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Column 543
Written Answers to Questions
Friday 12 May 1989
WALES
Advertising
Mr. Grocott : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 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. Peter Walker : The Department's only spending on television advertising during this period was £20,000 on the Welsh element of the misuse of drugs campaign. Details of spending with individual television companies is commercially confidential.
Farm and Conservation Grant Scheme
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he intends the Welsh Office agricultural department to make available to farmers throughout Wales application forms for grants under the farm and conservation grant scheme.
Mr. Peter Walker : The appropriate forms are now available.
Welsh Development Agency
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the figures for investment by the Welsh Development Agency since its inception.
Mr. Peter Walker [holding answer 5 May 1989] : Capital investment on mainstream Welsh Development Agency programmes is as follows :
|£
--------------
1976-77 |15
1977-78 |26
1978-79 |24
1979-80 |22
1980-81 |49
1981-82 |48
1982-83 |47
1983-84 |44
1984-85 |50
1985-86 |43
1986-87 |49
1987-88 |71
1988-89 |81
The figures do not include the special provision of about £120 million which was made available to the WDA to tackle the needs of Wales arising from the steel closures in the late 1970s and early 1980s. For details of this provision, I refer to the reply I gave to the right hon. Member for Swansea, West (Mr. Williams) on 18 January 1988 at column 612.
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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Soviet Union
Mr Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise as a matter of urgency in the current CSCE information forum the recent arrests of dissident publishers in the Soviet Union, and the terms of the new articles of the Soviet penal code published on 11 April.
Mrs. Chalker : The two Russians recently arrested for distributing material in Moscow were subsequently released.
We are deeply disappointed by the 8 April decree containing amendments to Soviet criminal legislation. We are making this clear to the Soviet authorities both in Moscow and at the London information forum. We hope that the new Supreme Soviet, when constituted, will have the opportunity to alter the decree radically, so as to bring it into line with Soviet public statements and their international commitments.
Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what policy initiatives he intends to take with regard to the 1990 fourth review conference of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty ; how many preparatory committee meetings are expected to take place ; and where such meetings are to be held.
Mrs. Chalker : There are three preparatory committees prior to the NPT review conference. The first took place in New York from 1 to 5 May. The second will be held from 11 to 18 September 1989, and the third from 23 April to 4 May 1990, both in Geneva. As a depositary power, we attach great importance to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, and shall be working actively for a constructive and successful review conference.
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what United Kingdom representation was present at the first preparatory committee meeting of the fourth review conference of the 1990 nuclear non-proliferation treaty review conference ; and if he will make a statement on its outcome.
Mrs. Chalker : The United Kingdom delegation at the first preparatory committee, held in New York from 1 to 5 May, consisted of four officials and was led by an official from the science, energy and nuclear department in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The preparatory committee successfully resolved a number of administrative questions relating to the review conference.
TRANSPORT
Railways (Investment)
Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the volume of investment in railways in the United Kingdom, France and West Germany in 1987-88 and 1988-89 ; and what sum this investment represents per capita in each of these countries.
Mr. Portillo : My Department has no readily available information on railway investment in France and West
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Germany. The figures for rail investment by British Rail, Northern Ireland Railways and London Regional Transport are as follows :
|1987-88 Cash |1988-89 Prices|1988-89
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BR (£ million) |526 |563 |596
NIR (£ million) |5 |5 |4
LRT (£ million) |274 |291 |271
|--- |--- |---
Total investment (£ million) |805 |859 |871
Investment per capita (£) |14.14 |15.09 |15.30
Notes:
1. Per capita figures for both years are based on the mid-1987 figure for United Kingdom
population of 56,937,000.
2. 1988-89 figures are forecast outturn.
3. The BR figures include investment in freightliners, BRML and BREL but exclude the
laying of continuous welded track, which BR do not classify as investment.
