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The Prime Minister : This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today.
Government Publicity
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister whether, in the light of paragraph 13 of the guidance on conventions on Government publicity issued by the Cabinet Office, advice on the propriety of methods of releasing official information by officials will be sought from the Cabinet Office prior or subsequently to the receipt of ministerial sanction for express approval for the release of such information.
The Prime Minister : It is for Departments to decide whether and when to seek such advice in the light of paragraph 12 of the guidance.
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
Press Briefings
Mr. Grocott : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what guidelines he follows in determining which journalists are invited to press briefings by his Department.
Mrs. Rumbold : The journalists invited to press briefings depend upon the matter under discussion.
Medical Research
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish the amount of money spent on medical research in each of the last 10
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years broken down into (a) the total figure per year, (b) the percentage spent on AIDS and (c) as a percentage of the total research budget.Mr. Jackson : The main agency through which the Government support medical research is the Medical
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Research Council. The following table shows, for each of the last 10 years, the grant in aid to the MRC, the amount of that spent on specific programmes of AIDS research, and the grant in aid to the MRC as a percentage of the total science budget :Column 489
|(a) |(b) |(c) |(d) |(e)
|Grant in aid to MRC |Amount of (a) spent on|(b) as a percentage of|Science Budget |(a) as a percentage of
|specific programmes of|(a) |(d)
|AIDS research
|£ million |£ million |Percentage |£ million |Percentage
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1979-80 |57.2 |- |- |333 |17.2
1980-81 |86.6 |- |- |396 |21.9
1981-82 |101.5 |- |- |440 |23.1
1982-83 |107.5 |- |- |469 |22.9
1983-84 |113.7 |- |- |504 |22.6
1984-85 |117.2 |0.1 |0.1 |535 |21.9
1985-86 |122.3 |0.4 |0.3 |571 |21.4
1986-87 |128.3 |0.7 |0.5 |603 |21.3
1987-88 |139.8 |3.7 |2.6 |658 |21.2
1988-89 |149.6 |5.0 |3.3 |709 |21.1
In addition, universities and medical schools support a range of medical research, including AIDS research, from block grants provided by the Universities Funding Council (formerly the University Grants Committee). Other medical research is supported by the health authorities.
Schools (Fences)
Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will issue a circular to local authorities, concerning the dangers caused to pupils and teachers through inadequate fencing around primary schools.
Mrs. Rumbold : It is not necessary to issue a circular on the danger caused to pupils and teachers through inadequate fencing around primary schools. Local authorities are already aware of the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act and circular 11/74 issued by the DES following that Act.
Gateshead City Technology College
Mr. Clelland : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many tenders were received for the development of the Gateshead city technology college ; and what were the various tender prices submitted.
Mrs. Rumbold : Five tenders were received. Prices ranged from £6, 730,000 to £7,245,000. The price offered by Laing Northern was the lowest, and its design proposals were considered to be the most appropriate of those submitted.
Mr. Clelland : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science in the light of the contribution from public funds towards the development costs of the Gateshead city technology college (a) who will own the buildings, (b) who will own the land which constitutes the site once the project is completed and (c) to whom the assets will revert should the school fail to open or close at some future date.
Mrs. Rumbold : The Tyneside city technology college trust will own the land and buildings. The funding
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agreement between my right hon. Friend and each individual CTC will specify the conditions under which repayment will be made to him in the event that the school should close.Mr. Clelland : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science on what date John Laing plc became a sponsor of the Gateshead city technology college.
Mrs. Rumbold : John Laing announced its sponsorship of the CTC in Gateshead in October 1988.
Mr. Clelland : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what elements of the national curriculum the Gateshead city technology college will be obliged to adopt.
Mrs. Rumbold : As a condition of grant, all CTCs will be bound to offer the full national curriculum including assessment arrangements throughout the compulsory years of education.
Mr. Clelland : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what investigations were made into possible inner-city sites for the Gateshead city technology college.
Mrs. Rumbold : Investigations were made into other sites in Tyne and Wear, but none was found to be suitable.
Mr. Clelland : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the total contribution of the CTC Trust to the development of the Gateshead city technology college to date ; for what specific purposes such money has been allocated ; and what further advances are planned.
