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Mr. Forth [holding answer 18 June 1990] : Personal computers are required to comply with the requirements of the Low Voltage Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1989. The Department was notified on 29 May of tests carried out by a testing company and subsequently received reports showing, inter alia, that four models did not fully meet the relevant standard. In accordance with normal practice the trading standards authorities responsible for enforcing the safety regulations for electrical equipment including personal computers
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have been or will be informed of the reports received. It is for them to establish the facts and to take the appropriate action.Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department is taking to ensure that unsafe personal computers are recalled without delay.
Mr. Forth [holding answer 18 June 1990] : This is a matter for the local trading standards authorities, which are responsible for enforcing the safety regulations for electrical equipment including personal computers.
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in what circumstances his Department permits personal computers to go on sale without testing for safety.
Mr. Forth [holding answer 18 June 1990] : There is no obligation under the EC low voltage directive, which has for a number of years dictated the safety of electrical products, including personal computers, for products to be formally tested prior to sale. It is the responsibility of the manufacturer to ensure that products are safe and the regulations provide for heavy penalties for those who market unsafe equipment.
Mr. Andrew Welsh : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to ensure the application of British safety standards to computers and computer peripherals sold in or imported into the United Kingdom.
Mr. Forth [holding answer 18 June 1990] : All electrical products including computers and peripherals are required to comply with the EC low voltage directive which is implemented into United Kingdom legislation through the Low Voltage Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1989. One means of conforming with these regulations is through compliance with British standards. This is not, however, the only means of conformity ; the fundamental requirement is that they be safe.
Mr. Andrew Welsh : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take steps to make British safety standards mandatory for computers and computer peripherals used in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Forth [holding answer 18 June 1990] : No. Where products fall under the requirements of European legislation as in this case with the EC low voltage directive, individual member states cannot insist on mandatory compliance with national standards as this would be regarded as a barrier to trade.
Mr. Andrew Welsh : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what checks are maintained to ensure the safety of computers and computer peripherals imported into the United Kingdom.
Mr. Forth [holding answer 18 June 1990] : The safety of computer equipment marketed to consumers in the United Kingdom is subject to enforcement by the local trading standards authority.
Mr. Andrew Welsh : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimates he has of computer products being sold in the United Kingdom which do not meet British standards of safety codes ; and what steps he is taking to monitor and change this situation.
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Mr. Forth [holding answer 18 June 1990] : Records are not kept on the extent to which computer equipment sold in the United Kingdom complies with British safety standards and I do not believe it would be practicable to introduce such a system.Electrical Equipment (Safety)
Mr. Andrew Welsh : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take steps to make testing of electrical products under the Low Voltage Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1989 mandatory before these products are sold.
Mr. Forth [holding answer 18 June 1990] : No. Any additional requirements in excess of those contained in the EC low voltage directive would be regarded by the European Commission as barriers to trade.
Mr. Andrew Welsh : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will introduce a system whereby proof of satisfactory testing to recognised standards will be mandatory upon all manufacturers of electrical equipment.
Mr. Forth [holding answer 18 June 1990] : No. I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answers I gave to his questions earlier today.
Appointments
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list all beneficial appointments and non-governmental paid positions for which officials and former officials of his Department sought, and were granted, permission to accept since June 1979.
Mr. Forth [holding answer 18 June 1990] : Civil servants are required to seek approval for any paid appointment for which they apply within two years of leaving Crown employment. The rules are centrally laid down by the Cabinet Office. Statistics of applications which have been made by ex-employees of my Department are readily available only from 1987 to date : 337 applications were made ; all were approved ; of those, 34 were approved subject to certain conditions being met. Details of the positions for which approval was being sought are confidential to the individuals concerned and I regret that I cannot divulge details of specific cases.
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Limited Liability Status
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry under what authority he is able to refuse limited liability status, and registration as a company with the benefit of limited liability.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 19 June 1990] : Decisions on the registration of companies are for the Registrar of Companies, who will consider whether applications meet the requirements of the Companies Acts. However, under section 26 of the Companies Act 1985, the approval of the Secretary of State is required for the registration of certain names.
Toxic Waste
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many applications have been received for export licences to send toxic waste to Romania since 1987.
Mr. Trippier : I have been asked to reply.
Under regulations in force since 1988, the Secretary of State must be notified of proposed hazardous waste exports for disposal in non-EC countries and he can prohibit the export by raising an objection. No such notifications have been made for exports to Romania or any other non-EC country.
EMPLOYMENT
New Businesses
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what estimate he has of new businesses started up in the past five years ; how many jobs have been created thereby ; how many businesses have been closed in the same period ; what were the comparable figures in 1974 to 1979 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : I refer my hon. Friend to my answer on 14 May at column 331.
