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Collisions at Sea
Q151. Dr. Godman : To ask the Prime Minister if Her Majesty's Government have any proposals to minimise the risk of collisions between fishing vessels and submarines.
The Prime Minister : The Royal Navy already takes the greatest care to ensure that the risk of collisions between submarines and fishing vessels or their gear is very low. I understand that the hon. Member recently visited the Clyde with a group of Members from this House and that some suggestions were made for technical improvements to fishing vessels to reduce the risk further. These suggestions will, of course, be considered on their merits.
Rain Forests
Q173. Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Prime Minister what information she has received concerning the rate of destruction of the world's forests for each of the past 20 years ; and if she will make a statement.
The Prime Minister : Data on the rate of destruction of the world's forests are not available on an annual basis. The latest internationally comparable figures were published by the Food and Agriculture Organisation in 1982 and relate to tropical forests during the period 1976-1980. Annual deforestation rates for all tropical closed forests by region and worldwide were :
Tropical closed forest
|Area lost (Millions of |Per cent. of total area
|hectares/year)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Africa |1.33 |0.61
Asia, Pacific |1.82 |0.59
Latin America |4.12 |0.61
|------- |-------
Total |7.27 |0.61
Comparable data for earlier periods are not available. The FAO and the United Nations Environment Programme will make a second forest resources assessment in 1990.
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Nuclear Weapons
Mr. John Evans : To ask the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on the circumstances in which Her Majesty's Government would order the firing of nuclear weapons.
Broadleaved Woodland
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Prime Minister why thre is no system of felling licences to protect Northern Ireland's broadleaved woodlands ; if she will extend the United Kingdom system of felling licences to Northern Ireland ; and if she will make a statement.
The Prime Minister : The 1970 White Paper "Forestry in Northern Ireland" stated that the Government felt that there was no longer the need for restrictive legislation on the felling of trees and proposed that the relevant legislation be repealed. This was done in 1982. There are no proposals to reintroduce felling licences in Northern Ireland. The Department of Environment for Northern Ireland has powers to make an order (known as a tree preservation order) to prohibit the cutting down of trees.
Engagements
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 May.
Mr. McLoughlin : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 May.
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 May.
Mr. Pike : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 May.
Mr. Rathbone : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 May.
Mr. Stern : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 May.
Mr. Yeo : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 May.
The Prime Minister : This morning I had a number of meetings. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings with ministerial colleagues and others later today.
Gulf and Gulf of Oman (Award)
Mr. Nicholas Baker : To ask the Prime Minister whether an award is to be made to members of the armed forces and civilians who were engaged in recent operations in the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
The Prime Minister : In recognition of service and with special regard to the dangers and hardships which accompanied duty there, for personnel who served in vessels of the Royal Navy and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, her Majesty the Queen has graciously approved the award of the General Service Medal 1962 with "Gulf" clasp. The award covers operations in the Gulf of Oman between 17 November 1986 and 31 October 1988 and continuing mine
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counter-measures operations in the Gulf from 1 November 1988 until 28 February 1989. A Command Paper (Cm. 699) which, inter alia, sets out the criteria of eligibility, is being laid before the House today.WALES
Bovine Somatotropin
Mr. Geraint Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the Milk Marketing Board about the use of bovine somatotropin on dairy herds in Wales ; and if he will make a statement.
Countryside (Employment)
Mr. Geraint Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has assessed the implications of his agricultural policies on employment in the countryside in Wales ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Walker : The level of employment on agricultural holdings in Wales in 1988 was marginally higher than in 1983. Grants and subsidies paid to Welsh farmers in 1988 are provisionally estimated to have amounted to £106 million, significantly contributing both directly and indirectly to rural employment.
Nurses (Regrading)
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will make a statement concerning nurses' regrading in Wales ; (2) how many nurses are involved in regrading in Wales ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Grist : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to the hon. Member for Brecon and Radnor (Mr. Livsey) on 20 March 1989 by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Welsh Office at column 435. Some 24,787 posts were involved.
Homelessness
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has any proposals to release empty property belonging to his Department for use by homeless people ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Grist : The Welsh Office currently holds some 150 dwellings. Where practical, they are used for letting or sale to those in need.
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on homelessness in Wales.
Mr. Grist : I am concerned as long as there are any families in Wales without permanent homes. That is why the Government have made such a substantial investment in recent years in measures to increase the supply of housing available. We have also encouraged local authorities to make better use of their stock and reduce the number of families in bed-and- breakfast accommodation.
