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Mr. Bill Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he can give details of the number of people in employment in Scotland and the United Kingdom in 1978 and 1988.
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Mr. Lee : The information is as follows. The figures are unadjusted for the effects of seasonal variation.
|Civilian work force in|Work force in
|employment<1> |employment<2>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Scotland
December 1978 |2,231,000 |<3>
December 1988 |2,211,000 |<3>
United Kingdom
December 1978 |24,998,000 |25,315,000
December 1988 |26,300,000 |26,612,000
<1> The sum of employees in employment, the self-employed and participants in work related
Government training programmes.
<2> The sum of the civilian work force in employment and Her Majesty's Forces. Estimates
are not available for Scotland as consistent Her Majesty's Forces figures are not available
below national level.
<3> Not available.
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a further statement on the level of employment in the south -east.
Mr. Lee : In December 1988, the latest date for which figures are available, the civilian work force in employment in the south-east region was 9,014,000. This represents an increase of 1,012,000 or 13 per cent. since December 1983. The civilian work force in employment is the sum of employees in employment, the self-employed and participants in work-related Government training programmes.
Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a further statement on the level of employment in London.
Mr. Lee : In December 1988, the latest date for which figures are available, the civilian work force in employment in Greater London was 4,053,000. This represents an increase of 261,000 or 7 per cent. since December 1983. The civilian work force in employment is the sum of employees in employment, the self-employed and participants in work-related Government training programmes.
Mr. Greg Knight : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many job vacancies are currently registered with jobcentres ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lee : In March 1989 the number of unfilled vacancies, seasonally adjusted, at jobcentres was 222,900. Vacancies at jobcentres do not represent the total number of vacancies in the economy. The latest research shows that only about a third of vacancies are notified to jobcentres.
School Compacts
Mr. Michael Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a further statement on the development of school compacts.
Mr. Cope : Most of the 30 applications for compact operational funding in England and Scotland have now been approved. I expect that all 30 will begin full operation this September. In addition, invitations have gone to the 24 urban programme areas in England that are not already covered by compacts to apply for funding for development work. I hope to be able to announce those areas awarded development funding during the summer.
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My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and Wales are considering how best to take forward the further development of compacts.I continue to be impressed, not just by the very positive response from both business and education to this initiative but also by the hard work which local partnerships have put into establishing compacts in their areas.
Tourism
Mr. Speller : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the growth of employment in the catering industry as a whole and the tourism sector in particular over the last five years ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lee : It is estimated that, between December 1983 and December 1988, the number of employees in employment in the hotel and catering industry in Great Britain increased by 233,000. Further information from the labour force survey indicates that there was an increase of about 41,000 self-employed workers in the industry between spring 1983 and spring 1988. The estimated growth between December 1983 and December 1988 in the number of employees in employment in the sector of the hotel and catering industry directly related to tourism was 210,000. It is not possible to identify separately the growth in the number of self-employed workers in this sector.
Hendy and Miskin Quarries
Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will order an immediate halt to any blasting operations at the Hendy and Miskin quarries in Taff Ely which are found to be endangering the health and property of local residents.
Mr. Nicholls : My right hon. Friend has no such intentions. Any decision to halt blasting at the Hendy and Miskin quarries would be the responsibility of the Health and Safety Executive's mines and quarries inspectorate which is keeping the situation under review.
Technical and Vocational Education Initiative
Mr. Paice : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what methods of assessment are being used by his Department to monitor the development of the technical and vocational education initiative in the 2,000 schools and colleges already involved ; and if he will make a statement as to the progress and achievement which has been made by those who are proceeding beyond the pilot stage.
Mr. Cope : The technical and vocational education initiative has been extensively assessed both nationally and within each education authority. The national evaluation undertaken by a number of independent research institutions has included statistical databases and studies of management and education issues within the technical and vocational education initiative.
Significant progress has already been made by authorities beyond the pilot stage in ensuring that the curriculum is broad, balanced and more relevant to working life.
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Benefit Fraud
Mr. Nicholas Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report the numbers of staff employed in employment benefit fraud investigations for each year from 1979 to the latest available year.
Mr. Nicholls : My Department's fraud investigation work was reorganised in 1984 and comparable figures for earlier years are not available.
