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Channel 5
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what studies have been made by his Department of the costs of retuning video recorders associated with the reception of channel 5 output ; in respect of how many transmitters have the calculations in respect of such costs been made ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Forth [holding answer 28 June 1990] : As my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Home Office explained during the Committee stage of the Broadcasting Bill on 15 February 1990, my Department has made a study of the possible cost of retuning video recorders affected by interference from Channel 5 in cases where the user has not arranged to receive the Channel 5 service. This study was
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based on the planned national coverage figure for the service of 70 per cent. The number of transmitters assumed in the study for this planned level of coverage was 25.The new service is not expected to commence for about three years. The market is growing and changing rapidly. Any estimate of the costs must therefore be subject to great uncertainty. The study also made a range of other assumptions in addition to that concerning the number of transmitters. It is therefore important that franchise applicants carry out their own studies of the costs.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Civil Servants (Workplaces)
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations have been undertaken at workplaces used by civil servants in his Department.
Mr. Needham : The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations do not yet apply in Northern Ireland. A consultative document setting out the Department of Economic Development's proposals for controlling substances considered hazardous to health was issued on 5 March 1990.
An initial assessment of potentially hazardous substances has been made by officials in the Northern Ireland Office and the PSA. This assessment is kept under constant review.
Terrorism
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish in the Official Report a table to show for each parliamentary constituency in Northern Ireland the number of deaths from terrorist action since 1 January 1969 until June 1983 and also for each present parliamentary constituency, or as much of such information as is available to him.
Mr. Cope [holding answer 3 July 1990] : The information is not available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Remand
Mr. McNamara : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the average number of days that prisoners spent on custodial remand for scheduled, non-scheduled offences and both together, in 1989.
Mr. Cope [holding answer 4 July 1990] : The average period on custodial remand for persons tried in 1989 for scheduled offences was 94.5 days ; for non-scheduled offences, 61 days ; and both together 80 days.
Mr. McNamara : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the average period between remand and trial for prisoners refused bail and charged with scheduled offences in Northern Ireland in 1989.
Mr. Cope [holding answer 4 July 1990] : The average period between remand and trial for prisoners charged in scheduled offences and refused bail who were tried in 1989, was 94.5 days.
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WALES
Registered Holdings
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many registered holdings in Wales are eligible for less-favoured area projects.
Mr. David Hunt : There is no register of agricultural holdings. Lists maintained for the purpose of collecting agricultural statistics contained at June 1989 20,576 statistically significant agricultural holdings which had some land in the less-favoured areas. The eligibility of a holding for assistance under any project will depend both on the project and on the individual circumstances of the holding.
Cataract Operations
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will arrange for each health authority to supply him with the waiting lists for cataract operations ; and if he will publish the results in the Official Report.
Mr. Grist : Information about waiting lists for individual procedures is not collected routinely. The Welsh hospital waiting list bulletin 1990 (No. 1), a copy of which is available in the Library, contains information on each health authority's ophthalmology waiting lists as at September 1989.
Market Research
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list all the market research surveys commissioned by his Department or paid for by his Department in each of the past five financial years.
Mr. David Hunt : I shall write to the hon. Gentleman and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
General Practitioners (Prescribing)
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he intendes to issue fresh guidelines (a) to general practitioners in respect of over-prescribing and (b) to family practitioner committees in respect of the operation of regulation 16 of the Service Committee and Tribunal Regulations.
Mr. Grist : A working paper will be issued shortly which deals with prescribing in general practice. This will indicate the initiatives being taken to encourage general practitioners to improve the quality of their prescribing. The working paper will also indicate that it is the Government's intention to amend regulation 16 of the Service Committee and Tribunal Regulations.
Teaching (Language)
Mr. Alan W. Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his policy on the right of parents to have their children taught in their first language.
Sir Wyn Roberts : Our general policy is that all pupils, as part of the national curriculum in schools in Wales, should study both English and Welsh.
The medium of instruction in an individual school, either Welsh or English, is a matter for determination by the head teacher and governing body within the context of the local authority's curriculum and language policies.
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NHS Reforms
Mr. Denzil Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the estimated total cost to his Department of the Government's proposed publicity campaign in respect of their National Health Service reforms.
Mr. Grist : We are preparing a bilingual booklet for circulation in Wales which will explain the main changes taking place in the National Health Service in the Principality. The total cost of preparing and distributing the booklet has yet to be finalised, but we expect the unit cost to be broadly similar to that of the booklet being distributed in England.
