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Written Answers to Questions

Wednesday 7 March 1990

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

Standard Spending Assessments

Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the criteria he has adopted to determine the standard spending assessment for local education authorities in England and Wales for the year 1990-91 ; and, for each element, if he will quantify the relevant sums he deems appropriate for expenditure by the London borough of Newham in that financial year.

Mrs. Rumbold : The basis on which the education components of the standard spending assessments (SSAs) for 1990-91 for England and Wales are calculated is set out in the Revenue Support Grant Distribution Report (England) and the Welsh Revenue Support Grant Distribution Report. Copies of both reports have been placed in the Library. The sectoral elements of the London borough of Newham's SSA for education are as follows :


                                        

----------------------------------------

Primary Education   |35.281             

Secondary Education |35.105             

Post-16 Education   |14.772             

Under 5 Education   |7.251              

Other Education     |6.101              

Total Education     |98.510             

Mr. Straw : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has made any estimates of the amount by which Staffordshire county council would be required to reduce its education budget for 1990-91 if it were to spend at the level of its standard spending assessment for education ; and whether he has made any assessment of the reductions in teaching staff and of spending on books at such a spending level.

Mr. MacGregor : It is for Staffordshire county council to reach its own conclusions on priorities within any particular level of spending.

Mr. Straw : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has any estimate of the reduction in teaching and non-teaching staffs and in non-pay items including school books and equipment which would be required if local education authorities in England brought their spending in 1990-91 to the level of their standard spending assessments for education.

Mr. MacGregor : It is for individual authorities to determine their own priorities for expenditure.

Student Loans

Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the additional administrative costs falling upon higher education institutions of (a) the proposed student loans scheme, (b) the proposed access funds and (c) the payment of tuition fees in three instalments rather than one.


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Mr. Jackson : The Government are considering what ro le the higher education institutions might play in securing access to the top-up loans for their students. It is not expected that administration of the access funds will add noticeably to the costs of institutions' student advisory services. The additional costs of the termly payment of tuition fees are expected to be negligible.

Internal Audit

Mr. Tim Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many internal auditors are employed in his Department and at what cost ; how many internal audit reports were produced in 1989 ; how many of these were drawn to the attention of a Minister in his Department ; and what internal audit work is sub-contracted to private firms and at what cost.

Mrs. Rumbold : There are at present 14 internal auditors in the Department. The total staffing cost of the Department's internal audit division, including travel and subsistence, training and the cost of support staff, is estimated at £405,000 in the present financial year. In addition, £12,000 has been spent in the present year on bought-in support from private firms to achieve economic and effective audit coverage, particularly in computer areas. The audit plan for 1989-90 covers 60 discrete audit areas ; reports are issued on each assignment. Two of the reports have been drawn to the attention of Ministers.

Food Research

Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much he has allocated for spending on the closure of the Institute of Food Research at Bristol : and from which year's allocation it will come.

Mr. Jackson : My right hon. Friend announced his allocation of the science budget in his reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Hexham (Mr. Amos) on 10 January 1990 at columns 623-24. It is for the research councils to determine how much they will spend from their allocations for any particular purpose.

Drug Abuse

Mr. Lawrence : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much money has been allocated to Staffordshire county council for teacher training on drug abuse and for anti-drug co-ordinators.

Mr. Alan Howarth : For the financial year 1990-91, Staffordshire education authority will receive grant aid on education support grant expenditure of £66,500 on preventive health education, and on expenditure of £69,000 under the associated LEA training grants scheme national priority area. Both these programmes cover education about drug abuse.

Teachers' Pay

Mr. Straw : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what will be the total cost of the proposed phased implementation of the recommendations of the interim advisory committee on teachers' pay in 1990- 91 ; what was the corresponding figure in the remit to the committee ; and who will be responsible for funding any difference between these two figures.


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Mr. MacGregor : The additional cost in 1990- 91 of implementing the IAC's recommendations in the way I have proposed would be £620 million in England and Wales, compared with the financial constraint set out in the IAC's remit of £600 million. The difference should not be an appreciable burden for local authorities given the scope that exists for savings across their services.

Disabled Students

Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations his Department has received regarding a fourth access fund for disabled students.

Mr. Jackson : Representations in favour of such a fund have been made by several hon. Members and organisations representing disabled people.

Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to make a statement on the revised arrangements for the disabled students' allowance.

