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Number of places in local authority
homes for elderly people, by
local authority, as at 31 March 1988 (
provisional)
-----------------------------------------
Cleveland |1,433
Cumbria |1,641
Durham |1,805
Northumberland |792
Gateshead |623
Newcastle upon Tyne |866
North Tyneside |506
South Tyneside |508
Sunderland |842
Humberside |2,292
North Yorkshire |1,984
Barnsley |708
Doncaster |718
Rotherham |712
Sheffield |1,720
Bradford |1,425
Calderdale |646
Kirklees |1,156
Leeds |2,083
Wakefield |738
Cheshire |2,156
Lancashire |3,863
Bolton |667
Bury |445
Manchester |1,613
Oldham |618
Rochdale |565
Salford |730
Stockport |587
Tameside |455
Trafford |521
Wigan |803
Knowsley |223
Liverpool |1,391
Sefton |701
St. Helens |306
Wirral |962
Hereford and Worcester |1,160
Shropshire |1,034
Staffordshire |2,130
Warwickshire |865
Birmingham |2,317
Coventry |598
Dudley |542
Sandwell |911
Solihull |352
Walsall |678
Wolverhampton |687
Derbyshire |2,033
Leicestershire |2,116
Lincolnshire |1,419
Northamptonshire |1,234
Nottinghamshire |2,152
Bedfordshire |1,098
Berkshire |1,113
Buckinghamshire |1,053
Cambridgeshire |1,344
Essex |3,301
Hertfordshire |1,742
Norfolk |1,799
Oxfordshire |1,185
Suffolk |1,478
Camden |553
Greenwich |556
Hackney |497
Hammersmith |461
Islington |601
Kensington |298
Lambeth |667
Lewisham |760
Southwark |492
Tower Hamlets |378
Wandsworth |570
Westminster |505
City of London |0
Barking |412
Barnet |520
Bexley |439
Brent |437
Bromley |450
Croydon |560
Ealing |595
Enfield |537
Haringey |456
Harrow |379
Havering |490
Hillingdon |498
Hounslow |432
Kingston upon Thames |253
Merton |262
Newham |578
Redbridge |477
Richmond upon Thames |349
Sutton |296
Waltham Forest |461
Dorset |1,345
Hampshire |2,751
Isle of Wight |316
Kent |2,807
Surrey |1,978
East Sussex |1,520
West Sussex |1,532
Wiltshire |1,153
Avon |2,470
Cornwall |1,008
Devon |2,204
Gloucestershire |1,075
Somerset |1,065
Isles of Scilly |10
|--------
England |110,598
Children (Smoking)
Mr. Aspinwall : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the latest Government statistical information available on the prevalence of children who smoke ; and what trend these figures reflect.
Column 713
Mr. Freeman : The latest information is contained in the report entitled "Smoking among secondary school children in England in 1988" prepared by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys and published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office in 1989 (ISBN 0 11 691267 7). The report, which is in the Library, shows that in 1988, 7 per cent. of first to fifth form boys (mainly aged 11-15) and 9 per cent. of first to fifth form girls smoked at least one cigarette per week. This represents a welcome decline in smoking prevalence among 11 to 15-year-olds since 1984 when 13 per cent. of boys and girls smoked at least one cigarette per week.Hyperkinesis
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by regional health authority, for the latest data he has available, what tests are being carried out on children for hyperkinesis ; what is the percentage of those diagnosed as suffering from this condition ; at what ages these tests are carried out ; what were the comparable figures (a) five and (b) 10 years ago ; and at what age these tests are stopped.
Column 714
Mr. Freeman : This information is not collected centrally.
In-vitro Fertilisation
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will place a copy of the ministerial briefing on legislation and controls covering in-vitro fertilisation in other countries in the Library.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : This research report, which is a descriptive survey of the law and practice in a number of countries, will be made available when it is ready. This is expected shortly.
Prescription Costs
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether, pursuant to the answer Official Report, column 81-82 on 18 December, he will publish a table showing prescription costs for each region and family practitioner committee area for 1986-87 and 1987-88 on the same price base as previously, showing both total cost and cost per head.
Mr. Freeman : The information requested is set out in the table.
