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Mr. Peter Lloyd : I have been asked to reply and will do so shortly, when figures for the 1989-90 season become available from the Association of Chief Police Officers.
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NATIONAL FINANCE
VAT
Mr. Haselhurst : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the number of value added tax refund claims under Customs and Excise notice No. 719, "Refund of VAT to Self Builders", processed during the fiscal year 1989-90.
Mr. Ryder : The total number of claims processed under this relief during the fiscal year 1989-90 was 9,817.
Mr. Oppenheim : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many new businesses registered for value added tax in the latest year for which figures are available.
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Mr. Ryder [holding answer 18 June 1990] : On the basis of Customs and Excise data on registrations, the number of businesses registered for value added tax in the 12 months ended 31 March 1990 was 266,084.
European Investment Bank
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his reply of 11 June, Official Report, column 21, if he will publish a table showing the number of loans made by the European investment bank to companies and to other bodies, respectively, in the United Kingdom in each of the past five years ; and if he will further indicate how many of these loans, in each year, were guaranteed by Her Majesty's Government and by other bodies, respectively.
Mr. Ryder [holding answer 18 June 1990] : A table listing this information follows :
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|c|Table: Number of EIB loans, per year since 1985, to companies and
other bodies, with breakdown by|c|
|c|Her Majesty's Government or other guarantee.|c|
Number of loans
|1985|1986|1987|1988|1989
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Companies
with Her Majesty's Government guarantee |3 |5 |3 |3 |0
with other form of guarantee |10 |16 |6 |23 |47
|-- |-- |-- |-- |--
Sub-total |13 |21 |9 |26 |47
Other bodies
with Her Majesty's Government guarantee |8 |16 |16 |1 |0
with other form of guarantee |27 |25 |34 |1 |0
|-- |-- |-- |-- |--
Sub-total |35 |41 |50 |2 |0
Total number of loans |48 |62 |59 |28 |47
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
Natural History Museum
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will discuss with the Governments of France and West Germany the means of continuing taxonomic support for teams working in Malaysia and Cameroon in the light of staff reductions at the natural history museum ;
(2) what assessment he has made of the implications of reductions in the Heteroptera section of the natural history museum for work sponsored by his Department (a) in Surinam on shield-bugs as transmitters of agricultural diseases and (b) coccid research and its agricultural implications for United Kingdom supported agricultural development programmes.
Mrs. Chalker : I am investigating the possible implications for our programmes of the planned staff reductions at the natural history museum and will give a full reply as soon as I have the information.
ENERGY
Nuclear Power Stations (Decommissioning)
Mr. Martyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what decommissioning cost the Government have approved for British Nuclear Fuels Ltd.'s present plant ;
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and if he will give a breakdown of this expenditure as between the plants at Sellafield, Springfields and Capenhurst.Mr. Baldry : Estimates of the cost of decommissioning British Nuclear Fuels plc's plant are matters for the company.
British Nuclear Fuels Ltd
Mr. Martyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how much of British Nuclear Fuels Ltd.'s investment in the next 10 years is planned to be financed by debt ; and whether this debt will be guaranteed by the Government.
Mr. Baldry : I understand from British Nuclear Fuels plc that it is envisaged that between 5 per cent. and 10 per cent. of the company's currently projected capital investment programme over the next 10 years will be financed by additional borrowing. The majority of these loans are likely to be supported by Government guarantee.
THORP
Mr. Martyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what is the latest expected cost of the THORP reprocessing plant at Sellafield in 1989-90 prices ; and whether this capital sum is inclusive of the costs of waste effluent discharge plant, and any other ancillary constructions that arise as a consequence of building the THORP plant ;
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(2) what is the capital cost of planned investment in reprocessing and waste management at Sellafield other than that which is required for the THORP plant.Mr. Baldry : The expected capital cost of the thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield is some £1.8 billion making due allowance for future inflation. This capital cost includes the receipt and storage facility and an appropriate share of the facilities for converting highly active wastes into vitrified form. The other facilities used in association with THORP include storage ponds that have already been constructed, and facilities for the treatment of less active wastes and effluents. The capital costs of these supporting facilities are estimated at some £0.9 billion.
