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Bathing Water Directives
Mr. Hind : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what beaches in Europe outside the United Kingdom are subject to legal proceedings for failing to meet the bathing water directives ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : I understand that the Commission is pursuing legal proceedings against all member states except Portugal in respect of directive 76/160/EEC.
The Commission has powers under the EC treaty to take proceedings against individual member states which it considers are not complying with their obligations under the treaty. It is for the Commission to decide when to commence such legal proceedings.
Voluntary Organisations
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to monitor the effects of the community charge on grant aid to local voluntary organisations ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Chope : The Government monitor the main categories of expenditure of local authorities, which this year will be affected by the introduction of the community charge and the level of charges, but the grant aid which local authorities provide to voluntary organisations is a matter for them to decide, not the Government.
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the effects on grant aid to local voluntary organisations of local authorities not recovering the level of community charge anticipated when preparing their budget.
Mr. Chope : If authorities collect charges efficiently, there is no reason why the cash volume of arrears should be greater than under the rating system. There is no reason why local authorities, or those voluntary organisations which receive grant aid from local authorities, need be in any way disadvantaged in the way the right hon. Member implies.
Urban Programme
Mr. Clay : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all groups and organisations within the Sunderland borough council area that have received urban programme support in (a) 1989-90 and (b) 1990-91 ; and if he will identify the level of grant received in each case and any conditions attached.
Mr. Moynihan : I regret that the detailed information is not readily available to the Department. However, Sunderland borough council, as managers of the urban programme, should be able to provide the information requested direct to the hon. Member.
Builders and Decorators
Mr. David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans for, or anticipates direction from the European Commission on plans for, a standard registration for all builders and decorators ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Spicer : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no such proposals, nor does he anticipate any from the European Commission.
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Mr. David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the protection available to individuals who receive unsatisfactory service from people purporting to be builders and decorators ; and how this is likely to change after 1992.
Mr. Michael Spicer : Under the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982, in contracts for the supply of services, which would include building and decorating, the service must be carried out with reasonable care and skill. Any materials used must be of "merchantable quality", and fit for the job in hand. If the builder or decorator fails in these obligations, the law treats the matter as a breach of contract and the consumer may then look to him for redress through the courts. A number of trade associations operate insurance-backed guarantee schemes, offering protection for the individual against the "cowboy" builder. The Office of Fair Trading is also working with the industry to devise a model fair deal contract for small home improvement works and is examining how an industry-led body could carry out the assessment and approval of insurance-backed guarantee schemes.
The position would be unaffected by current proposals for the completion of the single European market.
Homelessness (Sunderland)
Mr. Clay : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many (a) families and (b) single people accepted as homeless within the borough of Sunderland area are at present in (i) bed-and-breakfast accommodation, (ii) other forms of temporary accommodation and (iii) of no fixed abode, and are in receipt of state benefits.
Mr. Chope : The latest available figures for the number of homeless households in bed-and-breakfast and other forms of temporary accommodation are for the end of December 1989. These appear in table 7 of "Local authorities" action under the homelessness provisions of the 1985 Housing Act : England ; Results for the fourth quarter of 1989 ; Supplementary Tables", which is the Library.
The number of single people among the households accepted as homeless is not reported to the Department by local authorities and we have no estimates.
Statistics on the numbers of homeless people in temporary accommodation or of no fixed abode and in receipt of state benefits are not available centrally in the form requested.
Bottled Water
Mr. Knowles : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what responsibility his Department has for bottled drinking waters.
Mr. Trippier : Responsibility for regulating the quality of the two main categories of bottled waters--natural mineral water and artificially carbonated mineral or spring water--lies with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Responsibility for any other bottled water has hitherto fallen to the Secretary of State for the Environment, because my right hon. Friend has overall responsibility for EC directive 80/778 on the quality of water intended for human consumption.
