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Second Severn Bridge
Mr. Gwilym Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will announce the successful tenderer in the competition to provide a second Severn bridge.
Mr. Parkinson : I intend to accept the proposal from the John Laing/GTM Entrepose consortium to design, build, finance and operate the second Severn bridge, in conjunction with taking over the financing and operation of the existing bridge. This privately funded proposal offers the best overall value for money of all those submitted ; it will be the most effective means of securing completion of the second crossing at the earliest practicable date. The final decision was between two very strong contenders with good designs, and I am grateful to all the groups which participated. The consortium's proposal is for a concession to collect tolls on the crossings for up to 30 years, depending on traffic levels. On current forecasts, tolls would be needed for only about 21 years. The consortium's proposal would minimise the impact on traffic by charging tolls in only one
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direction--westbound--on each crossing. Some increase in tolls would be necessary to cover the cost--some £270 million--of this major improvement in this part of the road network. These rises would be phased in gradually. For car users the initial increase in equivalent single journey tolls in 1992 would be about 20p in 1989 prices, rising ultimately to about 40p from 1995.The new crossing--which I know is most eagerly awaited on both sides of the Severn--would more than double the road capacity across the estuary. It would relieve for the foreseeable future the traffic congestion already starting to be faced at peak times at the existing bridge. It would also include windshielding to minimise the need for traffic restrictions or closure.
This decision is subject to confirmation of the provision of finance and to a satisfactory conclusion to detailed negotiations on the terms of the concession. I shall make a further announcement when the necessary arrangements are confirmed.
I hope to introduce legislation at the earliest opportunity to seek the necessary powers for the provision of the new bridge and its approach roads. Subject to the necessary parliamentary approvals, construction could start at the beginning of 1992 and be completed in 1995.
This announcement on the Severn bridges demonstrates that the skill and initiative of the private sector can be employed to provide new infrastructure at good value for the public.
London Regional Transport
Mr. Tracey : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to be able to set financial objectives for London Regional Transport.
Mr. Portillo : My right hon. Friend expects to be able to set these objectives when the House reconvenes following the Easter recess.
EC Transport Council
Mr. Adley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the meeting of the European Community Transport Council yesterday.
Mr. Parkinson [holding answer 30 March 1990] : I attended the meeting of the European Council of Transport Ministers which was held in Brussels on 29 March.
A 40 per cent. increase in road haulage quotas was agreed for 1990. The Council also gave a commitment to take simultaneous decisions on the quotas for 1991 and 1992, and on the safeguard measures in the event of a crisis in the road haulage industry, at its next meeting in June.
The Council made further advances towards agreement of the second phase of aviation liberalisation. In particular it agreed on a zone scheme for fares, and on the treatment of region-to-region and hub-to-region services for capacity sharing purposes. Progress was also made on other aspects of the liberalisation package and several reservations were withdrawn. The Commission confirmed its intention of coming forward with proposals for dealing with anti-competitive practices in the context of the second package. The Council will return to the subject at its June meeting. There were also useful discussions on air traffic control and personnal licences in aviation. The Council agreed in principle that negotiations should get under way
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on a package of civil aviation measures with the European Free Trade Association, and further work will now be undertaken on the negotiating mandate.I am glad to say that a debate on shipping cabotage enabled the presidency to conclude that a proposal should be prepared for positive debate in June.
In a short discussion on the establishment of a transport infrastructure fund, the United Kingdom and the Federal Republic of Germany maintained their unequivocal view that, although the Community could assist in planning, there was no need for a fund as such since member states were best able to decide their own funding priorities. Again, the Council agreed to return to the subject in June.
The June meeting of the Council will also consider again the issue of harmonisation, on which some helpful developments at the Council meeting were offset by the announcement by the Federal Republic of Germany that it intended to introduce, with effect from 1 July, a tax on foreign lorries travelling through Germany.
The Commission reported on the progress of negotiations with Austria, Switzerland and Yugoslavia on third country transit. There were discussions, but no conclusions, on the length of road trains, and on the hire of vehicles without drivers. The following topics were raised under other business : developments in East Germany and elsewhere in eastern Europe ; the liberalisation of bus and coach transport ; marine pollution ; the revision of AETR (the European agreement concerning the work of crews of vehicles engaged in international road transport) ; the width of vehicles ; rail policy ; drivers' hours ; noise reduction around airports ; and concerns about delays caused by customs staff at some borders.
