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Shepherds BushHammersmith
Hillingdon
Ealing
Canterbury
Oxford
Chelmsford
Preston
Manchester
Newark
Liverpool
Bristol
Cheltenham
Darlington
The Department is about to publish a revised bibliography of publications on cycling. It includes details on most of the route projects and innovatory schemes listed. I shall send the hon. Member a copy of the new bibliography as soon as it is available. Further copies of it will be placed in the Library.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans his Department has to investigate the case for incorporating a cyclist awareness section into the driving test for motor vehicle learner drivers ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Atkins : The Department's advice to learner drivers, and its driving test procedures, already attach weight to awareness of cyclists and to consideration towards them along with other vulnerable road users.
A6 Disley-High Lane Bypass
Mr. Tom Arnold : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Hazel Grove of 21 February, what are the reasons for the cost differences between the preferred route (modified brown) on the proposed A6 Disley-High Lane bypass and the brown route.
Mr. Atkins : The preferred route is 4 km shorter than the original brown route. It avoids the need for extensive work in the Newtown area and a diversion of the railway at Gowhole.
Mr. Tom Arnold : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether British Coal registered a formal objection to the construction of the proposed A6 Disley-High Lane bypass along the lines of route of the purple, blue and orange proposals.
Mr. Atkins : No. British Coal's comments were submitted during consultations prior to announcement of a preferred route.
Environmental Adviser
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria he used in choosing Professor Hoskins as his adviser on environmental matters ; for how long the appointment is ; and what payments will be made to Professor Hoskins for his assistance.
Mr. Atkins : Professor Hoskins is professor of meteorology at Reading university and is a leading authority on global warming, climatic change and related matters. As such he appeared to my right hon. Friend to be a suitable person to advise him on the implications of these issues for transport policy.
Professor Hoskins is a part-time special adviser and does not have a fixed- term appointment. As is the normal
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practice with special advisers his remuneration is determined by reference to his current level of earnings and is therefore confidential.Beach Pollution (Sussex)
Mr. Higgins : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether it has now been possible to identify the source of the dangerous chemicals washed up on Sussex beaches which were referred to in his answer to the private notice question on 22 February, Official Report, columns 1067-72 ; whether any action is to be taken by his Department against those responsible ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. McLoughlin : With the full co-operation of the shipping agent and local authorities concerned, the marine pollution control unit has been able to determine that the potassium cyanide which came ashore on the Sussex coast on 21 February and succeeding days, had been shipped on the MV Fathulkhair which left Sheerness on 31 January bound for the Persian Gulf. It is probable that other items washed ashore came from the same source.
The vessel encountered heavy weather on her passage down the Channel and whilst off Ushant (in a French area of responsibility) on 2 February lost a quantity of cargo overboard. After putting back into Cherbourg to resecure and survey cargo, the vessel encountered further heavy weather and lost more items overboard between 12 and 14 February against whilst off Ushant.
As the cargo was lost outside United Kingdom territorial waters and the ship is registered in Qatar, my Department is writing to the Qatar authorities to inquire into the incident and if it is found that the chemicals were stowed improperly, to establish who was responsible and to ask what action they intend to take.
In any event marine surveyors of the Department will board the vessel when next it arrives in a United Kingdom port to ensure that if it loads dangerous cargo it will be in accordance with the Merchant Shipping (Dangerous Goods) Regulations.
Stockport Bypass
Mr. Favell : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when work will commence on the A6(M) Stockport bypass.
Mr. Atkins : Time will be needed for design work, supplementary orders and a compulsory purchase order. A second public inquiry is likely. Construction could then start by the end of 1992.
Confidential Road Studies
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in what circumstances county councils carry out confidential road studies for his Department on trunk roads ; how prevalent this practice is ; what access elected councillors of the relevant authorities have to such studies ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Atkins : Agent county councils normally undertake scheme investigation studies for trunk roads, but exceptionally private consultants may be commissioned where a study is large or complex. Studies are "confidential" only in that full findings are not made public, but if either a national or regional scheme results the statutory consultation procedures apply.
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Network SouthEast
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received within the last months from the chairman of British Rail in respect of the phasing out of the subsidy to Network SouthEast.