The existence of separate legal and administrative regimes for different types of bottled water has inevitably caused confusion to producers, local authorities and the
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public. The current Food Safety Bill will make it possible to establish a single regime under the Food Acts and the food hygiene regulations for all types of bottled water. The Prime Minister has therefore agreed that the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in conjunction with the Agriculture Ministers in Wales and Scotland, and the Minister for Health and Social Services in Northern Ireland, should in future have ministerial responsibility for all types of bottled water.Home Insulation
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of dwellings in each district in England are insulated to the standard recommended by his Department.
Mr. Michael Spicer [holding answer 6 June 1990] : Information at district level is not available. Nationally, we estimate that 90 per cent. of dwellings with accessible lofts have insulation and 15 per cent. of all dwellings have cavity wall insulation. The proportion which meet the
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higher standards of thermal insulation required by new building regulations, introduced in April this year, is not known.Household Statistics
Ms. Richardson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is the total number of households in England and the numbers and percentages of those households which are (a) single-pensioner households, (b) other single-adult households, (c) two-adult households and (d) three or more adult households ;
(2) what are the numbers and percentages of total households, broken down by sex and racial composition, of people living in (a) single-pensioner households, (b) other single-adult households, (c) two-adult households and (d) three or more adult households in England.
Mr. Michael Spicer [holding answer 13 June 1990] : The available estimates from the 1988 labour force survey are as follows :
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|c|Households by number of adults and sex and ethnic group of head of household: 1988 England|c| (a) Number of households (thousand) Sex and ethnic group of |Single |Other single |Two adults |Three or more |<1>All head of household |pensioner |adult |adults ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Males Indian |1 |5 |111 |68 |186 Pakistani/Bangladeshi |1 |3 |70 |23 |98 West Indian |2 |24 |65 |25 |116 Other |3 |26 |112 |37 |178 All ethnic minorities |7 |59 |359 |152 |578 White |587 |1,180 |9,247 |2,417 |13,433 All ethnic groups |595 |1,239 |9,606 |2,569 |14,011 Female All ethnic minorities |16 |101 |36 |13 |166 White |2,135 |1,343 |712 |203 |4,396 All ethnic groups |2,151 |1,445 |748 |217 |4,563 All Indian |4 |17 |119 |73 |212 Pakistani/Bangladeshi |1 |8 |71 |24 |104 West Indian |6 |78 |80 |30 |194 Other |12 |58 |125 |39 |234 All ethnic minorities |23 |160 |395 |166 |744 White |2,723 |2,524 |9,959 |2,620 |17,830 All ethnic groups |2,746 |2,684 |10,354 |2,786 |18,574 <1> Includes a small number of households with no adults. Source:-1988 Labour force Survey-estimates are subject to sampling error; and the sample of ethnic minority households with female heads is too small to provide the same breakdown as for male heads.
(b) Percentage of all households Sex and ethnic group of |Single |Other single |Two adults |Three or more |<1>All head of household |pensioner |adult |adults ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Male Indian |1 |3 |60 |37 |100 Pakistan/Bangladeshi |1 |3 |72 |24 |100 West Indian |2 |21 |56 |22 |100 Other |2 |15 |63 |21 |100 All ethnic minorities |1 |10 |62 |26 |100 White |4 |9 |69 |18 |100 All ethnic groups |4 |9 |69 |18 |100 Female All ethnic minorities |10 |61 |22 |8 |100 White |49 |31 |16 |5 |100 All ethnic groups |47 |32 |16 |5 |100 All Indian |2 |8 |56 |34 |100 Pakistani/Bangladeshi |1 |8 |68 |23 |100 West Indian |3 |40 |41 |15 |100 Other |5 |25 |53 |17 |100 All ethnic minorities |3 |22 |53 |22 |100 White |15 |14 |56 |15 |100 All ethnic groups |15 |14 |56 |15 |100 <1> Includes a small number of households with no adults. Source:-1988 Labour force Survey-estimates are subject to sampling error; and the sample of ethnic minority households with female heads is too small to provide the same breakdown as for male heads.