The number of fraud investigators employed by my Department each year since 1984 is as follows :
|Number
----------------------
1984-85 |450
1985-86 |650
1986-87 |720
1987-88 |785
1988-89 |820
In addition a number of other staff are engaged, on either a part-time or full-time basis, as support staff to these investigations.
Mr. Nicholas Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report the total number of prosecutions for employment benefit fraud for each of the years from 1979 to the most recent year for which figures are available.
Mr. Nicholls : My Department's fraud investigation work was reorganised in 1984 and comparable figures for earlier years are not available.
The number of prosecutions for benefit fraud for each year since 1984 is as follows :
|Number
----------------------
1984-85 |2,250
1985-86 |2,800
1986-87 |3,650
1987-88 |3,960
1988-89 |4,045
Mr. Nicholas Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report an estimate of the total amount of money lost through benefit fraud in 1988.
Mr. Nicholls : No reliable figure is available of the money lost through benefit fraud in 1988 because the full extent of the fraud that is occurring is not known.
As a result of investigations during 1988, however, the estimated net savings to public funds were £65 million.
European Social Fund
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how the 1989 European social fund allocation was divided in (a) actual cash and (b) percentage terms between (i) central Government, (ii) local government, (iii) the voluntary sector and (iv) others ; and what were the equivalent figures for 1987 and 1988.
Mr. Cope [holding answer 28 April 1989] : Details of the 1987 and 1988 allocations are as follows :
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1987 allocation 1988 allocation
|£ million|Per cent.|£ million|Per cent.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Central Government |323.5 |74.3 |263.5 |65.4
Local Government |60.3 |13.9 |85.8 |21.3
Volutary sector |16.5 |3.8 |23.0 |5.8
Others |34.7 |8.0 |29.1 |7.25
My Department is awaiting notification from the European Commision of the amounts allocated to individual schemes for 1989.
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many European social fund projects submitted by the voluntary sector were given (a) full priority decisions, (b) part priority decisions, (c) no priority decisions and (d) not eligible decisions in 1987, 1988 and 1989.
Mr. Cope [holding answer 28 April 1989] : The status given by the European Commission to projects submitted by the voluntary sector is as follows :
|1987 |1988 |<1>1989
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Full priority |251 |372 |232
Part priority including partly eligible |45 |87 |272
No priority |21 |20 |70
Not eligible |33 |29 |75
|---- |---- |----
Total |350 |508 |649
<1> Provisional.
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many European social fund projects designed to train people in the skills required to establish new trading enterprises (a) received full priority and (b) received part priority in 1987, 1988 and 1989 ; and how many of these projects were devoted to training people to establish co-operatives.
Mr. Cope [holding answer 28 April 1989] : I regret that the information can be supplied only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what criteria for cost per trainee were used in judging European social fund projects submitted by the voluntary sector in 1989 ; whether these criteria were published before the closing date for applications ; and whether the criteria were based on those set out in any European Commission decision on management of the European social fund.
Mr. Cope [holding answer 28 April 1989] : The Commission publishes no criteria on the costs per trainee which it uses for any category of European social fund projects.
Dock Workers (Wages)
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has as to the average wages of dockers in non-dock labour scheme ports.
Mr. Nicholls [holding answer 3 May 1989] : Pay rates in ports outside the dock labour scheme are determined locally, as is the case for ports covered by the scheme. Average pay therefore varies between ports, both in and out of the scheme. Detailed average pay figures for the main ports outside the scheme could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
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National Dock Labour Board
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the different welfare expenses of the National Dock Labour Board in 1987.
Mr. Nicholls [holding answer 3 May 1989] : I refer my hon. Friend to page 17 of the board's annual report for 1987, which provides the following information on medical and welfare expenses over that year.
|£
-----------------------------------------------------------
Medical supplies and services |19,110
First aid training |74,937
Less: amount receivable from other users |(60,649)
Rehabilitation services |22,491
Sports activities |59,292
Dock workers clubs |50,135
Other welfare expenses |9,648
|-------
|174,964
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
Local Management of Schools
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science by what date he anticipates that all schools will be run on a local management basis ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Butcher : My right hon. Friend expects local management to be introduced progressively from April 1990. All secondary schools and all primary schools with 200 or more pupils in authorities outside inner London must receive delegated budgets by April 1993. For inner London boroughs, all qualifying schools must receive delegated budgets by April 1994.
