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WALES
Toxic Material (Imports)
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many letters he received during the past three months concerning the importation into Wales of polychlorinated biphenyl contaminated material ; and what inquiries he has undertaken concerning this matter.
Mr. Grist : We have received 23 letters.
Details of imports of PCB wastes are notified to my right hon. Friend under the Transfrontier Shipment of Hazardous Waste Regulations 1988.
Hospital Provision (Porthmadog)
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what further discussion he now proposes having with Gwynedd health authority concerning the future of hospital provision in the Porthmadog area ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Grist : My right hon. Friend's decision on Gwynedd health authority's proposals for the future of hospital provision in the Porthmadog area was conveyed to the authority in letters of 3 and 22 March 1989 which were copied to the hon. Gentleman. Subject to the outcome of the High Court's consideration of that decision, implementation of their proposals is a matter for Gwynedd health authority.
Standard Spending Assessments
Ms. Armstrong : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the 1990-91 standard spending assessments for (a) education, (b) under -fives education, (c) primary education, (d) secondary education, (e) post- 16 education, and (f) other education, for each local education authority in Wales.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : The Welsh revenue support grant formulae do not form a basis for calculating a notional allocation of standard spending assessment for any particular service. The 1990-91 totals of standard spending assessment are not yet available.
School Class Sizes
Ms. Armstrong : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the latest figures for average class sizes in (a) primary, (b) secondary and (c) nursery schools for each local education authority in Wales.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : Details of average class sizes are given in the following table. The information given for primary schools relates to the average size of registered classes. In the case of secondary schools the information given is based on the size of classes actually taught. Information is not collected centrally on class sizes in nursery schools.
|Primary Schools |Secondary Schools
|(Average size of |(Average size of one
|registered classes) |teacher classes as
|taught)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clwyd |25.8 |20.1
Dyfed |21.8 |18.6
Gwent |26.4 |18.6
Gwynedd |21.6 |17.7
Mid Glamorgan |26.2 |19.6
Powys |20.3 |16.3
South Glamorgan |26.7 |20.4
West Glamorgan |24.8 |19.3
Nursery Schools
Ms. Armstrong : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the latest figures for the percentage of under-fives in nursery schools, by local education authority in Wales in rank order.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : The information as at January 1989 is shown in the following table :
Percentage of under fives in
Nursery Schools<12>
|Per cent.
------------------------------------
Gwent |9.6
Mid Glamorgan |8.4
South Glamorgan |7.3
Clwyd |3.2
Dyfed |2.5
West Glamorgan |2.5
<1> Aged as at August 1988,
excluding rising fives, expressed
as a percentage of the number of
three and four-year-old population.
<2> There are no nursery schools in
Gwynedd or Powys.
Ms. Armstrong : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the latest figures for the percentage of under-fives in nursery classes, by local education authorities in Wales, in rank order.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : The information as at January 1989 is shown in the following table :
Percentage of under fives in
nursery classes<1>
|Per cent.
------------------------------------
West Glamorgan |52.3
Clwyd |40.9
Mid Glamorgan |33.5
Gwent |25.7
Powys |25.3
Dyfed |25.0
South Glamorgan |22.8
Gwynedd |15.2
<1> Aged as at August 1988,
excluding rising fives, expressed
as a percentage of the three and
four-year-old population.
Infant Classes
Ms. Armstrong : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the latest figures for the percentage of under-fives in infant classes, by local education authority in Wales, in rank order.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : The information as at January 1989 is shown in the following table :
|Percentage of under-fives
|in infant classes<1>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dyfed |38.3
Mid Glamorgan |33.5
Clwyd |32.8
West Glamorgan |32.7
Gwent |32.2
Gwynedd |30.4
Powys |26.1
South Glamorgan |24.6
<1>Aged as at August 1988, excluding rising fives, expressed as a percentage
of the number of three and four-year-old population.
National Curriculum
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment his Department has made of the training required by primary school teachers for the implementation of the technology component of the national curriculum.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : We have given high priority to the implementation of the national curriculum under the LEA training grant scheme and have allocated £350,000 specifically for the training of teachers in new technologies for 1990-91.
