| Previous Section | Home Page |
EMPLOYMENT
Construction Industry (Fatalities)
Mr. Thornton : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the total number of fatalities in the construction industry reported by the Health and Safety Executive for each year between 1960 and 1987, inclusive that were caused by (a) falls of persons, (b) falls of materials, (c) work in excavations, (d) transport, (e) electricity, (f) cranes, (g) hoists and (h) other.
Mr. Nicholls : The table shows the available information. Fatalities to the self-employed and members of the public were not reportable until 1 January 1981. The few voluntary reports collected between 1978 and 1980 are included with employees. Fatal injuries to the self-employed working on their own have never been reportable.
Column 609
|c|Reported<8> fatalities in the construction industry<9>|c|
|1 |2 |3 |4 |5 |6 |7 |8 |9
Date of accident |Falls of persons<1> |Falls of materials<2> |Work in excavations<3>|Transport<4> |Electricity |Cranes<5> |Hoists<6> |Others |Total
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Employees
1960 |154 |29 |17 |28 |14 |<10>10 |2 |24 |278
1961 |129 |40 |13 |28 |12 |<10>21 |- |29 |272
1962 |152 |38 |19 |30 |12 |<10>10 |1 |19 |281
1963 |143 |15 |16 |19 |15 |<10>12 |4 |23 |247
1964 |140 |35 |25 |16 |21 |<10>12 |1 |21 |271
1965 |118 |33 |16 |22 |8 |<10>15 |4 |14 |230
1966 |130 |42 |19 |40 |18 |<7>16 |3 |24 |292
1967 |115 |20 |7 |20 |9 |<7>11 |4 |18 |204
1968 |124 |28 |19 |18 |11 |<7>24 |2 |14 |240
1969 |124 |22 |23 |35 |14 |<7>26 |1 |23 |268
1970 |84 |22 |10 |35 |13 |<7>20 |4 |16 |204
1971 |96 |13 |22 |29 |10 |<7>15 |5 |11 |201
1972 |80 |17 |21 |25 |12 |<7>16 |4 |15 |190
1973 |98 |16 |23 |35 |10 |<7>22 |4 |23 |231
1974 |76 |13 |9 |21 |12 |<7>24 |- |11 |166
1975 |67 |23 |11 |26 |10 |<7>21 |1 |23 |182
1976 |72 |18 |7 |18 |8 |<7>12 |1 |18 |186
1977 |73 |6 |4 |17 |3 |<7>16 |- |11 |130
1978 |88 |16 |10 |11 |9 |<10>5 |4 |10 |153
1979 |81 |18 |11 |11 |4 |<10>4 |3 |17 |149
1980 |93 |17 |9 |19 |14 |<10>- |- |13 |165
1981 |52 |13 |5 |23 |5 |<10>- |- |7 |105
1982 |53 |16 |4 |24 |3 |<10>- |- |- |100
1983 |64 |14 |9 |11 |6 |<10>- |- |14 |118
1984 |47 |16 |8 |24 |3 |<10>- |- |2 |100
1985 |51 |18 |9 |21 |3 |<10>- |- |2 |104
1986<10> |12 |2 |- |5 |1 |<10>- |- |4 |24
1986-87<11> |45 |9 |6 |12 |4 |<10>- |- |23 |99
1987-88<11> |47 |9 |3 |22 |4 |<10>- |- |15 |100
Self-employed
1981 |8 |2 |- |1 |- |- |- |- |11
1982 |11 |2 |- |2 |2 |- |- |1 |18
1983 |15 |1 |1 |2 |3 |- |- |- |<13>22
1984 |12 |2 |- |2 |1 |- |- |- |17
1985 |15 |4 |2 |- |- |- |- |1 |22
1986<10> |1 |- |- |1 |- |- |- |- |2
1986-87<11> |18 |2 |1 |- |2 |- |- |3 |26
1987-88<11><12> |26 |3 |- |2 |3 |- |- |7 |41
Non-employed
1981 |- |3 |- |4 |- |- |- |5 |12
1982 |6 |3 |- |3 |- |- |- |1 |13
1983 |6 |2 |- |2 |- |- |- |1 |11
1984 |3 |1 |1 |- |- |- |- |2 |7
1985 |3 |4 |- |6 |- |- |- |- |13
1986<10> |1 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |1
1986-87<11> |8 |1 |- |1 |- |- |- |4 |14
1987-88<11><12> |7 |2 |- |1 |- |- |- |6 |16
<1> Includes falls into excavations but excludes falls from vehicles which are included under transport.
