| Previous Section | Home Page |
Pension Fund Holidays
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report the value in 1988 and the current year to date of pension fund contribution holidays taken by employers and employees respectively, together with his estimate of the amount of tax due thereon.
Mr. Lilley : I shall answer when resources permit.
Statutory Instruments
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for each of the last five parliamentary Sessions including the 1988-89 Session, if he will list the number of statutory instruments that were issued by his Department ; how many were negative and how many affirmative ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Ryder : As at 25 July, the figures for the current Session, 1988 -89, were as follows :
|Number
------------------------------------------------
Affirmative Statutory Instruments |7
Negative Statutory Instruments |38
|---
Total |45
For early parliamentary Sessions, I refer the hon. Member to the respective sessional Journals of the House of Commons.
Finished Manufactures
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of United Kingdom exports of finished manufactures now consist of imports of personal computers and of the products of screwdriver plants ; how many constituents of the index of manufacturing output are based on other than net output ; and what is their weight.
Mr. Redwood : I have been asked to reply.
Information in respect of personal computers and screwdriver plants is not available.
For an explanation of the methods and sources used for the index of manufacturing output, I refer the hon.
Column 854
Member to the article "The Rebased Index of Production" which was published in Economic Trends (February 1989), a copy of which is available in the Library.Manufacturing Output
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for 1973, 1978, 1987 and 1988 the estimated increase in the value and weighted average volume of output of manufacturing industries less food, drink and tobacco, paper, printing and publishing and other minerals and mineral products.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : I have been asked to reply.
The values of output required may be derived from the summary tables to the annual census of production for the years in question. The index of production for the required aggregate is given in the table :
Index of
Industrial
Production (1985
= 100)
Manufacturing
industries less
food, drink and
tobacco, paper,
printing nd
publishing, and
extraction of
minerals n.e.s.
|Value
------------------
1973 |113.0
1978 |107.4
1987 |106.2
1988 |114.0
Tax Incentives
Mr. David Porter : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has any plans to amend the tax reforms to give incentives to mothers who choose not to go out to work but stay at home to raise their families.
Mr. Lilley [holding answer 25 July 1989] : I have no plans to do so.
Millionaires
Mr. Allen : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the number of millionaires in Britain.
Mr. Lilley [holding answer 25 July 1989] : The latest provisional estimate is that about 18,000 individuals owned wealth exceeding £1, 000,000 in 1986.
Public Spending
Mr. John Greenway : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his assessment of the implications for public spending of the sustained fall in unemployment.
Mr. Nicholas Scott : I have been asked to reply.
We estimate that spending on the Social Security programme would be about £3.3 billion higher than planned in the current year if the sustained fall in unemployment over the last three years had not taken place.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Lacky Bridge Checkpoint
Mr. Maginnis : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many soldiers were released for other duties as a result of dismantling Lacky bridge permanent vehicle checkpoint.
Column 855
Mr. Cope : Although I am not prepared to give specific information about the number of troops involved in particular tasks, the removal of the permanent vehicle checkpoint will mean a useful addition to the number of soldiers available for other duties in the Lacky bridge area, and will allow them to operate in a more flexible, mobile and unpredictable manner.
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Mr. McCusker : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many of the 13 confirmed cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in Northern Ireland have been in dairy cows ; and how many have been in beef cattle.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : There have been 15 confirmed cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in Northern Ireland, the most recent being confirmed on 18 July.
All the animals affected were cows belonging to dairy breeds and all originated in dairy herds. By the time of diagnosis, two of these cows had been transferred to suckler herds used to raise calves for beef production.
Fixed Penalty Tickets
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many fixed penalty tickets have been issued in the last 12 months ; and how many of these have been paid.
Mr. Cope : In the 12 months ended 31 May 1989, 64,539 fixed penalty notices were issued of which 55,822 have been paid to date.
