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Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 18 October 1989] : I am informed that on the best available estimate, the current population of capercaillie is in excess of 2,000 birds. However, as the species is not censused over its entire range, the exact figure is not known. The Forestry Commission has recently funded a three-year research contract with the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology. This study is investigating how capercaillie use non-native
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coniferous plantations and will aim to produce guidelines on ways in which the quality of plantations can be improved to provide a better habitat for the species.Nurses
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list by health district (a) the current nursing staff establishment, (b) the number in post at the latest available date and (c) the number who had left the National Health Service in the preceding year.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 3 November 1989] : The current nursing staff establishment of health boards is not held centrally. The total number of nursing staff in post, including qualified and unqualified staff and those in training, is shown in table 1. Information about the number of nursing staff leaving the NHS is available only for qualified staff and relates to the year ending 30 September 1988. This information is shown in table 2. The total includes some nurses who left to join health authorities in other parts of the United Kingdom.
Table 2 Qulified nurses leaving National Health Service in Scotland, year ending 30 September 1988 ---------------------------------- Argyll and Clyde |254 Ayrshire and Arran |238 Borders |89 Dumfries and Galloway |124 Fife |221 Forth Valley |198 Grampian |445 Greater Glasgow |806 Highland |166 Lanarkshire |313 Lothian |777 Orkney |11 Shetland |24 Tayside |351 Western Isles |28 CSA |2 Scotland |4,047
Table 2 Qulified nurses leaving National Health Service in Scotland, year ending 30 September 1988 ---------------------------------- Argyll and Clyde |254 Ayrshire and Arran |238 Borders |89 Dumfries and Galloway |124 Fife |221 Forth Valley |198 Grampian |445 Greater Glasgow |806 Highland |166 Lanarkshire |313 Lothian |777 Orkney |11 Shetland |24 Tayside |351 Western Isles |28 CSA |2 Scotland |4,047
Housing Improvement Grants
Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has on the number of applications received by local authorities for housing improvement grants (a) before 1 April 1984 and (b) thereafter.
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Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 10 November 1989] : Information on the number of improvement grant applications received by local authorities is not held centrally.
Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what resources have been made available to provide housing improvement grants for applications made (a) before 1 April 1990 and (b) after 1 April 1990, in 1988-89 and 1989-90 ; and what is the expected allocation in 1990-91.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 10 November 1989] : Capital expenditure allocations to enable councils to provide house improvement grants are not made in respect of applications made during particular periods. It is for councils to decide how to target the available resources and how to exercise their discretion in respect of applications for discretionary grants. The one exception is that we have in recent years made extra resources available to assist in the clearance of backlogs of applications lodged before 31 March 1984 when a different grant regime operated. I expect to announce allocations for 1990-91 in the usual way later in the year.
Electricity Privatisation
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his current estimate of the Exchequer proceeds from the sale of the Scottish electricity companies, excluding their nuclear assets, net of flotation and advertising costs.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 10 November 1989] : The market value of the Scottish electricity companies will depend on a wide range of factors, including the profitability of the companies, their capital structures, their future prospects and the state of the market. It is, therefore, too early to estimate the likely proceeds for the sale of the companies.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his most up-to-date estimate of the level of tax losses to be carried forward in the balance sheets of the Scottish electricity companies under the terms of the Electricity Act 1989.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 10 November 1989] : The tax position of the Scottish electricity boards is a matter for the boards and the Inland Revenue and is currently the subject of negotiations. The level of tax losses available to the future Scottish electricity companies will be determined in accordance with schedule 11 to the Electricity Act.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his most up-to-date estimate on the level of capital write-offs to be made to the balance sheets of the Scottish electricity boards and their successor companies, under the terms of the Electricity Act 1989.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 10 November 1989] : Asset values in the accounts of the Scottish electricity boards are a matter for the boards and their respective auditors. The structure of the balance sheets of the successor companies to the Scottish electricity boards has not yet been decided.
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Nuclear Power
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has for capping the liability of Scottish Nuclear Ltd. to decommissioning and nuclear waste management costs after vesting day under the terms of the Electricity Act 1989.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 10 November 1989] : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the statement made to the House on 9 November by my right hon. and learned Friend.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Scotch Whisky
Mr. Canavan : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what subject he discussed at his last meeting with representatives of the Scotch whisky industry.
