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Column 447
Written Answers to Questions
Monday 11 December 1989
THE ARTS
Public Libraries
Mr. John Evans : To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will make a statement on the Government's spending plans for public libraries.
Mr. Luce : The Government do not plan local authority spending on public libraries or on other services. Revenue support grant is paid in support of local authorities'
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revenue expenditure generally. For 1990-91, it is proposed to distribute revenue support grant on the basis that it is appropriate for authorities in England in aggregate to incur revenue spending of £32.8 billion, in the provision of services. Of this amount, £5.004 billion is assumed to be spent on the other services block, a group of smaller services including libraries.CIVIL SERVICE
Early Retirement
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Minister for the Civil Service how many civil servants have taken early retirement for each year since 1979.
Mr. Ryder : I have been asked to reply.
The earliest year for which this information is readily available is 1982- 83. The details are as follows :
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Non-industrial civil service 1982-83 |1983-84 |1984-85 |1985-86 |1986-87 |1987-88 |1988-89<1> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4,337 |5,734 |4,105 |4,084 |3,739 |4,893 |4,441 <1> Provisional Source: Mandate
NATIONAL FINANCE
GDP
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has as to the growth in gross domestic product in each Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development country for the latest year for which figures are available.
Mr. Ryder : Following is the information requested.
Growth of GDP/GNP at Constant Prices ------------------------- United Kingdom |4.3 United States |4.4 Japan |5.8 Germany |3.6 France |3.4 Italy |3.9 Canada |5.0 Belgium |4.2 Luxembourg |5.2 Netherlands |3.0 Denmark |-0.2 Ireland |0.4 Spain |5.0 Portugal |4.1 Greece |3.4 Australia |3.8 New Zealand |0.3 Austria |4.2 Finland |4.8 Iceland |-1.4 Norway |2.6 Sweden |2.1 Switzerland |3.0 Turkey |3.4 Source: OECD and national sources
Source : OECD and national sources.
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Building Societies
Mr. Beith : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will make a statement on the role of the Building Societies Commission on the proposed merger of the Guardian building society and the Cheltenham and Gloucester building society ;
(2) if he will take steps to enable the Building Societies Commission to ensure that members of the Guardian and Cheltenham and Gloucester building societies are provided with statements of the case for and against the merger of those societies, and are given sufficient time to reach a considered decision.
Mr. Ryder : The Building Societies Commission has two statutory functions placed upon it under the provisions of sections 93 to 96 and schedule 16 (mergers) of the Building Societies Act 1986. First, it has to approve the contents of the statement required to be sent to all members under schedule 16 to the Act and, second, if the members approve the requisite resolutions, to confirm the merger. The commission has approved the statutory statements issued by the societies in connection with the proposed merger between the Guardian building society and the Cheltenham and Gloucester building society. If the special and borrowing members resolutions are passed, the commission intends to consider the societies' applications for confirmation on 14 February 1990, when it will consider any representations made by interested parties. That hearing must be directed to consideration of whether the statutory procedures and the provisions of the 1986 Act and the societies' rules have been complied with. It is not for the commission to consider the merits of the terms of a merger.
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NORTHERN IRELAND
Ministerial Responsibilities
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what additional responsibilities have been assumed by the Minister for the Economy in Northern Ireland in the Department of Economic Development since 25 July ;
(2) what are the current responsibilities of the Minister for the Environment in Northern Ireland ;
(3) what changes have been made to the budget of the Minister for the Environment in Northern Ireland since 25 July ;
(4) what changes have been made to the budgets of the Minister for the Economy in Northern Ireland in the Department of Economic Development and the Department of the Environment since 25 July.
Mr. Brooke : All Northern Ireland Departments are under my direction and control and I have allocated economic development and environment responsibilities as follows :
Mr. Needham
Urban Regeneration ;
Urban Development Grant ;
Belfast Action Teams ;
Promotion of Belfast City Centre ;
Planning Service ;
Lands Service ; and
Ports and Harbours.
Mr. Peter Bottomley
The remainder of the Department of Environment functions. The main changes to budgetary allocations since 25 July are summarised in the table and have been reflected as necessary in the autumn Supplementary Estimate approved on 4 December.
Department of Economic Development
Industry Trade and Employment ;
Increase of £42 million reflecting additional provision for Shorts and Harland and Wolff offset by emerging savings on Industrial Development and Labour Market services.
Energy ;
Reduction of £8 million through additional loan repayments by NIE. Department of Environment
Mr. Needham's responsibilities
Reduction of £2 million mainly reflecting delays in Urban Development Schemes coming forward for grant.
