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Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The Forestry Commission places no restriction on the riding of mountain bikes on public rights of way, unless these are limited solely to pedestrian use. The commission also makes other routes available to cyclists, for use on a permissive basis.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the Forestry Commission has any policy to impose prohibitions on the use of cameras or video cameras on Forestry Commission land.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Restrictions are not imposed on the use of cameras or video cameras on Forestry Commission land for private purposes unless they are used in such a manner as to cause annoyance to any other person. However, if the cameras are to be used for commercial purposes the commission will normally make a charge.
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Natural Heritage Agency
Mr. Graham : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which staffing posts of the proposed Natural Heritage Agency he intends to accommodate in the Nature Conservancy Council's existing headquarters at Life terrace, Edinburgh.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : It is too early to decide on the headquarters location of the proposed agency or the distribution of its staff within Scotland.
Radioactive Waste Disposal
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how his Department intends to use the findings of the European Commission's PAGIS assessment of the suitability of Scottish geology for high-level radioactive waste disposal ;
(2) if he will make a statement on the findings of the European Commission's PAGIS study into the suitability of Scottish geology for high- level radioactive waste disposal ;
(3) what account he will take of the European Commission's PAGIS study findings in determining Government policy on the disposal of high-level radioactive waste in Scotland.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to her on 16 January at column 144 by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment and Countryside.
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what contribution his Department made to the European Commission's PAGIS study into the suitability of Scottish geology for high-level radioactive waste disposal.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The Scottish Development Department was not represented on the PAGIS steering committee ; the United Kingdom's representatives were drawn from the Department of the Environment and the National Radiological Protection Board.
Local Government Finance
Mr. Illsley : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of individuals have (a) registered for community charge in Scotland and (b) paid the charge.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : It is estimated that over 99 per cent. of people liable for registration have been registered for the community charge. Information about the number of people who have paid the community charge is not held centrally, but we estimate that in most regions 85 per cent. to 95 per cent. of those liable have made some community charge payment with a figure of 98 per cent. in one region.
Civic Government (Scotland) Act
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his Department has undertaken any review into the operation of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The operation of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 has been
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monitored since the Act came into force and a formal review of the Act is currently under way. We intend to publish a consultation paper later this year setting out our proposals for changes to the Act.Sunday Trading
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has as to the number of shops trading on Sundays since the removal of restrictions on Sunday trading ; and if he will make a statement on the effect on the Scottish economy.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : It would not be possible to make such an estimate since, with a minor exception relating to hairdressers and barbers, statutory restrictions on Sunday trading such as those set out in the Shops Act 1950 did not and do not apply in Scotland.
Mentally Ill People
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what plans he has to provide additional support for mentally ill patients recently discharged from institutions and now living at home ; (2) what plans he has to provide extra community psychiatric nurses and social workers to provide for those with serious mental illness who are to live in the community ;
(3) what plans he has to supply carers to patients with serious mental illness ;
(4) what steps he proposes to take to ensure that mentally ill patients who were discharged from institutions have suitable accommodation with carers or relatives.
Mr Lang [holding answer 15 January 1990] : Local authorities have statutory responsibilities both for the care and support of persons in the community who suffer from mental illness and for the aftercare of persons discharged from hospital. Health boards have similar responsibilities in relation to Health Service provision for such persons and there are well-established arrangements for co-operation between health and social work services in the community. In such cases local authorities must decide whether help is required with accommodation needs, including supported accommodation, and what other measures of assistance may be appropriate. Where continuing care or support is deemed to be necessary for persons living on their own, the need for home care services alongside the availability of any informal carer will commonly be considered. Decisions on the nature and extent of assistance to be provided in particular cases are for authorities themselves having regard to the resources available to them.
The recently published White Paper "Caring for People" (Cmd. 849) makes clear the intention of building on existing guidance on the discharge of patients from mental illness hospitals by requiring health boards and local authorities to prepare joint care plans for such persons on the basis of a full assessment of individual needs before discharge takes place.
Staffing at professional and other levels will be an important element in the community care plans which local authorities and health boards will be required to produce by 1 April 1991. As the White Paper makes clear, there will be central monitoring of progress in the implementation of these plans.