Column 713
Total cost of prescriptions dispensed by chemists, appliance
contractors and dispensing doctors
(Based on 1988-89 prices)
---------------------------------------------------------------
Cleveland
Cumbria
Durham
Northumberland
Gateshead
Newcastle
North Tyne
South Tyne
Sunderland
Northern RHA
Humberside
North Yorkshire
Bradford
Calderdale
Kirklees
Leeds
Wakefield
Yorkshire RHA
Derbyshire
Leicester
Lincoln
Nottinghamshire
Barnsley
Doncaster
Rotherham
Sheffield
Trent RHA
Cambridgeshire
Norfolk
Suffolk
East Anglia RHA
Bedford
Hertfordshire
Barnet
Brent and Harrow
Ealing, Hammersmith and
Hounslow
Hillingdon
Kensington, Chelsea and
Westminster
North West Thames RHA
Essex
Barking and Havering
Camden and Islington
City and East London
Enfield and Harringey
Redbridge and Walthamforest
North East Thames RHA
East Sussex
Kent
Bexley and Greenwich
Bromley
Lambeth, Lewisham and
Southwark
South East Thames RHA
Surrey
West Sussex
Croydon
Kingston and Richmond
Merton, Sutton and
Wandsworth
South West Thames Regional
Health Authority
Dorsetshire
Hampshire
Wiltshire
Isle of Wight
Wessex Regional Health Authority
Berkshire
Buckinghamshire
Northamptonshire
Oxfordshire
Oxford Regional Health
Authority
Avon
Cornwall
Devon
Gloucester
Somerset
Authority
Hereford and Worcester
Salop
Staffordshire
Warwickshire
Birmingham
Coventry
Dudley
Sandwell
Solihull
Walsall
Wolverhampton
West Midlands RHA
Cheshire
Liverpool
St. Helens with Knowsley
Sefton
Wirral
Mersey RHA
Lancashire
Bolton
Bury
Manchester
Oldham
Rochdale
Salford
Stockport
Tameside
Trafford
Wigan
North Western RHA
1. The figures include prescriptions dispensed by retail
chemists, appliance contractors and dispensing doctors.
2. Total cost includes the basic price of the drug less
discount plus dispensing costs and fees.
3. Figures are based on OPCS estimates of resident populations
for mid years 1986 and 1987.
4. Figures for 1986-87 and 1987-88 have been revalued to
1988-89 prices using the GDP deflator.
Airline Food
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many food poisoning incidents have been recorded for each year from 1980 to 1989 involving food served on passenger aeroplanes ; if he will list the airlines involved ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) how many people have died as a result of food poisoning incidents aboard passenger aeroplanes for each year from 1980 to 1989 ; and if he will list the airlines involved.
Mr. Freeman [holding answer 14 December 1989] : In the period 1980 to 1989 there were 22 suspected food poisoning reports to the public health laboratory service communicable disease surveillance centre by laboratories and local authorities associated with commercial air flights arriving or departing from England and Wales. No information is available about any deaths resulting from in-flight catering.
The table shows the 22 reported outbreaks of food poisoning associated with in-flight meals, although the carrier airline was not identified in every case.
Year |Number of
|outbreaks
------------------------------
1980 |1
1981 |1
1982 |3
1983 |2
1984 |3
1985 |4
1986 |1
1987 |6
1988 |0
1989 |1
West Lambeth Health Authority
Miss Hoey : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department has received from the regional liaison committee concerning the West Lambeth health authority.
Column 718
Mr. Freeman [holding answer 20 December 1989] : The South East Thames regional health authority provides information regularly and frequently to the Department about all the health authorities within the region, and as necessary provides information about activities concerning individual health authorities. Perhaps the hon. Member would write to me if she is seeking information about a particular event.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Income Support
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the total number of income support claimants who continue to receive transitional addition ; and what proportion of these are pensioners.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : I regret that the information requested is not available. Based on the May 1988 annual statistical inquiry an estimated 570,000 income support claimants were receiving a transitional addition immediately after the April 1989 annual benefit uprating, of whom an estimated 255,000 were aged 60 or over.
Local Officers, Doncaster and Wath upon Dearne
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many staff at his Department's offices in (a) Doncaster and (b) Wath upon Dearne, speak (i) Urdu, (ii) Punjabi, (iii) Bengali, including the Sylheti dialect, (iv) Chinese, (v) Farsi, (vi) Hindi and (vii) Gujerati.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Should the need arise, local offices have access to local community interpreters.