Ministerial Visit
Mr. Alan W. Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy during his visit to North America this month, what proportion of his time he intends to devote to the promotion of the nuclear and oil industries, and what proportion of time to the energy conservation and renewable fuels industries.
Mr. Wakeham : I visited Canada and the United States from 5 June to 13 June. My visit to Canada was mainly to support the United Kingdom offshore oil and gas industry in its attempts to win business in Atlantic Canada, particularly offshore Newfoundland. I met senior members of the provincial government and oil industry
representatives. In Washington, my talks were concerned primarily with energy policy in the context of climate change ; that concerns all our energy-related industries. I signed a memorandum of understanding on collaboration in energy research and development, covering non-nuclear energy R and D, with Admiral Watkins, United States Secretary for Energy. While in Washington I opened the offices of BNFL Inc.--the United States subsidiary of British Nuclear Fuels plc.
Electricity Prices, South-West
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what was the increase in the price of electricity supplied to domestic householders by the South Western electricity board in each of the last five years.
Mr. Baldry : This is a matter for South Western Electricity.
Diatoms
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what research his Department has undertaken into the importance of diatoms in maintaining the world's atmosphere, through their production of oxygen.
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what assessment he has made of the effect of the reductions made in the diatom and palaeo-botany sections of the natural history museum on the international deep sea drilling project and research into petroleum and other fossil fuels.
Mr. Peter Morrison : My Department no longer maintains an interest in the international deep sea drilling project. I do not believe that our interest in the other matters will be affected by the reductions at the natural history museum referred to.
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PRIME MINISTER
United Nations
Q10. Mr. Cryer : To ask the Prime Minister when she next expects to pay an official visit to the United Nations.
The Prime Minister : I have at present no plans to do so. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary will visit the United Nations for the general assembly in September.
European Parliament
Q61. Mr. Dykes : To ask the Prime Minister when she next intends to visit the European Parliament.
The Prime Minister : During the British presidency of the Community in the second half of 1992.
Commercial Fishermen
Q146. Dr. Godman : To ask the Prime Minister if Her Majesty's Government have any proposals to provide compensation for commercial fishermen when they are prevented from landing and selling their catches because of health requirements initiated by local authorities or Her Majesty's Government ; and if she will make a statement.
The Prime Minister : No. The recent warnings against the consumption of shellfish from the north-east coast of Britain were in response to the threat to public health posed by the natural and temporary phenomenon of algae blooms. Such blooms have been known to occur periodically along this stretch of the coast for many years. It is in the interests of fishermen that the public is properly protected. Their present and future receipts depend upon public confidence in the quality of British fish products.
Global Warming
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Prime Minister how many letters she has received in the past four weeks on the dangers of global warming, ozone depletion and associated matters ; and if she will make a statement on any further initiative the Government is considering taking with regard to these issues.
The Prime Minister : I have received numerous letters on both these and other environmental issues in the last four weeks. I announced on 25 May 1990 the part that the United Kingdom is ready to play in international action to tackle global warming. At the meeting of the parties to the Montreal protocol in London next week we will urge all countries to join the protocol and press for strengthening of its terms. We will be publishing a White Paper this autumn on the whole range of environmental issues.
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Prime Minister what discussion she has had with President Gorbachev on article VI of the nuclear
non-proliferation treaty during her visit to the Soviet Union.
The Prime Minister : The question of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty did not arise during my talks with Mr. Gorbachev, but our discussions included a number of arms control issues such as the talks on conventional forces in Europe (CFE) and the conference on security and co- operation in Europe (CSCE).
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North Sea
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Prime Minister what actions have so far been taken by the United Kingdom to develop a programme to end sewage sludge dumping, promised at the North Sea Conference at the Hague on 7 to 8 March 1990.
The Prime Minister : My right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked the water companies concerned to submit to him by the end of the year their detailed plans and programmes of work for phasing out disposal of sludge to sea.
Film Industry
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister what proposals she has for the British film industry ; and if she will make a statement on her proposals to meet leaders of the film industry.
