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Mrs. Chalker : Table 2.1 of Cm. 1002 lists the provision of £5 million in respect of the original commitment of the Polish know-how fund of £25 million over five years. The expenditure implications of the specific new commitments to eastern Europe since the survey will be reflected in next year's public expenditure White Paper. For 1990-91 we expect to seek main Estimates provision for assistance to eastern Europe of £15 million to cover expenditure under the know-how fund. Supplementary Estimate provision for 1990-91 and later years may be sought when the public expenditure implications of other commitments, such as that for the Polish agricultural project, are clearer.
DEFENCE
Low-flying Exercises
Mr. Beith : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the minimum length of time within which aircrew can acquire the appropriate training and requisite skills necessary for participation in low-flying exercises ; and whether the appropriate training and requisite skills specified for these exercises differ from those required for exercises which do not involve low flying.
Mr. Neubert : No specific length of time is set for aircrew to acquire the appropriate training and requisite skills necessary for participation in low-flying exercises. As aircrew progress through training, the exercises that are undertaken will depend on the experience level of the individual aircrew concerned and the stage of training that they have reached. Low-flying training is designed to ensure that the aircrew concerned acquire the skills needed to meet the particular demands of the low-level environment.
Nuclear Submarines
Mr. John Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he is planning to recall any of the Polaris submarines for safety checks of their nuclear reactors.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : No submarines are being recalled from operational tasks. Following the recent discovery of a technical defect in one of our nuclear-powered submarines, all such vessels are, however, being inspected as a precautionary measure when they come alongside.
Mr. John Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he is planning to retire Britain's two Valiant class submarines.
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Mr. Archie Hamilton : These vessels will be retired at the end of their useful operational life.
Mr. John Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the integrity of Royal Navy nuclear-powered submarines' reactor-cooling circuits.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : It is not our practice to comment on specific features of the Royal Navy's nuclear-powered submarines. These vessels are, however, designed and operated in accordance with rigorous safety standards.
Mr. John Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment has been made of the risk to Royal Navy submarine personnel from radiation leaks.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The Government attach very high priority to the safety of the crews of Royal Navy nuclear-powered submarines, which operate in accordance with rigorous safety standards. All Royal Navy nuclear-powered submarines and personnel, where appropriate, are subject to stringent monitoring procedures.
Colin Wallace
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the total number of documents relating to Colin Wallace which have been discovered ; what were the dates when each was found ; and when Ministers were notified on each occasion ;
(2) what month early in 1989 the documents relating to Colin Wallace were discovered, by whom, where and when this information was given to Ministers ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the information which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence set out in a letter dated 2 February 1990 to the hon. Member for Brent, East (Mr. Livingstone), a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if, in the light of the additional information which has now become available on the issues raised by Colin Wallace, he will reassess the answers provided by his Department's Ministers to the hon. Member for Southend, East on the complaints by Captain Fred Holroyd.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Papers recently found on Mr. Wallace do not affect answers given on the complaints made by Mr. Holroyd on his own behalf.
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the nature of the file provided on behalf of Colin Wallace to his Department and to the Prime Minister's office late in 1984 ; and what was the nature of the inquiry then initiated.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The file contained a selection of background information concerning Mr. Wallace's allegations. These papers were considered by officials and a reply was sent to Mr. Holroyd from the Prime Minister's office.
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HOME DEPARTMENT
AIDS
Mr. Key : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress of his AIDS education programme among (a) prison officers and (b) prisoners.
Mr. Waddington : A resource package, "AIDS Inside", designed for prison officers has been in use since August 1987. The package is used in the initial training of new entrant prison officers and in the development training programmes of individual establishments. The target for governors in the present training year (ending 31 March 1990) is to deliver the package to all operational staff who have not received such training in earlier years. Refresher training will begin in 1991-92.
The latest phase of the prisoner education programme began in March 1989 with the introduction of the resource package, "AIDS Inside and Out". Governors have been set a stringent target for 1989-90 of delivering the package (or, failing that, showing the 20-minute video which is the core element of the package) to all willing prisoners who are in custody for four weeks or longer. They have been asked to say how they have progressed in meeting that target in their next annual report.
