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Mr. Nicholls : The latest employment estimates are for December 1989. The information is as follows :
|c|Employees in manufacturing in the
United Kingdom|c|
|c|Percentage changes June 1979 to
December 1989, unadjusted|c|
|Percentage
-------------------------------------------
South East including
London |-30
East Anglia |-14
South West |-14
West Midlands |-32
East Midlands |-18
Yorkshire and
Humberside |-31
North West |-29
North |-29
Wales |-21
Scotland |-30
Great Britain |-27
Northern Ireland |-29
United Kingdom |-27
Labour Statistics
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the percentage change in the north-west of employment in (a) the service sector, (b) self-employment and (c) manufacturing industry between 1979 and 1990.
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Mr. Nicholls : Latest employment estimates are for December 1989. In the north-west region, between June 1979 and December 1989, employment in the service sector rose by 10 per cent.,self-employment rose by 50 per cent. and employment in manufacturing industries fell by 29 per cent.
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a table showing a ward-by-ward breakdown of the numbers of unemployed in the constituencies of (a) Burnley and (b) Pendle for the latest date for which figures are available.
Mr. Nicholls : The following table shows a ward-by-ward breakdown of unemployment in the constituencies Burnley and Pendle as at May 1990, the latest available date. The figures are not seasonally adjusted.
|c|Ward Unemployment-May
1990|c|
Ward |Total
----------------------------
Burnley
Barclay |232
Briercliffe |52
Brunshaw |109
Burnley Wood |172
Calder |366
Cliviger |30
Coal Clough |169
Daneshouse |301
Deerplay |12
Fulledge |120
Gawthorpe |120
Hapton |59
Heasandford |130
Lanehead |101
Lowerhouse |83
Park |117
Queensgate |88
Rosehill |114
Simonstone Hill |12
Trinity |185
Whittlefield |119
Worsthorne |20
Pendle
Barrowford |51
Boulsworth |42
Bradley |193
Brierfield |143
Clover Hill |68
Coates |91
Craven |55
Earby |68
Fence |18
Foulridge |10
Horsfield |101
Marsden |98
Pendleside |14
Reedley |55
Southfield |104
Vivary Bridge |185
Walverden |84
Waterside |132
Whitefield |172
Mr. Oppenheim : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people are currently in work in (a) the east midlands and (b) Derbyshire ; and how many people were in work in these areas in 1979.
Mr. Nicholls : Information relating to counties is available only from censuses of employment. The latest data relate to September 1987 and the earliest comparable to September 1981.
The available estimates are as follows :
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(a) EAST MIDLANDSCivil work force in employment
December 1979 1,687,000
December 1989 1,850,000
(b) DERBYSHIRE
Employees in employment
September 1981 335,000
September 1987 343,000
Employment Protection
Mr. Ken Hargreaves : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he has any plans to seek to change the law so that women with less than two years' service have the same protection against dismissal for pregnancy as women with a minimum of two years' full-time service ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Nicholls : We have no plans to reduce the qualifying periods of service for unfair dismissal on grounds connected with pregnancy. To do so would add to the burdens of employers and thereby threaten employment opportunities.
Wages Councils
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what research he has commissioned into the effectiveness of the wages councils.
Mr. Nicholls : The councils are empowered to set minimum rates of pay in certain industries. The extent of compliance with these rates is regularly assessed by reference to information collected by wages inspectors. This information shows that compliance with wages council orders is running at a very high level.
Local Offices
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his answer of 13 June, what period is given to any hon. Member who is informed of the possible closure of a local part-time employment office to make representations regarding the proposal ; by what mechanism such representations are considered ; and whether the chief executive of the Employment Services Agency requires ministerial approval for a closure decision.
Mr. Eggar : It is not the practice to undertake a consultation process as part of considering the closure of a part-time local employment service office.
Any plans that the employment service has to close a full-time local office which involves the withdrawal of its services from a local community are subject to a consultation process in which the views of the appropriate hon. Members, local authorities, civil service trade unions and any other interests are sought and taken into account.
I refer the hon. Member again to section 6 of the agency framework document which sets out the terms under which the chief executive has the authority to manage the employment service office estate.