Mrs. Rumbold : The CTC Trust has not itself contributed financially to the development of the Gateshead CTC. It was, however, involved in the negotiations for the acquisition of the site.
Mr. Clelland : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proportion of the Gateshead city technology college roll must be drawn from the inner-city area in order for the college to comply with the aims and objectives of Her Majesty's Government's policy to develop city technology colleges.
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Mrs. Rumbold : The catchment area for the Gateshead CTC is not yet finalised, but it will be drawn so as to include surrounding areas of deprivation, and every effort will be made to ensure that as high a proportion of children as possible come from those areas.
Mr. Clelland : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what were the opening and closing dates for the submission of tenders for the development of the Gateshead city technology college ; and what date the tender from Laing Northern was received ; and who had access to the tenders submitted prior to the closing date.
Mrs. Rumbold : The date for submission of tenders was 12 May. All tenders, including the tender from Laing Northern, were received under sealed cover on that day. They were opened, stamped, and their contents formally recorded, in the presence of five witnesses. I do not know of any person who had access to the tenders before submission. The DES, and the sponsors (other than John Laing plc), and the members of the panel had no such access.
Mr. Clelland : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science which of the sponsors of the Gateshead city technology college were involved in the decision to award the development contract to Laing Northern.
Mrs. Rumbold : The decision upon the award of the development contract was made by an evaluation panel composed of Mr. Peter Vardy, as the principal sponsor, the chief architect of Argyll plc, the chief architect of the DES, the project director, and three independent assessors nominated by my Department. John Laing plc was not represented on the panel and had no part whatsoever in the decision.
Student Loans
Mrs. Wise : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if it is his intention to charge interest on student loans in cases where repayment is deferred because of low earnings after graduation.
Mr. Jackson : As was made clear in the White Paper "Top-up Loans for Students" (Cm. 520), the Government's proposals are for a zero real interest rate on the outstanding balance of the top-up loan ; where repayments are deferred because a graduate's income is low, a real interest rate of zero will continue to apply during the period of deferment.
EMPLOYMENT
Dock Labour Scheme
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received about the future of the scheme ports once the dock labour scheme is abolished ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Nicholls : I have received a number of representations supporting the Government's proposals to abolish the dock labour scheme so that scheme ports can become more competitive and attract new investment to provide jobs in the ports themselves and in surrounding areas.
Lifting the barriers to business and jobs imposed by the scheme's damaging and unnecessary controls has been widely welcomed throughout industry.
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EC Social Charter
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards those clauses of the European Community's draft social charter which would ensure the participation of the work force in decision making within companies.
Mr. Cope : The Government believe firmly that employee involvement in the United Kingdom is best developed on a voluntary basis. We shall therefore continue to oppose attempts to legislate on this subject.
SCOTLAND
Nuclear Accidents
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what contingency plans his Department has for dealing with an accident involving (a) any seaborne, (b) any airborne or (c) any landborne nuclear weapons, in the course of non-operational activities, including courtesy calls.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence gave today to a similar question from the hon. Member.
Tree Planting
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, further to his answer of Thursday, 25 May, Official Report, column 25, if he will place those representations on tree planting in the Library.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The representations were contained in private correspondence and it would therefore be inappropriate to place them in the Library.
Rates
Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will produce a table for each district council showing the total yield from the rate payment for 1988-89 showing the breakdown of the amount attributed to district and region.
Mr. Lang : The estimated yields from rate payments are set out in the table.
