,210
23 |34,560
22 |33,280
21 |32,000
20 |30,660
19 |29,310
18 |27,960
17 |26,620
16 |25,015
15 |23,995
14 |23,185
13 |22,375
12 |21,530
11 |20,755
10 |20,120
9 |19,225
8 |18,545
7 |17,945
6 |17,350
5 |16,740
4 |15,850
3 |15,305
2 |14,845
1 |13,975
The two most senior special advisers are paid personal salaries above the spine limit of £40,250 ; two other special
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advisers are unpaid ; four are on secondment terms from the private sector and their previous employers are reimbursed for their services. The same salary spine is used by all Departments. It is not our practice to reveal the spine position of any adviser as it is negotiated individually in relation to previous earnings and is therefore confidential.AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Research
Mr. Moss : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in each of the last 10 years, what was spent on research by (a) the Government and (b) the private sector on (a) agriculture as a whole, (b) horticulture, (c) the apple and pear industry and (d) the soft fruit industry.
Mr. Ryder : The information requested in respect of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food's expenditure in the last 10 financial years is shown in the table.
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|c|Expenditure on research and development in England and Wales by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. £ million Financial Year |Agriculture |Horticulture |Top Fruit<1> |Soft Fruit ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1978-79<2><4> |41.8 |9.5 |2.3 |0.7 1979-80<2><3> |46.8 |10.5 |2.3 |0.7 1980-81<2> |59.6 |13.4 |2.6 |1.0 1981-82<2> |71.8 |13.7 |2.9 |1.0 1982-83 |83.7 |17.3 |3.0 |1.5 1983-84 |85.5 |17.1 |3.2 |1.5 1984-85 |88.4 |18.6 |3.3 |1.6 1985-86 |84.3 |18.2 |3.3 |1.5 1986-87 |84.7 |19.1 |3.3 |1.2 1987-88 |75.3 |18.1 |3.5 |1.3 <1>Top fruit is primarily apples and pears but includes other fruits such as plums and cherries. <2>For these years certain expenditure now classified as research and development was excluded. <3>These figures include payments which should have been made in 1978-79. <4>These figures exclude payments which were delayed until 1979-80 as a result of industrial action.
Agricultural research and development is also funded through the votes of the Department of Education and Science, Department of Agriculture for Scotland and the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland.
My Department does not hold information on the expenditure on research undertaken privately other than research funded by industry since 1986 through levies. This expenditure is shown in the following table :
|c|Levy-funded Expenditure on Research and Development by Industry|c| Financial Year |1986-87 £ million|1987-88 £ million ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Agriculture |<4>5.0 |9.4 Horticulture |0.2 |1.0 Top Fruit<1><2> |0.1 |0.1 Soft Fruit<3> |0.1 |0.1 <1>Top Fruit is primarily applies and pears but includes other fruits such as plums and cherries. <2>Funding by the Apple and Pear Development Council. <3>Funding by the Horticultural Development Council. <4>Approximate figure.
Potatoes
Mrs. Wise : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give details of permitted treatments of potatoes in store or pre -storage and their purposes, including any intended to prevent or discourage spoilage by rats.
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Mr. Ryder : Post-harvest treatments of potatoes are controlled as pesticides under the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986. The following active ingredients are the most commonly used in storage on ware potatoes, and are listed with their purpose. There are no specific products approved to discourage spoilage of potatoes by rats, but rodenticides are available for use in stores, subject to label restrictions.
Active Ingredient and Purpose
1. Thiabendazole--Systemic fungicide used to reduce gangrene, dry rot, skin spot, silver scurf.
2. 2-Aminobutane--Fumigant for control of skin spot and gangrene. 3. Tecnazene--Fungicide for control of dry rot and Sprout suppressant.
4. Chlopropham--Sprout suppressant.
Select Committee Recommendations
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many Select Committee recommendations have been made about, and how many accepted, by his Department since June 1987.
Mr. Donald Thompson : In the two Agriculture Select Committee reports published since June 1987, to which the Government have responded, 49 recommendations or observations were made. Of these 33 have been accepted, in whole or in part, by the Government or have been noted where no further action by Government was sought.
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Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Mr. Cox : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much has been paid out by his Ministry in compensation for bovine spongiform encephalopathy-infected cattle.
Mr. Donald Thompson : Up to the end of February 1989, £862,177 has been paid in compensation.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information his Department has about the incidence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle by age, sex and breed.
Mr. Donald Thompson [holding answer 24 February 1989] : About 80 per cent. of cases of BSE have been confirmed in animals between three and five years of age ; all but five, confirmed in bulls, have been female. There is no evidence of any particular breed pre-disposition to the development of BSE.
Scrapie
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he intends to introduce controls on the export of meat and bone meal which may have originated from scrapie-infected sheep.
Mr. Donald Thompson : Exports of meat and bone meal are subject to and must meet the health conditions laid down by the importing country.
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Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to ensure that meat and other animal products from scrapie-infected sheep do not go for human consumption.