Mr. Bottomley's responsibilities
Roads and Transport ;
Net reduction of £1 million reflecting several minor changes. Housing ;
Reduction of £42 million reflecting interest savings from the write- off of loans to NIHE. The reduction did not affect the resources available for physical housing programmes. Indeed the availability of increased Housing receipts has facilitated an increase in the gross expenditure by the NIHE.
Environmental and Miscellaneous Services ;
Additional £1 million reflecting several minor changes.
The changes to budgets do not involve any increase in total public expenditure.
Motorways (Accidents)
Mr. Hayes : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many road accidents have been reported involving stationary vehicles on motorway hard shoulders in each of the years 1980 to 1989 ; and how many people were (a) injured and (b) killed.
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Mr. Cope : The Chief Constable of the RUC has advised me that the relevant records were computerised in 1986 and information for the years prior to that could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The information for the years 1986 to 1989 is set out in the following table :
4
|Number |Persons
|of accidents|killed
----------------------------------------------------
1986 |3 |-
1987 |3 |-
1988 |3 |-
<1>1989 |1 |-
Totals |10 |-
<1>To 31 October 1989.
Shorts Base
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on what date construction work commenced on the new building, roadworks, car park and entrance at the Shorts base at Lough Mann situated on the Downpatrick-Ballynahinch road in South Down.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : Construction work had already started on the building without the required planning permission in May 1989. A temporary access for which permission had been granted for a period of one year on 24 January 1989 had already been completed by May 1989. No new car parking facilities are proposed.
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on what date or dates the planning department carried out inspections at the site of the building currently under construction at the Shorts base at Lough Mann situated on the Downpatrick-Ballynahinch road in South Down.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : An inspection was carried out on 16 May 1989 when Short Brothers plc was told that planning permission was required for the works already commenced. A further site inspection took place on 1 September 1989.
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what consultations were held between the local farmers, householders, etc. and the town and country planning service about the building under construction, new roadworks, new entrance and car park at the Shorts base at Lough Mann situated on the Downpatrick-Ballynahinch road in South Down.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : Prior to 5 December 1989 the planning application received from Short Bros. plc was for a temporary access to the site for which planning permission was granted on 24 January 1989 for a period of one year. This application was advertised and processed in the normal way and attracted no local representations. A planning application for the remainder of the works was made complete on 5 December 1989 and it will be advertised and processed in the normal way.
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what consultations were held between the management of Shorts aircraft factory and officials in the Department of the Environment town and country planning service and the Department of the Environment roads service about the building currently under
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construction, the new car park, and the new entrance at the Lough Mann base situated on the Downpatrick-Ballynahinch road in South Down.Mr. Peter Bottomley : Following a meeting on site in May 1989 with the divisional planning officer, Short Bros. contacted the Department on several occasions and obtained advice on the information required to allow for the proper processing of a planning application. The application was not made complete until 5 December 1989.
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what inspections were carried out by the planning department at the site of the building under construction at the Shorts base at Lough Mann situated on the Downpatrick-Ballynahinch road in South Down.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : Two site inspections were carried out, one in May 1989 and the other in September 1989.
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what type of work will be carried out in the new building currently under construction at the Shorts base at Lough Mann situated on the Downpatrick- Ballynahinch road in South Down.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : A current planning application describes the proposed development as an extension to the firm's storage and assembly facility at Lough Mann.
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when was the planning application in respect of the new entrance and new car park at the Shorts base at Lough Mann situated on the Downpatrick- Ballynahinch road in South Down submitted and when was approval issued.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : An application for planning permission for a temporary access on to the Downpatrick-Ballynahinch road was received on 31 October 1988 and approved for a period of one year on 24 January 1989. No new car parking facilities were shown on this application.
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when was the planning application made and approval issued in respect of the two signs erected on either side of the
Downpatrick/Ballynahinch road adjacent to the new entrance at the Shorts base at Lough Mann situated on the Downpatrick-Ballynahinch road in South Down.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : An application for planning permission was not made for the erection of these signs. As Short Bros plc has undertaken to remove the signs by 24 January 1990, the DOE(NI) does not intend to take any action on the matter.
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when was the planning application submitted and approved in respect of the new building under construction at the Shorts base at Lough Mann situated on the Downpatrick-Ballynahinch road in South Down ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : An incomplete planning application was made on 8 September 1989, and completed on 5 December 1989. This application will be subjected to the normal consultation process before Down district council is asked to consider the DOE(NI) opinion on the proposal.
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Security
Mr. Ron Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the security situation in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Cope : So far this year, 60 people have died as a result of the security situation in Northern Ireland ; including nine RUC officers, 12 Regular soldiers (including two members of the UDR) and 39 civilians.