The Prime Minister : I met leading figures from the film production industry on Friday 15 June to discuss their proposals for taking advantage of the opportunities now facing the industry. The Government agreed to provide £5 million over the next three years to provide pump-priming finance to support European co-production ; the Department of Trade and Industry would set up a working party to examine the structure of the industry and how to attract greater private sector finance into film production, and to report back in the autumn ; the industry would explore what changes it suggests to the tax regime for film production and report to Treasury Ministers over the next few months ; we would continue discussions in Europe on how best to support the film production industry, notably through the media programme ; we would study proposals from the industry for a films commission to improve the promotion of British films in the United Kingdom and overseas.
Islington (Official Visit)
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Prime Minister what is the involvement of Vallin Pollen International in the arrangements for her official visit to Islington.
The Prime Minister : None for which the Government have responsibility.
German Unification
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Prime Minister if she will raise at the next meeting of the European Council the procedures for incorporating a united Germany within the EEC ; and if she will make a statement.
The Prime Minister : I expect this subject to be discussed at the European Council in Dublin on 25 to 26 June.
Natural History Museum
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister what proposals she has to promote (a) indentification programmes for scientific and popular use, (b) the development and management of the European plant data base and (c) the British plant data base and other research based at the natural history museum of relevance to the study of climatic change.
The Prime Minister : These activities flow from the priorities and objectives set out in the natural history
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museum's corporate plan 1990-95, which was unanimously approved by the museum's trustees in April. The Government increased the museum's grant-in-aid by 16.5 per cent. this year to over £25 million.Engagements
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 19 June.
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 19 June.
Mr. Stern : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 19 June.
The Prime Minister : This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others, including the Director General of the International Atomic Agency and the Foreign Ministers of Angola, Bangladesh and Somali. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today, including one with Mr. Attali, president-elect of the new European Bank for Reconstruction and Development who has his headquarters in London.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Film Production
Miss Emma Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the Government will provide initial financial support as seed money to enterprises to simulate the growth of transnational film production, training and distribution within Europe.
Mr. Forth : We announced on Friday 15 June that the Government would provide £5 million over three years to provide pump-priming finance to help support European co-productions. We also announced that we would pursue discussions in Europe on how best to support the film production industry, notably through the MEDIA programme. The Economic Community's proposals for this programme include assistance for trans-national training and distribution.
Enterprise Scheme
Mr. Jack : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many companies in Lancashire have been helped by the enterprise scheme ; and if he will provide a statistical breakdown on the types of help provided.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Assistance to companies in Lancashire under the enterprise initiative since its inception in January 1988 comprises :
Consultancy Initiative
Business Reviews conducted 1,313
Consultancies commissioned 1,288
(of which completed as at 31 May 1990) 419
Regional Initiative
Regional Selective Assistance : 143 projects assisted ; grants paid £14.39 million, 2,685 jobs created and 823 jobs safeguarded. Regional Enterprise Grants (wef 1 April 1988)
For Investment : offers made : 47 (£354,043)
For Innovation : offers made : 6 (£140,815)
Research and Technology
SMART awards : 1988 Round, Stage 1 : 1
1989 Round, Stage 2 : 1
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Enterprise and EducationThe three advisers in Lancashire have contacted 1,226 local employers, resulting in 3,893 offers of work experience for pupils and 716 secondment opportunities for teachers.
Export Initiative
Approximately 1,000 companies are in regular contact with DTI-NW staff providing export assistance. Four hundred and twenty-one company representatives attended 13 export-related seminars.
EC Legislation
Mr. William Powell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the short title of each of the 86 legislative Acts for which European Community member states must take national implementing measures by 31 December 1989 ; and what action each state has taken by 1 June in relation to each.
Mr. Redwood : The short titles of the 86 legislative acts for which European Community member states must take national implementing measures by 31 December 1989 are set out in the answer to your question of 9 January 1990, Official Report columns 600-8. Information on the action taken by each member state by the end of June is not available. However, the latest report on the implementation of single market measures is to be found in the European Commission's fifth progress report on completion of the internal market. This lists the measures due for implementation by end February 1990, and sets out the action taken by each member state. I am glad to say that the report shows that the United Kingdom has the best record on implementation, with only nine measures out of 90 remaining unimplemented. I have arranged for a copy of the report to be placed in the Library of the House.
Instant Coffee
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects the Monopolies and Mergers Commission to complete its report on instant coffee prices.