Social Security Reform
Miss Widdicombe : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will respond to the report by the Social Services Select Committee on the reform of social security in April 1988.
Column 719
Mr. Newton : I have today laid before Parliament copies of the Government's observations on the Committee's report, which I recognise as a constructive contribution to the debate on these issues.Pensions
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table indicating for each of the last 10 years (a) the level of the basic state pension, (b) the average industrial wage and (c) the percentage of average industrial wage represented by the basic state pension.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard [holding answer 19 December 1989] : The latest available information is set out in the table. The relationship between state retirement pension and earnings is not the key factor in improving pensioners' income. The key factor is pensioners' total incomes. Pensioners' average total net incomes increased by 23 per cent. in real terms between 1979 and 1986.
|<1>£pw. |<2>£pw. |<3>Per cent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
1979 |23.30 |86.20 |27
1980 |27.15 |106.30 |26
1981 |29.60 |119.80 |25
1982 |32.85 |132.10 |25
1983 |34.05 |143.20 |24
1984 |35.80 |155.80 |23
1985 |38.30 |167.40 |23
1986 |38.70 |181.20 |21
1987 |39.50 |194.90 |20
1988 |41.15 |213.60 |19
Source for data on earnings: New Earnings Survey.
<1> Basic State Pension.
<2> Average weekly earnings of full time adults in all
industries and services.
<3> Basic state pension as proportion of average weekly
earnings.
WALES
Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowances
Mr. Geraint Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he has taken to ensure that Wales retains the use of hill livestock compensatory allowances to assist farms in the less favoured areas ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Walker : I fully recognise the importance of hill livestock compensatory allowance payments to farmers in the less-favoured areas of Wales and remain committed to their continuance.
Welsh Dairy Sector
Mr. Geraint Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he next intends to meet the chairman of the Milk Marketing Board to discuss the dairy sector in Wales.
Mr. Peter Walker : I have no current plans to meet the chairman of the Milk Marketing Board, but I am in frequent contact with him.
Column 720
Energy Conservation
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will state for each year since 1979 (a) spending by local authorities under the energy conservation programme in cash and real terms for Wales and by local authority and (b) the number of dwellings receiving energy efficiency improvements in Wales and by local authority.
Mr. Peter Walker : The available information on dwellings receiving energy efficiency improvements under the energy conservation programme or the homes insulation scheme are shown in the following tables for years since 1982. Figures for earlier years appear in table 10 of "Local Housing Statistics No. 66", a copy of which is available in the Library. Information on spending by local authorities under the energy conservation programme is not collected centrally.
Table 2: Grants paid under the Homes Insulation Scheme<1>
|1982 |1983 |1984 |1985 |1986 |1987 |1988
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alyn and Deeside |655 |275 |304 |616 |666 |417 |102
Colwyn |354 |381 |421 |583 |580 |438 |148
Delyn |1,181 |796 |384 |758 |529 |403 |150
Glyndwr |404 |496 |405 |425 |424 |312 |123
Rhuddlan |759 |867 |579 |620 |532 |429 |313
Wrexham Maelor |577 |616 |286 |669 |764 |561 |196
Carmarthen |378 |412 |337 |361 |342 |325 |163
