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Year and company |Amount
| £
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1980-81
National Freight Corporation (under
Section 45 of the Transport Act 1980) |100,000,000
1982-83
British Transport Docks Board (under
Section 6(1) of the Transport Act 1981) |81,293,616
1984-85
British Telecom (BT (Extinguishment of
Loans) Order 1982 |2,789,865,772
1986-87
BAA (under section 3 of the Airports Act
1986) |43,503,340
1989-90
Water Companies (under section 86 of the
Water Act 1989) |5,028,346,588
These write-offs had no direct effect on public expenditure in as much as they represented a reconstruction of the balance sheets of the industries concerned. In each case, having had NLF debt written off, the successor company issued new securities to be held by the Secretary of State as assets of the consolidated fund pending realisation.
Public dividend capital has been reduced in three privatisation cases :
Year and Company |Amount
| £
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1980-81
British Airways Board (under the Civil
Aviation Act 1980 S1(1)) |160,000,000
1980-81
British Aerospace (under the British
Aerospace Act 1980) |60,000,000
1988-89
British Steel (under the British Steel Act
1988) |500,000,000
A further £3,480,000,000 of borrowing by British Steel under section 18(1) of the Iron and Steel Act 1982 was written off on privatisation.
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EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
School Buses
Mr. David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the progress of his review of school bus three-to-a-double-seat policy.
Mr. Alan Howarth : I have nothing to add to the answer that I gave my hon. Friend on 23 October.
Magnet Schools, Bradford
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to his replies of 5 December, whether Bradford local education authority informed him of its public statement announcing a postponement of the magnet schools programme ; whether Bradford local education authority has indicated any intention of withdrawing supplementary bids linked to the development of magnet schools ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : My right hon. Friend is aware of the announcement made in October by Bradford LEA postponing its magnet schools programme. In subsequent discussions with officials of the Department, the LEA confirmed that it wished my right hon. Friend to proceed with his consideration of its supplementary bids for funds to support the programme, in preparation for a commencement in September 1991.
Students' Awards
Mr. Straw : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will announce his decisions in respect of the levels for 1990-91 of students' maintenance awards, and of awards for mature students, and mature students' dependants allowances.
Mr. MacGregor : I intend to make an announcement at around the usual time.
Peto Clinic, Budapest
Mr. Andrew Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many British school children are currently undertaking training at the Peto clinic in Budapest ; and how many of these are funded by their local education authority.
Mr. Alan Howarth : This information is not collected centrally.
Open University (Vice-Chancellor)
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to meet the new Vice-Chancellor of the Open University.
Mr. Jackson : My right hon. Friend and I met the Vice-Chancellor, Dr. John Horlock, on 30 November. His successor, Dr. John Daniel, now of Laurentian university in Canada, will not be in post until July 1990.
Grant-Maintained Schools
Mr. Franks : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the number of schools which have been granted grant-maintained status, and the number of such applications so far received.
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Mrs. Rumbold : To date 51 schools have voted in favour of applying for grant-maintained status, of which 48 have so far published proposals. My right hon. Friend has taken decisions on 41 cases, of which 32 have been approved for grant-maintained status. Decisions on the remaining applications will be taken on their merits in due course.
National Curriculum
Mr. Hanley : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he intends to publish for consultation the draft order with attainment targets and programmes of study for English in the national curriculum for pupils aged eight to 16 years.
Mr. MacGregor : I have today published for consultation a draft order with an associated document setting out the attainment targets and programmes of study for English in the national curriculum, as I am required to do by section 20(5) of the Education Reform Act. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales is consulting on the draft order under the provisions of section 22(3) of the Act. Copies have been placed in the Library.
The draft order relates to key stages 2 to 4--pupils aged eight to 16. The order for key stage 1 was laid before the House in May this year and took effect from September.
The new draft order has been prepared in the light of advice from the National Curriculum Council, following its consultation on the Government's proposals published in June. I have accepted the council's recommendations for attainment targets and programmes of study in full. I believe that the draft order will be widely welcomed as providing a challenging framework for the raising of standards of English in our schools. The consultation period ends on 22 January 1990. I intend to make the final order in March 1990, in good time for implementation starting in the autumn.
Teacher Training
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many students were recruited to courses of initial teacher training in the current year.