<2> Excludes falls of earth in trenches which are included under work in excavations.
<3> Includes falls of earth in trenches but excludes falls into excavations which are included under falls of persons.
<4> Includes falls from vehicles.
<5> Includes injuries involving lifting machinery other than hoists, except in 1978-79 when cranes only are included.
<6> Excludes falls of persons and materials; these are included in columns 1 and 2.
<7> Includes falls of persons and materials; these are not included in columns 1 and 2.
<8> Reported to HSE's factory and agricultural inspectorates and all other relevant enforcing authorities under the Notification of Accidents and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1980 (NADOR) for 1981 to March 1986, and the Reporting of Injuries,
Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations, 1985 (RIDDOR) for 1986-87 onwards. Fatalities between 1960 and 1980 are limited to those reported to Her Majesty's factory inspectorate.
<9> The construction industry is defined as in the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) 1968 (Order XX) up to 1980 and as in SIC 1980 (Division 5) from 1981.
<10> First quarter (January to March).
<11> Year commencing 1 April.
<12> Provisional.
<13> Revised.
Health and Safety Inspectors
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list in the Official Report the total number of health and safety inspectors who have been employed in each of the past 10 years ; and for how many the specific purpose of employment has been to oversee the safety of workplaces.
Column 612
Mr. Nicholls : Since 1979, the total number of inspectors employed by the Health and Safety Executive is as follows (1 April figures) :
|Number
----------------------
1979 |1,424
1980 |1,435
1981 |1,404
1982 |1,323
1983 |1,276
1984 |1,242
1985 |1,266
1986 |1,231
<1>1987 |1,204
1988 |1,165
<2>1989 |1,185
<1>Her Majesty's
industrial air
pollution inspectors (
37 posts) transferred
to the Department of
the Environment on 1
April 1987.
<2>1 February.
All HSE inspectors are recruited specifically to contribute to the executive's role in overseeing the safety of workplaces, by inspection, advisory and enforcement activities, or by the provision of specialist technical advice to visiting inspectors. In the course of their employment inspectors may also spend time on other duties including line management responsibilities and contributing to the development of legislation, guidance and technical standards.
Industrial Accidents
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list in the Official Report the total number of people killed as the result of accidents in the workplace in each of the last five years showing, in each year, what the figures were in the previous 10, 20 and 30 years.
Mr. Nicholls : The table shows the available information. Fatalities to the self-employed and members of the public were not reportable until 1 January 1981.
|c|Fatalities as a result of work activity to all enforcing authorities<1>|c|
|c|Great Britain|c|
Date of accident |Employees |Self employed<2>|Non employed |Total
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1987-88<3><8> |340 |83 |102 |525
1986-87<3> |355 |52 |91 |498
1986 Q1<4> |98 |10 |24 |132
1985 |399 |71 |<5>159 |629
1984 |438 |60 |105 |603
1983 |447 |65 |85 |597
Yearly average:
1973-82<6> |588 |<9> |<9> |<9>
1963-72<6> |939 |<9> |<9> |<9>
1953-62<6> |<7>677 |<9> |<9> |<9>
<1>Reported to HSE's factory and agricultural inspectorates and all other relevant enforcing
authorities under the Notification of Accidents and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1980 (NADOR)
for 1981 to March 1986, and the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations,
1985 (RIDDOR) for 1986-87 onwards. Prior to 1981, injuries were reported under various legal
requirements. Fatalities between 1953 and 1962 are limited to those reported to HSE's factory
inspectorate. Fatal injuries to the self-employed and the non-employed reported to the mines and
quarries inspectorate for the years 1981 to 1984, and reported to local authorities for the years
1981 to 1985 are included with employees.