Mr. Curry : My hon. Friends the Minister of State and the Parliamentary Secretary met representatives of the Scotch Whisky Association at separate meetings on 22 November 1988. Among the issues discussed were the current state of the negotiations on the European Community's spirit drinks regulation and improving the competitive position for the industry in Japan.
Sugar Beet
Mr. Cox : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total acreage of sugar beet grown in the United Kingdom in the current year.
Mr. Curry : We expect a total of 194,000 ha of sugar beet to be harvested in the current campaign, out of a planted area of 195,674 ha.
Egg Marketing
Mr. Beith : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) how many retail premises were visited by the regional egg marketing inspector during his visit to Northumberland on 1 and 2 November ; and what was the cost to public funds of the travel involved in this visit ;
(2) whether his Department received a request from Northumberland county council trading standards department prior to 1 November for assistance relating to the enforcement of egg marketing rules in respect of the Good Life Shop, Wooler.
Mr. Curry : The regional egg marketing inspector visited Northumberland on 1 and 2 November as part of his normal duties. As such, his itinerary included visits to the Ministry divisional office at Newcastle, a meeting with the county council's trading standards department at Alnwick, and providing training at an authorised packing centre in addition to the advisory visit to the Good Life Shop, Wooler. That last mentioned visit was not made as the result of a specific request from the trading standards department, although the inspectorate routinely gives assistance to trading standards departments, and no other retail premises were visited on this occasion.
Poultry and Egg Testing
Mr. Beith : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the order setting out revised rules for the testing of small poultry flocks was printed ; on what date it
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came into force ; and how many printed copies have so far been made available to local authorities, the trade and the public.Mr. Maclean : The Poultry Laying Flocks (Testing and Registration etc) Order 1989 and the Poultry Breeding Flocks and Hatcheries (Registration and Testing) Order 1989 came into effect on 26 October 1989. Printed copies will be available from Her Majesty's Stationery Office shortly. Copies of the orders as made available to the House and information leaflets have been sent to the local authority associations and 61 other interested organisations. Copies are also available on request from local Ministry offices.
Gumboro Disease (Poultry)
Mr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will make a statement about the current incidence of gumboro disease in poultry in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Maclean : Latest estimates suggest that the virulent strain of gumboro disease that first manifested itself in October 1988 is killing 15 per cent. or more of the birds in affected flocks. Total losses to the broiler sector from the disease since May this year are in excess of 5 million birds. It is believed that more than 500,000 replacement pullets have also been lost.
Mr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he is taking to prevent the spread of the viral disease gumboro in poultry ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : My Department is liaising fully with the industry on this urgent problem. Two companies have now been authorised by the veterinary medicines directorate to conduct trials on new live vaccines. The granting of product licences for these vaccines will depend on receiving satisfactory data, including results from trials, in accordance with the Medicines Act. Every priority will be given to these applications.
PCB Pollution
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what effects his Department has observed on the marine algae and molluscs resultant from PCB pollution.
Mr. Curry : No effects have been observed in algae or molluscs that could be attributed to the concentrations of PCBs present in sea water around the United Kingdom.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has on PCB poisoning in fish in British coastal waters.
Mr. Curry : There is no evidence that present levels of PCBs are causing harm to fish in British coastal waters.
Nitrates
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take steps to control the sale and distribution of nitrate fertilisers as a means of curbing the nitrate pollution of public water supplies.
Mr. Curry : No. Restrictions on the availability of nitrogen fertilisers would be an ineffective and costly
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means of tackling the nitrate problem. My Department does, however, advise farmers on the avoidance of excessive or untimely fertiliser usage, and is currently carrying out local consultations in 21 candidate areas for a pilot nitrate scheme within which a range of voluntary agricultural restrictions, including fertiliser limitations, will be tested.Milk
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his latest estimate of the production and consumption of milk within the European Economic Community in the current year ; and what were the comparable figures in each of the two previous years.
Mr. Curry : European Community estimates are as follows :
Million tonnes
|1987 |1988 |<1>1989
--------------------------------------------
Production |111.8 |109.7 |108.8
Consumption |95.5 |95.9 |98.4
<1>Estimated.
Consumption figures include all dairy products and are expressed in whole milk equivalent, calculated on a milk fat basis. 1989 figures are provisional and subject to revision.