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
Exchange Programmes
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what exchange and collaborative research and educational development programmes exist between the United Kingdom and Belgium.
Mr. Jackson : The Department, through the central bureau, provides funds to support and encourage exchange activity in the following areas :
(i) A school links programme : there are currently some 11 schools known to have links with Belgian schools.
(ii) A foreign language assistants programme : in the current academic year there are 10 British language assistants working in Belgium and eight Belgian language assistants working in the United Kingdom.
(iii) Vocational and technical education links : there are five colleges of further education with links with establishments in Belgium. In addition, under the auspices of IAESTE (the International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience) there is a small-scale annual programme of course-related practical training placements for higher education students.
(iv) Teacher exchange programme : it is hoped that the 1990-91 academic year will see the first post-to-post teacher exchanges with Belgium.
In addition, there are arrangements for exchange and collaborative activity with Belgium under European Community programmes such as COMETT, ERASMUS and ARION.
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United Kingdom scientific research collaboration and exchanges with Belgium occur mainly through common membership of a range of multilateral schemes. These include the European Science Foundation, the European Space Agency, CERN (the European particle physics organisation), the NATO science programme, and the European science exchange programme, as well as the various programmes within the European Communities research and development framework.In addition, the British Council, under the cultural convention with Belgium, promotes exchanges and collaborative research in scientific and educational fields. Activities are agreed at biennial meetings of the mixed commission, the most recent of which, the 26th meeting, was held in December 1989. All activity with Belgium is fragmented, in that the Flemish and francophone communities function completely separately. Formal statistics of links are not kept because activity is agreed rather in terms of particular projects and budgets.
Professional visits between Britain and Belgium are arranged to study developments in education at all levels. These have led, for example, to the Belgian Ministry of Education seeking council assistance in the introduction of computers in schools, and to a project in drama education with the Brussels circus school. The Flemish universities and the Open university have collaborated to set up a Flemish open university with British inputs and materials. Long-term joint projects at university level are also encouraged in fields such as science parks, engineering, medicine and criminology. In 1989, new Government funding enabled a programme of academic and professional exchanges to be established. For example, groups of British engineers and environmental scientists visited both Flemish and francophone universities. The links between the university of Gent and the university of Newcastle in linguistics and English literature, and the Vrije universiteit Brussel and Huddersfield polytechnic, in human ecology, have been particularly successful. The latter will now receive funding as part of the mixed commission cultural agreement. A double degree awarded jointly by the university of Lie ge and Cranfield institute of technology has also been established as part of a major link. All links have attracted matching funding from the Belgians.
In March 1990 two senior British academics headed a mission to Belgium, and the Netherlands to initiate further collaborative programmes. This follows a recent pattern in Europe, where programmes have been established with Spain, Portugal, France, Germany and the Republic of Ireland.
Disabled Students
Mr. Hannam : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if the recent changes announced in funding disabled students' extra educational costs will apply to disabled students with central Government awards pursuing postgraduate degrees.
Mr. Jackson : The rates of postgraduate awards made by the Department for 1990-91 will be announced in due course. My right hon. Friend expects to make appropriate provision for the disabled students' and other allowances, on lines broadly similar to that for mandatory undergraduate awards but allowing for any relevant differences in the postgraduate awards arrangements.
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Other postgraduate award-making bodies determine the rates for their subjects within the resources available to them.School Buildings (Repairs)
Mr. Robert Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the total expenditure for each education authority on repairs to school buildings.
Mrs. Rumbold : The latest available information is for 1987-88 and is given in the table.
