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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 19 December 1989
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Disclosure Guidelines
Mr. Bermingham : To ask the Attorney-General whether his guidelines as to the disclosure of unused material or potential witnesses apply in summary cases and those indictable offences that are to be tried summarily.
Mr. Attorney-General : No ; the guidelines apply only to cases to be tried on indictment.
However, in any case, whether tried on indictment or summarily, if the prosecution have taken a statement from a person whom they know can give material evidence but decide not to call him as a witness, they are under a duty to make that person available to the defence and should supply the defence with the witness's name and address.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
USSR (Human Rights)
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics regarding the persecution and abuses of human rights suffered by members of the Ukrainian Christian Democratic Front ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Waldegrave : We continue to take every opportunity to underline to the Soviet authorities the need to implement early and effective legislative reform which will guarantee the rights of all Soviet citizens. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs will stress this point when he meets Mr. Shevardnadze in London on 19 December.
BBC World Service
Mr. Geraint Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if his Department has considered an application for an exhibition relating to the British Broadcasting Corporation world service to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.
Mr. Sainsbury : We understand that, under procedures agreed by the Services Committee, arrangements have been made with the authorities of the House for this exhibition to be held in the Upper Waiting Hall for a week from 2 April 1990.
San Salvador
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what actions were taken by Her Majesty's Embassy in San Salvador to alleviate suffering during the recent heavy fighting.
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Mr. Sainsbury [holding answer 18 December 1989] : Our charge has emphasised to the Salvadorean authorities the importance of proper respect for human rights in all circumstances and the need to facilitate relief work. He is making every effort to ensure that British relief workers can pursue their work in safety. On 20 November we gave £100,000 to the International Committee of the Red Cross for emergency relief work in El Salvador.
ENERGY
Commissioners for Energy and Competition
Mr. Allen McKay : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he last met the European Commissioners for Energy and Competition ; and what matters were discussed.
Mr. Wakeham : I and my colleagues have contact with these and other Commissioners from time to time and discuss a range of issues.
Accountancy Firms
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether the accountancy firms advising the Government on the sale of British Coal have at any time since June 1979 been (a) criticised by Department of Trade and Industry inspectors or (b) criticised by any disciplinary committee of the accountancy profession for lacking in professional conduct, efficiency or competence.
Mr. Michael Spicer : No accountancy firms have so far been appointed to advise the Government on the sale of British Coal.
Press Releases
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many departmental press releases have been issued in the past year ; how many have dealt with (a) nuclear energy, (b) coal, (c) oil, (d) gas and (e) renewable energy technologies ; and which academic institutions routinely receive these press releases.
Mr. Wakeham : From 1 December 1988 to 12 December 1989 my Department issued 218 press releases, of which nine dealt with nuclear energy ; nine with coal ; 79 with oil ; 13 with gas ; and 12 with renewables.
The following academic institutions routinely receive press releases :
Birmingham Polytechnic
Dundee Polytechnic
Heriot-Watt University
Institute of Energy
Institute of Petroleum
Institute of Purchasing and Supply
Institute for Scientific Information
Journal of the Institute of Water Engineers and Scientists Sunderland Polytechnic
The Open University
The College of Petroleum Studies
University of Dundee
University of Glasgow
University of Keele
University of London
University of Sussex
Oakham School Science Faculty
National Technical University--Athens
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National Energy Foundation
Mr. Frank Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will arrange a meeting with the new National Energy Foundation, based in Milton Keynes ; and if he has made any assessment of the benefits to his energy conservation policy that may arise from the work on energy audits in housing being developed by the National Energy Foundation.
Mr. Wakeham : I shall be meeting trustees and the director of the National Energy Foundation on 20 December. I look forward to discussing at that meeting their progress on developing a scheme for the energy labelling of houses.
Energy Surveys
Mr. Frank Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what progress has been made in implementing the European Commission directive on the introduction of energy surveys on the United Kingdom housing stock.
Mr. Peter Morrison : The Government do not consider that the draft directive proposed in 1987 is appropriate. The Energy Efficiency Office supports the development of voluntary energy labels for housing and I consider this to be the best way forward.
Energy Conservation
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many projects of the building research energy conservation support unit are (a) completed and (b) under way.
