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Written Answers to Questions
Friday 27 April 1990
NORTHERN IRELAND
Bovine Tuberculosis
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the Stormont research laboratory on the spread of bovine tuberculosis.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : Copies of relevant papers have been placed in the Library. The papers include articles published in veterinary journals, a departmental press release and the Department of Agriculture's annual report on research and development 1988-89 which contains relevant material.
Replacement Dwellings
Mr. Kilfedder : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many replacement dwellings have been approved by the planning authorities in each of the last 10 years ; and in how many cases the new dwellings were more than 100 ft away from the site of the original house which was to have been replaced.
Mr. Needham : In the 10 years from 1980 to 1989 planning permission has been given for the following numbers of replacement dwellings :
|Number
---------------------
1980 |613
1981 |548
1982 |330
1983 |419
1984 |435
1985 |441
1986 |412
1987 |529
1988 |443
1989 |<1>530
<1> Provisional.
The other information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Multiple Births
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information he has as to the number of (a) twins, (b) triplets, (c) quadruplets, and (e) sextuplets, born in Northern Ireland in 1989 ; and what was the total number of maternities in that year.
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Mr. Needham : The information will not be available until the end of May 1990, when a copy will be sent to the hon. Member.
Police Authority
Mr. Kilfedder : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which member of the Police Authority for Northern Ireland was appointed following intergovernmental consultation between Her Majesty's Government and the Government of the Republic of Eire under article 6 of the Anglo- Irish Agreement ; and what was the period of the appointment.
Mr. Cope : It is not our policy to reveal the identity of members of the Police Authority for Northern Ireland. Nor is it our practice to disclose whether any views have been put forward under article 6 of the Anglo-Irish Agreement on the composition of individual public bodies such as the police authority.
Killyleagh Yacht Marinas Inquiry
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the results will be published of the public inquiry held in June 1989 into three proposals for yacht marinas with associated development in Killyleagh.
Mr. Needham : I expect consideration by the Department of Environment for Northern Ireland of the Planning Appeals Commission's report on the public inquiry will be completed and decisions issued on the three planning applications within the next month.
Radioactivity
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the number of (a) farms, (b) sheep and (c) acres currently subject to post-Chernobyl restrictions ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Bottomley [holding answer 24 April 1990] The information requested is as followsNumber of farms : 123.
Number of sheep and lambs : approximately 33,000.
Area of land : 21,612 acres.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the number of sheep sampled for radioactivity in Northern Ireland for (a) 1986, (b) 1987, (c) 1988, (d) 1989 and (e) to date in 1990 including the number of sheep with levels of radioactivity (i) over 4,000 bq/kg, (ii) 3,000 to 3,999, (iii) 2,000 to 2,999, (iv) 1,000 to 1,999, (v) 500 to 999, and (iv) below 499 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Bottomley [holding answer 24 April 1990] : The information requested is as follows :
Year |Over 4,000 |3,000-3,999|2,000-2,999|1,000-1,999|500-999 |Below 499 |Total ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1986 |- |- |- |6 |37 |152 |195 1987 |2 |24 |65 |256 |631 |9,008 |9,986 1988 |- |- |6 |504 |1,380 |19,551 |21,441 1989 |- |1 |23 |557 |1,817 |22,052 |24,450 1990 |- |- |- |1 |37 |1,249 |1,287
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Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the number of sheep sampled for radioactivity in each county in Northern Ireland for (a) 1986, (b) 1987, (c) 1988, (d) 1989 and (e) to date in 1990 ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Peter Bottomley : [holding answer 24 April 1990] : The information requested is as follows :
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Year County
|Antrim |Down |Londonderry|Armagh |Tyrone |Fermanagh
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1986 |65 |33 |36 |13 |35 |13
1987 |3,268 |136 |6,149 |78 |275 |80
1988 |7,403 |- |14,038 |- |- |-
1989 |9,327 |- |15,123 |- |- |-
1990 |503 |- |784 |- |- |-
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many sheep have been monitored for radioactivity in slaughterhouses in each county in Northern Ireland in each year since 1986 ; how many were found to be above the 1,000 bq/kg limit ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Bottomley [holding answer 24 April 1990] : No sheep monitored at slaughterhouses were found to be above the 1,000 bq/kg limit.