Expenditure by local authorities Repairs and maintenance of buildings, nursery, primary and secondary schools Local Education Authority |£'000 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Barking |1,717 Barnet |2,150 Bexley |1,998 Brent |2,112 Bromley |3,434 Croydon |3,679 Ealing |n/a Enfield |28 Haringey |n/a Harrow |876 Havering |1,954 Hillingdon |44 Hounslow |1,173 Kingston-upon-Thames |733 Merton |672 Newham |1,540 Redbridge |1,849 Richmond-upon-Thames |658 Sutton |800 Waltham Forest |2,293 ILEA |24,400 Birmingham |8,225 Coventry |1,923 Dudley |1,642 Sandwell |4,076 Solihull |1,609 Walsall |1,492 Wolverhampton |2,027 Knowsley |1,001 Liverpool |6,047 St. Helens |1,272 Sefton |2,111 Wirral |1,885 Bolton |1,288 Bury |1,458 Manchester |3,958 Oldham |1,510 Rochdale |1,388 Salford |803 Stockport |2,377 Tameside |1,842 Trafford |1,188 Wigan |2,104 Barnsley |2,509 Doncaster |2,756 Rotherham |2,015 Sheffield |n/a Bradford |3,143 Calderdale |1,357 Kirklees |2,425 Leeds |600 Wakefield |2,061 Gateshead |1,359 Newcastle-upon-Tyne |1,675 North Tyneside |933 South Tyneside |1,259 Sunderland |2,189 Isles of Scilly |23 Avon |8,012 Bedfordshire |4,024 Berkshire |n/a Buckinghamshire |4,193 Cambridgeshire |5,201 Cheshire |496 Cleveland |7,773 Cornwall |3,338 Cumbria |4,647 Derbyshire |6,389 Devon |7,003 Dorset |4,893 Durham |6,887 East Sussex |2,810 Essex |17,830 Gloucestershire |3,100 Hampshire |8,149 Hereford |4,249 Hertfordshire and Worcester |5,908 Humberside |10,211 Isle of Wight |272 Kent |4,365 Lancashire |10,449 Leicestershire |7,363 Lincolnshire |3,344 Norfolk |4,386 North Yorkshire |5,162 Northamptonshire |3,842 Northumberland |1,730 Nottinghamshire |7,569 Oxfordshire |4,421 Salop |4,240 Somerset |3,243 Staffordshire |8,559 Suffolk |3,865 Surrey |4,973 Warwickshire |3,368 West Sussex |5,486 Wiltshire |3,776 Notes: 1. The figures are based on LEA recurrent expenditure returns to the Department of the Environment. 2. They do not include any items of expenditure that were capitalised. 3. Expenditure returns were not received from those authorities marked n/a.
Examinations
Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about trends in examination results in Greater Manchester since 1975.
Mrs. Rumbold : The table gives the percentage of leavers from the Greater Manchester area and for England obtaining five or more grades at A to C in the GCSE (or its equivalent at O-level and CSE) and one or more A- level passes, since 1974-75.
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Examination attainments of leavers from maintained schools
Percentage of leavers
5+ graded results at G1+ A-level passes<2>
O-level and CSE (A to C)<1>
|Greater |England |Greater |England
|Manchester |Manchester
------------------------------------------------------------------
1987-88 |24.0 |26.6 |13.6 |15.2
1986-87 |22.7 |23.2 |13.8 |13.9
1985-86 |22.9 |23.6 |13.6 |13.6
1984-85 |22.7 |23.7 |12.3 |13.9
1983-84 |23.1 |23.8 |12.3 |14.3
1982-83 |21.6 |23.3 |13.3 |14.4
1981-82 |20.6 |23.0 |11.3 |14.1
1980-81 |19.3 |21.8 |11.0 |13.5
1979-80 |19.0 |20.9 |11.1 |12.6
1978-79 |19.6 |20.6 |11.5 |12.6
1977-78 |18.8 |20.5 |11.4 |12.7
1976-77 |17.7 |20.3 |10.3 |12.8
1975-76 |16.4 |19.5 |10.0 |12.8
1974-75 |17.1 |19.1 |10.4 |12.5
<1> GCSE grades A to C; O-level grades A to C; CSE grade 1.
<2> Grades A to E.
Notes:
1. The School Leavers Survey, from which the figures in the table
are derived, is based on a 10 per cent. sample of pupils at each
school. Sampling error may lead to distortion in the trends.
2. The figures do not provide the overall picture. There has been
a growing tendency among 16-year-olds in particular to leave
school for GCSE/O-level/A-level study in full-time further
education.
3. All figures exclude leavers from direct grant schools. Such
leavers were included in an answer to a similar question to Mr.
John Marshall (Hendon, South) on 21 March 1990 for the earliest
three years given.