The Department and the Curriculum Council for Wales will be considering further what is required to implement technology in the national curriculum in the light of the recently completed consultations on the Secretary of State's proposals.
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what urgent action he will take to increase the availability of specialist teachers in high schools to meet the requirements of the new curriculum ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : We are taking the requirements of the national curriculum into account when setting intakes to initial teacher training ; in the revision of the criteria for initial teacher training courses ; and in deciding on the role and make-up of the LEA in-service training grant scheme and education support grants. The recruitment of teachers for shortage subjects is being helped by the provision of bursaries for students pursuing courses in those subjects. The pilot scheme of incentive supplements for Welsh-speaking graduates is aimed at increasing the pool of teachers capable of teaching through the medium of Welsh.
School Computers
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what grants are available to provide computers for (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools ; and for each type of grant for the last available financial year, if he will state, in separate tables for primary and secondary schools (i) the cash allocation in total and by education authority, (ii) the number of schools that have received a cash allocation by education authority and (iii) the number of computers provided, by education authority.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : Current provision of funding to equip primary and secondary schools to use information technology across the curriculum is in the form of education support grant allocated by bid to local education authorities. Provision for an advisory teacher service is also included in the funding. Grant to support eligible expenditure of £1,475,800 was made available in 1988-89 and grant to support eligible expenditure of £1,583,800 is available in the current financial year.
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The tables show the figures for expenditure for each LEA, and figures supplied by LEAs of numbers of computers purchased in 1988-89.Figures detailing LEA allocations of ESG to individual schools are not collected centrally.
1988-89: Expenditure eligible for ESG support
by LEA for IT in Schools
LEA |ESG allocation, £s |Including £s for hardware
|purchase
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clwyd |161,200 |51,200
Dyfed |228,700 |126,700
Gwent |233,100 |108,100
Gwynedd |122,400 |47,400
Mid Glamorgan |316,900 |153,900
Powys |59,500 |21,500
South Glamorgan |199,400 |92,400
West Glamorgan |154,600 |44,600
1988-89: Numbers of computers purchased through ESG
|Secondary |Primary |Special schools
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clwyd |11 |21 |11
Dyfed |122 |45 |5
Gwent |118 |0 |0
Gwynedd |32 |25 |3
Mid Glamorgan |211 |0 |3
Powys |20 |0 |0
South Glamorgan |92 |0 |0
West Glamorgan |<1> |<1>- |<1>-
<1>Figures not yet supplied.
Cardiff Bay Development
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will make it his policy that compensation levels for firms in the Cardiff bay area which are required to move in order that development may proceed are set at levels which make their relocation viable and ensure that existing jobs are not lost to the area ;
(2) if he will make it his policy that grants systems operated by his Department will be used to the best advantage in order to enable existing firms in the Cardiff bay area to (a) stay in business and (b) to create new job opportunities for the future ;
(3) whether he will make it his policy that existing firms and jobs in the Cardiff bay area shall either (a) be retained within the area or (b) be assisted to relocate in or near the area.
Mr. Peter Walker : Compensation to firms required to move within or outside the area of Cardiff Bay development corporation will be determined in accordance with the provisions of the Land Compensation Act 1961, the Compulsory Purchase Act 1965 and the Land Compensation Act 1973. This legislation provides for payment to be made in respect of disturbance costs as well as for land and property acquired. If a company considers that an offer made is inadequate it may seek to have the level of compensation determined by the Lands Tribunal, an independent body established by Parliament.
Within this statutory framework it is the policy of Cardiff Bay development corporation to do whatever it can to protect the interests and the existing employment of firms within its area. The corporation has my fullest support in that. I am also anxious to ensure that, wherever appropriate, firms affected by the redevelopment of Cardiff bay should seize every opportunity to expand. To that end my Department is working closely with the
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corporation to ensure that every advantage is taken of regional selective assistance and other available measures of support to safeguard and create jobs.As part of its policy the corporation is taking a range of specific initiatives :
--the engagement of Cardiff and Vale Enterprise to assist companies with business planning and the preparation of grant applications ; --making land available to ensure that firms remain within or close to the designated area ;
--operating a scheme of business assistance to provide financial support to existing firms.
I understand that active discussions are currently taking place with the firms which may be affected by relocation.
