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Morrell Media Services--Production of IT Security Library documents.DB Services--Production of a document on the fundamentals of magnetic media.
Chris Makenson Ltd.--Virtual terminal work in GOSIP.
Oval Computer Consultancy Services--Upgrades and reconfiguration of demonstration suite equipment.
Pensus Ltd.--Production of IT Infrastructure Library Module on Availability Management.
Data Systems--Development Stage 3 of Cursive Script Recognition Demonstrator.
Science Systems--GTN Network Management--performance improvement and management
Datasystems--reconfiguration of REOS Pad
Civil Service College--Development Study on Case Study for the Department of Justice
Services Sound Vision--Production of a "Strategic Planning" video Office Workstations Ltd--Hypertext Project--Stage 1
Logica (UK) Ltd--Development of a detailed method for drawing up Contingency Plans
Format Desk Top Publishing--Review of desktop publishing techniques for KBS and DBMS book
Birmingham Polytechnic--Development Study on SSADM Support Tools Conformance
X-Tel Services Ltd--CSCW Concept Demonstrator development Data Systems UK Ltd--Development of CSCW Demonstrator Remote Meeting Support System
KPMG, Regis McKenna & Co--Development of Government IT Marketing Copy
Kermon Associates--Development of Standing Arrangements Automation Coopers & Lybrand--Development of Object Orientation
Savings Accounts
Mr. Speller : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has on the availability of savings accounts which pay a 20 per cent. or higher rate of interest ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Ryder [holding answer 28 March 1990] : We do not keep information centrally on the full range of savings accounts that are available.
WALES
Labour Statistics
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will (a) state the number of people in employment in Wales for each quarter of 1979 and for the latest available date and sub-divided for males and females in employment and (b) provide an estimate of the extent of double- counting in (a) .
Mr. Peter Walker : The information requested is shown in the table :
|c|Civilian workforce in
employment<1>|c|
(thousands)
|Male |Female|Total
--------------------------------------
1979
March |711 |429 |1,140
June |716 |441 |1,157
September |720 |440 |1,160
December |712 |443 |1,155
1989
September |692 |521 |1,213
<1>Defined as employees in employment,
the self-employed and, from 1983
onwards, participants on work-related
government training schemes.
Labour force survey estimates of the number of people in employment and with a second job for Wales, which are
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subject to large sampling errors, suggest that in 1979 there were about 17,000 such persons. The corresponding estimate for 1989 was 45,000.Agricultural Land
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the loss of agricultural land for urban development for each of the last 10 years in Wales ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Walker : Information on land use changes in Wales from 1985 to 1988 is included in appendices 3 and 4 of the "Environmental Digest for Wales, No. 4, 1988-89", a copy of which is in the Library. It should be noted that since changes are recorded by Ordnance Survey as part of its work on map revision, they are not necessarily recorded in the year they occur. Comparable data for earlier years are not available.
Myodil
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what action he proposes to take to ensure that patients in Wales who are suffering as a result of the side-effects of myodil are able to receive compensation rapidly.
Mr. Grist : I shall write to the hon. Gentleman and place a copy of my reply in the Library of the House.
Clinical Regrading Review
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many appeals under the clinical regrading review are still outstanding in each health authority ; and when the appeals procedure will be completed in each area.
Mr. Grist : Latest information on the number of outstanding clinical regrading appeals made at local level to employing authorities is as follows :
|Number
---------------------------------
Mid Glamorgan HA |760
South Glamorgan HA |630
West Glamorgan |166
Gwent HA |392
East Dyfed HA |214
Pembrokeshire HA |88
Powys HA |298
Gwyedd HA |131
Clwyd HA |258
It is not possible to predict when the appeals procedures will be completed at the local level.
Hearing Aids
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many registered hearing aid dispensers there are in each health authority area.
Mr. Grist : The information is not available centrally.
Welsh Language
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish for each county education authority the number of teachers employed who are (a) able to undertake Welsh language teaching at the primary and secondary levels, as required by the national
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curriculum and (b) in possession of the appropriate subject qualifications to ensure the national curriculum is properly delivered in all Welsh language secondary schools.Mr. Roberts : The number of teachers who have a qualification in Welsh as either a first or second language, and who will thus be able to contribute to the teaching of Welsh as part of the national curriculum is shown in the table :
|c|Teachers with a qualification<1> in Welsh|c|
All teachers (full-time and part-time)
Primary (1987) Secondary<2> (1989)
|1st |2nd |1st |2nd
|language|language|language|language
-------------------------------------------------------------
Clwyd |400 |90 |110 |50
Dyfed |540 |60 |170 |40
Gwent |30 |10 |10 |10
Gwynedd |580 |40 |240 |40
Mid Glamorgan |- |- |120 |70
Powys |90 |10 |40 |20
South Glamorgan |110 |30 |60 |30
West Glamorgan |260 |90 |100 |40
|--- |--- |--- |---
Total |<3>2,010|<3>330 |850 |300
<1>Refers to all teachers with a post A-level qualification
in Welsh. All teachers with a qualification in Welsh as a
first language will be capable of teaching Welsh as a second
language.
