House of Commons Hansard Debates for 14 Dec 1989

Engagements

Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 14 December.

Mr. Stern : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 14 December.

Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 14 December.

The Prime Minister : This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today. This evening a reception will be held at No. 10 Downing street on behalf of the Royal National Institute for the Blind.

NATIONAL FINANCE

Stock Exchange

Mr. Devlin : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what position the London stock exchange held in the international league of trading volumes in 1987 and 1988.

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Mr. Redwood : I have been asked to reply.

On the basis of total turnover in equities and fixed interest stocks the International Stock Exchange of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland Limited ranked third in 1987 and second in 1988. It was also the third largest exchange in terms of market capitalisation of domestic equities in both 1987 and 1988.

WALES

Ambulance Service

Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will meet ambulance workers based at the Queensferry station to discuss their views concerning their salary levels and their claims for arbitration ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Grist : I had the opportunity to meet trade union representatives of Clwyd ambulance workers at Colwyn Bay on Friday 8 December and their views were fully put to me. The only sensible way forward in the current pay dispute is for the unions to call off their action and resume talks with the management side of the Whitley council.

Water Quality

Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if, pursuant to his reply of 5 December, he will list the names and locations of the 89 of Dwr Cymru's water treatment works for which a relaxation of standards under the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 1989 has been granted relating to the level of permissible aluminium.

Mr. Grist : The information in respect of the 34 relaxations granted under sections 4(1)(c) and 4(2) of the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 1989 for Dwr Cymru treatment works/sources is shown in the table.

Clwyd

Llanbedr

Afon Ddu

Penmaenmawr Mountain Stream

Dolwen Reservoir

Afon Clywedog

Ffynnon Asaph

Gwynedd

Mynydd Llandegai

Cwmystradllyn

Garndolbenmaen

Afon Cwm Llan

Beddgelert

Bettws y Coed

Rhyd

Corris

Cwmygof

Drws y Coed

Nant Braich y Rhiw

Abergynolwen

Bontddu Stream

Cwm y Gof Stream

Llyn Fedw

Dyfed

Pendine

Llyn-y-Fan

Rhos I

Faedre Fawr

Llanybydder

Llygadllwchar

Treffynon

Cilgerran

Mynydd Crwn Bach

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LLanfrynach

Ffynnon Gaseg

Wern Ddu

Rhos 2

New Inn

Newcastle Emlyn

Faldybrenin

Ffynnon Rhys

Tregarron

Pontygotty

Powys

Cray Reservoir (1)

Garwleisian

Cray Reservoir(2)

West Glamorgan

Cwm Kenfig

Glyncorrwg

Upper Lliw Reservoir

Mid Glamorgan

Blaengarw High Level

Blaengarw Low Level

Garw Nanthir

Tyn y Waun

Perthcelyn

Penderyn

Blanencaerau

Dimbath

Caerau

In respect of the information regarding the undertakings accepted under section 20(5)(b) of the Water Act 1989, I refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer of 16 November to the hon. Member for Alyn and Deeside (Mr. Jones).

Rural Areas

Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions have taken place between his Department and the Welsh Development Agency concerning the implementation of his new rural initiative programme in those rural areas of Wales which lie outside the jurisdiction of Mid-Wales Development ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Peter Walker : My Department and the agency regularly discuss matters of mutual interest including rural affairs.

Local Authority Capital Expenditure

Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total for local authority capital expenditure in 1990-91 and for 1989- 90 ; what is that increase as a percentage in real terms ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Peter Walker : As I announced on 29 November, my proposals assume gross spending in 1990-91 of £475 million. This represents an increase of 6.9 per cent. over the 1989-90 equivalent (£444 million). The relevant GDP deflator is 5 per cent. Further resources will be provided if expenditure on mandatory home renovation grants exceeds the £75 million I have allowed for it.

Development Bodies

Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to realise the property assets of (a) the Mid-Wales Development Board and (b) the Welsh Development Agency ; and if he will make a statement.

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Mr. Peter Walker : Since their inception, property assets have been sold by the two development agencies the proceeds of which have contributed to the massive increase in their gross expenditure in recent years. This will continue.