Mr. Jackson : Shortly.

Disabled Graduates

Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what representations his Department has received regarding the disposable income level of disabled graduates ;


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(2) whether his Department has carried out any research into the disposable income levels of disabled graduates.

Mr. Jackson : The Department has received a number of representations from organisations representing the interests of disabled people. A few have provided evidence in support of their claim that disabled graduates will be at a disadvantage when repaying top-up loans. We have also examined evidence from the OPCS surveys of disability in Great Britain.

University Lecturers

Mr. Hawkins : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what has been the real increase in the earnings of university lecturers over the last decade, over the previous decade and over the two decades combined ; and if he will set out in a table (a) the salary of a university lecturer at the top of the lecturers' scale, (b) the retail prices index and (c) average United Kingdom earnings for (i) the 1970s, (ii) the 1980s and (iii) the two periods combined.

Mr. Jackson : Data for total earnings of university lecturers are not available. The following table shows lecturers' salaries in actual and real terms in comparison with the retail prices index and average earnings over the periods (i) April 1970 to April 1979 (ii) April 1979 to April 1989 and (iii) April 1970 to April 1989 :


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Earnings and Prices Levels                                                                                                    

Year (April)      |Lecturer         |Retail prices in-|Average United   |Real terms       |Real terms                         

                  |maximum          |dex<2>           |Kingdom          |lecturers'       |average United                     

                  |salary                             |earnings         |salaries<6>      |Kingdom                            

                  |(£)<1>                             |(£)<3>                             |earnings<6>                        

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1970              |3,105            |100              |1,347            |3,105            |1,347                              

1979              |8,452            |295.4            |4,633            |2,861            |1,568                              

1989<4>           |<5>20,469        |621.9            |12,464           |3,291            |2,004                              


Percentage Increases                                                                                                              

                      |Lecturers'       |Retail prices in-|Average United   |Lecturers'       |Average                            

                      |salaries         |dex              |Kingdom          |salaries         |earnings                           

                      |(cash)                             |earnings (cash)  |(real terms)     |(real terms)                       

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

April 1970-April 1979 |172              |195.4            |244              |-8               |16                                 

April 1979-April 1989 |<5>142           |110.5            |169              |15               |28                                 

April 1970-April 1989 |<5>559           |521.9            |825              |6                |49                                 

<1> Excludes non salary earnings.                                                                                                 

<2> Based on April 1970=100.                                                                                                      

<3> Average earnings for all occupations males and females combined, excluding those whose pay has been affected by absence.      

Figures are on a full-time adult rates basis and are taken from the new earnings survey.                                          

<4> April 1990 salary data not yet available.                                                                                     

<5> Excludes maximum of discretionary range=£22,872 effective from 1 October 1989. Inclusion of this attainable maximum salary    

indicates 171 per cent. increase during the period April 1979-October 1989, and 637 per cent. increase during the period April    

1970-October 1989.                                                                                                                

<6> Both at April 1970 prices.                                                                                                    

PRIME MINISTER

Visits

Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Prime Minister if she will make an official visit to Newham.

The Prime Minister : I have at present no plans to do so.


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Inner Cities Initiative

Mr. Cryer : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list by project the £4 billion expenditure announced for the inner cities on 28 February ; how much was already approved and how much was additional moneys ; and if she will make a statement.

The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Member to the reply that he received today from my hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Inner Cities [column 734. ]


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Mr. Cryer : To ask the Prime Minister what was the cost of (a) her official visit to Bradford and west Yorkshire on 28 February and (b) the inner cities launch and television link-up on that date.

The Prime Minister : The costs of visits of this nature are not readily identifiable. The final cost of the inner cities launch and TV link -up on 28 February is not yet known, but is likely to average about £15,000 for each of the seven centres involved.

Travel Expenditure

Mr. Cryer : To ask the Prime Minister what was the total expenditure in travel for her and her staff (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) to countries outside the United Kingdom in 1989 and 1990 to the most recent practicable date ; and if she will make a statement.

The Prime Minister : The total cost of my travel and that of my staff in the United Kingdom in 1989-90 to date is £378,663. The total cost to countries outside the United Kingdom is £258,403.

ENERGY

Property Sale, Nottinghamshire

Mr. Skinner : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will issue a direction to British Coal to prevent the sale to the Union of Democratic Mineworkers below market prices, of the property known as "The Sycamores," Nottinghamshire ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Baldry : I understand from British Coal that the sale has already taken place. In any case, the disposal of assets belonging to British Coal is a matter for the corporation's management.

