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Irish Sea
Mr. Rogers : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether any flying training was carried out over Northern Ireland or the Irish sea between 7 and 10 pm on 11 November ;
(2) whether any missiles were tested over the Irish sea or Northern Ireland between 7 and 10 pm on 11 November ;
(3) whether any projectiles or explosives were tested over the Irish sea or Northern Ireland between 7 and10 pm on 11 November.
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Mr. Archie Hamilton : I will write to the hon. Member.
Performance Guarantees
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will give details of the performance guarantee that is required by his Department for tenders being submitted to his Department ; (2) if he will name the officer, and how he can be contacted, who is responsible for giving details to the general public on a performance guarantee which is required for tenders being submitted to his Department for Ministry of Defence contracts.
Mr. Alan Clark : Performance guarantees are sought from contractors as and when circumstances so demand. Details are provided by the contracts branches responsible for particular tenders.
Merlin Helicopter
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress with integration of electronic systems in the Merlin anti-submarine helicopter.
Mr. Alan Clark : The MOD is examining the scope for appointing a prime contractor responsible for the overall performance of the complete mission system for the Royal Navy anti-submarine warfare variant of the Anglo-Italian EH101 helicopter. A contract has been placed with consultants to write a detailed performance specification, against which bids could be invited next year.
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the original target date for completion and the original budget of the Merlin anti-submarine helicopter ; and what are the current estimated completion dates and budget.
Mr. Alan Clark : The contractor's latest programme plan forecasts completion of development at the end of 1992, a one-year slippage against their original forecast. The original estimate of total Royal Navy development costs uprated to 1988 economic conditions was £779.6 million, which compares with the current estimate of some £1,000 million at the same economic conditions. It should be noted, however, that the latter estimate makes provision for uprated engines and the appointment of a prime contractor for the Royal Navy mission system, which were not included in the original estimate.
Westland EH101
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent changes have been made to the management of the Westland EH101 project ; what are the reasons for these ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Alan Clark : There have been no changes in the MOD's management arrangements for the EH101 project. The MOD is, however, seeking to improve the contractual arrangements for the RN EH101 through the appointment of a prime contractor with responsibility for the overall performance of the complete RN mission system.
Tanks
Mr. Marlow : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many main battle tanks are on order (a) under construction and (b) not yet constructed ;
(2) if he will take action to cancel orders for any main battle tanks not yet under construction.
Mr. Alan Clark : One regiment of Challenger 1 main battle tanks and nine Challenger 2 prototypes are on order. All are under construction.
Defence Staff List
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will list all the civil defence authorities that (a) have received and (b) have not received, the defence staff list document ; (2) why defence staff list documents are being withheld from the South Yorkshire civil defence authority ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton [holding answer 6 November 1989] : I will write to the hon. Member.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Industrial Development Board
Mr. Mallon : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list all those parcels of land which were owned by Department of Economic Development, LEDU, or the Industrial Development Board, which were zoned for industrial development by the planning authorities and which were sold for non-industrial use in each of the years since 1980, giving details by district council area.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 8 November 1989] : The industrially zoned land sold by IDB (including Department of Commerce to September 1982) for non-industrial purposes is set out in the table. Neither DED or LEDU sold any land zoned for industrial development for non- industrial use.
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District Council |1980-81 |1981-82 |1982-83 |1983-84 |1984-85 |1985-86 |1986-87 |1987-88 |1988-89 |1989-90 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Antrim |10.6 |0.1 |- |- |- |- |8.5 |- |- |- Ballymena |- |- |- |- |- |30.1 |- |- |- |- Belfast |- |- |0.1 |- |- |0.4 |0.5 |- |- |- Castlereagh |9.1 |- |- |- |- |0.1 |0.1 |0.1 |- |- Craigavon |- |- |- |0.1 |0.1 |- |- |- |- |- Derry |- |- |- |- |- |- |0.1 |- |- |- Fermanagh |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |0.1 |- |- Limavady |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |82.8 |- Lisburn |0.2 |- |- |- |- |0.1 |- |- |7.0 |- Newry and Mourne |- |- |- |- |0.1 |- |- |0.1 |12.4 |- Newtownabbey |- |5.1 |- |- |- |0.1 |- |- |0.3 |- Omagh |- |0.1 |- |- |- |0.1 |- |- |- |-
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Integrated Schools
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received about the relationships between integrated schools and segregated schools, the provision of integrated nursery education, and the provision of integrated special education ; and if he will make a statement.
