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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 3 April 1990
TRANSPORT
Severn Crossing
Mr. Roy Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will now announce a decision about the awarding of the contract to finance, design, build and operate the second Severn crossing.
Mr. Portillo : I will announce a decision when it has been taken, and will make clear whether we have chosen a private sector or public sector option.
Scottish Airports
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the evidence received in the course of his consultation on Scottish lowland airports policy suggesting that a change in policy would benefit economic investment in Scotland.
Mr. McLoughlin : Many of the responses to my right hon. Friend's consultation addressed in detail the possible economic effects of the policy options, and all the points made were assessed and taken into account. We do not intend to make public the responses which were received, some of which we were asked to regard as private.
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many of the submissions to his consultation on Scottish lowland airports policy favoured retaining Prestwick's exclusive gateway status ; how many expressed no preference ; and how many favoured open skies.
Mr. McLoughlin : In reaching his decision on future policy for the lowland airports, in consultation with his right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland, my right hon. Friend was principally concerned with the strength of the arguments mounted in support of the different policy options.
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will place copies of the submissions to the consultation on Scottish lowland airports policy in the Library ;
(2) if he will publish the submissions to the Scottish lowland airports policy submission.
Mr. McLoughlin : We do not intend to make public the submissions made in response to the consultation. Some respondents asked that their response be regarded as private and it would give an unbalanced picture if only the remainder were to be made public.
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set out the changes in tariffs for freight and passenger services at Prestwick and Glasgow airports necessitated by his announcement on Scottish lowland airports policy.
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Mr. McLoughlin : BAA has said that it will move to a common tariff at Glasgow and Prestwick for long-haul traffic. The hon. Member will wish to seek information on the details of the tariffs from BAA plc direct.
Merchant Shipping Fleet
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures he intends to introduce to reverse the decline in numbers of the United Kingdom merchant shipping fleet ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. McLoughlin : We have no plans to introduce such measures. We shall continue to keep under review the availability of adequate merchant shipping for defence purposes.
European Railways
Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will hold talks with the chairman of British Rail on the European Economic Community proposals for a directive on the development of Community railways.
Mr. Portillo : The Department is keeping in close touch with British Rail on these proposals.
Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has prepared to improve the compatibility of British rail systems with other European rail systems after 1992.
Mr. Portillo : The first step is to explore at Community level the best way of improving compatibility between the various national rail systems. We are playing a full part in these discussions.
A46-A47 Link Road
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to visit Leicester to discuss the A46 to A47 link road.
Mr. Portillo : No. The A46-A47 link road is a local authority scheme for which statutory orders have recently been made and submitted to the Secretary of State for confirmation. Leicestershire county council will determine the need for a public inquiry if it is unable to resolve any objections which may be made to the orders.
Cycle Accidents
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps the Government is taking following the conclusions of the transport and road research laboratory report on the relative frequency of cycle accidents occurring at road junctions ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Portillo : Data on the numbers of cycle accidents occurring at different kinds of junctions is contained in table 42 of the Department's casualty report "Road Accidents Great Britain 1988", which was published in November 1989. The transport and road research laboratory has reported on issues determining the frequencies and rates of all kinds of traffic accidents at mini-roundabouts. A copy of the report has been placed in the Library.
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The Department has a continuing programme of research on cycling, which is guided by information on accident rates. We draw on it in giving day-to-day technical advice to highway authorities and others, and in publishing more general advice on cycling issues. In recent months my hon. Friend the Minister for Roads and Traffic has referred the hon. Member to the range of publications issued by the Department, many of which give information on traffic engineering techniques which can be used to improve conditions for cyclists at various kinds of junction.Heavy Lorries
Mr. Ward : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he will take to ensure that lorries arriving in the United Kingdom via the Channel tunnel are subject to the same weight controls now operating at United Kingdom sea ports.
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Mr. Atkins : Discussions are in progress between the Department and Eurotunnel on the provision of a weighbridge at Coquelles in France. In this way we can ensure that lorries arriving in the United Kingdom via the Channel tunnel are subject to the same weight controls as apply at United Kingdom ferry ports.
M40 (Traffic Flow)
Mr. Tim Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what were the annual average traffic flows recorded for cars, buses, light goods vehicles and heavy goods vehicles on the M40 (a) at Gerrards Cross and (b) at Beaconsfield for each year from 1979 to 1988, inclusive.