Renewable Energy

Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what expenditure over the next three years is planned by his Department for development of (a) nuclear power, (b) tidal power and (c) wind power.

Mr. Peter Morrison : Figures for the Department's most recent expenditure plans for 1990-91 to 1992-93 are set out in chapter 5 of the public expenditure White Paper (Cm. 1005). These show that in 1990-91 the Department plans to spend £126.4 million on nuclear research and development (including some restructuring costs), and £20.3 million on research and development on renewable sources of energy, including £7 million on wind energy and £1.2 million on tidal energy.

Energy Efficiency

Mr. Terry Davis : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what was the basis for the statement by the right hon. Member for Worcester (Mr. Walker) that Britain was at the bottom of the league on energy efficiency in June 1984 ; and what assessment he has made of evidence that Britain was achieving the target of being at the top of the league by the end of that Parliament.

Mr. Peter Morrison : The statement by my right hon. Friend the Member for Worcester (Mr. Walker) was


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designed to encourage efforts to improve the United Kingdom's energy efficiency, not to set operational measures of performance. The United Kingdom's performance over the period 1983 to 1987 matched, and in some cases exceeded, that of most other countries, as the following table shows :


Total Primary Energy Requirement/GDP ratio ( 

Tonnes of oil                                

equivalent per $1,000 GDP at 1985 prices)    

                         |GDP ratio          

---------------------------------------------

1983                                         

Japan                    |0.28               

Switzerland              |0.29               

Denmark                  |0.31               

Italy                    |0.34               

France                   |0.37               

Austria                  |0.41               

West Germany             |0.43               

United Kingdom           |0.45               

Spain                    |0.46               

United States of America |0.48               

Finland                  |0.49               

Ireland                  |0.49               

Netherlands              |0.49               

Norway                   |0.49               

Iceland                  |0.51               

Australia                |0.52               

Belgium                  |0.52               

Sweden                   |0.52               

Greece                   |0.54               

New Zealand              |0.55               

Portugal                 |0.62               

Canada                   |0.68               

Turkey                   |0.78               

Luxembourg               |0.93               

                                             

1987                                         

Japan                    |0.26               

Switzerland              |0.28               

Italy                    |0.33               

Denmark                  |0.34               

France                   |0.38               

West Germany             |0.42               

United Kingdom           |0.43               

Spain                    |0.43               

Austria                  |0.44               

United States of America |0.44               

Norway                   |0.46               

Australia                |0.48               

Iceland                  |0.49               

Ireland                  |0.50               

Netherlands              |0.51               

Sweden                   |0.54               

Finland                  |0.54               

Belgium                  |0.55               

Greece                   |0.57               

Portugal                 |0.62               

New Zealand              |0.63               

Canada                   |0.64               

Turkey                   |0.80               

Luxembourg               |0.85               

Source: "Energy Balances of OECD countries   

1986-87" OECD 1989.                          

Note: These energy ratios are determined by  

many factors, including climate and          

industrial structure.                        

Internal Audit

Mr. Tim Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many internal auditors are employed in his Department and at what cost ; how many internal audit reports were produced in 1989 ; how many of these were drawn to the attention of a Minister in his Department ; and what internal audit work is subcontracted to private firms and at what cost.


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Mr. Wakeham : There are 10 internal auditors in the Department of Energy, including the head of internal audit. The total cost of the unit is £185,000 per annum. Fifteen reports were produced in 1989, none of which was brought directly to the attention of a Minister. No internal audit work is contracted to private firms ; it is a completely internal professional service.

Fuel Exports and Imports

Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will provide figures for January 1990 of fuel exports and imports equivalent to those given in his answers of 9 November 1989, Official Report, column 767 and 19 December 1989, Official Report, columns 118-19.