|Total District Rate|Total Regional Rate|Total Rate
|Income |Income |Income
|1988-89 |1988-89 |1988-89
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Islands Councils
Orkney |- |9.076 |9.076
Shetland |- |50.370 |50.370
Western Isles |- |6.656 |6.656
District Councils
Berwickshire |0.765 |3.925 |4.690
Ettrick and Lauderdale |1.766 |8.015 |9.781
Roxburgh |1.800 |7.345 |9.145
Tweedale |0.644 |3.426 |4.070
Clackmannan |4.617 |13.468 |18.085
Falkirk |12.819 |46.081 |58.899
Stirling |11.063 |26.574 |37.637
Annandale and Eskdale |1.958 |8.568 |10.526
Nithsdale |3.425 |15.082 |18.507
Stewartry |1.132 |5.642 |6.774
Wigtown |1.242 |6.621 |7.863
Dunfermline |11.316 |52.843 |64.159
Kirkcaldy |13.738 |50.716 |64.454
North East Fife |5.250 |21.294 |26.543
Aberdeen City |25.213 |86.238 |111.451
Banff & Buchan |6.076 |23.127 |29.203
Gordon |3.009 |13.839 |16.847
Kincardine & Deeside |1.978 |11.195 |13.173
Moray |4.970 |22.472 |27.442
Badenoch & Strathspey |0.516 |3.604 |4.120
Caithness |1.344 |6.002 |7.346
Inverness |3.868 |22.961 |26.829
Lochaber |1.581 |6.148 |7.729
Nairn |0.339 |2.319 |2.658
Ross & Cromarty |3.142 |14.122 |17.264
Skye and Lochalsh |0.510 |2.367 |2.876
Sutherland |0.425 |2.467 |2.892
East Lothian |7.637 |27.209 |34.846
Edinburgh City |54.718 |200.989 |255.706
Midlothian |5.860 |20.778 |26.638
West Lothian |10.214 |41.445 |51.659
Argyll & Bute |5.842 |18.518 |24.360
Bearsden & Milngavie |3.045 |13.810 |16.855
Clydebank |4.431 |13.784 |18.215
Clydesdale |4.031 |14.429 |18.460
Cumbernauld & Kilsyth |4.980 |18.265 |23.246
Cumnock & Doon Valley |2.444 |8.575 |11.019
Cunninghame |14.997 |44.444 |59.441
Dumbarton |8.424 |26.847 |35.271
East Kilbride |6.721 |28.520 |35.241
Eastwood |3.022 |17.731 |20.752
Glasgow City |113.829 |262.992 |376.820
Hamilton |8.883 |29.705 |38.588
Inverclyde |6.870 |25.781 |32.651
Kilmarnock & Loudoun |6.690 |21.806 |28.495
Kyle & Carrick |10.509 |37.274 |47.782
Monklands |8.342 |27.957 |36.298
Motherwell |11.868 |44.333 |56.201
Renfrew |18.752 |62.941 |81.692
Strathkelvin |5.981 |22.301 |28.283
Angus |5.861 |24.001 |29.862
Dundee City |20.687 |53.522 |74.209
Perth & Kinross |9.262 |36.725 |45.988
Scotland |488.401 |1,697.242 |2,185.644
Notes:
(1). Rate income is less domestic rate relief.
(2). Estimated figures calculated using actual penny rate products, rateable values and rate poundages
from "Rating Review".
Community Charge
Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide a breakdown of the figures given in the table in his written answer of 12 June showing the amount attributable to the district and the region.
Mr. Lang : The figures given in the table are the estimated yields, in 1989-90, of community and water charges in the district, regional and islands councils in Scotland.
