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DEFENCE
Aircraft Crashes
Mr. Beith : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the level of training and length of experience required before aircrew can take part in Royal Air Force low-flying exercises ; and what was the level of training and experience of the aircrew involved in crashes during such exercises during the last two years.
Mr. Neubert : Aircrew are not permitted to take part in RAF exercises, including low-flying exercises, until they have received appropriate training and have demonstrated that they possess the requisite skills. This was the case for all aircrew involved in major accidents during such exercises over the last two years.
Mr. Rogers : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many aircraft crashes have taken place in (a) Wales, (b) Scotland, (c) north- east England and (d) north-west England over the past 10 years.
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Mr. Neubert : There have been the following major accidents involving British military aircraft since 1 January 1980 :
|Number
---------------------------------
Wales |<1>18
Scotland |21
North-east England |<1>17
North-west England |5
<1> Each figure includes one
aircraft damaged while on the
ground.
Near Miss
Mr. Amos : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the near miss involving an RAF Tornado and flight BA5950 on Friday 19 January.
Mr. Neubert : An air miss report has been filed with the Civil Aviation Authority by the captain of a Boeing 737 aircraft, following an incident on Friday 19 January. The report is being investigated in the normal way. Until the investigation is complete, it would be inappropriate to comment further.
Greenham and Crookham Commons
Mr. Benn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) of the parcels of land at Greenham common or Crookham common acquired by compulsory purchase if he will specify (a) the details of the land acquired (b) the names of the vendors, (c) the date or dates of acquisition, (d) the statutory authority used for the purchases and (e) the consultative procedures carried out prior to acquisition ; (2) which parts of Greenham common and Crookham common were purchased under compulsory powers ; and which were purchased by voluntary agreement with the vendor by his Department.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : No parts of Greenham and Crookham commons were purchased under compulsory powers by the Ministry of Defence. Land was requisitioned under emergency powers during the last war and the freeholds were later acquired by agreement.
Main Battle Tank
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what studies have been carried out to evaluate the M1 Abrams as a replacement main battle tank for the United Kingdom ;
(2) what studies have been carried out to evaluate the Leopard 2 as a replacement main battle tank for the United Kingdom.
Mr. Alan Clark : By the time of a decision on the tank to replace the Chieftain tank, each of the contenders will have been subjected to a process of detailed assessment against our requirement.
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has made any revision to the United Kingdom's requirement for main battle tanks in the light of recent events in eastern Europe.
Mr. Alan Clark : We keep our investment in all weapons systems, including main battle tanks, under constant review.
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Soviet Military Doctrine
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what studies he has commissioned into the purported change of Soviet military doctrine from an offensive to a defensive one.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : We welcome the recent shift in emphasis in Soviet military doctrine towards defensive objectives. In consultation with our allies we are studying closely statements by senior Soviet spokesmen on the subject, and will continue to watch with interest the evolution of Soviet views on "reasonable sufficiency" in defence. We are also monitoring the extent to which force structures are modified to reflect changes in doctrine.
Armed Forces (Re-enlistment)
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to encourage re-enlistment in the armed forces in an effort to combat reduced manpower projections for the 1990s ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : All three services encourage the re-enlistment of ex-service personnel. It is their practice to advise those leaving of the opportunities and the methods for re-enlistment. They also approach selected ex-service personnel to remind them of the possibilities which exist for re-enlistment.
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Laser Systems
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has any plans to see that laser dazzle sight systems are fitted to all United Kingdom destroyers and frigates ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : It is our policy to ensure that all HM ships are fitted with equipment appropriate to their role and theatre of operations.
Chinook Support Helicopter
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has instructed any evaluation of the Boeing CH-47 Chinook support helicopter ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter is already in service with the RAF. Its capability is kept under regular review.
WALES
Exhibitions
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the exhibitions of paintings, photographs and sculpture which he has visited in an official capacity since 1987.
Mr. Peter Walker : I have visited the following exhibitions since June 1987.
