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5. To deliver all work on time.These targets have been agreed for the long term with the exception of target 2 which is subject to annual review in the light of market forces. Copies of the framework document are in the House of Commons Library.
THE ARTS
Energy Consumption
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Minister for the Arts, pursuant to his answer of 1 May, Official Report , column 475 , why details of energy consumption are not available for the buildings occupied by the offices for which he is responsible.
Mr. Luce [holding answer 10 May 1990] : My office is located in two buildings, both shared with other Government Departments. They are not sub-metered to measure individual Departments' actual energy consumption. Charges are therefore made on the basis of the respective areas of floor space. I shall write to the hon. Member with further details.
PRIME MINISTER
Mr. Charles Powell
Q99. Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list those aspects of the supplementary question of 26 April from the hon. Member for Linlithgow concerning contacts between Mr. Charles Powell and Mr. Conrad Black which she does not accept as having a basis in fact ; and if she will make a statement on the aspects of the hon. Member's interpretation which she does not accept.
The Prime Minister : I have nothing further to add to my reply of 26 April.
Engagements
Mr. McAvoy : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 May.
Mr. Watson : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 May.
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 May.
Mr. Dunnachie : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 May.
Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 May.
Mr. Stern : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 May.
The Prime Minister : This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today. This evening I shall attend a memorial service for the late Lord Rothschild.
Executive Agencies
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister whether she will list in the Official Report the subjects on which, as a result of the transfer of functions to executive agencies, Ministers will no longer answer questions.
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The Prime Minister : Ministers remain fully accountable to Parliament for all the work of their Departments, including executive agencies. However, hon. Members may often wish in the first instance to deal directly with agency chief executives on those matters for which they have delegated authority under the agency's framework document and I would encourage them to do so. In such cases the chief executive will be best placed to give them a response promptly and effectively.HOME DEPARTMENT
Sex Offenders
Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration he is giving to the recommendations contained in the report published by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust entitled "Working with the Sex Offender : Issues for Policy and Training, Prevention and Treatment" a copy of which has been sent to him ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. John Patten : I welcome the initiatives taken by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust in focusing attention on the treatment and sentencing of sex offenders. We are considering the report's recommendations and its points for action and we shall take them into account in developing our own strategy for the treatment of sex offenders.
Ex-offenders (Training)
Mr. Hattersley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on recent reductions in training facilities available for ex-offenders following the renegotiation of contract for voluntary sector providers.
Mr. Waddington : Funding for employment training is a matter for the Department of Employment. I understand that recent reductions in funding are related to falling unemployment and a significant reduction in the numbers of young people entering the labour market. The Training Agency and the new training and enterprise councils seek to ensure that suitable training is provided for people with special needs, including ex-offenders. Officials of the Home Office and Training Agency are jointly examining the implications of the Government's recently published White Paper on dealing with offenders in the community in relation to training and enterprise programmes.
Prisoners
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria are used to determine whether a prisoner should be held on rule 43 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Mellor : Prison rule 43 provides that, where it appears desirable, for the maintenance of good order or discipline or in his own interests, that a prisoner should not associate with other prisoners, either generally or for particular purposes, the governor may arrange for the prisoner's removal from association accordingly. Segregation for more than three days requires authorisation by the board of visitors. Where a prisoner's segregation is requested or recommended for his own protection, the governor must satisfy himself that the
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prisoner is seriously at risk of assault by other prisoners and that his safety cannot be assured by other means. Where segregation for maintenance of good order or discipline is considered, the governor must be satisfied, in the light of information available, that the prisoner's continued association with other prisoners poses a threat to the efficient running and control of the prison. The governor may arrange at his discretion for a prisoner to resume association with other prisoners, and must do so if in any case the medical officer so advises on medical grounds.Women Prisoners
Miss Emma Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of births to women prisoners have been stillborn in each of the last 10 years.
Mr. Mellor : There were eight deliveries within prison service establishments between 1 January 1979 and 31 March 1989 none of which were still births. Figures for still births in outside hospitals are not collected centrally, and could be obtained only at
disproportionate cost.