Airport (Essex)
Dr. Michael Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has been approached by any consortium seeking permission to build an airport on either Foulness Island or Maplin Sands ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : No. My right hon. Friend has seen only press reports suggesting airport development off the Essex coast.
Dr. Michael Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his long-term policy for airports includes the building of a new international airport in Essex, or offshore from the Essex coast.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : The 1985 White Paper "Airports Policy" (Cmnd. 9542) set out the strategy for airport development in the south east to meet demand to the mid-1990s. This strategy did not include a new airport off the Essex coast but foreshadowed a substantial role for Stansted airport. My right hon. Friend is currently awaiting formal advice from the Civil Aviation Authority on the adequacy of airport capacity to 2005.
A1
Mr. Robert Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will announce his conclusions on the inspector's report into the alterations to the A1 between Wetherby and Dishforth ; and when work will commence on these improvements.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : The Secretaries of State for Transport and the Environment hope to announce their decision in the summer. It is too early to give a reliable estimate of when works will commence. The date depends upon the time needed to complete the outstanding statutory procedures, which include publication of the compulsory purchase order.
Toll Motorways
Mr. Robert Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what studies his Department has made of toll motorways on the European continent ; and what are the conclusions in relation to their feasibility in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Portillo : The Department keeps in touch with developments and experience in the operation of toll
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motorways in Europe. We are keen to encourage the private sector to come forward with proposals for privately funded roads. It will be up to promoters to consider the feasibility of such schemes, including any proposals for motorways. The Government will shortly issue a consultation paper on private finance for roads.Package Holidays
Mr. Robert Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is prepared to take to secure passenger comfort and redress against protracted delays and inconvenience for those travelling on package holidays by air.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : At a conference held by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State last November to analyse air traffic congestion, airport authorities were asked to develop contingency plans to cope with delayed passengers. A number of important initiatives were proposed which were reported to a follow-up conference held by the Civil Aviation Authority in March. These included improved communications and passenger information within airports, additional accommodation and facilities, and the provision of entertainment. Plans are also being developed to provide passengers with advance information about delayed flights. Whether or not holidaymakers who suffer protracted delays are entitled to redress will depend on the terms of their contract with the tour operator and on any scales of compensation the tour operator may publish. It would ultimately be for the civil courts to resolve any disputed claim for compensation in respect of delays in the light of all the circumstances. It is possible for holidaymakers to take out insurance against protracted delays in certain circumstances.
Birmingham Relief Road
Mr. Heddle : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Mid-Staffordshire of 3 November, Official Report, column 765, if he has yet received his inspector's report on the public inquiry held in May 1988 on his Department's proposals for the Birmingham northern relief road ; and if he is yet able to make a statement.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : Yes. It arrived last month and is being considered.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
County Courts (Jurisdiction)
Mr. Fraser : To ask the Attorney-General what changes he proposes in the use of rateable values as indications of jurisdiction in county court cases.
The Attorney-General : As part of the Government's programme for implementation of the civil justice review, announced on 6 April, the upper financial limit of the county courts' jurisdiction in actions for the recovery of land will be removed. Arrangements will be made for any transitional period there might be between the abolition of the domestic rating system and that of the county court limit, if this proves necessary.
In some cases, however, it will still be necessary for the substance of a claim to be quantified, and various options are being considered by the Lord Chancellor.
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Domestic Violence
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Attorney-General if he will set up a study of the operation of the civil procedures related to domestic violence.
The Attorney-General : No. The Law Commission is carrying out a review of the courts' civil jurisdiction relating to domestic violence, other molestation and rights of occupation of the home. This review will examine both important areas of procedure and the remedies available. The commission hopes to issue a discussion paper later this year.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Institute for Japanese-European Technology Studies
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what contribution has been made to the Institute for Japanese-European Technology Studies ; and over what period contributions will continue to be made.
Mr. Forth : Neither the Department of Trade and Industry nor the Department of Education and Science has given specific financial support to the Institute for Japanese-European Technology Studies, but my Department welcomes this initiative and is represented on the institute's external advisory committee.
