| Previous Section | Home Page |
Mr. Douglas Hogg : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Nottingham, North (Mr. Allen) on 17 April at column 33.
Community Charge
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish (a) the full details of the police arbitration tribunal award of March as it relates to the introduction of the community charge and police officers' allowances and (b) the likely costs of this section of the award in 1990-91.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The terms of the arbitration award were as follows :
(a) No provision should be made by the police authorities to undertake payment of the community charge levied on police officers or their wives ;
(b) the present system of rent and rates allowances and compensatory grants should be remodelled as explained in our general considerations set out above ; and
(c) the process should take effect from April 1989 in Scotland and from April 1990 in England and Wales and also in Northern Ireland, as far as is practicable, bearing in mind that the community charge is not likely to be introduced there on that date.
In its general considerations the tribunal concluded that the new police housing allowance, which is to replace the present rent allowance, should be determined for each force by
"taking the current bill, which has been expressed as for rent and rates, and dividing it by the number of officers concerned". It will not be possible to calculate the costs of the award until the negotiations on a number of issues which the tribunal passed back to the police negotiating board for further consideration have been concluded.
Column 238
Parliamentary Boundary Commissions
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will announce the new membership of the Parliamentary Boundary Commissions for England and Wales.
Mr. Hurd : Mr. Speaker is chairman of both boundary commissions. The other members are as follows :
|Appointed by
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Boundary Commission for England
The Hon. Mr. Justice Knox |The Lord Chancellor
Miss Sheila Cameron, QC |The Home Secretary
Mr. D. Macklin, MA |The Secretary of State
|for the
|Environment
Boundary Commission for Wales
The Hon. Mr. Justice Anthony Evans |The Lord
|Chancellor
Mr. W. P. Davey, CBE, DL, IPFA |The Home Secretary
Mr. M. P. McLaggan, JP, DL, MA |The Secretary of
|State for Wales
The appointment of Mr. Justice Knox will expire on 31 December 1990 ; the other appointments expire on 31 December 1992.
EMPLOYMENT
National Dock Labour Board
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the cost of financing the National Dock Labour Board sports activities in 1987-88 ; and how much of this was financed through the employers' levy.
Mr. Nicholls : A total of £59,292 in 1987, all financed through the board's management levy on employers.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the levy income for the National Dock Labour Board for 1987.
Mr. Nicholls [holding answer 3 May 1989] : The board's own management levy was £4,433,636. Levy received on behalf of the national voluntary severance scheme, administered by the board, was £2,047,046.
Mr. McLoughlin : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the legal and professional fees incurred by the National Dock Labour Board in 1987.
Mr. Nicholls [holding answer 3 May 1989] : Legal fees were £94, 767 and professional fees were £13,030.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the cost to the National Dock Labour Board of financing the registered dock workers' national golf competition in 1987.
Mr. Nicholls [holding answer 3 May 1989] : A total of £11,019.
Mr. Janman : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how much was spent by the National Dock Labour Board in 1987 in legal fees on definitions of dock work.
Column 239
Mr. Nicholls [holding answer 3 May 1989] : A total of £43,050.
Jobstart
Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people have used the jobstart allowance in each year since it began and for each standard economic region.
Column 240
Mr. Lee : The numbers of people accepted on to the jobstart programme in each employment service region is shown in the table :
Column 239
Region |From 1 July 1986 to 26 |From 27 March 1987 to 25|From 26 March 1988 to 27
|March 1987 |March 1988 |January 1989
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern |694 |1,003 |765
Yorkshire and Humberside |992 |1,557 |1,121
East Midlands and Eastern |921 |1,288 |819
London |286 |292 |219
South East |572 |708 |371
South West |430 |639 |308
Wales |627 |1,131 |768
West Midlands |1,190 |1,696 |1,104
North West |1,890 |2,884 |1,794
Scotland |954 |1,493 |1,139
|----- |----- |-----
Great Britain |8,556 |12,691 |8,408
Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give details of the average length of stay of workers claiming the jobstart allowance.
Mr. Lee : The information requested is not readily available. However, it is estimated that in 1988 two-thirds of jobstart participants completed the 26 weeks of the programme. People who do not complete 26 weeks may cease to be eligible for the allowance for a number of reasons, including the wage rising above the limit allowed.
Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give details of the sectors in which jobstart allowance workers were based in 1988.
