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Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish in the Official Report, the reported cases of tuberculosis for each health authority in England for each year between 1979 and 1990.
Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 7 June 1990] : The information available is shown in the table.
Notifications of tuberculosis are collected by local authority area rather than by health authority area ; aggregating of data is possible to regional health authority (RHA) level, but not to district health authority (DHA) level because of boundary differences. Information at RHA is shown in the table.
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Notifications of all forms of tuberculosis by Regional Health Authorities in England for 1979 to 1989<1>
Area |1980 |1981 |1982 |1983 |1984 |1985 |1986 |1987 |1988 |1989<1>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
England |8,752 |7,803 |7,083 |6,501 |5,833 |5,583 |5,743 |4,853 |4,960 |5,241
RHA
Northern |486 |428 |336 |342 |300 |260 |299 |271 |222 |244
Yorkshire |722 |603 |627 |539 |468 |415 |437 |355 |403 |418
Trent |709 |660 |593 |547 |519 |536 |572 |514 |529 |496
East Anglian |146 |114 |96 |106 |95 |101 |91 |90 |80 |74
North West Thames |1,350 |1,271 |1,082 |995 |896 |775 |867 |672 |727 |761
North East Thames |1,078 |946 |803 |753 |659 |697 |620 |603 |579 |690
South East Thames |598 |472 |452 |452 |452 |440 |343 |293 |323 |370
South West Thames |411 |384 |319 |326 |262 |254 |301 |244 |231 |198
Wessex |161 |182 |191 |169 |145 |164 |133 |120 |145 |124
Oxford |308 |254 |248 |180 |215 |171 |148 |199 |188 |191
South Western |294 |319 |225 |183 |180 |139 |146 |136 |147 |139
West Midlands |1,164 |1,022 |1,045 |900 |848 |813 |855 |663 |671 |849
Mersey |267 |244 |248 |222 |150 |163 |197 |140 |132 |158
North Western |1,058 |904 |818 |787 |644 |655 |734 |553 |583 |529
<1> Provisional.
Erythropoetin
Mr. Speller : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Newbury, Official Report, 9 March, column 902, whether any decision has yet been reached on licensing of the drug Erythropoetin.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley [pursuant to her reply, Tuesday 8 May 1990] : A licence has been granted for the drug Erythropoetin and Iunderstand that the company has now put the drug on the market.
Meningitis
Mr. Knapman : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list in the Official Report details of all research into meningitis currently being funded by his Department, indicating in each case the level of funds being made available.
Mr. Dorrell : The Department has made available £55,437 for a prospective case control study of meningococcal disease in eight west country health districts from 1 May 1988 until 30 April 1990. A final report is awaited.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Ravenscraig
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if commercial sections in British embassies have been instructed to seek potential investors in an independent Scottish steel industry, following British Steel's recent decision to close capacity at Ravenscraig.
Mr. Maude : Instructions have not been sent to commercial sections. Commercial sections in our embassies are, however, always seeking to identify potential inward investment projects across the range of business sectors and would pass on to the Invest in Britain Bureau details of any interest which may be expressed in steel or any other sector.
St. Helena
Sir Bernard Braine : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether, in view of the improvement in telecommunications with St. Helena, steps can now be taken to establish commercial banking facilities.
Mr. Sainsbury : We are committed to strengthening the private sector on St. Helena. Since improvements in St. Helena's telecommunications and communications links were first planned, we have approached a number of commercial banks to see if they would be prepared to establish a branch on St. Helena. None has yet decided to do so. We are also considering other ways of introducing
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banking facilities, for example the establishment of a development finance institution which might include a banking function.Sir Bernard Braine : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans have been formulated to improve transportation by sea and air to St. Helena and its dependencies.
Mr. Sainsbury : A number of improvements are being made. St. Helena's only regular, though infrequent, link with the outside world is a passenger/cargo vessel built in 1963, which Her Majesty's Government subsidises. The vessel also serves St. Helena's dependencies of Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. Because of its age, the ship is shortly to be replaced by a larger, purpose-built vessel, built at a Scottish yard, which is expected to enter service in late summer. In addition, it has been decided to commence a weekly shipping shuttle, subsidised by Britain, between St. Helena and Ascension Island.
Israel
Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will send a message of concern to the Israeli Government about Israel's continued refusal to sign the nuclear non- proliferation treaty.