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Inside Intelligence"
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is now in a position to give the total cost of all stages of the Lord Advocate v . The Scotsman and others in relation to "Inside Intelligence" by Anthony Cavendish.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 15 January 1990] : My right hon. Friend is not yet in a position to give the total cost of all stages of the legal action the Lord Advocate v . The Scotsman Publication and others relating to the book "Inside Intelligence".
Scottish Development Agency
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what is the cost for 1989-90 and 1990-91 of the central functions of the Scottish Development Agency listed on pages 89-90 of the Scottish Development Agency's annual report for 1988 ;
(2) what is the cost for 1989-90 and 1990-91 of the regional functions of the Scottish Development Agency listed on pages 90-92 of the Scottish Development Agency's annual report for 1988.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 15 January 1990] : There are no agency functions for which expenditure decisions are taken exclusively in the regional offices and information has not therefore been collected on the basis of a central-regional demarcation. Details of the agency's planned expenditure by activity in 1990-91 will appear in the commentary on the Scottish programme which will be published in February.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Disposable Incomes
Sir Ian Gilmour : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish figures detailing the disposable incomes of (a) single- earner married couples with two children aged under 11 years, and (b) lone mothers with two children aged under 11 years, assuming rent of £21.80 and rates of £9.00 in each case (i) when not in paid work and receiving income support, and (ii) when in full-time paid work earning (1) £80, (2) £100, (3) £120, (4) £140 and (5) £160 per week.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The information requested is set out in the table. The position of lone parents on housing benefit and community charge benefit will improve from October 1990 with a change in the earnings disregard from £15 to £25.
Family type:
Lone mothers with two children under 11
years
Net earnings |Disposable
| incomes
(£ per week) |(£ per week)
--------------------------------------------
On income support |71.56
80 |98.20
100 |102.47
120 |106.43
140 |110.39
160 |115.53
Notes:
1. The assumptions (including average rent
and rates) and methods are those used in
the Tax Benefit Model Tables, copies of
which are available in the Library.
2. For earnings level £160 sepatate
calculations have been done, but using the
same assumptions and methods as in the Tax
Benefit Model Tables.
Family type:
Lone mothers with two children under 11
years
Net earnings |Disposable
| incomes
(£ per week) |(£ per week)
--------------------------------------------
On income support |71.56
80 |98.20
100 |102.47
120 |106.43
140 |110.39
160 |115.53
Notes:
1. The assumptions (including average rent
and rates) and methods are those used in
the Tax Benefit Model Tables, copies of
which are available in the Library.
2. For earnings level £160 sepatate
calculations have been done, but using the
same assumptions and methods as in the Tax
Benefit Model Tables.
Family Credit
Sir Ian Gilmour : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish figures showing the family credit ceilings for one and two-parent families of different sizes, with children of different ages in April 1988 and 1989, at constant and current prices and as percentages of average male and average female manual earnings, as appropriate.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The information requested is set out in the tables.
|April 1988|April 1989
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average gross weekly earnings for those in manual occupations and
not affected by absence:
Males |200.60 |217.80
Females |123.60 |134.90
Tax threshold: |78.75 |84.13
Tax deducted at rate of 25 per cent.
Males |30.46 |33.42
Females |11.21 |12.69
National insurance deducted at 9 per cent.
Males |18.05 |19.64
Females |11.12 |12.14
Average net weekly earnings for those in manual occupations whose
pay was not affected by absence:
Males |152.09 |164.78
Females |101.27 |120.07
Source: DE Employment gazette.
|April 1988|April 1989
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average gross weekly earnings for those in manual occupations and
not affected by absence:
Males |200.60 |217.80
Females |123.60 |134.90
Tax threshold: |78.75 |84.13
Tax deducted at rate of 25 per cent.
Males |30.46 |33.42
Females |11.21 |12.69
National insurance deducted at 9 per cent.
Males |18.05 |19.64
Females |11.12 |12.14
Average net weekly earnings for those in manual occupations whose
pay was not affected by absence:
Males |152.09 |164.78
Females |101.27 |120.07
Source: DE Employment gazette.
|April 1988|April 1989
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average gross weekly earnings for those in manual occupations and
not affected by absence:
Males |200.60 |217.80
Females |123.60 |134.90
Tax threshold: |78.75 |84.13
Tax deducted at rate of 25 per cent.
