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Mr. Mellor : For 1987-88 the annual accounts of the Halton health authority recorded current expenditure of £355,824 on domestic cleaning services representing 1.9 per cent. of the authority's total current expenditure. Average current expenditure on these services by all district health authorities in England was £1,798,723, representing 3.2 per cent. of their current expenditure.
Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has any plans to subsume Halton district health authority in other districts ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Mellor : We have no such plans.
NHS Reform Mr. Gerald Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the child immunisation target of 90 per
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cent. and the cervical cytology screening target of 80 per cent. are still figures open for negotiation as part of the general practitioners' contract.Mr. Mellor : We have no intention of changing our policy that coverage levels should be raised to 90 per cent. for childhood immunisation and 80 per cent. for cervical cancer screening. For childhood immunisation, this is the level recommended by the WHO, which this Government have adopted.
We have agreed with the general medical services committee's negotiators that we will make target payments to GPs who achieve those levels. We will also make target payments at one third of the value of the higher payments to GPs who achieve lower target coverage levels ; the lower levels will be 70 per cent. coverage for childhood immunisation and 50 per cent. coverage for cervical cancer screening.
Midwives (Regrading) Mrs. Peacock : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he is yet in a position to implement the
recommendations in the recent Select Committee on Social Services report, "Resourcing the National Health Service : Midwives Regrading 1988-89"; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Ted Garrett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the Select Committee on Social Services' recommendations on the regrading of midwives.
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Mr. Mellor : The Government's response to the Committee's report will be laid before the House in the usual way as soon as possible.
Smoking
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his reply of 13 March, Official Report, column 64, if he plans to increase the frequency of such meetings ; whether he will inform the representatives of the medical professions of the outcome of meetings with the tobacco industry ; and whether he will invite the representatives of the medical professions to attend as observers at future meetings with the tobacco industry.
Mr. Mellor : Meetings between Department of Health Ministers or officials and our expert advisory committees or other bodies with an interest in the health aspects of smoking are already frequent, and we do not consider an increase in frequency necessary. If pressing matters arise on which advice is needed, additional meetings are arranged. Meetings with representatives of the tobacco industry are confidential. This is the most effective way of carrying out negotiations or discussions on issues where there are strong commercial or trade interests involved. As a result, no reports can be issued to the medical profession, nor can representatives of the medical profession be invited to attend such meetings as observers. The Government have not, in any case, received any requests from members of the medical profession to be informed of the content of such meetings.
Halton Hospital
Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether the Mersey regional health authority members' panel set up to consider the viability of the proposed phase III development of Halton district general hospital took any verbal representations from members of Halton district health authority before reaching their conclusions ;
(2) whether Mersey regional health authority members' panel set up to consider the viability of the proposed phase III development of Halton district general hospital contained a representative of Halton district health authority ;
(3) if he will state the names, occupations and addresses of the Mersey regional health authority members panels of (a) 1987 and (b) 1989 set up to examine the future of Halton district general hospital.
Mr. Mellor : We do not hold this information centrally. My hon. Friend may therefore wish to contact the chairman of the Mersey regional health authority.
Non-metropolitan Districts (Electorates)
Mr. Simon Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the 30 English non-metropolitan districts which have shown the greatest percentage growth in their electorate since 1977 ; and what has been the percentage growth and actual figures in each case.