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many fixed penalty tickets have been issued by traffic wardens in the Lenadoon and Ardoyne areas of west Belfast and how many have been paid in the last 12 months ;
(2) how many fixed penalty tickets have been issued in respect of parking in an area unmarked by double yellow lines or other road markings adjacent to bollards at the car park entrance to Murrayfield shopping centre ;
(3) how many fixed penalty tickets have been issued in Larne, County Antrim by traffic wardens in the last 12 months ; and how many of these have been paid.
Mr. Cope : Records are not maintained of the geographical distribution of fixed penalty notices and this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Traffic Wardens
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many traffic wardens are employed in Larne, county Antrim.
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many traffic wardens are employed in the Lenadoon and Ardoyne areas of west Belfast.
Column 856
Dogs (Northern Ireland) Order
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will amend the Dogs (Northern Ireland) Order (S.I., 1983, No. 764) by deleting at line 4 of section 33 the word "shall" and replacing it with the word "may" and by deleting the word "shall" at line 8 of the same section and replacing it by the word "may".
Mr. Peter Bottomley : No. The existing provisions of article 33 of the Dogs (Northern Ireland) Order 1983 were designed to replace the permissive provisions of previous legislation which were clearly not having the desired effect of requiring dog owners to keep their animals under control. This was a matter of serious public concern at the time of making the order.
The reason for the inclusion of article 33 (1) in its mandatory form was to effect the removal of an anomaly in the existing law whereby humans did not have the same protection from attack as livestock.
Before the introduction of the Dogs (Northern Ireland) Order 1983 the provisions of the Dogs Act 1906 as amended by the Livestock (Protection from Dogs) Act (Northern Ireland) 1968, section 3, required courts to order the destruction of a dog which had caused injury to sheep. There was no comparable provision for humans and this, naturally, led to considerable Government and public concern when biting dogs were free to repeat their attacks. This point was also reflected in the report of the 1976 working party on dogs. The making of a destruction order does not, of course, necessarily mean that a dog will automatically be put down since the Dogs Order makes provision for appeal.
Prisoners (Transfers)
Mr. Hume : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list any cases in the past seven years where transfers of prisoners from Great Britain were refused by the Northern Ireland Office.
Mr. Cope [holding answer 25 July 1989] : The Northern Ireland Office does not have overall responsibility for decisions on transfer requests from inmates in Great Britain. The final decision is taken by the Secretaries of State for the Home Department or for Scotland as appropriate. Twenty-eight requests have been refused on the Northern Ireland Office's recommendation since 1982. It would be a breach of confidentiality to name the individuals who made these requests.
Fishing Industry
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time fishermen there are ; and if he is in a position to estimate the number of people employed (i) full-time and (ii) part-time in the non-catching section of the fishing industry.
Mr. Peter Bottomley [holding answer 26 July 1989] : The information is as follows :
Column 857
Full-time staff Part-time staff
Enterprise |Male |Female |Total |Male |Female |Total |Total
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Catching |956 |- |956 |295 |- |295 |1,251
Processing |329 |441 |770 |61 |102 |163 |933
Wholesalers |26 |4 |30 |6 |- |6 |36
Boatbuilding |44 |5 |49 |- |- |- |49
Harbour staff/others |24 |9 |33 |12 |1 |13 |46
Retail outlets |29 |3 |32 |2 |2 |4 |36
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Total |1,408 |462 |1,870 |376 |105 |481 |2,351
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many fishing vessels operate out of each of the fishing ports ; and what is their overall size and their approximate age.