Reorganisation (Bath)
Ms. Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what decision he has made on the application of Beechen Cliff school, Bath, for grant-maintained status ; and what response he is making to Avon county council's application for the reorganisation of schools in Bath following the recent court judgment.
Mrs. Rumbold : My right hon. Friend has reconsidered these proposals, as required by the High Court judgment given on 23 February, which set aside his earlier decisions on them. On 30 March he announced his decisions to approve the proposals for grant-maintained status published by the governors of Beechen Cliff school and to reject those for the reorganisation of secondary education in Bath published by Avon local education authority and the governors of St. Mark's Church of England aided school.
Student Grants
Mr. Hind : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will announce the rates of supplementary allowances payable within the mandatory student award in 1990-91.
Mr. MacGregor : Subject to Parliament's approval of the necessary regulations, supplementary allowances payable within the mandatory student award by local education authorities in England and Wales will be increased in the academic year 1990-91. I announced substantial improvements in the disabled students' allowance on 19 March at columns 417-18 . Other allowances will be raised broadly in line with the main grant increases which I announced on 19 December 1989 at columns 220-222 . I am placing details in the Library.
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Dyslexia
Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will introduce legislation to include in the local education authority training grants scheme dyslexia as a national priority area.
Mr. Alan Howarth : Legislation would not be needed to designate the training of teachers of dyslexic children as a national priority area under the local education authority training grants scheme (LEATGS). The possibility of including a wider range of training within the national priority areas was raised in the recent report of the efficiency scrutiny of education support grants and LEATGS. My right hon. Friend is reflecting carefully upon this recommendation.
Research
Mr. Robert Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the value of research undertaken for commercial concerns by universities and polytechnics in the last financial year.
Mr. Jackson : Provisional figures indicate that, in the academic year 1988-89, universities in Great Britain received £92 million from industry in the form of research grants and contracts. Comparable information for polytechnics is not currently available.
Ancillaries
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish for each local authority area the number of ancillaries employed in (a) 1970-71, (b) 1979-80 and (c) 1988-89 in (i) the primary and (ii) the secondary sector, and the ratio of ancillaries to teachers and pupils in each case.
Mrs. Rumbold : I regret that the information requested is not held centrally.
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History Teaching
Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what steps he intends to take to introduce study of the Nazi holocaust into state schools as a core part of the national curriculum ;
(2) when he intends to publish the final report of the working group on history in the national curriculum ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : The final report of the history working group was published yesterday. Because history is an important and a controversial subject we are consulting a wide variety of interested bodies on its recommendations. In the light of this consultation, and his own further examination of the group's recommendations, my right hon. Friend will in due course publish his proposals on attainment targets and programmes of study for history for pupils aged five to 16 in schools in England. They will then be sent to the National Curriculum Council for the statutory consultation required by the Education Reform Act. I shall not try to anticipate the nature of my right hon. Friend's proposals.
Correspondence (MEPs)
Mr. David Young : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many communications he has received from Members of the European Parliament since 18 June 1989 that concern local or United Kingdom matters ; and if he will make it his practice where such matters are involved to provide the honourable Member for the local constituency with a copy of the correspondence and the reply for information.
Mr. Alan Howarth : The information is not readily available in the form requested. Members of the European Parliament who raise matters in correspondence which are exclusively of local interest are advised to refer the matter to the hon. Member for the constituency concerned. As with other correspondence, ministerial replies to MEPs are normally copied to the hon. Member concerned only if the MEP had copied his original letter to the hon. Member.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Company Accounts
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will take steps to require the supervisory bodies seeking recognition under the Companies Act 1989 to inform their members and the public of the voting of (a) their councils and (b) their major committees.
Mr. Redwood : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave him on 2 April 1990, Official Report, column 399.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has any plans to investigate and identify the companies which operate off-balance-sheet financing schemes in their financial statements.
Mr. Redwood : No. The Companies Act 1989 has extended the definition of a subsidiary undertaking, which will bring on to the balance sheet a number of schemes which would previously have been off-balance sheet. The issue of off-balance sheet financing is also being addressed by the profession.
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Works of Art
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will outline the conditions under which a work of art, subject to an export licence, may be acquired by private individual.
Mr. Ridley : The acquisition of works of art is not a matter for me ; I am concerned solely with export licensing. Works of art which might be subject to an export licence (whether or not an application for an export licence has been made) may be acquired by a private individual through a private sale at any time, if the owner so agrees.
