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Mr. Gill : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will announce his conclusions following the review of potato market policy.
Mr. MacGregor : My right hon. Friends and I have considered the many replies to the consultation document.
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I have also just completed meetings with various producer and processor interests. We now need time to reflect on the conclusions to be drawn from this exercise. I do not at present envisage an announcement before the end of May.Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what is the estimated total cost related to participation by civil servants at the Tweed Towards 2000 symposium to be held in May ; and if any charge is being made by his Department to the organisers of the symposium for this service.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Five scientists from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland laboratories at Aberdeen and Pitlochry were invited to participate in the symposium on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 May 1989 by the organisers, the Tweed Foundation. The scientists will be attending in their own time with their travelling and accommodation costs being met by the Tweed Foundation. A charge by the Scottish Office for their services would not be appropriate in the circumstances.
Mr. Allen Adams : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if L-Threonine is available on the National Health Service for the treatment of motor neurone disease ;
(2) how many people in Scotland suffer from motor neurone disease. (3) if he will list the drugs available on the National Health Service for sufferers from motor neurone disease in Scotland ; (4) what representations he has received about the availability of L-Threonine.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Under the NHS, general medical practitioners have freedom to prescribe whatever drugs they consider to be clinically necessary for the treatment of their patients, except items which are excluded under the selected list scheme. Foods and food supplements are not normally prescribable and L-Threonine is more properly classed as a food supplement than as a drug. Doctors can, however, prescribe food supplements where they are, in their clinical judgment, necessary for the treatment of patients but may be asked to justify their prescribing by their area medical committee. Exact information on the numbers of people in Scotland suffering from motor neurone disease is not centrally available. There are no drugs which are specifically recommended for the treatment of motor neurone disease. Representations have been received from the hon. Members for Strathkelvin and Bearsden (Mr. Galbraith) and for Livingston (Mr. Cook) and from two general medical practitioners.
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland why the decision not to allow the sale of the extract of the community charge register was taken ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang : The decision was taken after careful consideration of representations made by the Data
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Protection Registrar and others that the sale of the publicly available community charges register was not an essential part of the community charge system and that there would be a potential threat to privacy if extracts were made too readily available to interests who might wish to use them as mailing lists.Mr. Shersby : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will consult local authorities about the possibility of introducing a temporary flat rate allowance for officers in provided accommodation in Scotland to take account of their requirement to pay the community charge and pending the final outcome of the rent allowance arbitration.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : No. This matter was considered at a meeting of the police negotiating board on 17 April when the staff side's proposal for an interim housing allowance payable to officers in provided accommodation was rejected by the official side. However negotiations between the two sides on long-term arrangements proposed by the Police Arbitration Tribunal are continuing.
Mr. Shersby : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what representations he has received from police authorities in Scotland concerning the desirability of interim financial arrangements being introduced to ensure that no police officer is worse off as a result of the introduction of the community charge pending the final outcome of the recent rent allowance arbitration ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) if he will consider the difficulties facing new recruits to the police forces in Scotland due to the uncertainty surrounding the financial recompense for the community charge pending the final outcome of the rent allowance arbitration ; and if he will take urgent action in conjunction with the local authorities to introduce interim arrangements as suggested by the arbitrators, subject to subsequent adjustment following the Government's decision on the recommended implementation of the new housing allowance.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : My right hon. and learned Friend has received a number of representations from police authorities about this issue. In response it was made clear that the question of interim arrangements was a matter for the police negotiating board. The question was considered at a meeting of the board on 17 April when, with the position of my right hon. and learned Friend being reserved, the official side agreed the staff side's proposal that all officers in Scottish forces in receipt of rent allowance on 31 March 1989 should continue to receive the levels payable at that date pending the introduction of a new housing allowance recommended by the Police Arbitration Tribunal. There are no grounds for interim arrangements for officers entering the service after 31 March 1989. The tribunal accepted the official side's case that the community charge payable by police officers should not be reimbursed.
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5. Mr. William Powell : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many projects have been supported by regional assistance over the past year.
Mr. Newton : My Department expects to have supported in excess of 7,500 projects through regional assistance during 1988-89. Specifically, the Department has made 1,275 offers of regional selective assistance and 920 offers of regional enterprise grant, approved 5, 380 projects under the revised regional development grant scheme and made payments under the original regional development grant scheme in respect of some 270 projects. All these figures are provisional.
11. Mr. Kirkhope : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many projects have been supported by his inner-city task forces.
Mr. Newton : Since the task forces began their work in 1986 over 1, 200 projects have been approved and over £38 million has been committed. These projects are projected to secure over 4,000 jobs, facilitate over 23,500 training places and provide support for over 2,600 businesses.
29. Mr. Brandon-Bravo : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he last met the leaders of the inner-city task forces ; and what matters were discussed.
Mr. Newton : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Stockport (Mr. Favell) on 15 March 1989 at column 256.