Dr. Mawhinney : A number of views were received about the proposed management structures of controlled integrated schools and we have been able broadly to take these into account. This means that the legislation will continue to provide that in the case of a controlled integrated school which was formerly a controlled (non-grammar) school or a Catholic maintained school, its board of governors will include one seventh trustee representation and one seventh trasferor representation. Other controlled integrated schools will instead have two sevenths of their boards of governors appointed by the Department of Education.
On the question of integrated nursery and special education, nursery and special schools will be ineligible for formal integrated status since admissions are based on specialised criteria to which it would be quite inappropriate to add statutory requirements relating to the religion of pupils. On the other hand, it will be possible for an integrated school to have a nursery or special unit attached to it.
Fire Service
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action has been taken by the fire authority for Northern Ireland to obtain an acceptable fire brigade training site convenient to Belfast which will make training possible in a secure location and which will have the support of the local community.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : The fire authority had identified a site at Old Manse road, Whiteabbey, as suitable for a fire brigade training school. Planning permission was refused. The fire authority is now awaiting the outcome of its appeal against that refusal.
Give the uncertainty of this site the fire authority has identified another suitable site at the former St. Nicholas secondary school at Minorca place, Carrickfergus. Conditional planning permission has just been granted. The fire authority has not agreed an acceptable purchase price for the Carrickfergus site. Negotiations are continuing.
One-Teacher Primary Schools
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a list of one-teacher primary schools in each education and library board area in Northern Ireland in the maintained and controlled sectors, together with the number of pupils enrolled at each school.
Dr. Mawhinney : The information is as follows :
Education and library |Primary schools |January 1989 enrolment
board area
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Western
Controlled |None |-
Maintained |Edenderry |22
|Altishane |21
North-Eastern
Controlled |Bruslee |20
|Newlands |20
Maintained |Culraney |8
|Rathlin Island (St. Mary's)|11
|Tannaghmore |22
|St. Colman's (Greenisland) |24
Southern
Controlled |Salters Grange |18
|Shinn |13
|Leitrim |12
|Croreagh |21
|Hilltown |8
|Ballykeel West |15
|Ballinderry |22
|Coalisland |14
Maintained |Lislea (2) |12
Belfast
Controlled |None |-
Maintained |None |-
South-Eastern
Controlled |None |-
Maintained |None |-
History Teaching
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assurance he can give parents that their children will have the opportunity to study British, European and economic history in the future.
Dr. Mawhinney : The programme of study for history will be drawn up by the history working group. Its report will be subject to wide consultation. I expect these elements to be included.
Council for Roman Catholic Maintained Schools
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what changes have been made in the terms of reference of the Council for Roman Catholic Maintained Schools since that body was established.
Schools and Colleges (Safety)
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the estimated cost of electrical rewiring to meet current safety standards for schools and colleges in the North-Eastern education and library board area.
Dr. Mawhinney : The total estimated cost of electrical rewiring to meet current safety standards for schools and colleges in the NEELB area is not readily available and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost. However, I understand that the NEELB commissioned a study which estimated that it would cost £16 million at 1987 prices to rewire all the board's properties (including schools and colleges) and maintained schools in its area.
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals have been made and what funding
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will be allocated to the North-Eastern education and library board to correct the hazards in schools brought to his attention in the consultant's report presented to the Department of Education in 1988.Dr. Mawhinney : The Department of Education (Northern Ireland) allocated an additional £1.6 million to the north-eastern education and library board in the current financial year to supplement the normal maintenance programme financed from its block grant. It is for the board to determine how these additional funds are used having regard to its own locally determined priorities.
Family Credit
Sir Ian Gilmour : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish figures showing the numbers and percentages of families with children (a) entitled to and (b) receiving family credit, in April 1988 and 1989, together with projections for April 1990.
Mr. Needham : The number of families receiving family credit between April 1988 and 1989 increased by 1,383 from 13,525 to 14,908.
Reliable estimates of the number of families who were eligible for family credit in Northern Ireland in April 1988 and April 1989 or who might be eligible in April 1990 are not available.
Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowance
Mr. Mallon : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many farmers, in each district council area of Northern Ireland, are in receipt of hill livestock compensatory allowances ; (2) what is the total amount of hill livestock compensatory allowances which were paid to farmers from each district council area, in each of the years since 1985.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : We do not know. Information is not kept by district council area.
Bathing Waters
Mr. Mallon : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give details of proposals for Government spending to improve the quality of bathing waters in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given by my hon. and learned Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning on 20 October 1989 to the hon. Member for Brigg and Cleethorpes (Mr. Brown) at columns 261-62.
Glass
Mr. Mallon : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was (a) the total amount of glass used and (b) the total amount of glass recycled in Northern Ireland in each of the years since 1980.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : Records are not held centrally of the total amount of glass used in Northern Ireland. The information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. At present 10 of the district councils in Northern Ireland operate bottle banks. It is estimated that the
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volume of glass collected for recycling would be in the region of 600 tonnes per annum. No glass is recycled in Northern Ireland.ENERGY
Electricity Privatisation
Mr. Yeo : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what recent representations he has received regarding the progress of electricity privatisation.
Mr. Michael Spicer : My right hon. Friend and I continue to receive representations on a wide variety of topics related to electricity privatisation.
Mr. McCartney : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his most recent estimate of the gross cost of electricity privatisation to the national Exchequer ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Spicer : It is too early to make an estimate of the likely total costs of privatising the electricity supply industry. However, a provision of £30 million has been made in the supply estimate for 1989-90 in respect of electricity privatisation costs. Expenditure in earlier years was £0.8 million in 1987-88 and £5.5 million in 1988-89.
It is also too early to estimate the likely proceeds from the sale of the companies but experience from previous privatisations has shown them to have an outstanding record of value for money.
Gas Sales
Mr. Knowles : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will meet the Director General of OFGAS to discuss progress towards the competitive sale of gas to industry.
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he last met the Director General of OFGAS to discuss industrial gas pricing structures.
Mr. Peter Morrison : I meet the Director General of Gas Supply regularly and we discuss a range of issues of mutual interest, including progress towards competition in the supply of gas to industry and industrial gas pricing structures.
Tidal Barrages
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what evidence he has received that the River Mersey would provide the most cost-efficient site for the construction of a tidal barrage.
Mr. Peter Morrison : A study by Marinetech North West and Rendel Parkman published in 1985 concluded that the economic viability of a Mersey barrage was promising and that further studies were warranted.
The Mersey Barrage Company is currently carrying out further feasibility studies for a barrage, jointly funded by the Department of Energy, to examine the engineering, environmental and regional impact, the economic viability and the choice of barrage alignment.
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what studies his Department is undertaking of French experience in successfully operating a tidal barrage scheme.
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Mr. Peter Morrison : Over the last ten years the Severn Barrage committee, the Severn Tidal Power Group, the Mersey Barrage Company, Ministers and Officials have visited La Rance tidal power station in Brittany. Many discussions with Electricite de France and French experts have taken place. The United Kingdom studies of tidal barrage schemes take full account of the French experience.
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects to make a decision on the construction of the Mersey barrage.
Mr. Peter Morrison : The Department of Energy and the Mersey Barrage Company are jointly funding feasibility studies into a Mersey barrage. The studies are being advanced to determine whether the Mersey Barrage Company can make an economic case for construction of a Mersey barrage. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy met the chairman of the Mersey Barrage Company on 14 November to receive a progress report.
Energy Sources
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what plans he has to make subsidies available for renewable sources of energy.
Mr. Peter Morrison : The Department is already giving substantial financial support to develop renewable sources of energy. We are supporting a major research and development programme aimed at developing commercially viable and environmentally acceptable renewable technologies to contribute to future energy supply. Around 250 projects are currently underway with a contract value of over £60 million and we expect to initiate 70-80 new projects during 1989-90. Over £50 million is earmarked for expenditure on renewable projects over the next three years. These projects include both research and development and a wide range of technology transfer activities designed to aid commercial deployment.
Nuclear Power Stations
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what consultations he has had with the nuclear installations inspectorate regarding safety considerations in managing two or more nuclear power stations on one nuclear site in single or multiple ownership ; (2) what proposals he has for the avoidance of more than one nuclear power station operator having control of generation of any one nuclear island.
