| Previous Section | Home Page |
Regional Selective Assistance
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give details of (a) the total amount of regional selective assistance paid out by his Department since its introduction and (b) the average sum granted for each project ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Walker : Expenditure on regional selective assistance in Wales from the inception of the scheme to 31 March 1989 was £306 million. The average grant value was almost £200,000.
The expenditure quoted comprises payments of grants and loans (until 1979- 80) under section 7 of the Industrial Development Act 1982, exchange risk losses on European loans (since 1981-82) and payments under the in-plant training scheme (since 1984-85) and the business improvement services scheme (since 1983-84).
Based on the cumulative number and value of offers of section 7 assistance accepted to 31 March 1989 published in appendix 6, table 3 of the Industrial Development Act annual report for 1988-89.
Initiatives
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will consider a similar initiative for west Wales to that in operation in the valleys and proposed for north Wales.
Mr. Peter Walker : The Welsh Office, the Welsh Development Agency, the Development Board for Rural Wales, the Wales Tourist Board, the local authorities and many others are all working together with the private sector further to develop the economy of west Wales. I am glad to say that unemployment in Dyfed has fallen by 45 per cent. since the last general election.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give details of the amount of development rural initiative venture and enterprise grant paid out by his Department in each year since its introduction ; and if he will make a statement as to the future of the grant.
Mr. Peter Walker : The development of rural initiative venture and enterprise grant scheme is operated by the Welsh Development Agency (WDA) and the Development Board for Rural Wales (DBRW) in their respective territories. Since its introduction initially on an experimental basis, in March 1986, these bodies have made grant payments shown in the following tables :
Column 410
Following an independent evaluation of the experimental scheme it was reintroduced in September 1989. I refer my hon. Friend to answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Delyn (Mr. Raffan) on 27 July 1989 for further details.
|WDA |DBRW
|£ |£
--------------------------------
1983-84 |- |18,900
1984-85 |- |17,780
1985-86 |163,000|39,500
1986-87 |230,000|21,665
1987-88 |366,000|15,612
1988-89 |967,000|86,784
Rural Conversion Grant
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give details of the amount of rural conversion grant paid out by his Department each year since its introduction ; and if he will make a statement as to the future of the grant.
Mr. Peter Walker : The rural conversion grant scheme is operated by the Welsh Development Agency (WDA) and the Development Board of Rural Wales (DBRW) in their respective territories. Since the scheme's inception these bodies have made grant payments shown in the following table :
|WDA |DBRW
|£ |£
--------------------------------
1983-84 |- |18,900
1984-85 |- |17,780
1985-86 |163,000|39,500
1986-87 |230,000|21,665
1987-88 |366,000|15,612
1988-89 |967,000|86,784
Urban Investment Grant
Mr. Nicholas Bennett To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give details of the urban investment grant paid out by his Department since its introduction ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Walker : Since the introduction of UIG in April 1989, 10 projects have been approved with a total grant award of nearly £2.8 million. This is expected to bring forward over £10.3 million of private sector investment and to create over 600 permanent and nearly 270 temporary construction jobs.
Cardiff Bay Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State of Wales (1) if he will place a copy in the Library of letters of warning sent by him in 1989, to the chairman of the board of Cardiff Bay development corporation about development in the Cardiff Bay development corporation designated area ;
(2) if he will publish his correspondende with the chairman of the board of Cardiff Bay development corporation asking the corpoartion to expedite development in the bay area ;
(3) what requests have been sent by him to the chairman of the board of Cardiff Bay development corporation to expedite development in the Cardiff Bay development corporation.
Column 411
Mr. Peter Walker : I have not made such a request. I am delighted with the progress that is being made to the benefit of Cardiff and of Wales, progress that should have the support of all Welsh Members of Parliament.Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his most up to date estimate of total jobs lost to the Cardiff bay area subsequent to the breakdown of negotiations between developers and the Cardiff Bay development corporation in (a) 1988 and (b) 1989.
Mr. Peter Walker : Negotiations between developers and the Cardiff Bay development corporation are entirely a matter for the corporation. The development of the Cardiff bay area will create many thousands of jobs over the coming years and splendid progress has been made to see that this objective is achieved.
Urban Programme Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list concerning the urban programme the (a) community and social provision and (b) voluntary and independent schemes grants and projects in each of the boroughs and districts of each of the counties of Wales giving their cash backing, employment consequences and objectives for 1988 and 1989.
