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Written Answers to Questions

Monday 8 May 1989

HOME DEPARTMENT

Crime (Greater London)

Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the trends in crime in Greater London during 1987 and 1988.

Mr. John Patten : Information is published in table 7 of Home Office statistical bulletin 7/89, a copy of which is in the Library. More detailed figures for each borough in the Metropolitan police district are also available in the Library. My right hon. Friend has also sent some further details of the figures for their local police force area to all right hon. and hon. Members for constituencies in England and Wales and placed copies of those further details in the Library.

DNA Testing

Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further representations he has received regarding the use of DNA testing.

Mr. Renton : We continue to receive various representations from Members of Parliament and others concerning the use of DNA testing in immigration cases.

Drugs (International Co-operation)

Mr. Knapman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to strengthen international co- operation against drugs.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : We are pursuing a wide range of initiatives to strengthen international co-operation. We are working to enable the United Kingdom to ratify the new United Nations Convention against the illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. We are negotiating bilateral agreements on the confiscation of drug traffickers' assets. Five such agreements have now been concluded and more are in the pipeline. We are holding a ministerial conference of the Council of Europe's drug co- operation group (the Pompidou Group), under my right hon. Friend's chairmanship, in London on 18-19 May, to discuss the threat posed by cocaine and "crack", confiscation of proceeds derived from illicit trafficking and the problems of AIDS and drug misuse.

Traffic Congestion

Mr. Adley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, concerning the police role in coping with traffic congestion in London.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : My right hon. Friend has had no recent discussions with the commissioner on this subject


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but he has drawn to the commissioner's attention a number of points raised with him by hon. Members representing constituencies in London.

Exeter Prison

Mr. Speller : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when Exeter prison was built ; what was the originally intended maximum number of prisoners ; what is the number on remand or serving custodial sentences there now ; and for how many hours daily an inmate is confined to his cell.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : Her Majesty's prison Exeter was opened in 1853 to accommodate about 280 inmates and the young offender remand centre there was added in 1964 to accommodate a further 53. At 28 April 1989 the numbers held compared with the certified normal accommodation were as follows :


                     |Numbers held    |Certified normal                 

                                      |accommodation                    

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

Exeter Prison                                                           

Adult Male           |236 sentenced   |254                              

                     |12 convicted not                                  

                     |sentenced                                         

                     |90 unconvicted                                    

Female               |Nil             |3                                

                     |----            |----                             

                     |338             |257                              

                     |----            |----                             

Exeter Remand Centre                                                    

Young Offender       |11 sentenced    |53                               

                     |20 convicted not                                  

                     |sentenced                                         

                     |30 unconvicted                                    

                     |----            |----                             

                     |399             |310                              

Inmates are confined to their cells for 8-19 hours a day ; the average is 16 hours a day.

Jersey (Housing)

Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received concerning the laws governing housing in Jersey.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : There have been three such cases during the last year.

Firefighters

Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about changes he proposes to the pay and conditions of firefighters.

Mr. John Patten : I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 3 May to the similar question from my hon. Friend the Member of Stafford (Mr. Cash) at column 113.

Police Drivers

Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis on the training of drivers of fast response cars ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : Police driver training has recently been reviewed by a working party set up by the


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Association of Chief Police Officers. I understand that the working party's report will be published within the next few weeks.

Immigration

Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Minister of State expects to reply to the hon. Member for Stretford's letter of 7 February last regarding Mr. M. F. (Ref. EBO762).

Mr. Douglas Hogg : I wrote to the hon. Member on 28 April.

Street Lighting

Mr. Wray : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals for the introduction of a statutory obligation to provide adequate street lighting, as a measure to protect against mugging or rape, he is considering.

Mr. John Patten : There is widespread concern, which we share, about the level of violent crime. Improved street lighting may have a part to play in tackling this and other problems, and many local authorities have undertaken improved lighting schemes, a significant number of which have been funded through the Department of the Environment estate action programme. I await with interest the results of the major research study being carried out in Wandsworth on our behalf by Southampton university, assessing the impact of street lighting on crime and the fear of crime.

