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Mr. Dorrell : I regret that the information is not available in the form requested.
Mr. Evennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list in the Official Report the revenue expenditure on maternity services in (a) Bexley and (b) Dartford and Gravesham health districts for the last year for which figures are available ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : Revenue expenditure on maternity services (excluding general services overheads) for the financial year 1988-89 totalled £3.16 million for Bexley health authority and £3.74 million for Dartford and Gravesham health authority.
I understand that, because of the pattern of hospital provision in this part of Kent, and resultant attendance patterns, the expenditure of these districts do not relate solely to their resident populations.
Computer Costs
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether general practices which submit applications for the reimbursement of computer costs which meet Government criteria will automatically be paid in the current financial year if they submit their application in the next few months ;
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(2) how much money is in his 1990-91 budget for the reimbursement of computer costs for general practice ; and what happens to applications for reimbursement if the budget is exhausted.Mr. Dorrell : There has been made available £24 million in 1990 -91 for direct reimbursement of general practice computing costs in England, the balance of expenditure being reimbursed indirectly through fees and allowances. Claims which meet the criteria will be paid in this financial year. Should funds become fully committed valid claims which are not paid in 1990-91 may be resubmitted in the next financial year. The resources available in Wales and Scotland are matters for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practice budgets qualify for the fund for the reimbursement of computer costs.
Mr. Dorrell : All GP practices are entitled to claim up to 50 per cent. reimbursement of the costs of purchasing, upgrading or leasing computers. In addition, those practices which formally commit themselves to participation in the practice funding scheme will be eligible for a further 25 per cent. reimbursement of these costs.
Child Abuse
Miss Lestor : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the number of children in England and Wales on the at risk register for each of the last 10 years.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The regular collection of information about children on all child protection registers in England and Wales commenced in 1989. The provisional number on the registers at 31 March 1989 was 42,800. Final figures for 1989 will be published in the summer. An initial survey of all registers was carried out in March 1988. The estimated number on the registers was 41,100 but there is some evidence of under-reporting in this total.
Cancer Patients, Yorkshire
Mr. O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department has on the number of people in the Yorkshire region who are registered on the Yorkshire regional cancer register for each of the health districts in the Yorkshire region.
Mr. Dorrell : This is a matter for the Yorkshire regional cancer registry.
Sugar
Miss Lestor : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to publicise the findings of the Health Education Authority and the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food report on sugar consumption ; and what steps he is taking to promote the reduction of dental caries by restraining the promotion of sweet substances through television advertisements aimed at children.
Mr. Dorrell : The Committee on Medical Aspects of Food report "Dietary Sugars and Human Disease" published on 12 December 1989 was accompanied by a
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press briefing and press release. Written answers to questions were given in both Houses and copies of the report were placed in the Library. Action on the report's recommendations is being taken forward by this and other Departments. The Health Education Authority has produced a detailed briefing paper for health professionals based on the report. The Health Education Authority is taking account of the recommendations in all its nutrition and dental education activities.The Committee on Medical Aspects of Food report did not make any recommendations regarding the advertising of sweet substances. Responsibility for television advertising lies with my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department.
Children (Employment)
Miss Lestor : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to implement the Employment of Children Act 1973 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The Government have no plans to implement the Employment of Children Act 1973. All local authorities (except Isles of Scilly) have byelaws which regulate the hours and conditions of children's employment. The majority of byelaws follow departmental guidance of 1976 which is based on the proposed content of regulations under the 1973 Act.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Correspondence
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the hon. Member for Rugby and Kenilworth will receive a reply to his letter dated 26 March referring to Mr. H. S. Richards of Harborough Magna near Rugby.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : My right hon. and noble Friend Lord Ferrers replied to this letter on 4 May.
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the hon. Member for Rugby and Kenilworth will receive a reply to his letter dated 28 March referring to PC 241 C. R. Hall of Rugby police station.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : My right hon. and noble Friend Lord Ferrers replied to this letter on 10 May.