Miss Emma Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of pregnancies of women prisoners have resulted in a miscarriage in each of the last 10 years.
Mr. Mellor : This information is not collected centrally, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Somali Refugees
Sir David Steel : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what Her Majesty's Government's policy is towards Somali refugees.
Mr. Peter Lloyd: As with other nationalities, our policy is to grant asylum to Somali refugees for whom the United Kingdom is the most appropriate country of refuge.
Foreigners (Language Schools)
Mr. Simon Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the number of foreign nationals who came to the United Kingdom to study English through language schools in (a) 1979, (b) 1984 and (c) 1989.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The information is not available in the form requested. However, the international passenger survey results for 1984 showed that there were an estimated 477,000 visits to the United Kingdom by foreign residents who attended an English language course. It is not known what proportion of these studied at language schools. Respondents holding passports from the main English-speaking countries were not asked about their attendance on English language courses.
Data Protection Act
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the prosecutions made under the Data Protection Act ; and if he will give the outcome of the prosecutions.
Mr. Mellor : We understand that 27 prosecutions by the Data Protection Registrar have been completed. Twenty-six of these resulted in fines, averaging £466.67 ; and one in
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a conditional discharge. Details are obtainable from the registrar. Some prosecutions have also been initiated by the Director of Public Prosecutions, but they are not separately listed.SCOTLAND
Nursery Education
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many and what percentage of children aged three and four years were in receipt of nursery education in each
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local education authority area for Scotland in each of the years 1978-79 to the latest date for which information is available.Mr. Rifkind : The figures for local education authority nursery schools and departments at each September for which information is available are set out in the tables. Information for 1985 and 1986 is not available.
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Percentage of 3 and 4 year old children in population in receipt of nursery education
|1978 |1979 |1980 |1981 |1982 |1983 |1984 |1987 |1988 |1989
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Borders |12.2 |12.8 |13.7 |17.1 |17.5 |16.6 |15.2 |16.6 |18.7 |19.1
Central |19.3 |21.4 |25.2 |28.8 |29.3 |31.2 |31.2 |37.8 |39.2 |41.9
Dumfries and Galloway |7.0 |7.4 |8.4 |8.0 |8.1 |7.9 |8.7 |12.7 |15.8 |17.9
Fife |35.4 |36.3 |38.3 |39.3 |40.8 |42.2 |42.8 |48.5 |50.4 |49.6
Grampian |18.2 |18.0 |18.7 |19.4 |18.3 |18.6 |18.6 |21.2 |24.0 |25.5
Highland |6.3 |8.5 |9.1 |10.2 |10.7 |10.3 |10.5 |11.6 |12.3 |11.9
Lothian |36.0 |36.6 |40.4 |43.0 |43.3 |43.8 |45.3 |47.8 |47.9 |47.3
Strathclyde |22.2 |23.2 |24.7 |27.7 |27.8 |27.7 |27.6 |29.6 |30.1 |31.6
Tayside |18.5 |20.4 |22.1 |23.2 |23.5 |23.0 |22.6 |25.1 |26.5 |31.3
Orkney |16.8 |19.4 |19.3 |14.9 |16.5 |17.9 |18.3 |18.3 |20.7 |21.5
Shetland |4.5 |11.7 |13.2 |12.1 |12.1 |11.1 |13.6 |17.7 |18.1 |19.4
Western Isles |19.2 |16.8 |18.4 |19.3 |19.7 |16.2 |0.0 |0.0 |0.0 |0.0
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------
Scotland total |22.9 |23.8 |25.6 |27.8 |27.9 |28.0 |28.2 |30.8 |31.9 |33.1
Note: Figures for private nursery schools within each local education authority area are not available.