Bromley Schools (Amalgamation)
Mr. Fraser : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about the circumstances under which the London borough of Bromley was retrospectively permitted to change its section 12 notice for the amalgamation of an infant and junior school at Poverest, Orpington ; and whether he will reconsider the decision to permit the amalgamation.
Mr. Butcher : My right hon. Friend approved, on 20 February 1989, section 12 proposals, published by the London borough of Bromley, to amalgamate Poverest infant and junior schools. Bromley subsequently wrote requesting a modification to the proposals relating to admissions. In accordance with section 12(9) of the Education Act 1980, my right hon. Friend approved the modification on 21 March 1989. While my right hon. Friend is empowered to modify the proposals at the request of the authority, he is not empowered to rescind his decision on the proposals. Bromley LEA is therefore under a duty to implement the proposals as approved with the modification.
AIDS
Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he proposes to alter educational material distributed to schools concerning AIDS in the
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light of the evidence presented in the journal of the American Medical Association 1989, 261(2), pp. 244-5, that passionate kissing favours the transmission of HIV.Mr. Butcher : On the basis of advice from the Department of Health, my right hon. Friend has no plans to alter the guidance currently given to schools concerning the risks of HIV infection from kissing.
Design
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will publish a table showing (a) the number of in-service training courses offered by his Department in design in each of the past five years, (b) the cost of each year's programme and (c) the number of teachers participating in such courses.
Mrs. Rumbold : The details requested are given in the table. The courses range in length from one to six days and involve not only school teachers but also lecturers and advisers. The courses are organised and run by Her Majesty's inspectorate with contributions from others knowledgeable in the field, including industrialists. The costs stated include the charges made by the venues for facilities, the fees and subsistence of speakers and the cost of materials and all tuition.
The courses are often heavily over-subscribed and attract applications from Europe as well as the United Kingdom.
Year |Number of Courses |Number of participants|Cost (£) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1984 |10 |746 |21,629 1985 |5 |477 |13,160 1986 |7 |591 |16,796 1987 |7 |650 |22,465 1988 |12 |1,113 |29,864
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will publish a table showing the number of (a) teacher training colleges offering courses in design and (b) student teacher's training design courses in each of the past five years.
Mrs. Rumbold : Twenty-five institutions in England and Wales offer secondary phase initial teacher training courses in craft, design and technology. Design may also form a significant part in the subject studies element in primary phase courses and secondary phase courses in art and in art and design. The table shows the number of students recruited to secondary phase courses in craft, design and technology in each of the last five years :
Year |Number --------------------- 1984 |487 1985 |452 1986 |551 1987 |754 1988 |783 Source: DES annual survey of recruitment to initial teacher training.
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many local education authorities have advisers or inspectors who specialise in design.
Mrs. Rumbold : This information is not collected centrally.
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Teachers
Mr. Evennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Erith and Crayford of 15 March, Official Report, columns 221-22, if he will describe how, in 1987, his Department determined the numbers of rate B, rate D and rate E incentive allowances which would be awarded automatically as at 30 September 1987 ; whether the information used in making such determinations was up to date ; what information subsequently became available to his Department regarding the actual numbers of teachers either on the basis of entitlement to such automatic awards or on the basis of payment of such awards ; whether the numbers of actual payments exceeded the original expectations of his Department ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold [holding answer 24 April 1989] : Circular 8/87 assumed that 129,000 teachers in ordinary schools would be awarded an incentive allowance in October 1987, of whom 104,000 would receive a B, D or E allowance automatically as a result of being on scale 3, scale 4 or the senior teacher scale on 30 September 1987. These numbers were based on the distribution of teachers across the pay scales at March 1985 as shown on the database of teacher records. Results from the DTR are currently emerging about two years in arrears because of delays in the supply of information to the Department. The Department projected these 1985 DTR data forward to September 1987 on the basis of assumptions about wastage, recruitment and the movement of teachers on the pay scales.
DTR data for March 1987 will be available shortly. Early indications are that the numbers of teachers on scale 3, scale 4 or the senior teacher scale in March 1987 were slightly higher than had been projected at the time the system of incentive allowances was being introduced. Information about the numbers of teachers who actually received an incentive allowance in October 1987 will become available in due course from the 1988 DTR.