Mr. Peter Morrison : The building research energy conservation support unit manages projects for the Energy Efficiency Office under the energy efficiency demonstration and R and D schemes started in 1979, and the best practice programme which replaced them in 1989. On 15 December 1989 the figures were :
|Number
-------------------------------------
(a) Projects completed |82
(b) Projects under way |60
Electricity Privatisation
Mr. Beith : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether the Central Electricity Generating Board has yet submitted for his approval under section 63 of the Electricity Act a transfer scheme for the allocation of assets to the nuclear companies ; whether the term nuclear companies includes for this purpose, the new publicly owned Nuclear company ; and whether the Central Electricity Generating Board has discretion as to whether to transfer unused sites to the nuclear company or to another successor company.
Mr. Michael Spicer : The CEGB is required, under section 66 of the Electricity Act 1989, to make a scheme for the division of all its property, rights and liabilities to its successor companies. The new publicly owned nuclear company will be regarded as a successor company. The scheme, presently being prepared by the CEGB, will include unused sites.
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Oil and Gas Exports
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will give a breakdown between oil and gas exports both (a) in terms and (b) in value at constant prices on the same basis as that provided in his answer of 9 November, Official Report, columns 767-68 ; and if he will provide equivalent figures for 1989 up to the most recent date for which figures are available.
Mr. Wakeham : The breakdown between oil and gas exports on the basis requested is :--
Exports (f.o.b.)
Quantity (thousand Value (£ million at
tonnes) 1985 prices<1>
|Oil |Gas (coal |Oil |Gas
|equivalent)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1988 |89.037 |82 |15.018 |8
1989 (10
months to
October) |53.809 |7 |9.304 |2
Source: Customs and Excise. Overseas Trade Statistics (including
subsequent revisions to oil exports figures).
<1>Figures at 1985 constant prices have been derived by applying the
unit value for exports in 1985 to the relevant volumes in 1988 and
1989. The figures for gas are estimated.
The standard international trade classification in use for years up to and including 1987 does not enable the breakdown between exports of petroleum gases and natural gas, and therefore between oil and gas, to be made for those years.
Natural Gas
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if he will list the countries from which Britain imported natural gas in 1988 together with the tonnages for each such country ;
(2) what was the tonnage of natural gas brought ashore from the United Kingdom continental shelf in 1988 ; and how much came from (a) gas fields and (b) oil fields.
Mr. Wakeham : The main countries from which Britain imported natural gas in 1988 were Norway (15.4 million tonnes of coal equivalent) and Algeria (0.1 million tonnes of coal equivalent). The tonnage of natural gas brought ashore from the United Kingdom continental shelf in 1988 was 45.9 million tonnes of coal equivalent from gas fields and 14.2 million tonnes of coal equivalent from oil fields.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his Department's estimate of the likely exports and imports of natural gas in each year till 1995.
Mr. Wakeham : The United Kingdom imports approximately 20 per cent. of its gas from Norway and small amounts of liquefied gas from Algeria and elsewhere. This proportion is expected to decline over the next three or four years as imports are replaced by indigenous supplies. Gas exports are at present small and their future size will depend on market opportunity.
Fuel Exports and Imports
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will provide equivalent figures about fuel exports and imports to those given in the tables in his answer of 9 November, Official Report, columns 767-68, for 1989 up to the most recent date for which figures are available.
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Mr. Wakeham : The equivalent information for fuel exports and imports for the 10 months to October 1989 following my previous answer on 9 November is as follows :
Table 2
£ million at 1985 prices
Exports (fob) Imports (cif)
1989 |Coal |Oil |Coal |Gas |Oil
-----------------------------------------------------------------
January to
October |64 |9,306<1>|510 |933 |7,851
<1> Contains a small amount of natural gas exports.
<2> Figures at 1985 constant prices have been derived by
applying the relevant volumes in 1988 and 1989. The figures for
gas are estimated.
Table 2
£ million at 1985 prices
Exports (fob) Imports (cif)
1989 |Coal |Oil |Coal |Gas |Oil
-----------------------------------------------------------------
January to
October |64 |9,306<1>|510 |933 |7,851
<1> Contains a small amount of natural gas exports.
<2> Figures at 1985 constant prices have been derived by
applying the relevant volumes in 1988 and 1989. The figures for
gas are estimated.