Mr. Portillo : My right hon. Friend had detailed discussions with Sir Robert Reid before agreeing with him the objectives for British Rail that were announced on 19 December.
Stranraer-Euston Rail Service
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if, pursuant to his statement concerning under-use of the
Stranraer-Euston rail service, Official Report, 14 February, column 333, he will give the figures on which he bases his statement.
Mr. Portillo : I understand from British Rail that the number of people using the Stranraer-Glasgow part of the Stranraer-Euston sleeper services averages 10 per night.
Leicester Eastern Bypass
Sir John Farr : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) when work on the Leicester eastern bypass (A6-A46), listed in "Roads for Prosperity", will be commenced ;
(2) if the Leicester eastern bypass (A6-A46) will be constructed to dual carriageway standard.
Mr. Atkins : Consultants have still to be appointed for the proposed Leicester eastern bypass and a detailed programme is not available at this early stage. It is hoped to announce a preferred route in 1994, following public consultation, as announced in "Trunk Roads, England--Into the 1990s" on 20 February. The carriageway standard has yet to be determined.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Agricultural Research
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list in the Official Report all successful United Kingdom projects chosen by the European Commission for research and development on agricultural technologies in the Eclair programme ; and what proportion of the total projects allocated came from the United Kingdom.
Mr. Curry : All projects under the EC Eclair programme have to be joint ventures involving participants in more than one member state. In the first tranche under this programme, the EC Commission has selected 23 projects for contract negotiation in 13 of which there is United Kingdom participation. The projects concerned are : (
(a) optimisation of lignin in crop and in industrial plants through genetic engineering ;
(b) development and production of low temperature storage tolerant potato cultivars ;
(c) improvement of yield and food conservation in salmonids and maricultured fish ;
(d) improvement of storage capabilities of fresh fruits and vegetables through the biotechnological and technological control of ethylene ;
(e) development of improved strains of insect parasitic nematodes for control of insect pests in horticulture and agriculture ; (
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(f) development of liquid fertilisers based on naturally occurring seaweeds ;(g) development of a delivery system for the oral administration of vaccines for the prevention of diseases in fish in agriculture ; (
(h) development of environmentally safe pest control systems for European olives ;
(i) novel anti fungal proteins ; applications in crop protection ; (
(j) novel biosynthetic routes for biodegradation of polyhydroxy alkanoates made by genetically engineered strains of bacteria and plants ;
(k) amines : animal monitoring and identification ;
(l) European maize use in the starch industry in relation to growing areas and cultivation techniques ; and
(m) the development of biotechnology based in vitro production of sex- determination, freeze-storage and transfer of bovine embryos.
Chicken Feed
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will outlaw the addition of colouring matter to chicken feed designed to brighten the colour of the egg yolk. Mr. Maclean : Regulation of these colouring matters is a matter for agreement within the EC. The continued use of one of the principal colourants is currently being examined by expert committees both in the EC and also in this country.
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Food and Drink Imports
Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what precautions to check imported food and drink for contamination are in operation.
Mr. Freeman : I have been asked to reply.
Imported food and drink are subject to the Imported Food Regulations 1984 which require food to be sound, wholesome and fit for human consumption. Monitoring, as appropriate, to ensure that food and drink meet these criteria, is carried out by local enforcement authorities including port health authorities.
Bananas
Mr. Battle : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish a chart or table showing (a) the percentage share and (b) the tonnage share of the European Community banana market held by (i) Community producers, (ii) African, Caribbean and Pacific producers, (iii) dollar (Central and South American) producers and (iv) others, for each of the last five years.
Mr. Curry : The percentage and tonnage share of the European Community banana market held by (i) Community producers ; (ii) African, Caribbean and Pacific producers, (iii) dollar producers and (iv) others in each of the last five years for which complete data is available is as follows :
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Imports of bananas into the European Community 1984-88
|1984 |1985 |1986 |1987 |1988
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total |2,289,843|2,396,683|2,635,305|2,608,659|2,933,007
of which
Community Producers
tonnes |712,002 |697,897 |860,494 |681,554 |690,572
per cent. |31 |29 |32 |26 |23
ACP Producers
tonnes |335,997 |413,395 |445,065 |456,623 |513,707
per cent. |15 |17 |17 |18 |18
Dollar Producers
tonnes |1,204,265|1,253,589|1,255,897|1,366,017|1,642,595
per cent. |52 |53 |48 |52 |56
Other
tonnes |37,579 |31,802 |73,849 |104,465 |86,133
per cent. |2 |1 |3 |4 |3
Source: Eurostat.