Mr. Redwood : The Commission has been asked by the Director General of Fair Trading to report on the supply of soluble coffee in the United Kingdom by 8 January 1991.
Limited Liability Status
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on how many occasions a request for registration as a company with limited liability status was rejected in each of the last three years.
Mr. Redwood : The number of applications which were rejected in 1987, 1988 and 1989 were respectively 11,300 (estimated), 9,846 and 7,953.
Regional Assistance
Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the amount of regional assistance in 1989 per head for (a) Scotland, (b) north-east England, (c) north-west England, (d) the west midlands, (e) east midlands, (f) south-west England and (g) south-east England.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The amount of regional preferential assistance per head in the most recent year for which figures are available is as follows :
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|c|Expenditure per head of
civilian working population,
1988-89|c|
|£
----------------------------
(a) Scotland |61.4
England-Regions
(b) Northern |92.3
(c) North West |27.7
(d) West Midlands |9.6
(e) East Midlands |4.5
(f) South West |7.0
(g) South East |nil
Export Credits
Ms. Quin : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received concerning his Department's adoption of the portfolio management system in assessing the Export Credits Guarantee Department cover.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 18 June 1990] : My right hon. Friend has received many representations from both Parliament and the exporting community about ECGD's portfolio management system. We will be giving these representations careful consideration before the portfolio management system is introduced.
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the current premiums charged by the export credit agencies of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries, including the premiums levied by the Export Credits Guarantee Department.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 18 June 1990] : The export credit agencies of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development members do not as a rule publish the premiums which they charge. Premium rates are determined on a case-by-case basis by most agencies. Although the agencies periodically exchange details of their premium rates for individual countries, this is done on a strictly confidential basis. It is not practicable to try to list all the premium rates of all the OECD countries.
Industrial Development
Mr. Crowther : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on how many occasions since 1980 expenditure has been incurred under section 3(2)(a) of the Industry Act 1980 to acquire securities of a company ; and if he will give, for the last five occasions, the name of the company concerned, the sum of money involved, the date of the payment and the nature of the security acquired.
Mr. Douglas Hogg [holding answer 15 June 1990] : Since 1980 section 3(2)(a) of the Industry Act 1980 has been used to purchase securities on 13 occasions. The last five occasions were :
Company |Sum |Date of payment |Nature of Securities
|£ million
BL plc |80 |17 December 1982 |Ordinary shares of
| 50p each
BL plc |110 |28 March 1983 |Ordinary shares of
| 50p each
BL plc |90 |1 November 1983 |Ordinary shares of
| 50p each
Rover Group plc |680 |30 March 1987 |Ordinary shares of
| 50p each
Rover Group plc |547 |12 August 1988 |Special security
| ("the Instrument")
Financial Reporting Council
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will provide a list showing those members of the Financial Reporting Council who have any connections with the accountancy firms or their successors sued by the Government for negligence.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 18 June 1990] : So far as I am aware, none of the members of the Financial Reporting Council has any such connection.
WALES
Special Educational Needs
Ms. Armstrong : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many children in each local education authority in Wales were placed in a non- residential special school following the completion of a statement of educational needs for each year since April 1983 ; and what this is expressed as a percentage of (a) the total number of children with statements in the local education authority and (b) the total number of statements made by the local education authority in that year ;
(2) how many children in each local education authority in Wales were placed in a special unit following the completion of a statement of educational needs for each year since April 1983 ; and what this is expressed as a percentage of (a) the total number of children with statements in the local education authority and (b) the total number of statements made by the local education authority in that year ;
(3) how many children in each local education authority remained in mainstream schools following the completion of a statement of educational needs for each year since April 1983 ; and what this is expressed as a percentage of (a) the total number of children with statements in the local education authority and (b) the total number of statements made by the local education authority in that year ;
(4) how many children in each local education authority in Wales were placed in a residential special school following the completion of a statement of educational needs for each year since April 1983 ; and what this is expressed as a percentage of (a) the total number of children with statements in the local education authority and (b) the total number of statements made by the local education authority in that year.
Sir Wyn Roberts : No information is held centrally on the number of children who are newly statemented each year by type of placement.
Dyslexia
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what new measures he intends to undertake to help dyslexic children in the schools of Wales ; and if he will make a statement.
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