Inward Investment
Mr. Greg Knight : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the current level of inward investment in the United Kingdom ; and what was the comparable figure for 1978.
Mr. Alan Clark : The latest available information on the level of inward investment in the United Kingdom is given in table 9.1 of "The United Kingdom Balance of Payments--1988" (the CSO pink book). A copy of this publication is available in the Library.
Advertising
Mr. Grocott : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 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. Forth : I am advised by the Central Office of Information, through which the Department buys such advertising, that the detailed information requested is commercially confidental. The Department's total expenditure on television advertising in the last five years was as follows :
|£
------------------------------------------------
1984-85 |32,000
1985-86 |nil
1986-87 |nil
1987-88 |4.6 million
1988-89 |<1>13.2 million
<1> Provisional.
Iraq
Mr. Frank Field : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list, in real terms, the size of United Kingdom exports to Iraq for each of the last 10 years.
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Mr. Alan Clark : The value of exports to Iraq for each of the last 10 years is given in the following table. The information is not available in real terms.
United Kingdom exports to Iraq 1979-88 Value in £ millions Year |Value ------------------ 1979 |201.2 1980 |322.1 1981 |623.9 1982 |873.7 1983 |399.9 1984 |343.1 1985 |444.7 1986 |443.8 1987 |271.7 1988 |412.1 Source: Overseas Trade Statistics. Note: 1988 figures are provisional.
British Shipbuilders
Mr. Ward : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he has received the annual report and accounts of British Shipbuilders for 1987- 88.
Mr. Newton : In accordance with sections 17(9) and 18(6) of the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Act 1977, I am today laying before each House copies of British Shipbuilders' annual report and accounts for 1987-88.
British Overseas Trade Board
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what criteria govern how the members of the British Overseas Trade Board, listed in the 1987-88 report from pages 32 to 38, treat their commercial interests when taking decisions as members of the British Overseas Trade Board ; and whether a register of members interests is compiled and a financial declaration made where relevant.
Mr. Alan Clark : [holding answer 11 May 1989] : The British Overseas Trade Board advises on overseas trade and the official export promotion programme. The board itself does not take decisions on the provision of services or other forms of assistance to individual businesses and conflicts of interest do not therefore arise. Of the bodies listed in pages 32-38 of the annual report, only the Overseas Project Board considers matters involving official assistance to individual businesses, and members are specifically excluded from advising on cases in which they have an interest. A full register of members' directorships and financial interests is maintained by the Department.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Pensioners
Mr. McCrindle : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the percentage of total pensioners' income in 1988 represented by the state retirement pension ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : [holding answer 2 May 1989] : I regret that the information is not available in the form requested. The 1986 family expenditure survey shows that 59 per cent. of pensioners' average gross income was derived from all social security benefits.
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HEALTH
NHS Reform
Mr. Frank Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish (a) details of the monitoring he intends to instigate on his reform programmes for the National Health Service, (b) which organisations will be carrying out which pieces of monitoring and (c) the criteria used for measuring success.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : Health authorities will be expected to monitor progress on the review locally, and the NHS management executive will monitor progress over the country as a whole. The test of success will be the extent to which reforms help the NHS to provide better quality services for patients.
Domestic Violence
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has on the extent to which places in refuges for victims of domestic violence are below the level of one family place, namely for a woman and her children, per 10,000 of population.
Mr. Mellor : We do not have any central records of the numbers of family places available in refuges. However, the national voluntary organisation, Women's Aid Federation (England), estimates that there are approximately 1,755 family places in women's refuges in the United Kingdom.
This represents one family place per 25,844 of the population aged 16 and over.
Mental Hospitals
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many mental hospitals have been closed in the past year.
Mr. Freeman [pursuant to his reply 22 March 1989 c. 671] ; The information requested is now available and is in the table. It comprises the mental illness hospitals/units which we are aware were approved for total closure in 1988.