Percentage of 3 and 4 year old children in population in receipt of nursery education
|1978 |1979 |1980 |1981 |1982 |1983 |1984 |1987 |1988 |1989
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Borders |12.2 |12.8 |13.7 |17.1 |17.5 |16.6 |15.2 |16.6 |18.7 |19.1
Central |19.3 |21.4 |25.2 |28.8 |29.3 |31.2 |31.2 |37.8 |39.2 |41.9
Dumfries and Galloway |7.0 |7.4 |8.4 |8.0 |8.1 |7.9 |8.7 |12.7 |15.8 |17.9
Fife |35.4 |36.3 |38.3 |39.3 |40.8 |42.2 |42.8 |48.5 |50.4 |49.6
Grampian |18.2 |18.0 |18.7 |19.4 |18.3 |18.6 |18.6 |21.2 |24.0 |25.5
Highland |6.3 |8.5 |9.1 |10.2 |10.7 |10.3 |10.5 |11.6 |12.3 |11.9
Lothian |36.0 |36.6 |40.4 |43.0 |43.3 |43.8 |45.3 |47.8 |47.9 |47.3
Strathclyde |22.2 |23.2 |24.7 |27.7 |27.8 |27.7 |27.6 |29.6 |30.1 |31.6
Tayside |18.5 |20.4 |22.1 |23.2 |23.5 |23.0 |22.6 |25.1 |26.5 |31.3
Orkney |16.8 |19.4 |19.3 |14.9 |16.5 |17.9 |18.3 |18.3 |20.7 |21.5
Shetland |4.5 |11.7 |13.2 |12.1 |12.1 |11.1 |13.6 |17.7 |18.1 |19.4
Western Isles |19.2 |16.8 |18.4 |19.3 |19.7 |16.2 |0.0 |0.0 |0.0 |0.0
|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------
Scotland total |22.9 |23.8 |25.6 |27.8 |27.9 |28.0 |28.2 |30.8 |31.9 |33.1
Note: Figures for private nursery schools within each local education authority area are not available.
Royal Ordnance Factory, Bishopton
Mr. Graham : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what will be the future role of the Strathclyde police in the protection of Royal Ordnance, Bishopton ;
(2) what would be the responsibility of the Strathclyde police for any serious incident taking place at Royal Ordnance, Bishopton.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The police are responsible for the containment and investigation of any serious incident wherever it may take place. The chief constable of Strathclyde has discussed the future security arrangements at ROF Bishopton with the Ministry of Defence ; and the role he proposes for Strathclyde police is an operational matter for him.
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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Visa Processing
Mrs. Mahon : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received concerning delays in the processing of visas at United Kingdom embassies and high commissions abroad.
Mr. Sainsbury : We receive a number of representations, both from hon. Members and from the public, about entry clearance procedures and delays at our embassies and high commissions.
European Community
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out the evidence on which he based the statements on the second page of his Department's pamphlet entitled, "Britain in the Community : Europe in the 1990s" (a) that goods and
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services will become more freely available and (b) it will become easier to move bank accounts from the United Kingdom to other European countries.Mr. Maude : The single market programme includes a large number of measures to improve the availability of goods and services in the EC : for example, the removal of internal customs barriers ; liberalisation of transport ; and setting of common standards. The capital liberalisation directive agreed in 1988 requires most member states to lift restrictions on capital movements by 1 July 1990, thus facilitating capital flows in the EC.
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the (a) legislative and (b) other measures which have secured the policy objectives set out on the ninth page of his Department's pamphlet entitled, "Britain in the Community : Europe in the 1990s".
Mr. Maude : Twelve White Paper measures have so far been agreed to open up the banking, insurance and stock market sectors ; nine more are being discussed ; and one is still to be brought forward. Closer co- ordination of member states' economic policies was agreed by the Council decision of 12 March 1990. And state subsidies to industry have been reduced by stringent application of articles 92 and 93 on state aids.
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was (a) the total actual expenditure of the EEC and (b) the net United Kingdom contribution in 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1989 ; what is the estimate for 1990 ; and how these figures relate to the statements made in the first, second and third paragraphs on the eighth page of his Department's pamphlet entitled, "Britain in the Community : Europe in the 1990s".
