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Mr. Geraint Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has any further plans to help and sustain the Welsh language and culture ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : The proposals for the introduction of Welsh in the national curriculum in Wales will provide the single most important boost to the Welsh language over the years to come. All other policies in support of the language will therefore complement and support what is happening in schools.
In addition, the Government provide financial support for Welsh language and culture by way of grants to a wide range of organisations involved with the use and promotion of the language. Direct grant support in 1989-90 amounted to some £4.4 million. This figure will increase next year by 30 per cent. to a total of £5.9 million. My right hon. Friend will continue to look to the Welsh Language Board for advice in relation to all matters to do with the language and on how these grants can be harnessed to the greatest effect.
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much money has been dispensed to Welsh local authorities in grants for bilingual education under section 21 of the Education Act 1980 in each year since that Act came into force ; how much he anticipates will have been granted by the end of the present financial year ; and how much he has allocated for this purpose in the 1990-91 financial year.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : I shall write to the hon. Gentleman with the information requested and place a copy of my reply in the Library of the House.
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Health Care
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will make it his policy to set up a fund to help meet the additional travel expenses of relatives of patients who have been referred to treatment centres outside their own health authority ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Grist : It will be for the patients concerned to assess the relative benefits of earlier treatment at the centres, including the possibility of additional travel for themselves and their relatives, compared with waiting for treatment more locally. As with any other hospital services, visitors on low incomes can apply for help with their travelling expenses to and from the centres from the Department of Social Security. We do not propose to introduce any additional assistance for the relatives of patients in treatment centres.
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the impact on general practitioners' clinical responsibility of the decision to exclude general practitioners from referring their patients directly to treatment centres.
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will meet representatives of general practitioners regarding his decision not to allow general practitioners to refer patients directly to treatment centres ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Grist : My right hon. Friend has received no requests to meet representatives of general practitioners to discuss treatment centres. The centres will not impinge on general practitioners' clinical responsibility. GPs will continue to refer new patients direct to hospitals of their choice, which will in turn continue to treat the majority of patients. Treatment centres are an additional resource to offer patients already waiting the choice of earlier treatment.
This principle would be undermined if general practitioners were to refer new patients to treatment centres direct since the centres would then be likely to build up their own waiting lists. However, the operational policies of the ophthalmology and general surgery centres provide for re- referrals by general practitioners of patients who have been waiting on inpatient lists for more than four months. The policy of the orthopaedic centre in this respect will be kept under review.
Mr. Geraint Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many health authorities have agreed contracts with private companies for the provision of health services to National Health Service patients in Wales ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Grist : This information is not held centrally.
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what extra cash he will allocate to each of the Welsh health authorities to maintain current levels of services ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Grist : I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, North (Mr. Jones) on 11 January at columns 725-27, when my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced the revenue and capital allocations to health authorities in Wales for 1990 -91.
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I would also refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, North on 12 February at columns 12-13 in which my right hon. Friend announced the distribution of almost £10 million which had been reserved for schemes to be centrally funded under the programme for the valleys initiative.Further announcements will be made in due course about the distribution of other sums reserved for centrally directed developments in 1990-91.
Finally, I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Gainsborough and Horncastle (Mr. Leigh) on 1 February at columns 260-62, when my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced that further revenue provision would be made available to health authorities in 1990-91 (over and above the sum announced on 11 January) in respect of pay awards to staff covered by the review bodies arrangement. The distribution of this additional provision will depend upon staff in post and will be notified to authorities as soon as possible.
South Gwent Health Unit
Mr. Roy Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to have discussions with the trade unions involved before authorising proposals for revised management arrangements for the South Gwent health unit.
Mr. Grist : No. We are satisfied with the existing arrangements for the consideration of DHAs' revised management arrangements involving consideration by the executive committee of the Health Policy Board. I understand, however, that in formulating its proposals Gwent health authority has consulted trade unions and this will be borne in mind by the executive committee. After further local consultation the authority will submit the proposals to the Department for approval.
Religious Education
Mr. Geraint Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what action he is taking to improve the teaching of religious education in Wales ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Wyn Roberts : The Education Reform Act enhances the place of religious education in the school curriculum, and central support is available to local education authorities which undertake in-service teacher training in the subject.
Nuclear Installations (Cancer)
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will instigate investigations into the rates of incidence of cancer near nuclear installations in Wales following the recent report on Sellafield.
Mr. Grist : Analysis of the data available from the Wales cancer registry is under way. The data require careful scrutiny and validation. When the results are ready, I will make a statement.
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what trends he is able to identify in respect of the incidence rates of various forms of cancer (a) in Wales as a whole and (b) in each district in Wales ; and what information he has on trends in such incidence rates in the United Kingdom generally.
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Mr. Grist : Information on the individual incidence rates and trends of cancer within Wales is presented in the Welsh Office publication "Cancer Registration in Wales, 1974-1984".Figures for England and Wales are available from the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys publication "Cancer statistics : registrations", while data for Scotland appear in "Scottish Health Statistics" published by the Common Services Agency for the Scottish Health Service. Information on cancer registrations for Northern Ireland appear in the Department of Health and Social Services "Statistics and Research Bulletin".