Mr. Michael Spicer : I refer the hon. Member to the statement which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State made to the House on 9 November at column 1175.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what consultations he has had with the nuclear installations inspectorate regarding safety considerations in managing nuclear power stations after vesting day in the electricity supply industry.
Mr. Michael Spicer : My Department maintains close contact with the Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorate on all matters relating to nuclear safety. The vesting of the electricity supply industry will not lead to any diminution of existing standards of nuclear safety.
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Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if he will list each nuclear power station giving the date on which they were authorised, when work commenced, when they were commissioned and when they first produced their design capacity ;
(2) if he will list for each nuclear power station their original designed output capacity, their revised output capacity, and their average load factors based on both the original and revised figures; (3) what is the maximum output achieved by each nuclear power station ; and when it was achieved.
Mr. Wakeham : Much of the information requested can be derived from published information. I have, nevertheless, asked the chairman of the Central Electricity Generating Board to write to the hon. Member, as this is an operational matter for the board.
Nuclear Power
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he has chosen a sales price levy or a transmission and distribution levy to pay for the extra cost of nuclear power.
Mr. Wakeham : Section 33(2) of the Electricity Act 1989 makes clear that the fossil fuel levy will be calculated by reference to the aggregate amount charged for leviable electricity.
Standing Charges
Mr. Andrew Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will estimate the cost to the Treasury of underwriting the abolition of electricity standing charges for (a) all households and (b) pensioner households.
Mr. Michael Spicer : The cost of abolishing electricity standing charges for all households in Great Britain is estimated at about £800 million, and for pensioner households in Great Britain at about £190 million.
Berkeley Nuclear Laboratories
Mr. Knapman : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what effect his statement in the House earlier today will have upon jobs and investment at Berkeley Nuclear Laboratories, Berkeley,
Gloucestershire.
Mr. Michael Spicer : This is primarily a matter for the CEGB and the advisory boards of National Power and the nuclear company. The aim will be to minimise disruption as far as possible.
Electricity Disconnections
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many domestic electricity consumers had their supply cut off in 1978-79 and each succeeding year.
Mr. Wakeham : The Electricity Council informs me that the figures for disconnections in England and Wales are as follows :
|Number
------------------------
1978-79 |87,258
1979-80 |98,894
1980-81 |118,221
1981-82 |108,266
1982-83 |91,334
1983-84 |90,722
1984-85 |91,039
1985-86 |102,714
1986-87 |98,823
1987-88 |88,910
1988-89 |75,230
There is a continued downward trend in disconnections and in the 12 months to the end of September 1989 the figure stood at 72,256.
Gas Disconnections
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many domestic gas consumers had their supply cut off in 1978-79 and each succeeding year.
Mr. Wakeham : This is a matter for British Gas plc. However, I was delighted to note that in the year ended September 1989, disconnections fell by 58 per cent. and that the number of customers disconnected is now lower than at any time since records were first kept in 1977.
Independent Electricity Generation
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the 20 projects from independent electricity generation known to his Department which were referred to by the hon. Member for the City of Chester (Mr. Morrison) on "Newsnight" on Thursday 9 November.
Mr. Wakeham : Contracts for the sale of power from Lakeland Power projects at Roosecote were signed last month. This is the first independent project to proceed. Details of other individual projects are commercial in confidence until the companies involved choose to announce them.
Electricity Boards (Property)
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will place in the Library a schedule of all the land and property currently owned by the Electricity Council and each electricity board.
Mr. Wakeham : No. Land and property assets are commercial matters for the industry.
Electricity (Domestic Supplies)
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy in what circumstances he envisages that a domestic electricity consumer will have access to electricity supplies other than the proposed distribution companies.
Mr. Wakeham : The market in supply to customers will be progressively opened up to competition. Although transitionally the domestic consumer will remain a client of the area boards' successors there will be no permanent monopoly in supply.
Electricity Prices
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what arrangements he has made to determine the price charged by the generating boards to the distribution boards from 1 January.
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Mr. Wakeham : The price charged by the Central Electricity Generating Board to the area boards is set out in the bulk supply tariff. This was published in March this year and will continue until the end of March 1990.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his estimate of the additional cost to domestic electricity consumers of the use of electricity from nuclear power stations in 1979-80 and each subsequent year expressed as a percentage.
Mr. Wakeham : The separate cost of nuclear power generation has not in the past been identified in the price of electricity.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his latest estimate of the trend in electricity prices over the next five years.
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