| Previous Section | Home Page |
Shipbuilding
Mr. Clay : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many of the 250 jobs referred to in the reply by the hon. Member for Darwen and Rossendale (Mr. Trippier) to the hon. Member for Sunderland, North, 20 July 1989, Official Report, column 346, arise from ship repair or ship conversion activities.
Column 697
Mr. Douglas Hogg [holding answer 14 March 1990] : Of the 250 jobs referred to, approximately 10 people were employed by a company which was primarily engaged in ship repair business.Mr. Clay : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the dates and purposes of visits to Norway during 1988 and 1989 by (a) Ministers of his Department and (b) civil servants of grade 5 or above.
Mr. Douglas Hogg [holding answer 14 March 1990] : My right hon. Friend the Member for Braintree (Mr. Newton) visited Norway as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster from 29 October to 1 November 1988 to discuss investment in the United Kingdom by Kvaerner Industrier and other Norwegian companies. He also announced that Kvaerner Govan Ltd. had placed orders with Clark Kincaid Ltd. for the engines for the first two gas ships to be built on the Clyde for their Norwegian clients. A number of other visits were made by DTI officials in the course of 1988 and 1989 for general discussions on bilateral issues and for discussions with Norwegian interests concerning the acquisition of United Kingdom shipbuilding capacity and ship and marine engine orders.
Mr. Clay : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will set out the specific proposals of the Tyne and Wear development corporation for the redevelopment of the Southwick shipyard site in Sunderland.
Mr. Douglas Hogg [holding answer 14 March 1990] : Detailed proposals depend on the outcome of negotiations with relevant parties. It is, however, the current intention of the development corporation to redevelop the Southwick shipyard site in Sunderland for general industrial uses.
Mr. Clay : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will set out the various elements of state aid agreed by his Department in the disposal of the private sector of the British Shipbuilders facilities at (a) Govan, (b) Appledore, (c) Ailsa Ferguson (Troon), (d) Ferguson and (e) Clark Kincaid.
Mr. Douglas Hogg [holding answer 14 March 1990] : The detailed terms of sale of the individual British Shipbuilders' companies are commercially confidential. Following is a summary of the net costs of disposal after taking account of the considerations paid in each case :
(a) Govan Up to £25 million, including redundancy payments in respect of surplus staff, and a contribution to a programme of capital investment at the yard.
(b) Appledore £3.4 million, including redundancy payments and costs arising from completion of existing work.
(c) Ferguson-Ailsa (Troon) The assets of the Ailsa yard were sold on commerical terms, following closure of the company by British Shipbuilders.
(d) Ferguson Net cost of disposal to British Shipbuilders was £3.8 million, primarily relating to the costs of redundancies at the yard.
(e) Clark Kincaid £3.2 million, including redundancy payments, costs arising from completion of existing work, and a contribution to capital investment at the yard.
Mr. Clay : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will update the estimate of the commercial costs to British Shipbuilders of closing North East Shipbuilders Ltd.
Column 698
Mr. Douglas Hogg [holding answer 14 March 1990] : A provision for an estimated extraordinary loss of £53.7 million relating to the closure of North East Shipbuilders Ltd. was made in the NESL accounts for 1987-88. A release of some of these provisions in the 1988-89 accounts has brought the estimated costs of closure down to £51 million. There may be further slight amendments in the 1989-90 accounts when published.Mr. Clay : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which riverside areas along the River Wear are affected by the advice of Sir Leon Brittan that a recommencement of shipbuilding would lead the European Commission to reconsider its agreement to the notification made by the British Government in December 1988.
Mr. Douglas Hogg [holding answer 14 March 1990] : There is no specific delineation by the Commission of the European Communities of land on the River Wear on which it would regard a recommencement of shipbuilding as prompting a reopening of the December 1988 notification. The Commission has, however, indicated that a restart of shipbuilding in Sunderland in general terms, even on land outside the confines of North East Shipbuilders Limited, would lead it to look again at the overall package. This view is taken on the grounds that the remedial measures programme for Sunderland was approved on the basis of the loss of shipbuilding jobs in the town.
