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Measurement Accreditation
Ms. Quin : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if his Department has any proposals to increase the numbers of national measurement accreditation service centres between now and the planned establishment of the large European market at the end of 1992.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Growth in the number of laboratories accredited by NAMAS, the national measurement accreditation service, is continuing. However, NAMAS is a voluntary accrediation service and growth between now and the end of 1992 will be determined by the rate at which laboratories apply for accreditation.
Ms. Quin : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will supply the numbers, by standard planning region, of national measurement accreditation centres.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The regional distribution of accreditations granted to laboratories by NAMAS is as follows :
|Number
---------------------------------------
East |125
South-East |303
South-West |66
East Midlands |60
West Midlands |123
North-East |56
North-West |81
Yorkshire and Humberside |77
Wales |32
Scotland |66
Northern Ireland |19
European Community Standards
Ms. Quin : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will supply figures, by standard planning region, for the average waiting time between the application by companies for certification of products in accordance with European Community standards and the receipt of certificates.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : I regret that this information is not available.
Energy Consumption
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give the target reductions for energy consumption in the buildings occupied by his Department.
Mr. Forth : My Department aims to achieve a 15 per cent. reduction in energy usage over the next five years.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give the energy consumption, broken down by fuel, of the buildings occupied by his Department for the latest year available.
Mr. Forth : Energy consumption in buildings occupied by the Department of Trade and Industry in 1988-89, the latest full year for which figures are available, was as follows :
|million
------------------------------------------------------------
Electricity |37.8 kilowatt hours
Gas |14 therms
Oil |2.8 litres
Export Restrictions
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what exports have been refused a licence under the Export of Goods Control Order 1989, since it came into force ; for what countries were the prohibited goods destined ; and what goods and materials were involved in each case.
Mr. Ridley [holding answer 23 April 1990] : It is not the practice to publish such information.
Iraq (Arms Component Exports)
Mr. Beith : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) whether officials of his Department made any statement or communication to the press prior to 18 April indicating that his Department did not think it likely that the pipes impounded on Teesside by Her Majesty's Customs were for military purposes ; (2) what response his Department gave to the hon. Member for Bromsgrove (Sir H. Miller) when he approached them about the Iraqi contract.
Mr. Ridley [holding answer 23 April 1990] : In the light of charges laid against an individual on 25 April, and in the light of the continuing investigation by Customs and Excise, it would be inappropriate to give any further information.
Mr. Gordon Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the specifications of the Iraqi export order were first available to his Department.
Mr. Ridley : In the light of charges laid against an individual on 25 April, and in the light of the continuing investigation by Customs and Excise, it would be inappropriate to give any further information.
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Mr. Gordon Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what was the day on which his Department was first made aware of the military implications of the Iraqi contract with Sheffield Forgemasters and Walter Somers ;
(2) what was the day on which it was made known to his Department that Dr. Gerald Bull had conceived plans involving piping for a gun or launcher ;
(3) what letters there are on the Iraqi contract now known to be for a gun between his Department and Sheffield Forgemasters ; and if he will list the dates of them.
Mr. Ridley [holding answer 26 April 1990] In the light of charges laid against an individual on 25 April, and in the light of the continuing investigation by Customs and Excise, it would be inappropriate to give any further information.
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
Friedreich's Ataxia
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what financial support is given to research into Friedreich's Ataxia.
Mr. Jackson : The Medical Research Council, which receives grant in aid from the Department of Education and Science, spent £197,000 in 1988-89, the last financial year for which figures are available, on research projects which were relevant to Friedreich's Ataxia. The council is always willing to consider soundly based proposals for research funding in competition with other publications. In addition to this, university departments and medical schools, with support from University Funding Council block grants and heath authorities, may be undertaking research into Friedreich's Ataxia, but information on this is not collected centrally.
Medical Research Council
Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his latest estimate of the amount spent by the Medical Research Council in 1989-90.
