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then provide a framework within which authorised systems would operate. The purpose of the regulations would be :(a) to facilitate the introduction and operation of computer based systems for recording the holding of securities (or interests in them) and for their transfer ;
(b) to ensure that, as far as reasonably practicable, investors, issuers (ie companies) and other are in a corresponding position under such a computer-based system as they are under the present paper-based system.
The regulations will make provisions inter alia for ensuring that authorised systems and their participants are properly regulated. They will also ensure that the speed and ease with which information about the identities of owners of shares is made available is comparable to present arrangements ; and that investors continue to enjoy broadly the same rights as they do now.
Electricity Boards
Mr. Neil Hamilton : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many representations he has received regarding alleged abuses of Fair Trading and Competition Acts by electricity boards.
Mr. Maude [holding answer 12 June 1989] : Three.
Eastern Electricity Board
Mr. Neil Hamilton : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will instruct the Director General of Fair Trading to investigate the current retail practices of the Eastern electricity board.
Mr. Maude [holding answer 12 June 1989] : It is for the Director General of Fair Trading to decide whether to carry out an investigation to establish whether someone is engaging in an anti- competitive practice. I understand that the Director General is following up complaints from retailers of electrical hardware.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list those who have made representations regarding alleged anti- competitive practices by the Eastern electricity board ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maude [holding answer 12 June 1989] : No : I treat such representations in confidence.
Beer (MMC Report)
Mr. Allen : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he expects to announce his decision on implementing the Monopolies and Mergers Commission's report on the supply of beer.
Mr. Maude [holding answer 12 June 1989] : I made a preliminary statement about the scope of application of some of the proposed measures on 8 June at column 229. I am anxious to settle the remaining issues quickly.
THE ARTS
School Parties (Museum Charges)
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Minister for the Arts which national museums impose charges for school parties ; and what advice he issues museums in respect of educational charges.
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Mr. Luce : The National Maritime museum and Merseyside Maritime museum are the only national museums to levy charges for school parties. Both operate concessionary charge schemes.
The policy on charging educational parties is a matter for the director and trustees of each individual museum.
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
Inner London Education Authority (Women Employees)
Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received suggesting that the draft regulations on redundancy and detriment compensation discriminate against women employees of the Inner London Education Authority ; and what has been his response.
Mrs. Rumbold : My right hon. Friend is currently considering representations from the TUC on this point.
Further Education (London)
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many 16-year-olds stay on in education after this age in the Inner London education authority.
Mr. Jackson : In 1987-88 there were approximately 11.5 thousand full -time students (a participation rate of 51 per cent.) and 1.5 thousand part -time students (a participation rate of 7 per cent.).
Scottish Qualifications
Mr. Key : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he intends to approve Scottish qualifications for use in maintained schools in England in 1990 and 1991.
Mr. Kenneth Baker : Yes. I intend that qualifications certificated by the Scottish Examination Board should be included in the supplementary list of qualifications approved for use in maintained schools in England in 1990 and 1991 which will be issued later this summer and which was foreshadowed in the Department's 31 May circular (11/89).
ENERGY
Wind Turbines
Mr. Alan W. Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the load factor achieved by the three wind turbines at Carmarthen bay (a) for 1988 and (b) to date during 1989.
Mr. Michael Spicer : The vertical axis wind turbine machine had a load factor of 13.3 per cent. for 1988 and 17.3 per cent. for the first quarter of 1989. The machine is being used as a test bed to support the VAWT development programme and, since 1987, has been operating in a different mode from that originally intended. Over this period, it has given satisfactory performance with an availability of 93 per cent.
The Howden HWT300 machine has had a number of teething troubles with its control system, and representative operating data are not yet available ; it is hoped that
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suitable data will be acquired over the next year. The wind energy group MS3 machine is not yet fully commissioned, and load factor data are therefore not yet available.Energy Industries (Fatalities)
Sir John Farr : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list in the Official Report annual totals of fatalities since 1970 in the United Kingdom energy industries, showing separately the figures for (a) coal, (b) civil nuclear, and (c) offshore oil and gas.
Mr. Parkinson : The figures are as follows :
Fatal injuries to employees in the energy sector
Date of Accident (calendar year except where otherwise indicated)
|<1>Coal Mining |<2>Civil Nuclear |<3>Offshore Oil and Gas
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1970 |91 |- |1
1971 |72 |- |4
1972 |64 |- |3
1973 |80 |- |3
1974 |48 |- |12
1975 |64 |- |10
1976 |50 |2 |17
1977 |40 |1 |11
1978 |63 |2 |4
1979 |46 |- |10
1980 |42 |2 |4
1981 |35 |2 |6
1982 |38 |2 |14
1983 |30 |2 |10
1984 |19 |- |13
1985 |25 |1 |8
1986 |<4>18 |1 |3
1987 |<4>12 |- |6
1988 |<4>20 |- |<5>173
<1> Reported to the Health and Safety Executive's inspectorate of mines and quarries (figures include both British Coal
and private licensed mines)
<2> None of the civil nuclear fatalities involved exposure to radiation.
