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Column 337
Written Answers to Questions
Monday 10 July 1989
NATIONAL FINANCE
Tobacco
Mr. Sims : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether expenditure on advertising by the tobacco industry is treated as promotional activities for tax relief purposes ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Norman Lamont : In calculating their taxable profits, all businesses can deduct expenses (other than capital expenses) incurred wholly and exclusively for the purpose of their trade, including the cost of advertising.
Government Data Network
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will place the operational specifications of the Government data network and its accompanying management summary in the Library.
Mr. Brooke : A copy of the GDN statement of service requirement is in the Library. The service is provided under the terms of a network agreement, the contract between Her Majesty's Treasury and Racal Data Networks Limited, and of access agreements between individual departments and the contractor. I am not aware of other documents which meet the hon. Member's description.
Balance of Payments
Mr. Hardy : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the actual balance of payments position at the end of each of the last 10 years ; and what is his present estimate of the position at the end of the current year.
Mr. Lilley : The latest estimate of the current account for each of the last 10 years and the forecast for 1989, published in the "Financial Statement and Budget Report 1989-90", are set out in the table.
£ million
|Current account |<1>Balancing item
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1979 |-496 |1,044
1980 |3,122 |570
1981 |6,936 |277
1982 |4,685 |-2,333
1983 |3,893 |468
1984 |2,077 |5,672
1985 |3,355 |6,150
1986 |151 |13,700
1987 |-2,905 |12,356
1988 |-14,936 |13,878
<2>1989 |-14,500
<1> Indicates errors and omissions in both capital and current account.
<2> Forecast published in Financial Statement and Budget Report 1989-90,
rounded to nearest £" billion.
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Charitable Gifts (Tax Relief)
Sir John Stanley : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to his reply to the right hon. Member for Tonbridge and Malling on 6 June, Official Report, column 120, what are his reasons for being unwilling to amend the give-as-you-earn scheme to enable the tax relief to accrue to the benefit of the donor's designated charity rather than to the donor.
Mr. Lawson [holding answer 22 June 1989] : If the donor wishes to benefit the charity further, it is a simple matter for him to adjust the size of the donation, subject of course to the annual payroll giving limit.
Forestry
Mr. Paice : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the annual cost of the tax reliefs available to the forestry industry which were abolished in the Finance Act 1988 for each year 1974 to 1988 at (a) cash prices and (b) 1989 prices.
Mr. Norman Lamont [holding answer 29 June 1989] : For recent years the annual revenue cost of the right of occupiers of commercial woodlands to elect to be assessed under schedule D is broadly estimated at £10 million.
Mr. Paice : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he estimates will be the annual cost to the Treasury of (a) the woodland grant scheme and (b) the farm woodland scheme at 1989 prices ; and on what planting assumptions these estimates are made.
Mr. Norman Lamont [holding answer 29 June 1989] : Plans in Cm. 604 ("The Government's Expenditure Plans 1989-90 to 1991-92" chapter 4) include the following provision and planting targets for these schemes ; costs vary from year to year.
Table 1
Woodland Grant Scheme
|Area of new planting|Forestry Commission
|grants
|(hectares) |(£ million)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1989-90 |7,500 |4.4
1990-91 |16,200 |9.4
1991-92 |21,180 |12.3
Notes:-The figures do not include:
1. Restocking of felled woodland.
2. Planting expected to be carried out under forestry grant schemes other than the
Woodland Grant Scheme.
3. Planting in Northern Ireland.
Table 2
Farm Woodland Scheme
|Area of new planting|Planting grants |Annual payments
|(hecatares) |(£ million) |(£ million)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1989-90 |12,000 |6.9 |1.0
1990-91 |12,000 |6.9 |3.1
1991-92 |12,000 |6.9 |5.1
Notes:
1. The above figures include Northern Ireland.
2. Annual payments follow 12 months after payment of the planting grants.
3. The farm woodlands scheme was introduced on 1 October 1988 and is to be reviewed at the end of its
first three years. The programme for 1991-92 anticipates that that scheme may be extended after the
review.
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Business Expansion Scheme
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will give the total amount of tax relief given to business expansion scheme investment in housing from its inception to the most recent date for which figures are available and for each of the standard regions, Scotland and Wales ;
(2) if he will give the total number of applications approved for housing business expansion scheme investments in housing from its inception to the most recent date for which figures are available and for each of the standard regions of Scotland and Wales.