Mr. Jackson : I understand that the Medical Research Council's actual gross expenditure in the 1989-90 financial year was £191,143, 000.
Environmental Enterprise Award Scheme
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of schools and colleges have participated in the environmental enterprise award scheme for schools and colleges.
Mrs. Rumbold : The environmental enterprise award scheme is operated on behalf of the Department by the World Wide Fund for Nature with financial support from the Laura Ashley Foundation. It offers prizes to pupils and students in the age range seven to 19 who submit environment- related practical projects.
Following the launch of the scheme in September last year, 134 groups of pupils or students registered projects in 1989-90. Of the 18 registrations by pupils or students in the 16 to 19 age category, five were by students in colleges. The scheme is to continue in 1990-91 and 1991-92.
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Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many people were undertaking courses leading to qualifications in environmental protection for each of the last five years.
Mr Jackson : Readily available information is as follows for students in England.
|c|November 1988|c|
|c|Students on courses at establishments in England|c|
|Higher |Further
|education |education
|courses<1> |courses<2>
|(thousands)|(thousands)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Students identified as studying
subject:
A<3> |0.6 |1.2
B<4> |0.2 |0.1
C<5> |3.5 |0.1
|------- |-------
Total: A, B and C |4.4 |1.4
<1> Establishments other than universities.
<2> Excluding adult education courses.
<3> Environmental health; cleaning science; solid waste.
<4> Pollution control; conservation policy.
<5> Human ecology; earth science; environmental studies and other
environmental sciences; environmental engineering.
Brighton CTC
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will list the company or companies intending to invest in Brighton's city technology college at Woodingdean ; (2) what sums of money the private sponsors investing in the new city technology college at Woodingdean, Brighton, will be putting into that project in the financial years 1990-91 and 1991-92 ; (3) when it is estimated that the Brighton city technology college will be open to receive pupils ; and how many pupils will be received in the first year of operation ;
(4) what guarantees he has had from the Faraday Trust that adequate sponsorship for the Brighton city technology college project will be forthcoming ; and what percentage of the total cost of the project will be provided by the private sector ;
(5) what references have been provided for the private sector supporters of the Brighton city technology college ; and what measures have been taken to check on those references ;
(6) what discussions have recently taken place between Ministers and officials from his Department, local education authority representatives and representatives from the Faraday Trust ; and what the contents of those discussions were ;
(7) what information he has on the curriculum and admissions policy to be followed by the Brighton city technology college.
Mrs. Rumbold : I refer the hon. Member to the pursuant reply that my right hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member for Blackburn (Mr. Straw) on Thursday 26 April 1990, Official Report, column 270.
Mr. Straw : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) in respect of the Brighton city technology college what sums of public money have directly and indirectly been paid over to, or repaid by, Mr. Ivor Revere
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or to or by any company with which he has been associated ; and if, in every case, he will give details of each transaction including date, amount, payee and drawer ;(2) if he will list for each payment forming any part of the sums of £2.3 million and £2.5 million specified in those answers to the hon. Member for The Wrekin (Mr. Grocott) of 20 October 1989, Official Report, column 264 and the hon. Member for Blackburn of 24 April in respect of the Brighton city technology college, the amount and date of each payment, the payee and the drawer.
Mr. MacGregor : In June 1989 a sum of £250,000 was paid from public funds as a deposit for the purchase of the site of the former Fitzherbert school in Brighton. The balance of the price, £2,250,000, was paid from public funds in September 1989. Those sums were paid to the CTC trust and thence to solicitors acting for the trust and by them to solicitors acting for the initial purchaser, Mr. Ivor Revere. In December 1989 the CTC trust discovered that the purchase price of £2.5 million included a commission of £200,000 charged by Mr. Revere. This was immediately recovered and returned to public funds.
Mr. Straw : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what factors account for the difference between the figure given in his answer to the hon. Member for Blackburn, Official Report, 24 April for the sum paid from public funds for the acquisition of the proposed city technology college site in Brighton, and that given in his answer to the hon. Member for The Wrekin (Mr. Grocott) of 20 October 1989, Official Report, column 264.