<3> The statistics include all fatalities on or near installations and pipeline works or on attendant vessels in the
course of any operation undertaken in connection with an installation. They also include fatalities in respect of
pipelines or in the course of pipeline works. Fatalities involving helicopters flying to or from installations are only
included if they occur in the vicinity of the installation.
<4> Figures for coal fatalities compiled on a financial year basis since April 1986. There were a further seven
fatalities between 1 January 1986 and 31 March 1986.
<5> 167 of these fatalities relate to the Piper Alpha disaster.
Harwell (Laboratories)
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what new laboratories or existing laboratory upgrading and extensions have been built since 1979 at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment, operated by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority at Harwell ; which of these have been paid for from a parliamentary vote ; and which paid for by commercial contracts signed by the UKAEA or AEA technology.
Mr. Parkinson : Since 1979 the Harwell laboratory has completed seven major laboratory schemes. Details and information on how they were funded is as follows :
Description |Funding provided by --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Electron Linear Accelerator facility |Vote Extension to Environmental and Medical Sciences building |Vote New and improved facilities for handling radioactive wastes |Vote Thoria Pelleting plant |Industrial customer Refurbishment of Post Irradiation Examination Laboratory |<1>Capital Improvements to Biochemistry Building |<1>Capital <1> Since 1986, when the finances of the UKAEA were put on a trading fund basis, capital investment which is intended to serve several research and development customers has been capitalised and is funded corporately within the AEA's external financing limit.
Nuclear Materials (Safeguards)
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what period of notice the United Kingdom is required to give the safeguards authorities at the International Atomic Energy Agency and the European Atomic Energy Agency, Euratom, if nuclear material under safeguards is to be withdrawn from safeguards.
Mr. Michael Spicer : The United Kingdom is required to give to Euratom and the IAEA 10 days notice of withdrawal of material from the terms of the United Kingdom/Euratom/IAEA agreement unless otherwise specified in the relevant facality attachment.
Sellafield
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what the basic technical characteristics of the Sellafield reprocessing facilities were submitted to Euratom for the purposes of developing safeguards arrangements for Sellafield.
Mr. Michael Spicer : Basic technical characteristics for different material balance areas at Sellafield have been formally submitted to Euratom at different times in addition to Euratom inspectors obtaining the technical characteristics during inspections. The development of safeguards approaches is mostly influenced by that latter knowledge.
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when the particular safeguards provisions for the Sellafield reprocessing facility were (a) first agreed and (b) first implemented ; and if he will make a statement on the implementations of the safeguards arrangements at Sellafield.
Mr. Michael Spicer : Four particular safeguards provisions were agreed and came into force in 1988. The others are in an advanced stage of consultation, to come into force progressively.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
International Fund for Agricultural Development
Mr. Paice : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the outcome of the negotiations to replenish the international fund for agricultural development ; and what will be the British contribution.
Mr. Chris Patten : I am glad to say that IFAD members successfully agreed early on 8 June to replenish the fund with at least $523 million so as to cover its operations up
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to 30 June 1992. The final total, to be fixed by the end of September, will depend on how far the group of non-oil developing countries can raise their pledges towards $75 million, in response to an offer by western donors to match this by 3 : 1. If that figure is reached, the replenishment will come to $611 million, corresponding to over $730 million for a full three year period. But the level already secured, with reflows to the fund, is enough to allow it to continue operations at a reasonable level.The British contribution, like that of other western donors, will only be finalised at the end of September. I shall report it to the House thereafter, and it will naturally be subject to parliamentary approval.
NATIONAL FINANCE
Taxation
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the anticipated effect on the Exchequer of raising the higher rate of taxation to 50 per cent. ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Norman Lamont : The yield in a full year at 1989-90 levels of income of increasing the higher rate of income tax to 50 per cent. would be about £2 billion. The estimate includes the consequential effect on the yield of capital gains tax. It is partly based on a projection of the 1986-87 survey of personal incomes and is provisional.
Pension's (Civil Servants)
Sir Peter Hordern : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing the total cost of pensions paid to civil servants in each of the last five years.