The security threat remains at high, but the professional and courageous efforts of the security forces have resulted in 360 people being charged with serious terrorist-type offences. A large amount of weaponry, ammunitions and explosives has also been recovered in the Province. There have also been substantial finds of arms and explosives by the Garda Siochana in the Republic of Ireland.
Adrian Carroll (Murder)
Rev. Ian Paisley : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if the Royal Ulster Constabulary has in its possession a gun the ballistics of which match the weapon used in the murder of Adrian Carroll in Armagh in November 1983.
Mr. Cope [holding answer 8 December 1989] : This is a matter for the Chief Constable, but I understand that police checks on recovered weapons which it is believed could have been used in the murder of Mr. Carroll have not revealed a matching weapon.
Civil Service
Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentages of the Northern Ireland civil servants described in the third report of the equal opportunity unit for the Northern Ireland Civil Service as being educated outside Northern Ireland or whose religion was not known were (a) non-industrial civil servants, (b) in higher grades or (c) born in Great Britain.
Mr. Cope [holding answer 4 December 1989] : Of the 2,933 Northern Ireland civil servants educated outside Northern Ireland or whose religion was not known at 1 January 1989 ; 57.1 per cent.--1,675--were non- industrial civil servants ; 12.1 per cent.--355--were in higher grades ; deputy principal equivalent or above in the non-industrial Civil Service.
The Northern Ireland Civil Service does not monitor the number of staff born in Great Britain and the information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Mallon : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many employees of the Northern Ireland Civil Service were educated in Great Britain.
Mr. Cope [holding answer 7 December 1989] : At 1 January 1989, the Northern Ireland Civil Service had 754 staff who, in its equal opportunities monitoring system, were classified as having been educated outside Northern Ireland. It is not known how many were educated in Great Britain and the information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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Rivers and Lakes
Mr. Mallon : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the total number of (a) rivers and (b) lakes maintained by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries Division, in each district council area in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Peter Bottomley [holding answer 7 December 1989] : The Department of Agriculture currently maintains a total of 61 waters consisting of rivers, lakes and reservoirs for angling by those members of the public who purchase a Department permit.
The location and details of all Department of Agriculture fisheries are published in an angling guide and I have arranged for a copy to be sent to the hon. Member.
It is not possible to allocate fisheries to individual district council areas as the information is not held in the form requested and some of the fisheries can run through two or more district council areas.
Mr. Mallon : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the total number of Northern Ireland Civil Service employees who are classified by the equal opportunities unit as being either educated outside Northern Ireland or their religion was not known ; and how many of these employees are employed at grade H, and each other higher grade, in the non- industrial sector.
Mr. Cope [holding answer 7 December 1989] : A total of 2,933, as at 1 January 1989, of whom the following were in the non-industrial Civil Service.
Grade Level A 81
B 97
C 177
D 172
E 438
F 250
G 206
H 254
Roads
Mr. Clifford Forsythe : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the estimated hourly vehicle capacity of (a) Ballyrobin road, Templepatrick side of traffic lights (b) Ballyrobin road ; airport side of traffic lights, (c) Killead road, Killead village and (d) Oldstone road, north of traffic lights.
Mr. Peter Bottomley [holding answer 8 December 1989] : There is no agreed definition of capacity for roads. It is not possible to provide these figures.
CHURCH COMMISSIONERS
Training
34. Mr. Cran : To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, as representing the Church Commissioners, how much is spent each year on the training of the clergy.
Mr. Alison : The commissioners have no responsibility for the training of the clergy, and their funds are not available for the purpose. However, I understand that the latest figure (for 1988) was £3.9 million, though I must explain that this relates exclusively to ordination training. Should my hon. Friend wish to pursue his interest in this area, I will willingly give him the name and address of the body with which he should correspond.
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OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
ODA Debt
Mr. Lester : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the total outstanding Overseas Development Administration debt in (a) 1982, (b) 1988 and (c) for each country in 1988 ; how much was repaid each year between 1982 and 1988 ; and under what terms the credits had been made available.
Mrs. Chalker : The figures for the calendar year 1988 are not yet available and therefore the following figures are given on a financial year basis for the sake of consistency. The outstanding debt totals at the end of 1982-83 and 1988-89 were £1,208,126,092 and £1,176,970,296 respectively ; the breakdown of the latter by country is shown in table 1. The figures do not include loans which at the relevant dates had been converted to grants under the retrospective terms adjustment arrangements or written off. In the case of India an equivalent measure to retrospective terms adjustment was adopted in the form of local costs finance equal to the payments due. The amounts repaid between 1982-83 and 1988-89 are shown in table 2. The terms of loans varied considerably and details of all loans could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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