PRIME MINISTER
Mr. Jonathan Moyle
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Prime Minister if she will make a statement about the death of Mr. Jonathan Moyle in Chile ; whether any official of Her Majesty's Government has made a statement as to cause and nature of his death ; and what representations Her Majesty's Government have received from Mr. Moyle's family.
The Prime Minister : The tragic death of Mr. Jonathan Moyle is under investigation by the Chilean authorities. Her Majesty's coroner for Exeter and East Devon has also opened an inquest. It would not therefore be appropriate for me to make a statement at this time. No official statement has been made by any Government Department or agency in London or by the British embassy in Santiago as to the cause of Mr. Moyle's death. Consular officials in London are in regular contact with Mr. Moyle's family.
Mr. Colin Wallace
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister what criteria have been used since October 1989 when separating papers relating to Mr. Wallace's case between 10 Downing street, the Ministry of Defence, the Home Office and the Northern Ireland Office.
The Prime Minister : Departments are given copies of relevant papers.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Fair Employment
Rev. William McCrea : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the numbers of employees in each public organisation by the Fair Employment Agency's definition of Protestant and Roman Catholics in (a) the Omagh council area and (b) with a postcode BT79 for those companies or organisations on the fair employment register.
Mr. Needham : Of the 101 public authorities specified in the Fair Employment (Specification of Public Authorities) Order (NI) 1989, only two- -Omagh district council and the Western education and library board--have registered addresses in Omagh. The number of employees in the former is 293 and in the latter 3,514.
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The only public authorities with registered addresses with a postcode of BT79 are Omagh district council and the Western education and library board.The Fair Employment Commission is not releasing information on community composition from individual monitoring returns at present.
Planning Appeals
Mr. Kilfedder : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he intends to publish the Planning Appeals Commission's report on the public inquiry into the SIBEC (Scotland) Ltd., proposals for a shopping centre, food court and leisure facilities at Bloomfield road, Bangor ; and if he will treat the matter as an issue of urgency.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 11 June 1990) : Planning decisions on the applications submitted by SIBEC (Scotland) Ltd. were issued on 5 June 1990 and the report of the Planning Appeals Commission on the public inquiry is now available for public inspection or purchase. A copy of the report was sent to the hon. Gentleman for his information on 7 June.
Labour Statistics
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the present level of unemployment in Londonderry city ; and what were the corresponding figures in 1969, 1972, 1979 and 1985.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 12 June 1990) : The information requested is as follows :
|Numbers ----------------------------------------------April 1990 (latest available) |7,588 April 1985 |9,070
Similar information is not available prior to 1984.
Making Belfast Work"
Mr. Stott : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a list of the names and addresses of groups which have received money under the "Making Belfast Work" initiative since it was set up and the corresponding amount given to each group in the relevant financial years.
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Mr. Needham [holding answer 12 June 1990) : In view of the large amount of material to be collated, I will write to the hon. Member and place copies of the information in the Library.TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Romania and Bulgaria
Mr. Thorne : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what plans he has to visit Romania ; and what steps are being taken to promote trading opportunities there ;
(2) what plans he has to visit Bulgaria ; and what steps are being taken to promote trading opportunities there.
Mr. Redwood : At present, my right hon. Friend has no plans to visit Romania or Bulgaria. My Department promotes United Kingdom trade with both countries by providing companies with information about economic conditions and about specific business opportunities ; by using joint commissions and other official contacts to find out as much as we can about local economic policies and priorities ; and to support British companies pursuing significant business. I myself led a delegation to Romania in February 1990, and senior officials have recently visited Bulgaria.
Additionally, in Bulgaria, we are supporting trade promotion events such as the Plovdiv autumn fair ; and we would support similar events in Romania.
Waste Minimisation
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action his Department has taken on waste minimisation in industry ; how many staff are employed in this area ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Forth : Waste minimisation in industry is a key focus of my Department's environmental programme. In November 1989, the Department published a business guide to waste minimisation called "Cutting Your Losses". Some 29,000 copies of the booklet have been taken up so far. The Department and the Confederation of British Industry are currently running a series of regional seminars to inform businesses of the requirements of new legislation on waste and to promote waste minimisation.
