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Mr. Ian Stewart [holding answer 19 April 1989] : This is a matter for the Chief Constable. I am advised that the figure of 1,865 does not incude parades organised by youth organisations, Churches and other similar organisations. However I understand that the categorisation of a parade as "Loyalist" is dependent upon the description of the event on the notice of intention to march given by the parade organisers.
Mr. McNamara : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will indicate how much public funds has been spent directly and indirectly in the United States of America and the United Kingdom on lobbying and information activity against the MacBride principles ; and if he will place in the Library copies of any transcripts or evidence submitted by Government officials, representatives and members of the Fair Employment Agency to state legislatures in the United States of America.
Mr. Viggers [holding answer 21 April 1989] : The explanation of Government policy and achievements in the field of fair employment in Northern Ireland is one a range of closely related tasks shared among the Northern Ireland Office, Northern Ireland Departments and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, including diplomatic posts overseas. It would be disproportionately expensive to seek to isolate the staffing and related costs of this specific aspect of their activities. However, from June 1985 until 31 March 1989 the overall costs of employing lobbyists and of assistance to individuals to give evidence was £375,579.
Mr. McNamara : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will place copies in the Library of each decision of the High Court in Northern Ireland arising out of section 42 of the Fair Employment act 1976 relating to the current litigation concerning Tinnelly and Co. Ltd. v NIE.
Mr. Viggers [holding answer 21 April 1989] : It is not normal practice to place High Court judgments in the Library, but they may be obtained on request from the Appeals and Lists Office, Royal Courts of Justice, Chichester street, Belfast 1.
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Prime Minister (1) if she will make it her policy publicly to repudiate allegations made in overseas courts about negotiations between Her Majesty's Government and other countries relating to the export of missiles to third parties against the declared policy of Her Majesty's Government ;
(2) whether she will now make it her policy to answer questions about the supply of Blowpipe surface-to-air
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missiles where there are permissions given to forward them to countries other than those named on the end-user certificates ; and if she will make a statement.The Prime Minister : No. We do not reveal communications between Governments.
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Prime Minister what recent representations she has received about communications received since 1984 from the United States President or any official of the United States Administration to facilitate the supply of (a) Blowpipe surface-to-air missiles and (b) other armaments to Nicaraguan Contras ; what was her reponse ; and if she will make a statement.
The Prime Minister : No. we do not reveal communications between Governments.
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Prime Minister if she will now make it her policy to reveal what was contained in the representations received in 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988 and in the current year in connection with the Nicaraguan Contras from the United States special envoy Mr. Lyle Cox or other United states representatives ; if she will explain the purpose of these communications and her response ; and if she will make a statement.
The Prime Minister : No. We do not reveal communications between Governments.
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister what conveniently available figures she has giving total Central Government spending on all forms of advertising in each year since 1979.
The Prime Minister : Information on publicity, including advertising, is not held centrally except where the expenditure incurred was through the Central Office of Information.
Details of departmental expenditure on publicity, including advertising, for the financial years 1979-80 to 1988-89 were supplied by Ministers in response to questions from the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Mr. Dobson) and published in the Official Report in November-December 1986, July 1987, December 1987-January 1988 and March 1989.
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister what response she proposes to make to the IPCS draft code of ethics, in respect of the proposals to strengthen the neutrality of Government information officers.
The Prime Minister : I have no seen the document to which the hon. Member refers, and have not been asked to respond to it. The duties and responsibilities of civil servants, including information staff, are set out in Sir Robert Armstrong's note of December 1987 and there are long- standing conventions on Government publicity. I do not believe that any separate code of ethics is required.
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister what recent disciplinary action has been taken against Government information officers in relation to their activities as trade union members ; and for what reasons.
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The Prime Minister : Disciplinary action with regard to individual civil servants is a matter for Departments. Information on such cases is not held centrally.