Column 858
Mr. Peter Bottomley [holding answer 26 July 1989] : The information is as follows :
Column 857
Table B
Vessels over 10 metres registered length classified according to age at 31 December 1988
Age Registered length of
vessels (metres)
|10 to 11.9|12 to 17.9|18 to 23.9|24 to 32.9|33 to 41.9|42+over |Total
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Under 10 years |12 |- |17 |1 |1 |1 |32
11-20 years |11 |17 |25 |2 |2 |- |57
21 years and over |1 |64 |69 |3 |- |- |137
|-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |--
|24 |81 |111 |6 |3 |1 |226
Table B
Vessels over 10 metres registered length classified according to age at 31 December 1988
Age Registered length of
vessels (metres)
|10 to 11.9|12 to 17.9|18 to 23.9|24 to 32.9|33 to 41.9|42+over |Total
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Under 10 years |12 |- |17 |1 |1 |1 |32
11-20 years |11 |17 |25 |2 |2 |- |57
21 years and over |1 |64 |69 |3 |- |- |137
|-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |--
|24 |81 |111 |6 |3 |1 |226
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list in the Official Report the weight and value of landings of fish in each of the fishing ports in each of the past 10 years.
Column 858
Mr. Peter Bottomley [holding answer 26 July 1989] : The weight and value of fish landings in each of the fishing ports in each of the past 10 years are set out in the table :
Live weight and estimated value of all fish landed in Northern Ireland
Total Ardglass Kilkeel Portavogie Other N.I. ports
Year |Tonnes |£ |Tonnes |£ |Tonnes |£ |Tonnes |£ |Tonnes |£
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1979 |12,817.51 |6,616,813 |2,390.44 |1,181,582 |6,317.27 |3,309,119 |3,792.27 |1,949,250 |317.53 |176,862
1980 |13,636.55 |4,622,052 |3,483.62 |1,120,791 |6,425.46 |2,294,712 |3,288.05 |1,088,534 |439.42 |118,015
1981 |21,134.07 |6,510,404 |4,219.87 |1,225,651 |8,175.17 |2,455,314 |8,263.10 |2,612,878 |475.93 |216,561
1982 |34,074.19 |9,625,534 |3,265.05 |1,006,335 |11,112.93 |4,449,450 |9,290.84 |2,956,618 |10,405.37 |1,213,131
1983 |36,989.64 |10,646,732|2,811.29 |1,018,966 |9,276.61 |4,623,889 |5,895.32 |2,573,299 |19,006.42 |2,430,578
1984 |31,923.24 |9,418,010 |2,224.30 |757,544 |8,085.41 |3,876,137 |7,660.82 |2,817,243 |13,952.71 |1,967,086
1985 |23,272.97 |10,264,507|3,037.35 |1,370,338 |8,562.07 |4,488,573 |10,095.19 |4,112,725 |1,578.36 |292,871
1986 |21,935.66 |13,547,228|2,283.67 |1,344,238 |8,683.86 |6,459,041 |9,633.38 |5,268,811 |1,334.75 |475,138
1987 |21,444.48 |15,232,415|2,781.84 |1,601,166 |9,781.92 |7,659,284 |7,939.15 |5,475,568 |941.57 |496,397
1988 |23,814.52 |15,813,829|4,440.94 |1,985,599 |9,564.38 |7,116,720 |8,105.62 |5,428,954 |1,703.58 |1,282,556
THE ARTS
South Bank
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Minister for the Arts what information he has regarding the impact on the activities of the south bank arts complex by the proposed works for British Rail's Channel tunnel link.
Mr. Luce : I understand that representatives of the South Bank board will be having discussions with British Rail in the near future.
Column 858
CIVIL SERVICE
Creches
Mr. David Porter : To ask the Minister for Civil Service if he has received any recent representations about pilot or permanent workplace creches and similar incentives further to encourage the return to employment of women in the Civil Service ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Luce (holding answer 25 July 1989) : My officials recently had an ad hoc meeting with the Council of Civil Service Unions to review developments. I am encouraging
Column 859
Departments to assist recruitment and retention by setting up and supporting value for money child care schemes. In my Department, to date, the Civil Service college, Sunningdale, has plans for a nursery and the equal opportunities division co-ordinates the Westminster multidepartmental holiday scheme for five to 12-year-olds.FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Members (Overseas Visits)
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many overseas visits by hon. Members or former hon. Members his Department has sponsored in the past two years.