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those responsibilities which will no longer be exercised by district health authorities in Wales (a) following the passing of the National Health Service and Community Care Act and (b) following the implementation of the Government's plans for reform of the national health service.
Mr. Grist : Under our programme of reforms, DHAs will be responsible for securing quality health services for their resident populations. In certain areas of activity this purchasing role will be undertaken by any GP fundholding practices that are set up. To the extent that NHS trusts are established and DHAs contract with other agencies for the provision of care, health authorities will not be responsible for the direct delivery of services. They will, however, continue to be responsible for the purchase of quality care under contract.
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GP Budgets
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many general practitioners will be equipped with the necessary software to enable them to be responsible for their own budgets from 1 April 1991.
Mr. Grist : Discussions are continuing with the computer companies. The details of these discussions are commercially sensitive, but the general objective is to ensure that the necessary software will be available to all those GPs who wish to take part in the scheme.
Education (Special Needs)
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what is the cost in each local education authority of providing a place for each student between 11 and 18 years ; and what additional cost is deemed necessary for each child with special needs in (a) a special school and (b) an integrated unit in a secondary school ; (2) what is the cost in each local education authority of providing a school place for each child between five and 11 years ; and what additional cost is deemed necessary for each child with special needs in (a) a special school and (b) an integrated unit of a school for children under 11 years.
Sir Wyn Roberts : The cost per pupil of providing a school place in 1988-89 for (a) nursery and primary children (b) secondary children and (c) children in these age groups with special needs is shown in the following table. It is not possible to identify expenditure on integrated special units.
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Current expenditure on schools 1989-89
£'s per pupil
------------------------------------------------
Clwyd |1,041 |1,734 |9,449
Dyfed |1,151 |1,658 |12,864
Gwent
1,821 |11,264
Gwynedd |1,115 |1,661 |6,818
Mid Glamorgan |1,159 |1,686 |8,911
Powys |1,409 |1,885 |11,734
South Glamorgan |1,021 |1,520 |6,264
West Glamorgan |1,174 |1,991 |11,071
|-------|-------|-------
Total Wales |1,126 |1,730 |9,190
Land Use (Cardiff)
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has undertaken with Cardiff city council and South Glamorgan county council regarding the future use of land and buildings currently used for industrial training purposes at Western avenue, Cardiff.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received concerning the future use and ownership of the land and buildings occupied by the skill centre at Western avenue, Cardiff.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what land and buildings he has made available to Astra Training Services at Western avenue, Cardiff for (a) present and (b) future industrial training facilities.
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Sir Wyn Roberts : I understand that Astra Training Services Ltd. has taken a three-year lease from my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Employment for most of the freehold site at Western avenue.
Nurses' Grading
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what deadline he has set for all clinical grading appeals by nurses in Wales which are currently outstanding to be dealt with.
Mr. Grist : Appeals against clinical grading decisions are conducted under complex procedures agreed between the staff and management sides of the general Whitley council. The procedures which provide for three separate levels of hearing are resource-intensive for staff and management sides alike and in view of the unprecedented numbers of appeals it is not feasible for any deadline to be
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set. It is to be regretted that nursing trade unions chose not to pursue the possibility of adopting a simpler and quicker appeals procedures at the time the new structure was negotiated.European Single Market
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the impact of the completion of the single European market on economic growth and employment in Wales ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. David Hunt : The impact of the single market on Wales will depend on the flexibility with which individual firms and industries respond to the opportunities and challenges which it presents. The Europartenariat forum which was recently hosted in Wales by the Welsh Development Agency, with the support of the European Commission, provided an excellent opportunity for firms, particularly small firms, in Wales to develop the potential for business co-operation with companies elsewhere in Europe and I am delighted that so many Welsh firms took the opportunity to participate.
Hospital Costs
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish the latest information he has on the cost of operations and hospital care in each hospital ; and when he expects all hospitals to publish a price list for all operations and treatments available for patients.
Mr. Grist : Information on the cost of operations in each hospital is not available centrally. The latest available information on hospital costs is contained in "Welsh Health Costing Returns 1988-89", a copy of which is in the Library. The pricing of services will be included in the contracts for health services which will operate from April 1991. It is intended that these contracts should be made publicly available once agreed.
Local Government Finance
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what figure for inflation his Department advised (a) district councils, (b) county councils and (c) health authorities in Wales to use in the advance planning and estimate-making for the 1990-91 financial year.
