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The Prime Minister : The European Council at its meeting in Rhodes in December 1988 asked the
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Commission to propose a charter of social rights taking into account the Council of Europe charter. There are as yet no formal proposals from the European Commission for any statement of social rights within the Community. We want to see positive and practical proposals to create more jobs.World Bank and IMF
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list the responsibilities of (a) Her Majesty's Treasury and (b) the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for matters relating to the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
The Prime Minister : The Treasury is responsible for matters relating to the IMF and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office--mainly through the Overseas Development Administration--for matters relating to the World Bank. The Treasury focuses on the world economy, the international monetary system and debt, whereas the Overseas Development Administration focuses on developmental concerns. Instructions to our executive director in Washington for use at both institutions are co-ordinated as necessary between the two Departments and with the Bank of England and other Departments.
Public Buildings (Rent)
Mr. Wray : To ask the Prime Minister whether Her Majesty's Government are considering proposals for the payment of rent for buildings used by (a) the National Health Service, (b) the police forces, (c) the armed forces and (d) the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister : The White Paper "Working for Patients" (Cm. 555) set out the Government's plans to introduce a system for charging health authorities for the use of their existing capital assets and any new capital investment. The charging system will be designed to provide a strong incentive for the efficient use of assets while ensuring that there is no reduction in the funds available for patient services. Rent, in the form of property repayment service, is already paid on the civil estate, including 10 Downing street. In the case of the armed forces, the Ministry of Defence, as part of its new management strategy, is considering how best to ensure that budget holders make the best use of defence buildings. Payment of rent for buildings occupied by the police service is a matter for the police authorities.
Planning Appeals and Petitions
Ms. Harman : To ask the Prime Minister if, pursuant to her oral reply to the hon. Member for Dulwich (Mr. Bowden) on Thursday 20 April, Official Report, column 452, she will set out the criteria enabling persons (a) to appeal at a planning inquiry into a new motorway or railway, and (b) to petition against such a proposal heard before a Private Bill Committee.
The Prime Minister : The criteria for planning inquiries into a new motorway are set out in the Highways (Inquiries Procedure) Rules 1976 (SI 1976 No. 721), a copy of which is in the Library of the House. Statutory objectors (including all persons whose property is directly affected) have the right to appear. Others may do so at the discretion of the person holding the inquiry. There is no
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available procedure for giving planning approval for new railways. Persons or organisations whose property or interests are directly and specifically affected by a private Bill may petition against it and be heard by a Committee on the Bill. If a petitioner's locus standi is challenged by the promoter his right to appear is decided by the Court of Referees (in the Lords by the Committee on the Bill) under "Private Business Standing Orders" or in accordance with the practice of the House.Football Matches (Deaths)
Mr. Howell : To ask the Prime Minister if she will give details of the date, time and place of the 300 deaths associated with attendance at football matches to which she referred in her oral answer to the hon. Member for Barnsley, Central (Mr. Illsley) on 25 April, Official Report, columns 799-800.
The Prime Minister : Details of the known post-war incidents at football matches involving British teams leading to fatalities among spectators are as follows :
Location |Date and time (where |Number of fatalities
|known)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bolton (Burnden Park) |9 March 1946
| 1500 hours (approx)|33
Glasgow (Ibrox Park) |2 January 1971 |66
Middlesbrough (Ayresome
Park) |12 January 1980 |2
Bradford (Valley Parade)
1545 hours (approx) |56
Birmingham (St. Andrew's
Park) |11 May 1985
1750 hours (approx) |1
Brussels (Heysel Stadium) |29 May 1985
1930 hours (approx) |39
Sheffield (Hillsborough) |15 April 1989
| 1506 hours (approx)|95
|----
|Total |292
Rain Forests
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister whether at her global climatology seminar on 26 April, the issue of tropical rain forests was discussed ; and if she will make a statement.
The Prime Minister : Yes, the seminar reinforced the importance of the conservation of tropical rain forests and of our support for forestry in developing countries.
Mr. Hardy : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 2 May.
Mr. Bill Michie : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 2 May.
Mr. Wareing : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 2 May.
Mr. Allen McKay : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 2 May.
Mrs. Maureen Hicks : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 2 May.
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 2 May.
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 2 May.
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Mr. John Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 2 May.
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 2 May.
Sir Michael McNair-Wilson : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 2 May.
Mr. Stern : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 2 May.
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 2 May.