Mr. Freeman : The information requested is as follows :
Non-metropolitan |1977 electorate |1989 electorate |Percentage increase districts in England ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Milton Keynes |65,821 |123,394 |87 Redditch |37,437 |56,259 |50 Wokingham |75,249 |106,314 |41 Tamworth |36,522 |50,400 |38 Peterborough |82,443 |111,696 |35 The Wrekin |75,830 |102,315 |35 Hart |47,486 |63,851 |34 Bracknell |49,045 |65,644 |34 Huntingdonshire |75,503 |100,734 |33 East Dorset |48,193 |64,131 |33 Selby |53,256 |70,431 |32 Eastleigh |60,844 |79,403 |31 Northampton |104,813 |135,009 |29 Basingstoke and Deane |83,726 |107,806 |29 Fareham |59,643 |76,766 |29 South Staffordshire |64,020 |82,316 |29 Aylesbury Vale |84,028 |107,930 |28 East Hampshire |60,501 |77,703 |28 Newbury |80,397 |102,786 |28 Caradon |47,018 |59,681 |27 Thamesdown |101,525 |128,337 |26 Crawley |52,831 |66,455 |26 South Cambridgeshire |71,785 |90,295 |26 Woodspring |112,291 |140,951 |26 Cherwell |66,599 |83,326 |25 Test Valley |61,063 |76,366 |25 Chelmsford |93,611 |116,707 |25 Basildon |99,792 |123,516 |24 Glanford |44,892 |55,494 |24 Daventry |38,872 |48,049 |24
Mr. Simon Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the 20 English non-metropolitan counties which have shown the greatest percentage growth in electorate since 1977 ; and what has been the percentage growth and actual figures in each case.
Mr. Freeman : The information requested is as follows :
Non-metropolitan Counties |1977 electorate |1989 electorate |Percentage increase in England ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Buckinghamshire |367,962 |471,784 |28 Cambridgeshire |397,410 |487,942 |23 Shropshire |256,612 |310,173 |21 Berkshire |460,726 |554,177 |20 Northamptonshire |364,561 |435,831 |20 Hereford and Worcester |436,878 |521,824 |19 Somerset |303,750 |362,634 |19 Wiltshire |360,645 |427,764 |19 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly |310,500 |366,452 |18 Dorset |445,468 |522,355 |17 Lincolnshire |387,833 |454,040 |17 Hampshire |1,021,220 |1,190,957 |17 Norfolk |503,241 |584,031 |16 West Sussex |483,064 |560,073 |16 Suffolk |413,062 |478,846 |16 Bedfordshire |337,682 |389,043 |15 North Yorkshire |486,059 |554,028 |14 Isle of Wight |89,477 |101,864 |14 Gloucestershire |360,765 |410,678 |14 Oxfordshire |371,292 |421,729 |14
District Health Authorities (Chairmen)
Dr. Goodson-Wickes : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will be appointing new chairmen to district health authorities ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Mellor : The term of office of 128 chairmen of district health authorities ends on 31 March 1990 and we are currently seeking nominations for new chairmen. If hon. Members wish to recommend any individuals as chairmen, I invite them to write to me over the next month or so. Reappointments and changes will be announced in due course.
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Constituencies (Electorates)
Mr. Simon Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the 25 largest parliamentary constituencies by electorate, with their electorates ; and what is the average constituency electorate on the current register.
Mr. Freeman : The information requested is as follows :
1989
Parliamentary |Electorate
constituency
-------------------------------------------------------------
Milton Keynes |107,011
Isle of Wight |101,859
East Hampshire |91,737
Huntingdon |91,315
Eastleigh |90,119
Swindon |89,939
Devizes |88,792
The Wrekin |88,467
Westbury |88,234
Peterborough |87,573
East Berkshire |87,432
Wokingham |87,393
Cirencester and Tewksbury |87,111
Ryedale |86,907
South Colchester and Maldon |86,631
Dudley West |85,955
South Suffolk |85,888
North Colchester |85,241
Crosby |84,907
North Wiltshire |84,610
Horsham |84,501
Waveney |84,319
South West Cambridgeshire |83,964
Mid Bedfordshire |83,854
Chelmsford |83,799
Average constituency electorate:
United Kingdom |67,098
England |69,533
Wales |57,753
Scotland |54,624
Northern Ireland |65,912
Trent RHA (Pay Gradings)
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will detail the pay gradings of each district health authority general manager in the Trent regional health authority.
Mr. Mellor : The gradings of district general manager posts in the Trent region, and the salary grade rates from 1 September 1988, are set out in the table. In addition, district general managers are eligible for a discretionary addition of up to 10 per cent. of the grade rate (to reflect differences in job weight) and
performance-related pay. Details of the performance-related pay awarded to individual general managers are confidential between them and their employer.