Mr. Brooke : Pensions paid to civil servants, along with certain other pension payments (including pensions paid to the dependants of former civil servants), are a charge on the civil superannuation vote. It is not possible to separate out the costs of the other pension payments but, with the exception of pensions paid to the dependants of former civil servants, the costs are small. Total pension costs, as recorded in the Appropriation Accounts for subhead A1 of the vote, in each of the last five years are as follows :
$
|Pension |Lump sum
|£ |£
------------------------------------
Grade 6 |14,085 |42,255
Grade 5 |15,801 |47,403
Grade 4 |17,707 |53,122
Grade 3 |19,500 |58,500
Grade 2 |24,000 |72,000
Grade 1A |31,375 |94,125
Grade 1 |34,250 |102,750
Sir Peter Hordern : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the average pension and lump sum paid to civil servants in retirement after 40 years service in each grade from grade 6 and above.
Mr. Brooke : A civil servant with 40 years' service and paid at the scale maximum of the respective grade (excluding London weighting where payable) would qualify on retirement for a pension and lump sum as follows :
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$
|Pension |Lump sum
|£ |£
------------------------------------
Grade 6 |14,085 |42,255
Grade 5 |15,801 |47,403
Grade 4 |17,707 |53,122
Grade 3 |19,500 |58,500
Grade 2 |24,000 |72,000
Grade 1A |31,375 |94,125
Grade 1 |34,250 |102,750
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Taxation
Mr. Gordon Brown : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the reduction in annual liability to (a) capital gains tax and (b) capital transfer tax in 1988-89, 1989-90 and 1990-91 as against the 1978-79 indexed regime, specifying, in each case, the total and average reduction per taxpayer as well as the number of taxpayers in each year.
Mr. Norman Lamont [holding answer 15 May 1989] : Latest estimates for 1988-89 and 1989-90 are as follows :
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|Capital gains tax |Capital transfer
|tax/Inheritance tax
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reduction, compared with indexed 1978-79 regime, in:
Total liability (£ million)
1988-89 |1,250 |600
1989-90 |1,350 |670
Average liability<1> (£)
1988-89 |1,900 |8,500
1989-90 |1,900 |9,500
Taxpayer numbers (thousands)
1978-79 indexed regime
1988-89 |650 |70
1989-90 |700 |70
Present regime
1988-89 |145 |24
1989-90 |160 |24
<1> The reduction in the average liability is calculated using the estimated number of taxpayers under the
1978-79 indexed regime.
The figures for capital gains tax exclude capital gains realised by companies and taxed within corporation tax. For each tax, the 1988-89 and 1989-90 tax bases are taken as given. It is not possible to determine to what extent changes to the taxes between 1978-79 and the present may have affected the levels of transfers and disposals. The comparisons can be regarded as no more than indicative of the orders of magnitude involved.
Public Safety Films
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the title and topic of those Government public safety films and announcements that have been screened on television in each of the last six months.
Mr. Lilley [holding answer 8 June 1989] : Details of Government public safety films and announcements produced through the Central Office of Information on behalf of other Government Departments in each of the last six months for which data are available are as follows :
Public Safety Films Broadcast in October 1988--
Crime Prevention--Child Molestation
Children Say No--Brownies
Children Say No--Car
Children Say No--Sweets (10s)
Children Say No--Sweets (5s)
Litter and Safety
Keep Britain Tidy--Excuses (70s)
Keep Britain Tidy--Excuses (40s)
Keep Britain Tidy--Excuses (10s)
Fire Prevention--Children
Welephant--Safe with Matches
Fire Prevention--General
Children Alone
Cigarette Fires
Clothes Fire Presenter
Fat Pan Folly
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Fire at NightFire Exits
Fire in the Fat Pan
Fire Routine
Furniture Fires
House that Jack Built, The
How to Dial 999
Last Smoke, The
Phone Emergency
Portable Heaters (60s)
Portable Heaters (10s)
Short Fires
Upstairs Fire Escape
Health-General
Clean it up
Collars and Leads
Health Hazard
Rabies Advice
Rabies--Airport
Road Safety--Children
Charley's Tea Party
Child Cyclist--Right Turn
Children Crossing (40s)
Children Crossing (20s)
Pelican Pedestrians
Road Safety--General
Amber Gambler--Twins
Dangerous Diamonds
Don't Dazzle
Driver Fatigue
Elderly Pedestrians
Eyesight when Driving
Flying Motorbikes
Hard Shoulders
Help'
Horses and Cars
How to Brake
Junction Lanes
Junction Parking
Lane Discipline
Let the Other Fella Know
Look Out for Bikes
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