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Written Answers to Questions
Monday 12 February 1990
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
School Budgets
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many authorities' aggregated schools budgets have been rejected by his Department and will not be implemented in 1990 ; and if he will give the reason in each case.
Mrs. Rumbold : Determination of the aggregated schools budget in each local education authority is a matter for the authority itself and is not subject to approval by my right hon. Friend.
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has received any representations
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from Nottinghamshire county council requesting exceptional treatment for its aggregated school budget because of the size of its nursery provision ; and if he will make a statement.Mrs. Rumbold : The Department has received a number of representations from Nottinghamshire county council about nursery provision and its scheme for local management of schools. My right hon. Friend has announced his intention to approve the scheme submitted by Nottinghamshire county council subject to a number of modifications. The council is currently being consulted on the proposed modifications.
Scientists
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many scientists are leaving the United Kingdom now ; and how many left in each year since 1978.
Mr. Jackson : Available data relate to the number of full-time university academic staff in all disciplines leaving the United Kingdom for employment or study abroad. The numbers of non-clinical staff leaving since 1980 (the earliest year for which comparable data are available) are as follows :
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|1980|1981|1982|1983|1984|1985|1986|1987|1988
-------------------------------------------------------------
Outflow |249 |203 |214 |153 |138 |154 |204 |191 |160
Inflow |276 |183 |118 |220 |318 |292 |260 |199 |244
Net intake |27 |-20 |-96 |67 |180 |138 |56 |8 |84
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will estimate the number of non-British scientists working in United Kingdom institutions.
Mr. Jackson : This information is not collected centrally.
Brain Drain
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what evidence he has as to whether a brain drain exists from the United Kingdom.
Mr. Jackson : No firm evidence exists of a brain drain' from this country. The best information currently available shows that there has been a net inflow to the United Kingdom of full-time non-clinical academic staff in universities in every year since 1983. I announced in July 1989 that I had requested the Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals to monitor flows of university staff in and out of this country and to ensure that data about this are reliable.
Standard Spending Assessments
Mr. Straw : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish for each local education authority his estimate of its outturn expenditure for 1989-90 on a basis comparable with its standard spending assessments for education for 1990-91.
Mr. MacGregor : No information about outturn expenditure for 1989-90 at LEA level is yet available centrally.
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Departmental Running Costs
Mr. Ian Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what real increases in his Department's running costs are planned to occur in 1991 and 1991-92 ; what steps will be taken to ensure that the increases represent value for money ; and if he will deposit a copy of the relevant management plan in the Library.
Mrs. Rumbold : As announced in the public expenditure White Paper (Cm. 1011), DES running costs net of receipts are planned to be £78.985 million in 1990-91 and £89.192 million in 1991-92. The figure for the latter year includes provision of £5.9 million for the additional recurrent costs in 1991-92 of the Department's new London headquarters. Excluding this sum, the planned increase in real terms in the Department's running costs provision from 1990-91 to 1991-92 will be 1.9 per cent.
The Department is committed to achieving the maximum possible value for money from its running costs expenditure and has achieved significant increases in efficiency, for example from its investment in information technology. Future plans will concentrate on securing continuing improvements in value for money. It is not, however, our practice to publish internal management planning documents.
Colleges and Polytechnics
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many advanced further education students were in colleges and polytechnics in 1988-89 ; how many higher education students were in colleges and polytechnics in 1989-90 ; and how many
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higher education students are proposed to be funded in colleges and polytechnics by the Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council in 1990-91.Mr. Jackson : The public expenditure White Paper (Cm 1011) published on 30 January 1990 indicated that there were 240,000 home full-time and sandwich higher education students in the PCFC sector in the academic year 1988-89. The numbers were projected to increase to 251,000 and 260,000 respectively in the following two years. My right hon. Friend announced to the House on 8 February that the numbers of home full-time and sandwich higher education students in the PCFC sector in the 1989-90 academic year were now provisionally estimated to be 261,000.
The PCFC allocations for 1989-90 and 1990-91 were on the basis of 240,000 and 254,000 home full-time and sandwich students. Institutions will also benefit from tuition fee income at the rate of £1,675 for each student with a mandatory award from September 1990.
St. Mary's Trinity and St. Bridget's Schools
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what provision will be made for the education of children at St. Mary's Trinity and St. Bridget's Church of England primary schools, Liverpool, following their proposed closure ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Alan Howarth : No statutory proposals have yet been published to cease to maintain these schools. Provision for the education of the children concerned is the responsibility of the Liverpool education authority.
