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Mr. Chope [holding answer 4 April 1989] : The cleaning products purchased by the parliamentary works office for use by the House of Commons staff are biodegradable. Some cleaning work is also undertaken by a contractor who is responsible for providing his own materials. I understand that the cleaning materials they use are also biodegradable.

Sewage Treatment Works

Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those sewage treatment works in each English water authority which discharged effluent below the required standard for the most recent year for which full figures are available.

Mr. Moynihan [holding answer 4 April 1989] : Copies of reports from water authorities, listing those sewage treatment works which failed to comply with their discharge consents in 1987, are available in the Library of the House. I expect shortly to publish results for 1988.

Bathing Waters

Mr. John Garrett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment further to his answers to the hon. Member for Norwich, South on 20 March, Official Report, columns


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421-22 and 21 March, Official Report columns 506-7, if he will list in the Official Report the number and location of beaches in 1988 in the EEC guide and mandatory levels for those standards in respect of cadmium, arsenic, pesticides, nitrogen, ammonia, phosphates and faecal streptococci in bathing waters which were the responsibility of the Anglian water authority, which are not listed in the summary of the 1988 "Survey of Bathing Waters" he has placed in the Library.

Mr. Moynihan [holding answer 4 April 1989] : The report placed in the Library contains all the information reported to the Department by the Anglian water authority in connection with the 1988 bathing water quality survey.

London Residuary Body

Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment who were the two London residuary body board members identified in the 1987 -88 accounts to be in receipt of emoluments in the range £20, 000 to £25,000 ; and how many days per week each of them worked.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley [holding answer 4 April 1989] : Mr. Jack Esling and Mr. Michael Roberts. Their remuneration as members of the London residuary body board during 1987-88 was based on time commitments of four and three days a week respectively.

Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment why the London residuary body decided to levy the sum of £297,000 in 1989-90 on the outer London boroughs ; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley [holding answer 4 April 1989] : The levy is required to meet the costs of pension payments to former magistrates courts' staff.


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Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what properties have been disposed of by the London residuary body to the London docklands development corporation.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley [holding answer 4 April 1989] : None, but negotiations are in hand on a number of properties.

Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what sum was received by the London residuary body for the sale of the freehold interest in 45-59 Albion street, Southwark, to Storechart Property Ltd.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley [holding answer 4 April 1989] : The disposal of 45-59 Albion street Southwark has yet to be completed.

Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what matters remain to be resolved as between his Department and the London residuary body in respect of the Greater London Supplies.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley [holding answer 4 April 1989] : Discussions about the future of Greater London Supplies are continuing between the Department of the Environment, the Department of Education and Science, the London residuary body and the Inner London education authority.

Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details of the days worked each week by the part-time appointees to the London residuary body ; and what was the sum each received in the financial year 1988-89.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley [holding answer 4 April 1989] : The time commitments of part-time members of the London residuary body to LRB work and their salaries during 1988-89 were as follows :


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                                                      £ per annum                                                            

                             |Number of days per week|(from 1 April 1988)    |(from 1 October 1988)                          

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mr. Alan Blakemore, CBE      |2                      |13,608                 |13,972                                         

Mr. Jack Esling              |2                      |13,608                 |13,972                                         

Mr. Jack Wolkind, CBE        |2                      |13,608                 |13,972                                         

Mr. Wallace Mackenzie, OBE   |2"                     |17,010                 |17,240                                         

Mr. Michael Roberts          |3                      |20,412                 |20,688                                         

Cllr. Sir Peter Bowness, CBE |1                      |6,804                  |6,896                                          

Remuneration is subject to abatement, if applicable, in respect of public sector pension received.

Information on the total remuneration paid to board members in 1988-89 will be contained in the LRB's annual report and accounts for that financial year, which will be laid before Parliament in the autumn.

Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment to whom the London residuary body's freehold interest in the Matthews yard residential properties and the shops at 27 and 29 Shorts gardens WC2 was sold ; and what was the disposal price in each case and collectively.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley [holding answer 4 April 1989] : This is a matter for the London residuary body and the purchaser.


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Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment to whom the London residuary body's freehold interest in Bush house was sold ; and what was the disposal price.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley [holding answer 4 April 1989] : This is a matter for the London residuary body and the purchaser.

Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment why the disposal decision of the London residuary body in respect of 100- 124 Shaftesbury avenue to Gratex Ltd. was changed in favour of Carmellia Holdings Ltd ; and what was the disposal price.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley [holding answer 4 April 1989] : In this case the name of the purchasing firm was changed in the course of the transaction. Information on the disposal price is a matter for the London residuary body and the purchaser.


