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Family Planning
Mr. Terry Davis : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total cost for 1987 and 1988 in Scotland of (a) general practitioner provision for National Health Service family planning services and (b) family planning clinic provision by area health boards.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : In the years ended 31 March 1988 and 31 March 1989 the cost of fees to general medical practitioners for family planning services was £2,915,401 and £3,325,000 respectively. The level of provison of family planning clinics (and the cost of this provision) is a matter for individual health boards to determine within the resources available to them. Information about expenditure by boards on these clinics is not held centrally.
Correspondence
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how quickly his Department aims to reply to letters from hon. Members.
Mr. Rifkind : My Department aims to reply as soon as possible to all correspondence from hon. Members and others.
Regional Aid
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give (a) the number of applications for regional selective assistance received between 1 April 1988 and 30 September 1989, (b) the total number of applications approved, (c) the total amount of expenditure involved and (d) the total estimated expenditure for 1988-89, 1989-90, 1990-91 and 1991- 92 in cash and constant prices.
Mr. Lang : The figures requested for regional selective assistance are as follows :
|Number
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Applications received between 1 April 1988 and 30
September 1989: |430
Offers made between 1 April 1988 and 30 September
1989: |346
Total value of these offers |£117 million
Total gross expenditure on regional selective assistance (RSA) in Scotland in 1988-89 was £38 million (equivalent to around £40 million at estimated constant 1989-90 prices). Gross provision for 1989-90 is £52 million. Planned net provision for regional selective assistance and related schemes (including regional enterprise grants) consistent with figures given in "Public Expenditure to 1991-92, A Commentary on The Scotland Programme" for each of the years 1990-91 and 1991-92 is approximately £80 million. Actual expenditure, both this year and in these future years, will depend on the extent to which companies come forward with good projects and also on the extent to which they submit claims on existing offers. We shall continue to encourage Scottish businesses to take full advantage of the provision available.
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will give (a) the total number of applications for regional development grants outstanding at 31 March 1988, (b) the total number of applications
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processed by 30 September 1989, (c) the total amount of expenditure involved and (d) the total estimated expenditure planned for 1988-89, 1989-90, 1990-91 and 1991-92 in cash at constant prices.Mr. Lang : The figures are for the revised regional development grant (RDG2) scheme.
|Number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of applications outstanding at 31 March 1988: |5,117
Number of these processed by 30 September 1989: |5,117
Total value of approvals on these applications |£189 million
Total gross expenditure on the RDG2 scheme in 1988-89 was £51 million (equivalent to around £54 million at estimated constant 1989-90 prices). Estimated gross expenditure on the RDG2 scheme in 1989-90 is expected to be around £53 million. Planned net provision for both the old and revised regional development grant schemes consistent with figures given in "Public Expenditure to 1991-92, A Commentary on The Scotland Programme" for each of the years 1990-91 and 1991-92 is approximately £30 million.
Development Agencies
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give (a) the total income and expenditure of the Scottish Development Agency, (b) the total public expenditure contribution to the Scottish Development Agency and (c) the total expenditure and the number of staff of Locate in Scotland for each of the years 1979-80 to 1988-89 inclusive and in cash and constant prices.
Mr. Lang : The information on Scottish Development Agency income and expenditure is set out in the table.
Total expenditure Total income Total expenditure
contribution
|Cash |1988-89 prices|Cash |1988-89 prices|Cash |1988-89 prices
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1979-80 |80.7 |151.6 |15.8 |29.7 |65.0 |122.1
1980-81 |97.7 |154.8 |17.8 |28.2 |79.9 |126.6
1981-82 |97.6 |140.9 |21.4 |30.9 |76.2 |110.0
1982-83 |122.7 |165.4 |21.8 |29.4 |100.9 |136.0
1983-84 |115.9 |149.4 |27.4 |35.3 |88.5 |114.0
1984-85 |117.8 |144.7 |38.7 |47.5 |79.0 |97.0
1985-86 |131.1 |152.6 |36.5 |42.5 |94.6 |110.1
1986-87 |130.9 |147.4 |41.7 |47.0 |89.2 |100.5
1987-88 |135.4 |145.2 |41.5 |44.5 |93.9 |100.7
1988-89 |142.7 |142.7 |51.6 |51.6 |91.1 |91.1
The agency's outturn of expenditure (as distinct from budgeted provision) is based on the net presentation employed in public expenditure White Papers, which excludes the agency's expenditure of income received on its investment function. Such income has been more substantial in recent years.