Summer Time

Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement spelling out the differences in summer time by comparison with last year in consequence of the Summer Time Order, 1989 ; if the order stems from a decision of the European Community ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : The Summer Time Order 1989 is necessary to set out the dates of the summer time period for the years 1990 to 1992 inclusive. It also gives effect to the Fifth Council Directive on summer time arrangements in the European Community which was formally adopted by the Council of Ministers in Brussels on 21 December 1988. The effect of the order is to continue the present summer time system for a further three years.

Police Vehicles

Mr. Beaumont-Dark : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fatal accidents involving motor vehicles driven by police in the course of their duties have occurred from 1 January 1989.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : Information about accidents involving police vehicles is collected and published annually by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary. Full information will, therefore, not be available until returns are submitted by individual forces to Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary after the end of the year. However, I am aware of nine specific accidents which have occurred since 1 March 1989 arising from police vehicle pursuits, or responses to emergency calls, which have resulted in a total of 12 fatalities.


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Mr. Beaumont-Dark : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any intention of issuing new guidelines in respect of pursuit by police vehicles ; and if he has any plans to meet chief constables to discuss the matter.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : Police driver training, including police pursuit management, has recently been reviewed by a working party set up by the Association of Chief Police Officers. I understand that its report will be published within the next few weeks. We shall consider it carefully when it is published.

Breath Tests

Mr. Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library copies of the representations that he has received following his recent consultation about police powers to stop motorists and administer breath tests ; and how many of those representations supported (a) consolidation of existing powers as no change, (b) unfettered discretion to administer breath tests and (c) spot checks by the police administered on a random basis.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : Following the reply given by my right hon. Friend to my hon. Friend the Member for Derby, North (Mr. Knight) on 1 February, at column 252, we have received some 3,400 letters from individuals, letters from organisations and petitions on the subject of police powers to require roadside breath tests. Of these, approximately 3,000 express support for extended powers in the form of unfettered discretion, random breath testing or other forms. The remainder suggest that there should be no change to current powers. We shall consider these responses carefully, including whether they should be placed in the Library.

Sunday Trading

Mrs. Ann Winterton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether his proposed new working party on small shops and Sunday trading will include representatives of the National Chamber of Trade ;

(2) if he will make a statement outlining the constitution and purpose of his proposed new working party on small shops and Sunday trading.

Mr. Renton : No working party has been established but I propose to hold a meeting on 24 May with representatives of the Shopping Hours Reform Council at its request and of the Association of District Councils to seek a way forward on shopping hours reform. Representatives of the National Chamber of Trade will not be present.

National Stadium

Mr. Terry Fields : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations his Department has received concerning proposals to build a national stadium to improve the safety of sports spectators in the light of events at Hillsborough on 15 April ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Hurd : My Department has not received any representations about proposals to build a national studium. Responsibility for the safety and comfort of


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spectators rests with the individual sports ground operator or event organiser, who must comply with the terms and conditions of any safety certificate in force for the ground in question.

Hillsborough Disaster

Mr. Terry Fields : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of West Yorkshire outlining the interviewing criteria and procedures to be used by West Yorkshire police in response to telephone calls and their investigations following the Hillsborough disaster on 15 April ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : The interviewing critera and procedures are a matter for the investigating officers in consultation with Lord Justice Taylor. I understand that anyone who telephoned the police on the special telephone lines and who has relevant information will be interviewed by the investigating team.

Mr. Terry Fields : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of West Yorkshire, as to on what basis and by whom the decision was taken to allow only one week for members of the public to contact West Yorkshire police, by special 'phone lines, after the Hillsborough disaster ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : The officer in charge of the police investigation team, in consultation with Lord Justice Taylor, decided to open the special telephone lines for three days initially. Owing to the heavy response on the first three days the lines were kept open for a further three days. The number of calls had lessened considerably by the sixth day and it was not thought necessary to keep the lines open any longer. The fact that the lines would close on the sixth day was widely publicised.

It remains open to anyone who believes that he or she has relevant information to contact the secretary to the inquiry at room 662, 50 Queen Anne's Gate, London SW1H 9AT.

Mr. Terry Fields : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of West Yorkshire as to how many telephone calls have been received on the special telephone lines set up by West Yorkshire police, investigating events at Hillsborough on 15 April ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : A total of 2,666 calls were received on the special telephone lines during the six-day period.

Offences (Leicestershire)

Mr. Tredinnick : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences there were in Leicestershire in 1987 and 1988 ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. John Patten : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Leicestershire, North-West (Mr. Ashby) on the 13 April at column 713.


