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The Rev. Martin Smyth : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what post-school provision exists for deaf and
multi-handicapped young people in Northern Ireland ; and what advice he is giving to area boards on this matter.
Mr. Needham : In Northern Ireland, the individual needs of hearing- impaired and multi-handicapped clients are met by the general range of statutory and voluntary services including the provision of home helps, aids and adaptations and day centre and workshop activities.
Specialist social workers for the deaf provide advice and guidance to hearing-impaired people and their families and act as interpreters where necessary. Three resource centres for the hearing impaired are provided in the Eastern health and social services board area at Beechbank house, Helen Keller house and the Parkmount rehabilitation unit.
The regional strategy for the period 1987-92 advises boards that the Department of Health and Social Services expects them to effect improvements in services specifically for the deaf and blind, either through the creation of specialist posts, or through in-service training designed to ensure that existing staff, including social workers, are made more aware and capable of meeting the needs of sensorily handicapped people.
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Rev. Martin Smyth : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what provision has been made in the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys survey of disability in Northern Ireland for the identification of deaf-blind people and deaf people who may suffer from an additional handicap to their deafness.
Mr. Needham : The study of disability now under way in Northern Ireland is modelled closely on that carried out in Great Britain by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, and the same methods of establishing the nature and extent of disability are being followed. Information is sought on each and every disability that an individual has which interferes with his or her ability to perform daily activities. Thus, people with varying levels of visual loss and/or hearing loss and those who suffer an additional disability to their hearing loss will be included in the survey. Investigations cover those living in private households and also those who live in residential establishments of varying kinds.
The study is being carried out by the policy planning and research unit of the Department of Finance and Personnel.
Rev. Martin Smyth : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will meet representatives of organisations representing the deaf to discuss the implications for them of the Disabled Persons (Northern Ireland) Act 1989.
Mr. Needham : No request for a meeting to discuss the implications of the Disabled Persons (Northern Ireland) Act 1989 has been received from any organisation representing deaf people.
Residential Homes
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many residents in (a) Northern Ireland residential and (b) Northern Ireland nursing homes are required to contribute all or part of their personal expenses allowance to fund shortfalls in fees charged to them.
Mr. Needham : I regret that the information is not available.
Elderly People
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment has been made of how many elderly people and their relatives cannot afford to pay for care in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Needham : None, but income support is available to people in need of care whose resources are below levels prescribed by Parliament.
Roads
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals he has to complete dualling of the Belfast-Larne road ; and whether this road has been indentified as a Euro-route.
Mr. Needham : The existing single carriageway sections of the Belfast-Larne road are adjudged capable of carrying projected traffic flows for the foreseeable future. Proposals for completion of dualling are therefore considered to be long term. The Department of Environment for Northern Ireland has indentified the route as a Euro-route.
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Housing
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many sub-contractors named by successful main contractors in tender documents submitted to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive were not subsequently used after the main contract was awarded, in each of the last three years.
Mr. Needham : I am advised by the chairman of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive that the information requested is not available as contractors are not required to name proposed sub-contractors when submitting tenders for Housing Executive contracts, although some do so.
Road Safety (Carrickfergus)
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action he proposes to reduce traffic congestion and improve road safety at Windermere road and Windermere avenue, Carrickfergus, Country Antrim.
Mr. Needham : As there is little evidence of traffic congestion or a particular road safety problem at Windermere road and Windermere avenue, no action is proposed at the present time.
Coal Gas Works, Carrickfergus
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what consideration has been given to the retention of the only complete coal gas works in Ireland at Carrickfergus, or to the retention of this site as a historical tourist attraction and for educational purposes.
Mr. Needham : I understand that this site, which is owned by Belfast city council, is to be sold later this year, after it has been detoxified to the normal standard. The Carrickfergus Gasworks Preservation Society, which wishes to develop the site as a gasworks museum, will have the opportunity to make an offer for it.
Scotland (Transport Links)
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had regarding road, rail and ferry links between Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Mr. Needham : Discussions are continuing at ministerial and official levels on proposals for improved facilities at Larne harbour, the upgrading of the rail connection between Belfast and Larne and the possible introduction of a ferry service between Red Bay harbour and Scotland.