Teachers' Pay
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how the education component of SSAs for inner London in 1990-91 will support a percentage increase to London weighting for teachers greater than the general percentage increase to teachers' pay ; what is the expected cost of this measure ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) how the education component of SSAs for inner London in 1990-91 will support the use of new pay flexibility in enhancement of incremental points and extension of incremental scales as a response to shortage of teachers ; what is the expected cost of these measures ; and if he will make a statement ;
(3) how the education component of SSAs for inner London in 1990-91 will support the introduction of the proposed new £750 discretionary pay addition to teachers in inner London ; what is the expected cost of this measure ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : The estimated cost to the inner London councils of the increase in London weighting in respect of 1990-91 is £2.2 million ; the corresponding cost of the new £750 inner London supplement, on the assumptions made in the IAC report, is £6.9 million. The use of the other local flexibilities from 1 January 1991 is a matter for individual LEAs. Education standard spending assessments include an area cost adjustment which reflects general labour cost differentials between London, the south-east and other areas of England. This provides the inner London councils with the basis to meet the costs of implementation of the IAC recommendations.
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Student Loans
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he intends to publish an information leaflet for students on top-up- loans.
Mr. MacGregor : I have published a leaflet giving details of top-up loans. It is intended to indicate to students, potential students and others how the student loans scheme should operate, and the terms on which the loans will be offered, if the Education (Student Loans) Bill is enacted. Copies have been placed in the Library of both Houses.
Grant Programmes
Mr. Hanley : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he will publish the report of the efficiency scrutiny of his Department's specific grant programmes ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr MacGregor : I am today publishing the report of the efficiency scrutiny of my Department's two main specific grant programmes, education support grants and the local education authority training grants scheme. The scrutiny was undertaken as part of the efficiency unit's scrutiny programme.
I welcome the report's conclusion that both grants are meeting their objectives, and have promoted important and beneficial developments which would not otherwise have happened. The evidence received by the scrutiny provides overwhelming support for the two schemes, and I readily accept the recommendation that they should continue.
The main recommendation for change is that we should move to bring the two grants together into a unified scheme. I endorse this in principle. It should promote better co-ordination between the grants, with training needs being considered alongside other forms of support, such as materials and advisory staff. This should be particularly valuable for activities supporting the implementation of the education reforms. It should also offer administrative savings. Ministers will be giving further consideration to the legislative and practical implications of this change, taking account of the views of the local authority associations. We shall also consider, with a view to implementation, the other recommendations for improving the administration and evaluation of the grants. I would hope to begin to take account of them in drawing up proposals for the grant programmes for 1991-92, which I shall be announcing in the spring.
Copies of the report have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. They are also being sent to all local education authorities and other interested bodies.
National Curriculum Council
Mr. Gill : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when the corporate plans of the National Curriculum Council and the School Examinations and Assessment Council will be published.
Mr. Macgregor : The National Curriculum Council and the School Examinations and Assessment Council are today publishing their corporate plans for the period 1990-91 to 1992-93. I have agreed their expenditure proposals for 1990-91, subject to parliamentary approval
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of the Estimates in due course. The two councils' expenditure proposals for 1991-92 and 1992-93 will be subject to review in the course of this year's public expenditure survey. I have arranged for copies of the plans to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.HOME DEPARTMENT
Sentencing
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any plans to seek the standardisation of court sentences ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. John Patten : Our proposals for achieving greater consistency in sentencing practice are set out in the White Paper "Crime, Justice and Protecting the Public' (Cm 965), published on 6 February. Sentences need to take account of the differences in the circumstances of offences and offenders : the aim is consistency of approach, rather than uniformity of outcome.
Crack (Merseyside)
Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he intends to launch any new initiatives to reduce the increases in use of crack in Merseyside.
Mr. Mellor : We already have in place a strategy for tackling drug misuse aimed at reducing both the supply of and the demand for all drugs, including cocaine and crack. Over £2 million is being made available in 1990-91 for a new drug prevention initiative which will involve the setting up of local drug prevention teams in a number of areas at risk from drugs and in particular from the threat of crack. Areas in Merseyside are among those being considered for the possible location of one of the initial teams.
Police Expenditure
Sir Richard Body : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give details of available information on the new system of capital expenditure control for the police service, which is to become operative from 1 April.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Home Office circular 35/1989, issued last July, gave early information about the new arrangements. Further details have been circulated to local authorities, including police authorities, by the Department of the Environment, in a consultative circular issued on 11 January 1990 and in the draft Local Authorities (Capital Finance) Regulations 1990 issued on 2 February. Police authorities will be informed of their allocations of capital grant and supplementary credit approvals for 1990-91 as soon as possible.
