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USSR
Q27. Mr. Alexander : To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding United Kingdom relations with the USSR.
Sir Geoffrey Howe : I have been asked to reply.
The Government receive many representations about Anglo-Soviet relations both from members of the public and from interested organisations. There is widespread support for our determination to strengthen these relations and to support perestroika. The Prime Minister emphasised this when she was in Moscow in September.
Environmental Policy
Q39. Mr. Malins : To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding environmental policy.
Sir Geoffrey Howe : I have been asked to reply.
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister received a number of recent representations about the environment, stimulated by the pace of our initiatives on environmental protection.
Water Industry
Q83. Mr. Marland : To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding the water industry.
Sir Geoffrey Howe : I have been asked to reply.
The Government have received a wide range of representations, especially on the subject of privatisation, which in our view represents the best way of achieving even higher standards of water quality more quickly and more cost effectively.
Local Government (London)
Q92. Mr. Fishburn : To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding local government in London.
Column 387
Sir Geoffrey Howe : I have been asked to reply.
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister frequently receives representations about local government.
Hungary
Q106. Sir Anthony Grant : To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding United Kingdom relations with Hungary.
Sir Geoffrey Howe : I have been asked to reply.
Our relations with Hungary are currently excellent. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister is looking forward to meeting Hungarian State Minister Imre Pozsgay again on 27 October, and to the visit of Mr. Nemeth, the Hungarian Prime Minister in December. We welcome the many positive changes that are happening in Hungary. We have recently announced that we shall be establishing a fund to spend £25 million over five years to support progress towards democracy and a market economy in Hungary.
Poland
Q115. Mr. Page : To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding United Kingdom relations with Poland.
Sir Geoffrey Howe : I have been asked to reply.
Our relations with Poland are excellent. We wish the new, Solidarity-led Government every success. It has made a courageous start. The Prime Minister had talks with General Jaruzelski and with Professor Geremek of Solidarity in June, and very much looks forward to meeting Mr. Walesa here soon. We are committed to a major international effort to support Polish economic reform and recovery based on an IMF programme. Bilaterally we are giving £25 million over five years to provide training in the political and economic skills Poland needs. For example, last week a group of Polish members of parliament was here to study how our own parliamentary system works. The European Community is sending food to Poland. 200 million ecus from next year's budget will concentrate on projects for agriculture, the environment and vocational training.
Llanfihangel-y-fedw
Q125. Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister if she will make an official visit to the village of Llanfihangel-y-fedw in Newport, West.
Sir Geoffrey Howe : I have been asked to reply.
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has at present no plans to do so.
Nuclear Waste
Q130. Sir Hugh Rossi : To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding nuclear waste disposal.
Sir Geoffrey Howe : I have been asked to reply.
Recently a number of representations have been received from Norwegian citizens and three have been received from United Kingdom residents about nuclear waste disposal.
Column 388
Steel Industry
Q147. Mr. William Powell : To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding the British steel industry.
Sir Geoffrey Howe : I have been asked to reply.
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has received
representations on this subject.
Cyprus
Q194. Mr. Cyril D. Townsend : To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding United Kingdom relations with Cyprus.
Sir Geoffrey Howe : I have been asked to reply.
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has received a number of such representations from various quarters. I am happy to say that our relations with Cyprus are excellent.
Economy
Q195. Mr. Cash : To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding the performance of the economy.
Sir Geoffrey Howe : I have been asked to reply.
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister regularly receives a large number of representations.
Federal Republic of Germany
Q209. Mr. John Butcher : To ask the Prime Minister if she has any plans to meet the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Sir Geoffrey Howe : I have been asked to reply.
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister expects to meet Chancellor Kohl at a meeting of European Community Heads of Government in Strasbourg on 8 and 9 December.
Lancashire
Mr. Jack : To ask the Prime Minister when she next proposes to visit Lancashire.
Sir Geoffrey Howe : I have been asked to reply.
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has no plans to do so.
Engagements
Mr. Pike : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 24 October.
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 24 October.
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 24 October.
Mr. Stern : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 24 October.
Sir Geoffrey Howe : I have been asked to reply.
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister is returning from the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Kuala Lumpur.
Column 389
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Division Bells
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Lord President of the Council how frequently the tests of the Division bells reveal defects ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Geoffrey Howe : Defects in the Division Bell system are revealed only infrequently ; this level of performance is achieved by the daily maintenance and inspection of the system which includes attention to areas of potential weakness.