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Prime Minister why the chief press secretary at No. 10 Downing street provided a shortlist of civil servants to the Metropolitan Police Commissioner for the position of director of public affairs at Scotland Yard ; and which official was previously responsible for supplying such information to the police.
The Prime Minister : The chief press secretary, as head of the Government Information Service, was asked to advise on a replacement for the director of public affairs at Scotland Yard by the Metropolitan Police Commissioner. A similar procedure operated when the head of the Government Information Service was director-general, Central Office of Information.
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Prime Minister what steps she takes to ensure that her chief press secretary is not involved in matters of a party political nature ; and if she will make a statement.
The Prime Minister : My chief press secretary is well aware of his duties and responsibilities as a civil servant.
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on the civil servants who have been subject to recent disciplining for having refused to undertake activities which they considered to be of a party political nature.
The Prime Minister : No. Any such action is a matter for the Department concerned.
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Prime Minister when Mr. Charles Powell will be leaving her private office ; and if she will make a statement.
The Prime Minister : Mr. Powell will serve in my office until it is time for him to leave.
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those operations for which sea disposal licences for the deposit or incineration of waste at sea have been granted under part II of the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985.
Mr. Grist : I refer the hon. Lady to the reply given to her on 18 April by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
Mr. Allan Rogers : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many tutors and other staff were employed in the training and education of nurses in Wales in 1979, 1985 and in each subsequent year ;
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(2) how many people were employed in the training and education of nurses in Wales (a) by occupation category, and (b) by specialist category in 1979, 1985 and in each subsequent year ;(3) how many people were working in (a) National Health Service hospitals and (b) the National Health Service in Wales in 1979, 1985 and each subsequent year ;
(4) how many people were working in different occupational categories within (a) the National Health Service, and (b) the different occupational categories within hospitals in Wales in 1979, 1985 and each subsequent year ;
(5) how many people were being trained and educated (a) for a nursing career, and (b) in the different categories for a nursing career in Wales in 1979, 1985 and each subsequent year.
Mr. Grist : The information requested is available in tables 3.01 to 3.14 of issues of "Health and Personal Social Services Statistics for Wales", copies of which are in the Library of the House. In particular, information for various nursing and midwifery staff grades may be found in table 3.10, although the more detailed figures published prior to the 1987 edition should be treated with caution since they are based on NHS payroll occupational codings of limited quality.
Mr. Ted Rowlands : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has of the number of additional staff required for the administration of the poll tax in each rating district.
Mr. Grist : Each district council in Wales will need to decide for itself on the number of staff to be employed in the administration of the community charge in its area in the light of its own individual circumstances.
Mr. Anderson : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what new steps he will take to encourage the teaching of European languages, and in particular German, in Welsh schools.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : The Education Reform Act prescribes that a modern foreign language will be one of the foundation subjects to be studied by all pupils aged 11 to 16. This will begin to come into effect in autumn 1990 when all pupils in the third key stage (that is aged 11 to 14) will be required to be taught a modern foreign language for a reasonable time. The Secretaries of State for Education and Science and for Wales have proposed that all the official languages of the European Community, including German, should be recognised for this purpose. In the meantime a working group is to be set up by July 1989 to advise the Secretaries of State on attainment targets and programmes of study for modern foreign languages with a view to beginning to implement these in schools from autumn 1992.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Newport, West of 10 April, Official Report column 396-97, if he will identify the legislation that gives Welsh local authorities a statutory duty to enforce home safety legislation.
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Mr. Grist : The Home Safety Act 1961.
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many hospital consultants held (a) full-time contracts and (b) part-time contracts with the National Health Service in Wales in (i) 1979 and (ii) 1988.
Mr. Grist : Information for 1979 and for 1987 (the latest year available) is as follows :
Number of consultants<1> |1979 |1987 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- holding full-time contracts |391 |532 holding part-time contracts<2> |307 |328 <1>As at 30 September. <2>Includes consultants holding part-time, maximum part-time and honorary contracts.