£ thousands
|Yield of district |Yield of regional |Yield of water charge |Total yield of community
|community charge |community charge |charge
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Islands Councils
Orkney |- |1,812 |386 |2,198
Shetland |- |1,746 |110 |1,856
Western Isles |- |3,223 |800 |4,023
District Council
Berwickshire |457 |2,565 |457 |3,480
Ettrick and Lauderdale |1,069 |4,428 |789 |6,286
Roxburgh |1,154 |4,780 |852 |6,785
Tweeddale |501 |2,026 |361 |2,888
Clackmannan |2,999 |6,825 |517 |10,340
Falkirk |4,873 |20,974 |1,589 |27,435
Stirling |5,729 |11,695 |886 |18,310
Annandale and Eskdale |1,312 |4,981 |781 |7,074
Nithsdale |1,699 |7,778 |1,220 |10,698
Stewartry |698 |3,368 |528 |4,594
Wigtown |936 |4,177 |655 |5,768
Dunfermline |5,231 |20,924 |1,712 |27,868
Kirkcaldy |6,597 |24,190 |1,979 |32,767
North East Fife |4,144 |11,119 |910 |16,173
Aberdeen City |13,552 |30,134 |4,783 |48,469
Banff and Buchan |3,510 |11,702 |1,857 |17,069
Gordon |2,259 |9,702 |1,540 |13,501
Kincardine and Deeside |1,115 |6,588 |1,046 |8,749
Moray |2,685 |12,083 |1,918 |16,686
Badenoch and Strathspey |326 |1,677 |186 |2,189
Caithness |498 |3,589 |399 |4,486
Inverness |1,179 |8,164 |907 |10,251
Lochaber |541 |2,630 |292 |3,462
Nairn |213 |1,371 |152 |1,737
Ross and Cromarty |1,382 |6,377 |709 |8,468
Skye and Lochalsh |238 |1,711 |190 |2,138
Sutherland |65 |1,958 |218 |2,241
East Lothian |4,401 |18,304 |1,148 |23,853
Edinburgh City |28,962 |95,541 |5,992 |130,495
Midlothian |3,543 |17,236 |1,081 |21,860
West Lothian |5,483 |29,143 |1,828 |36,454
Argyll and Bute |2,977 |10,267 |975 |14,220
Bearsden and Milngavie |2,392 |6,057 |575 |9,025
Clydebank |2,852 |7,314 |695 |10,861
Clydesdale |3,520 |8,585 |816 |12,920
Cumbernauld and Kilsyth |2,481 |8,862 |842 |12,186
Cumnock and Doon Valley |1,831 |6,425 |610 |8,867
Cunninghame |6,106 |20,697 |1,966 |28,769
Dumbarton |4,581 |11,597 |1,102 |17,280
East Kilbride |6,086 |12,258 |1,165 |19,491
Eastwood |2,698 |8,565 |814 |12,076
Glasgow City |46,323 |106,491 |10,117 |162,931
Hamilton |5,582 |15,505 |1,473 |22,560
Inverclyde |5,160 |14,334 |1,362 |20,856
Kilmarnock and Loudoun |2,984 |11,935 |1,134 |16,052
Kyle and Carrick |7,676 |17,250 |1,639 |26,565
Monklands |5,560 |15,027 |1,428 |22,015
Motherwell |9,295 |21,615 |2,054 |32,964
Renfrew |11,268 |29,652 |2,817 |43,737
Strathkelvin |5,143 |12,857 |1,221 |19,221
Angus |3,646 |15,427 |1,473 |20,546
Dundee City |10,746 |28,484 |2,719 |41,949
Perth and Kinross |5,530 |20,975 |2,002 |28,508
Sir Hector Monro : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what arrangements he is proposing to make for relieving owners of unoccupied farm cottages of their liability to pay the standard community charge.
Mr. Lang : I have today laid before Parliament a set of regulations- -the Standard and Collective Community Charges (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 1989--which provide that certain unoccupied and unfurnished agricultural dwellinghouses, which fulfil conditions prescribed in those regulations, will be exempt from the standard community charge and the standard community water charge.
Forestry
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much land was approved for afforestation in (a) Scotland, (b) England and (c) Wales in the 12 months ending 1 April ; of this how much was for (i) coniferous and (ii) deciduous planting ; how much was actually planted ; and of both approved and planted totals how much was in respect of land on which set-aside payments were being made.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The following areas of land were approved for afforestation under Forestry Commission grant schemes in the year ended 31 March 1989 :
Area of planting hectares Country |Conifers |Broadleaves ------------------------------------------------ Scotland |20,900 |1,550 England |750 |900 Wales |700 |200
Information is not held centrally on the breakdown of these areas between broadleaves and conifers.
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The following were the areas of new planting on which grants were paid under Forestry Commission Grant schemes in the year ended 31 March 1989 :Area of planting hectares Country |Conifers |Broadleaves ------------------------------------------------ Scotland |20,900 |1,550 England |750 |900 Wales |700 |200
No planting grants were paid in respect of land on which set-aside payments are to be made.
It should be noted that (i) areas approved for planting are not necessarily planted and grant aided in the same year, and (ii) the above figures exclude land for which planting grants were approved or paid in association with the farm woodland scheme.