<2>Fatal injuries to the self-employed working on their own have never been reportable.
<3>year commencing 1 April.
<4>First quarter (January to March)
<5>Includes 56 members of the public killed in the Bradford City football club fire disaster.
<6>Average yearly figure for the 10-year period.
<7>Factory inspectorate only.
<8>Provisional.
<9>Not available.
Further Education Programme
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he has any plans to provide for consultation with local authorities and other interested parties in relation to the future further education programme ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Cope : I have no plans for formal consultation in relation to the further education programme. My officials are in regular contact with local education authorities through their associations and with other interested parties.
Voluntary Organisations (Bradford)
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make funds available to Bradford metropolitan district council to enable voluntary organisations, previously funded by the Manpower Services Commission, to continue.
Mr. Nicholls : Funds are already available under employment training to enable Bradford metropolitan district council to provide training for unemployed people. It is for the council to decide how it will organise this training and which voluntary organisations it will fund as a training provider.
Employment Training
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons on the employment training programme have had two days' training plus three days' work a week for at least a four-week period each month since September 1988.
Mr. Nicholls : None. Employment training is a full-time training programme five days a week. In exceptional circumstances people can undertake a part-time introduction to the programme or part-time training, but people in those circumstances are individuals who are not able, for medical or other reasons, to work during the time they are not attending employment training.
Retirement Pensions
Mr. Kaufman : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will set out the components of the cost of living index on which increases in the retirement pension are based.
Mr. Lee : Retirement pensions are uprated in line with the "all items" retail prices index. The index covers practically all the goods and services on which people spend their money. The main groups used for classification are food, catering, alcoholic drink, tobacco, housing, fuel and light, household goods, household services, clothing and footwear, personal goods and services, motoring expenditure, fares and other travel costs, leisure goods and leisure services.
Column 615
Labour Statistics
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his estimate of the number in the civilian labour force in 1988, and in each quarter of 1988 ; and what is his estimate of the number of persons economically active in employment in 1988, and in each quarter of 1988.
Mr. Lee : An estimate of the civilian labour force in Great Britain in mid-1988 will be available shortly using the results of the labour force survey conducted in the spring of 1988 ; the projection published last year was 27,538,000. Quarterly estimates of the civilian labour force are not available.
Estimates of the number of persons economically active in employment in spring 1988 will also be available shortly from the labour force survey. Quarterly estimates are not available.
Mr. Hunter : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people have been employed in each travel-to-work area of Hampshire in each year since 1979 ; and if he will express this as a percentage increase or decrease on the preceding year.
Mr. Lee : The table gives the available information, taken from the September 1981 and September 1984 censuses of employment, for each of the travel-to-work areas which fall wholly or partly within the county of Hampshire :
|c|Employees in employment<1>|c|
Numbers (thousands) Percentage change
[NL] |September 1981|September 1984
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Travel-to-work area<2>
Basingstoke and Alton |64.1 |69.6 |+8.7
Gosport and Fareham |45.5 |48.6 |+6.8
Southampton |163.5 |162.7 |-0.5
Winchester and Eastleigh |70.7 |73.0 |+3.2
Travel-to-work area<3>
Andover |25.6 |26.7 |+4.6
Bournemouth |83.6 |81.8 |-2.2
Guildford and Aldershot |152.5 |160.3 |+5.1
Newbury |28.1 |31.8 |+13.3
Portsmouth |143.0 |133.9 |-6.3
Salisbury |37.0 |38.1 |+2.9
<1> Excludes the self-employed and members of Her Majesty's forces.
<2> Travel-to-work areas wholly contained within the county of Hampshire.
<3> Travel-to-work areas partly contained within the county.
Fletcher Hunt and Connaughts
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will prosecute the employment agencies known as Fletcher Hunt and Connaughts for the charging of clients for counselling and other services, contrary to the Employment Agencies Act 1973.