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Car Telephones

Mr. David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been (a) charged with and (b) convicted of road traffic offences connected with the use of mobile car telephones.

Mr. John Patten : The available information relates to proceedings at magistrates courts for all offences of careless driving and so on and is published annually in "Offences relating to motor vehicles, England and Wales, Supplementary tables" (table 5 of the issue for 1987, the latest available). Information is not collected centrally about the circumstances of these alleged offences.

Risley

Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people currently at Risley have ever been in-patients at a psychiatric hospital or clinic.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : Of the population on 5 May (322 male and 114 female prisoners) 37 male and 33 female prisoners have been in-patients at a psychiatric hosptial or clinic.

Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people currently at Risley were unable to give a permanent address when the order for their remand was made.

Mr. Douglas Hogg : Current information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. A survey conducted in November 1988 indicated that 13 per cent. (40) of prisoners at Risley who had been remanded from Cheshire courts and 9 per cent. (46) of those from Lancashire courts had been remanded in custody because they had no permanent address or had an unsuitable address.

Gaelic Broadcasting

Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make a statement concerning the level and source of funding of a new Gaelic-speaking broadcasting authority ; (2) what agreement has been reached between his Department, S4C, Scottish television companies and other interested parties concerning the use of money currently paid by Scottish ITV companies to S4C, to fund Gaelic television programming.

Mr. Renton [holding answer 5 May 1989] : Representations about the funding of Gaelic television programmes will be considered alongside the other comments which have been made in response to the Government's broadcasting White Paper.

Political Asylum

Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for each of (a) the Soviet Union, (b) Hong Kong, (c) India, (d) Pakistan and (e) Bangladesh (i) the numbers of requests received annually since 1979 for political asylum from citizens of these countries and the number granted and (ii) the number of requests received annually since 1979 for residency from citizens of each of the countries and the number granted.


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Mr. Renton [holding answer 27 April 1989] : Information on applications for, and on grants of refugee status in the United Kingdom in the years since 1979 to 1987, by nationality, is published in the annual Home Office statistical bulletins "Refugee Statistics, United Kingdom" (tables 5A-5F of issue 12/86, table 6 of issue 13/87 and table 7 of issue 16/88), copies of which are in the Library. Information for 1988 will be published in the summer of 1989. Information on applications in the Indian sub-continent in 1979-87 for an entry clearance for settlement, and in 1985 -87 for a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode, in the United Kingdom is given in tables 6, 9, 11 and 12 of "Control of Immigration Statistics, United Kingdom, 1987" (Cm. 415). The corresponding figures for the other years, and information on applications in Hong Kong in 1985-88 for an entry clearance for settlement, are given in the following tables 1 and 2. Information for earlier years for Hong Kong and similar information for the Soviet Union is not readily available.

Information on the total number of persons granted settlement in the United Kingdom in the years 1979 to 1987, by nationality, is published in table 22 of "Control of Immigration : Statistics, United Kingdom 1987" (Cm. 415). The number of persons accepted in 1988 for the nationalities requested is given in the following table 3.


U

Table 3                                                                              

Acceptances for settlement in the United Kingdom by nationality:                     

1988                                                                                 

Nationality                                      |Number of persons                  

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

Soviet Union                                     |60                                 

Hong Kong (British Dependent Territory Citizens) |1,150                              

India                                            |5,020                              

Pakistan                                         |4,280                              

Bangladesh                                       |2,890                              


U

Table 3                                                                              

Acceptances for settlement in the United Kingdom by nationality:                     

1988                                                                                 

Nationality                                      |Number of persons                  

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

Soviet Union                                     |60                                 

Hong Kong (British Dependent Territory Citizens) |1,150                              

India                                            |5,020                              

Pakistan                                         |4,280                              

Bangladesh                                       |2,890                              


U

Table 3                                                                              

Acceptances for settlement in the United Kingdom by nationality:                     

1988                                                                                 

Nationality                                      |Number of persons                  

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

Soviet Union                                     |60                                 

Hong Kong (British Dependent Territory Citizens) |1,150                              

India                                            |5,020                              

Pakistan                                         |4,280                              

Bangladesh                                       |2,890                              

Assault and Battery

Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what instructions he has issued to police authorities on the recording in local crime statistics of offences committed under section 39 of the Ciminal Justice Act 1988.