Language Teaching
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether Indic language teaching in Scottish schools is given equal status with European languages ; and what is done to overcome any lack of availability of such classes for school children of Asian extraction who wish to learn one of the Indic languages.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 14 June 1989] : Guidance to education authorities on the teaching in schools of languages other than English, issued in SED circular No. 1178 of 12 January 1989, urges that Asian languages and the traditions they represent should be respected and fostered, and confirms that the inclusion of an Asian language within the curriculum from S1 or S2 is appropriate where demand exists and can be met. It is for education authorities to decide whether and when it may be appropriate to include such a language in the curriculum of any school.
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AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Eggs
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the shortfall in eggs to meet domestic demand this summer ; and whether he has any control over the eggs imported to meet this shortfall.
Mr. Donald Thompson : It is not possible to provide a precise estimate of the likely balance between the supply and demand for eggs this summer. Placings for egg layer production have fallen in recent months, in line with reductions in demand earlier this year, and this will have an effect on the supply situation. On the question of controls on imported eggs, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Angus, East (Mr. Welsh) on 20 April at column 280 .
Monofilament Nets
Dr. Godman : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the depth at which monofilament nets are usually set at (a) inshore waters and (b) at sea ; and if he will list the regulations and byelaws which control the siting and setting of such nets.
Mr. Donald Thompson : Monofilament nets are set at varying depths depending on the location and the species of fish sought. There are no specific national regulations governing the siting and setting of fixed nets within the fishery limits for England and Wales but their use out to six miles may be regulated by local byelaws made by water authorities and sea fisheries committees. Details of such byelaws are available from the offices of these bodies.
Dr. Godman : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether his fisheries inspectors routinely examine fixed monofilament nets by removing them from the water ; if these inspections involved the recording and monitoring of the incidental capture of marine mammals and sea birds ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Donald Thompson : There are currently no regulations on fixed monofilament nets and consequently no requirement for my fisheries inspectors to examine them. As regards the incidental capture of marine mammals, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 20 March 1989 at column 464 : my Department is continuing to develop its plans for the monitoring scheme. We have no plans at present for monitoring the incidental capture of sea birds, although we are keeping the situation under review.
Slaugher and Compensation Schemes
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list those notifiable diseases in animals for which a slaugher and compensation scheme operates ; and if he will list those notifiable diseases in animals for which a compensation scheme does not operate.
Mr. Donald Thompson : The information is as follows :
(a) Notifiable diseases for which a slaugher and compensation scheme operates are :
African swine fever
Aujeszky's disease
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Bovine spongiform encephalopathyBrucellosis melitensis in cattle
Cattle plague in ruminants and swine
Classical swine fever
Foot and mouth disease
Pleuro-pneumonia in cattle
Rabies
Swine vesicular disease
Tuberculosis in cattle
(b) Notifiable diseases for which a slaughter and compensation scheme does not operate are :
African horse sickness
Anthrax
Contagious equine metritis
Dourine in horses, asses, mules and zebras
Enzootic bovine leukosis
Epizootic lymphangitis in horse, asses and mules
Equine encephalomyelitis
Equine infectious anaemia
Fowl pest (fowl plague, Newcastle disease and paramyxovirus) in poultry of any kind
Glanders and farcy in horses, asses and mules
Paramyxovirus in pigeons
Sheep pox
Sheep scab
Teschen disease of pigs
Tuberculosis in deer
Warble fly
Nitrates
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has concerning the leaching of nitrates from land formerly used for nitrogen-fixing crops once that land has been included in the set-aside scheme.
Mr. Ryder : Such information is not yet available from set-aside scheme trials, but it will be provided by experiments currently in progress. Meanwhile, scientific evidence indicates that nitrate leaching from land converted from nitrogen fixing crops to permanent fallow could be relatively high in the first year, but it would fall subsequently.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what provision is made within the set-aside scheme to minimise pollution of ground water and water courses by nitrates.
Mr. Ryder : Under the rules for the management of land set aside to fallow under the scheme, a plant cover must be established and maintained on the land concerned and the use of fertilisers is not generally permitted. Furthermore, advice is available to farmers from my Department on the best practices for the avoidance of pollution by nitrates.
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