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Date |Exhibition |Venue
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12 August 1987 |Welsh Folk Museum |St. Fagans, Nr. Cardiff
12 August 1987 |National Museum of Wales |Cardiff
22 October 1987 |"Cadw Collection" launch |Institute of Contemporary
|Arts
22 October 1987 |"Success by Design Exhibition" |Henry Moore Gallery,
|Royal College of Art
12 November 1987 |Save the Children Fund "Treasures of|Cardiff Castle
| Wales"
10 October 1988 |"Jack Jones Recent Paintings of" |Stepton Bartley Gallery
| Wales"
28 February 1989 |Paintings by Peter Scott |33 New Bond Street
13 March 1989 |Opening of Exhibition of Mountain |Cathays Park, Cardiff
| Ash Comprehensive School
| Paintings
11 September 1989 |Paintings by David Carpanini |Rhondda Heritage
| Museum
14 November 1989 |Oriel Gallery |Cardiff
Chernobyl Contamination
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether his Department will launch a comprehensive aerial survey into the effects of post-Chernobyl contamination in north Wales.
Mr. Grist : No. It is unlikely that such a survey would add significantly to the data provided through existing monitoring arrangements.
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Hill Farmers
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what has been the average income level of hill farmers in each year since 1986.
Mr. Peter Walker : Average farm income figures for hill and upland (LFA) farms for years 1986 and 1987 have been published in "Agriculture in the United Kingdom :
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1988." Similar information for later years is due to be published, early next month, in "Agriculture in the United Kingdom : 1989."Water Act Authorisations
Mrs. Ann Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many (a) consents and (b) authorisations have been made subject to any conditions in accordance with section 152 (4) or (5) of the Water Act 1989 ;
(2) how many (a) consents and (b) authorisations he has made for the disposal of land, or rights or interests in or over any land, in accordance with section 152 (3) of the Water Act 1989 ; (3) how many requests he has received for his (a) consent or (b) general authorisation for the disposal of land, or of any interest or right in or over any land, in accordance with section 152 (2) of the Water Act 1989 ;
(4) if he will list the location of all land, or the nature and location of any right or interest in or over any land, which has been subject to a request for consent for disposal in accordance with section 152 (2) of the Water Act 1989, specifying which have received his consent or general authorisation under section 152 (4), and what if any conditions were attached under section 152 (4) and (5).
Mr. Grist : My right hon. Friend has consented, under section 152 (2) and (3) of the Water Act 1989, to the disposal by Dwr Cymru Cyfyngedig of one parcel of land forming a substantial part of the Elan Valley estate in Powys, Mid Wales.
Under section 152 (4), my right hon. Friend gave his consent subject to the condition that disposal was to a charitable trust whose objectives are identified in the conditions of its trust deed.
Water Act Covenants
Mrs. Ann Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on how many occasions he has had an opportunity to enter into a convenant with a company holding an appointment under chapter I of part II of the Water Act 1989 for the purposes set out in section 152 (7) of that Act ; how many convenants have been entered into ; on how many occasions he has declined to enter into such covenants ; and what were his reasons in each case.
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement concerning the impact of mad cow disease on Wales in 1990.
Mr. Peter Walker : Bovine spongiform encephalopathy is expected to continue to affect cattle in Wales in 1990 at approximately the present level. Precautionary measures have been taken to safeguard human health.
Pig Producers
Mr. Geraint Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many pig producers went out of business in Wales between 1980 and 1990 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Walker : Information is not available in the form requested. The numbers of holdings classified as
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being of specialist pig, and mixed pig and poultry, types in 1980 and 1988 (the latest year for which figures are available) are shown in the following table :
Number of Holdings
|Specialist pigs|Mixed pigs
|and poultry
----------------------------------------------------------------
1980 |143 |270
1988 |84 |105
The figures refer to statistically significant agricultural holdings only.
Urban Programme
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list (a) the total allocation for 1990-91 under the urban programme, (b) the amount allocated for voluntary organisations within that figure and (c) the percentage of the total figure which is allocated for voluntary organisations in respect of (i) the local authorities of South Glamorgan, (ii) the county of South Glamorgan, (iii) the city of Cardiff, (iv) the borough of the Vale of Glamorgan and (v) any other local authorities in South Glamorgan.