The Prime Minister : This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today. This evening I hope to have an audience of Her Majesty The Queen.
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SCOTLAND
Health Education
Ms. Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total expenditure by each Department and Government-funded health education agency on mass media advertising on (a) smoking, (b) alcohol, (c) dental health, (d) drugs, (e) AIDS, (f) family planning, (g) immunisation, (h) coronary heart disease, (i) the "be all you can campaign" and (j) and any other health campaign in each year from 1978-79 to 1987-88.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : In Scotland national health education is the responsibility of the Scottish Health Education Group. It is not possible to identify separately mass media advertising costs, but the following table gives details of expenditure by the group in the areas shown.
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/$/£000
|1981-82|1982-83|1983-84|1984-85|1985-86|1986-87|1987-88
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Smoking |244 |541 |255 |212 |207 |265 |297
Alcohol |118 |62 |122 |80 |173 |195 |214
Dental Health |23 |48 |53 |71 |45 |39 |32
Drugs |- |- |- |340 |450 |285 |373
AIDS |- |- |- |- |- |124 |86
Family Planning |33 |74 |60 |19 |21 |22 |30
Immunisation |- |- |- |- |- |- |86
Other |1,041 |1,012 |1,502 |1,659 |1,537 |1,648 |1,602
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------
Total |1,459 |1,737 |1,992 |2,381 |2,433 |2,578 |2,720
Mental Handicap
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what funds were allocated from his Department for directly commissioned research relevant to mental handicap for each of the past five years ; and whether he intends those funds to be increased over the next five to 10 years.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : A range of research projects relevant to mental handicap have been funded by the Scottish Home and Health Department and the Scottish Education Department using a variety of approaches. The figures are :
|£'000
----------------------
1984-85 |97
1985-86 |186
1986-87 |145
1987-88 |167
1988-89 |<1>161
<1> Provisional.
Mental handicap is a priority area for research and the Scottish Office will favourably consider any application for funding for soundly based relevant projects.
Community Charge
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether (a) Royal Navy and (b) Merchant Navy personnel who are away from shore (i) for six months or more continuously, within a fiscal year or (ii) for six months or more within a fiscal year are liable to pay poll tax.
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Mr. Lang : It is for community charges registration officers to decide in the light of all the facts and circumstances relating to individual cases whether a person is solely or mainly resident in their area and thus liable to pay the personal community charge.
Adoption
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the rights of access to centrally and locally held information of a person who was adopted ; and what is the statutory basis upon which an adopted person can seek and obtain information about birth and natural parentage.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : In Scotland the Registrar General is empowered to disclose to an adopted person aged 17 or over information which links the person's entry in the adopted children register to the original entry in the birth register. The statutory basis on which the Registrar General holds this information and controls access to it is provided by section 45 of the Adoption (Scotland) Act 1978. Under the terms of the Adoption Agencies (Scotland) Regulations 1984, adoption agencies are also empowered to disclose to an adopted person aged 17 or over information held by the adoption agency relating to that person's adoption.
Pre-school Education
Ms. Mowlam : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the current percentage of children of pre-school age currently enrolled in state-run pre-school education in Scotland.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The number of children in local authority nursery schools and the number of children
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under five in all local authority schools in September 1987 expressed as percentages of 3 and 4-year-olds in the population were 31.0 and 38.7 respectively. It is estimated that when those attending pre-school playgroups and day nurseries are included about 80 per cent. of 3 and 4-year-olds were involved.Water Charges
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which classes of people are exempt from water charges in Scotland.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : People are exempt from water charges in Scotland if their premises do not receive a public water supply. Further, any person detailed in schedule 1A to the Abolition of Domestic Rates Etc. (Scotland) Act 1987, as amended by the Local Government Finance Act 1988, as exempted from the personal community charge, is also exempted from the personal community water charge.
Remote Areas
Mr. McKelvey : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give an estimate of the area of land in (a) the Cairngorms, and (b) the Grampian mountains as a whole which was more than 3 km from a road or vehicular track prior to 1960 ; whether this area has changed ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : This information is not available centrally, but it is clear that following the construction of the access road to the Cairngorm ski development and other vehicular tracks the areas in question are smaller than they were in 1960.
Water Quality
Mr. Wray : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what research his Department is carrying out into the effects of high levels of nitrates and lead in water supplies on (a) children and (b) adults.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : None. The level of nitrates found in Scottish waters is low and does not present a health problem for either children or adults.