Mr. Lee : It is not an offence under the Employment Agencies Act 1973 to charge clients for counselling and other services. The offence is to make the provision of a job-finding service conditional on the use of chargeable services. No evidence of the offence has been found hitherto in Fletcher Hunt and Connaughts. The practices of all agencies are kept under review.
Column 616
Inner Cities
Mr. Anthony Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he has any plans for new initiatives in inner cities.
Mr. Fowler : My Department makes a substantial contribution to inner city regeneration through its employment, training and enterprise programmes and the special initiatives that we already fund as part of the action for cities programme.
We now plan to fund a range of further initiatives which build on our existing services and extend them further to help even more people in the inner cities.
Progress on the existing school/industry compacts has been excellent. Thirty bids for development funding were accepted in August 1988 and the first four applications for operational funding--Birmingham, Bristol, Coventry and Hull--have now been approved. Other applications will be considered shortly. We will now be inviting bids for up to a further 10 compacts (nine in England and one in Scotland) from partnerships of employers and education authorities.
I am anxious that more unemployed inner city residents should have the opportunity of training designed to help meet emerging skill shortages. In 10 inner city areas we will therefore pilot an initiative in employment training to allow people who have been unemployed for between three and six months to join the programme in addition to the existing eligible groups.
I am also concerned to improve the job opportunities for people who have been out of work for six months or more. As an extension of the restart process we will therefore pilot a job interview guarantee in 20 inner city areas. It will offer employers a comprehensive range of ways, including short work trials, to choose the right people for their jobs. In return for the enhanced service they will be offered, employers will enter into formal agreements with the employment service in which they guarantee to interview long-term unemployed clients.
I am convinced that these new initiatives announced today will help to enhance the valuable work already being undertaken by my Department in the inner cities.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Departmental Achievements
Mr. Heddle : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what have been the principal achievements of his Department since 1987.
Mr. MacGregor : My Department has been in the forefront of efforts to achieve further progress in reforming the CAP, the arrangements embodied in the February 1988 European Council agreement being the most significant step taken so far. This introduced for the first time a legally binding ceiling on CAP market support expenditure ; and limited its growth to about 2 per cent. in real terms between 1988 and 1992 compared to 10 per cent. a year over the previous four years. Stabilisers are now in place for most CAP commodities, and these are backed up by practical measures to strengthen financial control. Community spending on agricultural market support has been kept under control. Both the outturn for 1988 and the budget for 1989 are well within the financial guideline.
Column 617
The 1988 price-fixing settlement built on this progress. The negotiations demonstrated clearly the impact of the new rules on budget discipline, and the final settlement respected the expenditure ceiling for 1989 and 1990. At the same time, the Government continued to press United Kingdom farm interests and achieved a devaluation of the green pound worth about £120 million on farm incomes in a full year.Since 1987, the much criticised EC surpluses in most major commodities, as demonstrated by intervention stocks, have fallen significantly. Stocks of butter have fallen 88 per cent. since the end of 1987. Cereals stocks are down about 40 per cent. since August 1987. Skimmed milk powder stocks, which were nearly 800,000 tonnes in 1987, are now virtually non-existent.
We have reached agreement in the European Community on new support arrangements for beef which significantly reduce the role of intervention and its cost, leave the market more responsive to supply and demand and provide direct payments to beef producers. To complement the policy of price restraint and increased market orientation, the Government have introduced a range of schemes designed to achieve a better balance between agricultural production and the environment, encourage farm diversification and alternative land use, and encourage farming practices that are beneficial to the landscape and to the conservation of wildlife.
The introduction in 1988 of a set-aside scheme provided incentives for the reduction of surplus cereal production, while keeping the land set aside in good heart.
Following the passage of the Farm Land and Rural Development Act 1988, the Government introduced the farm woodland scheme 1988 which is designed to encourage planting of trees on land previously in agricultural production and which has already got off to an encouraging start. Grants for enterprise feasibility studies and marketing costs of diversified enterprises were introduced in August 1988. These complement the capital grants for farm diversification introduced on 1 January 1988.