Mr. Portillo : The available information on annual average daily traffic flows is :
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Year |Cars |Per cent. |Buses |Per cent. |Light goods|Per cent. |Heavy goods|Per cent. |Total
|vehicles |vehicles
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gerrards Cross
1979 |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a.
1980 |27,600 |86 |300 |1 |1,800 |6 |2,400 |7 |32,500
1981 |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a.
1982 |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a. |n.a.
1983 Separate vehicle types not available 32,000
1984 |30,100 |86 |400 |1 |2,100 |6 |2,300 |7 |34,900
1985 |41,400 |87 |500 |1 |2,500 |5 |3,500 |7 |47,900
1986 |51,100 |85 |400 |1 |4,200 |7 |4,400 |7 |60,100
1987 |62,300 |85 |600 |1 |5,000 |7 |5,000 |7 |72,900
1988 |63,000 |84 |600 |1 |5,400 |7 |6,000 |8 |75,000
Beaconsfield
1983 |23,300 |84 |200 |1 |1,700 |6 |2,700 |9 |27,900
1987 |60,800 |84 |400 |1 |4,900 |6 |6,500 |9 |72,600
n.a.=not available.
A46, Leicester
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when a decision on the report into the A46 Leicester western bypass is to be made ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Portillo : The Secretaries of State for Transport and for the Environment will be issuing a decision letter on 5 April.
Radioactive Waste
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when Her Majesty's Government expect to sign the United Nations convention on the international transport of radioactive wastes and nuclear materials, opened for signature on 1 February.
Mr. Atkins [holding answer 2 April 1990] : We know of no such convention.
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
Discretionary Grants
Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will provide a list of the local education authorities which carry out monitoring of the awarding of discretionary grants by local education authorities for full-time and sandwich courses.
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Mr. Jackson : This information is not collected centrally.
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the level of expenditure in 1988-89 by local education authorities on discretionary awards to 16 to 18-year-olds.
Mr. Jackson : The data requested for 1988-89 are not yet available.
History Teaching
Mr. Straw : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will now publish the report of the history working party ; and if he will make a statement on his response to it.
Mr. MacGregor : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I have today published the final report from the national curriculum history working group. Copies have been placed in the Library.
The report has been published without statutory proposals, and I am inviting comment from a wide range of representative bodies with an interest. I am also writing to the chairman of the School Examinations and Assessment Council to seek the council's advice on whether the group's proposals would secure the effective assessment of pupils' mastery of historical knowledge.
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PRIME MINISTER
Defence Policy
Q7. Mr. Latham : To ask the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on the progress of the review of Government defence policy in the light of recent developments in eastern Europe.
The Prime Minister : As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence has told the House, we are examining options for change in the structure and deployment of our armed forces which will enable us to continue to meet those commitments which are of greatest importance towards maintaining our nation's security.
South Africa
Q12. Mr. Hunter : To ask the Prime Minister what representations she has recently made to or received from the state President of South Africa.
The Prime Minister : We have made regular representations to the South African Government on a wide range of issues, most recently during my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's visit to South Africa.
Tokyo
Q47. Mr. Cryer : To ask the Prime Minister when she next expects to pay an official visit to Tokyo.
The Prime Minister : I have no plans at present to do so.
Chancellor Kohl
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Prime Minister what matters were discussed during her meetings with Chancellor Kohl in Cambridge on 29 March and in London on 30 March.
The Prime Minister : Chancellor Kohl and I discussed German unification, the future of NATO, Lithuania, South Africa and the European Community. I announced a programme of scholarships and help with English language teaching in the GDR.
Year 2000
Mr. Atkinson : To ask the Prime Minister if she will make a statement about plans, including any public building projects, to mark the year 2000.
The Prime Minister : Plans to mark the year 2000 will be developed in due course.
Engagements
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 3 April.
Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 3 April.
Mr. Pike : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 3 April.
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 3 April.
The Prime Minister : This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties
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in this House I shall be having further meetings later today. This evening I shall attend a state banquet in honour of President Venkataram of India.THE ARTS
Public Libraries
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Minister for the Arts how many public libraries have been wholly or partially closed since 1978-79.
Mr. Luce : This information is not held centrally. Returns by local authorities in England to the Chartered institute of Public Finance and Accountancy over the period 1978-79 to 1987-88 are incomplete ; statistics from the same 103 authorities in these two years show that the number of libraries within their responsibility fell from 4,124 to 3,922 but that the number of libraries open 10 hours a week or more has risen. The biggest reduction is in the "less than 10 hours a week" category, probably reflecting rationalisation and a conscious effort to make better use of resources. In the same period the total number of service points in these areas rose from 13,163 to 19,264. Recent research suggests that in the three years to December 1989 more than 75 new library buildings or substantial extensions to existing premises were completed.