Mr. Blair : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many part-time benefit signing offices were operative in 1985 ; and what is the most recent figure available, giving the figures on a regional basis.
Mr. Eggar : The employment service became an executive agency on 2 April 1990. Mr. Mike Fogden, the Employment Service Agency's chief executive, will be replying in writing to the hon. Member.
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Minimum Wage
Mr. Burt : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he intends to introduce legislation for a minimum wage ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Nicholls : My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to do so. A national minimum wage would raise employers' costs and destroy jobs.
Youth Training
Mr. Robert B. Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will make a statement on the relationship between youth training allowances and the community charge following the meeting between the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and the hon. Member for Hertfordshire, West on 6 June.
Mr. Nicholls [holding answer 11 June 1990] : My right hon. and learned Friend has received a number of representations about the relationship between liability to pay a proportion of the community charge and the minimum level of training allowance to young people aged 18 years or over who are on youth training. These
representations have been referred to the Secretary of State for the Environment, who is reviewing the operation of the community charge to see if there are any anomalies which need to be addressed.
TVEI
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list, by local education authority, the amount of money made available or planned for the technical and vocational education initiative in 1989- 90, 1990-91, 1991-92 and 1992-93.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 13 June 1990] : Below is a table showing by LEA the budgets available or planned for TVEI extension in 1989- 90 and 1990-91.
The additional information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
|c|Extension budgets 1989-90|c|
|£
-----------------------------------------------------
Barking |233,438
Barnet |377,91
Bexley |223,125
Bromley |499,979
Croydon |675,951
Ealing |607,368
Enfield |826,943
Harrow |78,173
Havering |712,951
Kingston |56,285
Richmond |171,174
|-------
London total |4,123,283
Berkshire |1,888,050
Buckinghamshire |1,556,313
Essex |3,963,826
Hampshire |4,089,115
Hertfordshire |2,915,486
Isle of Wight |273,423
Kent |3,549,967
Oxfordshire |1,235,000
Surrey |1,463,191
East Sussex |1,817,018
West Sussex |1,511,363
|-------
South East total |24,262,752
Cornwall |1,310,463
Devon |1,145,950
Gloucestershire |1,298,761
Somerset |1,192,075
Wiltshire |1,296,233
|-------
South West total |6,243,482
Bedfordshire |1,648,399
Cambridgeshire |1,114,039
Derbyshire |1,017,900
Leicestershire |2,994,284
Norfolk |1,818,302
Northamptonshire |1,677,071
Nottinghamshire |175,382
Suffolk |1,143,000
|-------
East Midlands Total |11,588,377
Birmingham |2,551,091
Coventry |1,018,000
Dudley |945,878
Hereford |2,293,950
Sandwell |754,630
Shropshire |851,000
Solihull |629,350
Staffordshire |4,475,150
Walsall |286,500
Warwickshire |1,586,291
|-------
West Midlands Total |15,361,840
Bolton |755,425
Bury |479,751
Cheshire |1,289,000
Cumbria |789,146
Manchester |841,964
Rochdale |475,000
Salford |515,500
Stockport |825,125
Tameside |399,991
Wigan |635,700
Wirral |822,910
|-------
North West Total |7,829,512
Bradford |1,990,934
Calderdale |510,000
North Yorkshire |1,845,205
Sheffield |271,030
Wakefield |541,400
Doncaster |91,680
Humberside |175,000
|-------
Yorkshire and Humberside Total |5,425,249
Cleveland |1,213,434
Durham |1,725,826
Gateshead |285,908
Newcastle |652,571
North Tyneside |504,592
Northumberland |1,106,328
South Tyneside |411,289
Sunderland |1,112,234
|-------
Northern Total |7,012,182
Clwyd |1,021,139
Dyfed |392,557
Mid Glamorgan |1,558,613
South Glamorgan |442,653
West Glamorgan |452,940
Gwent |712,013
Gwynedd |931,219
Powys |265,039
|-------
Wales Total |5,776,193
Ayr |104,239
Borders |206,025
Central |9,500
Dumbarton |70,800
Dumfries |420,250
Fife |899,376
Glasgow |1,487,372
Lothian |2,883,473
Renfrew |1,188,631
Tayside |82,882
|-------
Scotland total |7,352,598
Great Britain total |94,975,448
Extension Budgets 1990-91
Barking |366,973
Barnet |232,000
Bexley |341,685
Bromley |683,274
Croydon |732,384