On 2 March I announced that, in considering an application for a licence to export a work of art which meets the Waverley criteria, I proposed to take into account the existence of private offers, as well as offers by public institutions, to purchase the item, and said that I would be ready to consider any representations by persons affected by this refinement of policy.
I have received a number of representations in this connection which I am considering with my right hon. Friend the Minister for Arts and Libraries.
Financial Services Act
Mr. Janman : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he proposes to address the concerns expressed about the uncertainty of how the statutory regulations made under the Financial Services Act 1986, and the rules made by the self-regulating organisations and professional bodies recognised under that Act, interact with the common law duties of those carrying on investment business.
Mr. Redwood : I recognise the concerns which have been expressed on this matter and the complexity of the issues involved. I have therefore made a reference to each of the Law Commission and the Scottish Law Commission in the following terms :
"Certain professional and business activities are subject to public law regulation by statutory or self-regulatory control. The Law Commission/Scottish Law Commission is to consider the principles which should govern the effect of such controls on the fiduciary and analogous duties of those carrying on such activities, and to make recommendations. The inquiry will consider examples from differing areas of activity but will be with particular reference to financial services".
The general issue of the inter-relationship of fiduciary duties arising under the common law on the one hand, and statutory and self-regulatory rules on the other, arises in relation to a variety of activities. Fiduciary duties relating to matters such as disclosure of information to clients, liability to account, for example, for commissions, and conflicts of interest, can apply in areas such as estate agency and insurance brokerage as well as in the financial services area.
I have therefore asked the two Law Commissions not to restrict themselves to examining the financial services area, but to consider the issue, and make whatever recommendations they feel appropriate, in the wider context.
European Single Market
Mr. Wood : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the latest position on the implementation by member states into national legislation of single market measures.
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Mr. Redwood : I am very pleased to announce that the Commission's fifth progress report on the single market shows that the UK as recorded by the EC is now in the lead in the Community for the implementation into national legislation of single market measures. Member states' figures for non-implementation are as follows :
|Number
-----------------------------
United Kingdom |9
Denmark |10
Germany |12
Ireland |18
France |19
Netherlands |24
Luxembourg |27
Spain |30
Greece |35
Belgium |34
Portugal |44
Italy |50
It is also satisfactory to note a considerable improvement in implementation across the Community. The number of measures implemented in all member states has risen from seven in September 1989 to 21 by the end of February 1990.
Fireworks
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will consider amending the law to raise the age at which an individual can purchase fireworks from 16 years to 18 years.
Mr. Forth : No. A person of 16 is considered old enough to work full time and at 17 to drive a car. It would not therefore be practical to raise the minimum age for purchasing fireworks from 16 to 18.
Visas (United States)
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with members of the travel industry about the practice of charging holidaymakers for visas to the United States of America in cases where visas are not required.
Mr. Forth [holding answer 3 April 1990] : I have had no discussions with the industry on this issue.
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will introduce legislation to prohibit the practice of charging holidaymakers for visas to the United States of America in cases where visas are not required.
Mr. Forth [holding answer 3 April 1990] : There are no plans to introduce legislation in this area and I have received no representations to indicate that this is a problem which needs to be addressed. There are certain circumstances where the United States visa waiver scheme does not apply to holidaymakers travelling to the USA, and in some cases travellers may desire a visa for reasons of convenience. These holidaymakers would be able to obtain a visa free of charge from the United States embassy or, if they prefer, to pay any adminstrative charge which their travel agent may levy where they provide this service.
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Environmental Technology Network
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the contribution made by his Department to the European Communities' network of environmental technology transfer programme.
Mr. Douglas Hogg [holding answer 2 April 1990] : The network of environmental technology transfer (NETT) was established in 1988 and aims to facilitate the exchange of information on a range of techniques, equipment and markets in the areas of clean and low waste technology. NETT is jointly funded by the European Commission and by its membership and services, with the Commission support reducing over the next few years as membership is expected to build up. The president of NETT is Mr. A. J. Fairclough, formerly of the Department of the Environment and the European Commission.
My Department's environmental agency, Warren Spring Laboratory, is a founder member of NETT and its Dr. Schofield is a member of the international board of management. My Department is therefore playing an active role in the further development of NETT.