Tourism
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the top 20 tourist attractions in the north-west in numbers visiting or attending ; and if he will indicate (a) the attendance in each instance for 1989 and (b) the percentage change from the previous year's figures.
Mr. Nicholls : The table gives the information.
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|c|Twenty most visited attractions in the North West, 1989|c|
Rank |Attraction |Number of visits |Change 1988-89
|(thousands) |per cent.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. |Blackpool Pleasure Beach |<1>6,500 |-
2. |Albert Dock |<1>5,100 |+46
3. |Blackpool Tower |1,495 |+1
4. |Frontierland, Morecambe |<1>1,200 |+20
5. |Stapeley Water Gardens |<1>1,270 |+27
6. |Chester Zoo |904 |+1
7. |Croxteth Country Park |<1>750 |-
8. |Chester Cathedral |<1>750 |+20
9. |Tate Gallery, Liverpool |687 |+37
10. |Granada Studios Tour |600 |+158
11. |Sandcastle, Blackpool |<1>580 |-17
12. |Liverpool Museum |549 |-6
13. |Knowsley Safari Park |501 |-2
14. |Heaton Park |<1>500 |-
15. |Blackpool Zoo |382 |+6
16. |Chester Visitor Centre |<1>380 |+10
17. |Lyme Park |<1>350 |+17
18. |Merseyside Maritime Museum|302 |-26
19. |Etherow Country Park |296 |n/a
20. |Cheshire Candle Workshops |<1>269 |-
<1>=Estimated attendance.
n/a=Not available.
-=No change.
Sheltered Placement Scheme
Miss Emma Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many applications have been received for vacancies on the sheltered placement scheme in each of the last 12 months ; (2) how many vacancies there have been on the sheltered placement scheme in each of the last 12 months.
Mr. Eggar : The Employment Service, which is responsible for the sheltered employment programme, became an executive agency on 2 April 1990. Mr. Mike Fogden, the Employment Service Agency's chief executive will be replying in writing to my hon. Friend.
Social Charter
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what progress has been made on implementations of measures already agreed in the European social charter.
Mr. Eggar : The European Community social charter, which the United Kingdom was unable to agree, was a political statement of intent. The European Commission's proposals for implementing the provisions in the charter are outlined in its social action programme. The first detailed draft proposals under the programme have recently been published. Negotiations on the individual proposals in the programme can now begin in the Council of Ministers in the usual way.
Self-employment
Mr. Ian Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were self-employed in (a) June 1979, (b) December 1988 and (c) December 1989.
Mr. Nicholls : The information is as follows :
|c|Self Employed Persons in the
United Kingdom|c|
|Number
----------------------------------
June 1979 |1,906,000
December 1988 |3,113,000
December 1989 |3,311,000
Labour Statistics
Mr. Andrew MacKay : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the current level of unemployment.
Mr. Eggar : In May 1990, seasonally adjusted unemployment in the United Kingdom was 1,611,000, about half the July 1986 level.
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a table showing (a)
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employment by industry and ethnic origin, (b) employment by broad occupation, ethnic origin and sex and (c) unemployment rate by ethnic origin for the earliest available date on a comparative basis with tables 4, 5 and 8 in the Employment Gazette, March 1990.Mr. Nicholls : Earlier labour force survey analyses by ethnic origin and industry and by ethnic origin, sex and broad occupation are available for 1985-87 and 1984-86 in Employment Gazette, December 1988, pages 637-8 (tables 4 and 5) and March 1988, pages 168-9 (tables 4 and 5). Unemployment rates by ethnic origin are given since 1984 on a consistent basis, using the ILO definition of unemployment with a four-week job search period, in table 8 quoted ; but information for 1984, 1983 and 1981, using the previous labour force definition of unemployment with a one-week job search period is given in Employment Gazette, March 1988, page 173 (table 8) and June 1984, page 263 (tables 1 and 3). Information for earlier years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Riddick : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the most recent unemployment figures for the Colne Valley constituency ; and what were the comparable figures in the same month five years earlier.
Mr. Nicholls : In May 1990, on an adjustable basis, there were 1, 819 unemployed claimants in the Colne Valley parliamentary constituency, a fall of 2,154, or 54 per cent. compared with May 1985.
Mr. Skinner : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest unemployment figures ; what were the figures in May 1979 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Nicholls : In May 1990, seasonally adjusted unemployment in the United Kingdom was 1,611,000, compared with 1,088,500 in May 1979. There are now over 1 million more jobs than in 1979 and unemployment is about half of what it was at its peak in July 1986.