Ealing |750,794
Enfield |826,620
Harrow |216,000
Havering |791,663
Hillingdon |230,000
Kingston |215,026
Merton |97,000
Newham |224,000
Redbridge |165,000
Richmond |298,905
Sutton (Development
funding 1990-91,
only) |150,000
|-------
London total |6,171,324
Berkshire |1,908,986
Buckinghamshire |1,892,778
Essex |4,992,371
Hampshire |4,274,138
Hertfordshire |2,724,450
Isle of Wight |323,289
Kent |4,712,424
Oxfordshire |1,340,700
Surrey |2,234,785
East Sussex |1,524,934
West Sussex |1,772,089
|-------
South East total |27,700,994
Avon |910,000
Cornwall |1,343,225
Devon |2,458,501
Dorset |325,000
Gloucester |1,395,947
Somerset |1,392,574
Wiltshire |1,647,498
|-------
South West Total |9,472,745
Bedfordshire |1,449,300
Cambridgeshire |1,946,225
Derbyshire |1,738,300
Leicestershire |2,853,760
Lincolnshire |433,000
Norfolk |2,123,000
Northamptonshire |1,715,939
Nottinghamshire |418,000
Suffolk |1,932,125
|-------
East Midlands/Eastern Total |14,609,649
Birmingham |4,023,579
Coventry |917,195
Dudley |942,583
Herefordshire |2,293,861
Sandwell |955,280
Shropshire |1,554,925
Solihull |694,027
Staffordshire |4,800,305
Walsall |821,996
Warwickshire |1,653,847
|-------
West Midlands Total |18,657,598
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Slaughterhouses
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the relative advantages which follow from the practice of requiring inspection of slaughterhouses by prior arrangement with the proprietor as against unannounced inspections ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : Local authorities (district councils) are responsible for the enforcement of hygiene and welfare legislation in slaughterhouses. Visits made by officers of the state veterinary service are for the purpose of providing advice to the local authority and are made in the company of local authority personnel. It is usual for visits to be arranged with the plant concerned as their purpose is served best if representatives of plant management are present. Unannounced visits may be made, however, in response to reports of problems at a plant.
Countryside Premium Scheme
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many landowners have entered the agricultural set-aside scheme ; and how many are receiving additional payments under the countryside premium scheme.
Mr. Maclean : Almost 3,100 farmers in the United Kingdom have entered the set-aside scheme. Of these, 115 have been accepted into the premium scheme run by the Countryside Commission in the seven eastern counties of England.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to which areas he has considered extending the countryside premium scheme beyond the existing pilot area in the east of England to other parts of the United Kingdom.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : I have been asked to reply.
The countryside premium scheme was launched by the Countryside Commission in June 1989 and initially covers seven counties in eastern England. Arrangements are in hand for monitoring the effectiveness of the scheme. It is too early yet to consider extending the scheme to other areas in England. Decisions on application of the scheme in other areas of the United Kingdom rest with the Secretaries of State for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what provisions exist to help ensure that land entered into the set- aside scheme, but not attracting countryside premium payments, is managed to a satisfactory standard of husbandry.
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Mr. Maclean : On land set aside to fallow under the scheme, a green cover crop must be established and maintained throughout the set-aside period, and must be cut at least once a year. Though there is a general prohibition on the use of pesticides, certain herbicides may be used with the permission of Agriculture Departments to cope with difficult weeds. The use of fertilisers is not permitted except in specific circumstances, and the land may not be used as a dumping ground for any kind of organic or inorganic material. We are considering in the light of the operation of the scheme so far whether the management requirements are adequate.Crabs
Mr. Morley : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the numbers of crabs identified as showing levels of toxic contamination from the current shellfish closure area on the north-east coast ; and if he will give the levels registered and the origins of the crabs concerned.