<2>Secondary figures are drawn from the 1989 secondary
school staffing survey and are provisional estimates. The
results of the survey will be published later in the year.
<3>Excludes Mid Glamorgan.
More detailed analyses including those of subject qualifications of teachers in Welsh secondary schools will be available later this year when the 1989 secondary schools staffing survey results are published.
National Curriculum
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his reply of 22 February, Official Report, columns 861-62, if he is now in a position to publish for each county education authority the number of teachers needed to deliver all national curriculum subjects in Welsh secondary schools by teachers with the appropriate subject qualifications.
Mr. Roberts : A statistical model of the number of teachers needed to deliver the national curriculum in Welsh secondary schools is currently being produced. The model and assumptions which underlie it will be the subject of consultation with local education authorities later this year.
Nuclear Waste (Transport)
Mr. Martyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much nuclear waste is transported, by road, through Clwyd via the A5.
Mr. Atkins : The Department does not collect data of the kind requested.
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
CERN
Mr. Evennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received in the last 12 months on the funding of CERN.
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Mr. Jackson : My right hon. Friend has received no specific representations about CERN funding in the last year.Mr. Evennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the United Kingdom funding for CERN in 1979, 1985 and 1989.
Mr. Jackson : The United Kingdom contribution to the CERN budget in these years was as follows :
|c|United Kingdom contribution|c|
Calendar year |Percentage of
|CERN budget |£ million
--------------------------------------------------------
1979 |15.8 |25.2
1985 |16.1 |36.9
1989 |16.1 |50.3
Complaints
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish in the Official Report for each of the last 10 years (a) the number of complaints made against his Department to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration, (b) the number of complaints upheld and (c) the action he took on (b).
Mrs. Rumbold : The number of complaints (a) made and (b) upheld for the last 10 years is as follows :
|(a) |(b)
|complaints|complaints
|made |upheld
--------------------------------------------
1989 |<1> |<1>
1988 |11 |-
1987 |10 |-
1986 |12 |1
1985 |20 |-
1984 |12 |1
1983 |12 |2
1982 |11 |-
1981 |18 |1
1980 |31 |1
1979 |20 |-
<1> Figures not yet available.
When the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration upholds a complaint it is departmental practice to provide an appropriate remedy.
Devon County Council
Miss Emma Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science pursuant to the oral answer given to the hon. Member for Torridge and Devon, West from the Under-Secretary of State on 27 February, Official Report, column 125, if he will specify how the Devon county council capital expenditure priorities differ from those of the Government.
Mr. Alan Howarth : In formulating annual capital guidelines for education for local education authorities for 1990-91, priority was given to items in LEAs' plans for committed expenditure flowing from projects covered in earlier capital allocations, new projects to meet population growth, new projects to remove surplus places, and to new major building projects at colleges. Any remaining resources were distributed by formula for improvement work in schools. Annual capital guidelines are, however,
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only indicative : local authorities are free to spend above the level indicated if they choose to finance such expenditure from receipts or other sources. Most of Devon LEA's plans were in respect of commitments over and above those allowed for in the department's previous allocations, and of improvement work in schools for which available resources fell well short of LEAs' plans.Local Management of Schools
Mr. Straw : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will deposit in the Library copies of the approved schemes for local management of schools for each local education authority.
Mr. MacGregor : It is the responsibility of local education authorities to publish their approved schemes by distributing copies to their schools and to the Department, and by making copies available for reference in their local public libraries and education offices. I am asking authorities to consider making copies available to the Library of the House.
Examinations
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many people sat (a) GCSE and (b) A-level examinations in (i) politics, (ii) British constitution and (iii) political history in 1989.
Mrs. Rumbold : Figures for 1989 are not yet available ; neither is information available specifically for the subjects requested. In 1988, there were 11,000 GCSE attempts in England in politics and British constitution by candidates in schools and colleges. Comparable information is not available in respect of A-levels, but in 1987-88, nearly 2,500 school leavers in England attempted an A-level in British constitution.