British Library
Mr. Simon Coombs : To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will consider the retention in public ownership of the five acres of land to the north of the new British library at St. Pancras to ensure the possibility of the library's future expansion.
Mr. Luce : In 1988 when Ministers agreed to authorise the construction of the completion phase of the new British library building at St. Pancras, they also agreed to dispose of that land at the site which may ultimately be surplus to requirements. The area of land which will be surplus and the optimum timing and method of its disposal are still being examined.
Corporate Sponsorship
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will give a breakdown by (a) region and (b) art form of current levels of corporate sponsorship for the arts.
Mr. Luce [holding answer 2 April 1990] : Figures for overall corporate sponsorship of the arts are not available. The latest regional and art form breakdowns for sponsorship under my business sponsorship incentive scheme are set out in the table.
|c|Artform breakdown-Financial year 1988-89|c|
Artform |Awards |BSIS |Sponsorship
|Number |£ |£
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Music |119 |816,129 |1,551,174
Theatre |82 |509,529 |1,029,438
Festivals |54 |531,070 |856,673
Visual Art |41 |376,234 |1,071,477
Opera |19 |240,657 |493,167
Museums |14 |111,676 |287,175
Dance |11 |169,002 |588750
Film/Video |7 |52,001 |96,000
Literature |6 |59,477 |77,810
Building/Refurbishment |2 |39,000 |64,000
Photography |1 |6,899 |20,698
|------- |------- |-------
Total |356 |2,911,674 |6,136,362
|c|Regional breakdown-Financial year 1988-89|c|
Region |Awards |BSIS |Sponsorship
|Number |£ |£
-----------------------------------------------------------------
London |77 |969,809 |2,446,986
Scotland |42 |310,467 |543,236
Wales |35 |204,030 |264,360
Eastern |26 |121,620 |225,858
South West |24 |143,632 |238,389
Southern |23 |173,293 |436,378
Yorkshire |23 |122,959 |220,423
West Midlands |22 |184,436 |275,402
Cross-Regional |18 |180,885 |630,413
Northern |17 |69,449 |102,257
South East |15 |141,000 |217,000
North West |12 |100,534 |280,600
East Midlands |9 |78,010 |88,010
Merseyside |7 |79,500 |128,500
Lincolnshire and
Humberside |5 |7,050 |7,050
International |1 |25,000 |31,500
|------- |------- |-------
Total |356 |2,911,674 |6,136,362
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Auditing Practices Committee
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the content of his letter to the Auditing Practices Committee regarding its policy on the release of information following the Privy Council Office's letter to the hon. Member for Great Grimsby on 11 August 1989.
Mr. Redwood : As foreshadowed in the letter to which the hon. Member refers, my Department has raised with the Auditing Practices Committee its policy on the release of information about its proceedings. The matter is now being considered by the committee.
Auditing
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will introduce legislation requiring social audits to be compulsory for all large companies.
Mr. Redwood : No, but I welcome the increasing recognition by business of its social responsibilities.
Sinking of Marchioness (Compensation)
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will investigate co-operation between the insurance companies of both ships involved in the sinking of the Marchioness on payments to relatives ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood : No. The insurers of the Marchioness and Bowbelle have agreed a formula for settlement of claims without either party restricting the right to sue the other. I see no reason for any investigation.
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Auditors
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will introduce legislation enabling members of the public to take legal action against auditors who have been criticised by his inspectors, and to cite his inspectors' report as evidence.
Mr. Redwood : Whether a member of the public has a right of action against an auditor depends on whether that person is owed a duty of care by the auditor and has suffered damage as a result of the auditor's negligence, irrespective of whether the auditor's performance has been criticised in an inspectors' report. Section 441 of the Companies Act 1985 provides for an inspectors' report to be admissible in any legal proceedings as evidence of the inspectors' opinion.
Company Accounts
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will seek to amend section 363 of the Companies Act 1985 to require the letter of representation issued by the directors of a company to the auditors to be filed with the Registrar of Companies.
Mr. Redwood : No. The Government do not accept that any benefits that might be obtained from imposing such a requirement would outweigh the administrative costs involved.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will bring forward proposals for requiring all large companies to have audit committees.
Mr. Redwood : No. Although we would encourage companies to set up such committees, we believe that the decision as to whether or not to do so is one that is best left to individual companies.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will introduce legislation to require companies separately to identify all holdings gains in their financial statements.