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Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has regarding the sale of the London residuary body's freehold interest in Southwark bridge business centre to Mackenzie and Campbell House Ltd ; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley [holding answer 4 April 1989] : The London residuary body has yet to decide on the disposal of its interest.

Thames Flood Warning

Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements he proposes will exist beyond 30 April in respect of the Thames tidal flood warning system.

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley [holding answer 4 April 1989] : Recent meetings involving London boroughs, Government Departments and the London residuary body have concluded that it is for the boroughs using the powers available to them to consider the future of the tidal flood warning system.

Unitary Plans

Mr. Heddle : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report the timetable for the submission of unitary plans to his Department.

Mr. Howard : Once a commencement order has been made following the issue of strategic guidance by the Secretary of State, an authority is required to prepare its unitary development plan. DOE circular 3/88 advises that authorities should publish their draft plans within two years of commencement. Those with a good up-to-date local plan base should achieve this stage within one year of commencement. Commencement orders were made for the west midlands and Merseyside in 1988. Commencement orders for London and the remaining metropolitan areas are likely to be issued by the summer.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

Cattle Herds

Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cattle herds in England and Wales are defined as (a) specialist rearing herds and (b) finishing herds for the purposes of payment under the variable premium scheme.

Mr. Donald Thompson : Cattle herds were not distinguished for the purposes of payment under the beef variable premium scheme, which ended on 2 April 1989.

Sheepmeat Regime

Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he anticipates completion of negotiations on the European Community sheepmeat regime ; if he will make a statement on the current state of these negotiations ; and what account he has taken of the importance attached by farmers to store sales.

Mr. Donald Thompson : Discussions on the EC Commission's proposals for changes to the sheepmeat


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regime have made little progress. Negotiations may well continue for some time. I am well aware of the desirability of ensuring that any changes to the regime are introduced with sufficient notice so that farmers can plan ahead, particularly when making purchases at store sales.

Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list in the Official Report the pound sterling equivalent of the per ewe payment allocated to farmers in each member state of the European Community under the sheepmeat regime as presently constituted.

Mr. Donald Thompson : The Commission regulation setting rates of ewe premium is due to be published shortly. I will write to the hon. Member when the details are available.

Set-aside Schemes

Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list in the Official Report the current level of progress on set-aside schemes in each member state of the European Community, showing such progress as percentage of levels currently attained in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Ryder : The United Kingdom was the first member state to implement the set-aside scheme, and others remain at various stages of implementation. No figures are yet available for Luxembourg and Denmark, who are still in the process of introducing schemes, and for Greece and Italy, who are still receiving applications for their schemes. The schemes in most other member states are also still open for applications, and the figures for uptake are therefore provisional. Portugal does not yet have to apply a scheme. The information available to date on uptake in other member states compared with set-aside in the United Kingdom of about 58,000 hectares is as follows :


T

                     |Hectares set-aside  |Percentage of United                     

                                          |Kingdom hectares                         

                                          |set-aside                                

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Belgium              |383                 |0.7                                      

France               |2,409               |4.2                                      

Ireland              |1,918               |3.3                                      

Netherlands          |1,222               |2.1                                      

Spain                |6,202               |10.8                                     

Germany              |170,635             |296.2                                    

Cereal Substitutes

Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list in the Official Report the level of imports into the United Kingdom of cereal substitutes in each of the past five years.

Mr. Ryder : The following table shows the total tonnage of materials on the European Community list of cereal substitutes imported into the United Kingdom in each of the most recent five years.


Calendar year         |Imports of cereal                          

                      |substitutes (thousand                      

                      |tonnes)                                    

------------------------------------------------------------------

1984                  |1,048                                      

1985                  |1,038                                      

1986                  |1,035                                      

1987                  |1,091                                      

1988                  |1,099                                      

NORTHERN IRELAND

Road Programmes

Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what were the individual costings of the following road programmes covered by the additional £8.7 million recently announced by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment : both the M1 and M2 motorways, route A4 Dungannon to Enniskillen, route A2 near Carrickfergus, Bushmills and Ballykelly, route A37 between Coleraine and Limavady, route A20 Newtownards to Portaferry and Mountstewart, route A23 Belfast to Ballygowan, near Castlereagh, route A54 at Castleroe, near Coleraine, route A24 Belfast to Newcastle, near Seaforde and route A7 Carryduff to Saintfield, near Carryduff and Lisdoonan.

