| Previous Section | Home Page |
Column 310
arrange distribution to schools. There was no need to discuss these arrangements with the teachers' unions ; they were publicised well in advance.Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information regarding the national curriculum is to be made available on computer disk ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : The attainment targets and programmes of study for mathematics and science are already on the national educational resources information service computer system (NERIS), which is available direct to schools or as part of other systems. The attainment targets and programmes of study for English key stage 1 are being put on NERIS now. Additionally, the data is available on a compact disk (a CD-ROM) and NERIS is looking at the possibility of making the data available in other computer disk formats. It is also possible for schools to transfer the material, a key stage at a time, on to their own floppy disks.
Teaching Jobs (Screening)
Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what arrangements have been made to scrutinise overseas applicants for teaching jobs in Britain ; and what measures are being taken to ensure that such applicants have not been found guilty of child abuse in their own country.
Mr. Butcher : Applications for qualified teacher status in England and Wales from teachers trained overseas are at present considered by the Department under paragraph 2 (b) of schedule 5 to the Education (Teachers) Regulations 1982. Status is accorded in those cases where the course of initial teacher training undertaken was comparable to an approved course of initial teacher training for school teachers available in England and Wales at the same time. Beyond that the question of a person's suitability for appointment is a matter for the local education authority and/or the governing body of the school or establishment concerned, and there are no separate arrangements for scrutinising the background of overseas applicants.
The employment of teachers in Scotland and in Northern Ireland are matters for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland respectively.
Nursery Education (Birkenhead)
Mr. Frank Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when his Department will give approval to the application for the provision of nursery education at St. Paul's Roman Catholic primary school, Greenfields, Birkenhead.
Mrs. Rumbold : My right hon. Friend approved the proposal on 30 June 1989.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Immigration Appeals (Scotland)
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Attorney-General how many immigration appeals are currently waiting to be heard in Scotland.
Column 311
The Attorney-General : I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Clydebank and Milngavie (Mr. Worthington) on 4 July at column 113 .
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Attorney-General what measures he is taking to ensure that current delays in respect of immigration appeal hearings in Scotland are minimised.
The Attorney-General : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Clydebank and Milngavie (Mr. Worthington) on 4 July at column 113 .
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Doorkeepers (Summer Uniform)
Mr. Cox : To ask the hon. Member for Berwick upon Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission, what plans there are to provide a summer uniform for the House's Doorkeepers ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Beith : This is a matter for the Serjeant at Arms and I have asked him to consider this proposal.
Look After Your Heart" Campaign
Dr. David Clark : To ask the hon. Member for Berwick upon Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission, whether the Commission has considered the document, "Working for a Healthier Future--an Employers' Guide to the Look After Your Heart Campaign", a copy of which has been sent to him ; and what action is being taken to implement its recommendations in the Palace of Westminster.
Mr. Beith : The Commission has not yet had an opportunity to consider the document, but it has an obvious continuing interest in maintaining healthy standards in the House for Members and all staff. In that respect it has approved several projects such as a medical surveillance scheme for Members ; the appointment of a nursing sister ; the retention on a part-time basis of a medical consultant ; the retention of a nutritional adviser by the Refreshment Department ; the introduction of a
Column 312
triennial screening programme for breast and cervical cancer ; the establishment of a gymnasium ; and an examination by the Services Committee of the feasibility of including recreational facilities in the planning of the new parliamentary buildings. The Commission will seek the advice of the House authorities on the extent to which the campaign's aims may be applicable to the House.WALES
Eye Tests
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many eye tests have taken place in Wales (a) in total and (b) for pensioners in each of the years 1986, 1987, 1988 and to the latest available date ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Grist : The numbers of National Health Service sight tests paid for by family practitioner committees in Wales are given in the table. Information on tests paid for privately and on sight tests for pensioners is not available centrally.
Period |Number of tests ------------------------------------------------ 1986 |623,088 1987 |651,175 <1>1988 |522,963 <1> (First three quarters only).
Grant Aid
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those voluntary bodies, organisations and projects assisted by his Department with grant aid in the financial year 1987-88, together with the amount and the statutory provision under which the grant was allocated.
Mr. Grist : I regret that full details of all voluntary bodies, organisations and projects receiving grant aid could be extracted from records of major schemes only at disporportionate cost, but the table shows the total grant paid to the voluntary sector under each scheme and relevant statute.