Mr. Kaufman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 30 April, Official Report, column 401, when he intends to write to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton about Mrs. R. Sarwar, 209 Northmear road.
Mr. Waddington : I have written to the right hon. Member today.
Mounted Police Officers
Mr. Marlow : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many mounted officers were involved in the charge during the recent community charge riots in London ; and how many of these were female officers.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that 49 mounted officers were deployed during the disturbances in central London on 31 March ; nine of these officers were women.
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Police (Capital Allocations)
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will clarify the definition of equipment needed by police authorities and provided by their capital allocations ;
(2) when he will publish a definition of the difference between revenue and capital in police authority spending on items costing less than £6,000.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Expenditure for capital purposes is defined by section 40(2) of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. Neither the Act nor the regulations made under it contain any de minimis' provision under which items below a certain value can be excluded from the definition of expenditure for capital purposes.
Consideration is being given to the need for further guidance to police authorities on police capital expenditure.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide police authorities with longer prior notice of their capital allocations than the period given to Gwent police authority in February in the current year.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Every effort will be made to provide this information as early as possible.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when funds for site acquisition for Monmouth police station will be received by the Gwent police authority ;
(2) when the capital approval for fees for the Abertillery police station will be made.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : No application has been received from the Gwent police authority for approval to the acquisition of a site for Monmouth police station or for approval of the planning fees in respect of Abertillery police station.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the Home Office minor works cost limits for police authorities' budgets.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : My right hon. and learned Friend has no present plans to review these limits.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to assist police authorities in their planned purchase of capital items in the current year, based on 1989 capital spending.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The provision made in the Government's expenditure plans for grant and credit approvals for police capital expenditure in the current financial year has been allocated to police authorities in proportion to their planned spending with full allowance made for expenditure which has been contractually committed.
Birmingham Pub Bombings
Mr. Mullin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to whom the inquiry by the Devon and Cornwall police into aspects of the Birmingham pub bombings inquiry will report in the first instance.
Mr. Waddington : The Devon and Cornwall constabulary will report the outcome of its inquiries into this case to
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the chief constable of the West Midlands police, on whose behalf the inquiries are being undertaken. The chief constable of the West Midlands police will, in turn, report to me.Football Licensing Authority
Mr. Ashton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the Football Licensing Authority to be functioning ; and what is the reason for the delay in setting it up.
Mr. John Patten : My right hon. and learned Friend made a commencement order under the Football Spectators Act 1989 on 21 March providing for the Football Licensing Authority to be set up from 1 June 1990. Appointments to the authority in the light of its role following the final report by Lord Justice Taylor will be made as quickly as possible.
Mr. Ashton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what powers he expects the proposed Football Licensing Authority to have with regard to the prevention of hooliganism.
Mr. John Patten : When considering the issue, renewal, suspension or revocation of a licence to admit spectators to a football ground the Football Licensing Authority will have regard to whether the equipment provided, procedures used and other arrangements in force on the premises are such as are reasonably required to prevent the commission or minimise the effects of offences at designated football matches held there.
Sugar
Miss Lestor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will bring forward proposals to restrict the promotion of sugary substances through advertising on television aimed at children.
Mr. Mellor : Responsibility for what is advertised on independent television is a matter for the Independent Broadcasting Authority, principally through its code of advertising standards and practice. It was drawn up in consultation with the IBA's medical advisory panel, and contains guidance on the advertising of confectionery and snack foods.
Forensic Pathology
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has now received the working party report on forensic pathology to which he referred on 16 February 1989, Official Report, column 310.
Mr. Waddington : I have received the report and expect to announce my response to it shortly.
Obscene and Threatening Phone Calls
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will give immediate consideration to the value to crime prevention and nuisance prevention of the system operated in New Jersey which enables a customer to order the number of the last call to be recorded ;
(2) whether he has been able to consider American evidence on the reduction of crime as a result of the
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operation of calling line identity systems particularly in relation to obscene and threatening phone calls ; and if he will make a statement ;(3) if he will sponsor immediate research into the likely benefits to criminal investigation and crime prevention of calling line identity systems, particularly in respect to obscene and threatening phone calls in the United Kingdom.