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether, in the light of the Gardner report, he will commission fresh independent research into the incidence of leukaemia in north Wales and into the causes of high incidence of specific types of cancer in any part of Wales.
Mr. Grist : Welsh cancer registration data are kept under regular review. Where it appears that the rate of incidence of any particular form of cancer is significantly higher than would be expected consideration is given to the need for, and the most appropriate form of, investigation into possible causes.
Additionally, as announced by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health on 15 February, the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment plans detailed epidemiological studies to obtain more information on the possible health effects in the offspring of parents occupationally exposed to radiation. These studies should start in the near future.
Community Care
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) whether he will make a statement setting out his proposals for independent inspection units for community care services in Wales ;
(2) whether he will make it his policy that independent inspection units for community care in Wales shall regularly review and report on the provision of services within the boundaries of each district authority in their area of responsibility ;
(3) whether he will make it his policy that there shall be an independent inspection unit for the area of each local authority in Wales which has responsibility for social services.
Mr. Grist : A consultation paper on the setting up of independent inspection units in Wales has recently been widely circulated. Copies have been placed in the Library. Policy decisions on the establishment and operation of these units will be taken following consideration of the comments received as a result of the consultation exercise and the deliberations of a working group comprising representatives of the independent and public sectors which has been set up to consider the issue.
ENVIRONMENT
Uniform Business Rate
Mr. David Howell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received concerning the application of the new uniform business rate arrangements to the sale and purchase of small businesses.
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Mr. David Hunt : My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations on the question of the cessation of transitional protection when the rateable occupier of a business property, large or small, changes.
Radon Gas
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further advice is being given to householders affected by radon gas as to how to tackle the problem ; and what efforts are being made to ensure that builders etc. contacted by the public to tackle radon problems give correct advice to the householders.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : The advice already available to householders affected by concentrations of radon in "The Householders' Guide to Radon" is still valid. A second edition is currently being prepared to take account of the new action level.
The building research establishment is engaged in a continuing programme of research on tackling radon problems and the results of this will be published in the form of practical advice for builders and others as they become available. Meanwhile, where owners of buildings are uncertain about the best way to proceed, they should consult the building research establishment.
Household Waste (Incineration)
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authorities in England and Wales use incinerators to dispose of suitable household waste ; and what plans he has to encourage more disposal of such rubbish by this method in the future.
Mr. Trippier : There are 30 municipal incinerators currently operated by local authorities in England and Wales and these dispose of some 8 per cent. of household waste. There is, however, no centrally held information on the number of local authorities which make use of these incinerators.
The Government encourage local authorities to employ the best practicable environmental means for the disposal of their waste. It is for them to determine what that may be in the light of local circumstances.
Industrial Pollution
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will obtain for his departmental library a video tape and copy of the transcript of the "Northern Eye" programme on industrial pollution in Teesside, broadcast on 15 February.
Mr. Trippier : My Department already has copies of the transcript. It is unnecessary to have a copy of the video.
Property Services Agency
Mr. Thornton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of contracts awarded by the Property Services Agency for each of the last three years were carried out by private building contractors ; and what were their total values for each year.
Mr. Chope : All new construction work for the Property Services Agency is undertaken by private sector contractors. In the last three years, the proportion of maintenance work undertaken by the private sector has remained steady, at about 85 per cent.
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The aggregate value of all of this work, at cash prices, was :
|£ million
------------------------------
1986-87 |1,794
1987-88 |1,827
1988-89 |1,978
Local Government Finance
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the policy of his Department towards attribution of liability for the community charge in respect of persons resident in buildings bisected by a district boundary ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Chope : The rules for such buildings are set out in part V of the Community Charges (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1989 (SI 1989/438). Broadly, a building is deemed to fall within the area of the charging authority which contains its greater or greatest part. Any person subject to a community charge by virtue of residence in the building will be subject to the community charge of that area only.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, further to his written reply dated 14 February, Official Report, column 222, concerning the amount of poll tax payable per adult for each region and so on, whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for Humberside the estimated percentage of the adult population, including spouses, now paying rates ; the percentage expected to be chargeable to the poll tax ; and the percentage expected to contribute the same or less than at present as a result of the proposed increase of 29 per cent. in the rate/taxpayer's contribution.
Mr. Chope : The information requested is not available.
Westminster Council
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how the figure of the equivalent of £60 per head was arrived at for Westminster council's land drainage grant.
Mr. Chope : I have no knowledge of any "land drainage grant" for Westminster council.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the National Rivers Authority was consulted about Westminster's contribution to flood control expenses before it was decided how much central Government's grant to Westminster council would be.
Mr. Chope : The standard spending assessment element for flood defence is based on net current expenditure in 1989-90, as defined in annex A of the Revenue Support Grant Distribution Report (England). This information was available without consulting the National Rivers Authority.
House Prices
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the ratio of house prices to earnings in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) Germany and (c) France.
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Mr. Trippier : I will write to the hon. Member.
Personal Transport
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the environmental effects of increased personal transport opportunities in the United Kingdom since 1979.