Mr. Sainsbury : Fourteen hon. Members have travelled to the United Nations General Assembly in New York under FCO sponsorship (seven in 1987- 88, seven in 1988-89). There have been no visits under the FCO sponsored visitors scheme. That figure does not include visits overseas by FCO Ministers, or hon. Members travelling in a ministerial capacity.
Statutory Instruments
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for each of the last five parliamentary Sessions, including the 1988-89 Session, if he will list the number of statutory instruments that were issued by his Department ; how many were negative and how many affirmative ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sainsbury : The details are as follows :
Session |Number of SI's issued |Negative resolution |Affirmative resolution ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1984-85 |37 |4 |15 1985-86 |28 |4 |8 1986-87 |52 |13 |3 1987-88 |48 |9 |9 1988-89<1> |26 |5 |2 <1> To date
Malaysia
Mr. Amos : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, consequent upon the execution of Derrick Gregory, he will make it his policy to review all British aid to Malaysia ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sainsbury : We have already expressed our disappointment that the Malaysian Government were unable to respond favourably to our appeals for clemency. Nonetheless, Derrick Gregory was fairly tried under Malaysian law. He himself never denied his guilt. It is not appropriate to link this case with United Kingdom aid to Malaysia.
Bulgaria
Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to what extent there has been an increase in the United Kingdom's diplomatic activities in Bulgaria over the past year.
Mr. Waldegrave : There has been no increase in United Kingdom activities in Bulgaria over the past year. We have
Column 860
consistently pressed the Bulgarian authorities to respect the rights of the ethnic Turkish minority and to fulfil all their CSCE commitments.Official Hospitality
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was spent by his Department on official hospitality in 1988-89.
Mr. Sainsbury : The forecast outturn for spending on official hospitality by both wings of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the financial year 1988-89 is estimated to be £5.3 million.
African Elephants
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will hold discussions with the Governments of Botswana and Zambia about compensation for forgoing elephant cropping ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Waldegrave : I have no plans to do so. In preparation for the next meeting of parties to the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora in October, the Republic of Cameroon is consulting African Governments on how best to afford protection under the convention of the African elephant.
Overseas Opposition Parties
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement concerning guidelines followed when offering assistance to opposition parties overseas, and when they were first formulated.
Mr. Sainsbury : There are no general guidelines on assistance to opposition parties overseas. Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis.
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will provide details of the assistance offered to opposition parties overseas for the most appropriate period for which such details are readily available ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sainsbury : The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Hong Kong
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, pursuant to his answer of 20 July, Official Report, columns 333-34, he will give details of the two seizures made by the special task force in Hong Kong.
Mr. Sainsbury : On 21 June 1989, a cargo of 58.9 kg. of ivory tusks was seized. The importer was fined HK$ 10,000, and the ivory has been mandatorily confiscated in accordance with Hong Kong law. The second case is still sub judice.
Column 861
Democracy (Warsaw Pact Countries)
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent offers have been made to Warsaw pact countries to assist in strengthening internal political democracy ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Waldegrave : We very much welcome steps taken in some Warsaw pact countries towards a more democratic system. We are glad to offer practical help where we can. We have, for example, established a "know-how fund" for Poland to help develop the skills needed to run a democratic and market-based economy.
Israel
Mr. Marlow : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will ask the Israeli Government for an explanation of the circumstances of the death of Yasser Abu Ghosh of Beitunia.
Mr. Waldegrave : No. We hope that the inquiry announced by the Israeli authorities will be thorough and impartial.
European Parliament
Mr. Marlow : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he anticipates giving the further reply promised in his answer to the hon. Member for Northampton, North of 10 April, Official Report, column 358, relating to European Parliament Members' expenses.