16. Mr. Devlin : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the distribution of European regional development fund moneys within the United Kingdom.
Mr. Newton : Since the inception of the European regional development fund in 1975, the United Kingdom has received commitments valued at £3,307 million. Commitments for England have been £1,602 million, for Scotland £792 million, Wales £491 million and Northern Ireland £343 million. The remaining £79 million has been committed on a multi-regional basis. The future distribution will depend on decisions by the Commission, and may fluctuate from year to year.
18. Mr. Jim Marshall : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what recent estimates his Department has made of the effects of 1992 on Britain's regions.
Mr. Maude : None. It is for individual businesses, wherever they are, to assess for themselves what the effects of the single market will be for them. My Department provides a comprehensive information service to enable them to do so.
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21. Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what information he has on the percentage increase in expenditure on mergers and acquisitions since 1979.
Mr. Maude : Expenditure on acquisitions and mergers by industrial and commercial companies within the United Kingdom in 1988 is estimated to be about £22 billion. In current prices this is about 13 times greater than the 1979 total of about £1 billion.
42. Mr. Eastham : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what information he has on the percentage increase in expenditure on mergers and acquisitions since 1979.
Mr. Maude : Expenditure on acquisitions and mergers by industrial and commercial companies within the United Kingdom in 1988 is estimated to be about £22 billion. In current prices this is about 13 times greater than the 1979 total of about £1 billion.
22. Mr. John Evans : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what proposals he has for strengthening the national network of consumer advice centres.
56. Mr. Rogers : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what proposals he has for strengthening the national network of consumer advice centres.
74. Mr. Ernie Ross : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what proposals he has for strengthening the national network of consumer advice centres.
Mr. Forth : I have no such proposals. Funding of consumer advice centres is a matter for the local decision and local funding. The Government do fund the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux, and Citizens Advice Scotland which provide central support services for local bureaux. In recent years the grant to these bodies has risen substantially in real terms. In 1980 the local bureaux took over a considerable proportion of the work of consumer advice centres.
36. Mr. Allen McKay : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he last met representatives from local authority consumer advice centres ; and what matters were discussed.
58. Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he last met representatives from local authority consumer advice centres ; and what matters were discussed.
76. Mr. Bill Michie : To askton the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he last met representatives from local authority consumer advice centres ; and what matters were discussed.
Mr. Forth : I have had no such meeting and none has been requested.
24. Mr. Orme : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he expects Britain to have a trade surplus in information technology.
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26. Mr. John Hughes : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he expects Britain to have a trade surplus in information technology.
Mr. Newton : It is not possible to make a prediction of the kind that the hon. Member seeks. What is important is that this Government's economic policies have led to record levels of productivity, output and investment and have helped to attract companies such as Fujitsu which will provide a major boost to our balance of trade in imformation technology, through both exports and import substitution.
37. Mr. Faulds : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received on his response to the Select Committee on Trade and Industry's report into information technology.
62. Mr. Patchett : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received on his response to the Select Committee on Trade and Industry's report into information technology.
Mr. Newton : We have received no formal representations on this response.
39. Mr. Boyes : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement of the Government's policy for information technology.
Mr. Newton : The Government's response to the Trade and Industry Select Committee's report on information technology published on 9 March as Cm 646 contains a comprehensive statement of the Government's policy towards information technology.
65. Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the balance of trade in information technology in 1979 and 1988.
Mr. Newton : For the information technology and electronics manufacturing sector the United Kingdom had an adverse balance of trade in 1979 of £444 million. In 1987, the latest full year for which figures are available, the adverse balance for this sector was £2,226 million.
80. Mr. Cox : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the balance of trade in information technology in 1979 and 1988.
Mr. Newton : For the information technology and electronics manufacturing sector the United Kingdom had an adverse balance of trade in 1979 of £444 million. In 1987, the latest full year for which figures are available, the adverse balance for this sector was £2,226 million.
25. Mr. Ron Brown : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is his latest estimate of company liquidity ; and when it was last lower.
Mr. Maude : The liquidity ratio for all large industrial and commercial companies is estimated by the Department's survey to be 76 per cent. at the end of the fourth quarter of 1988 on a seasonally adjusted basis. This is the lowest figure since the end of the third quarter of 1982.
27. Mr. Brazier : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster by what proportion manufacturing productivity has increased since 1980.
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Mr. Maude : In the three months to February 1989 manufacturing productivity, as measured by output per person employed, was 55 per cent. higher than the 1980 average level.
28. Mr. Pike : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what recent representations he has received regarding the British footwear industry.
Mr. Alan Clark : Since I replied to a similar question from the hon. Member on 15 February at column 305 of the Official Report for 16 February a number of hon. Members have made known to me the concerns of their constituents.
I am taking a close interest in this matter and in the outcome of the Commission's investigation into imports of footwear from Taiwan and South Korea.