January to
October 64 9,306 510 933 7,851
Contains a small amount of natural gas exports.
Figures at 1985 constant prices have been derived by applying the unit value for exports in 1985 to the relevant volumes in 1988 and 1989. The figures for gas are estimated.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Child Care
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take steps to amend the Nurseries and Childminders Regulation Act 1948 as amended by section 60 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1960 to incorporate stricter criteria regarding the standards, training and qualifications of registered child carers.
Mr. Needham : The Nurseries and Childminders Regulation Act 1948, as amended by section 60 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968, does not extend to Northern Ireland. However, similar provisions are contained in the Children and Young Persons Act (Northern Ireland) 1968. The Great Britain legislation has recently been modified and updated in the Children Act 1989. Consideration is being given to the relevance for Northern Ireland of various provisions in the Children Act 1989, including those relating to the registration of childminders, and revised provisions will be included in a proposal for a draft Order in Council which will replace the Children and Young Persons Act (Northern Ireland) 1968.
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take steps to encourage both private and public sector employers to provide more good quality day care facilities for children under five years old.
Mr. Needham : The ministerial group on women's issues, on which my noble Friend represents Northern Ireland interests, has been looking at child care needs and how best to ensure a growth in the provision of high quality day care facilities so that parents are enabled to balance their family responsibilities with employment opportunities. Consideration is given to the relevance to Northern Ireland of any initiatives endorsed by the group--for example, further encouragement to employers to use the tax reliefs available to provide child care facilities.
The Government encourage the growth of child care provision in Northern Ireland by funding women to set up
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childminding businesses under the enterprise allowance scheme and, under the job training programme, assist females to retrain for work by providing a weekly allowance of up to £50 to meet child care costs. They would also welcome any proposal to extend certain private sector initiatives such as the child care voucher schemes to Northern Ireland.In the public sector, day care facilities for staff already exist in some health and social services and educational facilities. The Northern Ireland Civil Service is considering with the trade unions whether day care facilities for under-fives can be provided for its staff.
Consideration is being given to the need to improve the registration and enforcement arrangements for childminders, playgroups and day nurseries in Northern Ireland legislation, in the light of new provisions introduced for England and Wales in the Children Act 1989.
Fire Brigade Training School, Jordanstown
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the planning procedures which have been followed in respect of the planning application for a fire brigade training school or depot at Jordanstown, Newtownabbey, County Antrim.
Mr. Needham : On receipt of the planning application on 25 May 1988, it was advertised and neighbour notification letters were issued. The usual consultations, including several with Newtownabbey borough council, were carried out before the issue of refusal of planning permission on 6 April 1989. An appeal was lodged against the Department of the Environment's refusal. The appeal hearing was held on 19 October 1989, and a final decision is awaited from the independent planning appeals commission.
Hypothermia
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the number of deaths where hypothermia was mentioned as a cause ; and what is his estimate of the total number of deaths where hypothermia was the underlying cause of death in Northern Ireland in each year from 1978 to 1988.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 18 December 1989] : The information is as follows :
------------------------ 1978 |<1>5 |5 1979 |<1>13|13 1980 |<1>18|18 1981 |<1>10|10 1982 |<1>17|17 1983 |<1>10|10 1984 |<1>11|11 1985 |28 |16 1986 |32 |14 1987 |21 |7 1988 |18 |7 <1> Prior to 1985 hypothermia was not coded as an associated cause of death.
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OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
Overseas Development Natural Resources Institute
Mr. Key : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has any plans for the Overseas Development Natural Resources Institute to become an executive agency under the Next Steps programme.
Mrs. Chalker : I have decided that it would be right for the Overseas Development Natural Resources Institute to become an executive agency. I believe that the freedoms and disciplines which agency status will bring will further enhance the institute's contribution to the British aid programme and development of the poorer countries, and will reinforce its position as an international centre of scientific excellence. We are planning for ODNRI to become an agency on 1 April 1990. Mr. Anthony Beattie, the present director of the institute, will be appointed as the agency's first chief executive.
PRIME MINISTER
Methodist Conference
Q37. Mr. Archer : To ask the Prime Minister whether she has any plans to meet the president of the Methodist Conference.
The Prime Minister : I have at present no plans to do so.
NATO
Q48. Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on her recent meeting with NATO Heads of Government.