Column 311
Scheme |Statute |Objectives |Total grant
|£
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mental Handicap Strategy |NHS Act 1977 s23 |Promote/develop support services for |240,803
| independent living
Regional Service Development |NHS Act 1977 s23 |Encourage organ donation |18,234
Miscellaneous Central Supplies |NHS Act 1977 s23 |Mountain Rescue voluntary organisations |4,041
| equipment
Joint Finance/Care in the Community |NHS Act 1977 s28A |Collaboration between Health and Local |197,870
| Authorities and voluntary organisations
Elderly Initiative |NHS Act 1977 ss28A & 28B & |Demonstation projects to develop care of the |5,682
| Health Services & Public | elderly
| Health Act 1968 s64
Regional Service Development |Health Services & Public |Disabled driver assessment |3,008
| Health Act 1968 s64
Drug & Alcohol Misuse |Health Services & Public |Initiatives for prevention education and |103,801
| Health Act 1968 s64 | training
Health Promotion |Health Services & Public |Improve public awareness |57,827
| Health Act 1968 s64
General Schemes of Grant Aid |Health Services & Public |Support of Age Concern projects |59,398
| Health Act 1968 s64
Mental Illness General Schemes of Grant Aid |Health Services & Public |Promotion of mental health |59,550
| Health Act 1968 s64
General Schemes of Grant Aid |Health Services & Public |Family Planning Association aid |8,000
| Health Act 1968 s64
Wales Under Fives Initiative |Health Services & Public |Support of child care voluntary |100,108
| Health Act 1968 s64 | organisations
General Schemes of Grant Aid |Health Services & Public |Support of child care voluntary |291,468
| Health Act 1968 s64 | organisations
Intermediate Treatment (Young People in Trouble) |Health Services & Public |Development of Intermediate Treatment |185,030
| Health Act 1968 s64 | programmes
AIDS |Health Services & Public |Improve Public awareness |4,800
| Health Act 1968 s64
Opportunities for Volunteering |Health Services & Public |Promote voluntary activity in health social |191,500
| Health Act 1968 s64 | services
General Schemes of Grant Aid |Health Services & Public |Stimulate voluntary sector activity in health|954,720
| Health Act 1968 s64 and
| Development of Rural
| Wales Act 1976 s26
Agriculture and Environment Projects |Development of Rural Wales |Farming, Forestry & Wildlife Trust |1,500
| Act 1976 s26
UK 2000 |Development of Rural Wales |(a) Environmental |200,034
| Act 1976 s26 |(b) Training/Work Experience
Special Grants Environmental Programme |Development of Rural Wales |Promote conservation & environmental |86,204
| Act 1976 s26 | improvement
Gypsy Sites |Development of Rural Wales |Advice/liaison on gypsy matters |1,180
| Act 1976 s26
Urban Programme |Local Government Grants |Alleviate social need |3,430,000
| (Social Need) Act 1969
Assistance to Welsh Language |Development of Rural Wales |Assist voluntary organisations promoting |1,153,383
| Act 1976 s26
Welsh Language Education |Education Act 1980 s21 |Extension or improvement in Welsh |18,800
| language education
Voluntary Youth Services, Village Halls & |SI 1983/74 |Facilities for young people 14-20 and local |341,000
Community Centres Programme | communities
HQ Grants to National Voluntary Youth |SI 1983/74 |Services for young people 14-20 |274,946
Organisations
Capital Grants to Voluntary Youth |SI 1983/74 |Improve facilities |19,770
Organisations
Development Grants |SI 1983/74 |Innovation projects |39,218
Research & Education Services |SI 1983/74 |Projects to guide policy or improve quality |3,000
Museum Grants |Treasury Minute of 1966 |Promote and develop local museum services |27,894
Housing Grants |Housing Act 1985 s73 |Assist relief of homelessness by voluntary |159,350
| organisations
Housing Management Education and |Housing and Planning Act |Improve management within all housing |78,543
Training Grants |1986 |s16 bodies
Road Safety |Road Traffic Act 1972 s39 |Promotion of Road Safety |80,000
Rural Transport Innovation Grant |Transport Act 1985 s108 |Encourage provision of new/improve |7,000
| transport schemes
Civic Societies Grant Scheme |Ancient Monuments & |Carry out and publish results of |516,000
| Archeological Areas Act | archeological excavations
| 1979 s45
Civic Societies Grant Scheme |Town & Country Planning |Preserve/improve environment |1,648
| Act 1971 s253
Development Board for Rural Wales |Development of Rural Wales |Social development |220,000
| Act 1976 s4
Welsh Development Agency Grants |Welsh Development Agency |Environmental improvement |195,230
| Act 1975
Sports Council for Wales Grants |Appropriations Acts |(a) Provision of recreational facilities |594,786
|(b) Raising standards |580,407
|(c) Increasing participation |16,894
Children's Play |Appropriations Acts |Promote children's play facilities |36,750
PRIME MINISTER
Madrid Conference
Mr. George Howarth : To ask the Prime Minister if she will publish the document "Social Progress : the United Kingdom's Record", which was circulated at the Madrid conference.