Mr. MacGregor : A survey undertaken by my Department shows that 21, 757 students entered courses of initial teacher training in 1989, an increase of 1,574 over 1988. Recruitment to primary courses was 12.7 per cent. higher than last year. Intakes to secondary courses overall were 1.5 per cent. above last year, and intakes to science courses were 3.2 per cent. up on last year, although recruitment in the shortage secondary subjects continued to fall short of targets. I am placing the principal results of the survey in the Library.
Student Loans
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what progress has been made by the Student Loans Company Limited on preparatory work for the student loans scheme ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. MacGregor : The Student Loans Company Limited has signed a contract with Electronic Data Systems (EDS) for the provision of the main administrative system for the student loans scheme. EDS was selected by the financial
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institutions after an extensive evaluation of competing bids by an independent panel. As foreshadowed in the memorandum of understanding, my Department has contracted with the company for this purpose. My Department has also contracted with the company to fund items of miscellaneous expenditure required for preparatory work on the student loans scheme.EMPLOYMENT
Claimants
Mr. Loyden : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many claimants have been issued with the explanatory warning letter when employment service staff have considered the claimant has not sufficiently actively sought work in each week from 9 October and for each region ;
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(2) how many claimants have been referred to an adjudication officer, either directly or via an unemployment benefit office for failing to meet the actively seeking work requirement ; how many claimants were (i) allowed, (ii) disallowed benefit or credits by the adjudication officer ; and how many had benefits or credits suspended for each week from 9 October and for each region ;(3) how many claimants have been referred to the adjudication officer, either directly or via the unemployment benefit office, for refusing employment and for whom a UB195 has been completed ; and how many were (a) disqualified and (b) not disqualified from receiving benefits or credits for up to 26 weeks, for each week from 9 October and for each region.
Mr. Eggar : Figures in the precise form requested are not available. The table shows statistical information for the period 9 October to 27 October on questions of actively seeking and refusal of employment. Decisions outstanding as at 27 October will be recorded in the subsequent statistical returns.
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National Monthly Return-
Actively Seeking Referrals and Disallowances
Refusal of Employment Referrals and Disqualifications
Period ending: 27 October 1989
Actively seeking employment Refusal of Employment
Regions |Claimants |Claims |Allowed |Disallowed |Claims |Not |Disqualified
|issued warn- |referred to |referred to |disqualified
|ing letters |adjudication |adjudication
|officer |officer
Northern |44 |4 |0 |0 |2 |0 |1
Yorkshire and Humberside |120 |12 |0 |0 |15 |2 |0
East Midlands and Eastern |68 |3 |2 |0 |13 |1 |0
London and South East |589 |53 |4 |3 |99 |2 |2
South West |99 |21 |0 |0 |2 |0 |0
Wales |113 |18 |0 |1 |13 |0 |0
West Midlands |59 |6 |0 |0 |15 |0 |0
North West |112 |1 |0 |0 |9 |2 |1
Scotland |149 |4 |0 |0 |14 |2 |0
|----- |----- |----- |----- |----- |----- |-----
National |1,353 |122 |6 |4 |182 |9 |4
Earnings
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the increase in weekly and hourly earnings of full-time adult male manual workers in manufacturing and other full-time adult males not in the public sector in each year from 1979 to 1989.
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Mr. Nicholls : The available information from the new earnings survey is provided in the table :
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Percentage increase in weekly and hourly earnings of full-time adult male employees<1>
Manual employees in Non-manual employees not in
|manufacturing |public sector
April of each year |Weekly |Hourly |Weekly |Hourly
|earnings |earnings |earnings |earnings
|per cent. |per cent. |per cent. |per cent.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1980<2> |17.7 |20.1 |23.5 |23.4
1981<2> |8.2 |11.9 |12.8 |14.4
1982<2> |10.7 |10.2 |11.7 |11.7
1983<3> |7.0 |7.3 |9.5 |9.2
1984 |9.2 |7.5 |10.5 |10.3
1985 |8.6 |8.0 |8.8 |7.9
1986 |6.3 |6.4 |9.2 |9.8
1987 |6.8 |6.3 |9.4 |9.3
1988 |8.4 |7.1 |11.0 |10.4
1989 |8.6 |8.0 |10.5 |10.4
Notes:
<1> average gross weekly and hourly earnings, not affected by absence for those on adult rates; manufacturing as
defined in the 1980 SIC (but see notes<2> and<3>
<2> males aged 21 and over on all rates; 1968 SIC definition of manufacturing
<3> males aged 21 and over on all rates; 1980 SIC definition of manufacturing
Column 469
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish tables showing for each standard region, Scotland and Wales the average gross weekly earnings and average gross hourly earnings of full -time employees on adult rates whose pay was unaffected by absence, males and females separately, analysed into the age groups ; under 18 years, 18 to 20 years, 21 to 24 years, 25 to 29 years, 30 to 39 years, 40 to 49 years, 50 to 59 years, and 60 to 64 years, for each of the years 1979 and 1989 and in cash and real terms using April 1989 prices.