Crime (London)
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of crimes in London in (a) 1979 and (b) 1989.
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Mr. John Patten : The information requested for 1979 is published in table 32 of "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales 1979", Cmnd 8098. The information for the whole of 1989 is not yet available but figures for the 12 months to the end of September 1989 are published in table 5 of Home Office Statistical Bulletin 43/89. Copies of these publications are available in the Library.
Archaeological Sites (Thefts)
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) arrests and (b) convictions there have been in the past year for the offence of theft from scheduled archaeological sites.
Mr. John Patten : The information requested is not available.
Sentenced Prisoners
Mr. Bermingham : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of all sentenced prisoners who (i) emanated from an ethnic minority and (ii) are white were sentenced by (a) a Crown court and (b) a magistrates court during 1988 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Mellor [holding answer 25 January 1990] : The information is given in the table :
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Pakistani Bangladeshi Arab recorded (including
Mr. Bermingham : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the percentage of sentenced prisoners in England and Wales who emanate from an ethnic minority for the latest available date ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Mellor [holding answer 25 January 1990] : The latest readily available information is given in the table :
White |83
West Indian, Guyanese, African |10
Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi |3
Chinese, Arab, Mixed origin |2
Other, not recorded (including refusals) |2
|-------
All sentenced persons in prison service establishment |100
Badgers
Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions were instigated, and how many were successful, in the most
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recent year for which figures are available, in connection with badger baiting ; what was the maximum penalty levied ; if he plans to introduce any further controls ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Peter Lloyd [holding answer 2 February 1990] : In 1988, the last year for which information is available, there were 74 prosecutions under the Badgers Act 1973. There were convictions in 41 cases and the largest fine was for £700. It is not possible to say how many of these cases involved badger baiting.
Badger baiting may lead to an offence also under the Protection of Animals Act 1911, although no separate records are kept of such cases.
I am considering sympathetically a proposal by the hon. Member for Mansfield (Mr. Meale) and my hon. Friend the Member for Gedling (Mr. Mitchell) to provide that a person convicted under the Badgers Act 1973 may be disqualified from keeping a dog. Otherwise there are no plans for further legislation relating to badger baiting.
Security Vetting
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are taken to ensure that job vetting by private, non-Government employers involving the
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security services complies with the European Convention on Human Rights in providing an effective remedy to those adversely affected ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Waddington : The Security Service Act 1989 ensures that United Kingdom law relating to the Security Service is fully consistent with the European Convention on Human Rights.
Prison Population
Mr. Bermingham : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the prison population in England and Wales for the latest available date ; and how many of those prisoners had been sentenced by : (a) a crown court and (b) a magistrates' court ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Mellor [holding answer 25 January 1990] : On 26 January 1990 there were 46,630 prisoners in prison service establishments in England and Wales.
Details of sentencing courts are published annually in prison statistics England and Wales (table 1.15 of the latest volume, for 1988 (Cm. 825)), copies of which are in the Library. The latest available information is for June 1989 and is given in the table.
Population under sentence in Prison Service establishments on 30 June 1989: by court sentencing
Crown Court |33,100
Magistrates' court |3,400
Other courts |100
Not recorded |1,500
|---
Total sentenced population |38,000
<1> Provisional figures.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Company Accounts
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many companies still have not filed accounts with the Registrar of Companies in respect of their accounting years ended in (a) 1985, (b) 1986 and (c) 1987 ; and how many of those companies are engaged in the provision of financial services to the public.
Mr. Redwood : The number of currently live companies which have not yet filed accounts for each of the years in question is shown in the table.
1985 : 13,710
1986 : 26,223 (includes 1985)
1987 : 57,350 (includes 1985, 1986)
It is not possible to identify how many of these companies are engaged in the provision of financial services to the public.
Company Law
Sir Trevor Skeet : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list European Community company law directives that have been enacted, considered and planned over the last decade with approximate dates of imposition.