Mr. Maude : The information is as follows :
(a) The figures for 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988 are :
|ECU
---------------------------------------------------
1985
(1.6989 ECU =£1)
Secretarial expenses |14,934,557
|(£8,790,721)
Travel and subsistence |16,894,616
|(£9,944,444)
Other
(£5,816,573)
1986
(1.4948 ECU=£1)
Secretarial expenses |18,999,805
|(£12,710,600)
Travel and subsistence |23,691,177
|(£15,849,061)
Other |12,381,859
|(£8,283,288)
1987
(1.4138 ECU=£1)
Secretarial expenses |21,640,304
|(£15,306,481)
Travel and subsistence |24,176,592
|(£17,100,432)
Other |13,308,058
|(£9,412,970)
1988
(1.5057 ECU=£1)
Secretarial expenses |22,129,579
|(14,697,203)
Travel and subsistence |26,904,820
|(17,868,645)
Other |13,606,824
|(£9,036,876)
(b) The average amounts per member for 1988 were :
|ECU
-----------------------------------------------
Secretarial expenses |42,721
|(£28,373 at
|1.5057 ECU)
Travel and subsistence |51,940
|(£34,496 at
|1.5057 ECU)
Other |26,268
|(£17,446 at
|1.5057 ECU)
Separate figures for accommodation and travel are not available.
Chile
Mr. Wray : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the co-operation of Her Majesty's Government with the democratic opposition in Chile in the light of the next presidential election there.
Mr. Sainsbury : We welcome the good progress being made towards a restoration of democracy in Chile. With our partners in the Twelve, we continue to encourage that process. We regularly invite to Britain representatives of Chilean political parties.
Namibia
Mr. Wray : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on United Kingdom help to the United Nations for fair and free elections in Namibia ; and what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the presence in Namibia of South African troops during pre-election time.
Mr. Waldegrave : We are giving our full support to the United Nations operation in Namibia. We have contributed a signals unit to the UN force (UNTAG) and are making a major financial commitment to the cost of UNTAG. We have contributed £500,000 towards the costs of repatriating Namibian refugees and have also contributed about £650, 000 worth of food aid. We support the provisions in the United Nations plan for the restriction to base and phased withdrawal of South African forces from Namibia.
Central America
Mr. Wray : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement regarding Her Majesty's Government policy towards the Esquipulas II agreement and dialogue with those central American countries parties to it.
Column 863
Mr. Sainsbury : We have consistently supported efforts to promote a peaceful negotiated settlement to the various conflicts in central America within the framework of the Esquipulas II and subsequent agreements. With our EC partners, we participate actively in the dialogue with the central American countries through the San Jose series of conferences.
Peru
Sir Trevor Skeet : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, since prisoners in Peruvian gaols have to provide for their own upkeep, what steps are being taken by Her Majesty's Government to ensure British nationals detained in Lurigancho prison have sufficient funds to obtain sustenance.
Mr. Sainsbury [pursuant to the reply, 20 July 1989,c. 335] : The Peruvian prison authorities provide sustenance for all persons detained in their prisons. The food served is Peruvian fare. All British nationals currently detained in Lurigancho prison are in receipt of funds from their relatives and friends in the United Kingdom for additional prison comforts.
Sir Trevor Skeet : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information he has about the detention of John Boxall and Brian Tristram in a Peruvian gaol since 6 December 1988 and the reasons they have been detained without trial.
Mr. Sainsbury [pursuant to the reply, 20 July 1989,c. 335] : Mr. Boxall and Mr. Tristram were detained by the Peruvian police on 6 December 1988 on suspicion of drug trafficking. They were formally charged on 27 December 1988 and remanded to Lurigancho prison. The judicial investigatory process is continuing. The delay in bringing them to trial is not unusual.
Sir Trevor Skeet : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken to ensure that John Boxall and Brian Tristram both of the county of Bedfordshire will be speedily brought to trial in Peru.
| Next Section
| Home Page |