Dee Crossing

Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the details of his award of finance to support the A548 Dee crossing for which funding has been set ; what are the amounts per year ; what is the starting date and the proposed completion date ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Peter Walker : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on Thursday 7 December. Support for the years beyond 1990-91 will be considered in future annual transport grant settlements and in the light of progress on the scheme. The timing of construction is a matter for Clwyd county council.

Teachers

Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many (a) primary and (b) high school teachers in Clwyd, in numbers and as a percentage, receive incentive allowances ; and if he will make a statement ;

(2) what is the percentage in each of the local education authorities of Wales of teachers receiving incentive allowances ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Peter Walker : The latest information relates to March 1988 and is shown in the table.


Teachers receiving incentive allowances            

                  |Number    |Percentage           

---------------------------------------------------

Clwyd-                                             

  Primary/Nursery |243       |25.6                 

  Secondary       |932       |53.5                 

All Teachers<1>                                    

  Clwyd           |-         |45.3                 

  Dyfed           |-         |36.0                 

  Gwent           |-         |37.3                 

  Gwynedd         |-         |34.3                 

  Mid Glamorgan   |-         |29.9                 

  Powys           |-         |33.1                 

  South Glamorgan |-         |38.1                 

  West Glamorgan  |-         |38.4                 

<1> All teachers includes teachers in Special      

schools, and excludes Headteachers and Deputy      

Headteachers.

Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures he intends to take to eliminate the shortage of primary school teachers in Clwyd ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Peter Walker : The Government's role is to ensure that sufficient qualified teachers are available to meet employers' needs. It is the responsibility of local education authorities to ensure that teachers are recruited to meet the needs of schools in their areas. In responding to the survey of teaching vacancies in September this year, Clwyd did not indicate that there was a shortage of primary teachers in the county.

This year the intake of students to primary courses in initial teacher training institutions was over 15 per cent. higher than in 1988. In Welsh institutions the increase was 22 per cent. above the 1988 figure and 28 per cent. above the targets for those institutions. We have also invited bids

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from LEAs in Wales for education support grant to assist with the cost of developing schemes of recruitment directed at meeting local shortages. No bid has been received from Clwyd.

Schools (First Aid)

Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will meet St. John Ambulance and the Red Cross in Wales to discuss the place of first aid instruction in schools in Wales ; and if he will make a statement ;

(2) which local education authorities in Wales have arranged for first aid instruction in their schools ; what type of instruction is provided ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Peter Walker : Any discussions about the place of first aid instruction in schools should most appropriately be conducted between the first aid organisations and local education authorities. All local education authorities make provision for first aid instruction. I shall write to the hon. Gentleman with detailed information on the extent of provision and type of instruction in schools and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Trade Routes to the Future"

Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what action he is planning to take with reference to the recent Confederation of British Industry report, "Trade Routes to the Future", as it affects Wales ; and if he will make a statement.

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Mr. Peter Walker : I wrote to the CBI on 4 December. A copy of my letter has been placed in the House of Commons Library. Since then I have announced plans to dualling the A5 across Anglesey, one of the routes identified in the report as in need of improvement.

Doctors

Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many doctors whose basic medical training and qualifications were received abroad are employed as general practitioners in Wales in 1989 ; and what was the comparable figure for each of the past five years ; (2) how many doctors whose training and basic medical qualifications were received outside the United Kingdom are employed as general practitioners in each family practitioner committee area in Wales ; and what was the comparable figure for each of the past five years ;

(3) what percentage of general practitioners in each family practitioner committee area in Wales received their basic training and qualifications outside the United Kingdom ; and what was the equivalent percentage for each of the past five years ;

(4) what percentage of general practitioners in Wales received their basic medical training and qualifications outside the United Kingdom ; and what was the comparable figure for each of the past five years.

Mr. Grist : Information on where general practitioners received basic medical training is not held centrally. However the latest available information on country of birth is shown in the table which will show the hon. Gentleman that the position for Wales in 1989 was almost identical to that in 1983.

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