Mr. Maude : The table provides the relevant figures. Budgets since the 1988 Brussels European Council have stayed well within the GNP own resources ceiling established then. Community GNP has grown significantly.
|Total EC | United
|expenditure | Kingdom net
|contribution
|£ million |£ million
----------------------------------------------------
1986 |22,953 |572
1987 |24,894 |1,721
1988 |27,426 |1,362
1989 |30,123 |2,315
<1>1990 |33,355 |2,175
<1> Estimate.
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give the figures on which he bases the statement on the eighth page of his Department's pamphlet entitled, "Britain in the Community : Europe in the 1990s", that beef stocks are down by 80 per cent. and cereals by 55 per cent. ; and if he will list the specific measures of budgetary control which have brought about these reductions.
Mr. Maude : In February 1990, beef stocks were 125,000 tonnes (a reduction of 82.4 per cent. from their highest level, in September 1985, of 711,000 tonnes) ; and cereals stocks 8,121,000 tonnes (a reduction of 55.4 per cent. from their highest level, in October 1985, of 18,193,000 tonnes).
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Specific budgetary control measures include : reducing the number of months when intervention is available ; cutting intervention prices ; imposing ceilings on production for which support is available ; producer taxes ("co-responsibility levies").Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out the evidence on which he based the statement on the fourth page of his Department's pamphlet, "Britain in the Community : Europe in the 1990s", that minimisation of immigration checks is a major objective of the Community ; and if he will list the checks which it is proposed to remove.
Mr. Maude : The statement in the pamphlet "Britain in the Community" about ease of travel in the Community directly reflects articles 3(c) and 8(a) of the treaty of Rome, which specifically call for the abolition of obstacles to freedom of movement for persons, and provide that the internal market shall include such free movement of persons in accordance with the provisions of the treaty. My right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for the Home Department explained our position in full during the debate on intra-Community frontiers on 4 May 1989.
Falkland Islands
Dr. Woodcock : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made in introducing direct flights from the mainland of South America to the Falkland Islands.
Mr. Sainsbury : Several charter flights have recently been made between the Falkland Islands and Punta Arenas in Chile ; more are planned, by a variety of commercial operators.
Dr. Woodcock : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will introduce a fishery conservation area around South Georgia.
Mr. Sainsbury : We have no present plans to do so ; fishing in the waters around South Georgia is already controlled by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), of which the United Kingdom is an active member. We fully support the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources' efforts, and are working to make them more effective.
Dr. Woodcock : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the voluntary restraint agreements which have been negotiated by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office with respect to waters surrounding the Falkland Islands and South Georgia outside of the Falklands Islands conservation zone.
Mr. Sainsbury : No formal agreements have been negotiated by the FCO. After direct negotiations with the Falkland Islands Government, fishing associations from Korea, Japan and Taiwan undertook to limit their fishing activity this year in the south Atlantic as a whole. In return their members were allocated licences to fish within the Falkland Islands interim conservation and management zone. These arrangements are intended to promote the effective conservation of migratory fish stocks.
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Dr. Woodcock : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to equate the Argentinian and British military notification zones.Mr. Sainsbury : The notification zones specified in the interim reciprocal information and consultation system (IRICS) agreed with Argentina in Madrid in February are part of a comprehensive and balanced package of reciprocal measures.
As I said in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Gravesham (Mr. Arnold) on 16 February, this series of measures is intended to increase confidence in the region.
Dr. Woodcock : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will extend the Falkland Islands fisheries conservation zone ;
(2) if he will extend the Falklands Islands territorial fishery zone to 200 miles on the same basis as that applied to the coastal waters of Argentina.
Mr. Sainsbury : We have no present plans to extend the Falkland Islands interim conservation and management zone (FICZ).
Dr. Woodcock : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will discuss with representatives of the residents of the Falkland Islands their view on the possibility of incorporating the Falkland Islands into the United Kingdom.
Mr. Sainsbury : The elected councillors have not expressed any wish that incorporation of the islands into the United Kingdom be considered.
Dr. Woodcock : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the measures being undertaken to preserve fish stocks in the waters surrounding South Georgia.