Mr. John Patten [holding answer 3 May 1989] : The compilation of local crime statistics is a matter for the chief constable. The information collected centrally relates to notifiable offences recorded by the police covering nearly all indictable offences and a few types of summary offence. (Full details are given in the appendices to "Criminal statistics, England and Wales", pp 180 and 184-8 of the issue for 1987, Cm. 498). The coverage of this series has not been changed since 1978, apart from its extension in 1983 to include offences of gross indecency with a child and offences of drug trafficking, currently together amounting to about 9,000 offences a year. The procedures for recording notifiable offences have also not been changed since 1980 when new counting rules were introduced to improve the consistency of recording multiple, continuous and repeated offences. Those offences made summary under the Criminal Justice Act 1988 continue to be covered, with the exception of offences of common assault made summary under section 39 of the Act. The police are being advised no longer to include offences of common assault in the count of notifiable offences reported to the Home Office, in order to avoid unduly complicating police recording practices for


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summary offences of assault. The average number of such offences recorded by the police in the whole of England and Wales over the last 10 years has been around 600 a year so the reduction in the coverage of the series for notifiable offences recorded will be negligible (about 0.02 per cent.).

ENERGY

Nuclear Fusion

Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if he will make it his policy to ask the chairman of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority to evaluate the feasibility of low temperature nuclear fusion, as discovered by Professor Fleischman of Southampton university and Professor Pons of the university of Utah in a joint experiment, announced in March 1989 ;

(2) what effort has been committed by officers in his Department to evaluate the claims by the British, American and Hungarian scientists in March and April 1989 to have produced energy from a cold fusion nuclear experiment.

Mr. Michael Spicer : The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority has already initiated experiments to reproduce and understand the effects which have been reported. It is too early to speculate on the outcome.

Plutonium and Nuclear Waste (Soviet Union)

Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if, during his recent visit to the Soviet Union, he discussed with his Soviet counterpart (a) the possibility of the Soviet Union sending spent nuclear fuel to the United Kingdom for reprocessing at Sellafield, (b) the possibility of the United Kingdom exporting plutonium under safeguards to the Soviet Union for use in civil nuclear fuel rods, and (c) areas of mutual interest in the development of deep geological repositories for radioactive waste disposal.

Mr. Michael Spicer : None of the topics were discussed at the meeting.

Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to the statement made by the hon. Member for Worcestershire, South (Mr. Spicer) Official Report, 13 April, column 1135, whether the reports on plutonium production sent by reactor operators to safeguard authorities on the despatch of spent irradiated fuel to reprocessing plants, give details of plutonium content to gramme quantities.

Mr. Michael Spicer : Yes.

Coal-fired Power Stations

Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on his policy on the future of coal-fired power stations.

Mr. Michael Spicer : The future of coal-fired stations in the mix of generating capacity will be a commercial matter for the privatised electricity industry.

EC (Meetings)

Mr. Wray : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list all the European Community meetings on matters concerning his Department held in 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988.


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Mr. Parkinson : Full Energy Councils were held in March, June and November of 1985 and 1986, and in June and November of 1987 and 1988. There were also three informal meetings of Community Energy Ministers during the period. Meetings of officials from member states have been held to prepare for the Councils. In addition, Councils of other Ministers have dealt with matters in which my Department has some concern and they also have been preceded by preparatory meetings of officials. The Commission has convened many meetings of Government experts on particular matters relevant to my Department's responsibilities and has also held relevant seminars, symposia etc. Finally, the European Parliament and its Committees and the Economic and Social Committee of the Community have considered relevant matters from time to time.

Preparation of a list of all such meetings could be achieved only at a disproportionate cost.

Nottinghamshire Mineworkers (Allocation Fund)

Mr. Hood : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will give details on the amount of moneys paid by British Coal into the Nottinghamshire and district mineworkers allocation fund for each year since 1979 ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Michael Spicer : This is a matter for the British Coal Corporation.

DEFENCE

University Staff (Security Clearance)

Ms. Gordon : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether members of staff in universities and other institutions of higher education working on research contracts or agreements currently funded by his Department are required to have security clearance.

Mr. Sainsbury : It is a condition of contract that, before anyone is employed on an MOD contract which may give access to classified information, the prior agreement of MOD is sought.