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Districts |Grade |Grade rate at 1 September
|1988 (£)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Southern Derbyshire
Leicestershire
Nottingham
Sheffield |1 |37,110
Barnsley
North Derbyshire
Doncaster
North Lincolnshire
South Lincolnshire
Central Nottinghamshire
Rotherham |2 |35,450
Bassetlaw |3 |33,790
Nursing (Recruits)
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will state the reasons for his decision to permit, or require, the chief nursing officer of the Department to send a standard letter to potential recruits to the nursing service asking them to enclose a fee of £6 for an application package ; and if he will review this decision.
Mr. Mellor : Applications for pre-registration nurse training are handled not by the Department but by the Nurses Central Clearing House (NCCH). The NCCH is managed by the English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting on behalf of health authorities. It is for the board to determine what, if any, administrative charge should be made to potential applicants.
GPs (Overprescribing)
Mr. Michael Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prosecutions of general practitioners for overprescribing have taken place in England since the National Health Service Committee's Tribunal Regulations (S.I. 1974 No. 455) came into effect.
Mr. Mellor [holding answer 8 May 1989] : In the period 1974- 88 inclusive the Department's regional medical service made a total of 12,068 visits to discuss with practices their prescribing costs and patterns. These visits are made largely to practices whose total costs exceeded their FPC average by a significant amount. Some practices were visited more than once. None of these visits resulted in a reference for formal investigation of excessive prescribing under the terms of the National Health Service Committee and Tribunal Regulations. However, visits to such high prescribing-cost practices are very cost-effective. We estimate that on average each visit saves around £12,000 per practice in the first full year.
AIDS
Mr. Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list each of the advertising agents used for any aspects of the Government AIDS campaign, with the payments made in each case.
Mr. Mellor : The advertising agents used for the Government's AIDS campaign and the payments made exclusive of VAT were as follows :
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Year |Agency |Payment (£ million)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1985-86 |TBWA |0.35
1986-87 |TBWA |2.79
1987-88 |TBWA |<1>6.43
1988-89<2> |TBWA |0.76
|BMP Davidson Pierce|2.30
Total |TBWA |10.33
Total |BMP Davidson Pierce|2.30
<1> This figure includes a joint AIDS-Drugs Misuse anti-injecting campaign.
<2> Excludes spending on anti-injecting advertisements in the Drug Misuse
campaign run by Yellowhammer.
Advertising
Mr. Grocott : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent by his Department on advertisements on commercial television in each of the last five years, listed by each television company.
Mr. Mellor : Information on television advertisements in the form requested is commercially confidential.
Stump Socks
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the average cost per hundred stump socks to the National Health Service in each of the last five years.
Mr. Mellor [holding answer 26 April 1989] : The average cost per hundred stump socks by type of yarn and for all yarns is as follows :
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Day cases attendances, NHS hospitals, by region, 1972 to 1987-88
|1972<1> |1973 |1974 |1975 |1976 |1977 |1978 |1979 |1980 |1981 |1982 |1983 |1984 |1985 |1986 |1987-88<2>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern |32,170 |31,308 |31,001 |29,316 |33,573 |37,875 |41,341 |46,416 |54,023 |56,219 |52,833 |66,093 |68,658 |75,473 |81,047 |83,335