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give details of assets disposed of by each health authority during 1987-88 ; and what was the total value of those assets.
Mr. Grist : Details of all assets disposed of are not held centrally. Information about land and building disposals is available and is summarised in the following table. The total value of those assets was £1,671,000.
District health authority |Property details ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ East Dyfed |Allt Y Mynydd Hospital |HQ Office Accommodation, Carmarthen |Whitland Ambulance Station Gwent |Newport Health Unit Works Department |Garage at Darenfelin |Cefn Mably Hospital-lease Mid Glamorgan |Land at Quarella Road, Bridgend Hospital |Tyn y Garn Child Guidance Clinic |Land at Hensol Hospital |Land at Maesgwyn Hospital |Land at Penyfai Hospital |Land at Cefn Cribbwr Health Clinic |Residential accommodation at Albury, | near Ware, Talygarn, Llantrisant, Talbot | GreenHensol Hospital Pembrokeshire |Llangwm Nurses Home |Simpsons Cross Nurses Home Powys |Residential accommodation at Welshpool South Glamorgan |Chest Clinic premises, Cardiff |Land at William Nicholl Home |Residential accommodation at Cardiff
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list all health authorities which operate a computerised call/recall cervical cytology programme for all women aged 20 to 65 years at three- yearly intervals.
Mr. Grist : I understand that Mid Glamorgan and South Glamorgan health authorities currently operate a computerised cervical cytology programme for all women
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aged 20 to 64 with a three-yearly recall period. All other health authorities have adopted a five-yearly recall interval. Government advice is that priority should be given to offering a first smear to all women within the target age group rather than reducing the screening interval at this stage. Nevertheless, the recommended recall frequency is being kept under careful review.Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list all those health authorities which have not yet called all women aged 20 to 65 years for a cervical cancer smear.
Mr. Grist : Since February 1987, when the Welsh Office sought to extend the existing cervical cytology screening programme in Wales to include younger women, all Welsh health authorities have implemented programmes to enable all eligible women to be offered a first smear from the age of 20, unless their GP has indicated that they should be excluded. As yet no authority has fully achieved this aim--although it is expected that some will do so this year.
The Department will be monitoring the progress of all DHAs towards this objective.
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the uptake of women called for a cervical cancer smear for each health authority ; and if he will list those health authorities which are unable to provide these statistics.
Mr. Grist : The administrative arrangements in use for running the cervical screening call and recall service in Wales have not permitted take -up ratios to be calculated with confidence. A new computer package which will provide such information has now been provided for all family practitioner committees' computers. Information on take-up rates will be forthcoming once the new system has acquired an adequate data base.
Mr. Henderson : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many vehicles and at what value were purchased by (a) his Department, (b) the Welsh Development Agency and (c) other public sector agencies for which he is responsible, in 1988 ; and how many of these vehicles were British-made within the definition of British as set out by the Department of Trade and Industry in its arrangement on content with the European Community.
Mr. Peter Walker [holding answer 17 April 1989] : The information is as follows :
(a Three; £20,703. These vehicles were United Kingdom produced on the definition employed by the Department of Trade and Industry for statistical purposes, under which a vehicle is classified as United Kingdom produced if the United Kingdom content exceeds 50 per cent. of the ex-works value.
(b None.
(c The purchase of vehicles by public sector agencies is a matter for those agencies and information is not held centrally. However, the following limited information is available; the definition of United Kingdom produced vehicles given under (a) applies:
Agency |Number and origin|Value £ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Development Board for Rural |One United |19,835 Wales |Kingdom Land authority for Wales |One non United |16,000 |Kingdom Area Health Authorities } Welsh Health Common Services } |Not known |1,546,302 Authority } Family Practitioner Services |One United |7,000 |Kingdom Sports Council for Wales |<1>19 |129,323 <1>These vehicles manufactured by a multi-national company could be United Kingdom or EC produced. This could be determined only by individual inspection of the vehicles.