Males |30.46 |33.42
Females |11.21 |12.69
National insurance deducted at 9 per cent.
Males |18.05 |19.64
Females |11.12 |12.14
Average net weekly earnings for those in manual occupations whose
pay was not affected by absence:
Males |152.09 |164.78
Females |101.27 |120.07
Source: DE Employment gazette.
|April 1988|April 1989
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average gross weekly earnings for those in manual occupations and
not affected by absence:
Males |200.60 |217.80
Females |123.60 |134.90
Tax threshold: |78.75 |84.13
Tax deducted at rate of 25 per cent.
Males |30.46 |33.42
Females |11.21 |12.69
National insurance deducted at 9 per cent.
Males |18.05 |19.64
Females |11.12 |12.14
Average net weekly earnings for those in manual occupations whose
pay was not affected by absence:
Males |152.09 |164.78
Females |101.27 |120.07
Source: DE Employment gazette.
|April 1988|April 1989
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average gross weekly earnings for those in manual occupations and
not affected by absence:
Males |200.60 |217.80
Females |123.60 |134.90
Tax threshold: |78.75 |84.13
Tax deducted at rate of 25 per cent.
Males |30.46 |33.42
Females |11.21 |12.69
National insurance deducted at 9 per cent.
Males |18.05 |19.64
Females |11.12 |12.14
Average net weekly earnings for those in manual occupations whose
pay was not affected by absence:
Males |152.09 |164.78
Females |101.27 |120.07
Source: DE Employment gazette.
Income Support
Sir Ian Gilmour : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the number of working families with children and a mortgage, whose net incomes, adding in child benefit, family credit and rate rebates as appropriate, but deducting income tax, National Insurance contribution, local authority rates and mortgage payments are (a) less than they would receive after 16 weeks on income support, (b) less than 20 per cent. above what they would receive after 16 weeks on income support, and (c) less than 40 per cent. above what they would receive after 16 weeks on income support.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Column 285
Low-income Families
Sir Ian Gilmour : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether low-income families who apply for community charge benefit will be assumed to be getting all the family credit to which they are entitled ; and whether the families will be informed about any such assumptions.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The community charge benefit regulations will allow a source of income that would be available to a claimant if he or she were to apply for it to be taken into account as a notional source of income. If a community charge benefit claimant appears to meet all the conditions for family credit but has not yet claimed that benefit, the local authority will advise them to claim it. In assessing the claim for community charge benefit, family credit will not be taken into account for 25 working days, which will allow the family credit claim to be determined. After this period family credit will be assumed to be in payment. In cases where family credit has already been claimed it will not be taken into account until actually received.
The notice of determination issued by the local authority will inform the claimant of any assumptions made about family credit and remind them of their duty to report all changes of circumstances, which include the receipt of family credit.
Benefit Claims
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will introduce the necessary amendments to enable those persons in full- time employment, who are laid off temporarily, to claim benefit in the manner available prior to changes in regulations recently introduced ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : We are monitoring the effects of recent changes to unemployment benefit rules on all those who claim. We have no plans to introduce special arrangements for this particular group.
NATIONAL FINANCE
Trade Deficit
130. Mr. Patchett : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he intends to take to improve Britain's manufacturing trade deficit.
135. Mr. Stott : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he intends to take to improve Britain's manufacturing trade deficit.
137. Mr. Turner : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he intends to take to improve Britain's manufacturing trade deficit.
Mr. Norman Lamont : The manufacturing trade deficit will narrow as the Government's tight monetary and fiscal policies continue to slow domestic demand.
131. Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the trade deficit.
136. Mr. Ted Garrett : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on Britain's current trade deficit.
Column 286
138. Mr. McCartney : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on Britain's current trade deficit.
Mr. Norman Lamont : The latest information on the United Kingdom deficit in visible trade was published on 29 December 1989 in table 1 of the monthly press notice on the current account of the balance of payments, copies of which are available in the Library.
Nationalised Industries (Subsidy)
132. Mr. Hanley : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much total subsidy was paid to the 10 largest nationalised industries in 1979 ; and how much was paid in the last full financial year to as many of them as remain nationalised.