Mr. Evennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Erith and Crayford of 15 March, Official Report, columns 221-22, what was the total cost to employers of school teachers' incentive allowances in financial year 1987- 88 (a) on the basis of his Department's plans before October 1987 and (b) on the basis of outturn figures ; what amount and proportion, for each case (a) and (b) above, relates to allowances awarded automatically on 30 September 1987 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold [holding answer 24 April 1989] : The estimated cost of incentive allowances awarded to teachers in ordinary schools in the financial year 1987-88 was £113 million, of which approximately £106 million (94 per cent.) was in respect of allowances awarded automatically on 1 October 1987. Outturn figures for the cost of incentive allowances cannot be disaggregated from the total cost of teachers' pay.
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ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Queen's Counsel
29. Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Attorney-General what qualities and abilities are fundamental to the appointment of an individual as a Queen's counsel ; and if he will make a statement.
The Attorney-General : The Lord Chancellor recommends the grant of silk only to barristers of sufficient standing who he is satisfied have reached an appropriate level of professional eminence and distinction.
Category A Prisoners (Trials)
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Attorney-General what is his practice with respect to ordering the trials of category A prisoners to be held at the most cost-effective location ; and under what powers he acts in such circumstances.
The Attorney-General : Should the prosecution or defence wish the place of trial to be other than that directed by the justices under section 7 of the Magistrates Courts Act 1980, application may be made to the Crown court under s.76 of the Supreme Court Act 1981, the application being heard by a judge of the High Court in open court, who may comply with or refuse the application, or give a direction not in compliance with it as the court thinks fit. Classification and allocation to judges of cases triable in the Crown court and place of trial generally are governed by a practice direction issued by the Lord Chief Justice with the concurrence of the Lord Chancellor on 2 November 1987 pursuant to section 75 of the 1981 Act.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
House of Fraser
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer of 21 April, Official Report, column 310, what aspect of the public interest persuaded him not to refer the House of Fraser inspector's report to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.
Mr. Maude : My right hon. and noble Friend's decision was reached after taking into account all relevant considerations.
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what progress has been made by the serious fraud squad in its inquiries with the House of Fraser report ; when he expects it to complete its inquiries ; and if he will make a statement.
Business Development Consultancy
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many applications were (a) received, and (b) approved for business development consultancy initiatives from 1 April 1988 to 31 March 1989 ; and what was the total amount of expenditure involved, for each of the regions of his Department, Scotland and Wales.
Mr. Forth : In the period from 1 April 1988 to 31 March 1989, 19, 691 applications were received for the business
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development consultancy initiatives. In the same period 14,221 applications were approved for assisted consultancy. The Department's contribution to the cost of completed consultancies totalled £14.3 million. It is estimated that those consultancies not completed by 31 March 1989 will cost the Department £20.9 million. A breakdown of numbers and cost of consultancy projects for each DTI region and for Scotland and Wales is as follows :Column 301
|(a) |(b) |(c) |(d)
DTI Region/Country |Number of applications |Number of applications |DTI Expenditure on |Estimated expenditure on
|received |approved for assisted |completed consultancies |outstanding
|consultancy |consultancies
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
North East |1,003 |751 |686 |980
North West |2,954 |2,401 |2,744 |3,643
Yorkshire and Humberside |1,917 |1,359 |1,601 |1,910
West Midlands |2,102 |1,456 |1,558 |2,740
East Midlands |1,173 |916 |943 |1,447
South West |1,933 |1,141 |886 |1,711
South East:
Cambridge |1,439 |915 |643 |1,229
London |2,199 |1,504 |1,415 |1,817
Reading |1,136 |871 |672 |1,115
Reigate |1,116 |820 |658 |1,066
Scotland |1,529 |1,235 |1,644 |2,076
Wales |1,190 |852 |843 |1,200
|---- |---- |---- |----
Total |19,691 |14,221 |14,293 |20,934
Electrical Goods
Mr. Allan Roberts : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the current import penetration of the market for household electrical goods.
Mr. Alan Clark : Taking the coverage of "household electrical goods" to be the same as that of Business Monitor PQ 3460--"Domestic electrical appliances"--it is estimated that in 1988 the import penetration of the market for household electrical goods was 40 per cent.
Single European Market
Mr. Soames : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a further statement on his Department's objectives for the completion of the single European market ; and on what steps he is taking to ensure the attainment of those objectives.