Mr. Redwood : I have no plans to add to the existing legislative requirements.
Car Sales
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will seek to advise car buyers of the legal obligations of garage proprietors who offer 0 per cent. interest to finance the purchase of cars.
Mr. Forth : Under the Consumer Credit Act, it is the function of the Director General of Fair Trading to disseminate such information and advice as it may appear to him expedient to give to the public about the operation of the Act, the credit facilities available to them and other matters within the scope of his functions under the Act. I will draw the hon. Member's question to the director general's attention for consideration.
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what steps he will take to increase the monitoring of the practices of garage proprietors who offer 0 per cent. interest to finance the purchase of cars ;
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(2) whether he will arrange for his officials to meet representatives of the SMMTA to discuss the need to protect motorists from unscrupulous practice arising from offers of 0 per cent. interest to finance the purchase of cars.Mr. Forth : The Consumer Credit Act 1974 prohibits misleading credit advertisements and the Consumer Credit (Advertisement) Regulations 1989 contain specific provisions on the use of expressions such as "interest free". Enforcement of this legislation is a matter for local authority trading standards departments and for the Director General of Fair Trading. I will ask the director general to write to the hon. Member about this matter.
Scania Saab
Mr. Mullin : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what advice was given by officials in response to inquiries as to whether regional selective assistance would be available if Scania Saab were to locate a new plant in the north of England.
Mr. Douglas Hogg [holding answer 2 April 1990] : Officials told the company that the Government would be prepared to consider an application for regional selective assistance. However, any grant would require clearance by the European Commission under the rules of the Community framework on state aids to the motor vehicle industry. In the Department's judgment, the prospects for approval were not good.
Textile and Clothing Industry
Mr. Henderson : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has insisted on any regulatory point to meet the new situation brought about by the changes in central and eastern Europe if regulation of the textile and clothing industry passes to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 2 April 1990] : The precise arrangements for the return of trade in textiles and clothing to GATT rules and for the necessary transitional period before that happens are still the subject of negotiation. Recent developments in central and eastern Europe will be only one of many factors to be considered by the United Kingdom in trying to influence an EC negotiating position on these matters.
EC Price Determination
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement outlining the procedures of the EC Commission for determining normal prices under their anti-clearing procedures ; if the producer firms have any entitlement to be advised of the basis of calculations of the Commission ; and if the procedures have been approved by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 2 April 1990] : In establishing whether dumping is taking place, the Commission assesses whether a product is sold abroad at prices below what is termed the "normal value". In most cases this "normal value" is the price which the foreign supplier charges for comparable sales in his own country. Where there are no such sales, or when they do not permit a proper comparison or are made at a loss, then the normal
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value may be established, that is to say "constructed", by reference to either the foreign supplier's domestic costs of production or his price to other export markets. The precise procedures are laid down in the Council regulation (EEC) No. 2423/88, which is available in the Library of the House.Foreign producers involved in anti-dumping proceedings are entitled under the regulation to request to be informed of the essential facts and considerations on which Commission's proposals for definitive anti-dumping duties will be based. The procedures laid down in the regulation for assessing dumping conform with the GATT anti-dumping code.
United Kingdom Japanese-owned Car Firms
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the new Japanese-owned United Kingdom car producers will be producing cars for sale ; if these cars will be permitted to be sold in the EC on the same basis as other British-produced cars ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg [holding answer 2 April 1990] : Nissan has been producing cars in the United Kingdom for sale since 1986. Its cars are sold in the EC on the same basis as other British-made cars. Honda plans to begin producing cars here at the end of 1991, and Toyota in late 1992. The Government are determined to ensure that all cars produced here by Japanese -owned firms should be treated in the EC in exactly the same way as other British-made cars.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Right to Buy
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the policy of the Department of Environment for Northern Ireland on the right to purchase residential property occupied by employees of the Department of Environment for Northern Ireland.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : Residential property is offered to employees when it is no longer needed, at a price which takes account of market circumstances, including the existence of the tenancy.
Fruit of the Loom
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the amount of grant that has been allocated to the Fruit of the Loom company for the development of a new mill at Londonderry.
Mr. Needham : Details cannot be disclosed as this matter falls under the normal arrangement of strict confidentiality which exists between the Industrial Development Board and its client companies.
Donaghadee Ring Road
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the present status and programme for the proposed ring road at Donaghadee, County Down ; and if he will make a statement.
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