Yorkshire |32,557 |33,646 |38,457 |38,252 |46,741 |54,683 |55,097 |55,060 |60,680 |62,788 |58,883 |70,869 |72,718 |76,174 |81,635 |74,933
Trent |37,354 |30,743 |35,449 |33,061 |38,453 |40,532 |42,083 |48,511 |57,314 |61,260 |58,140 |72,003 |80,159 |85,691 |95,092 |67,866
East Anglian |12,956 |13,663 |14,735 |17,253 |23,319 |26,092 |28,093 |28,314 |32,675 |33,916 |30,768 |33,235 |35,818 |39,572 |42,022 |28,955
North-West Thames<3> 23,998 31,853 23,843 20,992 24,733 28,471 29,460 37,649 41,028 44,219 43,330 49,494 58,558 63,170 67,766
North-East Thames<3> 32,623 23,643 34,607 35,282 33,396 36,813 38,294 39,871 41,910 47,208 48,744 51,725 57,850 67,472 70,304
South-East Thames<3> |21,257 |25,808 |27,010 |23,909 |30,012 |38,272 |40,903 |42,706 |44,705 |45,117 |49,717 |59,983 |72,702 |66,323 |71,323 |48,855
South-West Thames<3> 13,252 15,285 17,315 18,807 22,585 23,795 20,406 23,519 28,827 37,867 32,836 33,676 39,613 45,395 56,449
Wessex |20,367 |21,780 |28,009 |26,698 |34,297 |35,816 |37,695 |36,962 |43,210 |44,029 |44,665 |49,226 |54,300 |59,340 |63,297 |46,876
Oxford |15,864 |15,930 |18,780 |17,967 |18,203 |21,216 |23,146 |21,656 |23,882 |23,824 |23,585 |27,183 |29,931 |35,184 |39,901 |43,809
South Western |31,321 |29,716 |32,790 |30,923 |32,257 |38,104 |39,397 |40,037 |40,099 |43,095 |44,685 |48,878 |51,614 |62,168 |63,375 |55,306
West Midlands |34,998 |42,962 |48,517 |41,810 |46,477 |49,793 |51,614 |51,769 |61,532 |64,847 |64,973 |74,215 |80,097 |83,251 |93,403 |60,500
Mersey |41,625 |43,890 |44,062 |36,741 |39,193 |40,285 |41,787 |44,460 |55,556 |54,509 |55,490 |62,979 |70,554 |69,403 |79,098 |79,740
North Western |47,726 |48,271 |51,532 |46,613 |53,471 |60,068 |68,080 |70,608 |79,217 |88,143 |85,874 |99,994 |115,410 |116,317 |125,564 |120,368
<1>{en space}Day case figures were not collected before 1972.
<2>{en space}Some patients previously classified as day cases may since April 1987 be newly classified as ward attenders.
<3>{en space}Figures for these regions are not strictly comparable over the whole period, due to NHS restructuring in 1982.
Hospital Admissions
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give for each year since 1970, and for each health region, the total number of hospital admissions on a day-case basis.
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Mr. Freeman [holding answer 26 April 1989] : The available information is given in the table.
Day cases attendances, NHS hospitals, by region, 1972 to 1987-88
|1972<1> |1973 |1974 |1975 |1976 |1977 |1978 |1979 |1980 |1981 |1982 |1983 |1984 |1985 |1986 |1987-88<2>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern |32,170 |31,308 |31,001 |29,316 |33,573 |37,875 |41,341 |46,416 |54,023 |56,219 |52,833 |66,093 |68,658 |75,473 |81,047 |83,335
Yorkshire |32,557 |33,646 |38,457 |38,252 |46,741 |54,683 |55,097 |55,060 |60,680 |62,788 |58,883 |70,869 |72,718 |76,174 |81,635 |74,933
Trent |37,354 |30,743 |35,449 |33,061 |38,453 |40,532 |42,083 |48,511 |57,314 |61,260 |58,140 |72,003 |80,159 |85,691 |95,092 |67,866
East Anglian |12,956 |13,663 |14,735 |17,253 |23,319 |26,092 |28,093 |28,314 |32,675 |33,916 |30,768 |33,235 |35,818 |39,572 |42,022 |28,955
North-West Thames<3> 23,998 31,853 23,843 20,992 24,733 28,471 29,460 37,649 41,028 44,219 43,330 49,494 58,558 63,170 67,766
North-East Thames<3> 32,623 23,643 34,607 35,282 33,396 36,813 38,294 39,871 41,910 47,208 48,744 51,725 57,850 67,472 70,304
South-East Thames<3> |21,257 |25,808 |27,010 |23,909 |30,012 |38,272 |40,903 |42,706 |44,705 |45,117 |49,717 |59,983 |72,702 |66,323 |71,323 |48,855
South-West Thames<3> 13,252 15,285 17,315 18,807 22,585 23,795 20,406 23,519 28,827 37,867 32,836 33,676 39,613 45,395 56,449
Wessex |20,367 |21,780 |28,009 |26,698 |34,297 |35,816 |37,695 |36,962 |43,210 |44,029 |44,665 |49,226 |54,300 |59,340 |63,297 |46,876