Mr. Maclean : Of the 190 crab samples from the north-east coast tested up until 8 June, 16 showed levels of paralytic shellfish poison toxin. These are as follows :
|c|Units of toxin per 100g in brown meat (digestive gland) of crabs|c| Location |Units of toxin ---------------------------------------------------- Craster, Alnwick |243 Eyemouth |206 Eyemouth |222 Anstruther |317 Inshore Anstruther |176 Inshore Anstruther |171 Seahouses |257 North East Fife coast |197 Staithes Wyke |244 Staithes Wyke |210 Staithes Wyke |255 Whitley Bay |260 Off Beadnell Bay |265 Off Beadnell Bay |260 Hartlepool (1 mile) |198 Hartlepool (1 mile) |229
In addition, trace levels of toxin were found in a further eight of the 190 samples tested.
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures are in force to ensure that bovine spongiform encephalopathy-infected material is not fed to mink and foxes.
Mr. Maclean : There have been no recorded cases of spongiform encephalopathies in foxes or, in this country, of mink. All carcases of known or suspected cases of BSE are burned or buried.
Management Consultants
Mr. Allen : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the studies conducted inside his Department by management consultants over the last 10 years, naming the consultancy, the cost, the subject and the outcome in each instance.
Mr. Maclean : The management consultancies, excluding computer consultants, engaged by my Department since 1984-85 are listed in the table. The annual costs have been aggregated so as to preserve commercial confidentiality.
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Financial |Aggregated |Management consultancies |Subject
year |Annual cost
|(£)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1984-85 |27,110 |(i) |Binder Hamlyn |Dairy Crest Foods
|(ii) |Coopers and Lybrand |Dairy Crest Foods
|(iii) |Arthur Young McClelland Moores and Co. |Financial management
|(iv) |Dr. Goodwin |ADAS work-time database
|(v) |Peat Marwick Mitchell and Co. |Decentralised budgetary control
1985-86 |174,724 |(i) |Dr. Goodwin |Work-time database: continuation of above
|(ii) |Peat Marwick Mitchell and Co. |Decentralised budgetary control: continuation of above
|(iii) |Touche Ross |Dairy Crest Foods
|(iv) |Touche Ross |Milk quotas
|(v) |B. R. Parkinson |ADAS marketing plan
|(vi) |R. B. L. Ltd. |ADAS marketing plan
|(vii) |Black Rod Ltd. |ADAS marketing plan
1986-87 |135,279 |(i) |Dr. Goodwin |Work-time database: continuation of above
|(ii) |Touche Ross |Milk quotas: continuation of above
|(iii) |Special Research Unit |ADAS marketing plan
|(iv) |Coopers and Lybrand |Reorganisation of MAFF's regional structure
1987-88 |44,015 |(i) |Touche Ross |Dairy Crest Foods: continuation of above
|(ii) |Mr. P. W. Cunliffe |Review of animal medicines licensing
1989-90 |162,114 |(i) |Touche Ross |Dairy Crest Foods: continuation of above
|Impact of Single Market on agricultural R and D
|(ii) |Agro-Economic Services Ltd. | priorities
|(iii) |Deloitte, Haskin and Sells |Fees to local veterinary inspectors
|(iv) |Deloitte, Haskin and Sells |Relocation of Ministry work
1989-90 |143,150 |(i) |Touche Ross |Dairy Crest Foods: continuation of above
|(ii) |Deloitte, Haskin and Sells |Fees to local veterinary inspectors: continuation of above
|(iii) |Deloitte, Haskin and Sells |Relocation of Ministry work: continuation of above
|Impact of Single Market on agricultural R and D
|(iv) |Agro-Economic Services Ltd. | priorities: continuation of above
|(v) |Deloitte, Haskin and Sells |Review of veterinary manpower needs in the United
| Kingdom
|125,198
1990-91 |(Estimate) |(i) |Touche Ross |Dairy Crest Foods: continuation of above
|(ii) |Deloitte, Haskin and Sells |Relocation of Ministry work: continuation of above
|(iii) |Mr. R. S. Crespi |Intellectual Property Rights and their exploitation
|(iv) |Prof. Righelato (Ashbourne Biosciences) |LINK programme on agro-food quality
|(v) |K. P. M. G. Peat Marwick McLintock |Training needs analysis
The outcome of such studies is not recorded centrally. This information and data for earlier years can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Earth-banked Slurry Compounds
Mrs. Ann Winterton : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will make a statement outlining the effect of BS 5502 on the future use of earth-banked slurry compounds ; (2) whether he has any plans to prohibit the use of earth-banked slurry compounds.