I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible in response to his questions about expenditure by Locate in Scotland and its staff numbers.
Grants
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give (a) the total number of applications received for investment grants and innovation
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grants from 1 April 1988 to 30 September 1989, (b) the total number of applications approved, (c) the total amount of expenditure involved and (d) the total estimated expenditure planned for 1988-89, 1989-90, 1990-91 and 1991-92 in cash at constant prices.Mr. Lang : The figures requested for investment grants and innovation grants, within the regional enterprise grant scheme, are as follows :
|Number
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of applications received between 1 April 1988
and 30 September 1989 |797
Number of offers made between 1 April 1988 and 30
September 1989 |445
Total value of these offers
Total gross expenditure on regional enterprise grants in 1988-89 was £282,000 (equivalent to around £300,000 at estimated constant 1988-89 prices). Gross provision for 1989-90 is £6 million although we do not expect this to be fully taken up. Planned net provision for regional selective assistance and related schemes (including regional enterprise grants) consistent with figures given in "Public Expenditure to 1991-92, A Commentary on The Scotland Programme" for each of the years 1990-91 and 1991-92 is approximately £80 million.
Hospitals (Self-governing Status)
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the timetable for implementing his plans for self- governing status ; and if he has a particular date by which expressions of interest have to be registered.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 26 October 1989] : If the hon. Gentleman studies the White Paper he will find that on page 79 we indicated that we aim to establish at least two National Health Service trusts in Scotland by 1992. No deadline has been set for the receipt of expressions of interest in self-governing status.
Salmon
Mr. Onslow : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consideration he is giving to the implementation of the recommendations of the Nature Conservancy Council's report of August on the genetic impact of farmed Atlantic salmon on wild salmon stocks.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 27 October 1989] : The Nature Conservancy Council's report is a valuable contribution to the increasing body of work on the genetics of farmed and wild salmon. DAFS fisheries scientists are already studying various aspects of the genetic relationships in farmed and wild salmon populations in Scotland. Scottish fisheries research report No. 42, "Genetic Protein Variation in Farmed Atlantic Salmon in Scotland : Comparison of Farmed Strains with their Wild Source of Populations" was published in August. Further studies on both wild and farmed populations of salmon have been completed. Others are in progress. The results of these studies will be made available as soon as possible. The suggestions in the Nature Conservancy Council report and elsewhere for future research will be taken into account in planning the Department's programme of scientific work in this field.
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It is too early to predict what generally accepted scientific conclusions might emerge from current studies. At an international level, there have been discussions in both the International Council for Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO). Further discussions are planned and scientists from DAFS and MAFF will continue to contribute to these.THE ARTS
Regional Arts
55. Mr. Cormack : To ask the Minister for the Arts when he last discussed regional priorities with the chairman of the Arts Council.
Mr. Luce : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Ashfield (Mr. Haynes) earlier today.
P. G. Wodehouse
56. Mr. Gerald Bowden : To ask the Minister for the Arts what representations he has received seeking recognition of P. G. Wodehouse's contribution to the literary heritage of the United Kingdom.
Mr. Luce : I have not received any such representations, although I am of course aware of P. G. Wodehouse's immense contribution to the literature of this country.
Museums (Grants)
58. Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Minister for the Arts what grants are available to museums during the current year ; and what were available five, 10 and 15 years ago ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Luce : Over the last 15 years central Government expenditure on museums and galleries has risen as follows :
1974-75, £17 million ; 1979-80, £54 million ; 1984-85, £98 million ; 1989-90, £158 million. (All figures except 1974-75 include building expenditure.) The real terms increase since 1979-80 is 25 per cent.
British Library
59. Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Minister for the Arts what discussions he has had with the director of the British library with regard to its future as a copyright library.
Mr. Luce : I last met the chief executive of the British Library on 14 March 1989 to discuss the Library's strategic plan for 1989-94, "Gateway to Knowledge." I shall be meeting the British Library board on 1 November.