The Prime Minister : Copies of the document were made available to members of the press at the time of the conference and I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Library.
Mr. George Howarth : To ask the Prime Minister what was the cost to public funds of producing the document, "Social Progress : the United Kingdom's Record", which was circulated at the Madrid conference.
The Prime Minister : So far, 1,000 copies of the document have been printed at a cost of £1,430.
EC Directives
Mr. Allen : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list the 148 European Community directives which have not been implemented by Her Majesty's Government.
The Prime Minister : The Commission has been asked to provide a list. When this is available it will be placed in the Library.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
China
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has been making to the Government of China on the subject of human rights.
Mr. Eggar : We have made a number of representations about human rights in China in recent years. As regards the most recent events, my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs said in his statement to the House on 6 June that he had summoned the Chinese charge d'affaires on 5 June
Column 316
to make it clear to him that the British Government and people deeply deplored the action of the Chinese authorities in suppressing the democratic aspirations of the Chinese people. Representations have also been made on behalf of all EC members.Hong Kong
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received regarding the admission of Hong Kong British passport holders to Britain.
Mr. Eggar : We have received many such representations, both here and in Hong Kong, including during the recent visit by my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.
Mr. Jonas Savimbi
Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to meet or exchange views with Mr. Jonas Savimbi of UNITA.
Mrs. Chalker : My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has no plans to meet Mr. Savimbi at present.
Tibet
Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received calling for Her Majesty's Government to protest to the Government of China about the repression of Tibetan nationals ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : Among the many representations we have received about China since the recent appalling events there, some have focused on the situation in Tibet.
West Bank and Gaza Strip (Schools)
Mr. Goodlad : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to seek to ensure that schools, including United Nations Relief and Works Agency schools in the West Bank and Gaza strip, are reopened and educational activity allowed to resume unhindered.
Column 317
Mr. Waldegrave : We have repeatedly made clear our view that Israel's security concerns do not justify the closure of schools. We have called on the Israeli authorities, most recently in the European Council declaration on the middle east on 27 June, to allow the schools to reopen.
Palestinian and Israeli Students
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give details of the financial assistance available to (a) Palestinian and (b) Israeli students who wish to study in the United Kingdom ; and what numbers of students are involved.
Mr. Eggar : Both Israeli students and Palestinian students from the occupied territories are eligible for financial support to study in the United Kingdom under the following award schemes which we fund : (i) the FCO scholarships and awards scheme (FCOSAS) ;
(ii) the overseas research students awards scheme (ORSAS) funded by the Department of Education and Science ; and
(iii) the British Council's fellowships programme.
In addition, Palestinian students are also supported under the ODA's technical co-operation and training programme (TCTP). In 1988-89 a total of 63 Israelis and 94 Palestinians from the occupied territories were studying in the United Kingdom and sponsored by us.
EC (Spanish Presidency)
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Spanish presidency of the European Community.
Mrs. Chalker : As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said in her statement on 29 June on the European Council, we congratulate the Spanish Government on their presidency, during which a record 68 single market measures were agreed.
Esquipulas II
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in what ways Her Majesty's Government are encouraging the countries of central America to resolve their problems within the framework of the Esquipulas II peace process.
Mr. Eggar : We have consistently supported efforts to promote a peaceful negotiated settlement to the various conflicts in central America, and in all our bilateral and multilateral contacts with the Governments involved we urge the need for full implementation of the Esquipulas II and subsequent agreements. We also take an active part in the efforts of the Twelve to encourage dialogue and regional integration.