Sewage Disposal (Islandmagee)
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the marine survey postponed in 1988 into sewage disposal from Ashvale park, Islandmagee, County Antrim, to the sea will be carried out.
Mr. Needham : A study, including any necessary marine survey, has been initiated and is expected to be completed by November 1989.
Benefit Statistics
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons in Northern Ireland are currently receiving (a) unemployment benefit and (b) income support.
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Mr. Needham : The latest available information is as follows :
|Number of recipients
---------------------------------------------------------------
Unemployment Benefit |21,584
Income Support |<1>183,235
<1> This includes an estimated 4,000 people who get
unemployment benefit and income support.
Civil Service Statistics
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table in the Official Report to show for each grade in the Northern Ireland Civil Service the number and percentages of (a) Roman Catholics, (b) Protestants and (c) others, showing the number and percentages of males and females in each category ; and if he will indicate the percentage of each of those groupings of working age in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Cope : The information requested by the hon. Gentleman is contained within the Second Report of the Equal Opportunities Unit of the Northern Ireland Civil Service. The Second Report was published in December 1987 and shows the make-up of the Northern Ireland Civil Service by sex, religion and disability as at 1 January 1987. Copies of the Second Report were placed in the Library on 17 December 1987.
The following table shows estimated aggregated figures (1985-87) of the religious affiliation of persons of working age in Northern Ireland, derived from the continuous household survey.
|Males |Females |All
|per cent.|per cent.|per cent.
-----------------------------------------------------
Catholic |37.9 |39.6 |38.9
Protestant |57.8 |57.8 |57.8
Other or not
stated |4.3 |2.6 |3.3
Bogside Flats (Demolition)
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the demolition of the Bogside flats in Londonderry was carried out by the main contractors or by sub-contractors.
Mr. Needham : I am advised by the chairman of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive that the demolition of the Bogside (Rossville street) flats was carried out by the main contractor.
MOT Tests
Mr. Peter Robinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the length of delay for vehicles awaiting MOT tests in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Needham : The average waiting time for private car test appointments was approximately six and a half weeks at 14 July 1989.
Teachers
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish details of the numbers of (a) Roman Catholic and (b) other teachers who have
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graduated in each of the last three years for which records are available, together with information on the level of qualification awarded in each category from Northern Ireland universities and teacher training colleges.Dr. Mawhinney : Available information is as follows :
|1986-87|1987-88|1988-89
-------------------------------------------------------------
Stranmillis College
BEd (Hons) |53 |68 |83
BEd |89 |77 |51
PGCE |51 |65 |67
St. Mary's College
BEd (Hons) |61 |60 |94
BEd |85 |75 |65
PGCE |46 |58 |61
Queen's University
PGCE |109 |124 |115
University of Ulster
PGCE |22 |23 |25
BA |10 |11 |6
BA (Hons) |28 |25 |27
BA/BSc single subject
concurrent |2 |2 |-
BA/BSc (Hons) single subject
concurrent |45 |33 |53
BA/BSc (Hons) combined
subject |16 |6 |11
BSc |20 |10 |2
Since St. Mary's is a voluntary Roman Catholic college it is likely that most graduates are Roman Catholic. The other institutions are in the public sector and non-denominational.
Planning Officers
Mr. Clifford Forsythe : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if, in taking account of the peculiar structure of local government in Northern Ireland, he will require planning officers to follow the practice of councillors in declaring their interests in cases where their duties may constitue a conflict of interest on the part of themselves or their families.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 24 July 1989] : In accordance with their conditions of service all civil servants are required not to put themselves in a position where their duty and private interests conflict and they must not make use of their official position to further those interests. All planning officials, therefore, are expected to take no part in cases where their duties may constitute a conflict of interest on the part of themselves or their families.