Ceredigion |342 |465 |413 |300 |421 |410 |175
Dinefwr |379 |117 |294 |311 |313 |240 |158
Llanelli |1,548 |2,107 |890 |592 |843 |498 |592
Preseli Pembrokeshire |630 |419 |354 |381 |445 |435 |371
South Pembrokeshire |346 |403 |315 |344 |295 |267 |140
Blaenau Gwent |878 |1,408 |957 |957 |348 |396 |483
Islwyn |1,035 |1,042 |481 |608 |789 |732 |1,049
Monmouth |240 |559 |265 |394 |440 |250 |141
Newport |1,944 |1,216 |856 |622 |1,255 |804 |262
Torfaen |313 |422 |420 |499 |523 |308 |139
Aberconwy |717 |824 |884 |705 |389 |290 |207
Arfon |739 |430 |509 |448 |374 |276 |118
Dwyfor |233 |354 |267 |199 |193 |173 |116
Meirionnydd |208 |391 |191 |90 |268 |152 |57
Ynys Mon |272 |216 |407 |587 |471 |491 |193
Cynon Valley |638 |1,292 |628 |269 |907 |898 |393
Merthyr Tydfil |428 |467 |332 |493 |832 |537 |974
Ogwr |949 |1,463 |802 |916 |1,912 |1,224 |1,110
Rhondda |2,119 |1,822 |999 |765 |1,141 |720 |794
Rhymney Valley |1,558 |1,092 |556 |1,017 |1,060 |920 |496
Taff-Ely |805 |637 |454 |691 |821 |450 |209
Brecknock |245 |423 |229 |229 |246 |300 |156
Montgomeryshire |303 |296 |231 |281 |340 |284 |247
Radnorshire |67 |104 |85 |144 |134 |154 |49
Cardiff |2,804 |2,920 |2,158 |2,270 |2,797 |1,865 |1,399
Vale of Glamorgan |664 |715 |684 |1,320 |1,377 |1,089 |545
Port Talbot (Afan) |307 |719 |404 |365 |228 |700 |949
Lliw Valley |627 |595 |307 |628 |705 |528 |427
Neath |1,167 |876 |573 |505 |639 |485 |162
Swansea |2,153 |1,737 |1,162 |1,616 |1,409 |1,229 |710
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------
Wales |28,966 |29,374 |19,823 |22,578 |25,752 |19,900 |14,016
<1> Figures prior to 1984 are for the private sector only.
Table 2: Grants paid under the Homes Insulation Scheme<1>
|1982 |1983 |1984 |1985 |1986 |1987 |1988
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alyn and Deeside |655 |275 |304 |616 |666 |417 |102
Colwyn |354 |381 |421 |583 |580 |438 |148
Delyn |1,181 |796 |384 |758 |529 |403 |150
Glyndwr |404 |496 |405 |425 |424 |312 |123
Rhuddlan |759 |867 |579 |620 |532 |429 |313
Wrexham Maelor |577 |616 |286 |669 |764 |561 |196
Carmarthen |378 |412 |337 |361 |342 |325 |163
Ceredigion |342 |465 |413 |300 |421 |410 |175
Dinefwr |379 |117 |294 |311 |313 |240 |158
Llanelli |1,548 |2,107 |890 |592 |843 |498 |592
Preseli Pembrokeshire |630 |419 |354 |381 |445 |435 |371
South Pembrokeshire |346 |403 |315 |344 |295 |267 |140
Blaenau Gwent |878 |1,408 |957 |957 |348 |396 |483
Islwyn |1,035 |1,042 |481 |608 |789 |732 |1,049
Monmouth |240 |559 |265 |394 |440 |250 |141
Newport |1,944 |1,216 |856 |622 |1,255 |804 |262
Torfaen |313 |422 |420 |499 |523 |308 |139
Aberconwy |717 |824 |884 |705 |389 |290 |207
Arfon |739 |430 |509 |448 |374 |276 |118
Dwyfor |233 |354 |267 |199 |193 |173 |116
Meirionnydd |208 |391 |191 |90 |268 |152 |57
Ynys Mon |272 |216 |407 |587 |471 |491 |193
Cynon Valley |638 |1,292 |628 |269 |907 |898 |393
Merthyr Tydfil |428 |467 |332 |493 |832 |537 |974
Ogwr |949 |1,463 |802 |916 |1,912 |1,224 |1,110
Rhondda |2,119 |1,822 |999 |765 |1,141 |720 |794
Rhymney Valley |1,558 |1,092 |556 |1,017 |1,060 |920 |496
Taff-Ely |805 |637 |454 |691 |821 |450 |209
Brecknock |245 |423 |229 |229 |246 |300 |156
Montgomeryshire |303 |296 |231 |281 |340 |284 |247
Radnorshire |67 |104 |85 |144 |134 |154 |49
Cardiff |2,804 |2,920 |2,158 |2,270 |2,797 |1,865 |1,399
Vale of Glamorgan |664 |715 |684 |1,320 |1,377 |1,089 |545
Port Talbot (Afan) |307 |719 |404 |365 |228 |700 |949
Lliw Valley |627 |595 |307 |628 |705 |528 |427
Neath |1,167 |876 |573 |505 |639 |485 |162
Swansea |2,153 |1,737 |1,162 |1,616 |1,409 |1,229 |710
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------
Wales |28,966 |29,374 |19,823 |22,578 |25,752 |19,900 |14,016
<1> Figures prior to 1984 are for the private sector only.