Isreal (Nuclear Technology)
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements exist between Her Majesty's Government and Israel for the exchange of nuclear technology.
Column 318
Gibraltar
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received on the future of Gibraltar ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Chalker : My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has received no recent representations about the future of Gibraltar. Our consideration of Gibraltar's future is governed by the commitment, renewed by successive Governments, that we would never enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another state against their freely and democratically expressed wishes.
Spain
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has any plans to meet the Spanish Foreign Secretary.
Mrs. Chalker : My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs regularly meets the Spanish Foreign Minister at a variety of European Community, NATO and other multilateral meetings. In addition, the two Foreign Ministers meet bilaterally from time to time and hold an annual meeting to discuss Gibraltar-related issues, as part of the Brussels process. The next such meeting is due to take place in Madrid before the end of this year.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
Disaster Management Training
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he is able to give details of (a) disaster management training programmes for staff within the Overseas Development Administration and (b) the numbers of staff now qualified in these areas.
Mr. Eggar : With the exception of a new staff member, the other three staff in the Overseas Development Administration's disaster unit are widely experienced in disaster response administration. We have recently increased practical and on-the-job training including short, working attachments to the office of the United Nations disaster relief co- ordinator in Geneva and to the United States office of emergency disaster assistance in Washington. The scope for external training is under review.
Plantations
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give details of plantation developments funded by the Overseas Development Administration.
Mr. Eggar : The information is not readily available. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Overseas Development will write to the hon. Member shortly.
Column 319
NORTHERN IRELAND
Shipbuilding and Ship Repair (Redundancies)
Ms. Quin : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the total number of redundancies in the shipbuilding and ship repair industries in Northern Ireland since 1 January 1984.
Mr. Viggers : The total number of redundancies during this period at Harland and Wolff was some 2,600.
EMPLOYMENT
Unemployment and Suicide
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, whether any recent surveys have been undertaken or funded by the Government on the relationship between the unemployment rate and the suicide rate.
Mr. Lee : None has been undertaken by or for my Department.
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he has any evidence of a causal link between unemployment and suicide.
Column 320
Employment Training
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, further to his reply of 22 June, Official Report, column 232, concerning trainees who have left the employment training programme, what information is available about the qualifications they obtained on their courses.
Mr. Nicholls [holding answer 4 July 1989] : Information is collected by Training Agency area offices from training managers about qualifications being studied for, and those achieved. The information is presently being used for the monitoring of individual schemes, and is not aggregated to area office or national level. Comprehensive information (including results received after the trainee has left the programme) will be available in due course at national and local level from a follow-up survey of trainees.
Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many agreed action plans have been drawn up at ET training agents on a monthly basis (a) nationally and (b) by training agency area, since September 1988.
Mr. Nicholls [holding answer 3 July 1989] : The information requested is given in the table :
Column 319
Action plans completed by ET training agents: September 1988 to May 1989