Art Students
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the total cost to the Exchequer and local government of educating a student at art college who completes the course.
Mr. Jackson : The data requested are not available centrally.
College of Europe
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether there are any plans to increase the number of bursaries offered to United Kingdom students at the college of Europe.
Mr. Jackson : The college of Europe at Bruges offers postgraduate courses in administrative, economic and legal studies, in preparation for employment in European Community institutions and similar fields. The Government wish to enable more United Kingdom students to take advantage of these valuable opportunities. We therefore intend to increase substantially the number of bursaries we offer, from four currently to 21 in the academic year 1990-91. Of these, 17 will be provided by my Department for students from England and Wales. My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Northern Ireland will increase their provision to two bursaries each. The additional cost will be met from within
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existing public expenditure plans. We envisage further increasing the United Kingdom total bursaries offered to 30 in 1991-92. Existing arrangements for selecting students will continue.TRADE AND INDUSTRY
South Africa
Dr. Goodson-Wickes : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on how British companies have complied with the European Community code of conduct for companies with interests in South Africa during the 12-month period to 30 June 1989.
Mr. Redwood : By 6 March 1990, a total of 111 companies had submitted reports to the DTI under the code of conduct. Copies of the reports and of the Department's analysis and summary have, as in previous years, been placed in the Library of each House. These documents may also be inspected at the Department's export market information centre, at the British embassy in Pretoria, at the British consulate-general in Johannesburg, and at the British consulates in Cape Town and Durban.
The analysis and summary is the fourth since the adoption of the revised code of conduct by EC Foreign Ministers in November 1985. Reports were received from all British companies whose interests are known or believed to warrant a full report under the code, with only one exception. This particular company has been undergoing reorganisation in South Africa and should be in a position to provide a report for next year's analysis and summary.
The reporting period under review has seen a further reduction in the number of black employees of British subsidiaries being paid below the code's recommended minimum level, with companies reports indicating that now over 98 per cent. were paid above this level. Companies' reports also indicated that the level of their involvement with trade unions representing black workers increased, with the majority of companies reporting formal involvement with the trade unions. In addition, companies continued to report impressive levels of involvement in projects benefiting not only their employees and their families but also the wider communities from which their workforces were drawn. Companies also continued to encourage the growth of black businesses.
The Government are once more grateful to companies for their continued co- operation in providing reports, and urges them to maintain this performance and to comply fully with the code.
Baltic States
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his latest assessment of trade opportunities with Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
Mr. Redwood : No assessment is possible at present. Above all, we need to know whether the Baltic republics will have control of their own production and its distribution. If they become free to trade their own products with the west there could be many opportunities for increased business.
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Stock Exchange
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he next plans to meet the chairman of the stock exchange ; and what will be discussed.
Mr. Redwood : Ministers meet the chairman of the stock exchange whenever appropriate to discuss topics of mutual interest.
Company Audits
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many times in 1988 company auditors filed a statement in respect of section 390 2(a) and 2(b) of the Companies Act 1985.
Mr. Redwood : During 1988 the registrars of companies for England and Wales and for Scotland received copies of 9,167 auditors' notices of resignation under section 390 of the Companies Act 1985. These have been placed on the public files of the companies concerned. No information is readily available about the number of these notices which fall within the scope of section 390(2)(a), indicating that there were circumstances connected with the resignation which the resigning auditor considered should be brought to the notice of the members or creditors of the company.
Electricity Supplies
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what reply he has sent to the letter from the chairman of the Electricity Consultative Council (South Wales) dated 14 March regarding the different treatment between the domestic and commercial markets.
Mr. Redwood : My reply was sent to the chairman of the Electricity Consultative Council (South Wales). It is a matter for him to decide whether to make the contents public.
Electricity Supply (Consumer Protection)
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he anticipates being in a position to answer the letter to him of 14 March from Tom Keen, the chairman of the Electricity Consultative Council (South Wales), on consumer protection in the electricity supply industry.
Mr. Redwood : I have already replied to the letter.
Business Inquiries
Ms. Quin : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many major inquiries were made by business under the market information inquiries scheme for each month from September 1988 to date ;
(2) how many substantive inquiries were made under the market information inquiries scheme for each month from September 1988 to date.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 21 March 1990] : Following is the information.
|c|Market information enquiry
service (MIE)|c|
|c|June 1989-February 1990|c|
Month |Number of
|enquiries
|billed
------------------------------
June |37
July |72
August |87
September |103
October |108
November |135
December |104
January |97
February |182
|---
Total |925
The market information enquiry service (MIEs) was introduced as a chargeable service on 1 April 1989. The information available is set out above. A breakdown of MIEs which are "major" and those which are "substantive" could be made available only at disproportionate cost. Figures were not collected prior to the introduction of charges.