Mr. Grist : This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the Clwyd urban programme and urban development moneys and schemes for 1988 and 1989 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Grist : The information as requested is shown in the following tables :
Urban Development Grant
Project |Total |Spend |Spend
|UDG |1988-89
|£ million|£ million|£ million
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Supermarket and Car Park
Development at Connah's
Quay |0.325 |0.041 |-
Factory Units at Broncoed
Industrial Estate, Mold |0.132 |0.132 |-
Shops and Office Development
at Earl Road, Mold |0.104 |0.079 |0.025
Industrial Units at Aber Park,
Flint |0.085 |0.021 |-
Engineering Park at Sandycroft |0.227 |- |0.215
Column 414
Urban Development Grant
Project |Total |Spend |Spend
|UDG |1988-89
|£ million|£ million|£ million
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Supermarket and Car Park
Development at Connah's
Quay |0.325 |0.041 |-
Factory Units at Broncoed
Industrial Estate, Mold |0.132 |0.132 |-
Shops and Office Development
at Earl Road, Mold |0.104 |0.079 |0.025
Industrial Units at Aber Park,
Flint |0.085 |0.021 |-
Engineering Park at Sandycroft |0.227 |- |0.215
Second Homes
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on second homes in Wales.
Mr. Peter Walker : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given on 26 May by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State.
Roadbuilding
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is (a) the amount of transport supplementary grant he is making available to county councils in local roadbuilding, (b) the amount estimated by his Department to be used in local roadholding from revenue support grant, (c) the amount for local roadbuilding from capital receipts and (d) the amount for local roadbuilding from the community charge ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : Transport grant support is given only to eligible (over £5 million) schemes. The amount of grant to be paid in 1990-91 is £26.8 million. The £86.6 million gross capital for roads and transport for 1990-91 which my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State announced on 29 November assumes that authorities will spend £0.6 million of their capital receipts. Revenue support grant is unhypothecated and it is for local authorities to decide their own spending priorities ; similarly no estimate is available of the amount for local roadbuilding from the community charge.
Council House Building
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures he will take to encourage council house building for 1990.
Mr. Grist : It is for local authorities to decide about housing priorities, taking account of local needs and achieving value for money.
Housebuilding
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the number of private housebuilding starts for 1987, 1988 and 1989 ; what is the predicted start number for 1990 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Grist : Private housebuilding starts in Wales were :
Column 415
|Number
---------------------
1987 |8,741
1988 |10,892
Figures are not yet available for 1989 as the year has not yet ended but 8,084 were started in the first nine months. Forecasts for 1990 are a matter for the private housebuilding industry.
Salmonella
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to hold a public inquiry allowing tests at public health laboratories in the wake of the Clwyd salmonella outbreak.
Mr. Grist : I have already announced that the Department is conducting an internal review.
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he proposes to publish his findings following his internal inquiry into the Clwyd salmonella outbreak.
Mr. Grist : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 20 December.
Housing Revenue Accounts Subsidy
Mr. Gwilym Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he will announce his initial housing revenue account subsidy determinations for 1990-91.
Mr. Grist : The housing revenue account subsidy determinations for 1990-91 have been made today. Every local housing authority in Wales has been sent a copy of the determinations together with provisional figures on which its subsidy entitlement will be based. The figures for each individual authority are subject to change in the light of new information supplied by the authority itself. Copies of the determinations and of the provisional figures for all authorities are being placed in the Library and the Vote Office.
The new housing revenue account subsidy was introduced by the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. It replaces the existing main housing subsidy, the rent rebate element in housing benefit subsidy and the element in rate support grant related to authorities' own housing costs.
Each authority's subsidy will be determined in accordance with the formulae prescribed in the determinations. For 1990-91, the formula assumes that there will be a national increase of 2 per cent. in gross rent income together with an allowance of 5 per cent. for inflation. However, unlike previous years, the determinations provide for different guideline rent increases in different authorities instead of a uniform increase for all authorities receiving subsidy. The rent guidelines for 1990-91 are set by reference to the value of each authority's housing stock.
For 1990-91, the subsidy formula provides for a 3 per cent. real terms increase in the provision for management and maintenance expenditure. The allowance will be related to authorities' past expenditure.
The subsidy formula also takes into account the full cost of loan charges and of rent rebates, subject to safeguards to prevent double subsidy and to provide an incentive for the efficient operation of the rent rebate scheme.
Column 416
Rechem (Pontypool)
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will now arrange for further soil samples to be taken around the Rechem incinerator at Pontypool designed to detect polychlorinated biphenyls at levels significantly lower than 200 parts per billion.
Mr. Grist [holding answer 20 December 1989] : I am considering what further action may be necessary in the light of the recent results of monitoring undertaken by the Welsh Office in the Pontypool area.
Air Pollution Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what action he intends to take following the identification by Her Majesty's inspectors of pollution of local contamination above background levels by polychlorinated biphenyls at Ordnance Survey grid reference number SH 5101 ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) what action he intends to take, following the identification by Her Majesty's inspectors of pollution of local contamination above the established background levels by dioxins and furans at Ordnance Survey grid reference (a) SO 5101, (b) SN 5101 and (c) SH 5151 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Grist [holding answer 20 December 1989] : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given today by my hon. Friend the Under- Secretary of State at the Environment Department in relation to levels at locations in England.