Bills (Timetables)
Dr. Cunningham : To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will produce a table showing for each Bill introduced in this Parliament the time taken at (a) Second
Column 390
Reading, (b) Committee stage, both in Standing Committee and on the Floor of the House of Commons, (c) Report stage, (d) Third Reading, (e) where applicable, time spent on the guillotined stages, (f) Lords amendments and (g) in total.Sir Geoffrey Howe : A table showing the information requested for each Bill introduced in this Parliament could be provided only with disproportionate cost. The information for Government Bills introduced in this Session only, up to and including 18 October 1989, is given in the table. I would refer the hon. Member to the answer in Official Report of 3 November 1988, columns 717-720 for similar information relating to the 1987 -88 Session.
Column 389
Figures are quoted in hours and minutes
Bill |(a) |(b) |(c) |(d) |(e) |(f) |(g)
|Second Reading |Committee<1> |Report |Third Reading |Allocation of time (all|Lords Amendments |Total
|relevant stages)<2>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Antarctic Minerals |3.00 |4.05 |3.48 |1.05 |- |- |11.58
[Lords]
Atomic Energy [Lords] |2.27 |4.59 |- |<4>0.54 |- |- |8.20
Brunei Appeals [Lords] |0.03 |0.01 |- |- |- |- |0.04
Children [Lords] |5.39 |38.41 |- |- |- |- |44.20
Civil Aviation (Air |0.01 |0.19 |- |<4>0.01 |- |- |0.21
Navigation Charges
[Lords]
Companies [Lords] |2.59 |39.33 |- |- |- |- |42.32
Continental Shelf [Lords] |0.01 |<3>0.01 |- |<4>0.01 |- |- |0.03
Dock Work |5.50 |46.27 |4.07 |3.59 |(25.59) |- |60.23
Elected Authorities |5.46 |7.58 |6.15 |1.24 |- |- |24.41
(Northern Ireland)
Electricity |11.18 |127.14 |20.58 |1.04 |- |9.24 |169.58
Employment |6.14 |41.39 |14.02 |1.01 |- |- |62.56
Extradition [Lords] |0.13 |<3>0.02 |- |<4>0.06 |- |- |0.21
Fair Employment |5.10 |35.08 |3.33 |1.58 |- |3.05 |57.08
(Northern Ireland)
Finance |5.56 |<3>65.37 |12.21 |0.47 |- |- |100.17
|<3>15.36
Football Spectators |6.06 |53.52 |- |- |(17.13) |- |59.58
[Lords]
Human Organ Transplants |0.01 |2.28 |0.42 |0.01 |- |- |3.12
Law of Property |0.01 |0.01 |0.09 |0.04 |- |- |0.15
(Miscellaneous
Provisions)
Local Government and |5.52 |89.26 |19.32 |3.23 |- |- |126.07
Housing
National Maritime |0.01 |0.01 |- |<4>0.28 |- |- |0.30
Museum [Lords]
Official Secrets |6.08 |<3>29.34 |4.09 |1.13 |(21.26) |0.32 |41.36
Pesticides (Fees and |0.01 |1.01 |- |<4>0.14 |- |- |1.16
Enforcement)
Petroleum Royalties |2.11 |<3>0.08 |- |<4>0.01 |- |- |2.20
(Relief and Continental
Shelf)
Police Officers (Central |0.36 |0.01 |- |<4>0.01 |- |- |0.38
Service) [Lords]
Prevention of Terrorism |4.56 |57.38 |5.04 |1.15 |(8.03) |0.02 |68.55
(Temporary
Provisions)
Representation of the |2.01 |<3>2.18 |- |<4>0.10 |- |- |4.29
People
Road Traffic (Driver |2.06 |4.37 |1.55 |0.42 |- |- |9.20
Licensing and
Information Systems)
[Lords]
Security Service |5.45 |<3>9.21 |- |<4>3.53 |- |- |18.59
Self-Governing Schools |5.47 |127.13 |7.18 |1.15 |(26.59) |- |141.33
&c. (Scotland)
Social Security |5.13 |71.43 |12.32 |0.37 |- |3.05 |92.56
Transport (Scotland) |5.20 |33.05 |5.23 |1.13 |- |0.23 |45.24
Water |10.39 |145.42 |17.17 |3.48 |(101.11) |9.01
<1>Figures do not take account of suspensions of committees.
<2>Does not include time spent on allocation of time motions themselves.
<3>Committee of the whole House.
<4>Third reading includes formal report stage.
Security Passes
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Lord President of the Council how many Commons pass applications have been received during the summer recess in respect of overseas students working for Members ; how many are still awaiting security clearance ; what is the average time taken to process such applications.