The other information requested is as follows :
County |1986 |1987 |1988 |1989 |1990 ------------------------------------------------------ Antrim |34 |370 |138 |163 |- Down |27 |19 |3 |9 |- Londonderry |55 |424 |816 |563 |160 Armagh |7 |58 |31 |- |- Tyrone |38 |- |- |- |- Fermanagh |- |- |- |- |-
UDR Soldiers
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Ulster Defence Regiment soldiers were killed by terrorists on 9 April ; if he will now embark upon a new security policy ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Cope [holding answer 20 April 1990] : Four members of the Ulster Defence Regiment were murdered at the Ballydugan road near Downpatrick on 9 April 1990 by the Provisional IRA. The Government fully support the efforts of the Chief Constable of the RUC, assisted by the General Officer Commanding to bring to justice those responsible for this appalling crime. Security policy in Northern Ireland is under continuous review and the Government and their security advisers will take into account any facts emerging from the investigation of these murders.
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
Polish Students
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what provision is made for Polish students to study in the United Kingdom ;
(2) what funding exists to help Polish students study in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Jackson : In addition to the overseas research students awards scheme, which is competitive and administered on behalf of the Department of Education
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and Science by the Committee of Vice- Chancellors and Principals, Polish students are eligible for support under various schemes run by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. I understand that for 1990-91 the FCO expect to make available some £150,000 under their scholarship and awards scheme, to enable some 37 Polish students to study in Britain--some in conjunction with the Soros Foundation. If approved by the Council of Ministers of the European Communities the TEMPUS programme will also be available to support Polish students wishing to study in this country.Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many Polish students are currently studying in advanced education in the United Kindom ; and how many are likely to be studying over the next three years.
Mr. Jackson : In academic year 1988-89--the latest for whih data are available--53 full-time students domiciled in Poland were taking higher education courses in British universities, polytechnics and other publicly- funded colleges. No forecasts are available for the next three years but numbers are likely to grow, as a result of the Government's own programmes and of the introduction of the proposed TEMPUS programme currently before the Council of Ministers of the European Communities.
Teacher Training
Mr. Knapman : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what recent intiatives have been taken by his Department to encourage more students to study shortage subjects during initial teacher training.
Mr. Alan Howarth : The Department has supported expenditure of over £56 million since July 1986 on a range of measures to combat teacher shortages. These measures include a bursary scheme to improve recruitment to initial teacher training in the shortage subjects ; national advertising and publicity, spearheaded by the Teaching as a career unit ; taster courses, to enable those seeking a career change to obtain some experience of teaching ; new initial and in-service training courses ; and support for local initiatives to attract mature new entrants and former serving teachers. The majority of these initiatives are focussed on the shortage subjects.
My right hon. Friend announced on 12 March his intention to increase funding for the bursary scheme. He proposes to extend it to include modern foreign languages alongside the existing subjects of craft, design and technology, chemistry, mathematics, technology and
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physics, and to raise the level of the bursary from £1,300 to £1, 500 for all subjects except physics where the bursary will be increased to £2,000.United Nations Youth Forum on the Environment
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if his Department has made available any grant in aid to assist students in schools and institutions of higher and further education to attend the special United Nations youth forum on the environment to be held in New York on 11 May.
Mr. Jackson : The Department has received no applications for assistance to attend the forum.
Teacher Appraisal
Mrs. Maureen Hicks : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what progress is being made on the introduction of the appraisal of teachers.
Mrs. Rumbold : The consultation period on the recommendations of the national steering group on appraisal ended very recently. My right hon. Friend is now considering the comments submitted, including those on the appropriate timetable for bringing in regulations requiring the introduction of appraisal for all teachers in England and Wales. In the meantime, we plan to issue guidance, taking into account the response to the consultation, on which LEAs and schools can draw.
Assisted Places
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give the number of assisted place pupils at each school in the scheme and the number of assisted place pupils from each local education authority.
Mr. Alan Howarth : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks) on 15 February, Official Report, columns 319-22. No statistics are available for the number of assisted place pupils from each local education authority area.
Head Teachers
Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what provision he is making when determining the pay and conditions of head teachers for 1990-91 for those head teachers of small rural schools who teach a full timetable, but who also need time to assimilate new Government initiatives, particularly those associated with the implementation of the national curriculum.