Mr. David Hunt : Individual local authorities determine their own budgets, including the inflation and other assumptions on which they are based. The appropriate level of local government expenditure for each financial year is set by the Government and it is regrettable that actual spending by local authorities has consistently and unnecessarily exceeded those levels. No record of local authorities' budget assumptions is kept and no estimate of the inflation in local government costs to which they have contributed is made by my Department. I will respond separately to questions raised with respect to health authorities.
Voluntary Organisations
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, further to his answer of 27 June, Official Report, column 230, if he will list the recipients of the £96,000 grant aid to voluntary organisations ; and how much was given to each.
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Mr. Grist : The entire allocation was to Wales MIND.
Training
Mr. Rowlands : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has of the total amount offered by the Training Agency for 1990-91 in Wales to training providers of (a) youth training and (b) employment training in each training and enterprise council area in Wales.
Sir Wyn Roberts : All training and enterprise councils in Wales are at present in their development stage and not yet fully operational. This information is not, therefore, available.
Mr. Rowlands : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has of the number of people requiring guaranteed training places within each training and enterprise council area during 1990-91.
Sir Wyn Roberts : In advance of the formal establishment of training and enterprise councils in Wales I cannot give figures for individual areas, but I am satisfied that sufficient places will be made available to meet the demand.
Planning
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will call in for decision by himself the current planning application in respect of Rhos-y-Chellis farm, Northop, Clwyd ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Grist : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales understands that Delyn borough council is meeting today to determine this planning application. Should it be minded to grant planning permission for the proposal development it has indicated that it will refer the application to my right hon. Friend, under the Town and Country Planning (Development Plans) (Wales) Direction 1981, as a material departure from an approved development plan. He will then decide whether to call it in for his determination and I shall ensure that the hon. and learned Gentleman is informed of that decision when it has been taken.
Mr. Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on his policy concerning the relevance of subjective financial criteria affecting the viability of planning applications in Wales.
Mr. Grist : Generally speaking, financial considerations play no part in the determination of planning applications, the viability of a proposal being essentially a matter for the developer. There will be occasions, however, when the planning consequences of the financial viability of a development must be taken into account, for example, the likelihood of a development being only partially completed or the viability of a farming enterprise in assessing the need for an agricultural dwelling. The relevance of those factors will depend upon the particular circumstances of individual cases.
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HOME DEPARTMENT
Video Recordings (Prosecutions)
Mr. Archer : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have been brought under the Video Recordings Act 1984 in the last convenient period of 12 months for which figures are available.
Mr. Waddington : In 1988, 27 defendants were prosecuted under the Video Recordings Act 1984. Information for 1989 will not be available until the autumn.
Prison Service Headquarters
Mr. Rooker : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the factors involved in the shortlisting of Birmingham, Coventry, Derby and Nottingham for consideration as a location for the prison service headquarters ; and if he will make a statement on the decision-making timetable.
Mr. Mellor : My right hon. and learned Friend announced on 11 January that he had accepted the recommendation of a joint prison service and PA Consultants Group review team that the headquarters of the service should move from London to the midlands. Since then, further work has been done to identify specific options. Specialist consultants have conducted an evaluation of the area to identify which cities would be best able to support a substantial headquarters operation of around 1,500 staff. Among the criteria which they took into account were the availability of secretarial and clerical staff, the capacity of the local housing market to absorb a significant influx of new residents, the quality of local amenities and infrastructure and ease of access to prison service establishments around the country. In the light of their assessment it was decided that six cities merited further consideration, subject to the availability of suitable sites. Particular options in Birmingham, Coventry and Derby are now being explored. It is likely to be some months before a decision is taken.
San Salvador Killing (Police Report)
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whose property is the report of the investigation carried out by Detective Chief Inspector Tony Comben into the killing in San Salvador on 16 November 1989 ; and what plans exist to make it public ;
(2) if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis on the costs arising from sending a team to El Salvador to investigate murders by death squads in San Salvador.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Officers from the Metropolitan police went to El Salvador at the request of President Cristiani. Their report will be sent to the Government of El Salvador. It will be for the Salvadorean authorities to decide on future action, including publication. The costs are a matter for the FCO and the Salvadorean authorities.
Fire Risk Areas
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many A category fire risk areas there are in each fire brigade area in England and Wales.