Mr. Sainsbury : Fishing in the waters surrounding South Georgia is controlled by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), of which the United Kingdom is a member. The current conservation measures imposed by CCAMLR are : (
(a) Chaenocephalus aceratus --no direct fishing allowed Pseudochaenichthys georgianus --no direct fishing allowed Notothenia squamifrons --no direct fishing allowed
(b) Notothenia gibberifrons --no direct fishing allowed, total allowed by- catch 300 tonnes
(c) Dissostichus eleginoides --no specific measures, but agreement that there will be no increase in fishing in 1990 over 1989. (
(d) Champsocephalus gunnari --Total Allowable Catch (TAC) of 8,000 tonnes
(e) Patagonotothen brevicauda guntheri --TAC of 12,000 tonnes In addition, commercial fishing is not allowed within the 12-mile territorial sea.
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Israel
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what financial help the Government is giving to Israel ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maude : We do not give any aid to the Government of Israel.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many representations the Government have made to the Israeli Government concerning its involvement in Palestine.
Mr. Maude : We frequently remind the Israeli Government of our view that there is an urgent need for negotiation with the Palestinians towards a peace settlement and that, pending this, it is the responsibility of the Israelis to administer the occupied territories in accordance with their obligations and with international law.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to visit Israel to discuss its involvement in Palestine ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maude : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has at present no plans to visit Israel.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many representations he has received from hon. and right hon. Members and members of the public concerning Israeli involvement in Palestine.
Mr. Maude : We receive numerous representations about the Palestinian question and Israel's administration of the occupied territories.
Hong Kong
Mr. Stanbrook : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the current position of present and retired expatriate members of Her Majesty's overseas civil service in Hong Kong and their eligibility for pensions based on the pound sterling equivalent at the time of retirement, in view of the recent fluctuations in the pound sterling equivalent of the Hong Kong dollar.
Mr. Maude : All pensionable civil servants employed by the Hong Kong Government receive their pensions in Hong Kong dollars. There are no plans to change this arrangement. The Hong Kong dollar is linked to the United States dollar.
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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Hostages
Mr. John M. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British hostages are presently believed to be held in the Lebanon ; what are their names ; on what dates each of them was taken hostage ; and what information he has about the organisations involved in these kidnappings.
Mr. Maude : There are currently three British hostages held in Lebanon. They are Mr. John McCarthy (abducted on 17 April 1986), Mr. Jack Mann (abducted on 12 May 1989) and Mr. Terry Waite (abducted on 20 January 1987). There have been no substantiated claims for them. However, the American hostage, Mr. Frank Reed, who was released on 30 April by a previously unheard-of group, the Organisation of the Islamic Dawn, has confirmed that he was held together with Mr. McCarthy.
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the efforts made by his Department to obtain the release of the hostages held captive in the middle east.
Mr. Maude : I refer to the answer of 18 April given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office to the hon. Member for St. Helens, North (Mr. Evans) and to the answer given by my right hon. Friend, the Foreign Secretary on 9 May to the hon. Member for Derbyshire, North-East (Mr. Barnes).
Antarctica
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from the Federal Republic of Germany with regard to the forthcoming meeting of Antarctic treaty parties in November to discuss the protection of the Antarctic environment.
Mr. Sainsbury : None. Bilateral consultations have taken place at official level.
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration has been given to the proposals for the protection of the Antarctic environment put forward by the Australian and French Governments.
Mr. Sainsbury : The Franco-Australian proposals were presented to us on 3 May. We are giving them careful consideration and look forward to discussing them with our Antarctic treaty partners at the special Antarctic treaty consultative meeting in November in Santiago.
Anthony Blunt
Mr. Allason : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he granted permission to Professor Peyton Lyons to reproduce extracts from the transcript of Anthony Blunt's interrogation in his report to the Canadian Department of External Affairs entitled "The Loyalty of E. Herbert Norman" ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sainsbury [holding answer 5 April 1990] : The Lyons report was a Canadian Government matter. No consultation took place with the United Kingdom authorities before it was published.
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