Mr. Patrick Nicholls [holding answer 7 December 1989] : Due to the extensive amount of information requested, I will write to the hon. Member.
Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report tables showing the proportion of (1) manual, (2) non-manual and (3) all full-time employees earning less than (a) £157, (b) £160, (c) £163, and (d) half average earnings a week, for (i) men, (ii) women and (iii) all full-time employees,
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including overtime, shift and public borrowing requirement premia, in each county and standard economic region in England and in each London borough.Mr. Nicholls : Due to the extensive amount of information requested, I will write to the hon. Member.
Employment Training
Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish up-to-date figures for Great Britain and each Training Agency region for each month since June, of the cumulative number of (a) referrals to employment training from the employment service to training agents, (b) agreed employment training action plans at training agents, (c) starts with employment training training managers, (d) the number in training on employment training each month and (e) the number on continuation training.
Mr. Nicholls : The information on referrals, action plans, starts and in-training figures is provided in the tables. Information is not separately available for those on continuation training.
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Table 3
Cumulative starts at employment training managers: July 1989 to November 1989
Training agency region |July |August |September |October |November
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
South East |4,500 |6,400 |9,800 |12,300 |14,600
London |3,100 |5,800 |10,600 |14,000 |17,600
South West |1,500 |2,700 |5,000 |6,900 |8,600
West Midlands |3,300 |6,500 |11,000 |14,700 |18,500
East Midlands and Eastern |3,000 |5,500 |9,000 |11,800 |14,600
Yorkshire and Humberside |3,800 |7,300 |12,800 |17,400 |22,200
North West |5,300 |9,800 |16,000 |21,200 |26,800
Northern |3,600 |6,600 |11,500 |15,200 |18,900
Wales |2,700 |5,000 |8,700 |11,600 |14,200
Scotland |3,400 |7,900 |13,500 |18,300 |23,200
|------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Great Britain |34,200 |63,500 |107,700 |143,200 |179,200
Table 3
Cumulative starts at employment training managers: July 1989 to November 1989
Training agency region |July |August |September |October |November
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
South East |4,500 |6,400 |9,800 |12,300 |14,600
London |3,100 |5,800 |10,600 |14,000 |17,600
South West |1,500 |2,700 |5,000 |6,900 |8,600
West Midlands |3,300 |6,500 |11,000 |14,700 |18,500
East Midlands and Eastern |3,000 |5,500 |9,000 |11,800 |14,600
Yorkshire and Humberside |3,800 |7,300 |12,800 |17,400 |22,200
North West |5,300 |9,800 |16,000 |21,200 |26,800
Northern |3,600 |6,600 |11,500 |15,200 |18,900
Wales |2,700 |5,000 |8,700 |11,600 |14,200
Scotland |3,400 |7,900 |13,500 |18,300 |23,200
|------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Great Britain |34,200 |63,500 |107,700 |143,200 |179,200
Table 3
Cumulative starts at employment training managers: July 1989 to November 1989
Training agency region |July |August |September |October |November
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
South East |4,500 |6,400 |9,800 |12,300 |14,600
London |3,100 |5,800 |10,600 |14,000 |17,600
South West |1,500 |2,700 |5,000 |6,900 |8,600
West Midlands |3,300 |6,500 |11,000 |14,700 |18,500
East Midlands and Eastern |3,000 |5,500 |9,000 |11,800 |14,600
Yorkshire and Humberside |3,800 |7,300 |12,800 |17,400 |22,200
North West |5,300 |9,800 |16,000 |21,200 |26,800
Northern |3,600 |6,600 |11,500 |15,200 |18,900
Wales |2,700 |5,000 |8,700 |11,600 |14,200
Scotland |3,400 |7,900 |13,500 |18,300 |23,200
|------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Great Britain |34,200 |63,500 |107,700 |143,200 |179,200
Table 3
Cumulative starts at employment training managers: July 1989 to November 1989
Training agency region |July |August |September |October |November
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
South East |4,500 |6,400 |9,800 |12,300 |14,600
London |3,100 |5,800 |10,600 |14,000 |17,600
South West |1,500 |2,700 |5,000 |6,900 |8,600
West Midlands |3,300 |6,500 |11,000 |14,700 |18,500
East Midlands and Eastern |3,000 |5,500 |9,000 |11,800 |14,600
Yorkshire and Humberside |3,800 |7,300 |12,800 |17,400 |22,200