Sir Geoffrey Howe [pursuant to his reply, 18 October 1989, c. 141] : Only one pass application received during the summer recess in respect of Members' temporary research assistants from overseas is now still awaiting clearance.
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
Under-fives
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list all submissions received by the committee on the education of under-fives ; which of these have been circulated to all committee members ; what criteria are used to determine which submissions will not be circulated ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : The organisations and individuals listed in the table have submitted written evidence to the committee. Submissions from nationally representative organisations are circulated in full to members, assessors and observers as a matter of course. In the interests of efficiency other submissions are not automatically given full circulation but members receive salient details and may request copies of any item.
British Association for Early Childhood Education
Geographical Association
National Association for Gifted Children Ltd.
National Childminding Association
National Curriculum Council
National Association of Head Teachers
Northamptonshire Early Childhood Centre
Rachel McMillan Nursery School
Pre-school Playgroups Association
Society of Education Officers
University of Warwick Department of Education
Mr. C. Blyth and Mr. F. Wallace
Mrs. J. M. Burns
Ms. Beryl Johnson
Mrs. Carolyn A. Jones
Ms. Jane Kirby
Ms. M. Lally
Ms. Caroline Matusiak
Mrs. Janet Morris
Mrs. Mary Richardson
Mr. J. Thackray and Ms. F. Sturt
Jay Trevis
Ms. H. Waddup and Ms. M. Randell
Ms. Sylvia Walker
Column 392
Teacher Vacancies
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list by (a) county and (b) local education authority the number of teacher vacancies to date ; and if he will show this figure also as a percentage.
Mr. Alan Howarth : Numbers of vacancies in January 1989 for full- time permanent teachers in maintained schools in England are given in the table.
Full-time permanent teacher vacancies in maintained nursery,
primary and secondary schools-England, January 1989
Local Education |Number of vacancies|As a percentage of
authority/region |teachers in post
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gateshead |31 |1.8
Newcastle upon Tyne |50 |2.3
North Tyneside |0 |0.0
South Tyneside |0 |0.0
Sunderland |13 |0.5
Cleveland |12 |0.2
Cumbria |22 |0.6
Durham |15 |0.3
Northumberland |11 |0.4
|--- |---
North |154 |0.6
Barnsley |5 |0.3
Doncaster |22 |0.8
Rotherham |32 |1.4
Sheffield |12 |0.3
Bradford |28 |0.6
Calderdale |20 |1.2
Kirklees |30 |0.9
Leeds |61 |1.0
Wakefield |70 |2.6
Humberside |29 |0.4
North Yorks |46 |0.9
|--- |---
York and Humberside |355 |0.9
Knowsley |10 |0.6
Liverpool |20 |0.4
St. Helens |9 |0.5
Sefton |3 |0.1
Wirral |19 |0.7
Bolton |11 |0.5
Bury |14 |1.0
Manchester |55 |1.4
Oldham |7 |0.3
Rochdale |33 |1.7
Salford |58 |2.8
Stockport |14 |0.6
Tameside |38 |2.1
Trafford |9 |0.6
Wigan |9 |0.3
Cheshire |24 |0.3
Lancashire |193 |1.8
|--- |---
North West |526 |1.0
Derbyshire |76 |1.0
Leicestershire |44 |0.6
Lincolnshire |52 |1.2
Northamptonshire |10 |0.2
Nottinghamshire |108 |1.3
|--- |---
East Midlands |290 |0.9
Birmingham |188 |2.2
Coventry |24 |0.9
Dudley |48 |1.9
Sandwell |25 |0.9
Solihull |27 |1.6
Walsall |4 |0.2
Wolverhampton |24 |1.0
Hereford and Worcester |50 |1.0
Shropshire |13 |0.4
Staffordshire |50 |0.6
Warwickshire |31 |0.8
|--- |---
West Midlands |484 |1.1
Cambridgeshire |39 |0.8
Norfolk |31 |0.6
Suffolk |36 |0.8
|--- |---
East Anglia |106 |0.7
Barking |51 |4.0
Barnet |85 |3.9
Bexley |31 |1.9
Brent |32 |1.6
Bromley |10 |0.6
Croydon |39 |1.7
Ealing |116 |5.5
Enfield |72 |3.6
Haringey |128 |8.5
Harrow |16 |1.2
Havering |51 |2.7
Hillingdon |58 |3.5
Hounslow |24 |1.5
Kingston |9 |0.9
Merton |47 |4.1
Newham |194 |8.2
Redbridge |36 |2.3
Richmond |1 |0.1
Sutton |21 |1.9
Waltham Forest |75 |4.2
ILEA |1,028 |6.5
|--- |---
South East Greater London 2,124 4.3
Bedfordshire |117 |2.8
Berkshire |91 |1.7
Buckinghamshire |73 |1.6
East Sussex |74 |1.9
Essex |123 |1.1
Hampshire |134 |1.3
Hertfordshire |109 |1.4
Isle of Wight |0 |0.0
Kent |224 |2.1
Oxfordshire |9 |0.3
Surrey |131 |2.2
West Sussex |74 |1.7
|--- |---
Other South East |1,159 |1.6
Avon |21 |0.3
Cornwall |47 |1.4
Devon |122 |1.9
Dorset |11 |0.3
Gloucestershire |0 |0.0
Somerset |73 |2.4
Wiltshire |68 |1.7
|--- |---
South West |342 |1.1
|--- |---
Total England |5,540 |1.5
Column 394
Overseas Teachers
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list by local education authority the number of overseas teachers who have taken up posts since the beginning of the current school year and the countries from which they come.