Mr. Lilley : The 10 largest nationalised industries received subsidies of £684 million in 1978-79. Five of these have now been privatised. The remainder received £1,013 million in subsidy in 1988- 89. These figures exclude capital grants and public dividend capital which, as they are not payments for current expenditure, do not fall within the national accounts or public expenditure survey definition of subsidy.
Manufactured Goods
129. Mr. Flannery : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the balance of trade in manufactured goods ; and if he will make a statement.
133. Mr. McAvoy : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the balance of trade in manufactured goods ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Norman Lamont : The information was published on 29 December 1989 in table 12 of the monthly press notice on the current account of the balance of payments, copies of which are available in the Library.
Interest Rates
134. Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from British businesses regarding the present levels of interest rates.
Mr. Ryder : My right hon. Friend and I have received a number of such representations.
West Germany
139. Mr. Geoffrey Robinson : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current trade deficit with West Germany.
140. Dr. Reid : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current trade deficit with West Germany.
141. Ms. Short : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current trade deficit with West Germany.
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current trade deficit with West Germany.
Mr. Norman Lamont : Information from which crude trade balances may be derived can be found in the
Column 287
monthly review of external trade statistics, available from the Library of the House or on the Central Statistical Office databank which may be accessed through the Library.Crude balances slightly overstate deficits (or understate surpluses) since the value of imports, but not that of exports, includes insurance and freight.
Share Ownership
142. Sir George Young : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the numbers of new shareholders since 1979 ; and whether he intends to promote measures further to encourage the growth of individual share ownership.
Mr. Lilley : I have been asked to reply. The joint Treasury and stock exchange survey carried out in January and February 1989 estimated that approximately 9 million people own shares--20 per cent. of the adult population ; a threefold increase since 1979.
Civil Servants (Living Costs)
Mr. Rathbone : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to assess how living costs in Sussex and the south-east affect Civil Service recruitment in those areas.
Mr. Ryder : None. Long-term pay agreements already cover over 95 per cent. of the Civil Service, and provide for variations in pay by location. Pay rates are determined in the light of the need to recruit and retain staff within what can be afforded.
Manufacturing Deficit
Mr. Rooker : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures his Department is currently working on to decrease the manufacturing deficit.
Mr. Norman Lamont : The manufacturing trade deficit will narrow as the Government's tight monetary and fiscal policies continue to slow domestic demand.
Whisky
Mr. Oppenheim : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the total tax and duty payable in the United Kingdom on a 1-litre, 40 per cent. proof bottle of (a) Japanese whisky or other spirit, and (b) Scotch whisky.
Mr. Ryder : The precise total amount of duty and tax depends on the value of the whisky. In both instances, each litre bottle bears United Kingdom excise duty of 630.8p plus value added tax at 15 per cent. of the price inclusive of all duties (equivalent to 3/23rds of the retail selling price). In the case of the Japanese products only, import duty of 12.8p per litre is charged under the common customs tariff of the European Community.
Exchange Rates
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to his reply dated 4 December 1989, Official Report, column 22, concerning the effect on manufacturing industry of the increase in the value of £ sterling against the deutschmark, whether the figure of 38 per cent. refers to volume or value.
Column 288
Mr. Norman Lamont : The figure of 38 per cent. referred to the increase in the volume of manufacturing investment between the first quarter of 1987 and the third quarter of 1989.
Taxation
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much money was spent by the Inland Revenue on legal fees in connection with cases in the High Court for the recovery of tax revenues in each of the last five years in respect of (a) successful cases, (b) unsuccessful cases and (c) in total ; whether the unsuccessful cases have been reviewed in each year by the Inland Revenue with a view to promoting legislation to avoid further loss of revenue ; and whether he has identified the extent of tax evasion and avoidance which is taking place through the creation of business transactions carried out solely or mainly for tax reasons by United Kingdom based trusts, companies and individuals and trusts, companies and individuals based in (a) Jersey, (b) the Isle of Man, (c) Guernsey, (d) the Netherlands Antilles, (e) the Cayman Islands and (f) Liechtenstein.
Mr. Lilley : The amounts spent on legal fees for High Court cases could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The outcome of each case is reviewed for its legal implications. Because of their nature it is not possible to estimate reliably the extent of tax evasion or avoidance.
Departmental Relocation
Mr. Hanley : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress Departments have made under the Government's relocation policy.
