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Student Benefits
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many representations he has received concerning the proposals to remove students from income support, unemployment benefit and housing benefit ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Representations have been received from a number of individuals and organisations, including the National Union of Students and other organisations representing students' interests, the all- party disablement group, the Royal National Institute for the Deaf, the British Dyslexia Association and the Dyslexia Educational Trust.
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the circumstances in which he would consider reinstating student entitlement to housing benefit.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The Government's view is that students should generally be supported by the educational maintenance system and not social security benefits, although students in vulnerable groups will retain eligibility for housing benefit and income support. The introduction of student loans and the creation of the access funds will result in an increase in student support of well over £100 million in the 1990-91 academic year. The operation and adequacy of these new funding arrangements will be kept under review.
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to monitor the impact the withdrawal of entitlement to housing benefit will have on the income of students attending institutions of higher education in areas of high-cost rented accommodation.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The Government are considering a further survey of students' income and expenditure following the introduction of student loans and withdrawal of benefits from most full-time students. In addition, we will be monitoring the operation and adequacy of the access funds.
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the Social Security Advisory Committee reports on Government proposals to withdraw
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student entitlement to social security benefits are to be published ; and when the Government plans to respond to the reports.Mrs. Gillian Shephard : We are giving careful consideration to the report of the Social Security Advisory Committee on draft regulations to implement our policy on students' benefit entitlement. The report will be published when that consideration has been completed.
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what external advice his Department has received on the legal status of his proposals to withdraw entitlement to unemployment benefit for students who have made national insurance contributions.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : We are satisfied, following legal advice, that we have the necessary statutory powers.
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he plans to publish the regulations cancelling student entitlement to housing benefit and social security.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : We are currently considering the implications of amendments to the Social Security Bill carried in the House of Lords, and we will make an announcement about timing of regulations in due course.
Pensions
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the cost to the national insurance fund of incentives to take up contracted out personal pension plans in the financial years 1989-90 ; and if he will provide estimates for 1990-91 and succeeding years.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The cost to the national insurance fund in 1989-90 of the 2 per cent. incentive payments to personal pensions was about £680 million ; this represented payments of incentives in respect of both of the years 1987-88 and 1988-89.
By the end of the year 1989-90 a little over 4 million personal pensions were in force. Assuming that the number in force remains constant through to 1992-93 the estimated cost in 1990-91 is £500 million (relating to year 1989-90) and in the years 1991-92 to 1993-94 (relating to years 1990- 91 to 1992-93) the estimated cost can be expected to rise in line with general increases in earnings.
Family Credit
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the latest figure of the number of people claiming family credit.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The latest information about the family credit caseload, to include backdated awards, is a provisional figure for the end of March 1990 of 308,000.
Mobility Allowance
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will extend mobility allowance to children under five years of age.
Mr. Scott : We have no plans to do so.
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SCOTLAND
Animal Cruelty
Sir David Steel : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will seek to extend the sentencing provisions of the Protection of Animals (Penalties) Act 1987 relating to the penalties for those found guilty of animal cruelty and in particular those involved in dog fighting, so as to cover Scotland.
Mr. Rifkind : The Government intend to seek to increase the maximum fine available to the Scottish courts in respect of offences of cruelty to animals at the next suitable legislative opportunity.
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the total number of bovine spongiform encephalopathy cases which have been confirmed, by covenient geographical area within Scotland.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Bovine spongiform encephalopathy was made notifiable on 21 June 1988. Records kept from November 1986 to 8 June 1990 show 456 confirmed cases have been recorded in Scotland. The incidence by region is as follows :
|Number
------------------------------------
Borders |15
Central |17
Dumfries and Galloway |79
Fife |30
Grampian |104
Highland |29
Lothian |14
Orkney |6
Shetland |2
Strathclyde |125
Tayside |35
Western Isles |-
Estate Agents
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to introduce legislation to regulate the activities of estate agents in Scotland.
Mr. Forth : I have been asked to reply.