Mr. MacGregor : The figure of £2.5 million quoted in my hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member for The Wrekin (Mr. Grocott) on 20 October 1989, Official Report, column 264, included a commission charged by the then principal sponsor of the proposed Brighton CTC who purchased the site initially before its transfer to the CTC trust. The commission was repaid immediately once the CTC trust discovered that it had been charged. The net cost of the site to public funds is £2.3 million, excluding legal expenses, as I told the hon. Member on 24 April, Official Report, column 145.
Mr. Straw : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to his answer of 24 April, Official Report, column 146 , what consultations he is undertaking as part of his review of the proposed Brighton city technology college, following the withdrawal of the principal sponsor ; and what deadline he has set for the conclusion of these discussions.
Mr. MacGregor : I refer the hon. Member to the pursuant reply that I gave to him on Thursday 26 April 1990, Official Report column 270. Consultations were undertaken with the Michael Faraday Trust.
Putney CTC
Mr. Straw : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will make a statement on progress towards establishing a city technology college on the site of the former Mayfield school, Putney ;
(2) how much ADT securities or companies and individuals associated with them have offered by way of financial support for the proposed city technology college on the site of the former Mayfield school, Putney ; and how much has been paid over by them ;
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(3) what is his latest estimate of the total cost of the proposed city technology college on the site of the former Mayfield school, Putney ; and how much of this is due to be met by (a) private donors (b) public funds.Mr. MacGregor : The Department is considering proposals to establish a city technical college on the site of the former Mayfield school. ADT plc has pledged £1 million sponsorship towards this project. No payments by the sponsor are required at this stage. Architectural feasibility studies are being undertaken in order to determine the capital costs of establishing the CTC. Until these are completed, no firm figure for capital costs can be given. If a decision is taken in favour of going ahead, I will contribute 80 per cent. of total capital expenditure on this project and the sponsors will contribute the remaining 20 per cent.
Bronchitis and Emphysema
Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what response has been made by the Medical Research Council to the letter from the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council recommending further research into bronchitis and emphysema following the council's 1988 report, Cm. 379.
Mr. Jackson : The secretary of the Medical Research Council wrote to the Industrial Injuries Council (IIAC) on 3 June 1988 explaining that the council would review the possibilities for further research in this field. When it completes this review it will inform the IIAC of its conclusions. The Medical Research Council is always willing to consider soundly based research proposals in competition with other applications.
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much he has spent or allocated for research into bovine spongiform encephalopathy from 1985 to 1992 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Jackson : Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was first diagnosed in November 1986. No funds were allocated specifically for research on it prior to that date. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy belongs to a family of diseases called the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies which include scrapie in sheep. The main United Kingdom centre of research on scrapie and related diseases is the neuropathogenesis unit in Edinburgh which is jointly run by the Agricultural and Food Research Council's institute for animal health and the Medical Research Council. The following table gives the science budget funding allocated by the Agricultural and Food Research Council to the institute for animal health for work on scrapie and related diseases since 1985.
|£'000s (cash)
------------------------------------------
1985-86 |584
1986-87 |805
1987-88 |742
1988-89 |702
1989-90 |950
1990-91 |1,500
1991-92 |<1>2,950
<1>The figure for 1991-92 is an estimate
based on planning figures.
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University departments, with support from University Funding Council block grants, may be undertaking research on bovine spongiform encephalopathy, but information on this is not collected centrally.University of Wales
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to review the extent of surplus land and buildings available to University of Wales college of Cardiff.
Mr. Jackson : That is a matter for the institution itself in consultation as necessary with the Universities Funding Council.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to review or clarify the terms of the repayable grant of £4.4 million made to University of Wales college of Cardiff to assist the merger of University college, Cardiff and the University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology.
Mr. Jackson : I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to him on 20 March 1990, Official Report, column 520.