Mr. Needham : Individual costings of road maintenance works on the routes named are as follows :

M1 and M2 motorways--£618,000 (M1 £568,000, M2 £50,000) Route A4--Dungannon to Enniskillen--£450,000

Route A2--near Carrickfergus, Bushmills and Ballykelly-- £213,000 Route A37--between Coleraine and Limavady--£86,000

Route A20--Newtownards to Portaferry and Mountstewart --£76,000 Route A23--Belfast to Ballygowan, near Castlereagh-- £116,000 Route A54--At Castleroe, near Coleraine--£28,000

Route A24--Belfast to Newcastle, near Seaforde--£43,000

Route A7--Carryduff to Saintfield, near Carryduff and Lisdoonan-- £93,000

The works are representative of maintenance works carried out throughout Northern Ireland.

Medical Practices (Patients)

Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his written reply of 11 January to the right hon. Member for Strangford, Official Report, columns 693-94, how many persons are on the lists of each of the three medical practices based at Portaferry and Kircubbin.

Mr. Needham : Information about the number of patients on a general medical practitioner's list is treated as confidential and may not be disclosed without the permission of the doctor concerned.

Griffiths Report

Rev. Martin Smyth : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish his Department's reponse and observations on Sir Roy Griffiths' report "Care in the Community-Agenda for Action" ; and what advice his Department is giving to health and social services boards as to how they should plan their services in the light of the findings in this report.

Mr. Needham : Sir Roy Griffiths was asked by the Secretary of State for Social Services to review the way in


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which public funds are used to support community care policy specifically in England and to advise on possible ways of improving the use of those funds to achieve a more effective delivery of community care. The issues raised by his report are being considered by the Government. The conclusions reached will be of interest throughout the United Kingdom, but differences in the arrangements for the management of community care in the various parts of the United Kingdom will have to be taken into account in framing proposals for action.

Sexual Abuse (Children)

Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what Government-funded research into the sexual abuse of children (a) has taken place since 1979, (b) is currently taking place and (c) is under consideration, giving the cost of each project listed.

Mr. Needham : The Department of Health and Social Services has provided £46,250 to finance the Northern Ireland children's study. The study, undertaken by a research team from the department of child psychiatry at the Royal Belfast hospital for sick children and the department of community medicine and medical statistics at the Queen's university of Belfast, investigates the incidence and prevalence of child sexual abuse in Northern Ireland. The findings should be published later this year. Proposals for following up the study by further research into questions about the incidence of child sexual abuse in Northern Ireland are being considered.

Housing

Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what were the sums tendered for the demolition of each block of flats in the Bogside, Londonderry ; when the work began and finished ; when the last contract let begins and finishes ; what technical standards are required of contractors tendering ; if the Housing Executive employed outside consultants and what consultancy fees have been paid or are pending in respect of each stage of the work.

Mr. Needham [holding answer 22 March 1989] : This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and the chief executive has advised me that the tenders accepted for the demolition of the Rossville flats in Londonderry were as follows :


               |£              

-------------------------------

Block 1        |128,860        

Blocks 2 and 3 |297,800        

The demolition contract for block 1 commenced on 30 June 1986 and was completed on 10 April 1987. Work on the demolition of blocks 2 and 3 began on 6 February 1989 with an estimated completion period of 30 weeks. All tenderers are required to be on the Housing Executive's register of approved contractors and have specialist insurance. The executive employed a consultant who received a fee of £14,375 in respect of block 1. The fee to be paid for the demolition of blocks 2 and 3 is estimated at about £23,500.

Access to Information

Ms. Mowlam : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern


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Ireland if he has any plans to extend to Northern Ireland the change in the law introduced by (a) the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, (b) the Access to Personal Files Act 1987, and (c) the Access to Medical Reports Act 1988.

Mr. Ian Stewart [holding answer 4 April 1989] : Many of the functions carried out by local authorities in Great Britain are carried out by central Government in Northern Ireland. There are no plans at present to introduce legislation similar to the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985.

A draft Northern Ireland Order in Council, which will contain provisions corresponding to the Access to Personal Files Act 1987 and the Access to Medical Reports Act 1988, is currently in preparation.

Self-governing Hospitals

Rev. Martin Smyth : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what guidance he is issuing to health and social services boards as to the identification of hospitals which may wish to apply for self- governing status ; what information he has about any hospital in Northern Ireland being a candidate for this status ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Needham [holding answer 4 April 1989] : On 23 March 1989, I announced the publication of seven working papers which describe in greater detail how particular proposals outlined in the White Paper "Working for Patients" (Cm 555) will be implemented in Northern Ireland. Copies are available in the Library.