Mr. Wakeham : The equivalent information for fuel exports and imports for January 1990 as set out in my previous answers on 9 November 1989, Official Report, columns 767-68, and 19 December 1989, Official Report, columns 118-19, is as follows :


                               |Number of                     |Cost                          |Audit reports                 |Sub-contract work-            |Cost                                                                                        

                               |auditors                                                     |produced                      |Computer auditor                                                                                                           

                                                              |£                                                            |Consultants                   |£                                                                                           

Lord Chancellor's Department   |27.5                          |594,660                       |39                            |-                             |16,000                                                                                      

Northern Ireland Court Service |5                             |98,700                        |25                            |None                          |-                                                                                           

Land Registry                  |6                             |117,569                       |19                            |None                          |-                                                                                           


                               |Number of                     |Cost                          |Audit reports                 |Sub-contract work-            |Cost                                                                                        

                               |auditors                                                     |produced                      |Computer auditor                                                                                                           

                                                              |£                                                            |Consultants                   |£                                                                                           

Lord Chancellor's Department   |27.5                          |594,660                       |39                            |-                             |16,000                                                                                      

Northern Ireland Court Service |5                             |98,700                        |25                            |None                          |-                                                                                           

Land Registry                  |6                             |117,569                       |19                            |None                          |-                                                                                           

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Internal Audit

Mr. Tim Smith : To ask the Attorney-General how many internal auditors are employed in those departments for which the Lord Chancellor is responsible and at what cost ; how many internal audit reports were produced in 1989 ; how many of these were drawn to the attention of a Minister ; and what internal audit work is subcontracted to private firms and at what cost.

The Attorney-General : Internal audit coverage for departments for which the Lord Chancellor is responsible is as follows : the Lord Chancellor's Department, including the Public Record Office ; the Northern Ireland Court Service and the Land Registry. For the financial year 1988-89 the figures requested are :


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                               |Number of                     |Cost                          |Audit reports                 |Sub-contract work-            |Cost                                                                                        

                               |auditors                                                     |produced                      |Computer auditor                                                                                                           

                                                              |£                                                            |Consultants                   |£                                                                                           

Lord Chancellor's Department   |27.5                          |594,660                       |39                            |-                             |16,000                                                                                      

Northern Ireland Court Service |5                             |98,700                        |25                            |None                          |-                                                                                           

Land Registry                  |6                             |117,569                       |19                            |None                          |-                                                                                           

No reports have been drawn to the attention of the Lord Chancellor by internal audit. The head of internal audit reports to the accounting officer.

THE ARTS

Internal Audit

Mr. Tim Smith : To ask the Minister for the Arts how many internal auditors are employed in his office and at what cost ; how many internal audit reports were produced in 1989 ; how many of these were drawn to his attention ; and what internal audit work is subcontracted to private firms and at what cost.

Mr. Luce : No internal auditors are employed by the Office of Arts and Libraries. Internal audit services are, however, provided by the Cabinet Office team at no cost to the Office of Arts and Libraries. Two internal audit reports were produced in 1989 as part of a predetermined cycle of audit reviews, neither of which was drawn to my attention. No internal audit work is subcontracted to private firms.


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TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Anti-dumping Duties

Mr. Oppenheim : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list details of (a) successful anti-cartel actions which have been taken by the European Commission over the last 10 years, indicating whether the products involved were subject to anti-dumping duties and (b) anti-cartel actions which have been taken by the European Commission over the last 10 years which have resulted in an agreement between the Commission and the cartel in order to preclude action, indicating whether the products involved were subject to anti-dumping duties.

Mr. Redwood : Details of cases in which the European Commission has taken decisions are listed in the table. In a much larger number of cases the Commission has negotiated satisfactory undertakings which have precluded the need for action, but these are not usually made public.

In the two cases asterisked, certain imports from third countries of the products involved were, during the period


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of the infringements, subject to anti- dumping duties. This may also have been so in some other cases but, if so, those cases are not readily identifiable.


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Cartels found by the European Commission (since 1980) to have infringed the EC competition rules             

Case                                                |Date of decision  |Publication<1>                       

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bundesverband Deutscher Stahlhandel eV (rolled      |8 February 1980   |1980 L62                             

  steel)                                                                                                     

                                                                                                             

French and German special steel producers           |27 March 1980     |Bulletin of the EC                   

                                                                       |3-1980                               

                                                                                                             

IMA-Statuut (plywood)                               |18 September 1980 |1980 L318                            

                                                                                                             

Italian cast glass                                  |17 December 1980  |1980 L383                            

                                                                                                             

Italian flat glass                                  |29 September 1980 |1981 L326                            

                                                                                                             

VBBB/VBVB (books)                                   |25 November 1981  |1982 L54                             

                                                                                                             

ANSEAU-NAVEWA (water)                               |17 December 1981  |1982 L167                            