Salmonella
Mr. Ralph Howell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the regulations and procedures for testing for salmonella in (a) eggs and (b) poultry flocks (i) in Britain and (ii) of eggs imported into Britain and the flocks from whence they came ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : The requirements for testing for salmonella in Great Britain are set out in the orders made under the Animal Health Act 1981 which came into effect on 26 October 1989. In relation to imports, I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the hon. Member for East Lothian (Mr. Home Robertson) on 1 November, Official Report , column 210 .
Pesticides
Mr. Paice : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if, further to his answer to the hon. Member for South Shields (Dr. Clark) of 21 July, Official Report , column 410 , he will indicate when he expects the review of staffing levels within the Pesticide Data Evaluation Unit to be finalised ;
(2) whether the review of staffing levels within the Pesticide Data Evaluation Unit has implications for minimising the waiting time for approval of new and reapproval of old pesticides.
Mr. Maclean : The scientific complement of the unit has been increased progressively from 42 at October 1988 to 60 today. Special increases in pay have also been awarded to improve recruitment and retention of staff.
Further consideration is being given to staffing levels to ensure that waiting times are minimised.
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Phosphates
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the results of fieldwork sponsored by his Department on the effect of organophosphates on partridges.
Mr. Curry : My Department has sponsored projects on the effects of organophosphates on birds but none of these has covered partridges.
Animal Feed (Contamination)
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the abattoirs which have received cattle from farms suspected of having eaten lead contaminated feed since the end of September ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : No cattle have been permitted to move off farms subject to restrictions except under Ministry consent. No information is available concerning the movement of cattle from farms prior to the imposition of restrictions. The Department of Health has confirmed that on the evidence available no hazard to human health arises from this incident.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) on what date he was warned by the Dutch Government that lead contaminated feed had been imported into the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) when he first suspected that there was a problem with lead contaminated cattle feed ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : The Dutch Embassy warned the legal department of MAFF on the afternoon of Wednesday 1 November that a specified consignment of contaminated feed had been imported into the United Kingdom. My Department has therefore identified the farms concerned and restricted the movement of meat and milk from them.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to ensure that lead contaminated meat and offal from cattle suspected of having eaten lead contaminated feed are not entering the food chain ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : I have used my powers under part I of the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 to prohibit the movement and slaughter of cattle from affected farms, or the marketing of meat or milk products which might be derived from them.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the creameries which have received milk from cows suspected of having eaten lead contaminated feed since the end of September ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : Because of the complexity of the milk movement system a considerable number of creameries, not confined to the south-west, may have received such milk. No unacceptable levels of lead have been found in bulk milk supplies.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the reasons for the death of cows that ate cattle feed contaminated with lead.
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Mr. Gummer : In the case of carcases examined by the veterinary investigation service from farms where feed contaminated with lead has been fed, the clinical history, signs, post-mortem and laboratory findings were consistent with a diagnosis of lead poisoning.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish the results of the testing for the lead content of (a) milk and (b) meat from the farms where cows were fed lead contaminated feed ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : The results of sample analyses are being published as soon as they become available. Up to 12 November 1989, 1,168 sample results have been published.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to dispose of the dried milk which came from the herds suspected of being fed with lead contaminated feed.
Mr. Gummer : All suspect milk has been isolated, processed and withheld from sale. I will decide on the disposal of these milk products in the light of the results of analysis.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the number of farms in each county which are suspected of having received lead contaminated cattle feed ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : A consolidated list of all farms which are currently under restriction appears in the schedule to the Food Protection (Emergency Prohibitions) (Contamination of Feeding Stuffs) (England) (No. 2) Order 1989, copies of which are in the Library of the House.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he is taking to ensure that farmers no longer give lead- contaminated feed to their cattle ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : My officials have taken steps to trace and inform all recipients of potentially contaminated feed and are supervising the withdrawal of supplies from the farms concerned.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures he has taken to ensure that animal feeding stuffs imported into the United Kingdom are not contaminated ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : The Feedingstuff Regulations 1988 require that animal feeds on sale or being held for sale should not be harmful to the animal or the final consumer. This applies to imported and home-produced feedingstuffs. The regulations permit certain feed additives and limit the levels of specified contaminants in accordance with EC directives.
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Goats
Mr. David Steel : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if the Government propose to revise the set-aside scheme so as to accommodate fibre-producing animals such as cashmere and angora goats.