Column 721
Skills Shortages
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of skills shortages and training needs in Wales ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Walker : The Training Agency for Wales monitors constantly labour market developments in Wales, with particular emphasis on skills and training issues. The findings of its research are published in its annual labour market assessments and in the quarterly "Marchnad Lafur Cymru/Labour Market Wales".
Valleys Programme
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects the Training Agency to publish the skills audit contained within the Valleys Programme ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Walker : The skills audit consists of a number of individual research projects convering the subjects of labour supply, labour demand and training provision. An introductory report was published on 5 October 1989. A report on each individual project will be published as results become available over the coming months. A final report will then bring together the separate components.
Column 722
Employment Training
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list, by district and county, the number of trainees undergoing employment training in Wales ; and how many training scheme vacancies exist.
Mr. Peter Walker : The information requested is shown in the table :
County |Total numbers in |Total number of
|training at |unfilled places at
|29 December 1989 |29 December 1989
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mid Glamorgan |3,080 |600
South Glamorgan |1,837 |978
Gwent |2,665 |969
Dyfed |2,503 |30
West Glamorgan |2,083 |348
Clwyd |2,037 |291
Powys |536 |11
Gwynedd |1,315 |289
Information at district level is not available.
Uniform Business Rate
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the cost of writing to every business concerning the uniform business rate ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Walker : I will not be writing to each business concerning the uniform business rate. Several months ago
Column 723
I made available to Welsh local authorities and business organisations a booklet "The New Business Rating System in Wales". Copies have also been sent to ratepayers in response to inquiries, and continue to be available from the Welsh Office on request.Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the new uniform business rate for (a) the national museum of Wales, (b) Theatre Clwyd, (c) the Deeside leisure centre and (d) the national stadium, Cardiff ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Walker : The uniform business rate for each of the hereditaments listed is 36.8p in the pound. This is the same as for all rateable hereditaments in Wales.
Businesses
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many businesses there are in Wales.
Mr. Peter Walker : There were 81,790 VAT-registered businesses in Wales at the end of 1988.
Allocation of Resources
Mr. Gwilym Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has now reached decisions about the allocation of resources of hospital and community health services in Wales for 1990-91 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Walker : I announced on 19 December, columns 161-62, that, subject to parliamentary approval, I propose to provide £1, 055.8 million for the hospital and community health services in Wales. Excluding the cost of the artificial limb and appliance service (which is administered on my behalf by the Welsh health common services authority) £962.6 million will be provided for current purposes and £86.9 million for capital spending.
For current spending this represents a cash increase of £72.8 million over estimated outturn for the current financial year and together with the additional £12 million which Welsh health authorities are expected to realise, as a minimum target, from new cost improvements and income generation schemes, provides an effective total increase in resources over 1989-90 of 9.5 per cent. This is on top of the extra funding which is being provided to meet the recurrent effect of the supplementary provisions made available in 1989-90 for the review body pay awards and also as a contribution toward the cost of implementing the White Paper "Working for Patients".
£57.6 million of this sum will be made available to health authorities for their discretionary use, which represents a cash increase of 6.5 per cent. over this year's provision. £7.5 million will be allocated to fund the balance of the full-year cost of developments which are being funded centrally in 1989-90 including those associated with the implementation of "Working for Patients". £7.7 million will be allocated to new centrally-funded developments. These developments, which are listed in the table, will considerably assist authorities in meeting future service requirements.
|£ million
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Regional Services and Centrally-funded
developments |2.0
Project 2000 including nurse education and support
worker training and facilities |1.2
Consultant Expansion Programme |0.3
New Developments arising from the implementation
of the White Paper "Working for Patients" |3.2
Other |1.0
|----
|7.7
Of the capital provision, £45 million will be made available to health authorities for their discretionary use. This amounts to a cash increase of almost 14 per cent. over last year's capital allocation. The balance is required for the all-Wales capital programme, including provision for developments associated with implementation of "Working for Patients" and further developments to be undertaken under my Programme for the Valleys initiative. Further details will be announced in due cou
Authorities will be able to retain all the proceeds of their cost improvement programmes and income-generation schemes. They will also retain the income which they raise from charges for private treatment and the receipts which they obtain from the sale of surplus land and buildings. Property sales are expected to generate a further £5 million in 1990- 91. In total, I will expect authorities to achieve additional savings, income and receipts amounting to at least 1.3 per cent. of their recurrent revenue allocations.