The Estate Agents Act 1979 and its subordinate legislation already regulates the activities of estate agents in Scotland, as elsewhere in the United Kingdom. I announced on 19 April my intention to make, and lay before Parliament, orders under section 3 and regulations under section 18 of the Act to deal with malpractices by some estate agents and to add to the list of offences which can trigger banning action ( Official Report, columns 1009-10 ). Drafts of the orders and regulations, which will apply throughout the United Kingdom, were sent out on 18 June for consultation. It is also the Government's intention, as soon as legislative time is available, to amend the Trade Descriptions Act 1968, which applies to Scotland, to cover misdescription of property.
Drugs
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which organisation will be responsible for paying drug addicts to attend drug dependency units when general practitioners have their own budgets.
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Mr. Michael Forsyth : Drug addicts are not paid to attend drug dependency services. The introduction of general practitioner practice funding will have no detrimental effect on health care provision for drug misusers. A general practitioner fund will take account of factors such as the profile of the practice list, previous hospital treatment and prescribing patterns, and the number of potentially "high-cost" patients. There will therefore be no financial or budgetary disincentive to general practice fund holders taking on drug misusers as patients and referring them to hospital or community-based services when necessary. In their assessment of the health needs of their resident population and of the range of provision required, health boards will be able to ensure that the needs of potentially vulnerable groups such as drug misusers are properly taken into account.
Handicapped Prisoners
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether there is any extra provision of services and support for prisoners who are physically or mentally handicapped ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Physically and mentally handicapped prisoners are assessed by the medical officer on arrival at prison regarding their general condition, mobility and awareness of their situation. Prison establishments seek to meet the needs of these inmates on an individual basis. The medical officer ensures continuation of any medication in addition to referral, as required, for psychiatric and psychological opinion.
Students
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what level of community charge students in Scotland who pay 20 per cent. of the community charge where they are studying, pay on their own property which is not classified as their sole or main residence, or is empty for three months or more.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Regulation 4 of, and paragraph 4 of schedule 2 to the Standard Community Charge (Scotland) Regulations 1989 prescribe a standard community charge multiplier of 0 (that is, no charge payable) in respect of a dwellinghouse.
(a) in respect of which the standard community charge is, or would be, but for the regulations, payable by a person who is undertaking a full-time course of education or nursing education within the meaning of section 8 of the Abolition of Domestic Rates Etc. (Scotland) Act 1987, as amended ; and
(b) which was the sole or main residence of that person immediately before he undertook that course.
Bathing Beaches
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the beaches that meet the blue flag award standards, and those which fail to match the criteria of the scheme ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The blue flag award scheme is organised under the patronage and sponsorship of the European Commission. The criteria for the award of a blue flag relate both to water quality and to the management of the beach and its general facilities. It is for local authorities to decide whether they wish to apply for such awards for beaches in their areas. I understand that currently no Scottish beaches hold a blue flag award.
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Natural History Museum
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the implications of reduction in the Homoptera section of the natural history museum for Scottish agriculture and horticulture.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : No implications for Scottish agriculture and horticulture as a result of restructuring within the natural history museum are anticipated.
Fishing Industry
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consideration he has given to the self-decommissioning plans submitted by one of the United Kingdom's fishing vessel agencies ; and whether such a plan would be eligible for European Community aid.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 18 June 1990] : The success of such a scheme would be dependent on the support of the industry itself. When my right hon. and learned Friend met representatives of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation on 8 May he encouraged them to let him have their views on the proposals but they are still considering the matter. The question of European Community aid is a matter for the Commission in the first instance.
Methane Discharges
Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he first learnt of the intention by the operators of St. Fergus gas terminal to release a quantity of methane into the atmosphere ; if his approval was sought ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 18 June 1990] : Shell UK Ltd. approached HM industrial pollution inspectorate for Scotland in January 1990 to discuss its plans for depressurising the main gas line in order to permit it to comply with the requirements of the Off-shore Installations (Emergency Pipeline Value) Regulations 1989 (SI 1989/1092) introduced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy following the Piper Alpha disaster. The plans included a proposal for venting a quantity of methane to atmosphere. A consent from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy is required under section 12 of the Energy Act 1976 for any discharge of methane into the atmosphere.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his policy in respect of treatment of methane discharges resulting from pipe replacements at gas terminals.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 18 June 1990] : Gas terminals are scheduled works under the terms of the Health and Safety (Emissions into the Atmosphere) Regulations 1983. Section 5 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 places a duty on the owners of such works to use the best practicable means to prevent the emission into the atmosphere of noxious or offensive substances and for rendering harmless and inoffensive such substances as may be so emitted. This duty applies to the control of hydrocarbon discharges arising from pipe replacements.