Singleton Casualty Unit
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to complete the review of the first year's work of the Singleton casualty unit since it restored
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a 24-hour service ; and when would be an appropriate date to meet a further deputation led by the right hon. Member for Swansea, West to discuss the future development of the unit.Mr. Grist : The first year of operation of the 24-hour service at the Singleton minor casualty unit will end at the beginning of June. I would therefore expect the review of its work to end by the autumn. If the right hon. Gentleman contacts my office, I shall be happy to arrange a meeting with a deputation led by him.
Mumbles Railway
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which grant systems are available for a project to reopen the Mumbles railway in Swansea ; what are their criteria ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : Welsh Office officials have not been informed of any firm proposal to reopen the Mumbles railway. Without precise details, we cannot make a statement.
Hospital Beds
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for Wales the number of (a) acute beds and (b) non-acute beds available since 1979 for each health authority in Wales.
Mr. Grist : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Livingston (Mr. Cook) on 15 May 1989 at column 38.
Afforestation
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has on the Welsh water authority's attitude towards the proposals to afforest Bara Ceirch and Bwlch-y-Garreg in the Cambrian mountains ; and what provisions have been made for the timing of this afforestation.
Mr. Peter Walker : In the light of objections raised by the Welsh water authority to the afforestation proposals for these two sites, the applicants were informed by the Forestry Commission that grant approval would depend on a suitable liming regime being agreed with the water authority. Such an agreement has not so far proved possible.
Cash Limits
Mr. Gwilym Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he proposes to make any changes to the cash limits for class XVII, votes 5, 8 and 10 in 1989-90.
Mr. Peter Walker : Yes. Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates, the cash limit for class XVII, vote 5 will be increased by £100,000, from £273,611,000 to £273,711, 000 ; the cash limit for class XVII, vote 8 will be increased by £6, 800,000, from £823,710,000 to £830,510,000 ; and the cash limit for class XVII, vote 10 will be increased by £47,000, from £1,049,000,000 to £1,049,047,000.
The increases for class XVII, votes 5 and 8 follow the decision to implement the recommendations of the review bodies for nursing staff, midwives, health visitors and
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professions allied to medicine and on doctors' and dentists' remuneration, as announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 16 February 1989. These increases will be charged to the reserve and will not, therefore, add to the planned total of public expenditure.The increase for class XVII, vote 10 is in respect of an adjustment to a local authority's prior year entitlement to block grant. Expenditure on this vote is not classed as direct public expenditure.
Community Energy Action
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he has taken to ensure that adequate numbers of operatives and trainees are available to undertake community energy action work in draughtproofing and loft insulation in Wales.
Mr. Grist [holding answer 15 May 1989] : A package of measures was announced on 10 February by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment to help community insulation projects under employment training. Projects which are not suitable for ET might be suitable for providing voluntary work for people who have finished employment training as a means of practising their skills until they find work.
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the contribution made to the well-being of elderly people and other vulnerable people in Wales by programmes of community energy action work including draughtproofing and loft insulation in each of the last 10 years ; and what targets he intends to set for each of the next five years.
Mr. Grist [holding answer 15 May 1989] : It is essentially a matter for the placement providers to consider the contribution their projects will make to the well-being of the elderly and other vulnerable people in their areas. The elderly will benefit from recent changes to the homes insulation scheme to improve loft insulation and the installation of thermal insulation under the new home improvement grant arrangements.
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects the number of trainees undertaking community energy action work in draughtproofing and loft insulation to equal the number so engaged under the community programme in April 1988.
Mr. Grist [holding answer 15 May 1989] : It is not possible to compare the numbers on community programme with employment training. Their aims are fundamentally different. Whilst CP provided the long-term unemployed with work experience on projects that benefited the community, ET aims to provide individuals with the skills to meet their own training needs and the needs of the local labour market.
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many trainees were employed on community energy action work such as draughtproofing and loft insulation in each district council area in Wales in April 1988 under the community programme ; and how many were employed under employment training in April 1989.
Mr. Grist [holding answer 15 May 1989] : Figures for district council areas are not available. The following refer to Training Agency area office regions :
Column 455
|Community Programme Nos.|Employment Training Nos.
|of participants April |of trainees April 1989
|1988
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wrexham AO
(Clwyd,
Gwynedd and
Powys) |173 |130
Cardiff AO (Mid
Glamorgan and
South
Glamorgan) |346 |102
Swansea AO (West
Glamorgan and
Dyfed) |149 |62
Newport AO
(Gwent) |143 |47
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
North-South Campaign
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the representatives who attended the Council of Europe's European public campaign on north-south interdependence and solidarity colloquy, interdependence and cultural development, held in Lisbon, Portugal from 7 to 8 April 1988 ; and if he will show in his answer (a) what country and (b) what organisation these representatives were from.