Africa (Exports)
Mr. Speller : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make it his policy to reinstate Export Credits Guarantee Department cover for United Kingdom exports to Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone and the Gambia ; and if he will list the present value of exports and imports between the United Kingdom and those countries.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 27 March 1990] : ECGD cover for exports on cash or short terms of payment--up to 180 days credit--is already available for these countries.
Cover for exports on longer terms of payment is in principle available for Ghana subject to ECGD's normal underwriting judgment being satisfied. The possibility of reinstating ECGD cover for longer payment term business with Gambia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone will be considered when this is justified by improvements in the economic situation in these countries and progress has been made in clearing past payment arrears.
The value of exports and imports between the United Kingdom and those countries, for the year ending December 1989, is as follows :
|United Kingdom|United Kingdom
|imports |exports
|£ million |£ million
------------------------------------------------------------
Nigeria |129.406 |388.777
Ghana |92.208 |121.076
Sierra Leone |15.899 |20.402
Gambia |2.340 |16.563
Multi-fibre Arrangement
Mr. Henderson : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has considered any changes in the multi-fibre arrangement in the light of the changes in central and eastern Europe.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 28 March 1990] : The multi-fibre arrangement (MFA) lays down a multilateral framework for trade in textile products. The EC is already committed in the current Uruguay round to negotiating the phase out of the MFA on acceptable terms on its expiry in 1991. This commitment is unaffected by developments in central and eastern Europe. However the EC has a number of bilateral agreements with east
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European countries within the current MFA framework and changes to the agreements with Poland and Hungary have recently been agreed.Cable Television
Mr. Hill : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many franchises have been granted for the issuing of licences by his Department for the establishment of television cable stations in the United Kingdom since such licensing started ; and if he will list (a) the geographical location of such stations, (b) the name of each company which has been granted a franchise, (c) the name of the principal shareholder or parent company of such franchise holders, specifying whether such principal shareholder or parent is of United States of America, Canadian, United Kingdom or other origin and (d) how many applications are outstanding to the latest convenient date and still awaiting decision by the Cable Authority.
Mr. Mellor : I have been asked to reply.
The Cable Authority is responsible for awarding cable franchises under the Cable and Broadcasting Act 1984. A total of 71 cable franchises have been awarded since 1983 (including 11 pilot franchises awarded by the Home Office before the passage of the 1984 Act). Of these 20 have been licensed, of which 17 are operational. A further 63 franchises have been advertised by the Cable Authoritiy. The authority is considering a total of 139 applications, in respect of the 44 franchises for which the closing date has now passed. It intends to make its decisions known during the course of the summer. I have placed in the Library a list of the other information requested, where this is not commercially confidential.
PRIME MINISTER
Hong Kong
Q35. Dr. Godman : To ask the Prime Minister if Her Majesty's Government are now ready to publish their proposals for legislation concerning the provision of United Kingdom passports for certain citizens of Hong Kong.
The Prime Minister : The Government intend to do so shortly.
East Germany
Q66. Mr. Hunter : To ask the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on the implications for United Kingdom foreign policy of the recent elections in East Germany.
The Prime Minister : We welcome the holding of democratic elections in the German Democratic Republic. We believe that the establishment of genuine democracy in the German Democratic Republic, as elsewhere in eastern Europe, will strengthen confidence and understanding between east and west.
Prisons
Q108. Mr. Cryer : To ask the Prime Minister when she next expects to pay an official visit to one of Her Majesty's prisons.
The Prime Minister : I have at present no plans to do so.
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Cyprus
Q189. Mr. Cox : To ask the Prime Minister if, during her future visit to Turkey, she will discuss with the Turkish authorities the urgent need for a settlement in Cyprus ; and if she will make a statement.
The Prime Minister : I look forward to discussing Cyprus and other matters of mutual concern with the Turkish Government during my planned visit to Gallipoli next month for the 75th anniversary of ANZAC day.
German Unification
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Prime Minister if she will raise at the next meeting of the European Council the implications for the net contributions of member states of the proposed reunification of Germany ; and if she will make a statement.
The Prime Minister : We hope that the informal summit to be held in Dublin on 28 April will agree a framework for detailed negotiation, by the Council and the Commission, of all the consequences for the Community of German unification. Germany is likely to remain the largest net contributor to the Community budget.
Cabinet Responsibility
Mr. Allen : To ask the Prime Minister what steps she is taking to strengthen collective Cabinet responsibility.
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