Mr. Wray : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many and which of the water supplies containing excess of nitrate or lead according to the European Community standards will achieve the acceptable standards (a) in 1989 and (b) in 1990 ;
(2) how many water supplies in Scotland do not comply with the European Community standards for nitrate or lead content of water supplies ; and where they are located.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : One small water supply source in Dumfries and Galloway region and six in Grampian region may at times exceed the European Commission standard for nitrate. That in Dumfries and Galloway will achieve compliance in 1989 ; those in Grampian are due to be abandoned, two in 1989-90 and the others not later than 1991-92. For information on areas where the lead content of tap water may exceed the European Commission standard I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond) on 22 March 1989, at columns 662-64. In 1989 the acceptable standard will be
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achieved in 22 of these areas in Dumfries and Galloway, 12 in Grampian, eight in Highland, six in Strathclyde and 10 in Tayside. A further seven areas in Strathclyde will achieve the standard in 1990.Environmental Safety
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those areas of policy implementation in regard to environmental safety and regulation which have failed since May 1979 ; and if he will make a statement on the steps he intends to take to rectify these failures.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Government policies have been applied successfully.
Police (Central Service)
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many claims for damages arising out of alleged breaches of delictual duty have been intimated to each chief constable in respect of the actions of police constables engaged in central duties since 1 January 1967.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : I have no reason to believe that any such claims have been made but the information requested is not held centrally. A constable whilst on central service is not under the general direction of the chief constable of his home force. Accordingly, the chief constable would not be liable in reparation for any wrongful act or omission on the part of a constable on central service.
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has regarding the number of incidents in Scotland involving central service police officers who have acted as though they possessed the powers and privileges of police officers in each year since the coming into force of the Police Act 1967.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : No such incidents have been brought to the notice of the Scottish Home and Health Department.
Consultants
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which health boards are to appoint extra consultants ; what criteria were used in the allocation of the extra posts ; which health boards made applications for more consultants ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The number of hospital consultants in Scotland has been expanding rapidly--by over 3 per cent. last year. A further increase in the number of consultants has been encouraged by a Scottish Home and Health Department circular on hospital medical staffing in Scotland issued to all health boards in December 1988, and I shall be keeping a careful watch to see that progress is maintained. It is for health boards to create new consultant posts, subject to the agreement of the Department, which is advised by the Advisory Committee on Medical Establishments on manpower considerations. Consultant posts recommended in the 1987 report "Staffing the Service--The Next Decade" do not require departmental approval.
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Enterprise Zones
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent assessment his officials have made of the operation of enterprise zones ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang : None. Data provided by the Industry Department for Scotland relating to Scottish enterprise zones are included in the fourth annual report "Enterprise Zone Information 1986-87" published by the Department of the Environment on 18 April 1989.
Sand Eels
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Greenock and Port Glasgow on 5 April, Official Report, column 237, he is in a position to estimate what approximate percentage of the stock of O group sand eels was taken by the Shetland fishery in each of the past 15 years.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The information requested, based on the most recent data available, is set out in the table. The quantity of O-group sand eels taken in the Shetland fishery after 1 July is expressed as a percentage of the estimated number alive at 1 July, when most of this age group are recruited to the fishery.
Year |Percentage --------------------------------- 1974 |7 1975 |13 1976 |10 1977 |11 1978 |15 1979 |5 1980 |15 1981 |17 1982 |20 1983 |7 1984 |17 1985 |10 1986 |7 1987 |18 1988 |n.a.
SDA and HIDB
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are his intentions on the future policies of the Scottish Development Agency and the HIDB in relation to their on-going work in relation to the National Trust for Scotland ; and if he will give specific examples of projects to be undertaken by Scottish Enterprise.
Mr. Lang : We are currently reassessing the proposals in the Scottish Enterprise White Paper in the light of all the responses received, and will announce our detailed decisions in due course.
Manufacturing Industry
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the Scottish percentage contribution of United Kingdom manufacturing activity in 1970, 1979, 1986 and 1987.
Mr. Lang : The following figures relate to gross domestic product in manufacturing industries in Scotland as a percentage of manufacturing gross domestic product in the United Kingdom.
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GDP in manufacturing industry:
Scotland as a percentage of the
United Kingdom
|Percentage
---------------------------------
1970 |8.3
1979 |8.5
1986 |7.9
1987 |8.0
Source: IDS and regional
accounts.
EC Assistance
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total amount of loans made to Scotland by the European investment bank in 1988.