Mr. Waldegrave : We take every suitable opportunity to express our concern about this matter, and to reiterate our view that the best way to achieve a nuclear-weapons-free zone in the middle east would be for all states in the region to accede to the NPT.
Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will send a message of concern to the Israeli Government about the continued imprisonment of Mr. Mordechai Vanunu.
Antarctica
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration he has given to representations from individuals and organisations concerned about the threat that mining could pose to the environment of Antarctica ; and if he will make it his policy to press British opposition to any such developments.
Mr. Sainsbury : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 14 May at column 312 to the hon. Member for Caernarfon (Mr. Wigley).
Wildlife Protection
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list his responsibilities in relation to the worldwide protection of wildlife.
Mr. Waldegrave : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs is
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responsible for the conclusion of all international agreements with other states or international organisations, including their extension, as appropriate, to the Dependent Territories.In the case of wildlife, the four world-wide conservation conventions to which the United Kingdom is party are the Washington convention on international trade in endangered species of wild flora and fauna, the Ramsar convention on wetlands of international importance, the Bonn convention on the conservation of migratory species of wild flora and fauna and the convention for the protection of the world cultural and natural heritage 1975.
Within the context of collective government, responsibility for fulfilling the United Kingdom's obligations under these conventions and formulating our contribution to their development world wide rests with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment ; in respect of the Dependent Territories my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has those responsibilities.
Eastern Europe
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on negotiations he has had or is having with the relevant authorities in (a) East Germany, (b) Romania, (c) Hungary, (d) Poland, (e) Czechoslovakia, (f) Yugoslavia and (g) Bulgaria regarding the requirement for British passport holders to have a visa, exchange currency and pre-booked accommodation.
Mr. Waldegrave : We have held no such negotiations with the countries concerned. Although the situation varies from country to country, most of these requirements have now been abandoned. We welcome this.
Nuclear Arms
Mr. Livingstone : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which terrorities, for which the United Kingdom is internationally responsible, lie within the zone of application of the 1967 treaty of Tlatelolco ; and what are the United Kingdom's rights and obligations under the treaty.
Mr. Waldegrave : The territories of the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, British Virgin Islands, Anguilla and Montserrat lie within the zone of application of the Treaty of Tlatelolco.
Only Latin American states can be full parties to the treaty. The United Kingdom has, however, signed and ratified both the additional protocols to the treaty. Under protocol 1 the United Kingdom, in the territories above, must use exclusively for peaceful purposes the nuclear material and facilities which are under its jurisdiction and prohibit and prevent :
(a) the testing, use, manufacture, production and acquisition by any means whatsoever of any nuclear weapons directly or indirectly ; and
(b) the receipt, storage, installation, deployment and any form of possession of any nuclear weapons, directly or indirectly. Under protocol 2 the United Kingdom has undertaken not to contribute in any way to the performance of acts violating article 1 of the treaty itself in the states to which the treaty applies. Article 1 essentially prohibits and prevents those acts in (a) and (b) above.
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Mr. Livingstone : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Truro (Mr. Taylor) of 4 May, Official Report, column 694, for which regions of the world Her Majesty's Government supports the establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones.Mr. Waldegrave : We support the establishment of nuclear weapon free zones in those regions where their creation can contribute to regional security, to non-proliferation and to disarmament in general.
Mr. Frank Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the reply on the nuclear non- proliferation treaty review conference, Official Report, 9 May 1990, column 181, what resources and support team of civil servants will be committed by his Department to the review conference ; what issues, excepting organisational matters, were raised at the nuclear non-proliferation treaty third preparatory meeting to which he refers ; if his Department will provide any resources to non-governmental organisations wanting to attend the nuclear non-proliferation treaty review conference ; and whether Her Majesty's Government will support observer status for non-governmental organisations at the conference.
Mr. Waldegrave : Under the financing formula for the review conference, we are committed to paying 6.13 per cent. of the total costs. I expect to lead the United Kingdom delegation initially. Subsequently, the delegation will be led by Her Majesty's representative to the conference on disarmament. The delegation will comprise a number of officials.
The third preparatory committee dealt only with organisational matters, although other issues were discussed in the margins of the meeting.
We do not plan to make available any financial assistance for non- governmental organisations to attend the review conference. The draft rules of procedure for the conference do not make any provision for non- governmental organisations to be granted observer status, but they may attend meetings of the plenary and of the main committees, in which case they are entitled to receive the documents of the conference.
Mr. Mullin : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if his Department has prepared a submission for the fourth review conference of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty later in the current year.