Mr. Lee : The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give details of the average jobstart allowance workers for each year since the start of the initiative ; and if this includes the allowance.
Mr. Lee : The information requested is not readily available. However, an evaluation survey of the jobstart programme is currently being undertaken. Preliminary information from the study indicates that the average starting wage of jobstart workers in April and May 1988 was £67. This figure excludes the allowance.
Unemployment Benefit
Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many claims of unemployment benefit have been disallowed on the grounds of refusal or premature termination of training in each month since September 1988.
Mr. Lee : Information is not collected in the form requested. However, in the six month period ending 31 December 1988, the total number of claims for unemployment benefit disallowed by adjudication officers on the grounds of refusal or premature termination of training, was 1,110.
Column 240
Work Permits
Mr. Mans : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to review the work permit scheme ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lee : Changes in the labour market since the current rules for granting work permits were set in 1980 make it timely to review the operation of the scheme. We are concerned to see that the scheme, taking into account the interests of the resident labour force, provides as efficient service as possible to employers who need to employ people from outside the European Community. My Department has today sent a consultation paper to interested bodies inviting their view on proposals for increasing the effectiveness of the scheme. I have placed a copy of the paper in the Library. This review will also contribute to the Government's strategy of removing burdens from business.
Industrial Action
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has as to the number of days lost in the United Kingdom and other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries by industrial action in the latest year for which figures are available.
Mr. Nicholls [holding answer 3 May 1989] : The available information on working days lost from industrial stoppages, expressed as a ratio per thousand employees is shown in the table. The information covers OECD countries for 1987, the latest year for which comparative data is available. Comparisons between countries should be made with considerable care because of the different coverage of each country's statistics. Countries use different criteria for the exclusion of small stoppages from the statistics ; public sector strikes are excluded in some cases, and some countries exclude workers prevented from working because others at their workplace are on strike. Further details are given in the article "International
Column 241
comparisons of industrial stoppages for 1986" published in the Employment Gazette, June 1988, page 335, a copy of which is in the Library.
Industrial stoppages working days
lost per thousand employees<1> in
all industries and services 1987
|Days
-------------------------------------
United Kingdom |160
Australia |220
Austria |<2>-
Canada |370
Denmark |60
Finland |60
France<3> |30
Germany (Federal Republic) |<2>-
Greece |970
Ireland |320
Italy |320
Japan |10
Netherlands |10
New Zealand<3> |270
Norway |10
Portugal |40
Spain |630
Sweden |-
Switzerland |-
United States<3> |40
<1> Employees in employment: some
figures have been estimated.
<2> Less than five days lost per
thousand employees.
<3> Significant coverage differences,
the most important of which are:
France and New Zealand exclude
public sector strikes; New Zealand
figures are for strikes of more than
10 working days duration; United
States figures exclude disputes
where less than 1,000 workers
involved.
Sources:
Working days lost: International
Labour Office (ILO) Yearbook of
Labour Statistics 1988. Employees in
employment: ILO and OECD
publications.
Information is not available for Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg and Turkey.
DEFENCE
United Nations
Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what support his Department gives to the United Nations.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : My Department provides the following support to the United Nations :
UNFICYP
One infantry battalion, one support regiment and a company of military police.
UNTAG
One signals squadron and a small RAF reception assistance team. Republic of Korea
One platoon from the Hong Kong garrison, which contributes towards the United Nations Honour Guard, and a small number of United Kingdom personnel in the headquarters of the Commonwealth Liaison Mission to the United Nations Command.
British Forces Cyprus also provide logistic support for UNDOF and UNIFIL and there is currently an Army officer attached to the United Nations Field Operations Division in New York advising on logistics matters.
United Nations Force in Cyprus.
United Nations Transitional Assistance Group in Namibia. United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, Syria/Israel. United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.
Column 242
Condor 2 Missile
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has on the role played by the APV company of London, in the sale of missile propellant compounds to the Italian firm SNIA BPD via APV subsidiary APV Chemical Machinery Inc., of Saginaw, Michigan, United States of America, for use by the Argentine Institute of Aeronautic and Space Research in the development of the Condor 2 intermediate tactical missile.
Mr. Waldegrave : I have been asked to reply.
There was no export to Argentina of this type from the United Kingdom. Exports by APV's American subsidiary are a matter for the American authorities.