Museums (Fire Precautions)
60. Mr. Devlin : To ask the Minister for the Arts what fire precautions have been taken at national museums and their stores.
Mr. Luce : The reviewing and upgrading of fire precautions at national museum and gallery premises is a continuous process. Following untying from the Property Services Agency in April 1988 this work is now being undertaken by the institutions with the advice of local fire authorities. Several
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institutions are working towards the introduction of new fire alarm systems. These include the Tate gallery, the National gallery and the British museum.Greater London Arts
61. Ms. Ruddock : To ask the Minister for the Arts when he last met the chairman of Greater London Arts to discuss the level of arts funding in London.
Mr. Luce : I have not done so recently.
Business Sponsorship
62. Mr. Colvin : To ask the Minister for the Arts what is the budget commitment for the Office of Arts and Libraries for the business sponsorship incentive scheme for the current financial year and what sum is yet to be awarded.
Mr. Luce : The budget for the business sponsorship incentive scheme for 1989-90 is £3 million to which I have allocated an extra £ million to meet an increased demand for awards.
Commitments have now used up all the available funds and I have reluctantly suspended the scheme until April 1990 when it will be resumed.
Leicester Theatre
63. Mr. Janner : To ask the Minister for the Arts when he next proposes to pay an official visit to the city of Leicester to inspect the work of its theatre.
Mr. Luce : I have no present plans to do so. I last visited arts organisations in Leicester in September 1988.
National Museums
64. Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the Minister for the Arts what information he has on the level of maintenance and staffing in the national museums.
Mr. Luce : The current year's provision for the national museums and galleries building and maintenance programme is £48 million. The number of staff in post at these museums and galleries was 5,399 on 1 April 1989.
Business Sponsorship
65. Mr. Butler : To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will make a statement on the progress of the business sponsorship incentive scheme in the north-west.
Mr. Luce : The business sponsorship incentive scheme continues to be highly successful. In the north-west over £1 million of new money has been brought to the arts since the scheme's inception in 1984. Forty-eight arts organisations have won awards and 51 first-time and 20 existing sponsors have supported the arts.
66. Mr. Carrington : To ask the Minister for the Arts how much has been raised by the Government's business sponsorship incentive scheme in the last two years ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Luce : Over the last two years the business sponsorship incentive scheme has raised £13.34 million new money for the arts. Nearly £9 million has come from new sponsorship and over £4.3 million in awards has been added by the Government.
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The demand for awards under the scheme has been such that I have increased the budget by an extra £250,000 to £3.25 million this year.Museums (Funding)
67. Dr. Marek : To ask the Minister for the Arts whether he has recently met the chairman of the Museums and Galleries Commission to discuss the future funding of museums.
Mr. Luce : I meet the chairman of the Museum and Galleries Commission quite frequently and discuss a wide range of subjects, which have included museum and gallery funding.
Yorkshire Arts Association
68. Mr. Lofthouse : To ask the Minister for the Arts when he last met the chairman of Yorkshire Arts Association to discuss the future of arts funding and administration in the region.
Mr. Luce : I have not done so.
Local Museums and Galleries
69. Dr. Blackburn : To ask the Minister for the Arts how many local museums and galleries there are currently in the United Kingdom ; and how many there were in 1983, differentiating between publicly and privately funded institutions.
Mr. Luce : The Museum Association database indicated that of the 1, 750 museums and galleries in 1984, 116 were national and Government Department-funded museums, 717 were in the charge of local authorities and 917 were privately funded. I understand that the Museums and Galleries Commission presently estimates that the number of institutions has risen to 2,500 in 1989.
South Bank Centre
70. Mr. Bowis : To ask the Minister for the Arts when he will next meet the directors of the South Bank centre.
Mr. Luce : I have no plans to do so. However, I meet the chairman of the South Bank centre regularly.
Royal Festival Hall
71. Mr. Jessel : To ask the Minister for the Arts what representations he has received concerning the future of the Royal Festival hall and the South Bank.
Mr. Luce : I have received a number of representations about the future of the South Bank centre which I have drawn to the attention of the Arts Council as the body responsible for allocating Government funding to the centre.