Mr. John Patten : We are watching closely the latest technological advances aimed at curbing obscene or threatening telephone calls, and are aware of the recently published American research into caller-ID or call trace systems. The research has emphasised the importance of carefully monitoring the effects of the new technology on reducing obscene and threatening phone calls. The Home Office is planning appropriate action along precisely these lines, as part of the Hull safer cities project, where funding of over £19,000 has been approved for an assessment of the effects of a modest call-tracing system to be operated in Hull by Kingston Communications, the local telephone company. The work will start next year.
Demonstrations
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what are the criteria that determine which organisations' marches and demonstrations are normally photographed by the police ; (2) what is the policy of police forces on photographs being taken of those involved in peaceful marches and demonstrations ; and if he will ensure that such practices cease unless there is overwhelming need on grounds of public security for such photographs being taken.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Guidelines issued by the Home Office on the use of equipment in police surveillance operations which are available in the Library make it clear that photographs and video surveillance equipment should be used by the police only when it is necessary for the efficient conduct of police operations and with due regard for the invasion of privacy which may result in particular circumstances.
Subject to the advice given in the guidelines, the use of surveillance devices is an operational matter for the police.
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his reply of 10 May, on how many occasions in each of the last five years his Department has requested a report from a police force about a public procession or assembly held in the force area.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The Department has contracts at various levels within police forces which may be asked to provide information about public processions and assemblies where there is a risk of public disorder or where disorder has occurred. Reports may be obtained by phone or by correspondence depending on the circumstances. No central record is kept of the number of occasions when information about processions and assemblies has been requested from the police.
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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Hong Kong
Mr. Leighton : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what were the numbers of people immigrating into and emigrating out of Hong Kong in each of the last 10 years.
Mr. Maude : According to Hong Kong Government statistics, the figures for immigration into Hong Kong in each of the last 10 years were as follows :
|For |For other
|Settlement |purposes<1>
------------------------------------------------
1980 |55,313 |42,440
1981 |54,267 |31,035
1982 |53,847 |36,121
1983 |26,701 |23,361
1984 |27,755 |23,454
1985 |27,285 |28,475
1986 |27,111 |30,559
1988 |28,137 |44,009
1989 |27,263 |54,055
<1> Employment, study, training, etc.
The estimated figures for emigration from Hong Kong were as follows :
|Numbers
------------------------
1980 |22,400
1981 |18,300
1982 |20,300
1983 |19,800
1984 |22,400
1985 |22,300
1986 |19,000
1987 |30,000
1988 |45,800
1989 |42,000
Most of those who immigrated for settlement were family reunification cases from the mainland. Those who immigrated for employment were mainly unskilled and semi-skilled labour. By contrast, 50 per cent. of those who emigrated in the last five years were managerial, professional, administrative and technical staff and their families. There is, therefore, a net outflow of key staff.
EC Voting
Mr. Leighton : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which matters within the European Community Council of Ministers are decided by qualified majority vote and which by unanimity.
Mr. Maude : Certain articles of the treaty of Rome require unanimity --for example, article 99 on tax--others qualified majority--for example, article 100A on the single market or article 43 on agriculture. The Commission proposal should be based on whichever article is appropriate for the subject matter in question. The treaty base proposed by the Commission can be altered by the unanimous decision of member states.
Soviet Union
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the oral answer of the right hon. Member for Bristol, West (Mr.
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Waldegrave) of 4 April, Official Report, column 1187, which section of the Helsinki Accord recognises, de facto, the existing borders in the Soviet Union ; and which section of the Accord states that any boundary changes should be conducted by negotiation.Mr. Maude : The first of the principles guiding relations between participating states, the first substantive section of the Helsinki Final Act, states that the frontiers of participating states "can be changed, in accordance with international law, by peaceful means and by agreement".
Principle III covers the inviolability of frontiers.