Defence Costs and Commitments
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how the latest United States plans for burden sharing will affect United Kingdom defence costs and commitments.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : We are not aware of any United States Governmant burden sharing plans that are likely to affect the United Kingdom's defence costs and commitments.
Trident
Mr. Andrew F. Barnett : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a further statement about command and control of Trident.
Lance Missiles
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if, during the recent NATO nuclear planning Group meeting, the United Kingdom delegation raised the case for consideration of obligations under article VI of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty for NATO states party to the non- proliferation treaty, when evaluating the replacement of Lance nuclear- tipped short-range missiles in Europe.
Radioactive Waste
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what scientific data were presented to the London dumping convention (a) in the years up to and including 1983 and (b) post 1983 on the potential environmental damage that might arise from the disposal at sea of (i) decommissioned nuclear submarine hulls, (ii) submarine reactor cores and (iii) low and intermediate-level radioactive wastes from the processing of military nuclear materials.
Mr. Sainsbury : The United Kingdom has presented no such data.
Nuclear Submarines
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if, following the sinking of the Soviet Mike class nuclear submarine on 7 April, he will review the present safety of (a) United Kingdom
nuclear-powered submarines and (b) United States nuclear-powered submarines afforded docking rights in the United Kingdom.
Column 243
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Measures to ensure the continuing safe design and operation of Royal Navy submarines are kept under constant review. In the light of what is currently known of the circumstances of the loss of the Mike class Soviet submarine on 7 April, the accident would appear to offer no specific lessons with regard to Royal Naval submarine safety. The safety of United States nuclear-powered warships is the responsibility of the United States Government. However, visits to this country by United States nuclear-powered submarines are covered by a written arrangement between the two countries.
Diversion Airfields
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all the master diversion airfields used by the Royal Air Force and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation based aircraft in the United Kingdom and abroad.
Mr. Neubert : The Royal Air Force presently operates eight military emergency diversion aerodromes in the United Kingdom and one master diversion aerodrome overseas.
These are :
MEDAs RAF Leeming
RAF Leuchars
RAF Lossiemouth
RAF Manston
RAF St. Mawgan
RAF Valley
RAF Waddington
RAF Wattisham
MDA RAF Wildenrath
Ascension and Falkland Islands
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total tonnage of fresh vegetables supplied to the Ascension and Falklands Islands from (a) England and (b) the Isle of Wight to date.
Mr. Neubert : Last year 375 tonnes of fresh vegetables were shipped to Ascension and the Falkland Islands from the United Kingdom. Our records do not enable the origin of the vegetables to be identified in the detail requested.
Charities (Retail Prices Index Error)
Mr. Andrew Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what payments were made to armed services charities from moneys arising from the error in the retail price index.
Mr. Neubert : Payments were made from Ministry of Defence funds, consequent upon the error in calculation of the retail prices index discovered in 1987, to the following charitable organisations for further distribution :
Local planning authority |Proposed Development |Date of opinion
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leeds City Council |Retail, etc., |11 August 1988
|development
|Kirkstall Valley,
|Leeds
Calderdale D.C. |Sludge de-watering |7 March 1989
|plant Bradley
Newcastle City |Gosforth Park |13 March 1989
Council |housing
|development,
|Newcastle
Peterborough City |Residential and |31 March 1989
Council |commercial
|development at
|Castor and
|Ailsworth,
|Peterborough
Knowsley D.C. |Incinerator for |13 April 1989
|medical and hospital
|wastes, Hammond
|Road, Kirby,
|Merseyside
Territorial Army
Mr. Stern : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence approximately how many United Kingdom employers now release staff for service in the Territorial Army.
Column 244
Mr. Neubert : It is not at present possible to provide an accurate assessment of the number of employers who release staff for TA service. In addition to the willingness of men and women to offer their services, the need to harness the wholehearted support of employers has long been acknowledged. For this reason we launched a major campaign in September of last year not only with a prime aim of stressing the importance of the TA, but also of making employers aware of the benefits which may accrue from employees' participation, ie improved qualities of leadership, discipline, self-reliance, communications and the acquisition of personal skills. One of the major initiatives in the early stages of this campaign was the circulation of a letter from the chairman of the National Employer Liaison Committee, Mr. Tony MacPherson, to over 600 leading companies seeking an active commitment to the Reserve Forces. The response to this letter has been overwhelmingly positive.