Oxford |15,864 |15,930 |18,780 |17,967 |18,203 |21,216 |23,146 |21,656 |23,882 |23,824 |23,585 |27,183 |29,931 |35,184 |39,901 |43,809
South Western |31,321 |29,716 |32,790 |30,923 |32,257 |38,104 |39,397 |40,037 |40,099 |43,095 |44,685 |48,878 |51,614 |62,168 |63,375 |55,306
West Midlands |34,998 |42,962 |48,517 |41,810 |46,477 |49,793 |51,614 |51,769 |61,532 |64,847 |64,973 |74,215 |80,097 |83,251 |93,403 |60,500
Mersey |41,625 |43,890 |44,062 |36,741 |39,193 |40,285 |41,787 |44,460 |55,556 |54,509 |55,490 |62,979 |70,554 |69,403 |79,098 |79,740
North Western |47,726 |48,271 |51,532 |46,613 |53,471 |60,068 |68,080 |70,608 |79,217 |88,143 |85,874 |99,994 |115,410 |116,317 |125,564 |120,368
<1>{en space}Day case figures were not collected before 1972.
<2>{en space}Some patients previously classified as day cases may since April 1987 be newly classified as ward attenders.
<3>{en space}Figures for these regions are not strictly comparable over the whole period, due to NHS restructuring in 1982.
Working For Patients"
Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on how co-ordination of local authority community care services and health services are to be maintained once local authorities are no longer represented on health authorities as described in paragraph 8.6 of "Working For Patients" (Cm. 555).
Mr. Mellor [holding answer 9 May 1989] : Local authorities and health authorities are statutorily obliged to collaborate in the development of services, and mechanisms exist for encouraging liaison between them. Ways in which these mechanisms can be made to work more effectively are being examined as part of our
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consideration of Sir Roy Griffiths' report on community care, and we shall take account of "Working For Patients" in those deliberations.Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether, in the light of paragraph 3.7 of "Working For Patients" Cm. 555, people with multiple pathology or conditions which are difficult to treat, will be expected to transfer from centre to centre if a health authority has contracts for different services with different hospitals.
Mr. Mellor [holding answer 9 May 1989] : Differences in the services available may mean that, as now, some patients need to attend more than one hospital for different forms of treatment. However, district health
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authorities will be expected to arrange contracts so that health care services are provided flexibly and in a way that is responsive to patients' needs and wishes.Prescription Charges
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much prescription charges have risen in cash and real terms between April 1979 and April 1989.
Mr. Mellor [holding answer 9 May 1989] : The information requested is set out in the table.
|£
---------------------
1979-80 |0.20
<1>1989-90 |2.80
<2>1989-90 |1.41
<1> Current prices.
<2> 1979-80 prices.
Nursing Students
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to announce the level of bursary for a nursing student enrolling on a course under the project 2,000 nursing education reforms.
Mr. Mellor [holding answer 9 May 1989] : My right hon. and learned Friend hopes to do so shortly.
Food Contamination
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to the questions asked by the hon. Member for Caerphilly on 18 January concerning the possible contamination of farmed food.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : I replied to the hon. Member on Monday 20 February.
THE ARTS
Office Art Collection
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Minister for the Arts whether he will publish a table showing the (a) paintings, (b) prints, (c) sculptures and (d) other artefacts in his Office's art collection.