Mr. Donald Thompson : Scrapie has been present in this country for at least two centuries without any evidence to suggest that it has been, or can be, a risk to humans. Neither has research identified any such risk. Such measures are not, therefore, appropriate.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will make scrapie a notifiable disease ;
(2) what steps he is taking to eradicate scrapie in sheep.
Mr. Donald Thompson : I have no plans to make scrapie a notifiable disease nor to introduce a slaughter policy.
Fruit Growers
Mr. Gill : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has received the results of the poll of growers conducted as part of the quinquennial review of the Apple and Pear Development Council.
Mr. Donald Thompson : Yes. The results of the poll are as follows :
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Growers Area
|Number |Per cent.|Hectares |Per cent.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In favour |312 |30.9 |8,867.4 |44.7
Against |547 |54.2 |9,107.5 |45.9
Spoiled forms |9 |0.9 |130,5 |0.7
Forms not returned |141 |14.0 |1,737.8 |8.8
Total registered at 9 February 1989 |1,009 |- |19,843.2 |-
Percentage of those voting who were in favour |- |35.9 |- |49
In reaching a decision on the future of the Apple and Pear Development Council, I shall take these results into account, along with the views of the bodies I am required to consult under the terms of the Industrial Organisation and Development Act 1947.
Woodlands
Mrs. Ray Michie : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what further representations he has received about the farm woodlands and woodland grant schemes.
Mr. Ryder [holding answer 7 March 1989] : I have received no recent representations about the woodland grant scheme as such and very few about the farm woodland scheme. Those that I have received concerned technical points on the rules of the scheme.
Fresh Meat (Inspections)
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) on how many occasions for each year since 1980 establishments have provided meat for United Kingdom consumption whilst export licences had been suspended under the Fresh Meat Export (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations ;
(2) how many times he has used his powers under the Fresh Meat Export (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations
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to suspend the export licence of any establishment approved under those regulations ; and on how many occasions he has issued a warning of his intention to suspend such an export licence for each year since 1980.Mr. Donald Thompson [holding answer 6 March 1989] : My Department suspends the export approval of establishments which fail to comply with the export regulations. Local authorities are responsible for enforcing the legislation on the supply of meat for consumption within the United Kingdom. Records of enforcement actions by local authorities are not maintained centrally.
The Fresh Meat Export (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations apply in England and Wales and first came into force on 2 November 1981. The figures of suspension warnings, and suspensions since then are as follows :
|Suspension Warnings|Suspensions
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1982 |6 |2
1983 |12 |6
1984 |2 |1
1985 |11 |7
1986 |14 |8
1987 |22 |11
1988 |6 |4
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he next expects a European
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Community inspector to visit the United Kingdom establishments under the Fresh Meat Export (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations ; and whether he will publish the results of the inspection.Mr. Donald Thompson [holding answer 6 March 1989] : A visit by European Commission inspectors is taking place from 6 to 16 March. Reports made by inspectors following a visit refer to individual plants and must remain confidential. They are discussed with the inspectors, with the local authority concerned and with the plant management and any corrective action which is necessary is put in hand.
Abattoirs
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the total number of abattoirs in the United Kingdom ; what proportion have been and will be visited by European Community inspectors ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Donald Thompson [holding answer 6 March 1989] : At the end of 1988 there were 937 abattoirs in the United Kingdom, of which 99 were export-approved. European Commission inspectors aim to visit 10 per cent. of export-approved premises each year. The remainder is under the control of local authorities, which appoint environmental health officers for supervision.
Listeria
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish the evidence for non-pasteurised milk becoming prone to infection with listeria bacteria ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Ryder [holding answer 21 February 1989] : The results of a number of overseas surveys published in the scientific literature indicate that about 10 per cent. of raw milk may be infected with listeria species. It is possible that similar rates of infection exist in the United Kingdom milk supplies. Pasteurisation has however been shown to be an effective treatment for eliminating listeria and other more prevalent pathogens, such as salmonella and campylobacter.
Information from the communicable disease surveillance centre on the 1,600 cases of food poisoning associated with untreated milk in the five-year period 1983-87 indicates that the main health hazard associated with untreated milk is not listeria but salmonella (which accounted for just over half the cases) and campylobacter (which accounted for most of the remainder).
TRANSPORT
Channel Tunnel Rail Link
Mr. Tony Banks To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many letters he has received (a) in support of and (b) in opposition to the proposed high-speed Channel tunnel rail link.
Mr. Portillo : We have received a large number of letters, mainly from people who were opposed to British Rail's original proposals. BR is today announcing a revised route proposal which takes account of the comments received.
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Roads (Private Finance)
Mr. David Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his estimate of the amount of private finances to be invested in Britain's road network during 1988-89.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : We anticipate that about 30 agreements between my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport and private sector developers will be completed in 1988-89. Through these arrangements and the construction of the Dartford-Thurrock crossing the private sector will contribute an estimated £30 million in 1988-89 towards the funding of trunk road improvements in England. Local highway authorities also enter into agreements with the private sector to fund road schemes. Information on these is not held centrally, but the indications are that the private sector makes a major contribution to local schemes.