Mr. Redwood : The following European Community company law directives have been adopted since 1980 :
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The following proposed directives have been considered since 1980, but have not yet been adopted, and no implementation dates have yet been set: Proposed Fifth Company Law Directive on the structure and management of PLC's. Proposed Tenth Company Law Directive on cross-border mergers of PLC's. Proposed Thirteenth Company Law Directive on takeovers. Proposal to amend the Fourth and Seventh Company Law Directives with respect to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and to accounts in ECU. Proposal to extend the Fourth and Seventh Company Law Directives to certain partnerships and unlimited companies. Proposed Directive on employee involvement complementing the Proposed Regulation on the European Company Statute.
Media Ownership
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) when he expects the Office of Fair Trading to conclude its inquiry into media ownership ;
(2) when he expects the Sadler inquiry to publish its findings. (3) whether he will list the people appointed to assist Mr. Sadler on his inquiry into aspects of the media ;
(4) whether the Sadler inquiry has commenced taking evidence ; and if it will be taking evidence in public.
Mr. Redwood : I announced to the House on 14 December at column 750 that Mr. John Sadler CBE was to undertake an inquiry into standards of cross-media promotion and that the Director General of Fair Trading, who was conducting an inquiry into the competition aspects of these issues, had decided not to pursue it.
Mr. Sadler's inquiry is expected to last about a year. He will be assisted by officials of my Department.
Mr. Sadler is writing to a number of organisations likely to have an interest in his inquiry. He expects to issue shortly a press notice inviting other interested parties to send him their views. He is asking for written evidence by mid-March and expects to take oral evidence later in the year. The inquiry will not be taking evidence in public.
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Accountancy Firms
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the share of accountancy business taken by the seven biggest firms in (a) 1970, (b) 1980 and (c) 1989 in Britain, West Germany and France.
Mr. Redwood : The information requested is not available.
Telephones
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consideration he has given to encouraging the introduction to the United Kingdom of the option for telephone subscribers to install equipment which will identify the number from which an incoming call is being made.
Mr. Forth [holding answer 1 February 1990] : The provision of calling line identification facilities is primarily a matter for the network operators ; but I know that the Director General of Telecommunications, Sir Bryan Carsberg, is keeping the position under close review.
Japan (Trade)
Mr. Dunn : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what obstacles remain to fair trade between the United Kingdom and the Empire of Japan ; if he will list them and the action he intends to take to eliminate them ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 30 January 1990] : The Government have three main trade policy objectives with Japan. The first is to persuade the Japanese authorities to implement structural reforms to sustain the shift in the balance of their economy from export-led to domestic demand-led growth. At the OECD ministerial meeting and the G7 summit last year, it was agreed that structural reform would play an important part in efforts to reduce current account imbalances. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, during her visit to Japan last year, emphasised the need to eliminate structural rigidities in key areas of the Japanese economy such as agricultural support and protection, land use and taxation and the distribution system. Secondly, we must secure the removal of barriers to access to the Japanese market for United Kingdom exporters. Few such barriers remain. Where they do, the Government campaign vigorously for their removal through the appropriate channels : bilaterally, through the European Community, and through the multilateral GATT system. The principal areas in which further progress is needed are : Leather and leather goods. Under the present tariff quota system, Community exports within a small quota attract duty of 20 to 27 per cent. and goods in excess of quota a duty of 60 per cent. Negotiations are in progress at Community level to secure improvements in access when the present EC-Japan agreement expires in 1991.
Food products, particularly sugar confectionery, biscuits and jam, which still attract high tariffs (between 20 and 35 per cent.). GATT Ministers have agreed that such tariff peaks should be dealt with in the Uruguay round.
Standards and testing requirements in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, and medical equipment sectors. Regular EC-Japan sectoral talks provide the main forum for negotiations to eliminate non-tariff barriers of this sort.
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Financial services. British firms are looking for greater opportuities to participate in Japan's financial markets, particularly in the insurance and investment sectors.The Government's approach has achieved significant results. Last April, for example, the Japanese Government removed discriminatory taxation on imported whisky ; exports of Scotch to Japan in the first 11 months of 1989 show an increase of 75 per cent. in value compared with the same period in 1988.