Channel Tunnel
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will call a conference of local authorities, employers and trades unionists to consider how his Department might act in order to obtain better links for north and south Wales to the proposed Channel tunnel ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Walker : British Rail has already consulted widely in preparation for its report on Channel tunnel rail services. Proposals for road links which will benefit road users travelling between Wales and the Channel tunnel are included in "Roads for Prosperity" published by the Department of Transport and in "Roads in Wales 1989".
I have had talks with the chairman of British Rail after having had the views of many people interested in this matter.
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what efforts he has made to improve the direct access of north and south Wales railway routes to the proposed Channel tunnel ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : The chairman of British Rail is aware of the importance that my right hon. Friend and I attach to the provision of the best possible rail links between Wales and the Channel tunnel. Officials have taken part in British Rail's consultations on its plan of services for the tunnel. That report is now awaited.
Connah's Quay (Bypass)
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will ensure that Clwyd county council's application for transport supplementary grant will be sufficient to ensure the early starting of the Connah's Quay and Shotton bypass ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : Clwyd county council's bid for transport support grant in 1990-91 is being considered along with bids from other local highway authorities in Wales.
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will meet members of (a) Connah's Quay town council, (b) Shotton town council, (c) Queensferry county council and (d) Sealand town council to discuss the urgent need for the Dee crossing and the Shotton and Connah's Quay bypass.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : No. This matter was fully discussed when my right hon. Friend met the hon. Gentleman and representatives of Alyn and Deeside district council on 18 October.
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Schools (Funding)
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will meet governors of schools of Clwyd local education authority to discuss with them the funding of schools under new legislation with particular reference to staffing ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : We have no plans to do so but we are always willing to consider invitations to visit schools in Clwyd and elsewhere.
Gipsy Caravan Sites
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will meet members of the Queensferry and Deeside chamber of trade to hear their views concerning gipsy caravan sites ; and if he will make a statement.
Mancot Hospital
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will meet the Friends of Mancot hospital to discuss with them the plans for Mancot hospital consequent upon the opening of Deeside community hospital.
Mr. Grist : Plans for the future of Mancot hospital are a matter for Clwyd health authority at this time. It would not be appropriate, therefore, for my right hon. Friend to meet the Friends of the hospital to discuss its future.
Ambulance Stations, Clwyd
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will visit ambulance stations of Clwyd health authority ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Grist : We have no present plans to do so. No visit is required for us to appreciate the role of the ambulance service in the provision of patient care. We would urge the trade unions involved in the present dispute to call off industrial action immediately and return to the negotiating table.
Health Funding (Clwyd)
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will visit the headquarters of Clwyd health authority to hear members' views on funding ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Walker : I have no immediate plans to visit Clwyd health authority. I have been fully briefed on the financial position of health authorities in Wales as a result of my Department's annual round of review meetings with authorities in September and a meeting which I had with the chairman of the Welsh health authorities chairmen's committee last week. I am pleased to note that, although authorities are facing higher inflationary pressures than they budgeted for at the start of the financial year, they are taking responsible managerial action to ensure that their expenditure remains under control. I shall be taking account of their present position in determining hospital and community health services provision for 1990-91 about which I expect to make an announcement next month.
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High Schools
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will visit the staff rooms of (a) Connah's Quay, (b) Queensferry, (c) Buckley, (d) Hope, (e) Darland and (f) Argoed high schools to seek members of staff's views of the new Education Act ; and if he will make a statment.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : We are always willing to consider invitations to visit schools within Clwyd or elsewhere in Wales. There has been and continues to be wide consultation on the implementation of the Education Reform Act and further views will be sympathetically considered.
Countryside Access
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what access to the countryside in Wales will be included in the proposed green Bill ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : The Government's proposals for reorganisation of the countryside bodies will not affect existing statutory rights of access to the countryside.
Litter
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to combat the increase in litter in the Principality ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Grist : The government's proposals for combating litter were set out in the consultation paper "Action on Litter" a copy of which was placed in the Library of the House at the time of publication in July.
The responses to the paper are being considered at present and, subject to the results, the Government intend to introduce necessary legislation to enact these proposals at the earliest opportunity.