Human Rights
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the Government will introduce legislation to incorporate the European convention on human rights into domestic law ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : We have no plans to do so.
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Missing Persons
Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of the Police of Metropolis as to how many children and how many adults respectively, are known to have gone missing in the Metropolitan police district each month of the past two years for which records are available ; and how many were subsequently traced (a) within a week, (b) within a month, (c) within three months, (d) within six months and (e) not for over six months of report.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : It is not possible to give monthly figures in relation to persons reported missing in the Metropolitan police district, and statistical information is not kept regarding the periods of time within which missing persons are traced. However, the following annual figures are given in relation to persons reported missing in the Metropolitan police district in 1988 and 1989.
|1988 |1989
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Males
Under 14 years |486 |2,955
14 to 17 years |937 |5,661
18 years + |2,710 |4,566
Females
Under 14 years |421
14 to 17 years |1,091 |6,078
18 years + |2,500 |4,413
|--- |---
Total |8,145 |25,260
Of the 8,145 persons reported missing during 1988, 1,075 were shown centrally as being still missing at the end of the year. Of the 25,260 persons reported missing during 1989, 315 were still missing at the end of the year. The figures for 1989 are not comparable with those of previous years owing to new recording procedures having been introduced.
Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to how many inquiries the Metropolitan police received from other forces in respect of missing persons during the last year for which records are available.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The total number of missing persons reports received by the Metropolitan police from other forces during 1989 was 6,913.
Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has consulted the European Economic Community countries which operate a national register for missing persons with a view to setting up such a register in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : We are not consulting EC member states direct. We hope instead to build on existing arrangements for the exchange of information internationally about missing persons, via the International Criminal Police Organisation (ICPO).
Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will now make it his policy to comply with the recommendation of the Association of Chief Police Officers to create a national register for missing persons ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Peter Lloyd : We are investigating the best and most cost-effective means of establishing a national missing persons register. A feasibility study has been commissioned to examine the possibility of putting missing persons data on the planned replacement for the police national computer system. We expect to receive the report on this study next month.Condoms (Prisons)
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his Department's policy on the distribution of condoms and safer sex information in prisons.
Mr. Mellor : It is not our policy to make condoms available to prisoners. An important consideration is that they afford less protection against HIV infection when used for anal sex. We cannot be certain that a change of policy would not encourage significantly more sexual activity of a kind which, even with a condom, carries a particularly high risk of HIV infection. If that were to happen the result might be to increase rather than reduce the spread of infection.
Advice on safer sex is included in the AIDS/HIV education programme for prisoners and is addressed to the need for safe behaviour after release as well as during custody. The part which condoms can play in reducing risk and how they should be used to achieve maximum protection is explained.
Criminal Injuries Compensation
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of claims outstanding for criminal injuries compensation at the beginning of each year since 1974 ; and what is the total number of such claims which are presently outstanding.
Mr. John Patten : On 1 February 1990, a total of 97,045 applications were awaiting resolution by the board. The other information requested is given in the table :
Year |Applications beginning |outstanding 1 April --------------------------------------- 1974 |9,118 1975 |10,839 1976 |13,930 1977 |17,937 1978 |23,331 1979 |24,684 1980 |26,372 1981 |24,795 1982 |28,738 1983 |32,040 1984 |34,235 1985 |41,685 1986 |51,420 1987 |64,115 1988 |77,965 1989 |82,520
Batons
Mr. Sheerman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints he has received from the public regarding the use of martial-arts type batons for controlling violent or potentially violent individuals.
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Mr. Peter Lloyd : None of which I am aware.
Bail Hostels
Mr. O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to allow bail hostels to be run by private operators ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. John Patten : We are examining how private sector involvement in the provision of bail accomodation, including bail hostels, can be increased but no decisions have yet been taken.
Mr. O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice he gives on the establishment of bail hostels in communities ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. John Patten : The role of the Home Office in the setting up of individual bail hostels is confined to approving a proposal for funding. It is for local probation committees to decide the location of a bail hostel, obtain the appropriate planning consents and negotiate the purchase.
Mr. O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the amount of money made available for bail hostels in west Yorkshire for the years 1989-90 to 1990-91.
Mr. John Patten : Capital provision of up to £735,000 has been made available for additional bail and probation--bail hostel places in west Yorkshire in 1989-90. The allocation for 1990-91 is not yet decided.