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All discharges whether by flaring or releasing unignited natural gas into the atmosphere require the consent of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy under section 12 of the Energy Act 1976.Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will take steps to require the 14,000 tonnes of methane anticipated to be released in the process of pipe work at the St. Fergus gas terminal to be flared off ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 18 June 1990]: Following discussions with Her Majesty's industrial pollution inspectorate, Shell UK Ltd has undertaken to dispose of any gas which cannot be utilised by burning it at the St. Fergus terminal in facilities provided for that purpose. The quantity of gas requiring disposal by this means is not expected to exceed 5,400 tonnes. There is provision on site to safely vent the gas to atmosphere via an elevated stack but flaring the gas is the preferred environmental option.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has made an assessment of the environmental implications resulting from the release of a large quantity of unflared methane from the St. Fergus gas terminal ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 18 June 1990] : Assessments of the environmental impact of venting methane at the St. Fergus gas terminal have been made on behalf of the company and these have been considered by Her Majesty's industrial pollution inspectorate.
Mr. Saied Ebrahimi
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information was given to the Crown Office about an incident on 5 June on flight PA61 ; what action was subsequently taken in relation to Mr. Saied Ebrahimi ; and what were the circumstances under which the legal action against him was abandoned.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 18 June 1990] : The full information given to Crown Office by the procurator fiscal at Ayr about an incident on flight PA61 is confidential. As has been stated by Crown Office, Crown counsel instructed the release of Mr. Saeid Ebrahimi from custody. The reasons for Crown counsel's decisions are not disclosed.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Fur Farms
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he takes to satisfy himself as to the proper dispersal of mink remaining in fur factory farms which close.
Mr. Maclean : Farmers disposing of their mink must inform the local MAFF office, which issued their licence. They must also inform recipients of the mink of the obligation to obtain a licence. Deliberately releasing mink into the wild is an offence.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many mink fur factory farms there are in environmentally sensitive areas.
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Mr. Maclean : None.Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many chinchilla and fitch fur factory farms there are in the United Kingdom ; and in which counties they are.
Mr. Maclean : Farmers do not need licences to keep these animals, and we do not collect this information.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice he has given to fur farmers in the light of current market conditions.
Mr. Maclean : It is for the fur industry to decide how to respond to market conditions.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will take steps to ensure that the Council of Europe's welfare standards for animals on fur factory farms which are currently under discussion will take full account of articles 3 and 4 of the European Convention for the Protection of Animals kept for Farming Purposes 1976.
Mr. Maclean : Any welfare standards agreed by the Council of Europe will be adopted as recommendations under article 9 of the convention. As such, their purpose is to set out detailed provisions for the implementation of the general principles contained in articles 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the convention.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many licences for fur factory farms on the Isle of Wight he has issued.
Mr. Maclean : One mink farm has been licensed annually on the Isle of Wight since 1986.
Mink
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if there is a feral wild population of mink on the Isle of Wight.
Mr. Maclean : There have been reports of feral mink on the Isle of Wight, but none confirmed.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has as to which species of native fauna aleutian disease may be transmitted by mink.
Mr. Maclean : I am not in a position to confirm the native fauna to which aleutian disease can definitely be transmitted from mink. However I am aware that the disease has been found in ferrets and polecats and that a disease similar to aleutian disease has been observed in otters.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action his officials take once aleutian disease is discovered in mink on farms.
Mr. Maclean : No statutory action is taken once the disease is discovered in mink on farms.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of mink in farms are infected with aleutian disease ; and how many farms this affects.
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Mr. Maclean : Since aleutian disease in minks is not a notifiable disease, no official statistics are available on its incidence in mink farms.
Arctic Foxes
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has concerning the incidence of feral Arctic foxes in the United Kingdom ; and whether his Department has planned any response.
Mr. Maclean : There is no evidence of feral Arctic foxes in the United Kingdom.