Rent Arrears
Mr. Clifford Forsythe : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland under what powers the Northern Ireland Housing Executive demands deductions for arrears which are being disputed by a tenant.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 24 July 1989] : In cases where tenants do not repay rent arrears voluntarily the Northern Ireland Housing Executive recover arrears by three main methods : by direct payment from benefits under the Social Security Claims and Payments Regulations (NI) 1988 ; from other money due to the tenant from Government sources under the Payment for
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Debt (Emergency Provisions) Act (NI) 1971 ; and under the Magistrates Courts (NI) Order 1981. When using the Magistrates Courts (NI) Order the Executive must prove the debt in court. If a tenant disputes the withholding of money under the Social Security Claims and Payment Regulations or the Payment for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Act (NI) he can use the Executive's internal complaints procedure and if he is still not satisfied he can refer his case to the commissioner for complaints.Column 634
Multiple Births
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the number of sets of (a) twins, (b) triplets, (c) quadruplets, (d) quintuplets, and (e) sextuplets, born in Northern Ireland in each year since 1980 ; and what was the total number of maternities in each of these years.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 24 July 1989] : The information is set out in the table :
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s
Type |1980 |1981 |1982 |1983 |1984 |1985 |1986 |1987 |1988
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
a. Twins |298 |305 |306 |263 |304 |272 |281 |322 |287
b. Triplets |4 |3 |2 |4 |3 |3 |2 |7 |1
c. Quadruplets |- |1 |- |- |- |- |1 |- |1
d. Quintuplets |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
e. Sextuplets |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Maternities |28,542 |27,229 |26,905 |27,188 |27,547 |27,529 |27,989 |27,694 |<1>27,614
<1> Provisional.
NHS (Regrading)
Rev. Martin Smyth : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about progress in implementing the recent regrading exercise for National Health Service staff.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 24 July 1989] : I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the regrading of medical laboratory scientific officers. The assignment of existing posts to new grades under the medical laboratory scientific officer regrading exercise is a matter for the health and social services boards. In each board this involves a review of each post against the needs of the board. The exercise is at a fairly advanced stage in all the boards and local staff interests are being consulted. However, due to the work involved it has not been possible to assign the new grades before 1 April this year as had been planned.
Scientific Staff
Rev. Martin Smyth : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information he has as to the relationship between difficulties experienced in the recruitment and retention of medical physicists, clinical biochemists, microbiologists and psychologists in Northern Ireland and similar difficulties in Great Britain ; and whether he has received any recent representations or information on this.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 24 July 1989] : I have received some representations about pay and conditions of service for these groups of staff. In Northern Ireland there is, as for other staff groups in the health and personal social services, a policy of parity with similar grades of staff employed in the National Health Service. In Great Britain, I understand that the management side of the appropriate Whitley Council has set up a working party to investigate reported problems of recruitment and retention. I shall, of course, be keeping in close touch with developments.
Rev. Martin Smyth : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he intends to take to ensure that the commitment given in "Working for Patients" to maintain a health care service based on high technology includes measures to recruit and retain scientific staff to operate the service.
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Mr. Needham [holding answer 24 July 1989] : The current commitment within the Health Service to recruit and retain, within available resources, sufficient numbers of staff of the right calibre for the job will continue.
NATIONAL FINANCE
Atlantic Salmon Conservation Trust (Scotland)
Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the Inland Revenue has completed its review of the charitable status of the Atlantic Salmon Conservation Trust (Scotland).
Mr. Norman Lamont : I regret that I cannot comment on the tax affairs of any particular body.
Arts and Charities (Sponsorship)
Mr. Simon Coombs : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what tax incentives are available to encourage commercial sponsorships of the arts and charities.
Mr. Norman Lamont : Sponsorship payments which are not of a capital nature are deductible for tax purposes in calculating trading profits if they are made wholly and exclusively for the purposes of the payer's trade. In practice, this means that the sole purpose of the payment must be to provide the payer with a benefit--often in the form of advertising-- commensurate with his expenditure.
There are also special tax reliefs for business donations to charities.
Life Assurance
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has on the rules for the taxation of investment-linked and other life assurance in (a) Germany and (b) Luxembourg for life offices and policy holders, respectively.
Mr. Norman Lamont : In both countries life offices pay tax broadly by reference to their trading profits. In Germany policy holders may also pay tax on policy benefits received, depending on the terms of the policy and its duration. So far as I am aware, investment-linked life assurance comparable to that in the United Kingdom is not usual in either country : I am aware of no special tax provision for it.
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Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what practical limitations have been or are likely to be imposed by membership of the EEC on the Government's freedom to increase the tax take from the life assurance business, including pension and annuity business.