Mark Kotlyar
Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Russians about their repeated refusal to grant an exit visa to Mark Kotlyar of Kiev who first applied for an exit visa in 1978.
Mr. Maude : None. However, we shall in future include this case among those on which we press the Soviet authorities. We shall not let up until the case is resolved satisfactorily.
Antarctica
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many representations he has received from (a) hon. Members and (b) others with regard to conservation policies for Antarctica ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sainsbury : Her Majesty's Government have received 485 letters from right hon. and hon. Members on behalf of constituents and a further 280 direct from members of the public. The Government share the widespread concern to ensure protection of the Antarctic environment and believe that the convention on the regulation of Antarctic mineral resource activities will make an important contribution to this objective.
Global and Technical Management Services
Mr. Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if there was any contact between Her Majesty's embassy, Baghdad and Global and Technical Management Services (International) Ltd., registered in Edinburgh, regarding possible contracts.
Mr. Sainsbury : In the light of the continuing investigations by Customs and Excise into certain exports to Iraq, it would be wrong for me to comment further.
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Television Experiment
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will make a statement on the progress of the television experiment.
Sir Geoffrey Howe : The televising experiment has now been under way for some five months and has so far proceeded with very few technical problems. The Select Committee on Televising of Proceedings of the House,
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which I chair, is currently reviewing the experiment and has sought the views of the broadcasters, the political parties represented in the House, Chairmen of Select and Standing Committees, and individual Members. The Committee will consider carefully all the evidence before coming to its conclusions. It is expected that the Committee's Report will be published in time to enable the House to reach a decision on the question of permanent televising before the start of the summer Adjournment.Payroll Giving
Mr. Hanley : To ask the Lord President of the Council, how many hon. Members currently take advantage of the payroll giving scheme by deduction from their parliamentary salaries.
Sir Geoffrey Howe : There are currently 51 Members who have authorised deductions from their parliamentary salaries under the payroll giving scheme.
Stationery
Ms. Walley : To ask the Lord President of the Council what urgent measures are being introduced to increase the recycled component of stationery in the House.
Sir Geoffrey Howe : A number of steps have already been taken to increase the use of recycled paper in stationery used by the House. Further measures are at present being considered by the Accommodation and Administration Sub-Committee.
ENERGY
Electricity Prices
13. Mr. Murphy : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what representations he has received regarding price increases for electricity in England and Wales in 1990, 1991 and 1992.
Mr. Baldry : I have received a number of representations about prices.
22. Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what has been the average increase in electricity prices since 1979 ; what was the increase between 1974 and 1979 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Baldry : For domestic customers the average increase since 1979 has been 8 per cent. a year and for industrial customers it was 6 per cent. a year. Between 1974 and 1979 the increases were 20 per cent. a year for domestic customers and 17 per cent. a year for industrial customers.
The last five years of this Government have seen industrial prices decrease by some 7 per cent. in real terms. Under the last five years of Labour they increased by 1 per cent.
Under the last five years of Labour domestic prices increased by 22 per cent. in real terms. Under the last five years of this Government--even after the April increase--they will have fallen by approximately 4 per cent. in real terms.
Home Energy Conservation
14. Mr. Ray Powell : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what policies he has to encourage further progress in home energy conservation.
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Mr. Peter Morrison : My Energy Efficiency Office is pursuing a number of initiatives to encourage the more efficient use of energy in the home.
40. Mr. Rathbone : To ask the Secretary of State forEnergy what representations he has received recently about Government plans to encourage energy conservation in existing housing in Britain.
Mr. Peter Morrison : I have received a number of representations, including responses to my Department's consultation paper on the proposals for the home energy efficiency scheme.
Offshore Oil and Gas
15. Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his estimate of the stock of fixed capital investment in offshore oil and gas fields.
33. Mr. Michael Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his estimate of the stock of fixed capital investment on offshore oil and gas fields.
Mr. Peter Morrison : Some £65,000 million, at today's prices, has been invested in offshore oil and gas fields.
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