Local Government Finance
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to make a statement on the details of the community charge as they affect Welsh districts and boroughs.
Mr. Peter Walker : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave to him on Monday 6 November (Vol. 159, c. 663-64).
Transport Supplementary Grant
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he proposes to announce the award of transport supplementary grant to Welsh counties ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : We expect to announce the transport grant settlement for 1990-91 shortly.
Waste Disposal
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many waste disposal sites are situated in (a) Newport, (b) Cardiff and (c) Swansea ; and how many of these are licensed to take special wastes.
Mr. Grist : From the information provided by the waste disposal authorities, the following are the sites licensed :
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Weekly payments |Number of clients
£
------------------------------------------------------
0- 24.99 |532
25- 49.99 |618
50- 74.99 |354
75- 99.99 |205
100-124.99 | 96
125-149.99 | 76
150-174.99 | 57
175-199.99 | 36
200-224.99 | 27
225-249.99 | 11
250-274.99 | 14
275-299.99 | 7
300-324.99 | 5
325-349.99 | 4
350-374.99 | 1
375-399.99 | 2
400-424.99 | 2
425-499.99 | 4
|-------
Total
caseload |2,051
Information on the types of waste permitted is held by the authorities, which are under a statutory duty to maintain public registers.
Public Expenditure
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total per capita spending in Wales for the past three years, excluding spending on social security.
Mr. Peter Walker : The latest available figures are in the answer my right hon. Friend the then Chief Secretary gave in his reply of 25 October 1988 (Vol. 139, c. 120-29 ).
Water Loss
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will give a quantified breakdown of the ways in which water is lost by Welsh Water between the reservoir and the consumer ;
(2) what information he has on the reasons why Welsh Water is losing 40 per cent. of the water collected in its reservoirs before reaching the consumer ; and what steps he intends to take to bring that percentage loss in line with that of other water companies in England and Wales ;
(3) what percentage of water is lost in the course of distribution by (a) Welsh Water and (b) any other company supplying water in any part in Wales ;
(4) what target has been set for Welsh Water to achieve in order to reduce the percentage loss of water during the course of distribution ; and by what date they are to reach that target.
Mr. Grist : These are matters which are the responsibility of Welsh Water plc. Some information is contained in the pathfinder prospectus, copies of which are in the Library.
Water Conservation
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the statutory provisions which relate to his powers in relation to the conservation of water by water companies operating in Wales and the methods of conservation to which they refer.
Mr. Grist : I shall write to the hon. Gentleman and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
HEALTH
Breast Screening
Ms. Richardson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health which National Health Service hospitals are involved in income generation schemes by offering private breast screening services ; and (a) what are the names of the private firms with which they are collaborating, (b) what are the charges to the individual women who use the service and (c) who is responsible for monitoring the medical standards and practices of these schemes.
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Mr. Kenneth Clarke : The information is not available in the form requested. My Department is aware of 11 health authorities offering breast screening services for which a charge is made. Two of these are in collaboration with private firms, Medical Diagnostics Ltd. and Priory Medical. In about half the schemes no charge is made to individual women as the costs are met by employers or charities and some are charged only at cost.
Guidance issued to health authorities in March 1989 specifically asked them to seek advice from my Department where issues of national policy were involved, such as breast and cervical screening. I have now advised health authorities that they should not seek to generate income from such screening.
Health authorities that developed schemes in advance of that guidance may be bound for the time being by contractual arrangements to provide some screening services additional to those available to National Health Service patients.
The health authorities concerned are :
Royal Marsden Hospital Special Health Authority
Hull
Leeds Western
South Bedfordshire
Barking, Havering and Brentwood
City and Hackney
West Essex
Canterbury and Thanet
Maidstone
Halton
Wigan
Private Nursing Homes
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by location the private nursing homes in the Trent regional health authority ; and what arrangements were made for health care organisations to have an input at the planning stage before they were opened.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Tables placed in the Library list the names of private nursing homes registered under section 23 of the Registered Homes Act 1984 in Trent regional health authority, by district health authority.
Guidance advises registering authorities to identify and seek contact with prospective nursing home owners at the earliest possible stage, to establish a co-operative relationship and assist the applicant to meet the conditions of registration.
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