Benefit Claimants
Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether, if a claimant adviser offers a vacancy to a claimant which they have obtained from a local newspaper or other source, other than a jobcentre, the claimant has to show good cause if they do not wish to pursue it, or decide to reject it ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : The Employment Service, which is responsible for the claimant adviser service, became an executive agency on 2 April 1990. Mr. Mike Fogden, the chief executive of the Employment Service, will be replying in writing to the hon. Lady.
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Employment Training
Mr. Hind : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to meet the chief executive of the Training Agency to discuss the provision of employment training ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Nicholls : My right hon. and learned Friend meets the director general of the Training Agency on a regular basis to discuss all of the Department's programmes including employment training. About 700, 000 unemployed people to date have taken advantage of the help ET offers them to obtain the skills and experience they need to get jobs.
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what number of trainees on employment training had to leave the scheme last year because no suitable training placement could be found for them ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Nicholls : The information is not available. There is a plentiful supply of work placement opportunities for trainees on employment training. At any one time 72 per cent. of trainees are on project or employer-based placements.
Wages
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of the median wage was received by the lowest paid 10 per cent. of male manual workers in each year between 1986 and 1989.
Mr. Nicholls : The available information is published in table 15 of part A of the 1989 new earnings survey report, a copy of which is in the Library.
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total number of adult workers earning below £157 per week in each of the years between 1986 and 1989.
Mr. Nicholls : The estimated number of full-time adult employees earning below specified weekly amounts are published in table 14 of part A of the 1989 report and in table 29 of part B of the new earnings survey reports for 1986 to 1988. Copies of the reports are in the Library.
Training and Enterprise Councils
Mr. Jack : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many business men have promised to serve on the boards of training and enterprise councils.
Mr. Eggar : Over 1,000 business leaders have been involved so far in setting up training and enterprise councils.
Of the 15 TECs that have now become fully operational, there are 138 private sector board members.
Health and Safety
Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proposals the Health and Safety Commission has to increase health and safety protection in the workplace.
Mr. Nicholls : The Health and Safety Commission's proposals are set out in its plan of work for 1990-91 and
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beyond. The plan has been submitted to my right hon. and learned Friend for his approval and it is hoped that it will be published in July.Clothing Industry
Mr. Canavan : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many jobs have been lost in the clothing industry in the current year ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Nicholls : The number of employees in employment in the clothing industry, including hats, gloves and fur goods, in Great Britain decreased by 4,000 between December 1988 and December 1989.
Cancer
Mr. Hannam : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether his Department has conducted or commissioned any research into cancer of the larynx resulting from asbestosis, explosives or industrial substances.
Mr. Nicholls : The Health and Safety Executive continues to sponsor programmes of research into aspects of the toxicity and carcinogenity of industrial substances. It has commissioned no specific research into cancer of the larynx.
Ex-offenders
Mr. Blair : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, further to the answer to the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Sparkbrook (Mr. Hattersley) of 15 May, Official Report, column 375, on training for ex- offenders, whether a report will be produced by his Department presenting the findings of the examination referred to ; and whether he intends to consult relevant outside bodies during the course of the examination.
Mr. Nicholls : There are frequent contacts and discussions between the Training Agency, Home Office, probation services and voluntary bodies such as NACRO and Apex Trust about training and enterprise provision for ex -offenders. The recent White Paper on punishment in the community is included in those discussions. My Department does not publish reports on such on-going contacts.
TVEI
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list those local education authorities participating in the technical and vocational education initiative extension and set out their budgets for 1990-91, 1991-92 and 1992-93.
Mr. Eggar : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given on 19 June, at columns 463-66.
Migrant Workers
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to the statement by the Minister of State in reply to the hon. Member for Greenock and Port Glasgow, Official Report, 21 May, columns 122-23, regarding the movement of migrant workers among Community countries, what is the expected date of
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publication of the relevant directive ; if its terms will be decided by qualified majority or unanimity ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Eggar [holding answer 19 June 1990] : Revisions to the Community legislation on free movement of EC nationals are under discussion following proposals put forward by the Commission. It is not yet known when these will be agreed.
The proposed revisions do not cover workers who are non-Community nationals, except as dependants of EC nationals : such workers are not within Community competence.
SOCIAL SECURITY
National Insurance
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Wanstead and Woodford (Mr. Arbuthnot) of 21 May, Official Report, column 81, whether he has estimated any cost to business in requiring employers to spend more time with national insurance inspectors.
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Mrs. Gillian Shephard : There is of course a certain cost to businesses in carrying out the task of calculating and paying the correct amounts of national insurance contributions for their employees ; this is an inescapable responsibility for them if their employees are to receive correct amounts of social security benefits and pensions. Most employers carry out this task conscientiously and effectively and thus keep the burden on their business to the minimum. However, there is a minority of employers who, for whatever reason, are performing this task less than effectively and from whom the collection of NICs needs to be improved.