Mr. Norman Lamont [holding answer 29 June 1989] : No information on applications or the cost of the business expansion scheme tax relief for investments in residential property is yet available centrally from official sources.
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the total amount of tax relief given to business expansion scheme investments in each of the years 1983-84 to 1988-89 inclusive and for each of the standard regions, Scotland and Wales.
Mr. Norman Lamont [holding answer 29 June 1989] : The estimated cost of relief for 1983-84 to 1987-88 is as follows :
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|£ million
-------------------------------
1983-84 |50
1984-85 |75
1985-86 |85
1986-87 |95
<1>1987-88 |120
<1> Provisional.
A forecast of £100 million for the cost of relief for the business expansion scheme in 1988-89 was published in "The Government's Expenditure Plans, 1989-90 to 1991-92" (chapter 21), but no information is yet available centrally from official sources to provide a reliable estimate of the outturn.
I regret that reliable estimates of the cost of relief by standard region and country are not available.
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the total number of applications approved for business expansion scheme investments in each of the years from 1983-84 to 1988-89 inclusive and for each of standard regions, Scotland and Wales.
Mr. Norman Lamont [holding answer 29 June 1989] : Information on companies receiving investments through the business expansion scheme in 1988-89 is not yet available centrally from official sources. Estimates for earlier years are as follows :
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Companies receiving investments (numbers)
|1983-84|1984-85|1985-86|1986-87|1987-88
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
South East |298 |399 |342 |381 |356
East Anglia |28 |32 |43 |40 |39
South West |56 |64 |64 |57 |68
West Midlands |55 |58 |51 |40 |38
East Midlands |38 |35 |29 |23 |29
Yorkshire and Humberside |43 |45 |35 |49 |42
North and North West |51 |86 |56 |76 |68
Wales |20 |18 |19 |19 |15
Scotland |59 |57 |38 |47 |76
Northern Ireland |7 |13 |15 |10 |7
Unknown |60 |- |10 |- |-
|-- |-- |-- |-- |--
Total |715 |807 |702 |742 |738
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the total number of individuals obtaining tax relief for business expansion scheme investments in each of the years 1983-84 to 1988-89 inclusive and for each of the standard regions, Scotland and Wales.
Mr. Norman Lamont [holding answer 29 June 1989] : I regret that information on which to base reliable estimates of the numbers of investors receiving relief is not available centrally.
Thames Riverbus
Mr. Gould : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what sums under the business expansion scheme or any other provision have been paid to those who set up the Thames riverbus service.
Mr. Norman Lamont [holding answer 4 July 1989] : I regret that I am unable to provide the information requested on the business expansion scheme as details of the use of the scheme by particular individuals and companies are obtained by the Inland Revenue on a confidential basis. I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply
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which my hon. Friend the Minister for Public Transport gave him on 4 July at columns 91-92 regarding a grant to the company from the Department of Transport.Taxation
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the latest available figures for the cumulative amounts since 1979 of (a) unclaimed tax relief, (b) tax fraud and evasion and (c) tax cuts expressed in real terms, 1989 prices.
Mr. Norman Lamont [holding answer 6 July 1989] : I regret that reliable estimates of the amount of unclaimed tax relief and the revenue lost through fraud and evasion are not possible. For information on reductions in income tax I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Meacher) of 4 April at column 8.
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THE ARTS
Arts Funding
Mr. Battle : To ask the Minister for the Arts what representations he has received on future funding of the arts in 1990-91 and beyond.
Mr. Luce : I announced in November 1988 the provisions for the arts programme for the years 1989-90 to 1991-92.
Museums and Galleries (Oxford)
Mr. Baldry : To ask the Minister for the Arts when he last visited Oxford to visit museums and galleries there.
Mr. Luce : I had the pleasure of visiting the Ashmolean museum in Oxford on 3 July this year. On that occasion I was glad to be able to meet members of the local business community and to support an appeal for £3.2 million for the museum.
British Library
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Minister for the Arts when he last met the director of the British library to discuss the level of revenue funding for the library.
Mr. Luce : I met the chairman and chief executive of the British library on 14 March 1989. Our discussion covered the library's long-term plans and Government funding.
Arts Groups (Bulwell)
Mr. Allen : To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will examine the possibility of direct funding for the Bulwell and district arts groups.