Mrs. Rumbold : The pay of head teachers will increase by between 9.9 per cent. and 10.9 per cent. as a result of the implementation of the recommendations contained in the third report of the interim advisory committee on school teachers' pay and conditions.
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OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
Natural Resources Institute
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress made since 1988 by the Overseas Development Natural Resources Institute of the Overseas Development Administration.
Mrs. Chalker : Progress has been made in three main areas : (a) Relocation of the institute on to a single site at Chatham began in 1988 and will be completed shortly. The institute was formerly housed on eight widely scattered sites across southern England. Relocation has enabled the institute to move from ill-adapted buildings into facilities which will serve its needs well into the next century.
(b) Within the Overseas Development Administration, the institute became an executive agency on 1 April 1990. Its principal objectives are to maintain its international record and comparative advantage as a source of multi- disciplinary, problem-solving expertise ; to reflect in its programme the particular needs of the British aid programme ; to undertake work for other donors ; and to strengthen links with scientific institutions and universities in the United Kingdom and overseas.
(c) The institute's first corporate plan has been published, covering the three years 1989-90 to 1991-92. Copies are available in the Library of the House. The plan has been prepared as a response to the wider mandate of the unified institute, to the opportunities which arise from the move to Chatham and to the priorities of the ODA's renewable natural resources research strategy. The institute has reorganised its entire oper-ational programme into three strategy areas which broadly correspond to stages of the agricultural production cycle--resource assessment and farming systems, integrated pest management and food science and crop utilisation.
The purpose of this restructuring is to improve coherence and effectiveness by planning and managing related activities together.
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list in the Official Report all papers published and conferences attended in 1990 by staff of the Overseas Development Natural Resources Institute.
Mrs. Chalker : The Natural Resources Institute publishes about 200 hundred papers a year of which about 150 are in international journals. They cover work which promotes and sustains natural resource productivity through land use planning for agriculture, forestry and conservation, applied research into pest and disease control and developing the storage, processing and marketing of agricultural and forest products.
All publications are listed in the institute's annual report, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.
Institute staff have attended 93 conferences overseas and 127 in the United Kingdom during the past year.
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Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what training courses are undertaken by the Overseas Development Natural Resources Institute.Mrs. Chalker : The institute runs formal specialist courses in the United Kingdom for overseas professionals on mycotoxins, the storage of durable agricultural products in the tropics, post-harvest technology of fruits, vegetables and root crops, food microbiology, analysis of soil and plant materials and analysis of pesticide residues. Also during 1989-90, 19 courses were held in developing countries. In addition, about 50 scientists from developing countries come to the institute each year for individual training attachments. Most of the institute's projects contain informal, on -the-job training components.
Burma
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what aid and trade provisions relate to British companies doing business with Burma ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Chalker : None, Sir. Disbursements were completed on the last case involving the aid and trade provision in Burma in 1989, and no further ATP support is presently contemplated.
TRANSPORT
Vehicle Taxes, Germany
Mr. Speller : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he will take to ensure that the Federal Republic of Germany conforms with articles 76 and 95 of the European Community treaty by not imposing additional taxes on heavy goods vehicles.
Mr. Atkins : The EC Commission announced on 10 April that it would serve on the German Government a letter under the procedure laid down in article 169 of the EC treaty. It is understood it will state that the Commission considers the Federal Republic of Germany has failed to fulfil its obligations under articles 5, 76 and 95, and is the first step in a process leading to the European Court of Justice. The United Kingdom strongly supports this action.
Kent-Hampshire Motorway
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he has made an assessment of the impact on traffic levels on the A27 Folkestone to Honiton trunk road as a result of the construction of a new Kent-Hampshire motorway ; and if he will make a statement ; (2) if he has any plans to construct a new motorway from Kent to Hampshire ; and if he will make a statement ;
(3) whether a provisional route for a new Kent-Hampshire motorway has been decided upon ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Atkins : I have no plans for a new motorway from Kent to Hampshire. The possible need for a new east-west route has not been established.