Rape
Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any plans to review the law in England and Wales on rape within marriage ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. John Patten : This aspect of law was last considered by the Criminal Law Revision Committee as part of its 1984 report on sexual offences. The committee recommended, by a narrow majority, that the law should not be changed to cover all subsisting marriages. It pointed out that where a husband commits assault or indecent assault, he can be prosecuted for these offences and that the question raises issues about the nature of marriage and about violence in the domestic context which go beyond the scope of the criminal law. Domestic violence is one of the subjects being considered by the ministerial group on women's issues. The rate of reporting of incidents of domestic violence has increased in recent years, and this may in part reflect greater awareness by the police, victims' organisations, other services and the public of the difficulties some women face.
The Government believe that legislation in this area should proceed from a broad measure of agreement after careful examination of the wider issues such as those identified by the Criminal Law Revision Committee. We therefore welcome the Law Commission's agreement to carry out a joint criminal law and family law project in the context of its work on domestic violence. I understand that the aim is to produce a working paper, for consultation, early next year. The Government will consider the conclusions most carefully in deciding whether to change the law.
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WALES
Preventable Loss
Mr. Norris : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the extent of preventable loss arising from theft or misappropriation in his Department.
Mr. Peter Walker : In the year 1988-89 there were two cases of theft or misappropriation in the Welsh Office totalling £1,255. Any loss from theft or misappropriation is examined thoroughly and the lessons learned are used to strengthen systems to deter further fraud.
Mr. Norris : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will list the number of professionally qualified loss-prevention staff employed by his Department and the qualifications held by such staff, excluding qualifications obtained during police or military service.
Mr. Peter Walker : It is the responsibility of all staff to prevent the misappropriation of funds. The following staff in my Department have a major role in aiding loss prevention through audit work. 2 FCA
3 CIPFA
1 AAT
4 MIIA
10 BATS
Baby Services
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place in the Library a copy of the report on baby services in Wales chaired by Professor Sir Eric Stroud.
Mr. Grist : The Department proposes to publish shortly the report of the advisory group on perinatal intensive care.
Special Needs Housing
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many units of accommodation for disabled people he estimates will need to be provided in Wales by the year 2010 ;
(2) how many units of sheltered accommodation for (a) elderly people over 75 years and (b) very elderly people over 85 years he estimates will need to be provided in Wales by the year 2010 ; (3) what categories of accommodation he has identified as required in order to meet the needs of disabled people in Wales (a) now and (b) over the next 20 years ;
(4) what categories of accommodation he has identified as required in order to meet the needs of (a) elderly people over 75 years and (b) very elderly people over 85 years in Wales (i) now and (ii) over the next 20 years.
Mr. Grist : The Government attache high priority to the provision of all types of special needs housing. It is for local authorities in conjunction with other housing providers to assess current and future housing needs within their areas. It is essential that housing authorities play a major role in the production of social care plans as part of the care in community strategy to assist this process.
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Disabled People
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the circulars issued by his Department between 1 January 1987 and 31 January 1990 regarding the needs of, and provision for, disabled people in the fields of (a) health, (b) social services, (c) housing, (d) education and (e) transport.
Mr. Grist : The information requested is shown in the table : a. Health and (b) Social Services
WHC(87)19 Health Service Development. Review of predischarged; of supervision and aftercare arrangements for conditionally discharged restricted patients.
WHC(87)49 Revised cost allowances for health buildings WHC(88)30 and residential accommodation for staff and WHC(89)30 small mental handicap community units. WOC3(88)(1/88) Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986-Implementation of Sections 5 and 6. WOC20/87(4/87) Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986-Implementation of Sections 4, 8(1),9 and 10. WHC(88)57 Accommodation for people with mental illness. WHC(89)9 Health Building Note 40:Volume 3-Lifts and stairways. Volume 4-Designing from Disabled People
WHC(89)23 Nursing in the Community-a team approach for Wales. WHC(89)40 Mental Illness Services: A Strategy for Wales. Submission of 3 year Joint County Plans:1990/91 to 1992/93. WHC(90)1 Discharge of patients from hospital.
c. Housing
WOC(24/87) Changes of Use of Buildings and other Land: (Paragraph 27) the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987.
d. Education
WOC(54/89) Assessments and Statements of Special Educational Needs. Procedures within the Education, Health and Social Services. WOC(61/89) Special Schools for Pupils with Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties.
e. Transport
None
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