Mr. Luce : No. I fund the arts on the arm's-length principle. It is for the Arts Council and regional arts associations to determine the allocation of funds to individual arts groups.
Sponsorship
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Minister for the Arts what new measures he is introducing to increase sponsorship of the arts.
Mr. Luce : Since its inception in 1984 the business sponsorship incentive scheme has attracted over 1,000 new sponsors. To encourage even more businesses to support the arts, I have agreed that individual arts organisations may receive up to two awards this year instead of one, up to an aggregate of £25,000.
Merseyside Arts
Mr. Alton : To ask the Minister for the Arts whether Merseyside Arts will continue to be funded as an autonomous unit ; and if he will make a statement on its future.
Mr. Luce : I have not yet received Mr. Wilding's report about the structure and organisation of the arts in England. No decisions have yet been taken about the future of Merseyside Arts or any other regional arts association.
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CIVIL SERVICE
Civil Service Careers
Mr. Jack : To ask the Minister for the Civil Service what steps he is taking to promote careers in the Civil Service to students and sixth formers studying in Lancashire.
Mr. Luce : The Civil Service Commission, with help from Government Departments, has recently re-established its schools liaison network. The network, which extends to colleges of higher and further education, went fully operational in Lancashire in November 1988 and to date around 35 careers events have been attended. The liaison panel is also establishing closer links with local careers services, for example, by arranging talks and visits to departments. The Civil Service Commission is also strengthening its links with universities and polytechnics, including those in Lancashire. This includes increased representation at recruitment events, more visits to the institutions, and more direct involvement with their careers service.
Additionally, many local departments are establishing and improving their own links with local academic institutions.
WALES
Environment
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will set out the initiatives (a) he has taken since May 1979 and (b) intends to take on environmental protection and renewable energies ; and if he will make a statement on the state of the environment in Wales.
Mr. Peter Walker : Since May 1979, I have designated two environmentally sensitive areas in Wales. The ESA policy aims to promote the co-existence of conservation and efficient farming in areas perceived to be at risk from increasingly intensive methods of production.
Emphasis on conservation and the control of pollution caused by farm operations has also been strengthened in the new farm and conservation grant scheme introduced in February this year. Three new conservation grants have been launched. These will encourage the regeneration of native woodland and of heather moors and assist in the cost of repairs to vernacular farm buildings. With a grant rate of 50 per cent. towards the cost of farm pollution control, the United Kingdom now has the most comprehensive anti-farm-pollution grant scheme in the European Community. It is only early days, but farmers are already showing increasing interest in applying for grants.
I was also involved with the other Agriculture Ministers in the announcement of the United Kingdom set-aside scheme in June 1988. This constituted a practical guide offering advice and encouraging the management of set-aside land in the best interests of conservation and the environment generally.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment and I have created a unified inspectorate of pollution with the remit to develop an integrated approach to pollution control. One of our other major initiatives has been to cut the maximum lead content of petrol by 60 per cent. which allied to a reduction in duty on unleaded
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making it some 10p cheaper than leaded 4- star, has resulted in unleaded petrol sales increasingly rapidly and currently accounting for almost 20 per cent. of the market.As to renewable energies, Wales has significant potential in this field, particularly in terms of wind and tidal power. Studies in these two areas are currently being undertaken at a number of sites throughout the Principality.
On 19 June 1989, together with my right hon. Friends the other territorial agricultural Ministers, I issued a consultative document inviting comments on ideas for implementing, for beef and sheep, the European Community extensification scheme in the United Kingdom. Wherever possible, I will wish to ensure that extensification brings enviromental benefits.
Furthermore, together with my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for the Environment, I am proposing to bring forward as soon as the parliamentary timetable allows, major legislation dealing with environmental protection. The Bill, among other things, will include measures dealing with air pollution control and reform of the waste disposal law. It will also introduce a new system of integrated pollution control for industry. In addition, we will shortly be announcing a number of proposals for legislation designed to ensure more effective action to be taken against litterers and litter.
Business Finance
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consideration he has given to the Welsh Committee for Economic and Industrial Affairs' report "Finance for Business in Wales" ; and whether he will act on the recommendations which fall within the remit of his office.
Mr. Peter Walker : I met representatives of the committee on 19 June 1989 to discuss their report "Finance for Business in Wales". My officials will pursue with officials of the committee points arising out of that meeting.