Mr. Waldegrave : I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 9 May at column 181 to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, East (Mr. Strang).
Mr. Orme : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what new initiatives Her Majesty's Government have planned in arms control and disarmament.
Mr. Waldegrave : We and our NATO allies agreed at the North Atlantic Council meeting, held at Turnberry on 7 and 8 June, that : We would instruct our negotiators at the Vienna talks on conventional forces in Europe to pursue new approaches to mutually acceptable solutions, in particular on armour, aircraft and verification. As soon as a CFE agreement is reached, allies will be prepared to undertake follow-on negotiations to further enhance security and stability in Europe.
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Negotiations on United States and Soviet short-range nuclear weapon systems in Europe should begin shortly after a CFE agreement is concluded.The CSCE process should be strengthened and given effective institutional form.
A copy of the Communique from the meeting is being placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Orme : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonweatlh Affairs whether any states have indicated an intention to withdraw from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
Romania
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonweatlh Affairs what medical supplies, food, clothing and other non- financial aid the United Kingdom has supplied to Romania since 1 March.
Mr. Waldegrave : I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Minister for Overseas Development's answer of 19 April at column 1017.
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonweatlh Affairs if, pursuant to his answer of 27 February, Official Report, column 110, to the hon. Member for Moray (Mrs. Ewing), he will list in the Official Report the financial aid supplied by the Government to Romania since that date ; and what financial aid he intends to supply to Romania over the next six months.
Filipino Wives
Sir Bernard Braine : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many cases of Filipino wives of British subjects seeking admission to the United Kingdom whose applications were submitted to the independent appellate authority up to the end of March are still outstanding ; when the application of Mrs. Nancy Barrera Sanderson will be decided ; what are the reasons for the delay in processing such applications ; and whether he will take urgent steps to end the distress caused by the delays to lawfully married couples.
The Attorney-General : The information requested in the first part of the question is not available, as the immigration appellate authorities (IAA) do not record information separately about appeals from Filipino citizens.
The IAA have now sent the case papers of Mrs. Nancy Berrera Sanderson's appeal to her representatives in the United Kingdom. When the representatives indicate to the IAA that they are ready to proceed to the hearing before the independent adjudicator, a hearing will be set down within four to six weeks.
Delays in processing appeals at the IAA have been caused by the unexpectedly high rise in the volume of appeals in 1988 and 1989. There was a 60 per cent. rise in 1988 ; a 30 per cent. rise in 1989 ; and a further 40 per cent. rise is expected over the next 18 months. Significant additional resources were provided to the IAA last year, which resulted in a 50 per cent. rise in disposal rates. However, the increased workload has been so great that the backlog of appeals still remains high, but the situation is being kept under review.
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THE ARTS
Museums and Galleries (Admission Charges)
81. Mr. Flannery : To ask the Minister for the Arts when he last discussed with the national museums and galleries attendances and admission charges.
Mr. Luce : I discuss a wide range of matters with directors of the national museums and galleries on a regular basis.
The question of whether or not to levy admission charges is a matter for decision by the trustees and directors of individual institutions.
Departmental Budget
82. Mr. Ian Taylor : To ask the Minister for the Arts what has been the increase in real terms in his Department's budget since 1979 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Luce : The increase in real terms in the Office of Arts and Libraries' Budget since 1979 is 48 per cent. This is a clear indication of the commitment that the Government have to the cultural life of Britain.
Arts Bodies (Administration)
83. Mr. Carrington : To ask the Minister for the Arts what representations he has received concerning the cost of administration of arts bodies.
Mr. Luce : I have received a number of representations about the cost of arts administration in recent months.
Three-year Funding
86. Mr. Burns : To ask the Minister for the Arts what representations he has received concerning the concept of three-year funding ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Luce : I have received representations from all the bodies that I fund directly, and from many others. There has been a wide welcome for the concept of three-year funding, particularly as it provides a firm base for longer-term planning.
Arts Funding (Shire Counties)
87. Mr. Stern : To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the contribution per head by each shire county in grants or loans to arts organisations.