Agreed action plans
|September 1988|October 1988 |November 1988 |December 1988 |January 1989 |February 1989 |March 1989 |April 1989 |May 1989
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Great Britain |30,836 |41,824 |47,531 |39,186 |47,511 |51,846 |53,338 |43,831 |38,943
South East Region
Berkshire and Oxfordshire |242 |798 |0 |922 |514 |450 |418 |394 |289
Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire 219 294 763 411 429 520 500 523 431
Essex |227 |550 |525 |1,051 |632 |748 |989 |811 |555
Hampshire and Isle of Wight |411 |487 |679 |409 |717 |670 |772 |690 |538
Kent |32 |610 |1,159 |488 |714 |652 |596 |509 |484
Surrey |102 |223 |174 |615 |190 |0 |196 |188 |169
Sussex |0 |682 |900 |470 |555 |652 |695 |603 |525
London Region
Inner London North |505 |1,196 |1,545 |1,606 |1,651 |1,799 |2,090 |1,626 |1,595
Inner London South |510 |655 |616 |539 |645 |718 |736 |498 |420
London East |793 |735 |805 |670 |972 |1,117 |1,092 |734 |743
London North |732 |857 |935 |846 |858 |970 |996 |820 |726
London South |280 |320 |479 |340 |423 |542 |543 |417 |406
London West |591 |867 |811 |676 |900 |912 |952 |383 |365
South West Region
Avon |238 |361 |411 |327 |453 |506 |489 |550 |432
Devon & Cornwall |665 |692 |1,244 |795 |1,294 |615 |1,192 |930 |861
Dorset and Somerset |418 |478 |386 |332 |342 |516 |471 |367 |307
Gloucester & Wiltshire |357 |546 |560 |433 |390 |479 |536 |480 |442
West Midlands Region
Birmingham & Solihull |935 |1,026 |1,201 |756 |1,553 |1,685 |1,382 |1,471 |1,177
Coventry & Warwickshire |378 |617 |576 |322 |638 |812 |748 |661 |524
Dudley & Sandwell |818 |769 |899 |1,021 |978 |1,059 |1,416 |729 |631
Staffordshire |541 |906 |434 |1,145 |1,128 |929 |1,192 |764 |594
The Marches, Hereford/Worcester |0 |710 |677 |954 |406 |613 |1,330 |740 |577
Wolverhampton & Walsall |0 |1,055 |1,913 |308 |706 |821 |754 |552 |463
East Midlands & Eastern Region
Bedfordshire & Cambridgeshire |502 |484 |520 |331 |400 |426 |362 |403 |317
Derbyshire |704 |742 |743 |501 |582 |677 |743 |679 |531
Leicestershire & Northamptonshire |499 |607 |604 |551 |718 |719 |736 |711 |598
Lincolnshire |192 |251 |267 |154 |296 |359 |313 |303 |240
Norfolk & Suffolk |586 |625 |652 |426 |753 |641 |961 |549 |530
Nottinghamshire |602 |909 |853 |669 |937 |923 |851 |955 |786
Yorkshire & Humberside Region
Bradford, Calderdale & Kirklees |758 |944 |1,439 |911 |1,123 |1,186 |1,316 |1,064 |914
Humberside |858 |821 |791 |847 |949 |970 |938 |874 |727
North Yorkshire & Leeds |621 |826 |752 |743 |777 |1,035 |1,002 |1,181 |1,245
Sheffield & Rotherham |1,078 |1,387 |1,382 |961 |1,459 |1,236 |1,043 |944 |994
Wakefield, Doncaster & Barnsley |861 |1,154 |1,296 |990 |1,501 |1,547 |1,265 |1,084 |1,144
North West Region
Cheshire |809 |826 |901 |588 |773 |951 |699 |605 |574
Cumbria |267 |280 |406 |269 |315 |377 |373 |264 |182
Lancashire |937 |1,050 |955 |943 |1,090 |1,164 |1,279 |1,151 |899
Central Manchester |597 |685 |945 |936 |954 |984 |837 |832 |639
Greater Manchester North |395 |699 |711 |423 |821 |834 |894 |810 |685
Greater Manchester East |484 |904 |784 |468 |604 |875 |913 |713 |644
Merseyside |630 |1,386 |1,715 |1,504 |1,995 |2,315 |2,220 |2,060 |1,671
Northern Region
Cleveland |1,404 |1,229 |1,141 |799 |1,624 |1,764 |1,503 |1,261 |1,222
County Durham |1,027 |894 |077 |626 |1,014 |1,254 |1,060 |1,022 |917
& Newcastle |602 |962 |1,104 |849 |1,086 |1,258 |1,275 |962 |1,006
Gateshead |1,356 |1,266 |1,325 |1,323 |1,349 |1,536 |1,488 |1,371 |1,182
Wales
Dyfed & West Glamorgan |524 |759 |922 |749 |909 |930 |949 |879 |855
Gwent |268 |348 |536 |282 |747 |774 |681 |331 |516
Gwynned, Clwyd & Powys |309 |458 |545 |546 |573 |679 |497 |514 |486
Mid & South Glamorgan |826 |935 |1,073 |856 |951 |1,302 |1,301 |899 |893
Scotland
Ayrshire, Dumfries & Galloway |550 |706 |895 |832 |802 |1,003 |826 |645 |675
Central & Fife |429 |459 |710 |603 |594 |832 |573 |529 |567
Glasgow City |828 |958 |1,263 |1,160 |1,178 |1,163 |1,915 |1,430 |1,186
Grampian & Tayside |937 |817 |825 |726 |918 |1,018 |1,267 |784 |748
Highlands & Islands |158 |207 |301 |351 |397 |400 |308 |220 |190
Lanarkshire |301 |649 |710 |480 |639 |800 |883 |688 |567
Lothian & Borders |604 |766 |1,269 |757 |805 |824 |940 |594 |645
Renfrew, Dumbarton & Argyll |339 |397 |607 |576 |770 |1,000 |1,122 |858 |714
Note: Some months show no agreed action plans because of computer difficulties. Action plans agreed in these months are recorded in subsequent months.
Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many starts have been undertaken at ET training managers on a monthly basis (a) nationally and (b) by training agency area, since September 1988.
Column 322
Mr. Nicholls [holding answer 3 July 1989] : The information requested is given in the table :
Column 321
Child Care Facilities
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what measures he is taking to encourage the provision of child care facilities in the workplace ; and what information he has on how many firms and Government offices currently provide such facilities.
Mr. Nicholls [holding answer 5 July 1989] : My right hon. Friend takes every opportunity to encourage employers to help employees combine work and family responsibilities. Workplace nurseries are one possible way of helping parents with child care although it will not necessarily be the most appropriate in all cases. Other
Column 324
possibilities include help with child care costs in the local home area and rearrangement of working hours and holidays to fit in with school hours and terms.My right hon. Friend does not have comprehensive information on the extent of employer assisted child care outside Government Departments but the indications are that such provision is growing. In the Civil Service 15 Departments provide holiday play schemes for the children of their staff. Two new inter-departmental schemes began in Westminster during the spring 1989 half-term. In addition, two schemes were launched by the DHSS during the Easter holidays--one at the Elephant and Castle and one, with the Department of Employment,
Column 325
in Coventry. The Departments of Employment and Social Security have set up "care-parents" schemes and the Ministry of Defence and the Home Office are both developing nursery schemes for the under-fives. I also take a full part in the ministerial group on women's issues which is currently considering the whole question of childcare provision and which recently issued a five-point plan designed to pave the way for the provision of child care to suit family needs.TRANSPORT
Euro-Control
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was achieved during Britain's presidency of Euro-Control.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : [holding answer 6 July 1989] : Under the United Kingdom's presidency in 1988, Euro-Control gained widespread backing as the key organisation for improving practical co-ordination and co-operation between Europe's national air traffic control authorities. A number of successful initiatives were pursued, including agreement on the urgent preparation of a plan to establish a centralised flow management system, the creation of a team to spearhead the removal of incompatibilities between national air traffic control systems in the short term, the approval of the first edition of the common medium-term plan for harmonising national systems, and the development of the PHARE programme for integrating research and development of future systems.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Single Market
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the examples given in the recently issued, "1992 for You : An Action Guide for Smaller Firms", are based on actual businesses.
Mr. Maude : Yes, but some details have been changed to avoid identification of individual firms.
ENVIRONMENT
Air Pressure Gauges
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the Government have any plans to introduce statutory controls governing operation and testing of air pressure gauges on garage forecourts in order to ensure that they meet the approved British standard.
Mr. Forth : I have been asked to reply.
British Standard 4613 (specification for tyre pressure gauges) which has been approved for the purposes of Section 10(3) of the Consumer Protection Act 1987 is applicable to portable gauges supplied as consumer products.
I have no plans to introduce statutory controls for air pressure gauges on garage forecourts.
Column 326
Dichlorvos
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he has any plans to prepare an environmental quality standard for dichlorvos ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) if he will list the reasons a product licence was granted for Nuvan 500 EC ; if it is his intention to remove Nuvan 500 EC from the red list ; and if he will make a statement ;
(3) what steps he is taking to reduce the input of dichlorvos to the aquatic environment ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Dichlorvos, the active ingredient of Nuvan 500EC, was included on the initial red list of priority substances whose input into water should be minimised. The list of substances and actions to achieve this were announced in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Hertfordshire, South-West (Mr. Page) on 10 April at column 405. There are no plans for removing any substances from that list.
The water research centre is currently reviewing the data on the ecotoxicity and behaviour in the aquatic environment of a number of red list substances, including dichlorvos, with a view to recommending environmental quality standards.
The granting of product licences for veterinary medicines is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
Pollution (Prosecutions)
Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many prosecutions have occurred under section 3 of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 each year since its inception ; how many have been successful ; on how many occasions the maximum fines have been applied ; and if he will consider increasing the maximum limits of fines prescribed under the Act.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The number of prosecutions and convictions for offences under section 3 in each year since June 1976 are as follows :
| Next Section
| Home Page |