The farm and conservation grants scheme was introduced in February 1989. This targets assistance on investments to prevent water pollution by farm operations and to enhance the conservation of the countryside. The lowland grant rate of 50 per cent. for waste treatment and disposal facilities is the highest level ever offered in those areas and is also the best rate of grant available anywhere in the Community. Extra help is also provided for horticulture. Prompt action was taken to assist farmers and growers adversely affected by the great storm of 16 October 1987 through extra grants for the replanting of orchard trees and replacement of damaged hedges and walls.
We have established 10 environmentally sensitive areas in England. The scheme, which is voluntary, encourages environmentally beneficial agricultural practices. Over 300,000 hectares of land are within environmentally sensitive areas. This represents a considerable commitment to helping to protect some of the most beautiful parts of the country.
We have taken further measures for the safe application of pesticides by requiring certification of certain groups of operators. Statutory controls to limit pesticide residues in crops and food have been introduced. Measures have been
Column 618
taken to ensure that farmers limit pesticides to approved uses only and clear guidance has been issued on disposal of surplus pesticides.The Government have engaged in extensive consultations with industry and consumers as a part of our major review of existing primary food legislation and hope to bring this forward as soon as the parliamentary timetable permits.
We have strengthened the science base for consumers' protection by building up a comprehensive food monitoring and investigative system under the auspices of the steering group on food surveillance. The objective is to provide a basis for regulation and advice to consumers.
In July 1987 the Government issued guidelines on nutrition labelling of foods which aim to standardise the presentation of nutritional information. This is helping consumers to achieve a balanced diet by enabling them to compare food more easily. The United Kingdom has taken an active role in negotiating Community directives which form part of the single market food law harmonisation programme and which will remove barriers to trade and benefit both consumers and industry. Last year agreement was reached on nine Community directives including the five important framework directives on food additives, materials and articles in contact with food, foods for particular nutritional uses and the official inspection of foodstuffs.
The Government have enacted about 30 food law measures and proposals have been issued for consultation on a further 10 measures including draft regulations on soft drinks, fish products and fat spread products, and amendments to the Food Labelling Regulations to introduce alcoholic strength marking and restriction on the use of the term "low alcohol".
As soon as it became clear that there was a problem with salmonella enteritidis in eggs, the Government acted immediately to tackle the problems at every point in the production chain, from feed production through breeders, hatcheries and laying flocks to the food distribution industry and consumers.
A working party was set up under the chairmanship of Sir Richard Southwood to look at all aspects of the new cattle disease called bovine spongiform encephalopathy. The Government took prompt action in imposing a feed ban to cut off the most likely source of disease to cattle, and responded quickly to the working party's interim recommendations to slaughter affected animals and destroy the carcases and milk from them. The working party's full report, which was published on 27 February, welcomed the Government's prompt action.
The United Kingdom has been successful--along with Denmark--in achieving Community recognition of its higher (step 2) hygiene status under the EC heat-treated milk directive.
In the animal welfare area we have banned veal crates, made new legislation on battery hens and poultry transport, and produced new on-farm codes for seven species.
Following sustained United Kingdom pressure, the Council of Agriculture Ministers reached agreement in December 1988 on a new regulation defining spirits, which will greatly strengthen the competitive position of the United Kingdom drink industry. Increased Government funding for the construction and improvement of flood and coastal defences, was announced in the Chancellor's Autumn Statement 1988.
Column 619
For water authorities, £15.9 million of extra grant will be made available over the next three financial years, increasing Government support in this sector by 1991-92 to nearly £25 million annually. In addition the grant-aided capital programme of local authority flood and sea defence work is being increased over the same period by £8.8 million, increasing the Government funded programme by 1991-92 to £11 million.Updated guidance to drainage authorities on their environmental responsibilities was issued and regulations were made to implement the EC environmental assessment directive regarding flood defence improvement work.