North West |5,300 |9,800 |16,000 |21,200 |26,800
Northern |3,600 |6,600 |11,500 |15,200 |18,900
Wales |2,700 |5,000 |8,700 |11,600 |14,200
Scotland |3,400 |7,900 |13,500 |18,300 |23,200
|------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Great Britain |34,200 |63,500 |107,700 |143,200 |179,200
Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what were the destinations of all the people surveyed in the pilot survey of trainees who had left employment training ; how many of the trainees contacted left employment training early ; and whether he will place a copy of the full results of the pilot survey in the Library.
Mr. Nicholls : The destinations of people leaving employment training are many and varied. They include jobs, self-employment and other training or further education. Information is not available on the numbers to whom a questionnaire was sent who had left employment training early.
The results of the pilot exercise will not be placed in the House of Commons Library. This exercise was primarily designed to test the questionnaire and the methodology of the 100 per cent. follow-up survey and does not form part of the now established ongoing evaluation of the programme.
Job Clubs
Mr. Clelland : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what numbers of people moved from job clubs to (i) full time, and (ii) part-time employment in the period August 1988 to August 1989 in (a) Great Britain, (b) Tyne and Wear, (c) Gateshead, and (d) Newcastle.
Mr. Eggar : In the 12-month period 1 August 1988 to 28 July 1989, the total numbers of people leaving job clubs to go into employment were :
|Number
--------------------------------------------------------
(a) |Great Britain|70,814
(b) |Tyne and Wear|2,316
(c) |Gateshead |391
(d) |Newcastle |508
No statistics are available which differentiate between people going into full or part-time employment.
Claimants (Questionnaire)
Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment under what circumstances unemployed claimants who are studying part-time are asked to complete the questionnaire attached to ES notice 178/89 and distributed throughout the employment service ; what plans he has to use such a standard questionnaire after March 1990 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : The questionnaire to which the hon. Lady refers has been used for some time where unemployed
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claimants are studying, or intending to study, part-time to establish whether they are available for employment. It will continue to be used for the foreseeable future.Mines (Health and Safety)
Mr. Allen McKay : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take steps to ensure that full consultation is undertaken by the Health and Safety Commission with the British Association of Colliery Managers and representatives of other professional and engineering staff in the coal industry before the proposed new regulations on the management of safety and health in mines and the proposed approved code of practice are considered by Ministers.
Mr. Nicholls : The Health and Safety Commission has consulted widely with all interested parties and my right hon. Friend is satisfied that its procedures for consulting on proposals for regulations and approved codes of practice are satisfactory.
YTS
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take action to ensure that trainees placed with companies through YTS have a choice of methods of wage or salary payment.
Mr. Nicholls : The Training Agency, which administers YTS, already advises on methods of payment of training allowance to non-employed trainees, but the choice of method is the responsibility of the relevant managing agent. Arrangements for payment of wages or salary to employed trainees are the responsibility of the employer.
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what action he is taking to prevent YTS trainees from being forced by employers to work overtime.
Mr. Nicholls : Under the terms of the YTS contract the attendance of non-employed YTS trainees for training is subject to a maximum of 40 hours per week, taking one week with another and excluding meal breaks. Attendance outside those hours is entirely a matter for negotiation between the training provider and the trainee, but cannot be required as a condition for the provision of training. The maximum hours of attendance for employed trainees are determined by their contracts of employment.