The Department's environmental inquiry point at Warren Spring laboratory gives general advice to business on a range of environmental issues including waste minimisation ; and smaller firms needing more detailed advice from consultants can receive assistance under the Department's consultancy initiatives. My Department is also assisting the development of new environmental technologies through a growing range of initiatives.
Separate figures for the amount of staff time devoted specifically to waste minimisation are not available, but the topic involves many members of the Department's environment task force and they also call upon assistance and advice, for example from the Department's research establishments and regional offices, as well as from external organisations.
Single Market
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give consideration to amending the terms of reference of the Office of Fair Trading and the
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Monopolies and Mergers Commission in the light of Britain's forthcoming membership of the single European market.Mr. Redwood : The achievement of the single European market does not require changes in the statutory duties of the Director General of Fair Trading and the Monopolies and Mergers Commission. The Fair Trading Act provisions allow the director and the Monopolies and Mergers Commission to take account of competition from outside the United Kingdom--whether from in the Community or elsewhere--in looking at whether a merger would damage competition in the United Kingdom. Mergers with a Community dimension as defined by the EC merger control regulation will, from 21 September this year, be subject to examination by the European Commission. Under the regulation, mergers leading to or strengthening a dominant position and significantly impeding competition in the Common Market will be prohibited by the Commission. The director and the Monopolies and Mergers Commission will retain their important competition responsibilities within the United Kingdom, including responsibility for mergers outside the scope of the regulation.
Harrods Bank
Mr. Hoyle : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to hear from the Bank of England regarding Harrods bank.
Mr. Redwood : My right hon. Friend hopes to hear from the bank before long.
Mr. Dykes : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on discussions between his Department and the Bank of England concerning the control of Harrods Bank Ltd. ; and whether the Bank has been sent any recommendations for action since receiving the official investigation report in August 1988.
Mr. Redwood : My Department sent the report to the Bank of England in view of the Bank's regulatory responsibilities under the Banking Act.
It is for the bank alone to determine whether any action by it is required under that Act.
Financial Reporting Council
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the members of the Financial Reporting Council, together with other relevant information as to their experience, directorships and partnerships.
Mr. Redwood : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to his question on 5 June at column 435.
City Regulation
Ms. Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his Department's latest assessment of the effectiveness of City regulation.
Mr. Redwood : Regulation of investment business is for the most part the responsibility of the Securities and Investments Board, which is the designated agency under the Financial Services Act 1986. Other aspects of City activity are regulated under other arrangements, such as
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the Insurance Companies Act 1982 and the Banking Act 1987. I am generally satisfied with this regulatory structure.Overseas Trade
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to increase the profitability of overseas trade ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood : It is for individual companies to consider how best to increase their profitability.
Packaging
Mr. Cummings : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department is taking to encourage industry to reduce the amount of packaging used for products.
Mr. Forth : The promotion of waste minimisation in general is a key focus of my Department's environmental programme. The need to minimise packaging and, where essential packaging is concerned, to use materials which lend themselves to recycling, is being promoted through my Department's participation in relevant seminars and conferences and through meetings with representatives from the packaging industry.
In March, my Department was co-organiser with the Institute of Metals of an international conference which discussed all aspects of the design of products so as to avoid harm to the environment, including the minimisation of packaging. An example of a product designed with reduced packaging in mind is included in the booklet "Design for the Environment", which my Department has produced with assistance from the Design Council.
Caravans
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to ensure that all caravans meet fire safety standards.
Mr. Forth : The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations came into force, with respect to caravans, on 1 March 1990. Their enforcement is a matter for the trading standards departments of the local authorities, which have the necessary powers to inspect businesses selling caravans.
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will estimate the cost to the caravan industry of complying with fire safety legislation in March 1990 instead of 1991.
Mr. Forth : The Department's cost compliance assessment of improving the fire safety in caravans by the introduction of the 1988 regulations estimated the cost to the industry to be between £3 million and £4 million per annum.