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how he proposes to implement the EEC ban on beef exports from herds which have had an incidence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy ; whether the ban applies to herds in which were raised and sold cattle subsequently fallen to bovine spongiform encephalopathy ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : Beef will be exported from the United Kingdom to other European Community member states in accordance with European Community Decision 90/261 of 8 June 1990 and be certified as such. Bone-in beef for export must be derived from cattle which have not come from holdings in which bovine spongiform encephalopathy has been confirmed during the previous two years. Beef derived from cattle from any holding can enter into intra-Community trade in boneless form.
Advisory Committee on Pesticides
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) whether members of the advisory committee on pesticides have to declare any interest or connections with agrochemical industries ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) what information he has as to how many members of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides act as paid consultants to companies which produce or market pesticides ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : Members of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides sign a declaration that they have no commercial or financial interest which would be likely to prejudice their work on the committee.
ADAS
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for South Shields of 6 May, Official Report, column 468, if he will provide information for the South Western and Wales regions not included in the table ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : The information on regional training on wildlife and landscape conservation for the South Western region and Wales is as follows :
|1987 |1988 |1989 |<1>1990
------------------------------------------------------
South Western |2 |1 |1 |1
Wales |- |1 |- |2
<1> Planned.
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Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the number of national training courses on wildlife and landscape conservation that have been held for Agricultural Development Advisory Service officers in 1989.
Mr. Maclean : One national training course on wildlife and landscape conservation was held in 1989 for specialist Agricultural Development and Advisory Service advisers.
Emphasis is now placed on regionally based conservation training, and in 1989, 11 courses were held for ADAS advisers.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for South Shields of 6 May, Official Report, columns 468-69 , if he will list the location, date and subject matter to be discussed at the six national and eleven regional training courses proposed for Agricultural Development Advisory Service officers in the current year.
Mr. Maclean : National and regional training courses completed or proposed for Agricultural Development and Advisory Service advisers in the current year are as follows :
Location |Date |Subject
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
National Courses
Worcestershire |February |Field margins
London |March |Ponds and lakes
Shropshire |June |Grassland
Shropshire |September |Wetland and woodland
Shropshire |September |Wetland and woodland
Regional Courses
Yorkshire |May |Species identification
Yorkshire |May |Habitat recognition and
| landscape appreciation
Warwickshire |May |Habitat recognition and
| landscape appreciation
Warwickshire |June |Habitat recognition and
| landscape appreciation
Warwickshire |June |Habitat recognition and
| landscape appreciation
Somerset |June |Habitat recognition and
| landscape appreciation
West Sussex |July |Habitat recognition and
| landscape appreciation
Dyfed |September |Heather and moorland
| management
Details of the remaining one national and three regional courses have yet to be confirmed.
Farm Animal Welfare
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the expenditure incurred giving the last full financial year by his Department, item by item, on farm animal welfare.
Mr. Maclean : The Department's expenditure in connection with farm animal welfare was estimated at£2.5 million in 1989-90. This comprised £2.4 million staff costs and £0.1 million for Farm Animal Welfare Council expenses. A further breakdown by item is not available.
Census Returns
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the data from each of the 1987, 1988 and 1989 agricultural census returns at parish level will be available at the Public Record Office at Kew.
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Mr. Maclean : The dispatch of 1987 agricultural census returns at parish level to the Public Record Office at Kew was completed on 25 May 1990. It is anticipated that the 1988 returns will be sent to the Public Record Office in February 1991.
Due to the rapidly increasing use of census data, and the availability of more powerful analytical tools, a review is currently being carried out of the appropriate level of aggregation for publication of agriculture census data. Until this review has been completed information requested for 1989 returns cannot be supplied.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture Fisheries and Food why parish level agricultural census returns are no longer available for public inspection at the Ministry censuses and surveys division at Guildford ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : Parish level agricultural census returns are now held at the Ministry offices at Guildford for the latest published year only. There is insufficient space at Guildford to retain returns for earlier years and provide adequate facilities for the public to inspect them. Data from the latest published years returns are supplied by Guildford staff to the public by telephone (minor enquiries only) and, more normally, by post upon payment of the pre-determined fee.
Parish level agricultural census returns for earlier years are available for public inspection at the Public Record Office at Kew.
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