Mr. Grist : The information as requested is shown in the following table :
Urban programme
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(a)Total 1990-91 urban programme allocation |£29,187,000
(b)Total allocated to voluntary organisations |£4,493,205
(c)Percentage of voluntary organisations share
allocated to:-
(i) local authorities of South Glamorgan |15.4 per cent.
(ii) South Glamorgan County Council |8.5 per cent.
(iii)Cardiff City Council |6.1 per cent.
(iv)Vale of Glamorgan Borough Council |0.8 per cent.
Family Practitioner Committees
Dr. Marek : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what considerations are taken into account in deciding the appointment of the general managers of family practitioner committees.
Mr. Grist : In recruiting general managers, the overriding consideration for the employing authorities must be to identify and appoint the best qualified candidates. In making their individual choices FPCs will have been particularly anxious to secure managers able to undertake the additional tasks arising from the White Papers "Promoting Better Health" and "Working for Patients".
Community Health Councils
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to ensure that community health councils will have a role to play in ensuring public participation in the planning of health care services.
Mr. Grist : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's proposals for the restructuring of community health councils in Wales, which are currently out to consultation, do not envisage any change in their primary role. They will continue to monitor the quality of services and comment on issues relating to changing patterns of service which have a bearing on the welfare of patients. The consultation
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document makes it clear that CHCs are expected to provide the major consumer voice on local health service issues. The proposals are intended to strengthen and focus that consumer voice and provide a more strategic overview of DHA and FPC activity from the consumer perspective.Health Planning Forum
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to include representatives of consumers on the Welsh health planning forum.
Mr. Grist : Members of the planning forum are selected for their personal contribution rather than as representatives of a particular interest. Nonetheless, the forum sub-groups being established to develop work in the key areas of health gain and people-centred services will have a user input ; and we are sympathetic to the forum itself including an explicit consumer voice.
Local Management of Schools
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will consult the Welsh counties committee before setting (a) the time-limit for transitional arrangements and (b) the permanent formula for calculating school staff salary budgets under local financial management.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : Advice on the transition arrangements and formula funding is contained in circular 36/88. The Welsh counties committee was included in the list of organisations which were invited to comment on the draft circular.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will extend the proposed transitional period to the year 2000 for variations according to actual, and not average, staff salary bills, in the staff salary component of local financial management schemes in maintained schools.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : There are no plans for a general extension of the transition period beyond April 1994. We shall, however, look sympathetically at proposals to extend the transition period selectively for schools which would otherwise be faced with annual reductions of 1 per cent. or more in their total budgets because their staff costs are above the LEA average.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to allow county councils to set a school staff salary formula under local financial management, which reflects actual salary costs in individual schools.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : Our position on calculating teacher salary costs in primary schools was outlined in my reply on 20 April last to my hon. Friend the Member for Norfolk, South-West (Mrs. Shephard). Secondary schools' budgets will be based on average teachers' salary costs. This is because to fund the actual salary costs of individual schools would mean funding schools according to numbers of teachers rather than numbers of pupils. This would be counter to the policy aim of putting pupil numbers at the heart of funding.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to allow each county council local discretion in setting the formula for the staff salary component under local financial management in maintained schools.
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Mr. Wyn Roberts : Each LEA was required to devise its own formula having regard to local needs and circumstances and after consultation with the governing body and head teacher of all the schools that will be covered by its LMS scheme. The formula must be based on an assessment of schools' objective needs and conform to the requirements of the Education Reform Act and the guidance in circular 36/88.
Hospital Closures
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will make it his policy to ensure that no Welsh health authority implements a decision to close a geriatric hospital on a temporary basis without full consultation with the appropriate county social services department and voluntary organisations ;
(2) if he will make it his policy to treat all proposed temporary hospital closures in South Glamorgan as though they were proposals for permanent hospital closures, for the purpose of the consultation procedure laid down.