Bathing Water (Sewage Outfalls)
Mr. Speller : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if the proposed one-mile screened sewage outfall from Swansea will enable adjacent beach to meet the standards of European Community Bathing Water Directive 76/160/EEC ; and what consideration has been given to the consequential effects on the opposite side of the Bristol channel.
Mr. Peter Walker : The identified water adjacent to Swansea bay met the standards of the European bathing water directive 76/160/EEC for the 1988 season. The proposed 1 mile long sea outfall will form part of planned improvements designed with the specific aim of achieving the compliance of the identified waters of Swansea bay with the standards of that directive.
Tidal currents in the Bristol channel, and the enormous dilution afforded, will reduce any impact of this discharge on the north Devon coast to negligible levels.
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Water Pollution
Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give a breakdown of the likely chemical composition of the water flowing from the Taff and Ely rivers which are to be contained by the proposed Cardiff bay barrage.
Mr. Grist : The 1985 river quality survey showed that the quality of the River Taff varied between classes 1B and 2 and that of the River Ely between classes 2 and 3.
Water quality modelling associated with the proposed Cardiff bay barrage is still being undertaken. I suggest that the hon. Gentleman write to the chairman of the Welsh water authority to obtain the latest position.
Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the estimated tonnage of sewage disposed of on an annual basis into the rivers of mid-Glamorgan.
Mr. Grist : Information is not available in the form requested. The consented volumes of all consented discharges are entered on to public registers maintained by Welsh Water and available for inspection at its offices during all reasonable hours.
Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list water supplies in South Wales that meet the minimum quality standards set by the EEC.
Mr. Grist : All water supplies which have not been notified as being subject to derogations or delays under the EC directive relating to the quality of water intended for human consumption (80/778/EEC) should meet the standards set by that directive.
Mr. Speller : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has assessed whether the proposed 1-mile sewage outfall from Swansea will enable local beaches to attain the standard of European Community directive 76/160/EEC.
Mr. Grist : No. The specific aim of the proposed outfall is to achieve compliance of the identified waters of Swansea Bay with the standards of the directive, but design is at a preliminary stage and engineering studies have yet to be completed. Other local beaches listed under the terms of the directive complied with its standards during the 1988 bathing season.
Mr. Speller : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has made to Welsh Water about sewage contamination on south Wales beaches ; and how many of these beaches attain the water standards under directive 76/160/EEC.
Mr. Grist : Welsh Office officials are in touch with Welsh Water concerning their capital programme of improvements to bathing waters. Fifteen of the 22 bathing waters in south Wales listed under the directive complied with its standards during 1988.
Port Dinorwic Yacht Harbour
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many letters his Department has received (a) in favour and (b) against his planning permission sought for the development of Port Dinorwic yacht harbour ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Grist : Following receipt of the planning appeal, the Department received seven letters in favour and 35 against the proposals for the development of Port Dinorwic yacht harbour.
Planning Procedures
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what new guidelines he has issued to Welsh Office inspectors considering planning appeals since June 1987 ; and if he will state the nature and objectives of such changes.
Mr. Grist : In considering appeals in Wales, planning inspectors follow guidance issued generally by the Welsh Office in the form of circulars and planning and mineral policy guidance notes. The Department issues no guidelines specifically to the inspectorate.
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what grounds a public inquiry into a planning appeal can be reopened, after having been concluded ; what are the procedures for permitting the reopening of an inquiry ; who is allowed to submit that an inquiry should be reopened ; who decides whether or not to reopen an inquiry following such a request ; and on how many occasions in the last five years such an inquiry in Wales has been so reopened.
Mr. Grist : Where an appeal is to be determined by an inspector the current procedures which govern the reopening of the inquiry are contained in rules 17 and 19 of the Town and Country Planning Appeals (Determination by Inspectors) (Inquiries Procedure) Rules 1988 (SI 1988, No. 945). The decision whether or not to reopen the inquiry would be taken by the inspector except where a decision has been quashed in proceedings before any court, where it falls to the Secretary of State to direct that the inquiry be reopened, if he thinks fit. In cases where the appeal is to be determined by the Secretary of State the current procedures are set out in rules 16 and 18 of the Town and Country Planning (Inquiries Procedure) Rules 1988 (SI 1988, No. 944). The decision whether or not to reopen the inquiry would be taken by my right hon. Friend. Welsh Office records of planning appeals do not include information relating to the frequency of the reopening of public inquiries.