Earnings Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 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 excluding overtime, shift and public borrowing requirements premia, in each county in Wales.
Mr. Peter Walker [holding answer 11 December 1989] : I shall write to the hon. Gentleman.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
European Monetary System
Mr. Skinner : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with other European Community Ministers regarding the European monetary system and political co -operation ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maude : European monetary union was discussed briefly at the Foreign Affairs Council held on 18 and 19 December in Brussels, and political co-operation at the European Council held in Strasbourg on 8 and 9 December.
Vietnamese Boat People
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether identity passes are to be provided for Vietnamese boat people returning to Vietnam.
Column 417
Mr. Maude : All Vietnamese citizens carry identity cards containing a photograph and thumb print. We have no reason to believe that identity cards will not be issued to the returnees. This is one of the issues which will be raised in the course of the embassy's monitoring exercise.Bulgaria
Mr. Stern : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make all information in the hands of the Government available to the Lukanor inquiries into corruption in Bulgaria under its former rulers.
Mr. Waldegrave : We have received no such request from the Bulgarian authorities.
Diplomatic Bags
Mr. Ian Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to non-European Community countries urging them to permit the non-intrusive searching of diplomatic bags.
Falklands Fishing Company
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response he is making to the report by Mr. Stewart Boyd QC in relation to Mr. Brian Cummings over Falklands Fishing Company losses ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sainsbury : Mr. Stewart Boyd QC was commissioned by the Governor of the Falkland Islands to inquire into the affairs of Seamount Limited, a joint venture between Stanley Fisheries Ltd., a subsidiary of the Falkland Islands Development Corporation, and Seaboard Offshore Ltd., a UK company.
The report's contents and findings are entirely a matter for the Falkland Islands Government who are responsible for the operation of the Falkland Islands Development Corporation.
Departmental Papers
Mr. Malins : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which of his Department's papers have been made available to the public since 1 October 1988.
Mr. Sainsbury : Between 1 October 1988 and 30 September 1989, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office--excluding the Overseas Development Administration--made the following papers available to the public on request :
Africa
Britain in Southern Africa
Britain's Voice in South Africa
Libya : External Relations and Activities
Namibia Chronology : March 1988-March 1989
Soviet Priorities in Africa
Americas and Antarctica
Antarctic Treaty System
Antarctic Minerals Convention and Its Role in Protecting the Antarctic Environment
Britain and Argentina : Attempts at Normalisation
Cuban Economy
Democracy and Regional Integration in South America
Drugs in Latin America
Column 418
Asia and PacificAfghanistan : Long Road to Recovery
Afghanistan : Continuing Conflict
China's Energy Prospects
China's External Economic Relations
Fiji Coups, 1987 : Context and Chronology
General Information on Taiwan
North Korea : Forty Years On
Religion in China
Soviet Interest in the Pacific Region
Vietnam : Current Problems
Europe
CSCE : Implications of the Vienna Meeting
Role of the Western European Union
Western European Union
Near and Middle East
Demography and Politics in the Middle East and North Africa Guide to Arab- Israel Peace Plans
Intifada : The Palestinian Uprising
Lebanon : Background to Current Events
Palestine Liberation Organisation
Soviet Union and Eastern Europe
CMEA at a Standstill
Common Euopean Home : New Thinking
Comparison of Soviet and Chinese Economic Reforms
Crisis in Soviet Agriculture
East European Energy Prospects
Party and Government Leadership of the Soviet Union
Soviet Communist Party's External Propaganda Activities Soviet Economic Reforms
Soviet Energy Prospects
Soviet Propaganda Organisations : A Survey
Soviet Union : More Milestones
Disarmament
Arms Control and Disarmament Quarterly Review No.10
Arms Control and Disarmament Quarterly Review No.11
Arms Control and Disarmament Quarterly Review No.12
Arms Control and Disarmament Quarterly Review No.13
Arms Control and Disarmament Quarterly Review No.14
Arms Control and Disarmament Quarterly Review No.15
Chemical and Biological Weapons : Negotiations for an
International Ban
Political Impact of the Process of Arms Control and
Disarmament
The West's Arms Control Objectives and Priorities
Economic
Aid to the Developing World
World Food Supplies
World Shipping Prospects
International
Annual Review of Consular Work, 1988
Destablising Effect of the International Drugs Trade in
Developing Countries
International Drug Trafficking : Attacking the Profits
International Monitoring of Human Rights
International Parliamentary Union : A Century of
Parliamentary Diplomacy
Non-Aligned Movement : Search for More Effective Role
1958 Geneva Conference of Experts on the Prevention of
Surprise Attack
Review of Consular Work in 1987
Saving the Ozone Layer : A Summary of the London
Conference
The 1989 World Youth Festival : Further Preparations
World Youth Festivals: Retrospect and Prospect
| Next Section
| Home Page |