Professional Access Project
Mr. George Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will consider financing in Scotland a pilot scheme similar to the British Council/DTI professional access project in Yorkshire/Humberside.
Mr. Douglas Hogg [holding answer 19 March 1990] : I shall be interested to consider proposals for a professional access project in Scotland in consultation with my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland. My officials will also wish to discuss this with the British Council.
National Engineering Laboratory
Mr. Ingram : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the projected budget is for the year 1990-91 broken down by designated category for the National Engineering Laboratory.
Mr. Douglas Hogg [holding answer 19 March 1990] : The Secretary of State will be making decisions later this month about budget allocations for the next financial year. In the case of the National Engineering Laboratory, I expect the provision to be adequate for some 400 staff and associated costs.
Exports
Mr. Tim Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish a table showing for each of the European Community countries, the United States of America, Canada and Japan the amount of exports per head of population expressed on a comparable basis in £ sterling and as at the latest available date.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 20 March 1990] : The information is in the table.
Column 699
Exports per head of population 1988 Source: OECD Series A' and OECD MEI
Mr. Tim Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish a table showing for each of the European Community countries, the United States of America, Canada and Japan exports expressed as a percentage of gross national product as at the latest available date.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 20 March 1990] : The information is in the table.
Exports as a percentage of GNP 1988 <1>GDP figures-GNP figures not readily available. Source: OECD Series A' and IMF International Financial Statistics.
Hong Kong (Trade Balance)
Mr. Janman : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the United Kingdom's trade balance with Hong Kong.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 21 March 1990] : In 1989 imports of visible goods from Hong Kong exceeded United Kingdom's exports of visible goods to that country by £925 million.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
Rain Forests
Mr. Jack : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will obtain a copy of the article on rain forest destruction in the latest issue of the magazine Science for his Department library.
Column 700
WALES
Health Conferences
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) whether he will issue guidelines to the National Health Service director in Wales to ensure that in any conferences organised by him all participants, including speakers, with particular expertise and experience in health care systems with administrative costs higher than the National Health Service, should contribute fees to the National Health Service commensurate with the learning curve benefit on management efficiency they derive ;
(2) whether he will issue guidelines to the National Health Service directorate and manpower consultancy service to ensure that all conferences it organises for National Health Service employees in Wales on health care management give preference to speakers with direct expertise and experience of health care systems with lower administrative costs than the United Kingdom National Health Service ;
(3) whether he will issue guidelines to Welsh health authorities on the maximum cost per National Health Service employee for attendance at conferences on non-medical subjects.
Mr. Grist : All conferences arranged by the NHS in Wales are designed to develop the service and are therefore ultimately for the benefit of patients. Speakers, whether from within the United Kingdom National Health Service or outside, are selected on the basis of the contribution they can make. Fees and related costs and charges are taken fully into account in making this judgment.
I see no need to issue specific guidelines as these principles are well understood. It is a matter for local decision as to which conferences individual employees should attend.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the cost to the National Health Service in Wales of National Health Service employees attending the Yale university school of management health care management executive programme at the Metropole hotel, Llandrindod Wells, on 3 to 8 June.
Mr. Grist : It is estimated that up to 60 delegates will attend the healthcare management executive programme at Llandrindod Wells. The course is expected to be self-financing, but the Department has indicated that it will fund four delegates from each health authority, at a total cost of £60,000. Fee-paying delegates will be attending from the rest of the United Kingdom, and further places may be taken up by Welsh NHS employees at a cost of £1,500 per delegate. The programme is widely recognised as one of the best and most intensive training courses available in healthcare management and has previously been run in Australia, Spain and England, as well as the United States. Professor Fetter's team are world leaders, having developed the use of diagnosis related groups (DRGs) for the effective management of healthcare resources in a wide range of countries.
Column 701
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Probate
Mr. Tim Smith : To ask the Attorney-General what is the delay before sending personal applicants for probate an appointment for interview ; what is the reason for the delay ; how many applications are outstanding ; and what plans he has to offer a better service to the public.