During 1988, the Government secured improvements in the EC fish conservation, marketing and control regimes, including improved measures to protect juvenile mackerel and plaice and provision for carry-over premium for herring and mackerel. We also secured a satisfactory settlement of the 1989 catch quota including the right to take some of our western mackerel quota east of 4 west and a 1989 North sea haddock quota which took account of our special claims under The Hague preference. We have announced new national measures to improve the conservation of bass stocks.
Deer
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish a table in the Official Report showing for each of the last five years (a) how many live deer and of what species were exported from the United Kingdom, (b) how many were exported for the purpose of deer farming or the improvement of stocks of foreign deer and (c) to what countries they were exported ; what procedures were carried out to determine if they were free from disease ; and whether any tests were carried out for tuberculosis.
Mr. Donald Thompson : The information requested about the numbers and species of deer exported, their purpose and countries of destination is not available. Consignments of deer for export are normally accompanied by a health certificate produced in accordance with the importing countries requirements. To date certificates have been agreed for exports to Austria, China, Denmark, New Zealand, Guernsey, Republic of Ireland, Israel, Taiwan, South Africa, United States of America and Oman.
In all cases the certificate is signed at the boarding point by a local veterinary inspector who is required to confirm that, amongst other things the animals are healthy and free from clinical signs of infectious or contagious disease. A number of countries also require certification to the effect that the animals have been tested for tuberculosis with negative results.
Environmentally Sensitive Areas
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has received any representations concerning the payment of environmentally sensitive areas payments to landlords ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Ryder : I have received no representations concerning the payment of ESA payments to landlords. ESA payments are made direct to the applicant who will usually be an owner-occupier or tenant.
Column 620
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the total number of farmers who have entered into environmentally sensitive area agreements who are (a)
owner-occupiers, (b) tenants of private landlords and (c) tenants of public authorities ; and if, in respect of the latter, he will state the number of tenants of each public body in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, respectively.
Mr. Ryder : The information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost and would not be available in the form requested.
Forestry Commission (Hunting Permission)
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Caerphilly of 24 February, Official Report, column 853 , if he will now place in the Library the appendices referred to in the form of permission to hunt used in the Forestry Commission's east England conservancy.
Mr. Ryder : Each standard form of hunt permission issued in the Forestry Commission's east England conservancy is accompanied by the appropriate schedules referred to in condition 1 of the permission. These schedules are completed in each case to show the areas of land which the hunt may enter and the conditions of such entry. I have arranged for copies of the schedule forms to be placed in the Library, although they do not add anything to the information already given in condition 1 of the permission.
Ruminant Feedstuffs
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) on how many occasions since 18 July 1988 his Department has taken and tested samples of ruminant feedstuffs containing ruminant-derived protein material ;
(2) what action his Department is taking to monitor the effectiveness of his ban on the use of ruminant-derived protein material in ruminant feedstuffs.
Mr. Donald Thompson : Ministry officials are empowered to take and test samples of ruminant feedstuffs if they have reason to believe the ban on the use of ruminant-derived protein is being broken. To date, there has been no reason to believe the law has been broken and such action has not been necessary.
Scrapie
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list those animal species known by his Department to be infected with scrapie or scrapie-like infections.
Mr. Donald Thompson : Scrapie in sheep and goats and BSE in cattle belong to a group of progressive degenerative diseases caused by unconventional transmissible agents. Similar diseases are known to have occurred in other countries in mink, captive mule deer and Rocky Mountain elk.
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the sites in the Crewe and Nantwich constituency being used to dispose of cattle
Column 621
infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy ; if he will identify the method of disposal ; if he will take steps to ensure the supervision by his officers ; and if he will list the numbers of occasions on which the Wardle landfill site has been used for such a purpose.Mr. Donald Thompson : Slaughtered cattle suspected of having BSE are buried at the Wardle landfill site, Nantwich under the supervision of Ministry staff. Since 24 June 1988, a total of 46 carcasses have been buried there.