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Mr. Curry : The Government have decided not to take up the option under the Community set-aside scheme to introduce grazed fallow because of problems of control and possible adverse effects upon existing livestock producers, particularly in the hills. The Community rules do not permit restriction of the option to particular types of animals such as fibre- producing goats.
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Set-aside Scheme
Mr. Wray : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he plans to extend the set-aside scheme to farmers willing to apply organic methods.
Mr. Maclean : The scheme already caters for this. Set-aside land may be put to fallow, either for the full set-aside period or in rotation with cropping. There is, thus, the opportunity for farmers intending to adopt organic methods to take land out of intensive agricultural production and to clear it of residues before organic production commences.
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Mr. Butler : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has on the vertical transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
Mr. Maclean : There is no evidence to indicate that BSE can be transmitted vertically.
TRANSPORT
Lake Lothing (Crossing)
Mr. David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will put out to public consultation the proposed route for the second crossing of Lake Lothing by the A12 at Lowestoft before the end of 1989.
Mr. Atkins : We are considering a recent report from our consultations on the options for a second A12 trunk road crossing of Lake Lothing at Lowestoft. We hope to make an announcement about this scheme before the end of 1989.
Jubilee Line
Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the current estimated costs of extending the Jubilee line to (a) Woolwich and (b) Thamesmead.
Mr. Portillo : It has been estimated that it would cost about £285 million in today's prices to add a branch to Woolwich to the proposed extension of the Jubilee line to Canary Wharf and Stratford. Extending such a branch beyond Woolwich to Thamesmead would cost about a further £135 million in today's prices.
Rail Tunnel, Woolwich
Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the latest estimated cost of building a rail tunnel at Woolwich linking the north Kent and north Woolwich lines.
Mr. Portillo : A rail tunnel to link the north Kent and north Woolwich rail line is one of the options being considered by consultants working on the south circular assessment study. The results of the consultants' work will be published in December.
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Roll-on Roll-off Vessels
Mr. Terry Davis : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research is being undertaken into measures to prevent the loss of roll-on roll-off vessels at sea.
Mr. McLoughlin : Following the official report of the formal investigation into the loss of the Herald of Free Enterprise, the Department of Transport initiated a wide-ranging programme of research into ways of increasing the safety of ro-ro passenger ferries. Phase I of this unusually complex and important programme is nearing completion. I hope that the steering committee which has been supervising progress will have assessed the results and reported to me by early in the new year.
Mr. Terry Davis : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 2 November, Official Report, column 271, how many (a) passenger and (b) freight roll-on roll-off vessels were lost at sea between 1 January 1981 and 31 December 1988.
Mr. McLoughlin : The figures available for total losses of roll-on roll-off vessels worldwide do not distinguish between passenger and freight vessels, and an answer could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost. For the United Kingdom, only one such vessel was totally lost at sea in the period and she was a passenger vessel.
Mr. Terry Davis : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research is being undertaken into the causes of the loss of 23 roll-on roll -off vessels at sea between 1 January 1981 and 31 December 1988.
Mr. McLoughlin : The only United Kingdom vessel concerned was the Herald of Free Enterprise. Research which was carried out as part of the investigation into the loss of that ship is reported in appendix IV to the report of the formal investigation (report of court number 8074, published by HMSO) which is available in the Library. Investigations into the other losses were the responsibility of the various flag states. In general, the detail of research carried out as part of the investigations is not published, but a resume of the findings of investigations are provided to the International Maritime Organisation. These findings are valuable to the organisation and its member states in the revision and development of safety standards for roll-on roll-off ships.
Smoke Hoods
Mr. Sheerman : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will ask the Civil Aviation Authority to review its conclusions of its paper 87017 "Smoke Hoods : Net Safety Benefit Analysis", published in November 1987.
Mr. McLoughlin : The Civil Aviation Authority has the statutory responsibility for the regulation of safety in civil aviation. I know of no reason to ask the CAA to review its conclusions of its paper 87107. If the hon. Member has specific points which require clarification they should be taken up with the CAA. I have drawn the hon. Member's question to the attention of the chairman of the CAA.
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Welsh Rail Network
Mr. Roy Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he plans to have with the chairman of British Rail concerning the expansion of the rail network in Wales.
Mr. Portillo : None, but I understand that British Rail is discussing with local authorities in south Wales the introduction of new passenger services.
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