Mr. Grist : We have no plans to change the present policy in respect of hospital closures in this context. This recognises that temporary closures can be part of the day-to-day management of the resources of a health authority and an issue for local decision. None the less, any such closure amounting to a substantial change in service is subject to such advance consultation as is reasonably possible with the relevant community health council. We would always expect health authorities to give full and careful consideration to the needs of patients when making alternative provision for them.
Inflation
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will make it his policy to recompense health authorities for the financial year 1990-91 for the underestimation by the Government of the rate of inflation for 1989 as measured by the Government's published retail price index ;
(2) what financial assistance he will make available to South Glamorgan health authority to make good its published estimated financial deficit for the year 1990-91 ;
(3) what proposals he has for recompensing health authorities drawing up their budgets for the next financial year for the underestimation of inflation, both as measured by the retail price index and by the sectoral health service price index in the year just finished.
Mr. Grist : I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to the hon. Member for Cardiff, North (Mr. Jones), on 11 January. He will note that the recurrent revenue cash increase for hospital and community health services in Wales is 8.2 per cent. and, in addition, health authorities are expected to realise, as a minimum, a further 1.3 per cent. from new cash-releasing cost improvement and income-generation schemes. This gives an effective increase in resources of at least 9.5 per cent.
The estimated excess cost of inflation to be met by authorities in 1989-90 was 1.72 per cent. The recurrent effect of this leaves an increase of almost 7.8 per cent. available for hospital and community health services in Wales in 1990-91 which represents a real terms increase of
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nearly 3 per cent. after taking account of the 5 per cent. forecast of general inflation given in the Chancellor's Autumn Statement. The figures will vary as between authorities in Wales depending on the funding they receive for centrally directed developments and the distribution of equalisation provision in accordance with the latest formula assessment relative to resource requirements. The latter is included in the figures given for initial allocations to authorities in my earlier reply.Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place copies in the Library of the correspondence between his Department and the South Glamorgan health authority regarding financial recompense in the setting of the authority's 1990-91 budget for the underestimation of the rate of inflation in the current year.
Mr. Grist : Apart from follow-up action to the annual review meeting which is referred to in a separate reply given to the hon. Gentleman today there has been no correspondence between the Department and South Glamorgan health authority regarding the funding of the excess costs of 1989-90 inflation.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place copies in the Library of the minutes of meetings between his Department and Welsh health authorities regarding financial recompense in the setting of the authorities 1990-91 budgets for the underestimation of the rate of inflation in the current year.
Mr. Grist : I presume the hon. Gentleman is referring to the annual review meetings between the Department and Welsh health authorities which were held during the autumn and which included discussion of authorities' 1989-90 financial positions. By mutual agreement these meetings were not minuted, but points of action arising are
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being pursued with individual authorities. Where authorities projected overspending due to higher than expected inflation during the current financial year, they were reminded of the need to maintain budgetary control and requested to provide details of how they planned to restore financial balance.School Staff Salary Budgets
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received regarding the formula for calculating school staff salary budgets under local financial management for maintaned schools.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : We have received a number of representations from local education authorities, governing bodies and head teachers of schools, and teacher unions.
South Glamorgan Health Authority
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he next expects to meet the chairman and general manager of South Glamorgan health authority ; and what matters he expects to discuss.
Mr. Grist : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no immediate plans to meet the chairman and general manager of South Glamorgan health authority.
Hospital Beds
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give for each district health authority and for Wales as a whole the numbers of (a) acute beds and (b) non-acute beds for each year since 1979.