Energy Consumption
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give the target reductions for energy consumption in the buildings occupied by his Department.
Mrs. Rumbold : The Department aims to reduce energy use by 15 per cent. (temperature corrected at constant prices) over the period 1990-91 to 1994-95.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give the energy consumption, broken down by fuel, of the buildings occupied by his Department, for the latest year available.
Mrs. Rumbold : The information requested by the hon. Member is as follows :
|c|Fuel consumption for calendar year 1989|c|
|Quantity
-----------------------------------------------
Electricity Kilowatt hours |4,751,507
Gas therms |102,168
Liquid Fuel litres |313,686
This information relates to the Department's headquarters premises and all Her Majesty's inspectorate's local offices.
Parental Choice
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make it his policy to (a) require parents wishing to change their child's school to state what the reason is for their request and (b) deny any request based on racial grounds ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Alan Howarth : Local authorities are required by the Education Act 1980 to enable parents to express a preference as to the school their child should attend, and
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to give reasons for their choice. Such reasons are, quite properly, only of relevance if the school in question is oversubscribed. They will then be tested against the published admission criteria, which cannot be racial ones. In other circumstances, parents' choices should be accepted without further ado.My right hon. Friend has said, in commending the code of practice recently produced by the Commission for Racial Equality, that racial discrimination has no place in the education service. The Department has also taken a variety of initiatives to improve the response of the education service to ethnic diversity, while the remits to the National Curriculum Council and the School Examinations and Assessment Council require them, in exercising their functions, to take account of the ethnic and cultural diversity of British society, and of the importance of promoting equal opportunities for all pupils, regardless of ethnic origin and gender.
Medway CTC
Mr. Straw : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will name all individuals and bodies which have offered themselves as sponsors of the proposed Medway city technology college ;
(2) if he will place in the Library copies of letters from him to officers of the Skinners Company covering the proposed Medway city technology college ;
(3) if he will make a statement on the sponsorship of the proposed Medway city technology college by (a) the Skinners Company, (b) Cable and Wireless and (c) McAlpine.
Mr. MacGregor : A consortium consisting of Cable and Wireless plc, the Skinners Livery Company, Robert McAlpine and Sons, and Evelyn Rothschild has expressed interest in supporting a city technology college in the Medway area. To date, no project for a city technology college in this area has been agreed, and the court of the Skinners Company has now decided that it will no longer sponsor a city technology college. It is not appropriate to make public details of private correspondence between me and sponsors, or potential sponsors, of city technology colleges.
Welsh Students
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of applications for places in each university college in Wales were made by prospective students from Wales in each of the past 10 years.
Mr. Jackson [holding answer 25 April 1990] : Applications to United Kingdom universities for admissions to full-time undergraduate courses are dealt with by the Universities Central Council on Admissions.
Information about the candidature at individual universities, or constituent colleges of individual universities, is not released by the Universities Central Council on Admissions without prior authorisation of the institution (or its constituent colleges). The table, prepared from data provided by the Universities Central Council on Admissions, shows the percentage of applications from United Kingdom candidates to the University of Wales as a whole made by individuals recorded as being of Welsh domicile.
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|c|Applications received for entry to the
University of Wales|c|
|per cent.
---------------------------------------------
Academic year beginning:
1979 |23.7
1984 |20.4
1985 |20.0
1986 |20.2
1987 |19.9
1988 |20.4
1989 |20.2
Note: Each applicant is permitted to make up
to 5 applications for courses falling within
the Universities Central Council on
Admissions scheme.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Prison Population
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the current prison population.
Mr. Mellor : On Friday 27 April the total prison population was 45, 948. This represents a reduction of some 3,513 since the same time last year. The initiatives taken by the Government to reduce the number of people held in custody are bearing fruit. The intention of our proposals in the White Paper "Crime, Justice and Protecting the Public" (Cmd. 965) is to reduce the prison population still further.