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will make it his policy to ensure that Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution will have (a) a Wales regional office in Cardiff, (b) a Wales development office in North Wales and (c) five Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution members serving in Wales ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) where, and how many, inspectors of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution are based in Wales ; and if he will make a statement ; (3) if he will give the details of the proposed reorganisation of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution in England and Wales, indicating where the main office which will serve Wales will be located ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Grist [holding answer 21 April 1989] : Proposals are being developed for the reorganisation of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution in England and Wales in order to integrate its responsibilities for air pollution control, radioactive substances, water pollution and other wastes on a regionalised basis. Three regions are proposed to cover the north, south-east and south-west : Wales will come within the south- west region. The existing air district offices will be retained as outstations for the time being. There will continue to be a permanent office in Cardiff.
Six Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution inspectors are based in Wales. In addition, three of the inspectors in the Chester office spend part of their time inspecting premises in north Wales. Consultations with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment are in progress on detailed working arrangements for Wales, including the deployment of inspecting staff.
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will list the large factories in Wales which must receive regular visits from Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution because of their capacity to generate severe pollution problems ; and if he will indicate the distances Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution must travel from existing offices to such factories ;
(2) if he will list the principal factories in Wales which generate either severe or medium pollution problems ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Grist [holding answer 21 April 1989] : All premises which dispose of radioactive waste are required to be authorised under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960. Authorised premises in Wales are listed in the list of
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premises in England and Wales currently authorised under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House. A total of 181 premises are registered under the Alkali &c. Works Regulation Act 1906 and the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. Details are listed in the public register of works, which is available for inspection at Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution offices in Cardiff and Chester or at the Department of the Environment, 2 Marsham street, London.Factories are visited by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution inspectors as necessary. Information on distances which inspectors travel to each factory could not be provided without disproportionate cost.
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will set out in detail the present position on widows' benefits, showing the ages and family circumstances which bring the various benefits into operation.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The following is the present position on widows' benefits and takes into account my right hon. Friend's decision announced on 28 February 1989 at columns 161-62.
Widows' benefits for women widowed before 11 April 1988 Widowed mothers' allowance--followed widows' allowance where the widow has a child for whom child benefit is payable. Child dependency increases paid for each child. This is paid in addition to child benefit.
Widowed mothers' allowance (personal)--followed widowed mother's allowance for widows where the youngest child is under 19 and has left school but remains at home and child benefit is not payable. Widows' pension--followed widows' allowance if widowed over 40 and childless or on cessation of widowed mothers' allowance. Amount determined by age at relevant time, minimum rate payable at 40 and full rate at 50.
Widows' benefits for women widowed after 10 April 1988
Widows' payment--tax-free lump sum of £1,000 payable on bereavement if widowed under 60 or husband not retired.
Widowed mothers' allowance--paid from widowhood if the widow has a qualifying child. Child dependency increases paid for each child. This is paid in addition to child benefit.
Widows' pension--paid from widowhood if widowed over 45 and childless or, if over 45, when widowed mothers' allowance ceases. Amount determined by age at relevant time, minimum rate payable at 45 and full rate at 55.
Note : The foregoing does not give details of the contribution conditions that must be satisfied before payment.
Mr. Ralph Howell : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North, 20 February, Official Report, column 481, what is the net income after the Budget proposals have come into effect (i) after housing costs of a married man with children aged 13 to 16 years earning (a) £104 and (b) £105 per week, (ii) of a married man with children aged three, eight and 11 years paying average rent and rates as used in the tax benefit model tables earning
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(a) £65 per week and (b) £80 per week, (iii) after benefits of a married man with children aged four and six years earning (a) £60 per week gross and (b) £140 per week gross, (iv) under current tax and benefit structure of a married man with children aged three, eight and 11 years with gross earnings of (a) £65 per week and (b) £105 per week and (v) under the current tax and benefit structure of a married man with children aged four and six years earning (a) £80 per week and (b) £90 per week ;(2) pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Barking (Ms. Richardson) of 27 February, Official Report, column 27, how many people earn less than the respective point at which the tax benefit withdrawal level falls to 34 per cent.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I have been asked to reply.