The Attorney-General : The delay before sending personal applicants for probate an appointment for interview is approximately four weeks at the current time. The reason for the delay is the seasonal large influx of cases, and some staffing difficulties in the London area. There are currently 771 outstanding cases, of which 202 are ready for appointment and the remainder are being processed. Arrears are gradually reducing as a result of increased computerisation and a reorganisation of working practices.
Mr. Tim Smith : To ask the Attorney-General when and why the probate personal application department of the London probate registry moved from Golden Cross house to Somerset house.
The Attorney-General : The personal application department moved from Golden Cross house to Somerset house on Monday 11 September 1989. The main reasons for the move were :
(a) Economy. As a direct consequence of the move £250,000 was saved in accommodation charges and staff savings.
(b) Greater efficiency. The senior probate staff, together with the judiciary, are in Somerset house and referrals to them can be made more speedily and efficiently.
Mr. Tim Smith : To ask the Attorney-General when he expects to amend form PA2 to reflect the move of the probate personal application department to Somerset house ; what was the level and value of stationery stock at the time of the move ; how many staff are employed sticking change of address labels on the stationery ; and at what cost.
The Attorney-General : Form PA2 was amended in November 1989 and distributed during that month. The level and value of stationery stock at the time of the move cannot now be accurately ascertained. Change of address labels are stuck on as and when the forms are completed by clerical staff. The only cost of applying sticky labels to forms is that of the labels themselves, which is £164.94 for 32, 000.
SCOTLAND
Capital Allocations
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much of Glasgow district council's general services capital programme in the past five years has been funded from (a) capital receipts and (b) borrowing.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The information is as follows :
Column 702
Note: Column (d) is the difference between columns (b) and (c) and includes borrowing, capital grants and current revenue used to finance capital expenditure. Information on these separate components is not available.
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are his criteria for deciding the capital allocations for general services for each district council.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The allocation of resources for capital expenditure by local authorities is determined, within the resources available, on the basis of their relative needs. In the light of the financial plans which each authority submits each year, the relative needs of authorities are assessed having regard to a number of factors, including the priorities that Ministers attach to particular categories of expenditure, the capital costs of individual projects, previous spending patterns and forecasts of capital receipts. As part of the stability of the financial planning system, regard is also had, when the final allocations for any year are being decided, to the provisional allocations previously issued.
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what change he is planning in real terms for 1991-92 in Glasgow district council's capital allocation for general services.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The provisional figure notified to the City of Glasgow district council for its general services capital allocation in 1991-92 is £3.0 million, the same as the final allocation for 1990-91, or £0.1 million lower in real terms as measured by the change in GDP deflator assumed over these two years for public expenditure planning.
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will review Glasgow district council's general services capital allocation for 1990-91.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans either to reduce, or to increase, the council's general services capital allocation for 1990-91.
Local Government Finance
Mrs. Ray Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the average local income tax figures in each region or islands authority required to produce the amount being paid in community charge in 1989-90.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : On the basis of the information available to my Department, it is not possible to estimate the average amount which would have been required to be paid in local income tax to replace the revenue which each region or islands authority will receive from the community charge in 1989-90.
Mrs. Ray Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the estimated amount to be paid by
Column 703
community charge payers in each region or islands area in their regional, district or island and water community charge in 1989-90, taking account of the rebates which are paid for by the Government out of the Exchequer.Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Local authorities' most recent estimates of income raised in 1989-90 from personal and collective community charges are set out in the table. In establishing these figures local authorites take account both of community charge rebates and the rebate subsidy received from central Government. The amount actually paid by charge payers will be the amounts quoted in the table less the amounts paid as appropriate in community charge benefit (rebates) by local authorities. Details of the total amount of rebates by authority are not yet available.
Information on the amount to be paid in community water charges is not held centrally.
