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The Prime Minister : I have received a number of representations on this subject.
Gwent
Q169. Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister when she next intends to make an official visit to Caerleon, Gwent.
The Prime Minister : I have at present no plans to do so.
Rain Forests
Q14. Mr. William Powell : To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding the tropical rain forests in Brazil.
The Prime Minister : I have received a number of letters and other representations about the tropical rain forests of Brazil. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Overseas Development has returned from Brazil where he visited the Amazon region and signed a memorandum of understanding with the Brazilian Government. It provides for greater co-operation on environmental problems, including the rain forests. We shall now work to agree the details of the projects where we can assist.
Intensive Farming
Q48. Mr. Marland : To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding intensive farming methods.
The Prime Minister : Intensive farming methods are among the subjects on which I receive correspondence from the public.
Low Flying
Q64. Mr. John Browne : To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding the use of low-flying aircraft by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation in West Germany.
Water Privatisation
Q65. Mr. Gerald Howarth : To ask the Prime Minister what representations she has received on water privatisation.
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The Prime Minister : I receive many representations about water privatisation, which represents the quickest and most cost-effective way of achieving even higher standards of water quality.
Litter
Q69. Sir Hugh Rossi : To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding litter in Britain.
The Prime Minister : I have received a large number of letters from people concerned about litter. They demonstrate wide support for tougher measures to control litter. The Government intend soon to announce a range of proposals for improving legislation in this area.
Forestry
Q70. Mr. Boswell : To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations on forestry policy.
The Prime Minister : I have received a number of such representations.
Aid Programme
Q97. Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Prime Minister when she expects to meet OXFAM to discuss Britain's aid programme as a percentage of gross national product.
The Prime Minister : I have no plans to do so. The Government maintain close contact with non-governmental organisations such as OXFAM. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Overseas Development met OXFAM as recently as 8 June and discussed a variety of aid issues. United Kingdom aid as a proportion of gross national product stood at 0.32 per cent. in 1988--14 per cent. up on the figure for 1987.
Japan
Q121. Mr. Goodlad : To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding relations with Japan.
The Prime Minister : A few. Japanese investment continues to grow. Over 100 manufacturing firms have now invested or are committed to invest a total of £3 billion to £4 billion in the United Kingdom.
Chancellor Kohl
Q133. Mr. Kirkhope : To ask the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on her recent meeting with Chancellor Kohl in Madrid.
The Prime Minister : I did not have a separate bilateral meeting with Chancellor Kohl in Madrid. I reported the outcome of the European Council in my statement to the House on 29 June.
EC (Competition Policy)
Q136. Mr. Alexander : To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding competition policy in the European Economic Community.
The Prime Minister : The Government have received several recent representations on EC competition policy issues. Most concern the draft EC merger control regulation.
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Social Charter
Q157. Mr. Bowis : To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding the proposal of the European Commission in relation to a social charter.
The Prime Minister : I am aware of the views of both British and European employers on the Commission's proposal. They share the Government's concerns that the current proposal will do nothing to create jobs and reduce unemployment ; that it will restrict flexibility in industrial relations ; and that there must be clear distinctions drawn between action which is appropriate for the Community, for national Governments and for collective agreements. This last point was made strongly in the agreed conclusions of the European Council in Madrid.
Better Made in Britain
Q159. Mr. Page : To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding the Better Made in Britain campaign.
The Prime Minister : Yes. I support efforts to stimulate the competitiveness of British goods and identify opportunities to compete in the market place.
NATO
Q175. Mr. Knapman : To ask the Prime Minister what
representations she has received about the future of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.
The Prime Minister : None. Last month's summit reaffirmed the vital importance of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation in preserving peace and security, as it has done for the last 40 years.
China
Q176. Mr. Cox : To ask the Prime Minister what discussions took place at the European Economic Community meeting on recent events in China ; and if she will make a statement.
The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Member to my statement in the House on 29 June.
Health Service
Q194. Mr. Leigh : To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding the Health Service.
The Prime Minister : The Government receive large numbers of representations on the National Health Service from members of the public, the professions and various interest groups. Many share the Government's desire for a Health Service that give patients more choice and rights as consumers, that is more responsible to the needs of local communities, and that builds on its existing successes and efficiency to give better value for money.