Electromagnetic Radiation

Ms. Gordon : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department has funded any studies since 1979 in universities and polytechnics to determine the effects of electromagnetic radiation at extremely low frequencies on human or animal life.

Mr. Sainsbury : No.

Territorial Army

Mr. Speller : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the rate of recruitment into the Territorial Army, showing which areas and which arms show the most and which the least progress in recruiting.

Mr. Neubert : Overall recruitment continues to show a satisfactory improvement with intakes during January and February showing increases, respectively, of 500 and 300 over that of August 1988. We continue to monitor the position most closely and to take stringent measures to build on this impetus including, of course, the Volunteer


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Reserve Forces campaign. Although this campaign is aimed primarily at improving retention, we would expect to see some sort of spin-off in the area of recruitment. The generally improved position is largely reflected throughout all arms and all areas of the country.

Defence Budget

Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the United Kingdom annual defence budget is spent in Wales ; and what this is in cash terms in the last three years.

Mr. Sainsbury : Defence expenditure is not accounted for on a regional basis.

Natural Environment Research Council

Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the research projects undertaken for his Department by the Natural Environment Research Council during the past five years.

Mr. Sainsbury : The Ministry of Defence has currently three research agreements and 11 research contracts placed with the Natural Environment Research Council. Comparable information for the past five years is not readily available. It is not our policy to give details of these arrangements.

RAF Upper Heyford (Flight Path)

Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answers of 18 April to the hon. Member for Leyton, Official Report, columns 110-12, whether it was his Department's decision to change the flight path used by F-111s taking off from RAF Upper Heyford so that these aircraft fly directly over local villages.

Mr. Neubert : I refer the hon. Member to the Adjournment debate on 30 November 1988, Official Report columns 849-856.

Research Institutes

Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will (a) list by standard region the research institutes operated for or on behalf of his Department and the total employment thereat, (b) list for each region the total number of such institutes and the employment therein and (c) express the regional totals as a percentage of the national totals.

Mr. Sainsbury [holding answer 4 May 1989] : As at 1 April 1989, the total number of staff employed at the Ministry of Defence's non- nuclear research establishments was 13,640. This was broken down as follows :


                                                      |Number                               

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

Admiralty Research Establishment                                                            

(Headquarters at Portsdown)                           |2,931                                

                                                                                            

Aeroplane and Armaments Experimental Establishment                                          

(oscombe Down)                                        |1,101                                

                                                                                            

Chemical Defence Establishment                                                              

(Porton Down)                                         |560                                  

                                                                                            

Royal Aerospace Establishment                                                               

(Headquarters at Farnborough)                         |5,200                                

                                                                                            

Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment                                       

(Headquarters at Fort Halstead)                       |2,262                                

                                                                                            

Royal Signals and Radar Establishment                                                       

(Headquarters at Malvern)                             |1,586                                

Staff are employed at a variety of sites throughout the United Kingdom. It is not our policy to provide a further breakdown of these figures.

Ozone Layer

Mr. Bermingham : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has any intention of establishing an interdisciplinary research centre in relation to ozone layer research at the Meteorological Office ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Sainsbury [holding answer 2 May 1989] : No. Ozone layer research in the EC and EFTA countries is being co-ordinated from 1 April this year with the assistance of a special unit set up by the Department of the Environment and the European Commission. The Meteorological Office plays an important national and international advisory role through the expertise developed from work on atmospheric dynamics and chemistry. It has participated, with part funding from the Department of the Environment, in the large US-led 1987 Antarctic ozone experiment and in the similar 1989 experiment carried out in the Arctic ; it is also collaborating with universities in this field.

EMPLOYMENT

Availability for Work

Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what instructions claimant advisers are given to help them assess the availability for work of those unemployed claimants whom they interview ; and whether these instructions will be made available in the Library.

Mr. Lee : There are no discrete instructions to claimant advisers to help them assess availability for work. Claimant advisers work within the same framework of instructions used by all employment service staff.

Labour Statistics

Mr. Andrew MacKay : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the current level of unemployment.

Mr. Lee : The information is available from the Library. In March 1989 unemployment, seasonally adjusted, in the United Kingdom was 1, 918,100, the lowest for more than eight years on a consistent basis. Unemployment has fallen for 32 months running, giving the longest and largest continuous fall since the second world war.


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