Mr. Norman Lamont : The practical development of a single internal EC market for life assurance is still at an early stage but in consultation with the industry the Government will be keeping the position under review. The decision this year to reform the existing tax regime for life assurance instead of adopting a more radical option will undoubtedly provide stability for the run-up to 1992. But allowing for freedom of services in the EC was only one of several objectives of the reform. As my right hon. Friend said in his Budget speech, above all the effect of the changes will be to provide a more efficient and equitable tax regime for this most important industry.
Personal Taxation
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the gross and taxable income of the self-employed in the current financial year as (a) declared for tax and (b) not so declared ; and if he will provide comparable figures for 1978-79.
Mr. Norman Lamont : The latest information is for 1986-87. The estimates cover married couples and single people whose main source of income is from self-employment.
£ billion
|GrossIncome |Taxable Income
------------------------------------------------------------
1978-79 |9.1 |4.5
1986-87 |26.4 |15.4
By their very nature, estimates of amounts of income not declared for tax are not available.
Special Debt Relief
Mr. Andrew MacKay : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how it is proposed to account for the special debt relief to the poorest and most heavily indebted countries agreed at the Toronto summit this year.
Mr. Norman Lamont : The arrangements announced by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Overseas Development on 25 November 1988 (WA col. 13) following the Toronto agreement have been modified for technical reasons. ECGD will receive the lower amount of interest from the debtor as before. But it is now intended that, instead of ODA reimbursing ECGD for the forgone receipts, ECGD's obligations to the Consolidated Fund will be reduced by the same amount. The published accounts will be noted to make this clear. These changes will be taken into account during the 1989 public expenditure survey. It is expected that the cost of providing special debt relief in this way will count as part of Britain's net official development assistance to developing countries, as reported to the development assistance committee of the OECD.
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Offices (London)
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage increase over the nearest equivalent figure for 1976 and 1966 is represented by the total rateable value of offices, including banks in office areas, in London, as shown in section 1 of table 11.1 of Inland Revenue Statistics 1987.
Mr. Norman Lamont : About 26.5 per cent. for 1 April 1986 compared with 1 April 1976. A comparison with 1966 would not be appropriate because rateable values for that year were based on the 1963 revaluation.
Personal Taxation
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has information from the family expenditure survey, the survey of personal incomes and from the building societies which enable him to estimate the distribution of mortgage interest relief by marital status as well as by range of total income.
Mr. Norman Lamont : Information on the distribution of mortgage interest relief by marital status and by range of total income is available from projections of the data from the 1986-87 "Survey of Personal Incomes" and the 1986 "Family Expenditure Survey". However, all estimates are provisional and those for marital status are rather tentative because of lack of firm data.
Latest estimates for 1989-90 based on the assumption that interest rates remain at current levels for the rest of 1989-90 are given in the table. The estimates include mortgages formerly under the option mortgage scheme which are now subsumed within MIRAS.
Tax units receiving mortgage interest relief by marital status and
range of total income 1989-90
Range of total income |Number of tax units with|Average value of relief |Cost of relief
|mortgage interest relief|per mortgagor
|Thousands |£ |£ million
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Singles
Up to £5,000 |300 |430 |130
£5,001 to £10,000 |810 |630 |510
£10,001 to £15,000 |660 |670 |440
£15,001 to £20,000 |400 |810 |330
£20,001 to £25,000 |190 |850 |160
£25,001 to £30,000 |80 |1,110 |80
over £30,000 |100 |1,430 |140
|--- |--- |---
Total |2,540 |700 |1,790
Married couples
Up to £5,000 |340 |540 |180
£5,001 to £10,000 |890 |570 |510
£10,001 to £15,000 |1,600 |650 |1,040
£15,001 to £20,000 |1,480 |690 |1,020
£20,001 to £25,000 |1,010 |700 |710
£25,001 to £30,000 |530 |820 |440
over £30,000 |910 |1,170 |1,060
|--- |--- |---
Total |6,760 |730 |4,960
Total income
Up to £5,000 |640 |490 |310
£5,001 to £10,000 |1,700 |600 |1,020
£10,001 to £15,000 |2,260 |660 |1,480
£15,001 to £20,000 |1,880 |720 |1,350
£20,001 to £25,000 |1,200 |720 |870
£25,001 to £30,000 |610 |860 |520
over £30,000 |1,010 |1,200 |1,200
|--- |--- |---
Total |9,300 |730 |6,750
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has made estimates of the revenue cost of the introduction of separate taxation ; and if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing by range of total income for two-earner married couples the number of wives earning (i) more and (ii) less than the single allowance.