Legislative Programme
Q203. Mr. Harry Ewing : To ask the Prime Minister if she has any plans to review Her Majesty's Government's legislative programme in the light of recent election results.
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EC (Financial Services)
Q204. Sir Anthony Grant : To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding financial services in the European Economic Community.
The Prime Minister : I have received a number of such representations about financial services in the Community. As I made clear at the recent European Council in Madrid, the United Kingdom leads in liberalising financial markets and services. We want other member states to liberalise as we have done.
Scientists (NHS)
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Prime Minister what were the pay scales of (a) scientific civil servants and (b) medical scientists employed in the National Health Service as at 1 March, both gross and net of the effects of contributory pensions.
The Prime Minister : The information is as follows. All rates are those that apply outside London.
Civil service scientists salary scale as at 1 March 1989
Gross (£) |Net of pension
|contribution<1> (£)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Assistant Scientific Officer
Age 16 4,254 |4,190
17 4,835 |4,762
18 5,500 |5,418
19 6,261 |6,167
7,131 |7,024
8,090 |7,969
8,574 |8,445
9,057 |8,921
Scientific Officer
8,574 |8,445
9,057 |8,921
9,542 |9,399
10,026 |9,876
10,509 |10,351
10,994 |10,829
Higher Scientific Officer
10,026 |9,876
10,509 |10,351
10,994 |10,829
11,477 |11,305
11,961 |11,782
12,445 |12,258
12,943 |12,749
13,460 |13,258
Senior Scientific Officer
12,445 |12,258
12,943 |12,749
13,460 |13,258
13,999 |13,789
14,558 |14,340
15,141 |14,914
15,746 |15,510
16,377 |16,131
17,032 |16,777
Above this level Civil Service Scientists are
assigned, according to responsibility, to the
unified grading structure.
<1> The civil service pension scheme is non contributory but 1.5 per
cent. is deducted towards dependants' pensions.
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NHS scientists salary scale as at 1 March 1989
|Gross |Net of contributory
|pension<1>
|£ |£
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Probationer lower qualification |7,378 |6,935
|7,949 |7,472
|8,255 |7,760
|8,548 |8,035
|8,866 |8,334
|9,158 |8,609
|9,452 |8,885
|9,770 |9,184
Probationer higher qualification |8,255 |7,760
|8,548 |8,035
|8,866 |8,334
|9,158 |8,609
|9,452 |8,885
|9,770 |9,184
|10,063 |9,459
|10,369 |9,747
Basic |8,548 |8,035
|8,866 |8,334
|9,158 |8,609
|9,452 |8,885
|9,770 |9,184
|10,063 |9,459
|10,568 |9,934
|11,073 |10,409
Senior |11,778 |11,071
|12,163 |11,433
|12,814 |12,045
|13,440 |12,634
|14,091 |13,246
|14,742 |13,857
|15,394 |14,470
Principal |15,180 |14,269
|15,899 |14,945
|16,630 |15,632
|17,347 |16,306
|18,078 |16,993
|18,810 |17,681
|19,527 |18,355
|20,258 |19,043
|20,989 |19,730
Top grade |21,136 |19,868
|21,893 |20,579
|23,090 |21,705
|24,193 |22,741
|25,297 |23,779
Top grade with greater
responsibility |23,914 |22,479
|24,672 |23,192
|25,869 |24,317
|26,971 |25,353
|28,088 |26,403
<1> Six per cent. under NHS superannuation scheme.
Immunisation
Mr. David Porter : To ask the Prime Minister whether she has any plans to encourage the pre-school immunisation programme by making starting statutory school or receipt of child benefit dependent upon child immunisation.
The Prime Minister : The Government have no plans to introduce either requirement. Take-up rates for the last year available (1987-88) were 87 per cent. for diphtheria, tetanus and polio, while measles and whooping cough at
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76 per cent. and 73 per cent. respectively showed marked improvement on the previous year. We believe that the successful launch of the combined measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine from October 1988, and the proposed introduction of immunisation targets for general practitioners, will enable us to reach the World Health Organisation's objective of 90 per cent. for all these immunisations, without need for compulsion.Cyprus
Mr. Corbett : To ask the Prime Minister (1) in which ways the United Kingdom now proposes to help to progress the United Nations sponsored talks between the two Cypriot communities following her most recent meeting with President Vassiliou ; and whether she will make a statement.