ENVIRONMENT
Water Pollution
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will include in the Official Report his estimate of the proportionate contribution to the pollution of the water supply in toxic or other terms as defined by the European Economic Community regulations or otherwise made by (a) manufacturing industry, (b) agriculture, (c) sewage works and (d) domestic consumers of water.
Mr. Howard : Pollution incidents from manufacturing industry, agriculture and sewage treatments works rarely affect water supplies, because water undertakers take effective precautionary measures to prevent this. A few supplies are affected by nitrate pollution from agriculture and very low levels of pesticides have been detected in some supplies as a result of activity by a variety of bodies including local authorities, farmers and nationalised industries. Water in individual properties may have a high lead concentration because of lead communication and supply pipes. There have been occasional instances of pollution from chlorinated solvents derived from de-greasing activities or dry cleaning businesses. Further information about the quality of groundwater sources is contained in the report "Assessment of Groundwater in England and Wales" prepared for the Department by Sir William Halcrow and Partners Ltd. and published last December.
Environmental Assessment
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those proposed developments for which, since 15 July 1988, the local planning authority has given an opinion that environmental assessment is required.
Mr. Howard : The following cases in which an English local planning authority has given an opinion under regulation 5(4) of the Town and Country Planning (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations 1988 that environment assessment is required have been notified to the Department in accordance with paragraph 52 of DoE circular 15/88.
Column 245
Local planning authority |Proposed Development |Date of opinion
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leeds City Council |Retail, etc., |11 August 1988
|development
|Kirkstall Valley,
|Leeds
Calderdale D.C. |Sludge de-watering |7 March 1989
|plant Bradley
Newcastle City |Gosforth Park |13 March 1989
Council |housing
|development,
|Newcastle
Peterborough City |Residential and |31 March 1989
Council |commercial
|development at
|Castor and
|Ailsworth,
|Peterborough
Knowsley D.C. |Incinerator for |13 April 1989
|medical and hospital
|wastes, Hammond
|Road, Kirby,
|Merseyside
Column 246
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those developments for which an environmental statement has been provided under the Town and Country Planning (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations 1988 and give the planning authority's decision in respect of each planning application with any conditions attached to the permissions.
Mr. Howard : Copies of the environmental statements have been sent to the Department under regulation 14(2)(B) in respect of the following developments :
Column 245
|Proposed development |Planning decision as
|notified to the
|Secretary of State under
|regulation 23
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Slough Borough Council |Expansion of private power station, Slough, |Planning permission granted 10 January 1989.
|Berkshire.
South Oxfordshire District Council |Brickworks, Southmead Industrial Estate, |Planning permission refused 11 January 1989.
|Didcot, Oxfordshire.
Peterborough City Council |Private Electricity Generating Station, |Outline planning permission granted 31 January 1989.
|Peterborough.
North Tyneside District Council |Synthetic resin plant, North Shields. |Not yet notified.
Cleveland County Council |Toxic waste incinerator, Seal Sands, Cleveland. |Not yet notified.
Gateshead District Council |Infill of former Wardley Quarry, Gateshead, |Not yet notified.
|Tyne and Wear.
Teesside District Council |Clinical waste incinerator, Tyne Tees Wharf, |Not yet notified.
|Middlesbrough.
Durham County Council |Hilton Lane opencast coal site, Hilton, |Not yet notified.
|Durham.
Wyre District Council |Pumping station and sewage outfall, |Not yet notified.
|Fleetwood, Lancashire.
Wirral District Council |Waste disposal site, Bromborough, the Wirral, |Not yet notified
|Merseyside.
Leeds City Council |Quarry extension, Castleford, West Yorkshire. |Not yet notified.
Doncaster Metropolitan Borough |Waste treatment centre, Kirk Sandall, |Not yet notified.
Council |Doncaster.
Harrogate District Council and North |Harrogate/Knaresborough Southern Bypass. |Not yet notified.
Yorkshire County Council
Black Country Development |Black Country Spine Road, Wolverhampton. |Not yet notified.
Corporation
Corby District Council |Private Electricity Generating Station, Corby, |Not yet notified.
| Northamptonshire.
Melton Borough Council |New village (Kettleby Magna), Great Dalby, |Not yet notified.
| Leicestershire.
Northampton District Council |New village, Wooton Fields, Northampton |Not yet notified.