Mr. Alan Howarth : The information is not available in the form requested. During the month of September, 323 teachers trained outside the United Kingdom have been considered for qualified teacher status by the Department. Of these, 153 have been accorded status. The country in which their qualifications were obtained are as follows :
Country |Teacher number considered|Accepted |Rejected
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Australia |78 |23 |55
Austria |1 |0 |1
Bangladesh |5 |0 |5
Belgium |3 |3 |0
Brazil |2 |1 |1
Canada |6 |0 |6
Chile |1 |0 |1
Denmark |2 |2 |0
East Africa |1 |0 |1
France |5 |5 |0
Gambia |1 |0 |1
Germany (West) |13 |13 |0
Ghana |2 |0 |2
India |21 |0 |21
Israel |1 |0 |1
Italy |2 |2 |0
Kenya |4 |0 |4
Morocco |1 |0 |1
Netherlands |2 |2 |0
New Zealand |56 |21 |35
Nigeria |4 |0 |4
Norway |1 |0 |1
Peru |1 |1 |0
Philippines |4 |0 |4
Poland |1 |0 |1
Republic of
Ireland |72 |72 |0
South Africa |9 |1 |8
Spain |4 |4 |0
Sri Lanka |2 |0 |2
Sweden |3 |1 |2
Trinidad and
Tobago |1 |0 |1
Turkey |1 |0 |1
USA |9 |2 |7
USSR |1 |0 |1
West Africa |2 |0 |2
Yugoslavia |1 |0 |1
|-- |-- |--
Total |323 |153 |170
Teacher Shortages (South Yorkshire)
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the current figures of teacher shortages in south Yorkshire by (a) local education authority and (b) subject.
Mr. Alan Howarth : Numbers of vacancies in January 1989 for full- time permanent teachers in nursery, primary and secondary schools maintained by the four local education authorities in South Yorkshire are shown in the table.
Column 395
Full-time teacher vacancies in maintained
nursery, primary and
secondary schools in South Yorkshire, January
1989
|Number
-----------------------------------------------
Total vacancies |71
By LEA:
Barnsley |5
Doncaster |22
Rotherham |32
Sheffield |12
By sector and subject/age group:
Nursery and primary schools
nursery age group |3
infant age group |13
junior age group |9
more than one age group |17
Total nursery and primary |42
Secondary schools
mathematics
chemistry |2
physics |1
other science |1
French |2
other language |1
English |1
drama |3
geography |1
religious education |1
music |4
physical education |4
remedial |2
others |1
Total secondary |<1>5
<1> Including three deputy heads for whom no
subject specified.
Institute of Food Research
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will state the number of scientific officers being made redundant or eligible for early retirement from the Institute of Food Research, Bristol, together with the numbers of such officers being transferred to each of other named institutions.
Mr. Jackson : This information is not available. It will not be known until the level of funding beyond 1990-91 for the AFRC Institute of Food Research, of which the Bristol laboratory is part, is known ; the consequences in terms of identifying surplus posts and carrying out the redundancy procedures of the Council have been completed ; and discussions with third parties concluded.
Student Loans (Northern Ireland)
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the implications of student loans for Northern Ireland students.
Mr. Jackson : Students ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland attending full-time higher education courses in Great Britain will be eligible for top-up loans, as will students ordinarily resident in England, Scotland or Wales attending courses in Northern Ireland.
Teachers' Pay
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will allow the interim advisory committee freedom to determine pay levels in the teaching profession by removing restrictions arising from cash limits.
Column 396
Teacher Training
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much central Government have contributed to the local education authority training grants scheme in each of the past five years ; how much they plan to contribute up to 1991-92 ; and if he will make a statement on the trend in the central Government contribution in percentage terms.
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