Labour Statistics
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of employees in employment in Wales for each year since 1979 -80 and what
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is the percentage change between 1979 and the latest available year for (a) the whole economy, (b) the services sector and (c) the manufacturing sector ; and if he will make a statement.Column 474
Mr. Patrick Nicholls : [holding answer 7 December 1989] : The number of employees in employment in Wales for the years requested is given in the table :
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Employees in Employment in Wales
(Unadjusted for seasonal variation) (
Thousands)
----------------------------------------------
1979 |1,033 |572 |315
1980 |1,005 |571 |290
1981 |939 |562 |240
1982 |906 |550 |226
1983 |888 |552 |213
1984 |886 |556 |212
1985 |888 |561 |211
1986 |887 |573 |210
1987 |907 |590 |217
1988 |948 |618 |233
1989 |967 |634 |239
1979-89
Change |-66 |62 |-76
Percentage change |-6.42 |10.85 |-24.15
(1) Service sector' standard industrial
classification 1980, divisions 6 to 9.
(2) Manufacturing' standard industrial
classification 1980, divisions 2 to 4.
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will publish employment statistics, on a regular basis in the Employment Gazette , on the arts, cultural industries and the media.
Mr. Nicholls [holding answer 7 December 1989] : The Department's estimates of employment are categorised according to the 1980 standard industrial classification (SIC80). This classification does not specifically identify the arts, cultural industries and the media. However, quarterly estimates of employees in employment are published in table 1.4 of the Employment Gazette for SIC80 class 97 (recreational services and other cultural services). This class covers :
Film production, distribution and exhibition ; Radio and television services, theatres, etc ;
Authors, music composers and other own account artists, not elsewhere specified ;
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Libraries, museums, art galleries, etc ;Sport and other recreational services.
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has on the current level of employment in (a) the arts, (b) crafts, (c) museums, (d) libraries, (e) heritage, (f) archaeology, (g) royal parks, (h) film and cinema, (i) the press, (j) broadcasting and video, (k) publishing, (l) fashion, (m) design, (n) sound recording, (o) leisure and (p) tourism.
Mr. Nicholls [holding answer 7 December 1989] : The Department's estimates of employment are categorised according to the 1980 standard industrial classification (SIC80). This classification does not specifically identify the industries requested. Detailed results for some of the industries are given by the 1987 census of employment and these are shown in the following table. Where more recent data are available, these are also shown in the table.
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Employees in employment (unadjusted for seasonal variations)
Great Britain
SIC80 |September |June
|1987 |1989
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9711* |Film Production, Distribution and Exhibition |29.5 |}
9760* |Authors, Music Composers and other own account Artists, not elsewhere specified|11.9} |113.7
9770* |Libraries, Museums, Art Galleries etc. |66.1}
9741 |Radio and Television Services, Theatres etc. |75.9 |80.3
9791 |Sport and other recreational services |301.1 |325.6
475 |Printing and Publishing<1> |337.7 |344.9
661, 662, 663, |Tourism related industries<2> |1,283.3 |1,357.8
665, 667, 977, 979
* The latest available figures for these industries separately are from the 1987 census of employment.
<1> Includes newspapers.
<2> Includes some industries listed above.
Column 475
HOME DEPARTMENT
Data Protection Act (Registration Fee)
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any plans to reduce the registration fee required under the Data Protection Act ; whether he will review the charges ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Mellor : We have no present plans to do so.
Market Research
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many market research and sample surveys were carried out by or for his Department in the last 12 months ; what was the cost of each ; what was the total cost ; how many were carried out in house ; how many were carried out for his Department by outside organisations ; and what percentage of the total expenditure was paid to outside organisations.
Mr. Waddington : Fifteen surveys which meet the description of sample population surveys rather than market research surveys were carried out for or by the Home Department in the past 12 months. The total cost was £419,100. Three surveys were carried out in house at a cost of £5,000. Seven projects were carried out by outside organisations on behalf of the research and planning unit (RPU), and one project for the statistical department. Four projects were commissioned by the Central Office of Information for the public relations branch. Ninety-nine per cent. of total expenditure (discounting associated internal management costs) was paid to outside organistions.
Firearms
Sir Hector Monro : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applicants have handed in firearms for compensation under the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988 ; how many weapons this covers ; and how many applicants have been (a) paid and (b) refused.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : A total of 2,896 applications in England and Wales have been submitted claims, in respect of 3,548 weapons, surrendered to the police or otherwise disposed of, for a payment under the Government buy-in scheme for weapons newly prohibited under the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988.
