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Dr. Thomas : To ask the Prime Minister if, during her recent meeting with President Ortega of Nicaragua, she discussed the role to be played by the non-aligned movement in strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation treaty at its fourth review conference in 1990.
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Prime Minister if, during the recent visit of the President of Nigeria, she discussed the ways in which the nuclear non-proliferation treaty can be strengthened at its fourth review conference in 1990.
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Prime Minister if, during the visit of the Prime Minister of Israel to the United Kingdom on 21-22 May, she raised the questions of (a) the possibility of Israel signing the nuclear non- proliferation treaty and (b) the danger of nuclear weapons proliferation in the middle east.
The Prime Minister : No, but we have raised this issue regularly with the Government of Israel.
Mr. Latham : To ask the Prime Minister whether she will make a statement on her meeting with the Prime Minister of the state of Israel on 22 May.
The Prime Minister : My meeting with Mr. Shamir was held in a friendly spirit reflecting the good relations between Britain and Israel. We discussed Arab-Israel matters, other regional issues and bilateral questions. I welcomed his proposals for elections in the occupied territories as a useful step forward but emphasised the need for an understanding on a solution based on territory for peace.
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Mr. Tebbit : To ask the Prime Minister who has overall responsibility for the expedition of London's traffic.
The Prime Minister : Responsibility rests with the Secretary of State for Transport, the London local authorities and the police. The Secretary of State is the highway authority for trunk roads in London. At the request of the London local authorities he is also responsible for London's urban traffic control systems and all London's traffic lights. The local authorities are the highway and traffic authorities for local roads in their areas. The Metropolitan and City of London police are responsible for the enforcement of traffic and parking laws, and deal with incidents arising from traffic control.
Sir George Young : To ask the Prime Minister whether the arrangements for disregarding war widows' pensions for housing benefit purposes are the same in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The Prime Minister : No. The housing benefit scheme for England, Scotland and Wales has a statutory disregard, currently set at £5 a week, of any war disablement or war widow's pension, and local authorities have discretion to enhance this disregard. The separate housing benefit scheme in Northern Ireland has a statutory disregard of all such pensions.
Mr. Coleman : To ask the Prime Minister what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government concerning the use by Government agencies of premises located in political clubs ; and if she will make a statement.
The Prime Minister : Government Departments should not use premises located in political clubs for official purposes unless no suitable alternative is available. Non-departmental public bodies and Government contractors are responsible for their own operational arrangements.
Mr. Wareing : To ask the Prime Minister what is the number of disabled persons employed by (a) the Cabinet Office, and (b) at 10 Downing street ; what these figure are as a percentage of the total work force ; and if she will make a statement.
The Prime Minister : There are 16 registered disabled persons employed by the Cabinet Office, which represents approximately 1 per cent. of the total work force, and none at 10 Downing street. The Cabinet Office is an equal opportunities employer, and continually seeks to encourage the employment of disabled people.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Prime Minister what assessment she has made of the need to set up a new department concerned with green issues ; what discussions she has had on this matter ; and when they were held.
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The Prime Minister : The Department of Environment has lead responsibility for environmental issues. I have no present plans to set up a new department to deal with such issues.
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 6 June.
Mr. Eastham : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 6 June.
Mr. Grocott : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 6 June.
Mr. Stern : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 6 June.
Mr. Livingstone : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 6 June.
The Prime Minister : This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today. This evening I hope to have an audience of Her Majesty the Queen.
Mr. Amess : To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the number of public petitions presented in each session since 1970.
Mr. Wakeham : The information requested is as follows :
Session |Number of petitions ------------------------------------------------------------ 1970-71 |8 1971-72 |21 1972-73 |25 1973-74 |6 1974 |27 1974-75 |12 1975-76 |46 1976-77 |61 1977-78 |24 1978-79 |6 1979-80 |7 1980-81 |29 1981-82 |27 1982-83 |29 1983-84 |732 1984-85 |1,059 1985-86 |516 1986-87 |108 1987-88 |356 <1>1988-89 |94 <1> To 26 May 1989.
Mr. Amess : To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will publish in the Official Report a list of private Members' Bills where a Division took place on Second Reading, and where the Bill subsequently did not receive Royal Assent in each Session since 1970.
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Mr. Wakeham : The information requested is as follows :
1971-72
Care of the Elderly Bill
1972-73
Penalties for Murder Bill
Council House (Tenant's Representation) Bill
1974
Companies Bill
1974-75
Abortion (Amendment) Bill
1976-77
Abortion (Amendment) Bill
Council Tenants' Charter Bill
Pre-Release Hostels for Prisoners Bill
1977-78
Employment Protection Bill
Employment Protection (Amendment) Bill
Post Office Workers (Industrial Action) Bill
1978-79
Employment Opportunities (Small Businesses) Bill
1979-80
Abortion (Amendment) Bill
Road Traffic (Seat Belts) Bill
1982-83
Shops Bill
1983-84
Sex Equality Bill
House Buyers Bill
1984-85
Unborn Children (Protection) Bill
1985-86
Obscene Publications (Protection of Children Etc.)(Amendment) Bill 1986-87
Free Television Licences for Pensioners Bill
Obscene Publications Bill
1988-89
Protection of Official Information Bill
Abortion (Amendment) Bill
fewer than 40 Members voting
negatived on a Division.
Mr. Bowis : To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will end the practice whereby hand-delivered items to the Palace of Westminster have to bear postage stamps.
Mr. Wakeham : Under the existing regulations one unstamped letter may be accepted from a Stranger, on a sitting day, for delivery to a right hon. or hon. Member. I have no plans to change these arrangements at present. However, if my hon. Friend has any proposals in mind, may I suggest that, in the first instance, he contacts the Accommodation and Administration Sub-Committee.
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27. Mr. Brandon-Bravo : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the number of schools which have opted for grant-maintained status.
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32. Mr. Dunn : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many applications have been received by his Department from schools wishing to become grant-maintained ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : I refer my hon. Friends to the reply my right hon. Friend gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Rugby and Kenilworth (Mr. Pawsey).
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