Mr. Luce [holding answer 8 May 1989] : The information requested is as follows :
Artist |Title
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(a) Paintings
Ann Redpath |The Pink Decanter
James Robertson |Hills in Spain
Melvyn Chantry |Stream, Derwent Water
James Northcote |Mr. John Culme
John Piper |View of Cheltenham: Montpelier
| Walk
John Piper |View of Bath: Composite of Bath
| Street and corner of Camden
| Crescent
John Craxton |Landscape with Returning
| Shrimper
Frank Averbach |Mornington Crescent
Peter Coker |The Gorsebush
Patrick George |Hick Bush
Ishaq Kohbji |Untitled
Richard Gilbert |Departure 1987
(b) Prints
Joe Tilson |Moon Signatures
Richard Edwards |Santorini
Glen Baxter |Brenda
Glen Baxter |Saturday morning shopping
David Freed |Richard III
Jennifer Dickson |Le Septieme Jour
Juan Martinez |Untitled 1969
Cecil King |Bagot Street
(c) Sculptures
None
(d) Other artefacts
Photographs:
John Davies |Isle of Skye towards Loch Brittle
Paul Wakefield |River Orchy, Scotland
Paul Wakefield |Afon Hondu
Other items:
Sutton Taylor |Large lustre bowl
Judith Trim |Two Oval oxidised porcelain
| bowls
Michael Casson |Two stoneware articles
Michael Lloyd |Silver bowl
Alistair McCallum |Mokume Gane bowl
Fiona Salazar |Earthenware pot
Janice Tchalenko |Stoneware teapot
Peter Chatwin |Laminated bowl
The articles are all on loan except the painting by Ishaq Kohbji which was a gift from the Bahrainian Arts Society.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Yorkshire (Environmentally Sensitive Areas)
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list by name for the three counties of Yorkshire the total land area per site designated as an environmentally sensitive area.
Mr. Ryder : No ESA is wholly within the three counties of Yorkshire. Some 8,200 hectares (52 per cent.) of the Pennine Dales ESA lies in North Yorkshire, while 6,390 hectares (13 per cent.) of the North Peak ESA lie in South Yorkshire and 4,200 hectares (8 per cent.) lie in West Yorkshire.
Salmonella
Mrs. Ann Winterton : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to ensure that following the establishment of the single market in 1992 thorough checks will be made at United Kingdom ports, airports and rail links to ensure that any consignment of eggs which is contaminated with salmonella is detected and dealt with.
Mr. Donald Thompson : Because the arrangements that will control the movement of eggs within the European Community after 1992 have yet to be decided upon, it would be unhelpful to spell out our plans for that period. However, I assure my hon. Friend that it is our intention to secure equivalence between the standards and inspections in member states to ensure that the interests of our egg producers and consumers are safeguarded.
Column 457
Mrs. Ann Winterton : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action is taken by his Department when consignments of imported eggs are found to be infected with salmonella.
Mr. Donald Thompson : If a case of salmonella contamination is found in imported eggs, my Department will inform the EC Commission and the member state where the eggs were packed. Where appropriate I will also take the matter up with my opposite number in the member state concerned.
Mrs. Ann Winterton : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on how many occasions in the latest 12 months for which figures are available consignments of imported eggs have been (a) checked for salmonella infection and (b) found to be infected with salmonella.
Mr. Donald Thompson : Systematic monitoring of imported eggs for salmonella commenced only last month.
Mrs. Ann Winterton : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement outlining the checks which are made to ensure that salmonella-infected eggs and poultry are not imported into the United Kingdom from other European countries and from other non-European countries.
Mr. Donald Thompson : The systematic monitoring of imported eggs by the port health authorities in conjunction with the public health laboratory service has recently been introduced. Imports are being sampled at a rate which will provide a valid assessment of their bacteriological status. Similar arrangements would not be appropriate for poultrymeat.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Namibia
1. Mr. Hunter : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made towards a peaceful settlement in Namibia.
Sir Geoffrey Howe : Agreements have been reached on a framework for the return of SWAPO forces to positions north of the 16th parallel in Angola. South African troops and South West African territorial forces will be once again restricted to base. It is vital that these agreements are put into effect and that all parties abide by their undertakings in the United Nations plan.