The Prime Minister : The NATO Heads of Government meeting on 4 December, at which President Bush gave an account of his talks with President Gorbachev, was a very successful meeting. We reaffirmed the importance of NATO for our security, for arms control, and for stability in Europe, and welcomed President Bush's statement that United States forces and nuclear weapons will remain in Europe as long as the Allies want or need them. At the same time, there was universal support for the momentous changes taking place in eastern Europe.
Ambulance Dispute
Q83. Mr. Tim Smith : To ask the Prime Minister if she will make a further statement on the ambulance staff dispute.
The Prime Minister : NHS management has made a final offer to the ambulance unions. Nobody will receive a basic pay increase of less than 9 per cent., and some will get over 16 per cent. As a result qualified ambulance men and women are already eligible for back pay ranging from over £600 to £850. Leading ambulance men and women in London trained in paramedical skills are eligible for back pay of up to £1,290. For the first time, staff with extended training and using paramedical skills will receive extra pay of £500 a year. There will also be a review of the 1986 salaries structure which could mean additional payments.
The demands of the trade union side of the Ambulance Council are unreasonable and I am very disappointed that
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it continues to take action against patients and has rejected the NHS chief executive's very reasonable suggestion of a truce over Christmas and the new year. Over 96 per cent. of NHS staff have settled their pay without recourse to industrial action. The unions should accept the very fair offer on pay and resume normal working.Economic and Monetary Union
Q92. Mr. Hunter : To ask the Prime Minister if she will make a further statement on European economic and monetary union in the light of the Strasbourg summit.
The Prime Minister : I refer my hon. Friend to the statement that I made in this House on 12 December at column 857-59.
Crisis at Christmas
Q120. Mr. Cox : To ask the Prime Minister if she will visit the Crisis at Christmas centre in London during Christmas.
The Prime Minister : I have at present no plans to do so.
Cereals
Q155. Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Prime Minister if she will raise at the next meeting of the European Council the recent decision of the Agricultural Council to disregard the stabiliser regime for cereals ; and if she will make a statement.
The Prime Minister : I do not accept that the stabiliser regime for cereals is being disregarded. Recent decisions by the Agriculture Council will in fact tighten up its operation and should therefore secure further savings.
Church Lawford
Q224. Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Prime Minister if she has any plans to make an official visit to Church Lawford.
The Prime Minister : I have at present no plans to do so.
Constitution
Mr. Allen : To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to her reply to the hon. Member for Nottingham, North of Wednesday 13 December, which Minister would be responsible for putting proposals on a constitutional separation of powers to Parliament in respect of (a) a democratically elected second Chamber, (b) an Executive elected separately from Parliament, (c) a written constitution and (d) judicial review of the constitution.
The Prime Minister : The Government have no such proposals.
India
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Prime Minister if she has written to Mr. V. P. Singh, the new Indian leader ; and if she will make a statement on relations between the new Indian Government and the United Kingdom.
The Prime Minister : Yes. In my message to the new Indian Prime Minister I said that our two countries had an excellent relationship.
We look forward to working closely with the new Indian Government to strengthen our close links.
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National Health Service
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Prime Minister why she has refused to discuss the Government's National Health Service plans with the medical royal colleges, the British Medical Association, the Royal College of Nursing, the joint consultants committee and the Royal College of Midwives ; and if she will make a statement.
The Prime Minister : My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Health has said on many occasions that he welcomes constructive views on how to implement our proposals for the Health Service. He remains willing to engage in constructive dialogue with the leaders of the health professional bodies. That is why he, his fellow Ministers and senior officials in the Department of Health have met the leaders of the medical profession to talk about the proposed reforms on over 100 occasions since the White Paper was published. We are convinced-- as are many people working in the NHS--that change is essential if the service is to prosper. I see little purpose in having a separate meeting.
Doctors and Dentists (Remuneration)
Mr. Soames : To ask the Prime Minister whether she will make a statement on the chairmanship of the review body on doctors' and dentists' remuneration.
The Prime Minister : Sir Graham Wilkins' period as chairman comes to an end at the end of the current review. I have appointed Sir Trevor Holdsworth to succeed him. The Government are very grateful to Sir Graham for his long and valuable work, first as a member of the review body since 1979 and latterly as chairman.
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