Of these applicants, 2,690 have had payments authorised and 71 have been refused as ineligible under the scheme ; 135 claims have yet to be resolved.
Broadwater Farm
Mr. Bernie Grant : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report on the reasons why the inquiry, conducted by the Police Complaints Authority, into the Broadwater Farm disturbances of 1985 has taken two and half years to complete.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Supervision of the investigation of complaints against the police is the responsibility of the Police Complaints Authority. The time elapsed is
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accounted for by the various stages in the process laid down in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. I understand that in this case the investigation, which was carried out by officers from the Metropolitan police under the supervision of the Police Complaints Authority, was extremely detailed and wide ranging. All the papers were considered by the Police Complaints Authority to ensure that the investigation had been carried out to their satisfaction, and by the Crown prosecution service to establish whether criminal charges should be brought against any police officer. There then followed further consideration by the Police Complaints Authority of the proposals relating to disciplinary proceedings.Mr. Bernie Grant : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether a date has yet been fixed for the disciplinary tribunal to hear charges against Detective Chief Superintendent Graham Melvin, arising out of his command of the Metropolitan police's investigation into the Broadwater Farm disturbances of 1985.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I understand that no date has yet been set for the discipline hearing. The charges arose from the investigation into criticisms made by the judge at the trial of one of those arrested following the disturbances.
Mr. Bernie Grant : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis as to why no black or minority ethnic press or media were represented in the media group that accompanied the police on the raid on Broadwater Farm on 29 September ; what plans the police have for inviting the non-white press and media to accompany them on such raids in future : and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The planning of such operations is a matter for the commissioner and his senior colleagues. Invitations to the media are an important part of the commissioner's policy of encouraging greater public understanding of police operations, and are an example of the accountability of the police to the public. Decisions on representation on individual operations are taken in the light of circumstances and with a view to effective coverage for all parts of the community.
Broadcasting Complaints Commission
Mr. Corbett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what in each year of its formation has been the annual cost of the Broadcasting Complaints Commission.
Mr. Mellor : Since the commission came into operation on 1 June 1981, its net expenditure for each financial year has been as follows :
!
|£
---------------------------------
1981-82 |97,956.13
1982-83 |145,723.29
1983-84 |150,638.00
1984-85 |182,595.94
1985-86 |172,711.54
1986-87 |182,303.34
1987-88 |200,320.90
1988-89 |209,198.24
Broadcasting
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is proposing to take to include provision for the deaf in his new Broadcasting Bill.
Mr. Mellor [holding answer 7 December 1989] : The Government believe that it is important for there to be proper provision of broadcasting services for the deaf and hard of hearing. As a consequence, Channel 3 licence holders will, in the first year of the licence, be required to provide 10 per cent. more hours of subtitling than was achieved on average by the TV companies in the previous year. The Channel 5 licensee will have to provide a similar proportion of subtitled programmes. The ITC will thereafter set a reasonable target each year for an increase in subtitling on Channel 3 and 5 services.
The BBC and Channel 4 will continue to be bound by public service commitments and therefore can be expected to continue to provide subtitling. The BBC is working towards the time when nearly all pre- recorded peak-time programmes will carry subtitles.
European Community
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on EC document COM(89)524 published in the Official Journal of the European Communities on 18 November.
Mr. Peter Lloyd [holding answer 7 December 1989] : The Commission's proposals for a directive on voting rights for Community nationals in local elections were the subject of an explanatory memorandum submitted by the Home Office to the Select Committee on European Legislation on 17 October 1988, copies of which are available in the Library.
WALES
Health Authorities
14. Mr. Rogers : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last met the chairmen of health authorities in Wales ; and what topics were discussed.
Mr. Peter Walker : I last met the chairmen of Welsh health authorities on 15 May 1989, when we discussed the implementation of the proposals in the White Paper "Working for Patients".
Council House Sales
15. Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the progress of council house sales in Wales.
Mr. Grist : Between the introduction of our right-to-buy scheme and September 1989 about 74,000 council dwellings had been sold to sitting tenants in Wales. Owner-occupation now stands at 70 per cent.
Heartbeat Wales
16. Mr. Simon Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement in the progress of the Heartbeat Wales campaign.
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