Mr. Rifkind (holding answer 28 April 1989) : Loans are negotiated directly between the EIB and prospective borrowers. The total amount of loans disbursed in Scotland in 1988 was as follows.
Number |Amount £ ------------------------------------ 3 |221,000,000
HOME DEPARTMENT
Football Grounds (Safety)
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he had with officials of the Football Supporters Association before his statement on 17 April, calling for all-seater stadia for major football clubs in England and Wales.
Private Zoos
Mrs. Wise : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what safety regulations or guidelines apply to private zoos ; how often they require inspection ; and by whom the inspections are carried out.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : I have been asked to reply.
All zoos in Great Britain are licensed under the Zoo Licensing Act 1981, the provisions of which are administered principally by the appropriate local authority.
Under the Act, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has laid down standards of modern zoo practice, which specify standards for ensuring animal welfare, in addition to the safety and security of visitors. These standards relate to all licensed zoos, insofar as they are applicable to the nature of the collection.
Licensed zoos are subject to regular inspections which fall within three categories : first a periodic inspection, approximately every three years, by a team of up to five inspectors chosen jointly by the local authority and the Secretary of State ; secondly, an annual informal inspection conducted by a single inspector appointed by the local authority ; and thirdly, a special inspection, which may be arranged at any time when the local authority considers that the circumstances warrant one.
Television Licence
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Stoke on Trent, North of 18 April, Official Report,
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column 91, if he will list those areas where television reminders expiring on 31 March were delayed in the post ; and if he will reimburse the price increase to those persons who were therefore unable to purchase their television licences at the old price.Mr. Renton : Reports of late delivery of renewal notices have been received from Chelmsford, Milton Keynes, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Newport, Stoke-on-Trent, Taunton and Watford.
Renewal notices are issued as a service to licence holders and are not a legal requirement. Licences can be renewed up to a month in advance at post offices or by writing to the National TV Licence Records Office and no renewal notice is required for this purpose. It would not therefore be appropriate to reimburse the price increase to licence holders who did not renew March expiry licences until after the fee had gone up.
Women Prisoners
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women there are in prison in the United Kingdom according to the latest available figures.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : On Friday 28 April, the most recent date for which figures are available, 1,769 females were held in prison service establishments in England and Wales. No female prisoners were held in police cells.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women have been injured in prison in the United Kingdom according to the latest available figures.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The available information is published at appendix 5 of the "Report of the Work of the Prison Service, April 1987- March 1988." Only information relating to self-injury is collected.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women have committed suicide while being detained in prison in the United Kingdom according to the latest available figures.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Since 1980 there have been two suicides of women at prison department establishments ; the inquest on one similar death has not yet taken place. Deaths in prisons in Scotland and Northern Ireland are a matter for their respective Secretaries of State.
Civil Defence
Mr. Gerald Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what new information has become available to account for the discrepancy in the information provided about emergency centres in his Department's office report on the implementation of the Civil Defence Regulations 1983 at October 1988 and that provided from the same source in response to earlier parliamentary questions.
Mr. John Patten : Information on emergency centres is drawn from annual reports submitted by local authorities under the Government's planned programme for implementation of the 1983 regulations (PPI). Records are therefore regularly updated according to reported progress, and earlier answers gave the latest information available at the time of the questions.
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Mr. Gerald Bowen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the outcome of the senior level seminar at the Civil Defence college in November 1988 on the review of the arrangements for handling peacetime emergencies will become available.
Mr. John Patten : We hope to make an announcement on the result of the review as a whole shortly.
Drugs Offences
Mr. Rathbone : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to establish compulsory rehabilitation centres as an alternative to prison for drug misusers.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Our proposals in the Green Paper, "Punishment, Custody and the Community" (CM. 424) were that treatment for drug abuse could be part of a programme of supervision in the community for suitable offenders. Effective treatment would need the co-operation of the offender, so it could not be made compulsory. We have no plans to set up compulsory centres.
Youth Work
Mr. Pendry : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which local education authorities have successfully applied for funding under section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966 for new youth work posts in the last five years, specifying for each authority the year in which section 11 funding was approved.
Mr. John Patten : The following local authorities have received approval for section 11 grant for new posts in youth work since the current criteria were introduced in October 1986 :
1987
Warwickshire
Bury
1988
Rotherham
Bradford
Bedfordshire
1989
Nottinghamshire
The information requested in respect of earlier years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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