Mr. Luce : The information is not held centrally. The Chartered Institute of Public Finance (CIPFA) has published the following figures for 1989-90.
|Figures
---------------------------------
Avon |0.35
Bedfordshire |0.44
Berkshire |0.12
Buckinghamshire |0.60
Cambridgeshire |0.21
Cheshire |<1>0.70
Cleveland |1.51
Cornwall |0.41
Cumbria |0.26
Derbyshire |1.04
Devon |0.64
Dorset |0.27
Durham |1.29
East Sussex |0.09
Essex |0.09
Gloucestershire |0.28
Hampshire |1.08
Hereford/Worcs |0.31
Hertfordshire |0.09
Humberside |0.56
Isle of Wight |2.13
Kent |0.29
Lancashire |<2>0.88
Leicestershire |3.44
Lincolnshire |2.09
Norfolk |2.16
Northamptonshire |0.22
Northumberland |<1>0.72
North Yorkshire |0.96
Nottinghamshire |1.19
Oxfordshire |2.06
Shropshire |1.05
Somerset |1.14
Staffordshire |0.88
Suffolk |0.71
Surrey |0.14
Warwickshire |1.11
West Sussex |0.05
Wiltshire |0.59
<1> 1988-89 figure
<2> figure supplied by
Lancashire CC
Business Sponsorship
88. Mr. Butterfill : To ask the Minister for the Arts what proportion of money received under the business sponsorship incentive scheme goes to small, regional or innovative arts bodies, respectively.
Mr. Luce : In 1989-90, 71 per cent. of the award money went to arts organisations outside London, of which 17.8 per cent. went to Scotland and 14.8 per cent. to Wales. Small and innovative arts bodies continue to be successful in attracting sponsorship under the Scheme. I regret that detailed information on the proportion of funds that they receive is not available.
Theatres (Nottingham)
89. Mr. Allen : To ask the Minister for the Arts when he next plans to visit (a) Nottingham playhouse and (b) Nottingham Theatre Royal to discuss funding for east midlands arts.
Mr. Luce : I have no plans at present to do so.
Arts Bodies (Regions)
90. Mr. David Martin : To ask the Minister for the Arts what major arts bodies have relocated to the regions in the last three years ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Luce : Detailed information about the relocation of arts organisations is not held centrally. I am aware, however, that a number of major arts organisations are moving all or part of their operations to the regions. They include the transfer of the Sadlers Wells Royal Ballet to Birmingham ; the extension of the Tate gallery's range of activities to Liverpool and, in the future, to Cornwall ; and the opening by the science museum of the national museum of film, photography and television in Bradford.
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I welcome these and other developments which ensure that the best of British arts is accessible to the widest possible public.Arts Funding (NAO Report)
91. Mr. Gerald Bowden : To ask the Minister for the Arts what representations he has received following the National Audit Office report into the funding of arts bodies.
Mr. Luce : I have received no such representations.
Royal Opera House
92. Mr. Knapman : To ask the Minister for the Arts what is the level of public support for the royal opera house for the current year ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Luce : In 1990-91 the Arts Council's grant to the royal opera house has been set at £15.2 million. This represents an increase of 11 per cent. on last year's figure, well above the rate of inflation.
Arts in Education"
93. Mr. Bowis : To ask the Minister for the Arts what discussions he has held with "arts in education" teams.
Mr. Luce : My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and Science, and I have both acknowledged the role which the arts will play in the national curriculum. An important booklet, "Arts and Schools", jointly funded by the two departments has just been published and issued to all maintained schools in Great Britain. It includes a number of case studies of best practice in art in education by various arts organisations--including museums, art galleries and libraries--working with schools to widen the boundaries of classroom learning.
Eastern Europe
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Minister for the Arts what steps he proposes taking to increase cultural links with eastern European countries in the climate which now prevails.
Mr. Luce : The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has provided an additional £2.25 million in 1990-91 to enable the British Council to increase cultural activity in eastern Europe including new British cultural centres there. I am exploring the scope for mounting cultural initiatives within the remit of the know-how-fund. I have also given an extra £50,000 to the Arts Council and £5,000 to Visiting Arts to help bring eastern European arts groups to Britain.
Wilding Report
Mr. Brandon-Bravo : To ask the Minister for the Arts what reports he has received on the overlapping between the Office of Arts and Libraries, the Arts Council and the regional arts associations in the light of the Wilding report ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Luce : I am aware of the recent National Audit Office report to the Parliamentary Accounts Committee which examined the relationship between the Arts Council, the regional arts associations and the Office of Arts and Libraries. I believe that the changes in the structure of arts funding that I announced to the House on
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13 March 1990 will clarify the responsibilities of the Arts Council and the Regional Arts Associations, and strengthen accountability for taxpayers' money.Devolved Financial Responsibility
Mr. Brandon-Bravo : To ask the Minister for the Arts if he has received representations from the director of the National Campaign for the Arts on the cost implications of devolved financial responsibility ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Luce : I believe that my proposals will result in a structure for arts funding which will give even better value for money. It is however too early to say what savings will be released from these changes. More importantly, they will lead to clarification of funding responsibilities, elimination of the duplication and overlap between the Arts Council and the regions noted by both the Wilding and National Audit Office reports, and strengthening of regional accountability for the money that they spend on the arts.