(2) what further steps she plans to take over the next three months to encourage Turkey, Greece, the United States of America and the European Community to promote a successful outcome of the talks between the two Cypriot communities being held under United Nations sponsorship ;
(3) what recent contacts she has had with President Bush on ways of assisting a successful outcome of the United Nations-sponsored talks between the two Cypriot communities ;
(4) whether she will convene a meeting of the Turkish and Greek Prime Ministers to assist the United Nations-sponsored inter-communal talks between the two Cypriot communities before their leaders meet again in New York in September.
The Prime Minister : By continuous diplomatic contacts with all the parties concerned, including our fellow guarantor powers, Turkey and Greece, our other EC partners, the United States of America and other allies, the United Kingdom is working to promote agreement on a draft outline settlement of the Cyprus problem before the next meeting in September between the United Nations Secretary General and the leaders of the two communities in Cyprus. I had a further discussion on progress towards this goal with President Vassiliou of Cyprus on 10 July. I have not discussed Cyprus with President Bush for some time, but my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and the United States Secretary of State, Mr. Baker, agreed on the need for our two Governments to follow developments closely when they met in Washington on 17 April. Meanwhile I do not believe that a meeting with the Foreign Ministers of Greece and Turkey would serve any useful purpose at this stage.
Madrid Talks
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on the discussions in Madrid with Sir Leon Brittan.
The Prime Minister : Sir Leon Brittan did not attend the Madrid European Council.
Engagements
Mr. Yeo : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 11 July.
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 11 July.
Column 453
Mr. French : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 11 July.
The Prime Minister : This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today, including one with the Prime Minister of Canada, Mr. Mulroney.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Cereal Fields
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many reports he has received of the flattening of circular areas in cereal fields in the south-west and other areas of England respectively : and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Ryder : The flattening of circular areas in cereal fields is a phenomenon known to occur from time to time. It is confined to winter cereal crops and is more prevalent in dry seasons, but we have no arrangements for recording such occurrences and therefore cannot comment on their frequency.
Bottled Water
Sir Dudley Smith : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what arrangements are made to ensure that bottled water offered for sale is tested as being safe and acceptable for public consumption.
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Mr. Ryder : Natural mineral waters, sold as such, must meet certain quality standards. The recognition of such waters and checking thereafter is the responsibility of local authorities who enforce the Natural Mineral Waters Regulations 1985. I am considering the need for other bottled waters to be covered by specific regulations. At present, local authorities may request analytical information from producers and take and analyse samples to check they they comply with the standards prescribed in EC directive 80/778/EEC relating to the quality of water intended for human consumption.
River and Coastal Protection
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total expenditure on river and sea walls, coastal protection and defences in each standard region in each year since 1979, including an estimate for the current year.
Mr. Ryder : Details of expenditure on flood and coastal defence maintenance works and non-grant-aided capital works are not available. The total expenditure on capital flood and coastal defence works including river and sea walls, in receipt of Government grant in each English region since 1979 is as follows :
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Regions<1> |<2>1979-80|<2>1980-81|<2>1981-82|<2>1982-83|<2>1983-84|<2>1984-85|<3>1985-86|<3>1986-87|<3>1987-88|1988-89 |<4>1989-90 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Yorkshire (Yorkshire, North West Northumbria) |4.69 |5.19 |6.50 |5.45 |6.55 |7.66 |10.02 |11.30 |12.64 |13.66 |16.34 Midlands (Severn-Trent) |4.42 |4.37 |4.90 |4.18 |4.36 |4.92 |3.52 |3.82 |3.81 |4.90 |2.85 East Anglian |6.95 |7.37 |10.04 |9.06 |11.32 |10.90 |9.92 |14.28 |14.82 |23.66 |24.08 Southern (including Thames) |7.02 |5.86 |6.00 |6.26 |9.13 |7.43 |14.61 |15.27 |16.44 |17.92 |19.29 South West (including Wessex) |4.19 |4.08 |4.45 |6.60 |8.24 |5.72 |7.07 |6.53 |6.12 |11.94 |13.58 Total |<5>36.68 |49.31 |55.17 |58.44 |66.37 |65.01 |62.47 |68.88 |69.23 |72.08 |76.14 <1> Using Water Authority boundaries. <2> Details of expenditure by local authorities (including maritime district councils) and Internal Drainage Boards not available by region. Overall expenditure in England included in total. <3> Includes expenditure by maritime district councils by region. Overall expenditure by other local authorities and Internal Drainage Boards included in total. <4> Estimate. <5> Details of expenditure by maritime district councils on coast protection works not available.