Working paper 1 "Self Governing Hospitals in Northern Ireland" makes it clear that the Government regard all hospitals as potentially eligible for self-governing status, but it is likely to be particularly appropriate to major acute hospitals with over 250 beds and I would expect initial proposals to come from this type of hospital.

Stolen Weapons

Mr. Livingstone : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brent, East of 23 January, Official Report, column 395, if he will state the number of weapons stolen from police stations in Northern Ireland in each of the categories from 1970 to the present date.

Mr. Ian Stewart [holding answer 4 April 1989] : As I indicated in the answer given to the hon. Member on 23 January 1989 at column 395, centralised records do not differentiate between the actual sources of theft.

Mr. Peter Bell (Bombing)

Mr. Livingstone : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will call for a report from the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary as to the stage which investigations have reached into the bombing of the home of Mr. Peter Bell, a civil servant working for his Department.

Mr. Ian Stewart [holding answer 4 April 1989] : A bomb explosion occurred on 12 March 1976 between the homes of Mr. Bell and another civil servant. Although there was extensive damage to both houses no one was injured in the explosion. I understand that the police file in this case remains open.


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HEALTH

Organ Donors

Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will request regional health authorities to include the words, "Are you an organ donor?" on all hospital admission forms.

Mr. Freeman : No. The working party chaired by Sir Raymond Hoffenberg examined this suggestion and considered that it would increase the anxiety of patients entering hospital. It would be unlikely to increase substantially the availability of organs because most potential donors are unconcious on admission to hospital.

Prescriptions

Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has as to the total saving which has been made by the National Health Service since the limited list was introduced.

Mr. Mellor : In 1985-86 the selected list scheme saved £75 million on the drugs bill. It is difficult to make meaningful estimates for subsequent years but we have no reason to doubt that significant savings continue to be made.

Cook-chill Food

Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the revised guidelines on cook-chill will be published.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke : I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 24 February 1989 to the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, North (Ms. Walley) at columns 824-25.

Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there will be stiffer regulations regarding temperature control of cook-chill food in the revised guidelines on cook-chill.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke : My Department's expert group and the relevant recent research have confirmed that the temperature controls specified in the 1980 guidelines are still appropriate and they are likely to form the basis of the guidance given in the revised guidelines when these are published.

Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what scientific advice has been taken by his Department in revising the guidelines on cook-chill.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke : My Department convened an expert group to review the guidelines on cook-chill catering systems and they provided the core of the scientific advice during the review.

Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he intends to introduce new statutory powers governing the preparation of cook -chill foods.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke : The preparation of cook-chill foods is subject to the requirement of the Food Act 1984 and the regulations made under that Act, in the same way as any other food business. Following extensive consultation, the Food Hygiene (General) Regulations 1970 are currently being reviewed.

Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he intends to take and what proposals he


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intends to include in the revised guidelines on cook-chill to ensure a high microbiological quality of food used in cook -chill.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke : During the review of the existing guidelines my Department's scientific expert group considered the recommended microbiological criteria and considered them to be satisfactory. They took the view that providing the 1980 guidelines were followed, they would provide food of sound microbiological quality. However, absence of listeria monocytogenes has been included in the recommended microbiological specification.

Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he intends to take and what proposals he intends to include in the revised guidelines on cook-chill to ensure adequate hygiene education and training of cook-chill food handlers.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke : The production of cook-chill foods covered by the guidelines is subject to the requirements of the Food Act 1984 and the regulations made under that Act, as are all food businesses. Following extensive consultation the Food Act and its regulations are currently being reviewed and the present proposals include regulation-making powers for Government to require appropriate hygiene training for those involved in food handling.

Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many studies, and at what cost, his Department has conducted into the microbiological quality of cook-chill foods.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke : I refer the hon. Member to the reply by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on 9


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February at columns 780-81 which provides details amongst others of research funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which is of relevance to the microbiological quality of cook-chill foods.

Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Health where his Department intends to conduct any further research into the microbiological quality of cook-chill foods.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke : I see no need at this stage to conduct further research into the microbiological quality of conventional cook-chill foods other than that already sponsored by Government.

Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he intends to take and what proposals he intends to include in the revised guidelines on cook-chill to prevent cross-contamination in the preparation of cook-chill foods.


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