Mr. Chris Patten : From the information available to me, I understand that the colloquy was attended by more than 100 participants and observers from a number of countries. These included the secretary-general of the Council of Europe, the President of the Republic of Portugal, representatives from 17 developing countries and from a variety of international organisations, churches and non-governmental organisations. I have asked the Council of Europe secretariat for a full list which I shall forward to the hon. Member in due course.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Edward Zolofarevsky
Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Russians about the continued failure to grant an exit visa to Edward Boris Zolofarevsky of Moscow.
Mr. Waldegrave : My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State raised this case with Mr. Shevardnadze in April. We shall continue to press the Soviet authorities until Mr. Zolofarevsky is allowed to leave the USSR.
Abduction
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received during the present Parliament about the abduction and taking abroad by their foreign- born fathers of the children of United Kingdom citizen mothers ; what information he has of the numbers of such children and the countries where they are now believed to reside ; and if he will make a statement.
Column 456
Mr. Eggar : The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's interest in cases involving the abduction and taking abroad of children stems from the child's British nationality, irrespective of the nationality or place of birth of its parents. Some of the information requested by my hon. Friend is not therefore available--for example, the place of birth of fathers or the nationality of mothers.
The information which can be provided is not immediately available, and a further reply will be given to my hon. Friend in due course.
India
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has received any representations from any organisation about the denial of human rights in the Punjab, India ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : Representations received include a report forwarded by the hon. Member, and the matter was the subject of an Adjournment debate in the House on 11 November 1988.
As my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office said on that occasion, the Government have always made clear their views on the need for all Governments to respect human rights. We must, however, recognise that the democratic Government of India faces a violent challenge to the rule of law from ruthless terrorists. The Indian Government none the less announced measures in March aimed at improving the situation in the Punjab.
Public Holidays
Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the number of public holidays which now exist in the member states of the Economic Community.
Mr. Waldegrave : The list is as follows :
|Days
----------------------------------------
Belgium |10
Denmark |10
Federal Republic of Germany |10
France |11
Greece |11
Italy |<1>11
Luxembourg |12
The Netherlands |8
Portugal |13
Republic of Ireland |8
Spain |<2>12
<1> plus 2 falling on Sundays.
<2> plus 1 discretionary day.
US Judiciary Subcommittee (Report)
Mr. Amess : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek to obtain from the United States Senate for his departmental library the report from the United States judiciary subcommittee on Separation of Powers on Senate Bill 158 of the 97th Congress ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : No. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office library purchases United States Committee reports only if their subject is of interest to the FCO.
Column 457
Pornography (United States)
Mr. Lewis : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will obtain for his departmental library a copy of the legislation passed by various American States in 1988 to deal with the so-called dial-a-porn problem.
Mr. Eggar : No. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office Library normally obtains only such copies of overseas legislation, other than that of the Commonwealth, as is necessary for day-to-day business.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Private Health Screening
79. Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps he is taking to control the use of direct mailing advertisements for private health screening services.
Mr. Forth : Direct mail advertisements, including those for private health screening services, are covered by the British code of advertising practice, which is administered by the Advertising Standards Authority.
False statements in advertisements are covered by the provisions of the Trade Descriptions Act 1968. The Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations 1988 enable the Director General of Fair Trading to seek a court injunction to prevent the publication of a misleading advertisement, where other means of control have failed. I have no plans to introduce any further controls.
Telecommunications
Mr. Lewis : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many premium rate telephone message and one-on-one services were carried by each of the operators licensed under the
Telecommunications Act 1984 for each of the last 12 months.
Mr. Atkins : The telecommunications regime does not oblige individual service providers to register such services. These figures are not, therefore, available. The report of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission on chatline and message services does, however, provide some indications of the size of the premium rate services area. Its report indicated that some 120 service providers were in business, operating about 11,000 lines. A copy of this MMC report is available in the Library of the House.
Mr. Lewis : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many monitoring staff are employed by the independent committee for the supervision of standards of telephone information services ; and how many calls they have monitored in each of the past 12 months.