Intervention Board
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many employees were employed by the intervention board for agriculture in each of the last four quarters ending 30 June ; at which locations they were employed ; and, in each case, how many were temporary staff.
Column 454
Mr. Donald Thompson : The Department's headquarters operation is based in Reading and Guildford. A temporary headquarters outstation has been opened in Newcastle. It also has a small regional network. The permanent and temporary staff in each location at each of the last quarters are as follows :
Column 453
h
Location 30 September 1988 31 December 1988 31 March 1989 30 June 1987
|Permanent|Temporary|Permanent|Temporary|Permanent|Temporary|Permanent|Temporary
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reading |731.5 |61 |725.0 |75 |739.5 |54 |746.5 |82.0
Guildford |33.0 |6 |34.0 |7 |34.0 |6 |31.0 |9.5
Newcastle |0.0 |0 |7.0 |45 |9.0 |60 |15.0 |111.0
Bristol |6.0 |0 |6.0 |0 |6.0 |0 |6.0 |0
Wolverhampton |5.5 |0 |5.5 |0 |5.5 |0 |5.5 |0
Cambridge |4.5 |0 |4.5 |0 |4.5 |0 |4.5 |0
Harrogate |4.0 |0 |3.0 |0 |3.0 |0 |3.0 |0
Column 455
United Kingdom Fishing Fleet
Dr. Godman : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the size of the United Kingdom fleet of fishing vessels in each of the past 10 years.
Column 456
Mr. Donald Thompson : The information requested is as follows :
Column 455
United Kingdom fishing fleet 1979-88 by length group<1> as at 31 December of each year
|1979 |1980 |1981 |1982 |1983 |1984 |1985 |1986 |1987 |1988<2>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Under 40 ft |4,878 |4,512 |4,970 |4,485 |5,023 |5,433 |5,868 |6,305 |6,251 |6,260
40-79.9 ft |2,092 |2,132 |2,136 |2,073 |1,976 |1,934 |1,852 |1,642 |1,700 |1,731
80-109.9 ft |111 |114 |119 |120 |124 |128 |126 |131 |149 |159
110-139.9 ft |103 |86 |88 |86 |78 |76 |60 |71 |81 |86
140 ft+ |58 |51 |38 |33 |29 |13 |14 |17 |23 |28
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------
Total |7,242 |6,895 |7,351 |6,797 |7,230 |7,584 |7,920 |8,166 |8,204 |8,264
<1> Changes in the number of under 40 ft vessels are due partly to changes in the definitions used
for this sector of the fleet.
<2> Provisional.
The figures relate to active commercial fishing vessels.