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Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the general policy guidelines for his Department on town and country planning decisions which may require consideration of whether general economic considerations should overrule phyical and environmental material factors.
Mr. Grist : The appeal system operates on the basis of considering each case on its merits. Proper attention is paid to national and local policies, as expressed in circulars, planning and mineral policy guidance notes and development plans, but regard is also had to the individual circumstances of the applicant, to the need to give encouragement to small businesses and to the employment possibilities presented by commercial and industrial development proposals. All these factors are carefully weighed before reaching decision.
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many inspectors he has within his Department who hear town and country planning appeals ; and how many of these are Welsh speaking.
Mr. Grist : Fifteen members of the Welsh Office planning inspectorate held public local inquiries ; of these two are Welsh speaking.
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales in how many instances during each of the past 10 years the Welsh Office has upheld an appeal against a planning refusal in Wales which has involved the construction of more than one house or other domicile ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Grist : Welsh Office records of planning appeals do not include the information requested.
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what dates since May 1979 circulars have been issued by the Welsh Office on the determination of planning applications in Wales ; and if he will list the titles and reference numbers, together with date of issue, for all such circulars.
Mr. Grist : The following list is of extant circulars issued by the Welsh Office since May 1979 which gives advice on the determination of planning applications.
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|Date
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jointly with the Department of the Environment
40/80 |Development Control-Policy and Practice |28 November 1980
46/83 |Planning Gain |25 August 1983
17/84 |Planning Controls over Hazardous Developments |30 March 1984
34/84 |Industrial Development | 4 September 1984
1/85 |Use of Conditions | 7 January 1985
3/85 |Planning Control over Oil and Gas Operations |15 January 1985
38/85 |Development and Employment |16 July 1985
58/85 |Guidelines for the Provision of Silica sand in England and Wales| 5 November 1985
69/85 |Aesthetic Control |10 December 1985
8/86 |Development by Small Businesses |20 March 1986
58/86 |Policy on Major Retail Developments: Town and Country |18 December 1986
| Planning (Shopping Development) (England and Wales)
| Direction 1986
24/87 |Town and Country Planning (Use of Classes) Order 1987 | 6 May 1987
29/87 |Disposal of Colliery Spoil |27 July 1987
25/87 |Development involving Agricultural Land | 8 May 1987
22/87 |Development of Contaminated Land |17 August 1987
54/87 |Opencast Coal Mining |14 December 1987
1/88 |Planning Policy Guidance and Mineral Planning Guidance<1> |20 January 1988
23/88 |Environmental Assessment |12 July 1988
Jointly with the Department of Transport
42/88 |Control of Development on Trunk Roads |30 November 1988
61/81 |Historic Buildings and Conservation Areas |Undated
47/84 |Land for Housing in Wales |12 September 1984
30/86 |Housing for Senior Management |17 June 1986
53/88 |The Welsh Language: Development Plans and Development |20 December 1988
| Control
<1> Since January 1988, the Welsh Office and the Department of the Environment have been issuing policy guidance notes on land-use planning and development control. Planning Policy Guidance notes (PPGs) provide guidance on general and specific aspects of
planning policy, while the series of Minerals Planning Guidance notes (MPGs) deals with the control of minerals development.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the average cost of planning inquiries held under section 33 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971 to (a) the Welsh Office, (b) local authorities and (c) the applicant.
Mr. Grist : This information is not available.
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
Local Management in Schools
Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he last discussed the implementation of local management in schools with representatives of Cleveland county council ; and whether he is satisfied with that county's proposals in respect of this initiative.
Mr. Butcher : My right hon. Friend has had no meetings with representatives of Cleveland county council specifically to discuss local management of schools (LMS). Officials from the Department's LMS unit have, however, met the LEA and are continuing to offer advice on their proposals. The authority's final scheme will be subject to the Secretary of State's approval ; it would not be appropriate for me to anticipate the outcome of the statutory approvals process.
Staff (Ethnic Minorities)
Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many staff from ethnic minorities are employed in his Department in grades 1 to 4.
P E Teachers
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received about his proposal to reduce the number of physical education teachers in schools by 20 per cent. ; and if he will make a statement.
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