                                                                                                             

SSI (tobacco)                                       |15 July 1982      |1982 L232                            

                                                                                                             

Rolled zinc products and zinc alloys                |14 December 1982  |1982 L362                            

                                                                                                             

AROW/BNIC (cognac)                                  |14 December 1982  |1982 L362                            

                                                                                                             

Vimpoltu (agricultural and horticultural machinery) |13 July 1983      |1983 L200                            

                                                                                                             

Cast iron and steel rolls                           |17 October 1983   |1983 L317                            

                                                                                                             

IPTC Belgium (washing machines and dishwashers)     |5 December 1983   |1983 L376                            

                                                                                                             

Flat glass sector Benelux                           |23 July 1984      |1984 L212                            

                                                                                                             

Zinc Producer Group                                 |6 August 1984     |1984 L220                            

                                                                                                             

Peroxygen products                                  |23 November 1984  |1985 L35                             

                                                                                                             

Fire insurance                                      |5 December 1984   |1985 L35                             

                                                                                                             

Milchforderungsfonds (milk products)                |7 December 1984   |1985 L35                             

                                                                                                             

Woodpulp                                            |19 December 1984  |1985 L85                             

                                                                                                             

Aluminium                                           |19 December 1984  |1985 L92                             

                                                                                                             

Siemens/Fanuc (numerical controls etc.)             |18 December 1985  |1985 L376                            

                                                                                                             

Polypropylene                                       |23 April 1986     |1986 L230                            

                                                                                                             

Roofing felt                                        |10 July 1986      |1986 L232                            

                                                                                                             

Meldoc (dairies)                                    |26 November 1986  |1986 L348                            

                                                                                                             

Fatty acids                                         |2 December 1986   |1987 L3                              

                                                                                                             

Verenigde Blowmenveilingen Aalsmeer (flowers)       |26 July 1988      |1988 L262                            

                                                                                                             

Hudson's Bay/Dansk Pelsdyravlerforening (furs)      |28 October 1988   |1988 L316                            

                                                                                                             

Flat glass-Italy                                    |7 December 1988   |1989 L33                             

                                                                                                             

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)*                           |21 December 1988  |1989 L74                             

                                                                                                             

Low-density polyethylene*                           |21 December 1988  |1989 L74                             

                                                                                                             

Welded steel mesh                                   |2 August 1989     |1989 L260                            

<1> Official Journal of the EC unless otherwise indicated.                                                   

Recycling

Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has any plans to move from material specification to performance specification in respect of British Standards in order to allow a greater use of recycled material.


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Mr. Ridley : The Department's Warren Spring laboratory has identified the historical emphasis upon material specification for standards as a significant barrier to the development of markets for recycled materials, and a shift towards performance specification would begin to undermine that barrier. The whole question of standards has been identified as a key area for discussion by the recycling advisory group, set up to help to develop a national approach to recycling and to propose means of increasing United Kingdom recycling rates. The group is due to present its recommendations shortly and these will be carefully considered by the Government.

Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has any plans to amend British Standard 5750 to allow a greater use of recycled material.

Mr. Ridley : The question of standards has been identified as a key area for discussion by the recycling advisory group, set up to help develop a national approach to recycling and to propose means of increasing United Kingdom recycling rates. The group is due to present its recommendations shortly and these will be carefully considered by the Government.

Mrs. Mahon : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects the recycling advisory group to report on its consideration of recycling of domestic and industrial waste.

Mr. Ridley : The group is expected to complete the current phase of its work before the end of May.

Company Audits

Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will bring forward legislation to require all organisations seeking the status of a qualifying body under the Companies Act 1989 to issue recommended reading lists to their students.

Mr. Redwood : No.

Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will legislate to require all auditors of all companies to detect fraud and report it to the appropriate authorities.

Mr. Redwood : No, but I hope that all auditors will apply the guidance in the newly issued auditing guideline on the auditor's responsibility in relation to fraud, other irregularities and errors.

Inspectors' Reports

Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list those of his Department's inspectors' reports completed since January 1979 that have taken four years or longer to be published.

Mr. Redwood : There have been no reports completed since 1979 for which the date of publication is four years or more later than the date of the report.

Departmental Structure

Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received on his plans for the future structure of his Department, pursuant to his answer of 21 February, Official Report, column 783-4.

Mr. Ridley : None, as of 5 March 1990.