Mr. Norman Lamont : It is estimated that the revenue cost of the introduction of independent taxation will be approximately £500 million in the first year, 1990-91, and approximately £1.2 billion in 1991-92.
The number of wives earning more than the single allowance in 1990-91 by range of total income for example is given in the table. The figures are estimates based on a projection of the 1986-87 "Survey of Personal Incomes" and are therefore provisional. I regret that it is not possible to provide reliable estimates of total income for couples where the wife earns for the number of wives earning less than the single allowance.
Number of wives earning more than single allowance, 1989-90,
by range of total income of the married couple
Range of total income of |Thousands
married couple (lower
limit)
(£)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 |110
5,000 |310
10,000 |580
15,000 |990
20,000 |1,420
30,000 |450
40,000 |150
50,000 |150
|-------
Total |4,160
Charitable Donations
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total value of income covenanted to charities by (a) individuals and (b) companies in every year from 1984-85 to 1988-89, inclusive.
Mr. Norman Lamont : Gross amounts covenanted to charities are shown in the table. I regret that a reliable breakdown of these figures between individual and company covenants is not available.
Gross amounts covenanted to
charities
|£ million
-------------------------------
1984-85 |400
1985-86 |450
1986-87 |500
1987-88<1> |650
1988-89<2> |800
<1> Estimated.
<2> Provisional.
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the value of income convenanted to
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professional arts organisations with charitable status by (a) individuals and (b) companies in every year from 1984-85 to 1988 inclusive.Mr. Norman Lamont : I regret that the information requested is not available.
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the value of payroll giving--"give as you earn"--to (a) all charities and (b) professional arts organisations with charitable status in 1987-88 and 1988-89.
Mr. Norman Lamont : It is estimated that about £1 million was donated to charities in 1987-88 through the payroll giving scheme and over £3 million in 1988-89. No information is available on how much of these amounts were received by professional arts organisations.
Higher Rate Tax
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number of persons subject to higher-rate tax in the current year on the basis of separate taxation for husbands and wives.
Mr. Norman Lamont : On the basis of the latest information available, it is estimated that just under 1.3 million individuals will be liable to income tax at the higher rate when independent taxation starts in 1990-91. This estimate is based on a projection of the 1986-87 "Survey of Personal Incomes" and is therefore provisional.
Income Tax
Mr. Lester : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the cost of administering income tax.
Mr. Norman Lamont [holding answer 19 July 1989] : The total cost of administering income tax for the financial year 1987-88, the last year for which this figure is available, was £931.5 million.
Married Women (Tax)
Mr. Clay : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many married women pay income tax on their earnings ; and what proportion they make up of all married women in paid work.
Mr. Norman Lamont [holding answer 20 July 1989] : It is estimated that in 1989-90 some 3.7 million married women will pay income tax on their earnings. It is believed that this represents approximately half of all married women with some income from employment.
Mortgage Interest Tax Relief
Mr. Norman Hogg : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will estimate the revenue cost of mortgage interest tax relief projected for the year 1989-90 ;
(2) what was the revenue cost of mortgage interest tax relief for 1986-87, 1987-88 and 1988-89.
Mr. Norman Lamont [holding answer 20 July 1989] : The estimated costs of mortgage interest tax relief in the United Kingdom are shown in the table. The cost of
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mortgage interest in 1989-90 is based on the assumption that interest rates remain at current levels for the rest of 1989-90.
Cost of mortgage tax relief
|£ million
-------------------------------
1986-87 |4,670
1987-88 |4,800
1988-89<1> |5,500
1989-90<1> |6,750
<1> provisional.
ENERGY
British Nuclear Fuels (Safety)
Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what discussions he has had with British Nuclear Fuels with respect to plans to make production workers more responsible for safety monitoring ; whether he intends to discuss this with the nuclear installations inspectorate ; what implications the plan has for the 1986 safety audit carried out by the nuclear installations inspectorate ; and if he will make a statement.
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