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Mr. John Patten : The information which is available centrally and shown in the following table relates to the number of hectares within the area of each fire authority in England and Wales which that authority has reported as fire risk A.
Fire authorities in England and Wales
Areas categorised A' fire risk
Fire authority |Hectares categorised
| A' fire risk
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Avon |975
Cleveland |7,222
Derbyshire |850
Devon |375
Greater Manchester Fire and Civil Defence Authority |1,300
Hampshire |741
Humberside |3,321
Kent |106
Leicestershire |225
London Fire and Civil Defence Authority |14,175
Merseyside Fire and Civil Defence Authority |3,259
South Glamorgan |125
South Yorkshire Fire and Civil Defence Authority |1,010
Suffolk |565
Tyne and Wear Fire and Civil Defence Authority |900
West Midlands Fire and Civil Defence Authority |4,525
West Yorkshire Fire and Civil Defence Authority |1,351
Source: figures provided by fire authorities September 1989.
The remaining fire authorities in England and Wales have reported no areas of category A fire risk. Areas of fire risk are categorised on the basis of the predominating risk within the area. Areas with fire risk categories other than A may contain individual premises which would otherwise be categorised A risk ; isolated higher risks of this kind are generally categorised as special risks.
Vagrancy Act
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider seeking to amend the sections of the Vagrancy Act 1824 under which young persons sleeping on the streets have been arrested and convicted.
Mr. Waddington : The Vagrancy Act 1824 has already been amended, in particular by the Vagrancy Act 1935 and the Criminal Justice Act 1982, so that no one can be convicted for sleeping rough unless it can be proved that he had first refused or failed to apply for free and reasonably accessible accommodation to which he had been directed, or it can be proved that his doing so causes harm. Sleeping rough is not now either an arrestable or imprisonable offence. It is extremely rare for anyone under the age of 18 to be prosecuted for this offence.
We have no present plans to amend the vagrancy laws.
Child Migrants
Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter of 25 June from the hon. Member for Derbyshire, North-East concerning a case of adoption from Romania under his reference 18059/90.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I will write to the hon. Member as soon as I am in a position to take a decision in this case.
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Acid House Parties
Mr. Andrew Hargreaves : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidelines his Department has given to regional or other police forces concerning acid house parties.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The Home Office has not issued any guidelines to the police specifically concerning acid house parties, but we have discussed the problem and how best to tackle it with the Association of Chief Police Officers.
Police and Criminal Evidence Act
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to issue revised codes of practice in accordance with section 67(7) of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.
Mr. Waddington : I have today laid before Parliament draft revised codes in accordance with section 67 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. I intend to bring them into operation with effect from 1 January 1991 by order made by statutory instrument and I will seek their approval by resolution of each House of Parliament as soon as possible.
Remand
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the changes in the number of people in police cells on remand in Greater Manchester over the last four weeks.
Mr. Mellor : Over the past four weeks the numbers of people in police cells, on remand in the Greater Manchester area, have been as follows :
|Number
---------------------------
1 June 1990 |505
8 June 1990 |551
15 June 1990 |574
22 June 1990 |569
29 June 1990 |581
The number of prisoners held in police cells was initially a result of the recent prison disturbances but is now largely due to industrial action or lack of good will on the part of prison officers in some establishments.
There is room to accommodate the majority of these prisoners in prison accommodation. Holding prisoners in police cells is bad for everyone concerned. It draws scarce police resources off the streets and means prisoners are held in unsuitable conditions. I hope prison officers in the establishments concerned will cease this unwarranted action at the earliest opportunity. We are pursuing discussions to bring this about.
Police Forces
Mr. George : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any plans to carry out a major restructuring of the police forces in England and Wales in the near future.
Police Pay and Manpower
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the increase in police pay and manpower since 1979.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Since this Government came to office, the pay of police constables has increased by just over 41 per cent. in real terms. Police manpower has increased by 15,284 to 126,777, an increase of just under 14 per cent.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give details of the money and real terms pay increases of a police constable, sergeant, inspector and chief inspector in each year since 1974.