Thirdly, we must ensure that the British business community is fully aware of the greatly increased opportunities in Japan, and of the strategic importance of the Japanese market. My Department's Opportunity Japan campaign was launched in 1988 to address this need. A target was set of doubling British exports to Japan in three years. The determined efforts of British exporters mean that we are well on the way to doing so : last year United Kingdom exports of goods to Japan increased by £525 million to £2.3 billion, an increase of 30 per cent. over 1988.
Council of Ministers
Mr. Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry who will represent his Department at the Council of Ministers meetings ; and what the agenda will be on (a) industry : 13 March and 28 May, (b) internal market : 22 February, 3 and 14 April and 20 June, (c) research : 26 February and 29 June, (d) telecommunications : 28 April and (e) tourism : 7 and 8 April.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 30 January 1990] : At the moment it is intended that my Department should be represented at the Council of Ministers meetings as follows :
Industry--Mr. Hogg
Internal Market--Mr. Redwood
Research--Mr. Hogg
Telecommunications--Mr. Forth
Tourism--Mr. Forth
Representation plans are provisional at present. Even the dates are subject to change. In particular, if the Tourism Council agenda is mainly for the Department of Employment, the United Kingdom will probably be represented by Lord Strathclyde.
Agendas for Councils are not announced till about two weeks beforehand. The table shows the provisional agendas that are available from the work programme circulated by the Irish Presidency. At this early stage of the Presidency, these are no more than a rough guide to which issues are likely to be taken when.
Internal Market Council-- 22 February 1990
Dossiers subject to outcome of discussion at Internal Market Council of 21- 22 December 1989 i.e. either further discussion with a view to achieving a CP or possible FA in May-June Second Life Insurance Directive
Public procurement (excluded sectors)
Directives on Veterinary Medicines
Directive on Electro-medical implantables
Certification
Right of Residence
Directive on Nutritional Labelling
Directive on Ionisation of Food Products
Directive on Package Travel
Binding tariff information regulation
Major trans-European networks
Computer Programmes
Public procurement ; compliance Directive for excluded sectors-- Presentation
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Directives on Pharmaceuticalspackaging and labelling
wholesalers
Non-prescribed retail sales--Presentation
Internal Market Council-- 3 April 1990 Directive on Insurance Annual Accounts
Motor vehicle insurance services
Nine amendments to Directive on Dangerous Substances
Internal Market Council-- 8 May 1990 (Possible) Motor vehicle type-approval
Third Motor Insurance Directive
Non-automatic weighing instruments
Abolition of transit advice note (TAN)
Right of Residence
(Possible) Regulation for Community Trademark
Gas appliances
Internal Market Council-- 20 June 1990 Pharmaceuticals
Motor insurance services
(Possible) Mobile machines
European Company Statute
Second general Directive on Mutual Recognition of
Diplomas
Directive on bio-technological Inventions
Insurance annual accounts
(Possible) Overhaul of transit rules (Reg. 222/77)
Directive amending Directive 79/695 on free circulation Directive on control of personal weapons
Research Council-- 26 February 1990 Adoption of 3rd Framework Programme
Adoption of the following programmes under the 2nd
Framework Programme :
Human Genomes
Agricultural Research
Co-operation Agreements with EFTA countries on
Science and Medical and Health Research
(Possible) Common Position on the following Programmes under the 2nd Framework Programme :
EURET (Transport)
SPES (Revision)
EUROTRA (Revision)
Research Council-- 29 June 1990 3rd Framework Programme (1990-1994)--Common Position on certain programmes.
2nd Framework Programme
EURET (A)
SPES (A)
EUROTRA (A)
Agreement with EFTA on B.C.R. and SPESProgrammes (CP)
Commission Communication on Research Cooperationbetween the Community and Third Countries.
Industry Council-- 13 March 1990 Semi-Conductors (PD)
Textiles
Steel
Automobiles (PD)
Footwear
Shipbuilding
Industry Council-- 28 May 1990 Biotechnology (PD)
Audiovisual (PD)
Industrial Targeting in Electronics (PD)
SME Participation in Community R&D Programmes
SME Access to Public Procurement
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