Mr. Ryder : On 9 February 1989 the then Paymaster General informed the House that over 34,000 Civil Service posts had been reported in the 1988 public expenditure survey as under review for location or relocation away from the south-east in accordance with the policy which had been announced on 31 March 1988. This policy does not involve any central targets for the number of posts relocated nor propose specific locations. Departments have instituted systematic review programmes to cover the location of all their work, with a view to taking advantage of the value for money benefits and advantages for staff and management which relocation can bring, and the benefits for our regional and inner-city policies of relocating work away from the south-east. It was emphasised that many reviews were then still at the earliest stage and that not all the posts would move.
Since early in 1988 decisions have been taken and announced to relocate well over 16,000 posts generally over the next two or three years. These include 3,700 by Inland Revenue, 2,550 by Ministry of Defence, 1,900 by Customs and Excise, 1,850 by Department of Social Security, over 1,100 each by Department of Trade and Industry, Home Office and the Department of Employment, and 1,000 by the Department of Health. About 9,000 posts have been found to be unsuitable for relocation in the short term, and Departments have extended their reviews to include some 6,000 additional posts, leaving nearly 14,750 in the review process. Nearly all the decisions announced so far involve moving work to areas which are the focus of the Government's regional or inner-city policies. Further announcements can be expected in due course.
Column 289
These figures may be compared with the 12,000 posts moved or created outside London and the south-east between 1979 and 1987, and less than 5,000 moved between 1974 and 1979.Successful relocation requires careful planning ; Departments have therefore exchanged experience and, where appropriate, co-ordinated action with other relocating Departments, found alternative posts for some staff not wishing to move, and made good use of increased flexibility in the personnel management field.
Separate Taxation
Sir John Stanley : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he will take to ensure that charities do not suffer a loss of income from covenants from married couples where one of the spouses is not paying income tax as a result of the introduction of separate taxation as from 1 April 1990.
Mr. Major [holding answer 21 December 1989] : A charity's claim to refunds of tax on payments received under covenants does not depend on whether the covenantor is, or is not, liable to pay tax on his or her own income.
A covenantor making a covenant payment to a charity deducts basic rate tax and pays over to the charity only the net amount. The charity is entitled to claim back that tax from the Inland Revenue. If the covenantor is liable to tax on an equivalent amount of his income, he gets basic rate relief for the covenant payment by retaining the tax he has deducted from it. If he is not liable to tax on an equivalent amount of his income, he has to pay over to the Inland Revenue the tax he has deducted.
The introduction of independent taxation for married couples with effect from 6 April 1990 will mean that a husband and wife will become separate taxpayers. If one of them will not be liable to tax, the effect on his or her covenants will be no different from what happens now when a covenantor is a non-taxpayer--the payements will continue to be made net of tax to the charity, but the tax withheld will have to be paid over to the Revenue.
For the past year, Inland Revenue publicity material has drawn attention to the fact that couples who find themselves in this situation may want to review their covenant arrangements. That is a matter between covenantors and the charities that they support.
Uniform Business Rate
Mr. Richard Shepherd : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimates he has made, on the basis of latest figures of the number of companies where profits and trading surpluses are lower that the unabated uniform business rate for each standard region ; (2) what estimates he has made, on the basis of latest figures, of the impact that the uniform business rate will have on companies' profits and trading surpluses for each standard region.
Mr. Chope : I have been asked to reply.
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave him earlier today.
Column 290
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Salmonella
Sir Geoffrey Johnson Smith : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many incidents of salmonella cultured from individual, intact eggs have occurred in the past year.
Mr. Curry : These figures are not held centrally.
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of domestic refrigerators in preventing the growth of salmonella-causing bacteria ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : I shall make an assessment when research currently being funded by my Department has been completed. Comprehensive advice to consumers on using domestic refrigerators has already been issued in the Government's food safety booklet, a copy of which I am sending to the hon. Member.
Cetaceans
Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to require drift nets to be equipped with miniature electronic devices to help protect cetacean populations.
Mr. Curry : We have no evidence that drift nets cause a threat to cetacean populations in our waters. Nevertheless the Fisheries Departments are planning a general monitoring scheme on the incidental capture of cetaceans in United Kingdom fisheries, so that we can keep the matter under closer review.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the occurrence of ghost nets in fishing waters around Britain and their implications for populations of cetaceans.
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