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Crash Barriers
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what criteria the decision was taken to fit crash barriers along the central reservation of the A27 between Kingston and Falmer ; what is the cost ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Atkins : For reasons of road user safety, it is our policy to provide central reserve safety fences on all dual carriageway trunk roads where justified by the volume of traffic using the road. They are being provided on all new trunk roads and those existing roads which are subject to major maintenance and renewal works. For other existing roads, priority is given to those with traffic flows in the range of 18,000 to 36,000 vehicles per day. The A27 between Kingston and Falmer meets the criterion, with traffic flows of about 32,000 vehicles per day. The cost of the work is £158,277.
Drink-Drive Offenders
Mr. Jack : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how he proposes to pursue the major experiment in the use of retraining for drink- drive offenders proposed in the White Paper "The Road User and The Law" ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Atkins : We have today issued a consultation paper inviting comments on the details of how such a scheme might work. As indicated in our White Paper "The Road User and The Law"--Cm. 576--we want the courts to have forms of disposal available that will improve offenders' driving behaviour. This will cut the risks not only to themselves but to all other road users. Experience here and overseas suggests that retraining courses can help offenders change their attitudes to drinking and driving. The three-year experiment we propose will provide a basis for assessing this.
We are inviting organisations who might be interested in running such courses to contact us now.
Wave-piercing Catamaran
Mr. David Martin : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the safety of the wave-piercing catamaran to be introduced on the Portsmouth/Cherbourg service ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. McLoughlin : I understand that the vessel in question will be registered in the Bahamas and it is primarily for that Administration to consider whether the standards of safety for passengers and crew are adequate. However, because the design of these craft is novel and they require exemption from internationally agreed standards, the Department has called for technical and operational details to make its own assessment. The craft will not be permitted to carry passengers from a United Kingdom port until I am satisfied that it is safe to do so.
Exeter-Plymouth Link
Mr. Robert Hicks : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he intends announcing details of the proposed study of the future Exeter- Plymouth road link and second road crossing of the Tamar estuary as outlined in his May 1989 roads for prosperity strategy ; and what will be the terms of reference for these studies and their projected timetable.
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Mr. Atkins [holding answer 24 April 1990] : I hope to be able to announce details of the proposed study by the middle of the year. The terms of reference are still under consideration and the projected timetable will be a matter to be agreed with the consultant when appointed.ENVIRONMENT
Local Authority Spending
Mr. Robert Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those authorities which are neither contributors to nor receivers from the safety net, with their community charges and percentages over or under their standard spending assessments.
Mr. Chope : The information can be derived from the information placed in the Library of the House on 25 April.
Pollution Control
Mr. David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are his plans for introducing integrated pollution control under part I of the Environmental Bill.
Mr. Trippier : On the assumption that the Environmental Protection Bill is given Royal Assent later this year, my right hon. Friend intends to introduce the new system of integrated pollution control (IPC) in England and Wales on 2 January 1991. All new processes prescribed for IPC, and all existing processes which are to be substantially altered, will be required to apply for an authorisation under part I of the Bill from that date. Existing processes other than those which are substantially altered will be brought sector by sector into the IPC system by means of a phased programme. The first sector, combustion processes, which will include the most significant plant covered by the large combustion plants directive, will be required to seek an authorisation from 2 January 1991.
I am today placing in the Library copies of the proposed programme for introducing IPC, which also gives details of our proposed timetable for the various preparatory stages of introducing the system, including the issue of the necessary regulations for public consultation and the drafting of the guidance for industry and others.
The guidance will include a general description of the new system. I am also today placing in the Library the draft of the section of that guidance setting out the Government's general interpretation of the concept of best available techniques not entailing excessive cost' (BATNEEC) that is applied under part I of the Bill so that the release of certain substances into the environment is prevented or minimised and that substances released from prescribed processes are rendered harmless.
International Waste Disposal Fair
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he, or a member of his Department, will be attending the international waste disposal fair in Munich on 22 to 26 May.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : Yes, I hope to do so, since the fair will be an important showcase for British manufacturers of waste disposal and recycling equipment.
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Land (Dereliction)
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action his Department is currently taking to prevent land becoming derelict.