At present, there are 170 European members, including 27 United Kingdom organisations. Membership is expected to grow as more services come on line. The NETT secretariat has dealt with 30 inquiries from United Kingdom organisations.
Unlisted Securities Market
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the steps his Department has taken to protect investors in the unlisted securities market since June 1987.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 29 March 1990] : Throughout the period since June 1987, the issue of shares other than those to be included on the official list of the stock exchange has been regulated under part III of the Companies Act 1985. Shares may be offered only by public limited companies, and there must be a prospectus which complies with the requirements set out in schedule 3 of the Act.
The stock exchange, of which the unlisted securities market is part, has been a recognised investment exchange (RIE) within the terms of the Financial Services Act 1986 since the main provisions of that Act came into force in April 1988. Prior to this, the stock exchange was a recognised stock exchange under the terms of the Prevention of Fraud (Investments) Act 1958. Responsibility for RIEs has been transferred to the Securities and Investments Board, including ensuring their compliance with schedule 4 to the 1986 Act, which sets out the safeguards for investors which RIEs must provide. Since April 1988, those carrying on investment business in the United Kingdom, including advising and dealing or arranging deals in securities for them, have had to be authorised or exempt under the terms of the Financial Services Act.
Faulty Goods
Mr. Martyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many letters concerning the problems consumers have experienced with faulty goods he has (a) received directly, or (b) had forwarded to him since 11 March.
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Mr. Forth [holding answer 28 March 1990] : Since 11 March I have directly received approximately 300 letters about consumer problems with faulty goods and approximately a further 140 letters have been forwarded to me.AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Yeast
Sir Richard Body : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what reply he has sent to representations from the director of Consumer Watch about the need to provide consumers with information about products made with genetically engineered yeast.
Mr. Maclean : I will send my hon. Friend, in his capacity as chairman of Consumer Watch, a copy of the reply which the Minister will shortly be sending to the director of Consumer Watch on this matter.
Dairy Farming
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the amount payable each year to United Kingdom dairy farmers in co- responsibility levy.
Mr. Curry : United Kingdom dairy farmers paid an estimated £35.1 million in co-responsibility levy in the financial year 1989-90. Co-responsibility levy receipts are used for a number of purposes, including the promotion of milk products and the funding of milk sector subsidies. It is estimated that levy receipts contributed some £42 million towards such measures in the United Kingdom in 1989-90, but this figure is expected to fall in 1990-91 as a result of the cuts in the rate of levy agreed by the Council of Ministers in 1989 and hence the reduction in available levy receipts.
Bristol Channel (Dumping)
Mr. Speller : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many permits have been issued for the piping or dumping of waste materials into the Bristol channel ; how many of these are for industrial, chemical or nuclear waste ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Curry : There are 14 current licences for the dumping of waste materials from vessels into the Bristol channel including the Severn estuary. Two of these involve sewage sludge and the rest dredged spoil.
Authorisations issued by my Department jointly with the Department of the Environment permitting the pipeline discharge of liquid radioactive wastes currently exist for nuclear power stations at Berkeley and Oldbury, which discharge into the Severn estuary, and at Hinkley Point, which discharges into the Bristol channel. Other discharges of radioactive wastes are a matter for the Secretary of State for the Environment and the Secretary of State for Wales. Pipeline discharges of non-radioactive waste are a matter for the National Rivers Authority.
National Farmers Union
Mr. Cox : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met the president of the National Farmers Union ; and what subjects were discussed.
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Mr. Curry : The Minister is meeting the president of the National Farmers Union and others today to discuss how United Kingdom industry can best respond to the recent developments in eastern Europe.
Mink
Mrs. Mahon : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many mink farmers have been prosecuted for allowing mink to escape into the wild since 1979 under (a) the Destructive Imported Animals Act 1932 and (b) the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Mr. Maclean : No prosecutions have been taken by the Ministry under the Destructive Imported Animals Act 1932 since 1983, the first year for which records exist.
Enforcement of the provisions of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 is the responsibility of the police. Details are not held centrally, but I am not aware of any recent prosecutions.
Mrs. Mahon : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many mink farms in the United Kingdom have closed in 1988-89 ; and what measures his Department is taking to dicourage the breeding of mink.
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