Note:-Eurostat data does not include imports from the Canary Islands for 1984 and
1985 and for imports from Madeira throughout the period. Estimates of such
imports from FAO data have been added to the Eurostat data to give comparable
coverage. In the breakdown such imports are included under Community Producers.
Less-favoured Areas
Mr. Geraint Howells : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the level of payments permitted under European Economic Community less-favoured areas directive ; what are the current rates of hill subsidies and payments ; and what conclusions he has reached on his policy in this matter.
Mr. Curry : The EC structures regulation (797/85, as amended) currently provides the framework for measures to support farmers in the less-favoured areas. The principal form of support is the system of hill livestock compensatory allowances, though there is also provision for other measures such as enhanced rates of capital grant
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in the LFA. Under regulation 797/85, the HLCA rates have to be fixed according to the severity of the permanent natural handicaps affecting farming activities, within prescribed minimum and maximum levels per livestock unit and a maximum payment per hectare. At 1 January 1990, the effective minimum rate in the United Kingdom was £14.34 per cow and £2.15 per ewe ; the maximum rate was £71.37 per cow and £10.70 per ewe ; and total payments were subject to a maximum of £71.37 per hectare. The current HLCA rates payable in the United Kingdom are :Column 239
Severely Disadvantaged Area of the LFA
|£ per head
---------------------------------------
Cows |54.50
Hardy Breed Ewes |7.50
Other Ewes |4.50
Disadvantaged Area
Cows |27.25
Ewes |2.25
The maximum payable per hectare is £62.48 in the severely disadvantaged area and £46.86 in the disadvantaged area.
My right hon. Friend indicated the Government's policy towards the hill and upland areas in his statement to the House on 30 January 1990, Official Report, columns 159-170.
Food Poisoning
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what further action he proposes to take to reduce the number of food poisoning incidents.
Mr. Maclean : The government are seeking through the Food Safety Bill to update and strengthen their powers in relation to food safety. I also refer the hon. Member to the reply of my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Health to my hon. Friend the Member for Staffordshire Moorlands (Mr. Knox), Official Report, 15 February, column 399, which referred to the response we have made to part one of the report of the Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food.
Industrial Waste
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food further to his answer to the hon. Member for South Shields of 4 December, Official Report, column 106, whether he has submitted any further applications to the Oslo commission for licences to dump industrial waste in the North sea.
Mr. Curry : Two further sets of information have been sent to the Oslo commission about proposals to issue sea dumping licences for the following wastes :
Material |Tonnage
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Fine Organic |8,000
Wash water from the synthesis of antibiotic and
anti-ulcer medicines
Tate and Lyle Sugars |30,000
Chalk solution from sugar refining
Dumping of these two wastes at sea will cease as soon as alternative means of disposal are in place. The companies are working to tight timetables and dumping should end within a year.
Green Currency Gaps
Mr. Gill : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the estimated cost of eliminating the green currency gaps ; and what would be the resultant cash effect upon United Kingdom agriculture.
Mr. Curry : The Government are committed to eliminating the monetary gap associated with the green
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pound by the end of 1992 at the latest. The effect of a complete devaluation of the green pound will depend on movements in the market rate of sterling over this period. It is estimated that a devaluation to eliminate the present monetary gap would add about £290 million in a full year to public expenditure in the United Kingdom. This expenditure would be mainly financed from the EC budget to which the United Kingdom, of course, contributes. Such a devaluation would increase farmers' incomes by over £700 million in a full year and add around 1.25 per cent. to retail food prices on average.Food Prices
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the average increase in the price of food over the last 10 years.
Mr. Curry : Over the 10 years to January 1990, the average annual increase in food prices was 5.3 per cent.