86. Mr. Robert Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement on the implementation of United Nations Security Council resolution 435 on Namibia.
Mrs. Chalker : We have been active in support of efforts to put the United Nations plan firmly back on track. We welcome the series of agreements reached by the joint commission which have this as their aim.
62. Dr. Goodson-Wickes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to meet the Administrator General of Namibia or his officials to discuss the future of Rossing uranium in the context of an independent Namibia.
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Mrs. Chalker : My right hon. and learned Friend has no present plans to do so. We hope that Rossing uranium will continue making its important contribution to the Namibian economy after independence.
17. Mr. Yeo : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will pay an official visit to Namibia to discuss the transition to independence.
Mrs. Chalker : My right hon. and learned Friend has no present plans to do so. We are in regular contact with all those involved in the implementation of the United Nations plan for Namibian independence.
Angola
2. Sir Russell Johnston : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions representatives of Her Majesty's Government have had with the MPLA Government of Angola and UNITA regarding an end to the civil war in Angola.
Mrs. Chalker : We have regular contact with the Angolan Government. We also have occasional contact with UNITA at official level. We have impressed on both sides the need for flexibility if internal peace is to be achieved in Angola.
OECD
16. Mr. Roger King : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met the Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ; and what matters were discussed.
Mrs. Chalker : My right hon. and learned Friend last met the OECD Secretary-General on 13 February. They discussed current and future areas of work for the OECD, and preparation for the ministerial council.
EC-EFTA Relations
18. Mr. Quentin Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the relations between the European Community and the European Free Trade Association.
Mrs. Chalker : Relations between the EC and EFTA are excellent. A joint ministerial meeting on 20 March agreed to discuss possibilities for further strengthening and extending co-operation. There will be a further ministerial meeting in the autumn. Meanwhile the programme of co-operation stimulated by the 1984 Luxembourg declaration continues.
Export Promotion
19. Mr. Patnick : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what resources were committed in 1988-89 via the diplomatic wing to supporting export promotion and inward investment.
Mrs. Chalker : Figures for the financial year 1988-89 are still being collated and should be available in October. We expect them, however, to be approximately 10 per cent. up on the figures for 1987-88 which were as follows :
Total commercial work : £69 million of which approximately 91.7 per cent. (£63.27 million) for export promotion, 3.4 per cent. (£2.5 million) for inward investment and the remaining 4.9 per cent. (£3.38 million) for trade policy.
Column 459
Nigeria
20. Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current state of Anglo-Nigerian relations.
Mrs. Chalker : We enjoy close and cordial relations with Nigeria. President Babangida's state visit to the United Kingdom now taking place is evidence of that.
Eastern Europe
21. Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement about relations with eastern Europe.
Mr. Waldegrave : Our relations with the countries of eastern Europe are as varied as the countries themselves. We naturally have the closest relations with those whose systems and values come closest to our own. In this context we welcome the substantial steps towards freedom and democracy taken recently in Poland and Hungary.
Drug Trade
22. Mr. Knapman : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further practical measures have been agreed with the countries of Latin America to combat the international drug trade.
Mr. Eggar : I discussed measures to combat the international drugs trade with the Foreign Ministers of Colombia and Peru during their visits to the United Kingdom in April, and during my recent visit to Mexico. These measures include continued United Kingdom bilateral and multilateral assistance, and the negotiation of bilateral agreements to trace, freeze and confiscate the assets of drugs traffickers.
37. Mr. Irvine : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further progress is being made in the international fight against the drugs trade.
Mr. Eggar : We have bilateral agreements or arrangements with six countries for tracing, freezing and confiscating traffickers' assets. We are negotiating similar agreements with about 20 countries and have approached some 20 others. Next week, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary will host a meeting of Pompidou group Ministers to discuss, inter alia, asset confiscation and measures against cocaine.
23. Mr. Adley : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on moves towards Palestinian self-determination.
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