Responsibility for roads in Scotland and Wales rests with my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and Wales, respectively.
Infrastructure (North-West)
Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on plans by British Rail and other undertakings to improve transport infrastructure in the North West region in the period before the opening of the Channel tunnel.
Mr. Portillo : A partnership of public and private sector interests in the North-West, led by chambers of commerce there, is already carrying out a study into the region's requirements arising from the single European market and the Channel tunnel. Government Departments will assist with information and advice as necessary.
The plan that British Rail is required to prepare under section 40 of the Channel Tunnel Act 1987 on international passenger and freight services will cover all regions.
The impact of the Channel tunnel is one of the many factors taken into account in planning the national trunk road programme. There is already a number of schemes in the programme that will improve North/South links. A review of the trunk road programme is in progress, and we expect to make an announcement in the spring.
Swansea Coastguard
Miss Emma Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any proposals to correct the problem of breakthroughs on channel O which can affect radio communications for the Swansea coastguard station.
Mr. Channon : This problem has been traced to a change of frequency used by the police, and the Home Office are dealing with it by modifying the coastguard radio sites affected.
Miss Emma Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to ensure that the Swansea coastguard watch is always at full strength.
Mr. Channon : The watch is kept at full strength as far as possible, though unforseen absences for sickness, accidents or other problems are from time to time
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inevitable. The posting of additional staff to Swansea following the recent merger has ensured that the full watch of four regular officers has been maintained on all but a very few occasions, and at no time has the combined strength of regular officers and auxiliary support fallen below four.Miss Emma Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the number of coastguard visits to the Hartland area from the Swansea station.
Mr. Channon : All watchkeeping staff from Swansea have spent a four- day period visiting the Hartland area. Each watch has an ex member of the Hartland staff within the watch, who accompanied them on the visit.
Further visits are planned during the summer, using a helicopter from RAF Chivenor, to gain maximum benefits from such a visit.
Miss Emma Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take measures to ensure the adequate working of the Hartland 641 telephone line to the Swansea coastguard station.
Mr. Channon : The Hartland 641 telephone number was installed when the station was closed so that local people could contact Swansea MRCC if they had general queries. British Telecom assures me that the problems with the line are being dealt with, and that the service will improve when new optical fibre cables are laid later this year. The public have of course been advised that anyone wishing to make an emergency call to a coastguard station should always dial 999.
Miss Emma Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the movement of the Hartland tape unit to Swansea.
Mr. Channon : The unit was installed at Swansea on 6 December last to deal with additional radio and telephone lines following the closure of the Hartland station. After defects were discovered, the equipment was comprehensively overhauled on 21 February. Two further, minor faults were rectified within 24 hours, and the equipment is now fully serviceable.
Miss Emma Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the agreed local expertise required to maintain safety levels in local coastguard areas ; and if he will ensure that the numbers of coastguard with Hartland coast experience in the Swansea station will meet this requirement.
Mr. Channon : All coastguards take the necessary steps to equip themselves with adequate local knowledge, wherever they work and whatever responsibilities they hold. At Swansea, one member of each watch is an ex- Hartland watchkeeper, so maintaining continuity while Swansea staff become fully acquainted with their increased area.
Channel Tunnel
Dr. Marek : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a further statement on the high-speed railway line to the Channel tunnel.
Mr. Portillo : British Rail is today announcing its revised route proposal which takes account of the comments received on their original proposals.
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Severn Crossing
Mr. Stern : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to announce further details of the second Severn crossing.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : We announced on 28 February the shortlist of tenderers for the second Severn crossing. I refer my hon. Friend to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow, West (Mr. Hughes) at column 116.
We hope to be in a position to announce the successful tenderer by the end of the year.
Thermal Neutron Activation
Mr. Bermingham : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the source of funding for development work on using the thermal neutron activation analysis technique for detecting explosives at Harwell ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Bottomley [holding answer 6 March 1989] : Research and development work at Harwell on using the thermal neutron activation analysis technique for detecting explosives is being funded by a commercial organisation in the private sector under a contract with the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority's Harwell laboratory.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Rape
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will elucidate the advice given in his Department's document on rape that women adopt secure common sense routines ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. John Patten : This advice is given in full in our crime prevention handbook "Practical Ways to Crack Crime".
Police (South Yorkshire)
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the village and main police stations in the A (Doncaster) division of the South Yorkshire police area and which have (a) opened and (b) closed since 1979.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The police stations currently in use in the Doncaster division of the South Yorkshire police are :
Main police stations
Adwick-le-Street
Armthorpe
Askern
Bentley
Conisborough
Doncaster divisional and sub-divisional head- quarters Edlington Police posts
Balby
Belle Vue
Cantley
Doncaster market place
Royal Infirmary Tickhill
Mexborough
Rossington
Stainforth
Thorne
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