Pesticides
Mr. Cox : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the review and approval of pesticides.
Mr. Maclean : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Islington (Mr. Corbyn) on 8 February, Official Report, column 728.
Artificial Flavouring
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he plans to take to enable consumers, seeking to avoid the use of artificial flavourings, to make an informed choice in respect of the legal term flavour.
Mr. Maclean : Under existing food labelling legislation consumers can choose between food where the flavour is derived wholly or mainly from the named food, and those artificially flavoured. For example the descriptions "strawberry flavoured" or simply "strawberry" can only be used to describe food in the first category. "Strawberry flavour" may be used for food in the second category where the flavour does not come mainly from strawberries. The relevant provisions can be found in schedule 7 to the Food Labelling Regulations 1984 and are fully explained in our free booklet "Look at the Label".
Bread Prices
Mr. Ashby : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the average price for a 1lb loaf of bread and the average price for an unmilled ton of wheat grown in the United Kingdom for the years 1986 to 1989, inclusive.
Mr. Curry : The information requested is set out in the table.
|Average price |Average price
|of<1> 1lb loaf of|of<2> home
|bread |grown wheat
|Pence per |£ per tonne
|loaf
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1986 |43.0 |111.18
1987 |43.7 |111.00
1988 |46.8 |105.14
1989 |48.8 |105.72
<1>White sliced 8,000 gm. loaf. Source: CSO.
<2>Unmilled home grown bread wheat. Source: MAFF.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Criminal Injuries Compensation Board
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to require the police to give every victim of violence, rape and child abuse the leaflet which outlines the availability of financial assistance provided by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Arrangements for giving information to victims are the responsibility of individual chief officers of police. However, existing Home Office guidance to the police stresses that people who have suffered injury as a result of crime should, whenever possible, be handed a copy of the leaflet "Victims of Crimes of Violence : A Guide to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme".
Crime Reduction
Mr. Lawrence : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the achievements of Her Majesty's Government in reducing crime since June 1987.
Mr. Waddington : The measures which we have taken to reduce crime since 1979 are set out in my reply today to another question from my hon. and learned Friend. Comparing the 12 months to September 1989--the most recent period for which figures are available--with the 12 months to September 1987, the number of offences recorded by the police has fallen from 3,893,000 to 3,779,000, a decrease of 3 per cent.
Mr. Lawrence : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the steps taken by Her Majesty's Government since 1979 to reduce crime.
Mr. Waddington : Since 1979 we have increased police manpower by 24,000 (including civilians). We have given the courts the powers they need by increasing the maximum penalties for certain offences, and by making provision for the confiscation of profits made by drug traffickers and other criminals. We have prohibited certain firearms and other weapons, and taken steps to control the possession of knives in public places.
Following the successful five towns initiative in 1986, we have set up a safer cities programme to co-ordinate crime prevention activity in high- crime inner-city areas. We have undertaken a number of substantial crime prevention publicity campaigns and over 3 million copies of the crime prevention handbook "Practical Ways to Crack Crime" have been distributed. An independent organisation, Crime Concern, was set up with Home Office assistance in 1988, with the objective of supporting and developing local crime prevention activity.
Liquor Sales
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce a system of licences for wholesalers who sell intoxicating liquor.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : We have no present plans to do so.
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Right of Abode
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long those issued with certificates of entitlement to the right of abode had to wait for their applications to be processed in (a) January 1988, (b) June 1988, (c) January 1989, (d) June 1989 and (e) January 1990 or the nearest available date ; how many cases were awaiting decision in the British overseas citizens and right of abode group at each of the above dates ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Information on waiting times and on the numbers of cases outstanding for persons applying in the United Kingdom for a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode is not available for the periods requested. On 21 February 1990, a total of 189 applications were waiting consideration in the United Kingdom ; the majority were less than six weeks old and the oldest was dated 13 October 1989. In the case of persons applying to posts abroad for certificates of entitlement to the right of abode, information is available only for the Indian sub-continent. Since 1988, such applicants have been interviewed within three months of applying. Information on the waiting time between interview and the issue of a certificate is not available.
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