ENVIRONMENT
Local Government Finance
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total spending and the total number of full-time equivalent staff employed by (a) all local authorities in England and (b) all local authorities
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within the counties of Somerset, Avon and Gloucestershire, taken together, for the years 1971-72, 1972-73, 1973-74, 1974-75 and 1988-89, respectively.Column 76
Mr. Chope : The available information is as follows :
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a. All local authorities in England (thousands)
Staffing position in
June
|Expenditure<1>|Total f.t.e. |Total no |Full-time no |Part-time no
|£ million
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1971-72 |3,123 |n.a. |2,103 |1,411 |692
1972-73 |3,661 |n.a. |2,205 |1,472 |733
1973-74 |4,218 |n.a. |2,310 |1,526 |784
1974-75<2> |5,531 |n.a. |2,299 |1,493 |806
1988-89 |1,862 |2,440 |1,486 |954
1988-89 |25,403 |1,930 |2,514 |1,548 |966
b. All local authorities within the counties of Avon, Somerset and Gloucestershire<6> (thousands)
Staffing position at
June
|Expenditure<1>|Total f.t.e. |Total no |Full-time no |Part-time no
|£ million
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1974-75<2> |188 |n.a. |n.a |n.a. |n.a.
1988-89<3><4> |n.a. |94 |54 |39
1988-89<4><5> |909 |n.a. |95 |55 |39
n.a.=Not available.
<1> Available information about net spending in 1974-75 and earlier is defined as Rate Fund Revenue
Account service expenditure on employees and running expenses, less sales, fees, charges, specific
grants and other income. Other income excludes rate support grant and rate/precept income. The
information for 1988-89 is, as far as possible, on the same basis as earlier years.
<2> Local authority responsibility for water, sewerage and health were transferred to regional water and
regional health authorities. An estimated 90,000 employees were transferred to these authorities and to
passenger transport executives.
<3> For comparability with data for earlier years (where available) these staffing figures cover local
authority general services and police; all other law and order staff and agency staff are excluded since
these figures were not collected before 1975.
<4> During 1986 and 1987 approximately 21,000 employees were transferred out of the local authority
sector following the abolition of the metropolitan county councils and the GLC, and the change in status
of local authority bus and municipal airport staff.
<5> Includes all local authority services.
<6> Expenditure information is not readily available for individual authorities before 1974-75 and
staffing information for individual authorities is not available centrally prior to 1979. Comprehensive
full time equivalent figures for individual authorities are not held locally.
Mr. Ralph Howell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, what is his estimate of (a) the cost and (b) the number of the extra staff and other expenditure arising from the changes to the community charge announced in October.
Mr. David Hunt : My officials are in discussions with the local authority associations about the costs of preparing for transitional relief and about the costs of administration. In addition we are commissioning a study by consultants of these costs. Estimates of the costs will be made in the light of the discussions with the associations and the findings of the study. It is the Goverment's intention that a reasonable level of costs will be met in full.
Dr. John Cunningham : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide updates of tables J. 5 to J. 9 on pages 124 to 127 of Cmnd. 9714 "Paying for Local Government", for England only, incorporating the latest announcements on safety nets and transitional relief.
Mr. Chris Patten : Updated estimates of the distributional impact of the new system of local government finance will be provided next month after I have announced my proposals on the distribution of standard spending grant for 1990-91. These will include the impact of safety nets and transitional relief.
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ENVIRONMENT
Skillnet Courses
Mr. Leighton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of trainees on skillnet courses in London Docklands achieved recognised qualifications.
Mr. Moynihan : Skillnet is an independent charity largely funded by the London Docklands Development Corporation. I understand that it has not been the practice to analyse the success rate of students sponsored by skillnet with reference to their achievement of recognised qualifications.
Skillnet provides a wide range of training and counselling services aimed at helping some 5,000 local people each year to find work. Information about individuals accepted into all forms of training and counselling is routinely collected.
As part of these activities skillnet funded 1,370 formal training places in the last financial year, almost entirely through other institutions. These courses are as much directed at securing training leading to early employment, or at basic foundation level, or in preparation for further education, as at obtaining recognised qualifications.
In common with other funders of training, skillnet experience difficulty in regularly monitoring the results of such training courses for individuals, but a survey was undertaken recently. I am arranging for copies of the results to be placed in the Library of the House. Procedures for monitoring the performance of skillnet-assisted trainees are currently under review.