30. Mr. Stern : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the range of advice available to borrowers and potential borrowers on alternative forms of credit, especially in the inner cities.
Mr. Maude : The Office of Fair Trading has a statutory duty under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 to inform the public about credit. It gives advice through the media, and booklets, posters and videos which are freely available through citizens advice bureaux, trading standards departments and public libraries. In addition the banks provide a banking information service. In the inner-city areas certain local authorities have set up money advice services ; and some 20 financial organisations are providing £750,000 over a period of three years for money advice and debt counselling services.
31. Mr. Ted Garrett : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in which Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries the proportion of gross domestic product spent by Government on civil research and development has fallen since 1983.
66. Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development reduced the share of gross domestic product spent on civil research and development between 1983 and 1986 ; and which countries increased it.
Mr. Forth : I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Tyne Bridge (Mr. Clelland) on 15 March at column 265.
48. Mr. Flannery : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development reduced the share of gross domestic product spent on civil research and development between 1983 and 1986 ; and which countries increased it.
54. Mr. McCartney : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development reduced the share of gross domestic product spent on civil research and development between 1983 and 1986 ; and which countries increased it.
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Mr. Forth : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Blackburn (Mr. Pike) on 14 February at columns 256 and 257 of the Official Report for 15 February.
32. Mr. Allan Roberts : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received on the Macdonald report on communications infrastructure.
41. Mr. Darling : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received on the Macdonald report on communications infrastructure.
77 Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received on the Macdonald report on communication infrastructure.
Mr. Forth : I refer the hon. Members to the reply given to the hon. Member for Middlesbrough (Mr. Bell) on 15 March at column 266.
33. Mr. Adley : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many times in the last 10 years he has exercised his power to disbar directors of public companies ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maude : The Secretary of State may apply to the court to disqualify directors under various provisions now consolidated in the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986.
Between 1 April 1979 and 28 April 1986, when the current provisions came into force, 111 applications were made. Since 28 April 1986 the number of applications has been :
|Number ---------------------- 1986 |22 1987 |180 1988 |421 <1>1989 |99 <1> To 31 March.
Such applications relate both to public and private companies. The Act also empowers the courts to disqualify directors in certain criminal proceedings and where the Secretary of State brings such prosecutions it is his practice to draw the court's attention to these powers.
34. Mr. Hague : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what are the latest indications he has for the growth in industrial investment over the past year.
Mr. Maude : The volume of investment by the manufacturing, construction, distribution and financial industries in 1988 was nearly 11 per cent. higher than in 1987.
35. Ms. Primarolo : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received from industry on matters affecting competitiveness.
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Mr. Martlew : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received from industry on matters affecting competitiveness.
Mr. Maude : Frequent, numerous and diverse.
61. Ms. Armstrong : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received from industry on matters affecting competitiveness.
Mr. Maude : Most contacts which my Department has with industry and commerce involve matters having a bearing on United Kingdom competitiveness.
38. Mr. Oppenheim : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what action he is taking to ensure that the European Community does not erect protectionist trade barriers.
Mr. Alan Clark : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to him on 16 February at column 248.
40. Mr. Curry : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what are the latest indications he has of awareness in the business community about opportunities presented by the completion of the single market in 1992.
Mr. Maude : Our surveys indicate that over 90 per cent. of firms throughout the country are aware of the single market challenge.
78. Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement about the achievements of his 1992 campaign.
Mr. Maude : Since the campaign was launched on 18 March 1988, the DTI has handled over 205,000 requests for further information. Our surveys indicate that over 90 per cent. of firms throughout the country are aware of the single market challenge and that around 50 per cent. of British business is taking action or considering steps to prepare for the single market.
81. Mr. Andy Stewart : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many calls have been received to date by his Department's 1992 hotline.
Mr. Maude : Our 1992 hotline has received over 123,000 calls since it opened on 18 March 1988.
43. Mr. O'Brien : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received over the activities of the Midland bank in (a) the distribution of unsolicited auto-cheque cards and (b) other banking issues ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maude : I am not aware of any representations about unsolicited auto-cheque cards or other banking issues relating to Midland bank. I understand that as certain service cards are renewed some have been incorporated into a multi-purpose card but I am not aware that this has caused any difficulties.
44. Mr. Bright : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what proportion of the Boeing 747 series of aircraft is manufactured by the British aerospace industry.
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Mr. Forth : A number of United Kingdom aerospace companies participate in the Boeing 747 programme but the United Kingdom share is largely dependent upon the choice of engine. If a Rolls-Royce engine is selected, as is increasingly the case, the United Kingdom share of the initial sale value of the aircraft is 25 per cent., rising to 30 per cent. of its lifetime value once engine spares have been provided.
45. Mr. Geoffrey Robinson : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he now has plans to bring forward legislation affecting consumer rights.
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