The current and capital allocations to individual authorities will be as shown in the table. These allocations do not take into account the further sums which will be allocated when decisions have been taken on the distribution of the funds available for
centrally-directed developments.
£ million
|Allocation |Capital
|current element|element
----------------------------------------------------------------
Clwyd |116.584 |6.277
East Dyfed |74.897 |3.205
Pembrokeshire |28.379 |1.968
Gwent |137.968 |6.184
Gwynedd |69.164 |1.710
Mid Glamorgan |161.446 |8.054
Powys |33.393 |1.113
South Glamorgan |188.955 |7.938
West Glamorgan |119.263 |8.072
These current and capital allocations provide for a real increase in spending by health authorities after taking into account the level of general inflation forecast by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Autumn Statement. They more than fulfil the resource planning assumptions which were issued to authorities last year.
The current allocation, as in previous years, have been weighted in favour of those authorities which are shown by the latest revenue formula assessment to be furthest below their target shares of available revenue resources (which are based on the catchment populations for the services which they provide).
The revenue formula has been subject to further refinements this year to include a weighting for the effects of sparsity of population on community health services and, in accordance with allocations in England, to adjust the allowance which South Glamorgan health authority receives in respect of the medical teaching service that it provides.
The effect of the new revenue formula assessment is to weight the distribution of the 6.5 per cent. cash increase to
Column 725
be made available to health authorities, in favour of the Clwyd, East Dyfed, Pembrokeshire, Gwent and Powys health authorities in such a way as to bring all these authorities to within 1.4 per cent. of their revised revenue formula target shares. This represents a continuance of the Government's longstanding commitment to the progressive equalisation of resources between health authorities in Wales.It also provides a firm foundation for moving towards an allocation system based directly upon shares of the population served as set out in "Working for Patients". The joint Welsh Office-NHS resources allocation working group is currently considering how resource allocation arrangements in Wales might best be changed to achieve the objectives of the White Paper, and I look forward to receiving its recommendations and the comments of health authorities during 1990. The capital allocations have, accordingly, also been determined in accordance with the existing allocation procedures, using the second revise of the original capital formula assessment, which, as in previous years, includes an allowance for the progressive equalisation of capital stock between authorities.
PRIME MINISTER
Flora and Fauna
Q89. Mr. Boswell : To ask the Prime Minister which Departments have responsibility for the genetic conservation of flora and fauna.
The Prime Minister : The following Departments all have responsibilities for aspects of the genetic conservation of flora and fauna : Department of the Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Department of Education and Science, Department of Environment for Northern Ireland, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland, Welsh Office Agriculture Department and the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland.
Textiles
Q99. Mr. Cryer : To ask the Prime Minister when she next expects to pay an official visit to a textile factory.
The Prime Minister : I have at present no plans to do so.
European Social Charter
Q110. Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Prime Minister if she will raise at the next meeting of the European Council the programme for directives covered by the social charter.
The Prime Minister : At the European Council in December in Strasbourg Heads of Government took note of the European Commission's action programme of measures necessary to implement the proposed charter of fundamental social rights of workers. I have at present no plans to raise the matter at the next European Council meeting in June. However, we will of course examine carefully the individual proposals in the action programme as they are brought forward by the European Commission, and will participate fully in the detailed negotiations.
Column 726
Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Prime Minister if she has any plans to raise the matter of the forthcoming fourth review conference of the nuclear non- proliferation treaty with Prime Minister Kaifu of Japan when they meet on 12 January.
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Prime Minister whether during her meeting with the Soviet Foreign Minister on 19 December 1989, the forthcoming fourth review conference of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty was discussed.
Greenhouse Effect
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Prime Minister if she plans to propose any joint Anglo-Japanese initiative on mitigation of the greenhouse effect during her meeting with Prime Minister Kaifu of Japan on 12 January.