Public Safety
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department takes to ensure that correspondence with firms and trade associations relating to public safety is received and acknowledged.
Mr. Forth : Every effort is made to send prompt replies to all letters asking questions, seeking information or
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raising issues about product safety. The views of a wide range of trade associations, consumer bodies and representative organisations are sought by the Department on matters relating to product safety. These views are always taken into account but not all such correspondence requires an individual response. If the hon. Member is concerned about a specific case, perhaps he would let me have the details so that I can investigate the matter.Bank Accounts
Mr. Burns : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress is being made on the implementation of the European Community's bank accounts directive.
Mr. Redwood : My Department intends to issue a consultative document before the recess inviting comments on draft regulations to implement the EC bank accounts directive. Copies will be placed in the Library.
The directive establishes common rules in relation to the content, valuation methods, audit and publication of the individual and consolidated accounts of banks and other financial institutions. The consultative document will report on the responses to the consultative document issued on 31 July 1989, and will explain the decisions which have been taken on the scope of application of the directive and on the way in which the member state options it contains should be exercised. It will also explain that, in the light of the arguments presented in the responses to the consultative document issued last year, and the significant progress which has been made recently in the development of statements of recommended accounting practice (SORPs) and of an international accounting standard aimed at providing fuller disclosure in the accounts of banks and similar financial institutions, the Government have decided not to include disclosure requirements in the regulations which go beyond those in the directive but to leave the banking industry to develop its own response to the need for fuller disclosure. However, the consultative document will make it clear that, if there is undue delay in the preparation of appropriate SORPs, the option of legislating to impose such requirements will be reconsidered.
Iraq (Trade Losses)
Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the cost to public funds of payments made during the last three years to compensate creditors for losses in respect of trade to Iraq ; and when the last such payment was actually made.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 8 June 1990] : I am replying to this question, since I believe that it relates to ECGD's operation. It has been the policy of successive Governments not to publish details on individual countries arising from the operation of ECGD cover, not least since this could prejudice the position of the commercial parties involved.
Live Horses (Export)
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make it his policy insofar as his Department's responsibilities are concerned not to allow the export of live horses to Europe for slaughter to start again.
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Mr. Redwood [holding answer 11 June 1990] : The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry is not responsible for the live export of horses to Europe, which is a matter for the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.Hunterprint
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the company Hunterprint had, or has outstanding, any printing contracts for work associated with privatisations by his Department since 1983.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 11 June 1990] : Hunterprint has not been engaged as primary contractors for printing but may have been used as a subcontractor on DTI privatisations. However, this information is not available within the Department and to obtain it would be at disproportionate cost.
Trade in Services
Mr. Tim Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the proposed GATT framework agreement on trade in services ; when he expects the European Community to reach a common position on this matter ; and whether the Commission is insisting on the inclusion of financial services in the agreement.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 12 June 1990] : The Government attach a high priority to achieving, as part of the GATT Uruguay round, an agreement which will extend GATT rules and discipline to trade in services. The United Kingdom and the European Community are aiming for a comprehensive agreement, covering all service sectors, including financial services.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
Eastern Europe
Dr. Woodcock : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the projects supported by the eastern Europe know-how fund to date.
Mrs. Chalker : I refer to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Battersea (Mr. Bowis) on 14 March at column 236 . The additional activities approved since then under the know-how fund are as follows :
Poland
Consultancy assistance in advising on inward investment applications to the Foreign Investment Agency--£100,000.
Four privatisation consultancies for the Privatisation Foundation-- £1,600,000.
Secondment of an accountant and secretary to the Privatisation Foundation-- £112,000.
Secondment of three expatriates to the Export Development Bank-- £600,000.
Audit studies of nine commercial banks--£200,000.
Company doctor training for official and private sector participants-- £350,000.
Advanced corporate finance training for commercial bank staff--£15, 000.
Assistance with auditing standards and establishment of a professional body --£250,000.
Advice on accountancy standards to the Accountancy Association of Poland-- £15,000.
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