Mr. Trippier : I refer the hon. Member to the Department of Transport's recent publication "Trunk Roads, England--Into the 1990s", and in particular to chapter 5.
A Change in the Air"
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to obtain a copy of the transcript and video cassette of the television programme "A Change In The Air" broadcast on 25 February.
Automobile Manufacturing
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the annual output of chemical toxic emissions from the automobile manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Trippier : This information is not collected or held centrally in the Department.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what volume of environmentally damaging solvents are typically released into the atmosphere from the paint spraying of an automobile on the production line ; and what policies he has to reduce this pollution.
Mr. Trippier : The information requested on the specific solvent emissions from automobile spraying is not available.
The United Kingdom Government are engaged with other signatories to the UN Economic Commission for Europe convention on long-range transport of air pollution in the production of a draft protocol for the reduction of volatile organic compound emissions.
Within the European Community we are discussing measures to reduce photochemical pollution. These will include reductions of VOC emissions.
Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution is preparing guidance defining the best available techniques not entailing excessive costs to reduce solvent emissions from large-scale automobile spraying.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what volumes of toxic wastes are created annually from the manufacture of automobiles and road haulage vehicles in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Trippier : This information is not held centrally.
Flue Gas Desulphurisation
Mrs. Ann Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, further to his answer of 15 February, Official Report, column 411, whether all existing power stations will, in time, be required to be fitted with flue gas desulphurisation.
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Mr. Trippier : Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution regard the fitting of flue gas desulphurisation equipment as the best practicable means for limiting emissions of sulphur dioxide from coal or oil-fired power stations. Existing plant is required eventually to attain new plant standards if its lifetime justifies this.Common Land
Mrs. Ann Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, further to his answer of 27 November 1989, Official Report, column 89, when he will make a statement on the Government's intentions on common land legislation.
Mr. Trippier : I have nothing to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member on 11 January 1990, at column 683.
Combustion Plants
Mrs. Ann Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will announce a stated timetable for upgrading existing registered large combustion plants.
Mr. Trippier : I have already made clear our commitment to the timetable for reducing emissions from large combustion plants enshrined in the European Community directive. The detailed plan will be published at the time required by the directive.
Emission Reduction Plan
Mrs. Ann Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will publish the consultation paper on the proposed national emission reduction plan prior to the privatisation of the electricity supply industry.
Pollution Abatement Technology
Mrs. Ann Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the emission reduction plan will evaluate the
cost-effectiveness of fitting pollution abatement technology, in terms of cost per tonne of sulphur abated, for differing sizes of plants.
Mr. Trippier : The emission reduction plan will contain the details specified in the large combustion plants directive (88/609/EEC).
Sewage Disposal (Torridge Estuary)
Mrs. Ann Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether a decision has been made as to the type of sewage disposal intended for the Torridge estuary.
Mr. Trippier : I understand that a decision has not yet been made. South West Water Services Ltd. has carried out intensive environmental studies over the past three years in order to develop a comprehensive water quality plan for the Taw/Torridge estuary and to assess the long-term options for improved sewage disposal arrangements. Under the provisions of the Water Act 1989, any such improvement plans and related discharge applications will require the approval and formal consent of the National Rivers Authority. This is a matter, therefore, for South West Water and the NRA.
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Special Needs Grants
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many valid applications for special needs grants under the social fund were made to Grimsby and were refused because of cash limits on local expenditure ; what advice his Department will give to applicants in the light of the recent High Court ruling ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Scott : I have been asked to reply.
In the period April 1989 to January 1990, 1,112 applications for community care grants were processed at Grimsby social security office. Of those applications 647 resulted in an award ; of the remainder none was refused on budgetary grounds.
Our advice remains that any person who has a need which he considers might be met from the social fund should make an application to his local social security office in the normal way.
SCOTLAND
Nature Conservation
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he intends to issue any guidance to the proposed Nature Conservancy Council for Scotland for the purposes of conserving land which is of national importance for nature conservation as provided for in section 29 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Section 29 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 provides powers to the Secretary of State to make nature conservation orders. Such an order is made only where there is a dispute between the Nature Conservancy Council and a landowner about land notified by the council as a site of special scientific interest under section 28 of the Act. There are no powers for the Secretary of State to issue guidance to the council under either section 28 or section 29 of the Act.
Children (Tumours)
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if all children with solid malignant tumours known to the health services are recorded in the Scottish health statistics.
Wind (North of Scotland)
Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consultations his Department has had with the Forestry Commission in respect of wind conditions in the north of Scotland ; and what representations he has received from them in this matter.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The Forestry Commission has three wind -monitoring stations in the north of Scotland--on Skye, at Leanachan near Fort William and at Rosarie in Moray--where wind speeds are recorded and the effect of wind on forests is studied. The commission has advised that the pattern of winds in this area has not been unusual in the first two months of 1990 and that there has been no significant damage to forests since the gale of February 1989.
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New Towns
Mr. Norman Hogg : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of houses built by new town development corporations are now privately owned in each of the new towns.
Mr. Lang : As at 30 September 1989, the total number of corporation houses sold in each of the towns, as a percentage of houses completed by development corporations, is as follows :
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