Contributions unit inspectors will be concentrating their efforts on these employers. Their aim will be to help educate such employers (some of whom may be relatively inexperienced). If employers can be assisted to get the task right first time, they will in fact reduce the burden on their business which flows from having to take corrective action. This will help ensure that their employees' NIC records are correct and up to date, and that less staff time in the contributions unit needs to be spent on such corrective activity. One of the main aims of the contributions unit is to ensure that burdens on businesses are kept as low as is practicable.
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Supplementary Benefit
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give the number of (a) claimants and (b) benefit units, identifying (i) families and (ii) pensioners on supplementary benefit who received (1) one single payment, (2) two single payments, (3) three single payments and (4) four or more single payments in the year 1985-86 expressed in each as a total and as a proportion of supplementary benefit caseload.
Mr. Scott : Information on the number of pensioners receiving different numbers of single payments is in the Library, in table 19.1 of the supplementary benefit annual statistical inquiry, 1986. The other information is not available.
Widowed Mother's Allowance
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many women receive widowed mother's allowance in England and Wales.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The latest available figures show that at March 1989, 64,000 women were receiving widowed mother's allowance in England and Wales.
Social Fund
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was (a) the projected and (b) the actual value of loans repayments to the social fund in 1989-90 ; and whether he will make a statement on the practice in many social fund offices of setting repayments rates at or about the maximum recommended level of 15 per cent. of applicable benefit levels.
Mr. Scott : Loan repayments to the social fund in 1989-90 totalled £108 million against the forecast of £104 million. The rate of repayment of a loan depends on the individual's circumstances. Where there are no existing commitments, it may be as high as 15 per cent. of the income support applicable amount. But it could be set at 10 per cent., 5 per cent. or less than 5 per cent. An applicant's ability to repay a loan is taken into account before an offer is made. In appropriate cases, rescheduling is considered and money advice is offered.
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether the extra funds allocated to the social fund by recycling from loan repayments to loans and grants budgets between December 1989 and March 1990, are regarded for expenditure purposes as a call on 1984-90 social fund expenditure or on some other budget head ; and if he will make a statement on the implications of this for future social fund budgets.
Mr. Scott : Expenditure arising from the additional allocations made to local offices in 1989-90 has been treated as expenditure from the social fund in that year. Account was taken of the additional allocations in December 1989 and January 1990 in calculating the allocations for 1990-91 which I announced on 26 March. Decisions on the allocation of social fund budgets for future years will be taken nearer the time.
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Community Care Grant
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many women have submitted claims for a community care grant in the past 12 months ; and, of those, how many were turned down due to already receiving widowed mother's allowance.
Mr. Scott : One of the conditions for eligibility for community care grants, (as with the previous single payments system) is being in receipt of income support (supplementary benefit). Receipt of widowed mother's allowance is relevant only in so far as it plays a part in determining eligibility to income support.
Mobility Allowance
Mr. Hannam : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many people with severe mental handicap and severe behaviour problems have been refused mobility allowance because their walking problems cannot be attributed to a physical cause ;
(2) how many people with severe mental handicap whose behaviour problems interrupt their walking progress are in receipt of mobility allowance.
Mr. Scott : I regret that this information is not available.
Money Purchase Pension Schemes
Mr. Hague : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he sees any need to amend contracting-out arrangements for money purchase schemes following the European Court of Justice judgment in the case of Barber v. Guardian Royal Exchange.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : While there remain uncertainties about the legal implications of this judgment for occupational pension schemes, it is clear that there is a specific problem for contracted-out money purchase schemes (COMPS). This arises from the conflict between the European Court's ruling in the Barber case that such schemes must equalise the age at which pensions come into payment for men and women, and the current requirement that such schemes may contract out of the state pension scheme only if they pay protected rights to their members at the age of 60 for women and 65 for men. We have therefore today tabled in another place an amendment to the Social Security Bill to enable these schemes to pay pensions deriving from protected rights from the date on which the member attains an age not earlier than 60 and not later than 65. This will ensure that such schemes can continue to meet the legal requirements of contracting out while complying with the equal treatment requirements of the European Court of Justice judgment. The same conflict does not arise in the case of schemes based on final salary and therefore they will not be affected by the amendment.
State Pension
Mr. Patchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will increase the British state retirement pension in line with other EEC pensions ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard [holding answer 16 March 1990] : Comparisons with other EC members are highly misleading and are complicated by the wide variety of pension provision in different states.
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We will continue to maintain our commitment to increase the state retirement pension fully in line with movements in prices.DEFENCE
HMS Southampton
Mr. Boyes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the estimated cost of repairs to HMS Southampton following its collision in 1988.
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