Hospital |District ------------------------------------------------------------ Clifton |York High Wick |Southern Derbyshire Whitecroft |Isle of Wight Hungerford |West Berkshire Crossley |Halton
ENVIRONMENT
Water Industry (Employment)
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for (a) the Yorkshire water authority and (b) the Severn Trent water authority, how many people were employed in the water industry in 1979, 1985 and each subsequent year to date.
Mr. Moynihan : The information is published in "Waterfacts 1988," a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. Figures for 1989 are not yet available.
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Stack Emission Tests
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report the results of stack emission tests carried out by HMIP on industrial plants.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The results of tests carried out by HMIP on emissions to the atmosphere are not generally published because many of them are of an investigative nature rather than routine tests for compliance with emission limit values. Test results are often summarised for individual premises in the district annual reports that are made available locally.
Domestic Violence
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will discuss with local authorities ways of increasing the number of refuges for the victims of domestic violence and of providing them with more adequate and secure funding.
Mr. Trippier : It is for individual authorities to assess the local need for refuges and to make, or encourage others to make, appropriate provision. We give support to refuges through the urban programme and housing investment programmes, and the Housing Corporation also funds refuges provided by housing associations.
Peak District National Park
Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of whether the Peak District national park can remain in satisfactory condition within the financial provision currently available ; and what further moneys will be made available in the current and succeeding financial years.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : In determining the amount of national parks supplementary grant in respect of each national park authority's expenditure, my right hon. Friend takes account of the authorities' detailed functional strategies and the recommendations of the Country-side Commission. NPSG for the Peak District national park for 1989-90 is £2,461,900, an increase of 10.3 per cent. over 1988-89 and 25 per cent. higher in real terms than the park's settlement in 1979. I cannot anticipate future years' settlements.
Nuclear Plants (Sites)
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the implications of the European Court decision of September 1988 over implementation of the Euratom treaty article 37 in regard to the Electricite de France nuclear plant at Cattenom for future United Kingdom nuclear plant siting.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : There are no implications for the United Kingdom.
Land Register
Mr. Steen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for South Hams of 26 April, Official Report, column 937, if he will breakdown the 37,805 acres by ownership and region and if he will give details in each case as to how the land came to be placed on the register.
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Mr. Trippier [holding answer 11 May 1989] : I have placed tables in the Library giving a breakdown by owner and region of land added to the register in 1984-88. There are separate tables for land subsequently removed from the register before the end for 1988 and for land still on the register at the end of 1988.
The land was entered on the register because information supplied by the owners indicated that it satisfied the conditions set out in section 95(2) of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980.
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NORTHERN IRELAND
School Expenditure
Ms. Richardson : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table showing the latest figure for expenditure per pupil on (a) books and (b) equipment and comparable figures for each year since 1978-79 in (i) primary schools, (ii) secondary schools and (iii) special schools in cash and real terms using an index of 100 for 1978-79.
Dr. Mawhinney : The information is as follows :
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Books and equipment (separate figures for books and equipment not available)
Primary schools Secondary schools Special schools
Year |Cash |Real terms|Index |Cash |Real terms|Index |Cash |Real terms|Index
|£ |£ |£ |£ |£ |£
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1978-79 |10.40 |21.22 |100 |22.88 |46.69 |100 |24.32 |49.63 |100
1979-80 |12.05 |21.04 |99 |25.24 |44.08 |94 |26.65 |46.55 |94
1980-81 |12.34 |18.18 |86 |.25.73 |37.91 |81 |30.96 |45.62 |92
1981-82 |14.37 |19.27 |91 |29.22 |39.20 |84 |38.34 |51.43 |104
1982-83 |14.63 |18.32 |86 |30.62 |38.34 |82 |38.11 |47.72 |96
1983-84 |15.08 |18.07 |85 |31.74 |38.03 |81 |41.83 |50.12 |101
1984-85 |16.37 |18.77 |88 |34.26 |39.29 |84 |46.38 |53.19 |107
1985-86 |17.14 |18.54 |87 |36.40 |39.38 |84 |46.13 |49.91 |101
1986-87 |18.30 |19.21 |90 |42.14 |44.24 |95 |67.77 |71.15 |129
1987-88 |19.94 |19.94 |94 |47.92 |47.92 |103 |84.78 |84.78 |171
Queen's University
Mr. McCusker : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many of the total number of applications for post-graduate certificate of education courses received by Queens' university, Belfast for courses commencing 1986, 1987 and 1988 were for physics, chemistry and mathematics ; and what level of qualifications they had already obtained.