Pentonville Prison
Sir Charles Irving : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what he is doing to speed up the completion of the Pentonville extension ;
(2) when the extension at Pentonville was originally expected to be completed ; and what the completion date now is.
Mr. Mellor : No plans exist for extending accommodation at Her Majesty's prison Pentonville but a phased programme of improvement work is under way. This includes the refurbishment of the four living blocks, including installation of integral sanitation, and improvements to ancillary facilities.
Refurbishment of the first living block is virtually complete and, on current plans, the remaining blocks should be finished by 1994. Work is due to start in the coming year on a new reception area and improvements to the gate. Other work planned in the next few years includes a new kitchen which should be ready by 1993-94.
Prisons, North-West
Mr. Jack : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department from which prisons in the north-west he has received reports from boards of prison visitors since January.
Mr. Mellor : As at 23 April 1990, annual reports for 1989 had been received from boards of visitors for Her Majesty's prisons Haverigg, Kirkham, Liverpool, Manchester, Risley and Wymott.
Prison Disturbances
Mr. Stern : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the recent prison disturbances.
Column 395
Mr. Mellor : My hon. Friend will understand that following the statement made by my right hon. and learned Friend in the House on 26 April at the conclusion of the disturbances at Manchester prison, it would now be appropriate to await the outcome of Lord Justice Woolf's inquiry into the disturbances before seeking to draw conclusions. In the meantime, however, as was explained to the House last week, my right hon. and learned Friend is taking urgent action in a number of areas to reduce the possibility of a repeat of the appalling events of the last few weeks.Prison Building
Mr. Ian Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress on the Government's prison building programme.
Mr. Mellor : The Government are engaged in the largest prison building programme this century. Eight new prisons, providing 3,500 places, are already open. A further 14 are at various stages of construction and design, and are planned to provide over 8,000 new places by 1994. In 1991, we shall be spending nearly £300 million on new prisons.
Much is also being done to improve conditions at existing establishments. In 1990-91, we shall be spending over £120 million in all in improving the prison estate, and over £20 million on major maintenance. Similar sums will be spent in the following two years.
Local Authority Grants
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to increase grants for use by local authorities' civil defence and emergency planning departments to respond to peacetime natural disasters or industrial accidents.
Mr. John Patten : Provision for civil defence grant payable to local authorities has increased from £21.867 million in 1989-90 to £23.372 million in 1990-91. Under the Civil Protection in Peacetime Act 1986, local authorities may use civil defence resources in connection with emergencies and disasters occurring in peacetime.
Japanese War Criminals
Mr. Amos : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will initiate an investigation into the possibility of Japanese war criminals who should face criminal proceedings living in the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. John Patten : Any allegations that alleged Japanese war criminals may now be resident in the United Kingdom would of course be seriously considered. We are not aware that any such allegations have been made, however, and therefore see no reason to initiate any investigation.
Metropolitan Police Force
Mr. Dykes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received on the level of morale in the Metropolitan police force.
Mr. Waddington : The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis tells me that the morale of his force is excellent.
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Prisons
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of prisons are more than 100 years old.
Mr. Mellor : Thirty-four per cent. of prison establishments (42) in England and Wales were in use as prisons before 1890. Many of these have, of course, been substantially altered or reconstructed since they first opened as prisons. In addition, 4 per cent. of establishments (five) are in premises which are partly or wholly over 100 years old but which have been converted to prison service use more recently.
Remand
Mr. Sheerman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many objections were received by his Department to the building of a new remand facility at Everthorpe.
Mr. Mellor : Apart from representations made by my hon. Friend the Member for Boothferry (Mr. Davis), four letters and a petition signed by 65 residents were received objecting, in principle, to the building of the remand centre on the Home Office land at Everthorpe. Additionally, 19 representations were received in respect of the loss of woodland on the site chosen.
Mr. Sheerman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the cost to his Department of keeping Lorrain Osman in prison on remand ; and how long that period of remand has been.
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