Derbyshire Dales District Council |Holiday village, Flash Dam, Matlock, |Not yet notified
| Derbyshire
Mansfield District Council |Robin Hood Theme Park, Mansfield |Not yet notified
| Woodhouse.
Boston Borough Council |Steel rolling mill, Batteries Farm, Boston |Not yet notified
| Lincolnshire.
Broxtowe Borough Council |Retail Park, Giltbrook, Nottingham |Not yet notified
Derbyshire Dales District Council |Hotel, conference centre, funicular railway, etc, |Application withdrawn prior to planning decision being made.
| Matlock Bath, Derbyshire.
Castle Point District Council |New settlement at Canvey Island, Essex. |Not yet notified.
Rochester-upon-Medway City |Trading Port, BP site, Isle of Grain, Kent. |Not yet notified.
Rochester-upon-Medway City |Liquefied Natural Gas terminal, BP site, Isle of |Not yet notified
| Grain, Kent
Tonbridge and Malling District |Distribution depot/light industrial develop- |Not yet notified
Council | ment, Ditton Park Quarry, Aylesford, Kent.
Medina Borough Council |Marina, hotel and residential units, Port |Not yet notified.
| Marina, East Cowes, Isle of Wight.
Berkshire County Council |Sandhurst/Crowthorne Bypass. |Not yet notified
Surrey County Council |Waste disposal site, Hersham and Trumps |Not yet notified.
| Farms, Longcross, Surrey.
South Oxfordshire District Council |Wallingford by-pass. |Not yet notified
Devon County Council |Extension of landfill site, Kengsteignton, South |Not yet notified.
| Devon
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those proposed developments since 15 July 1988 where (a) he has exercised his power to make a direction without an application under the Town and Country Planning (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations 1988, (b) he has had to make a direction where a planning application has not been
Column 248
accompanied by an environmental assessment but the planning authority have notified the applicant that an environmental statement would be required ; and if he will state the effect of those directions.Mr. Howard : The following directions have been given by the Secretary of State :
Column 247
LPA |Proposed Development |Date of Direction |Effect of Direction
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(a) Without application under the regulations:
Lincoln City Council |Business Park, Bishops Bridge, Lincoln |13 April 1989 |EA required
(b) in response to a request by a developer following a notification by a local planning authority that an environmental statement is required in
respect of a planning application not accompanied by an environmental statement:
1. City of Nottingham |Retail park, hotel, etc. Babbington Colliery site, Nottingham |2 September 1988 |EA not required
2. London Boroughs of
Newham and Waltham
Forest |Lee Cross Shopping Centre |28 October 1988 |EA required
3. Wycombe D.C. |Motorway Service Area, M40, near High Wycombe |17 November 1988 |EA not required
4. South Buckingham D.C. |Shopping Complex, Tanhouse Pits, Iver, Bucks. |6 December 1988 |EA not required
5. Northants C.C. |Extension of sand and gravel workings, Stanwick Quarry, near
| Raunds, Northants |6 December 1988 |EA required
6. Cambridgeshire C.C. |Extension of sand and gravel workings, Barleycroft Farm, Cambs |14 December 1988 |EA not required
7. Thamesdown B.C. |Industrial estate, Stratton St. Margaret, Swindon |21 December 1988 |EA not required
8. Essex C.C. |Sand and gravel workings Mana Farm, Essex |30 January 1989 |EA required
9. North West
Leicestershire D.C. |Retail Park, Donington Park Motor Racing Circuit |2 March 1989 |EA required
10. North West
Leicestershire D.C. |Business/Office Park, Donington Park |2 March 1989 |EA required
11. London Borough of
Lambeth |Redevelopment of County Hall, London SE1 |14 March 1989 |EA not required
12. Malvern Hills D.C. |New village and industrial development, adjacent to Malvern Hills |17 March 1989 |EA required
13. North Devon D.C. |Proposed Motor racing circuit at Bishop's Nympton, Devon |27 April 1989 |EA required
(c) in response to a request by a local planning authority in respect of its own development:
1. Sedgfield D.C. |Heighington Lane Industrial Site, Newton Aycliffe, County
Durham |13 October 1988 |EA not required
2. North Warwickshire |Infrastructure for industrial estate, Kingsbury Colliery site, near|17 October 1988 |EA not required
D.C. | Tamworth
3. Langbaurgh B.C. |Ski lift and ski centre, Eston Hills Normanby |9 December 1988 |EA not required
| Next Section
| Home Page |