SCOTLAND
Land Registration
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether any additional resources will be made available to accelerate the introduction of the provisions of the Land Registration (Scotland) Act 1979 relating to registration ; and if he will state for each non-operational area (i) the date up to which the relative Sasine Register has presently been completed, and (ii) any representations as to the possible consequences in conveyancing transactions ; and what response has been made.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The Department of the Registers of Scotland is required by statute to recover its expenditure from fee income. Since 1989 the Department has had more freedom to finance expansion from extra fee income. I have recently made an order, to come into force on 4 July, to increase some of the fee levels previously set in 1981. The additional income will allow backlogs to be reduced and pave the way for extending the Land Register. Information as at 6 June 1990 about the dates to which the Sasine register volumes are complete is set out in the table below. Representations have been made from time to time by the Law Society of Scotland about the effect on conveyancing transactions of delays in registration but these have not been specific to individual areas.
In establishing the Department as an executive agency in April 1990 my right hon. and learned Friend set targets for turnround times to be reduced from 30 weeks in 1989-90 to 17 weeks in 1992-93 as respects the General Register of Sasines, and from 35 to 17 weeks for registration of dealings in the Land Register.
County |1989 ---------------------------------------------- Aberdeen | 8 September Angus |22 November Argyll | 5 September Ayr |31 July Banff |20 October Berwick |12 December Bute |31 August Caithness |30 October Clackmannan |16 October Dumfries | 2 August East Lothian |10 October Fife | 2 October Inverness |17 August Kincardine |24 October Kinross |11 December Kirkcudbright |28 July Midlothian |24 October Moray |23 October Nairn |23 October Orkney and Shetland |16 October Peebles | 5 December Perth | 5 December Ross and Cromarty |25 September Roxburgh |13 December Selkirk | 4 December Sterling |28 August Sutherland | 9 October West Lothian |21 August Wigtown | 4 August
Lead Contamination
Mr. Andrew Welsh : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much money his Department has spent in each of the years between 1979-90, inclusive, on publicising the availability of lead replacement grants ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : There is no separate publicity on grants for replacement of lead plumbing. The Scottish Development Department publishes a guide to all forms of assistance available under the improvement and repairs grant system. This is distributed, free of charge, to all Scottish local authorities, who are encouraged to make it widely available.
Fishing
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will take action to prohibit the use of mobile fishing gear in sea lochs.
Mr. Lang : My noble Friend the Minister of State recently issued a consultation paper, "Additional Conservation Measures", in area VIA (West Coast of Scotland) in which views were sought on extending the current winter closure of the west coast sea lochs to a full year ban. The consultation period has now ended and responses are being considered.
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what evidence he has of illegal fishing in the Minch.
Mr. Lang : The Minch is subject to regular surveillance by ships and aircraft of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland, as are all of the main fishing grounds off the Scottish coast. In 1989 a total of five infringements of fisheries regulations were detected.
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his policy on industrial fishing in relation to (a) ammodytes marinus, (b) ammodytes tubianus, (c) ammodytes semiguaranatus, (d) hyperoplus lancealatus and (e) hyperoplus immaculatus.
Mr. Lang : The Government's policy in relation to fishing for (a) Ammodytes marinus, (b) Ammodytes tobianus, (c) Gymnammodytes semisquamatus, (d)
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Hyperoplus lanceolatus and (e) Hyperoplus immacculatus, commonly known as sand-eels, is the same as for other industrial species. Stocks are managed on the basis of scientific advice on the effect of fishing effort on stock size. The aim of such management is the sustainable long-term exploitation of the fishery resource.Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will issue guidance to local authorities to make culverts under new roads cobble -bottomed to assist spawning fish to get upstream.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The Scottish Development Department is currently considering design improvements for culverts which may assist the upstream passage of fish and is co-operating with the freshwater fisheries laboratory of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland in the assessment of a particular design. If the results of the trial prove satisfactory from both an engineering and fisheries point of view appropriate design guidance will be issued to roads' authorities.
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