Agriculture Council
Mr. Marland : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the Agriculture Council on 6-7 March in Brussels ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. MacGregor : The main business before the Council, at which I represented the Government, consisted of the Commission's proposals for agricultural prices and other aspects of the farm support system for 1989- 90. There was extensive discussion, but no agreement was reached. In the main, I supported the Commission's proposals, while pressing points of particular importance for our farmers, including an appropriate devaluation of the green pound.
The meeting also discussed a proposal to make payments to farmers specifically to encourage them to diversify into certain non-surplus products. Along with several other Ministers I objected to some aspects of the proposal because of the risk that established producers of non-surplus products could be unfairly affected by subsidised competition. I was particularly concerned about the impact on our soft fruit growers and horticultural businesses producing plants and flowers. I was able to secure sufficient support to prevent these sectors from being included in the list of sectors eligible for subsidised competition, and the president decided therefore to remit the proposal for further study. It could otherwise have been accepted with the exclusion of those products at the Council. We shall return to the issues at a subsequent Council. The Commission again urged, with our support, that a decision be taken on future arrangements for imports of butter and sheepmeat from New Zealand but several member states were still unwilling to reach a decision for the time being. The matter will be discussed again at the Council beginning on 20 March.
Finally, the Council had a first reading of proposals from the Commission which it entitled an action programme for forestry. These will likewise be discussed further at a later date.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Nurses' Pay
1. Rev. William McCrea : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many nurses in Northern Ireland are unsatisfied with their pay award and how many appeals are outstanding.
Mr. Viggers : Of the 15,400 nurses in Northern Ireland, some 6,000 have requested informal reviews with their nurse managers. 4,280 reviews have been completed of which 682 posts have been upgraded. 2, 574 cases are proceeding with formal appeals of which 26 posts have so far been upgraded.
Column 622
Security
10. Rev. Ian Paisley : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the security situation in Northern Ireland.
14. Mr. Duffy : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the security situation in Northern Ireland.
15. Mr. Leigh : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the security situation in Northern Ireland.
23. Mr. Molyneaux : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the security situation.
Mr. Riddick : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the latest security situation in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Tom King : The House will be aware of the explosion at Buncrana road, Londonderry last night in which two soldiers were tragically killed and six of their colleagues were injured. The House will also be aware of the indiscriminate shooting attack at Coagh village on Tuesday afternoon in which three civilians died. The total deaths since I last answered questions in the House on 9 February are 13. This includes three soldiers and 10 civilians. The Provisional IRA claimed responsibility for eight of these murders, the IPLO for one, while the remaining four are thought to have been carried out by Loyalist terrorist groups.
These figures confirm the serious warnings that the RUC has given about the high security threat, against which the security forces are maintaining their high level of response.
Since the beginning of the year 53 persons have been charged with serious offences including four with murder and seven with attempted murder. A total of 99 weapons, over 9,400 rounds of ammunition and 154 lbs of explosives have been recovered in Northern Ireland. I understand that the Garda Siochana has recovered 21 weapons, 9,500 rounds of ammunition, and 175 lbs of explosives.
Anglo-Irish Agreement
16. Mr. Latham : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will make a statement on any recent meetings which he has had with Ministers of the Republic of Ireland under the terms of the Anglo- Irish Agreement.
Mr. Tom King : I met Ministers of the Republic of Ireland at the last meeting of the Intergovernmental Conference on 8 February. A copy of the communique , which lists the subjects discussed, has been placed in the Library.
24. Mr. Corbett : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects the review of the operation of the Anglo-Irish Agreement to be completed.
28. Mr. Sean Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to be able to report on the completion of the review of the operation of the Anglo-Irish Agreement.
Mr. Tom King : I would expect it to be before the summer.
Column 623
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received on the review of the operation of the Anglo -Irish Agreement.
Mr. Tom King : I have received a number of representations in response to my invitation to members of the public, political parties, and other interested bodies to submit their views on the working of the Intergovernmental Conference under the Anglo-Irish Agreement. These are being carefully considered.
Lagan College
17. Mr. Kilfedder : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects work to start on the provision of permanent buildings for Lagan college.
| Next Section
| Home Page |