Mr. Peter Lloyd [holding answer 11 June 1990] : The information requested is as follows :
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965
Constable Sergeant Inspector Chief inspector
|Minimum|Maximum|Minimum|Maximum|Minimum|Maximum|Minimum|Maximum
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1974
Salaries |1,947 |2,349 |2,388 |2,745 |2,808 |3,162 |3,689 |4,097
1975
Salaries |2,202 |3,120 |3,138 |3,651 |3,678 |4,287 |4,341 |4,974
Percentage change |(18.4) |(6.9) |(5.8) |(7.05) |(5.4) |(9.1) |(-5.3)
1976
Salaries |2,332 |3,276 |3,295 |3,834 |3,862 |4,495 |4,549 |5,182
Percentage change |(-9.1) |(-9.9) |(-9.9) |(-9.9) |(-14.1)|(-10) |(-10) |(-10.6)
1977
Salaries |2,553 |3,603 |3,624 |4,218 |4,248 |4,929 |4,989 |5,688
Percentage change |(-5.5) |(-5.1) |(-5.1) |(-5) |(-5) |(-5.3) |(-5.3) |(-5.2)
1978
Salaries |3,189 |4,809 |4,683 |5,406 |6,198 |6,198 |6,966
Percentage change |(15.3) |(23.2) |(19.3) |(18.3) |(17.5) |(16.1) |(14.7) |(13)
1979
Salaries |4,086 |6,471 |6,186 |7,095 |7,095 |8,058 |8,058 |8,967
Percentage change |(13) |(18.6) |(16.5) |(15.7) |(15.7) |(14.7) |(14.7) |(13.5)
1980
Salaries |4,956 |7,848 |7,503 |8,607 |8,607 |9,774 |9,774 |10,875
Percentage change |(2.8) |(2.8) |(2.8) |(2.8) |(2.8) |(2.8) |(2.8) |(2.8)
1981
Salaries |5,610 |8,883 |8,493 |9,744 |9,744 |11,064 |11,064 |12,309
Percentage change |(1.2) |(1.2) |(1) |(1.2) |(1.2) |(1.2) |(1.2) |(1.2)
1982
Salaries |6,189 |9,798 |9,369 |10,749 |10,749 |12,204 |12,204 |13,578
Percentage change |(1.6) |(1.6) |(1.6) |(1.6) |(1.6) |(1.6) |(1.6) |(1.6)
1983
Salaries |6,708 |10,620 |10,155 |11,652 |11,652 |13,230 |13,230 |14,718
Percentage change |(3.6) |(3.6) |(3.6) |(3.6) |(3.6) |(3.7) |(3.7) |(3.6)
1984
Salaries |6,708 |11,193 |10,704 |12,282 |12,282 |13,944 |13,944 |15,513
Percentage change |(-4.7) |(0.4) |(0.4) |(0.4) |(0.4) |(0.4) |(0.4) |(0.4)
1985
Salaries |7,212 |12,033 |11,508 |13,203 |13,203 |14,991 |14,991 |16,677
Percentage change |(1.3) |(1) |(1.3) |(1.3) |(1.3) |(1.3) |(1.3) |(1.3)
1986
Salaries |7,752 |12,936 |12,372 |14,193 |14,193 |16,116 |16,116 |17,928
Percentage change |(1.1) |(5.7) |(5.7) |(5.7) |(5.7) |(5.7) |(5.7) |(5.7)
1987
Salaries |8,352 |13,938 |13,332 |15,294 |15,294 |17,364 |17,364 |19,317
Percentage change |(3.4) |(3.4) |(3.4) |(3.4) |(3.4) |(3.4) |(3.4) |(3.4)
1988
Salaries |8,352 |15,125 |14,466 |16,593 |16,593 |18,840 |18,840 |20,958
Percentage change |(-4.7) |(3.4) |(3.4) |(3.4) |(3.4) |(3.4) |(3.4) |(3.4)
1989
Salaries |9,900 |16,521 |15,804 |18,129 |18,129 |20,583 |20,583 |22,896
Percentage change |(10) |(1.4) |(1.4) |(1.4) |(1.4) |(1.4) |(1.4) |(1.4)
Notes: Salaries are based on 1 September for each year. Figures in brackets show yearly
percentage change in real terms.
Prison Disturbances
Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the ratio of prisoners to prison officers injured in the recent prison disturbances.
Mr. Mellor : During incidents in April and May involving numbers of inmates acting in concert and using violence towards staff or property, the ratio of injuries was approximately one prisoner to two prison officers.
Animal Experiments
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he plans to take to reduce the number of experiments conducted on animals ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Applications for licences are considered individually on their merits. As figure 5 of the Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals, Great Britain 1988 (Cm. 743) shows, however, the number of experiments has fallen consistently for many years and this trend is continuing under the strict controls of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
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