Personal and collective community charge income 1989-90
Civil Engineering
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will take steps to encourage public sector bodies to increase their use of the private sector for civil engineering work.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Almost all civil engineering works commissioned by public authorities in Scotland are constructed by contractors from the private sector, on the basis of competitive tendering. In addition, all trunk road projects and many water and sewerage projects are designed and supervised by private sector consultants appointed on a competitive basis. There is no evidence that further action to encourage use of the private sector in civil engineering is necessary.
Phoenix House Trust
Mr. Michael J. Martin : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if Scottish Homes plans to give a grant to the Phoenix House Trust for the purposes of converting the dwelling house at Kappochhill road into a drugs unit.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : When approving Scottish Homes' programme for any year my right hon. and learned Friend also agrees the amounts which Scottish Homes proposes should be spent on particular functions. The allocation of funds to specific areas or to individual projects is then a matter for Scottish Homes.
Leukaemia
Sir Hector Monro : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has considered the Gardner report on the incidence of leukaemia ; and if he will make it his policy to make a statement on its application to Scotland.
Mr. Rifkind : The conclusions of Professor Gardner's study of childhood leukaemia in west Cumbria are of considerable concern. A similar study at Dounreay is being concluded as a matter of urgency and the results are expected by the summer.
It is important that each study is not considered in isolation but together with all the other Government-funded studies emerging as a result of recommendations by the committee on medical aspects of radiation in the environment, to whom the Government look for expert advice.
Column 705
Electricity Industry
Mr. Allan Stewart : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the regulation of the Scottish electricity industry.
Mr. Rifkind : I am making available to the House today model drafts of the licences to be issued to Scottish Power and Scotish Hydro-Electric, to independent generators including Scottish Nuclear Ltd. and to second- tier suppliers in Scotland. The licences for Scottish Power and Scottish Hydro-Electric are now largely in final form and ready to be granted shortly before vesting. Other generation and second-tier supply licensees will receive a licence based on the published drafts but adjusted to meet their particular circumstances and requirements.
The public electricity supply, transmission and generation licences for the Scottish vertically integrated companies are contained in a composite licence document. They reflect the wider Great Britain framework but have been tailored where appropriate to meet specific Scottish circumstances. A particular example of this is the provision which will be included in the licence for Hydro-Electric to secure that the benefit of cheap hydro power will be applied to maintain transmission and distribution costs in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland at levels comparable with those in other parts of the country, thus underpinning our commitment to maintain common tariffs for customers throughout that area.
The composite licence document includes provisions to control the maximum average prices charged by Scottish Power and Scottish Hydro-Electric. The average distribution, supply and transmission prices will be capped and indexed annually by an RPI-X formula. This will create incentives on the industry to improved performance and cost efficiency. The objective is to replicate market pressures to cost reduction on these monopoly services.
The vertically integrated structure of the Scottish industry also requires that, within the overall prices charged to customers, there should be direct regulation of generation prices. We have decided that the maximum average generation price to customers should not be allowed to increase beyond changes in RPI over the next four years. During a further four-year transitional period, regulation will move over progressively to an index derived from average generation prices in the England and Wales competitive market. In this way, the disciplines of the wider market will be impressed upon the Scottish companies.
Prices to consumers taking 10 MW or more will not be directly regulated in Scotland, nor will sales by the Scottish companies outside their areas. Prices in this part of the market are already being determined, quite properly, by competitive forces and this will continue to offer customers the best form of protection. To protect smaller customers who do not have a choice in their supplier, there will be a subsidiary cap on average prices to all consumers taking up to 1 MW which will restrict maximum average price rises to the movement in the overall price cap.
Taken together, these regulatory controls will mean that average electricity price rises to customers in the regulated market in Scotland will be held below the rate of inflation over the next four years and thereafter they will increasingly reflect the downward pressures on prices in the fully competitive Great Britain market. The companies will, however, be free, subject to their licence conditions, to
Column 706
set different tariffs to each individual group of consumers within the average price cap to reflect the economic costs of supply. For the more immediate term, I expect average tariff increases in Scotland next year to be about the rate of inflation. For larger customers above 1 MW, including contract customers, the Scottish industry does not expect that any customer will experience increases much out of line with inflation over the next year.It is important for the stability of prices and the industry's finances that there should not be excessive disruption in the market. We have, therefore, decided to introduce arrangements in Scotland which will ensure a smooth transition to a competitive market similar to those announced last month for England and Wales by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy. These provisions will allow all suppliers to compete for supply to premises taking more than 1 MW at the outset of the new regime, for premises taking more than 100 KW after four years, and for all customers after eight years. While my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State will be disposed to act in accordance with the above restrictions, he will require to exercise discretion taking account of the specific circumstances of each case in its merits and the advice of the Director General of Electricity Supply.