The Prime Minister : I look forward to discussing with the Japanese Prime Minister ways of meeting the challenge of climate change, including action to mitigate the adverse effect of greenhouse gas emissions. However, this is a global problem requiring global solutions : the intergovernmental panel on climate change was set up to report precisely on this.
I am happy to say that there is very close, harmonious and productive Anglo -Japanese co-operation in that body and in other international fora dealing with these matters.
Plutonium Transfer
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Prime Minister if, during her meeting with Prime Minister Kaifu of Japan on 12 January, she plans to raise the issue of United Kingdom-Japanese collaboration on the design of safe transport systems to transfer plutonium from the United Kingdom back to Japan after reprocessing at Sellafield.
The Prime Minister : In my talks with the Japanese Prime Minister I shall be discussing a wide range of issues. Responsibility for developing transport proposals rests with BNFL in association with its foreign customers. These arrangements will have to comply with international regulations.
Daya Bay Nuclear Reactor
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Prime Minister whether safety of the Daya Bay nuclear reactor and evacuation plans for Hong Kong in the event of an accident involving radiation release therefrom have been discussed with the Chinese authorities.
The Prime Minister : There has been regular contact between the British and Chinese Governments about the safety of the plant. The Chinese authorities have assured us that the construction and operation of the plant will be to the highest safety standards. A consultancy undertaken by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, subsequently confirmed by experts from the International Atomic Energy Authority, concluded that planning for evacuation from Hong Kong was not required in view of the territory's distance from the plant.
Column 727
Engagements
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 11 January.
Mr. Stern : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 11 January.
Mrs. Maureen Hicks : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 11 January.
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 this House I shall be having further meetings later today.
Nuclear Weapon States
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Prime Minister if she has given consideration to the implications for (a) national and (b) global security that would arise from the complete separation of military and civilian nuclear facilities in nuclear weapon states.
The Prime Minister [holding answer 10 January 1990] : Such matters are kept under review, and to a large extent civil and military nuclear facilities are already separated in the United Kingdom. However, the complete separation of the remaining nuclear facilities is currently regarded as uneconomic and the additional costs would outweigh any security gains.
SCOTLAND
Postgraduate Student Allowance
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are his detailed criteria for deciding whether courses qualify for assistance under the postgraduate students allowances scheme.
Mr. Lang : All postgraduate courses which have been approved by a validating body are considered for assistance under the postgraduate students allowances scheme. Decisions on specific courses are made in the light of changing trends in education and vocational requirements and the bids received from institutions.
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland why the M.Sc. in finance at the University of Strathclyde does not qualify for assistance under the post- graduate students allowances scheme.
Mr. Lang : Assistance for higher postgraduate degree study is not offered under the postgraduate students allowances scheme and assistance for this course is the responsibility of the Economic and Social Research Council.
Hospices
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the current Government funding arrangements for hospices in Scotland ; when they came into effect ; and what changes are anticipated in the near future.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Many health boards in Scotland directly use the services of hospices on a contractual basis and others provide assistance by way of financial support or provision of supplies.
Column 728
With effect from 1 April 1990, the support given to independent hospices will be increased to provide public funding of at least 50 per cent. of their running costs.Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984
Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidance he plans to issue on the grounds on which a patient can be detained under section 18 of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984 and to clarify section 20(1) (b) of that Act.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Guidance on the compulsory detention of patients under part V of the 1984 Act is contained in a code of practice currently lying before Parliament in terms of section 119 of the Act.
I am considering separately the question of clarification of section 20(1) (b) in the light of the circumstances of a particular case which the hon. Member has drawn to my attention and hope to reach conclusions shortly.
Scottish Transport Group
Mr. Bill Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the Scottish Transport Group's external financing limit for 1989-90.
Mr. Rifkind : The Scottish Transport Group's external financing limit for 1989-90 was originally set at minus £4.7 million as recorded in the Government's Expenditure Plans 1989-90 to 1991-92 published in January 1989 (Cm 616). I have now set a revised EFL for 1989-90 of minus £12.1 million to reflect the changed financial circumstances of the group, particularly in relation to lower capital expenditure requirements in the Scottish Bus Group in advance of privatisation.
Department of the Registers of Scotland
Mr. Allan Stewart : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the candidature of the Department of the Registers of Scotland for agency status.
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