Accounting Standards Task Group

Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what are the sources of funding for the accounting standards task group.


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Mr. Redwood : The sources of funding for the accounting standards task group are my Department and the Bank of England. In addition, two major accountancy firms are respectively providing the services of a senior manager and a secretary.

Postal Services

Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will make a statement about the efficiency of the postal services.

Mr. Ridley : The Post Office has set itself a target for this year to deliver 3 per cent. more letters on average by the next day. I welcome this commitment. Its real unit costs fell by 4.6 per cent. over the last target period, the three years to 29 March 1989.

Internal Audit

Mr. Tim Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many internal auditors are employed in his Department and at what cost ; how many internal audit reports were produced in 1989 ; how many of these were drawn to the attention of a Minister in his Department ; and what internal audit work is subcontracted to private firms and at what cost.

Mr. Redwood : My Department employs 32 internal auditors at a cost of £786,000 a year. In 1989, 54 final internal audit reports were produced ; none of these was referred to a Minister. No internal audit work is contracted out to private firms at the present time.

Equal Opportunities

Ms. Quin : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action he has taken, and what action he intends taking, to implement the recommendations within his area of responsibility of the European Commission's child care network report "Caring for Children--Services and Policies for Childcare and Equal Opportunities in the United Kingdom".

Mr. Ridley [holding answer 5 March 1990] : The report was prepared for the European Commission which has not yet developed any proposals. The Government believe that policy on child care is a matter for member states. The United Kingdom's policy is that it is for families themselves to determine how their children are to be brought up and how parents, who wish to do so, can best combine paid work and family responsibilities. The Government, through the Department of Health and the ministerial group on women's issues, have encouraged the development of a range of high quality child care options for both parents and employers.

Shipbuilding

Mr. Clay : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what record was kept by an official of his Department of the information given to the hon. Member for Sunderland, North on 6 December 1988 by the chairman of British Shipbuilders concerning the financial support available from the General, Municipal, Boilermakers and Allied Trades Union for the north- south bridge consortium which was bidding to acquire North East Shipbuilders Limited ; and what steps have subsequently been taken to check the accuracy of this information.


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Mr. Douglas Hogg [holding answer 27 February 1990] : The view taken by British Shipbuilders and its financial advisers was that the proposal received from the north-south bridge consortium did not provide the basis for a viable future for merchant shipbuilding in the Sunderland yards. This was irrespective of whether the General, Municipal, Boilermakers and Allied Trades Union had been able to confirm an oral indication of £10 million towards the consortium's capital provision. The Department's financial advisers agreed with this assessment. The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster took account of all relevant considerations in reaching the decisions announced on 7 December 1988. The Department's records refer to sources of finance available to the consortium. Given the view taken of the proposal as a whole, there was no point in inviting financial advisers to investigate the GMBATU indication.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Drink Driving

Mr. Day : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list the national organisations responding to his consultation paper on possible changes to the breath testing legislation that were in favour of the police being given powers to conduct random breath testing either within the prescribed context of a roadside checkpoint or in the context of them being given unfettered discretion powers ;

(2) if he will make a statement on the outcome of his consultation on changes to the breath testing legislation ;

(3) if he will place copies of responses from organisations to his consultation exercise on breath testing legislation in the Library.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : Following the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Derby, North (Mr. Knight) on 1 February 1989 at column 252, the following national organisations wrote to the Home Office to express support for extended police powers to conduct roadside breath tests, either in the form of unfettered discretion or some other form :

Alcohol Concern

Association of Industrial Road Safety Officers

Association of Chief Police Officers (Scotland)

Association of Metropolitan Authorities

Association of Scottish Police Superintendents

Automobile Association

Baptist Union of Great Britain

British Medical Association

British Safety Council

Campaign Against Drinking and Driving

Churches Council on Alcohol and Drugs

County Surveyors' Society

Cyclists Touring Club

Guild of Experienced Motorists

Institute of Incorporated Highway Engineers

Justices' Clerks' Society

K-DOOR (Keep Death Off Our Roads)

Liberty

Magistrates' Association

Medical Commission on Accident Prevention

National Council of Women

National Federation of Women's Institutes

Parliamentary Advisory Council on Transport Safety

Police Federation (England and Wales)

Police Superintendents' Association (England and

Wales)

Royal College of Community Medicine

Royal College of Midwives

Royal College of Nursing


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