Equal Opportunities
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 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 childcare network report "Caring for Children--Services and Policies for Childcare and Equal Opportunities in the United Kingdom."
Mr. Lang [holding answer 5 March 1990] : The report was prepared for the European Commission which has yet to develop any firm proposals. The Government take the view that policy on child care is a matter for member states and that families themselves should determine how their children are to be cared for. It is for parents to decide how to combine work and family responsibilities. The Government, through the ministerial group on women's issues, are encouraging the development of a range of quality day care.
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
Regional Functions
Mr. Caborn : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what functions his Department carries out at the regional level ; where the regional offices are located in each of the regions ; what staff are employed and at what grades ; what proportion of his Department's budget is spent in each of the regions ; and what geographical boundaries determine his Department's regions.
Mrs. Rumbold : The Department has no administrative regional organisation, although HMI has a divisional structure. There is one administrative outstation in Darlington which deals with teachers' pensions and some other functions. Details of the Darlington outstation and of HMI's divisional structure are as follows :
Column 707
Administrative outstation in Darlington Grades and numbers of staff
Column 707
Her Majesty's Inspectorate's Divisional Structure <1>The percentage figures represent the proportion of the Department's running costs for 1990-91.
Portage Schemes
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Leyton, 29 January, Official Report , column 33 , when he intends to place in the Library a copy of the Her Majesty's inspectorate survey on portage projects funded by education support grants.
Mr. Alan Howarth : A copy of the Her Majesty's inspectorate survey on portage project was sent to the Library on 9 February, but I have now placed further copies there.
Column 708
City Technology College, Bradford
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the city technology college in Bradford ; and when he expects the school to open.
Mrs. Rumbold : The main buildings for the Bradford technology college will be complete and the college will open in September 1990 with 180 first-form pupils.
Student Loans
Mr. Gill : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make available further details of the method of application for top-up loans for students ; and if he will make a statement.
Column 709
Mr. MacGregor : I have today placed in the Library of the House a paper summarising the student loans certification and application process. The academic institutions' role will be limited to making the forms available, identifying students and certifying their eligibility for loans and loan entitlement. Students will apply for loans direct to the Student Loans Company, through the post. The system is designed to ensure that loans reach eligible students with maximum speed and efficiency.School Meals and Milk
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received concerning difficulties arising from schools being required to collect moneys from parents for meals and milk taken by pupils at school ; how many local education authorities in England and Wales require schools to make such collections ; what savings he estimates would be made in school administration costs if the requirement to collect moneys were removed ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Alan Howarth : I am not aware of any such representations being received.
The provision of school meals and milk, and the arrangements made to administer these services, are matters for local determination. Information is not collected centrally by the Department.
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will bring forward proposals to amend the Social Security Act 1986 to permit local education authorities to provide meals and milk free to pupils ; what representations he has received concerning difficulties caused by schools being required to collect moneys from parents for milk and meals taken by school pupils ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Alan Howarth : My right hon. Friend has no plans to reintroduce powers for LEAs to provide free meals on a discretionary basis. Section 77 of the Social Security Act 1986 places LEAs under a duty to provide free school meals to pupils whose families are in receipt of income support.
I am not aware of any representations being received in the Department about the collection of moneys for school meals and milk.
Magnet Schools
Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representions he has received from the leader of the Inner London education authority on the subject of magnet schools.
Mrs. Rumbold : My right hon. Friend has received no specific representations, although he receives letters from time to time, and holds meetings, where a number of issues are discussed.
| Next Section
| Home Page |