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Unlicensed Moneylenders
Mr. David Steel : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek to increase funding to local authority trading standards departments, so as to enable them to combat unlicensed moneylenders.
Mr. Christopher Patten : The main avenue for Government support for local authority services will be revenue support grant, which is in aid of services generally. It is for local authorities to decide how much to spend on any particular activity.
Birchfield Estate, Birmingham
Mr. Rooker : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when his Department expects to make a decision on the request by Birmingham city council for grant aid for the Birchfield estate security project.
Mr. Moynihan : The scheme has been approved for funding under this year's Birmingham inner city partnership programme.
Housing Action Trusts (Lambeth)
Mr. Fraser : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, as part of his consultation process, he has taken note of the recent public opinion poll on proposed housing action trust estates in the London borough of Lambeth ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Howard : Yes. I hope to discuss the proposals for the two estates comprising the proposed housing action trust with tenant and borough representatives soon. It is important that the proposals for the housing action trust should be fully understood.
Housing Completions
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what were the numbers of houses completed (a) in Burnley and (b) in each region in England by (i) local authorities, (ii) housing associations, (iii) private sector and (iv) housing co-operatives in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.
Mr. Chope : Numbers of new housebuilding completions by local authorities, housing associations and the private sector in standard statistical regions in England, appear in table 6.4b, of "Housing and Construction Statistics 1978-1988". Figures reported by Burnley district council appear in table 1 of "Housebuilding in England by local authority areas 1980 to 1987", with figures for 1979 and 1988 being published in tables 4(b) and 1(b) of volumes 59 and 90, respectively, of "Local Housing Statistics".
Copies of these publications are available in the Library. Information separately distinguishing completions by housing co-operatives is not available.
Green Belt, Bramley
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has received any representations about encroachment on green belt for housing development at Bramley, Surrey ; and if he will make a statement of Government policy towards such development.
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Mr. Moynihan.: My right hon. Friend is considering representations from the Surrey Society asking him to call in for his own decision a planning application for residential and other development on a site at Bramley, Surrey. The Government's policies on development in the Green Belt and on the provision of low cost housing in the Green Belt are set out respectively in planning policy guidance note No. 2 and in the reply which my hon. and learned Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning gave to the hon. Member for Sevenoaks (Mr. Wolfson) on 9 June at col. 259 .
Correspondence
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of letters from hon. Members to his Department received a reply (a) in under four weeks, (b) within four to six weeks, (c) within six to eight weeks and (d) over eight weeks, in each of the last three years.
Mr. Chris Patten : The information is not available for the last three years. Since last October, my Department has replied to some 24,000 letters from right hon. and hon. Members, of these 64 per cent. were sent within four weeks of receiving the letter, 21 per cent. within four to six weeks, 8 per cent. within six to eight weeks and 7 per cent. in over eight weeks.
EHOs
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any plans to visit any local authority environmental health departments to familiarise himself with the extent and nature of the work and difficulties currently facing environmental health officers.
Mr. David Hunt : My right hon. and hon. Friends and I are made well aware of the work, achievements and problems of environmental health departments--as of all other local authority departments--in the course of our many visits to local authorities.
Unleaded Petrol
50. Miss Widdecombe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many petrol stations in the United Kingdom are selling unleaded petrol.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Unleaded petrol is now widely available. More than 16,000 outlets stock the fuel.
Rent Arrears
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the latest figures available for the amount of rent arrears and the number of people with arrears for each local authority in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.
Mr. Chope : A list of local authorities showing reported cumulative rent arrears at 31 March 1988 was placed in the Library on 1 March 1989. Information about the number of tenants in arrears with rent, rates or other charges (where reported) is contained in the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy publication "Housing Rents Statistics at April 1988", a copy of which is in the Library.
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Nuclear Accidents (Water Contamination)
Mr. Bermingham : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list what representations he has received concerning adequate information within the water industry with respect to water resource consequences of a nuclear event ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Howard : I have received no such representations.
Ashford Great Park
Mr. Speed : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to announce the result of the public inquiry into the NEDA planning application for Ashford Great park.
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