I shall let my hon. Friend have such information as can be obtained as soon as possible.
Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the monitoring of customer service and efficiency in Department of Social Security offices in the north-west.
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the monitoring of customer service and efficiency in Department of Social Security offices in Strathclyde.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : In all Department of Social Security local offices, major areas of local office activity, including throughput of claims and payment accuracy, are monitored on a monthly basis against pre- set targets. Their scope has recently been extended from 50 per cent. to 70 per cent. of all local office activity. In 1988-89 all local offices began monitoring the quality of their service in areas such as caller times, correspondence and interviews, as well as sampling customer opinion of the service they provide.
Mr. Andrew Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will assess the likely implications for the transmission by Channel 4 of public service broadcasts emanating from his Department of the White Paper, "Broadcasting in the '90s : Competition, Choice and Quality".
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to him on 16 March at columns 304-5 . I am not aware that the arrangements will be any different for Channel 4.
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many vouchers are outstanding for dispatch to patients awaiting part payment for spectacles ; and how many patients have been waiting (i) less than one month, (ii) one to two months, (iii) two to three months and (iv) more than three months, for their vouchers.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : National Health Service spectacle vouchers must be issued by the optician immediately following a sight test and are valid for a period of six months. Patients claiming help with the cost of spectacles under the NHS low income scheme must have a valid
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certificate of entitlement from the agency benefit unit for use, with the voucher, when purchasing the spectacles. Claims under the low income scheme cover exemption from, or help towards, a wide range of NHS costs and it is not possible to identify those claims which have been prompted by a need for spectacles. On 11 April 1989 a total of 41,300 new claims under the low income scheme were awaiting processing at the agency benefits unit : this represents 11 days' work. The stockpile of cases involving non-dependants which had accumulated at the unit have now all been cleared. Further information, in the form requested, is not available.Miss Emma Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many instances have been detected in his Department of computer (a) hacking, (b) viruses, (c) logic bombs, (d) Trojan horses or (e) other types of computer misuse, whether perpetrated by authorised or unauthorised users of computers ; and how many unsuccessful attempts have been recorded ;
(2) if, in the light of his Department's computerisation, he will place in the Library a copy of the advice issued by his Department to the staff of regional and local social security officers on the threat of computer hacking ;
(3) if he will make a statement on all recorded cases of unauthorised access to his Department's computer files ;
(4) what measures his Department has taken to protect data in transit by electronic means ;
(5) if he will give details of his Department's policy on review of the security of its computer files ;
(6) if he can quantify the risk of damage by hackers to sensitive computerised files in his Department ;
(7) whether staff are briefed about computer hacking and computer viruses ; whether there are contingency plans to deal with computer downtime caused by unauthorised penetration ; and what plans exist to deal with penetration of particularly sensitive systems.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Mr. Kirkwood) on 15 December 1988 at columns 693-4.
In addition the following points may be of interest.
The Department's policy is to keep the security of its computer systems under continuous review to ensure the integrity, availability and confidentiality of these data and that the requirements of the Data Protection Act are met.
The Department takes advice from the appropriate Government authorities on security matters. In the case of sensitive data held on computers or transmitted by electronic means this includes the IT security and privacy group of the Central Computer and
Telecommunications Agency. This advice is incorporated in the Department's formal computer security standards, which apply to all its computer systems. These standards include requirements for risk assessment, countermeasures, incident investigation and contingency planning. Staff who use computers are given appropriate security instruction. In the interests of security it would not be sensible to publish details of the security standards and procedures or of the training given in their use.
It is not the Government's policy to publish details and circumstances of computer security incidents, their perpetrators and their success or failure. Such information would be of assistance to potential attackers.
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