Mr. Grist : The information is shown in the following table :
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Average daily available beds
|1979 |1980 |1981 |1982 |1983 |1984 |1985 |1986 |1987 |1988
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Acute:
Clwyd |1,420.5 |1,434.4 |1,391.1 |1,400.8 |1,399.3 |1,371.2 |1,342.6 |1,337.2 |1,354.9 |1,307.1
East Dyfed |761.8 |763.9 |740.9 |742.2 |741.6 |708.1 |690.1 |694.9 |692.9 |691.1
Gwent |1,517.9 |1,541.4 |1,548.9 |1,535.4 |1,515.1 |1,478.9 |1,466.2 |1,388.7 |1,388.0 |1,382.6
Gwynedd |686.2 |687.8 |681.7 |683.6 |670.4 |685.6 |716.5 |718.7 |705.1 |681.7
Mid Glamorgan |1,915.8 |1,886.6 |1,859.4 |1,842.4 |1,846.1 |1,844.1 |1,835.5 |1,813.5 |1,784.4 |1,878.3
Pembrokeshire |245.7 |246.5 |248.7 |254.2 |264.1 |260.8 |261.1 |266.6 |258.0 |266.1
Powys |292.2 |240.4 |226.8 |229.2 |241.5 |237.4 |237.7 |221.0 |220.3 |195.5
South Glamorgan |1,864.9 |1,826.3 |1,818.4 |1,820.3 |1,864.1 |1,851.4 |1,839.3 |1,751.0 |1,753.7 |1,733.1
West Glamorgan |1,428.3 |1,447.8 |1,455.1 |1,440.4 |1,450.0 |1,398.2 |1,421.3 |1,448.0 |1,339.9 |1,336.7
Wales |10,133.3|10,075.1|9,971.0 |9,948.5 |9,992.2 |9,835.7 |9,810.3 |9,639.6 |9,557.2 |9,472.2
Non-Acute<1>
Clwyd |1,632.0 |1,580.5 |1,600.3 |1,525.5 |1,551.0 |1,522.3 |1,469.0 |1,431.9 |1,335.8 |1,271.7
East Dyfed |1,336.5 |1,300.2 |1,273.8 |1,057.9 |1,127.3 |1,092.0 |1,079.9 |1,063.3 |969.9 |943.2
Gwent |2,364.7 |2,381.9 |2,286.9 |2,178.1 |2,176.3 |2,194.6 |2,153.2 |2,120.1 |2,113.1 |2,017.2
Gwynedd |883.3 |880.5 |863.1 |845.6 |843.3 |856.9 |894.1 |911.2 |905.0 |906.3
Mid Glamorgan |3,027.6 |2,977.8 |2,933.5 |2,883.7 |2,876.9 |2,904.8 |2,808.7 |2,684.9 |2,597.2 |2,396.3
Pembrokeshire |220.6 |220.1 |212.0 |219.1 |211.3 |209.3 |206.3 |206.4 |198.1 |198.5
Powys |973.3 |940.0 |933.8 |914.9 |846.8 |849.9 |819.5 |793.4 |779.8 |773.3
South Glamorgan |1,718.7 |1,688.4 |1,702.5 |1,702.6 |1,703.0 |1,691.9 |1,707.1 |1,709.3 |1,644.2 |1,627.0
West Glamorgan |1,166.0 |1,158.8 |1,162.9 |1,165.8 |1,146.9 |1,151.3 |1,181.9 |1,126.1 |1,110.3 |1,056.0
Wales |13,322.7|13,128.2|12,968.8|12,492.9|12,482.8|12,472.5|12,319.7|12,046.6|11,653.4|11,189.5
<1>Includes geriatrics, younger disabled, obstetrics, GP maternity, mental illness, mental handicap, adolescent
psychiatry, mental illness children, psychogeriatric and elderly mentally infirm.
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Welsh Language Studies
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list by grade the total number of staff in his Department above the principal who are able to fulfil the whole of their responsibilities in the Welsh language.
Mr. Wyn Roberts [holding answer 23 January 1990] : No such criterion is used ; but the following information relates to numbers of Welsh speakers above grade 7 (principal) :
1 Grade 2
4 Grade 3
1 Grade 4
14 Grade 5
39 Grade 6.
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list by grade those of his officials whose duties are related solely to the Welsh language.
Mr. Wyn Roberts [holding answer 23 January 1990] : The information is as follows :
1 HEO
2 EO
1 AO
2 Typists
Other staff who are primarily responsible for Welsh language matters also have other duties. In addition, there is a range of posts across my Department in which Welsh language matters form part of the duties of officials.
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