Dr. Godman : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the extent of the required reduction of the United Kingdom's fishing fleet in percentage terms and actual number of vessels under the multi-annual guidance programme over the next three years ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Donald Thompson : The required reductions during each calendar year in terms of tonnage and engine power are as follows :
1989 1990 1991
|Per cent. |Per cent. |Per cent.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gross registered
tons |15,575 |9 |10,895 |7 |8,716 |6
Engine power
(Kw) |52,353 |6 |46,368 |6 |37,095 |5
Radioactive Foodstuffs
Mr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the current levels of radioactivity in bq/kg or bq/1 for various foodstuffs that apply after a nuclear accident and the changes proposed to those levels in the European Community ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Ryder : In the event of a nuclear emergency, the current limiting values for radioactivity in all foodstuffs placed on EC markets would be those laid down under Council regulation (EURATOM) 3954/87. This regulation was adopted on 22 December 1987. The levels so far annexed to that regulation are as follows (Bq/kg or Bq/1) :
|Dairy Produce |Other foodstuffs except
|minor foodstuffs
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Isotopes of strontium,
notably Sr-90 |125 |750
Isotopes of iodine, notably I-131 |500 |2,000
Alpha-emitting isotopes of
plutonium and trans-plutonium
elements, notably Pu-239,
Am-241 |20 |80
All other nuclides of half-life
greater than 10 days, notably
Cs-134, Cs-1387 |1,000 |1,250
Minor foodstuffs listed in the annex to Commission regulation (EURATOM) 944/89 will be subject to maximum permitted levels 10 times those applicable to "other foodstuffs except minor foodstuffs". Separate levels will in due course be set for liquid foodstuffs, babyfood and animal feedingstuffs. No changes to the present levels are currently under discussion within the EC.
Aquagard
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the evidence which his veterinary products committee considered prior to giving approval to give a product licence to Nuvan ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Donald Thompson : Extensive data regarding safety, quality and efficacy were provided by the manufacturer of Aquagard in accordance with the requirements of article 5 of directive 81/851/EEC and directive 81/852/EEC governing product licence applications. In addition, since Aquagard is necessarily released into the marine environment the VPC considered all available data relating to the dispersion of dichlorvos and its effects on marine life.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what factors he took into account in granting a product licence for Aquaguard sea lice treatment ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) whether he took account of the red list status of the active ingredient dichlorvos when granting a product licence for Aquaguard sea lice treatment ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Donald Thompson : The factors to be taken into account before granting a product licence are set out in the Medicines Act 1968. The recommendation that I received from the veterinary products committee about Aquaguard took into account the reasons underlying the inclusion of dichlorvos in the Department of the Environment's provisional red list and the need for appropriate safeguards on use and disposal.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has imposed conditions and restrictions on the use of Aquaguard sea lice treatment in granting a product licence ; and whether he will place a copy of the product data sheet in the Library.
Column 457
Mr. Donald Thompson : I will be arranging to deposit a copy in the Library of the House when available.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will publish the data supplied in support of the product licence application for Aquaguard sea lice treatment by his Department, the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland and Ciba-Geigy ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Donald Thompson : The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland intends to publish later this year the results of studies into the toxicity of dichlorvos to fish and lobster larvae which were undertaken in concert with my Department and Ciba-Geigy and considered by the VPC along with other data when assessing the product licence application for Aquaguard.
Beef
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what tissues and organs of a cow can be labelled as beef ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Ryder : In common with all foodstuffs, butchers' cuts of meat and meat products are subject to the general labelling provisions of the Food Labelling Regulations 1984, which require the name of food products to be sufficiently precise to inform a purchaser of the true nature of the food and to enable the food to be distinguished from products with which it could be confused.
Under the Meat Products and Spreadable Fish Products Regulations 1984, "meat" is defined for the purposes of those regulations as "flesh including fat, and the skin, rind, gristle and sinew in amounts naturally associated with the flesh used" and may include diaphragm, head meat, heart, kidney, liver, pancreas, tail meat, thymus, and tongue. These tissues and organs may be described as beef, if appropriate, in the statutory minimum meat content declaration.
Salmon Farming
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) whether he has made provisions for the salmon farming industry to investigate an alternative, less environmentally damaging solution to the sea lice problem than the use of Aquaguard sea lice treatment ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) whether he is conducting research into alternative and environmentally benign solutions to control sea lice on salmon farms ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Donald Thompson : Marine scientists in my Department and the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland are in close touch with the Scottish Salmon Growers Association which has commissioned such research from the Institute of Aquaculture at the university of Stirling and from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland.
Boxworth Experimental Husbandry Farm
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he intends to publish the results of his study into environmentally friendly agriculture carried out at Boxworth experimental husbandry farm ; and if he will place a copy of the report in the Library.
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Mr. Ryder : The final report of this study is currently in preparation for publication by HMSO in 1990. Annual reorts are available for the years 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987 and articles on the research have been published.
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