Mr. Maude [holding answer 5 May 1989] : We strongly support progress to complete the single European market. Areas to which we attach particular priority include the liberalisation of financial services : public purchasing, transport and telecommunications services, and the removal of technical barriers to trade. In the Council of Ministers, we will continue to press for these objectives to be achieved in ways which open markets without placing unnecessary burdens on business, and which ensure that the Community remains open to the outside world.
The Government are also determined that United Kingdom industry should be as well placed as possible to meet the challenges the single market will bring. Our "Europe--Open for Business" campaign is designed to ensure that businesses are fully aware of the changes and to encourage them to take action to adapt their strategies accordingly.
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Productivity (Steel and Coal)
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what information he has as to increases in productivity in (a) the steel industry and (b) the coal industry since 1979.
Mr. Atkins [holding answer 5 May 1989] : The official data series on productivity was published by the Department of Employment in the Employment Gazette but these do not include separately identifiable figures for the steel industry and the coal industry. The following data from the annual census of production provide the required information for the iron and steel industry and for coal extraction and the manufacture of solid fuels for the period to 1987, the most recent year for which figures are available.
Iron and steel industry<1>
Year |Production (gross value |Employment |Productivity (gross value
|added) (1985 prices) |added per head) (1985
|prices)
|£ billion |thousands |£ thousands
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1979 |1.4 |184.8 |7.3
1980 |0.9 |145.0 |6.4
1981 |1.2 |111.9 |10.6
1982 |0.9 |92.9 |9.6
1983 |1.2 |78.6 |15.8
1984 |1.3 |69.7 |18.1
1985 |1.4 |67.3 |20.3
1986 |1.4 |64.0 |21.9
1987 |1.7 |56.0 |30.6
<1> The iron and steel industry comprises group 221 of the Standard Industrial Classification (revised 1980) and covers the iron
and steel industry as defined by the European Coal and Steel Community in the treaty of Paris, 1951.
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Coal extraction and manufacture of solid fuels<2>
Year |Production (gross value |Employment |Productivity (gross value
|added) (1985 prices) |added per head) (1985
|prices)
|£ billion |thousands |£ thousands
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1979 |3.9 |282.9 |13.9
1980 |4.1 |280.5 |14.6
1981 |4.0 |268.2 |14.8
1982 |3.7 |256.5 |14.6
1983 |3.3 |236.3 |13.9
1984 |0.9 |217.3 |4.2
1985 |2.6 |172.4 |15.1
1986 |2.3 |157.6 |14.7
1987 |1.9 |130.6 |14.9
<2> Coal extraction and manufacture of solid fuels comprises group 111 of the Standard Industrial Classification (revised 1980).
Source: Annual Census of Production.
Car Industry
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what information he has as to the numbers of cars manufactured per employee in the United Kingdom, other European countries and Japanese car plants in (a) 1979 and (b) 1989.
Mr. Atkins [holding answer 5 May 1989] : The information is not available.
Child Labour (Third World)
Mr. Dunnachie : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make it his policy to name those high street stores which currently sell goods whose manufacturing process has involved the use of child labour in countries of the Third world ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Alan Clark [holding answer 2 May 1989] : The issue of child labour is a distressing phenomenon of Third world commerce but one of long standing. The complexity of the problem makes indirect action of the kind the hon. Member suggests both impractical and quite possibly unjust.
THE ARTS
Northern Ballet Theatre
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Minister for the Arts how many representations have been received (a) by his Office and (b) by the Arts Council on the subject of the future of the Northern Ballet theatre.
Mr. Luce : I have received more than 100 letters from hon. and right hon. Members, and a similar number from members of the public. The Arts Council has received more than 12,000 letters and postcards.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Uranium
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has ever sought permission from the appropriate authorities in (a) the
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Republic of South Africa and (b) Namibia, to change the safeguards and use of coding on uranium from those countries, from N to P.Mr. Michael Spicer : I have been asked to reply.
No.
Chile
Mr. Wray : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations Her Majesty's Government have made to the Chilean Government regarding their announced reduction in the number of representatives to be elected for the Chilean Parliament in the general elections in those constituencies with an opposition majority.
Mr. Eggar : None. There have so far been no official proposals regarding the electoral law, or electoral boundaries and districts.
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