Dr. Mawhinney : Numbers of applications were as follows :
|1986-87|1987-88|1988-89
--------------------------------------------
Physics |38 |40 |34
Chemistry |50 |59 |62
Mathematics |56 |63 |59
Information about the level of qualifications of applicants is not available.
Youth Training Programme
Mr. McCusker : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the 1989-90 financial allocations to Northern Ireland's education and library boards for YTP schemes ; and how much of this has been allocated by each board for special needs provision.
Dr. Mawhinney : The board's estimates of YTP expenditure for 1989-90 have only recently been received by the Department of Education and are now under consideration. I hope to be able to advise the hon. Gentleman of the allocations approved and the amounts included for special needs provision later this month.
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PRIME MINISTER
Domestic Violence
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Prime Minister if she will co-ordinate ministerial action to ensure that victims of domestic violence receive full information regarding the legal, counselling and housing help that is available for them.
The Prime Minister : Information about the help available to victims of domestic violence is best provided locally. Some statutory and voluntary organisations already issue leaflets. The ministerial group on women's issues is co-ordinating Government action and will consider outstanding needs when it meets on 15 June to discuss the recently published Home Office research on this subject.
British Intelligence (History)
Mr. Wheeler : To ask the Prime Minister when publication of the official history of British intelligence in the second world war will be completed.
The Prime Minister : Volumes I, II and III of the official history of British intelligence in the second world war by Professor Sir Harry Hinsley and others have been published ; part 2 of volume III was published in February 1988. Volume IV (security and counter-intelligence) by Sir Harry Hinsley and Mr. C. A. G. Simkins and Volume V (strategic deception) by Professor Sir Michael Howard are being prepared for publication towards the end of this year or early next year.
Efficiency Unit (Scrutiny)
Mr. Latham : To ask the Prime Minister what topics have been covered in the efficiency unit's scrutiny programme in the last financial year.
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The Prime Minister : The 1988-89 programme of scrutinies carried out in association with the efficiency adviser and the efficiency unit are :
Cabinet Office
Government economic statistics
Her Majesty's Customs and Excise
Administration of the integrated tariff
Running cost implications of information technology
British Council
Inward visits
Ministry of Defence
MOD support for military associated functions at schools and universities
Defence accommodation stores
Department of Employment
Inspection rating system (HSE)
Fraud investigation (with DSS)
Department of the Environment
Control of administrative expenditure in
non-Departmental public bodies
Home Office
Grants made under Section 11 of the Local Government
Act 1966
Magistrates' courts
Inland Revenue
Schedule D procedures
Internal post
Northern Ireland Office
Land Registry
Overseas Development Administration
Administration of aid-tying rules (with DTI)
Scottish Office
Prison buildings
Department of Social Security
Fraud investigation (with DE)
(Under Franchise Programme) Overseas branch
(Newcastle central office)
Department of Trade and Industry
Administration of aid-tying rules (with ODA)
DTI economic statistics
Further topics for scrutinies are being discussed with Departments.
A number of other scrutinies are also being conducted according to full scrutiny disciplines and with guidance from the efficiency unit :
Metropolitan Police
Civil staff recruitment and retention
Police abstractions from duty
Provincial Police Forces
Scenes of crime function
Driver training
Communications
Sick absence
Transport management
Community relations
Attendance at court
Stores and printing
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