Mr. Atkins : These are matters for the independent committee for the supervision of standards of telephone information services. I understand that the committee is taking an increasingly active role in the monitoring of premium services, but the hon. Member may wish to write to the chairman, Louis Blom-Cooper QC, ICSTIS, 67-69 Whitfield Street, London W1P 5RL to request the details he seeks.
Mr. Lewis : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchyof Lancaster if he will list the documents in which he
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he has given directions to the Director General ofTelecommunications under section 47 of the Telecommunications Act 1984 ; and if he will place them in the Library.
Mr. Atkins : My right hon. and noble Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has given no directions under section 47 of the Telecommunications Act 1984.
Regional Assistance (Corby)
Mr. William Powell : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many projects, and at what cost, have been supplied by regional assistance in the Corby development area in each year since 1979-80.
Mr. Atkins : The information is as follows :
Original regional development
grant (RDG I)<1><2>
Payments
|£ million
------------------------------
1979-80 |-
1980-81 |0.21
1981-82 |2.68
1982-83 |6.82
1983-84 |6.50
1984-85 |2.59
1985-86 |1.81
1986-87 |3.22
1987-88 |2.11
1988-89 |1.95
<1>Scheme was not project
based
<2>Only payments of over £25,
000 included up to 1983-84
Revised regional development grant (RDG II)<1>
£ million
|Approvals |Payments |Number of Projects
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1985-86 |10.03 |1.5 |191
1986-87 |24.23 |4.7 |207
1987-88 |23.13 |6.4 |224
1988-89 |15.18 |7.3 |171
<1>Scheme introduced November 1984 and terminated March 1988
Regional selective assistance
£ million
|Offers |Payments |Number of Projects
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1988-89 |0.36 |0.01 |32
<1>Scheme introduced March 1988
Regional selective assistance
£ million
|Offers |Payments |Number of Projects
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1988-89 |0.36 |0.01 |32
<1>Scheme introduced March 1988
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Polyester Silk Plants
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list by year for the last 10 years the value in current prices of polyester silk plants made in the United Kingdom ; and how many companies at the latest date for which he has figures are currently producing this product in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Atkins : The figures are not available.
Manufacturing Industry
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, further to his reply of 27 April, Official Report, columns 614- 15, concerning gross output of finished manufactures and imports of semi- manufactures, intermediate products and basic materials, whether he will provide comparable figures for motor cars ; and if he will add figures for 1973 and for exports.
Mr. Alan Clark : The available information is shown in the table :
Motor vehicles<1>
|Gross output|Exports
|£ billion |£ billion
----------------------------------------------------
1979 |7.2 |1.5
<1> Activity Heading 3510 of the Standard
Industrial Classification (Revised) 1980.
Source: Department of Trade and Industry.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, further to his reply of 27 April, Official Report, columns 614- 15, concerning gross output of finished manufactures and imports of semi- manufactures, intermediate products and basic materials, whether he will provide comparable figures for electrical and electronic engineering products ; and if he will add figures for 1973 and for exports.
Mr. Alan Clark : The available information is shown in the table :
Electrical and electronic engineering<1>
|Gross output|Exports
|£ billion |£ billion
----------------------------------------------------
1979 |11.5 |3.2
<1> Class 34 of the Standard Industrial
Classification (Revised) 1980.
Source: Department of Trade and Industry.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, further to his reply of 27 April, Official Report, columns 614- 15, concerning gross output of finished manufactures and imports of semi- manufactures, intermediate products and basic materials, whether he will provide comparable figures for mechanical engineering products ; and if he will add figures for 1973 and for exports.
Mr. Alan Clark : The available information is shown in the table :
Mechanical engineering<1>
|Gross output|Exports
|£ billion |£ billion
----------------------------------------------------
1979 |18.0 |6.1
<1> Class 32 of the Standard Industrial
Classification (Revised) 1980.
Source: Department of Trade and Industry.
Column 460
Inward Investment
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will give the total number of inward investment projects in each of the standard regions and Wales for each of the years 1979 to 1988, inclusive.
Mr. Atkins [holding answer 19 May 1989] : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Angus, East (Mr. Welsh) on 16 May, at columns 115-16.
EC Regional Fund
Mr. Ashton : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the precise areas which will now benefit from the EEC regional fund ; and if the decision on the boundaries and size of the individual allocations will be made by his Department or by the European Commission.
Mr. Lofthouse : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the precise areas which will now benefit from the EEC regional fund ; and if the decision on the boundaries and size of the individual allocations will be made by his Department or by the European Commission.
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