Mr. Moynihan : The derelict land policy review published by my Department in September 1989 indicated that the Government are considering a number of new measures which would reduce the amount of land becoming derelict. The Department will publish in due course a further consultation paper setting out these proposals in more detail. I also refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 4 April 1989 to my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham, South (Mr. Brandon-Bravo) about an agreement with British Coal under which it would accept responsibility for restoration of collieries and tips closing in the next four years.
Rivers (Pollution)
Dr. Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to increase the grant to the National Rivers Authority to assist in pollution monitoring.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 April to my hon. Friend the Member for Pembroke (Mr. Bennett), at column 121.
Genetically Modified Organisms
Mr. Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements have been made for advice to be obtained on proposals to release genetically modified organisms to the environment.
Mr. Trippier : At present, advice is obtained from a sub-committee of the Health and Safety Commission's advisory committee on genetic manipulation and from my Department's interim advisory committee on introductions.
I have agreed, in conjunction with the Health and Safety Commission, that these two committees will be replaced by a single committee to give advice on all aspects of the safety of proposed releases to the environment of genetically modified, and other novel organisms. I announced during Second Reading of the Environmental Protection Bill on 15 January, Official Report, column 42 that Professor John Beringer of Bristol university has agreed to be chairman of a new committee to advise on release in relation to the new legislation. I anticipate that the new committee, whose establishment I am announcing today, will evolve in due course into the committee to advise on the new legislation.
The full terms of reference of the committee will be to advise the Health and Safety Commission and Executive, Secretaries of State, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and other bodies as appropriate, on all aspects of the human and environmental health and safety of the introduction into the United Kingdom environment of genetically modified and other novel organisms ; and in particular to advise on proposals for specific introductions, on research needs, and on proposed regulations and written guidance.
I am pleased to announce that members of the committee will include people from a wide range of
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backgrounds, including different scientific disciplines, both sides of industry, local authorities, farmers and environmental experts.Column 346
The members will be :Column 345
Name |Expertise |Organisation
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prof. J. E. Beringer
(Chairman) |Microbial ecologist and geneticist |University of Bristol
Sir Kenneth Blaxter, FRS |Applied biologist and agronomist |Former Director, Rowett Research Institute
Prof. M. P. Hassel, FRS |Population biologist |Imperial College
Prof. D. Onions |Veterinary biologist |University of Glasgow
Prof. M. Williamson |Biologist and ecologist |University of York
Prof. A. Atkinson |Microbiologist |Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research,
| Porton Down
Prof. D. Jeffries |Human virologist/medic |St. Bartholomew's Hospital
Dr. D. R. Langslow |Biologist and ecologist |Chief Scientist, Nature Conservancy Council
Dr. D. Robinson |Plant virologist |Scottish Crops Research Institute
Dr. C. Gliddon |Plant population geneticist |University of Bangor, North Wales
Dr. A. Watkinson |Plant ecologist |University of East Anglia
Dr. M. Elliott |Freshwater biologist |Institute of Freshwater Ecology
Mr. J. E. Moffitt |Cattle breeding and arable farmer |Stockswell, Northumberland
Prof. N. J. Poole |Microbiologist |ICI Seeds
Dr. P. G. Boseley |Molecular biologist |Director of Research and Development,
| Agriculture Genetics Co. Ltd., Cambridge
Dr. G. M. Schofield |Microbiologist |Project Leader, Expert Systems, Unilever
Dr. J. Kinderlerer |Biochemist |University of Sheffield
Ms. J. Hill |Environmentalist |Green Alliance
Ms. D. Haber |Health and safety |Manufacturing Science and Finance Union
Mr. P. Hurst |Health and safety |Transport and General Workers Union
Mr. C. F. Franks |Borough Environmental Health Officer |Brighton
One other member, an agricultural scientist, is still to be appointed.
Structure Plans
Mr. Onslow : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is satisfied that the availability of adequate water resources is fully taken into account in the preparation of structure plans.
Mr. Michael Spicer [holding answer 26 April 1990] : The memorandum accompanying Department of the Environment circular 22/84 explains that local authorities are required to have regard to the likely availability of resources when preparing structure plan proposals. This includes water resources, and local authorities will wish to consult the National Rivers Authority and water and sewerage undertakers during plan preparation. The explanatory memorandum accompanying structure plan proposals should include an indication of the assumptions made about the resources likely to be available for carrying out the plan's policies and proposals.
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