Mr. Curry : The Government have no plans to prohibit the use of earth-banked slurry compounds. The proposals for regulations issued by the Department of the Environment would set minimum constructional standards for new earth-banked compounds and other effluent containment facilities (which the National Rivers Authority could, by notice, extend to include existing facilities where there is a significant risk of pollution). These standards would be based on BS5502 which is a British standard code of practice for the design of buildings and structures for agriculture including earth-banked compounds. The effect of the proposed regulations should be that the facilities are designed and constructed to a standard which minimises the risk of pollution.
EC Surplus Food
Mr. O'Brien : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will list the names of the organisations in the Normanton constituency which are involved with the distribution of European Community surplus food ;
(2) what organisations are involved with the distribution of European Community surplus food in the area of the Wakefield metropolitan district council.
Mr. Curry : More than 500 applications to participate in the 1990 EC surplus food scheme have been received from charitable and other non-profit -making organisations throughout the United Kingdom. These applications are currently being considered and I will make a statement once a decision has been reached.
Ewe Premium
Mr. Robert Hicks : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he hopes to pay the ewe premium ; and if he will explain the reasons for the delay in making this payment to farmers.
Mr. Curry : We cannot make payments of sheep annual premium until the rates are published in the Official
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Journal of the European Communities. The final rate of premium in respect of the 1989 scheme was published on 19 May 1990 and we have paid over 98 per cent. of claims received. The small number of outstanding cases are those for which our administrative checks have not been completed.Suckler Cows
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has any plans to raise the premium on suckler cows.
Mr. Curry : Ministers are currently considering the rate of suckler cow premium which should apply in the 1990-91 scheme year and will make an announcement in due course.
Flood Relief Scheme, Maidenhead
Dr. Glyn : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made in implementing the flood relief scheme for Maidenhead.
Mr. Curry : The proposed scheme is planned to commence in mid-1992, although consideration is being given to ways of bringing this date forward. The National Rivers Authority (NRA) Thames region is currently consulting interested parties with the aim of reaching agreement prior to seeking planning approval early in 1991. This timetable has been agreed with the planning authorities. Detailed design of the scheme will be completed once planning consent has been obtained. The NRA also proposes to apply for grant from the Department towards the costs.
Salmonella
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will obtain a copy of the report by the Institute of Economic Affairs, "Chickengate--an independent analysis of the salmonella in eggs scare" ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : My hon. Friend the Member for Billericay (Mrs. Gorman) has kindly sent me a copy of the book "Chickengate" and I have noted its contents. The Government's policy in relation to salmonella in eggs and poultry has been set out in evidence provided to the Agriculture Select Committee.
Pigs
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list by county, for each week, the number of pigs slaughtered as a result of contaminated feed since the present incident was first discovered.
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Mr. Maclean : This information on a week-by- week basis is not readily available.North-east Drift Net Fishery
Mr. Onslow : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has yet received the report of the inquiry into the north-east drift net fishery ; and when he now expects to publish this report.
Mr. Curry : I refer my right hon. Friend to the reply that I gave him on 26 April at col. 317.
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what specific research was considered by the Southwood committee into the transmissibility of BSE to household pets through pet food ;
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(2) what specific research further to that considered by the Southwood committee into the transmissibility of BSE to household pets through pet food (a) has been undertaken, (b) was in progress and (c) was under consideration by his Department (i) before the first suspected case of BSE-related disease in a cat and (ii) since.Mr. Maclean : No specific research into the transmissibility of BSE to household pets through pet food was considered by the Southwood committee. No such research has been undertaken or is planned by my Department. Investigations are being carried out into the cause of the recent cases in cats. This includes the cats' breeding and feeding history. There is no evidence at present that the source of the recent cases of spongiform encephalopathy in cats was pet food or that the disease is related to BSE.
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