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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 10 July 1990
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Fur Farms
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food who is empowered to slaughter mink and foxes on fur farms.
Mr. Maclean : There are no restrictions on who may slaughter fur- bearing animals on farms. The operation must, however, be done with due care and humanity as required by the Protection of Animals Act 1911 and without unnecessary pain or unnecessary distress as required by the Agriculture (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1968.
Animal Feed
Mr. Dunnachie : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will introduce legislation to ensure that animal feed materials are not contaminated with agents harmful to humans ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : The safety standards of animal feed materials are laid down by EC legislation and enacted within the United Kingdom by the Agriculture Act 1970 and Feeding Stuff Regulations 1988, as amended. It is an offence for a manufacturer to sell an animal feed which is unsafe for the animal or final consumer.
Cattle (Antibiotics)
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he proposes to authorise the use of the antibiotics Avoparcin and Virginiamycin in cattle in the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : Both antibiotics are authorised for use in cattle by EC Directive 70/524 concerning additives in feedingstuffs. Avoparcin is already licensed for this use in the United Kingdom, but, as yet, I have received no application in respect of virginiamycin for use in cattle.
Egg Producers
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to provide to those local authorities who request them his list of egg producers and his list of egg producers who have registered with him since 2 April.
Mr. Maclean : Information is provided to local authorities on producers who register with the Department under the Poultry Laying Flocks (Testing and Registration etc) Order 1989. The Department does not hold a comprehensive list of egg producers.
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Salmonella
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many reports he received during June from laboratories conducting microbiological testing for salmonella of samples from hens where no growth was found.
Mr. Maclean : Full details of tests carried out in June are not available, but, from the reports received, the proportion of samples in which no microbial growth was reported was in the region of 5 per cent. The tests in question are designed to establish whether salmonella is present and will not necessarily show growth of other bacteria even when these are present.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has any evidence of the abuse of the competitive exclusion product for salmonella developed by the Bristol Food Research Institute ; and if he has any proposals to regulate its use.
Mr. Maclean : We have no such evidence. If such a product were to be sold or supplied for a medicinal purpose, a licence would be required to be issued under the Medicines Act 1968. No such licence is currently in force for the product to which the hon. Member refers.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many poultry flocks with over 100 laying hens are registered in each of the counties of England and Wales ; and how many of these have notified him of the results of testing for salmonella between (a) 1 January and 21 March and (b) 1 April and 30 June.
Mr. Maclean : Up to 27 June a total of 2,435 laying flocks have been registered in England and Wales. The details in the table refer to animal health offices, where registrations are dealt with, rather than counties.
Registered persons are required to notify my Department with the results of tests for salmonella at 12-weekly intervals, commencing with the date after 2 April on which they first receive reports of any such tests. This information is being received and collated at the present time.
Registered laying flocks in England and Wales
Local Animal Health Office |Laying flocks
|registered
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
England
Beverley |49
Bury St. Edmunds |62
Carlisle |50
Chelmsford |118
Crewe |99
Dorchester |43
Exeter |97
Gloucester |53
Guildford |92
Huntingdon |50
Leamington Spa |65
Leeds |146
Leicester |32
Lincoln |107
Maidstone |140
Newcastle |86
Northallerton |114
Norwich |125
Nottingham |128
Oxford |133
Preston |139
Shrewsbury |58
Stafford |83
Taunton |48
Trowbridge |37
Truro |57
Winchester |69
Worcester |59
Wales
Caernarvon |10
Cardiff |8
Carmarthen |38
Llandrindod Wells |17
Ruthin |23
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Mr. Speller : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what names are used in European Community countries other than the United Kingdom to describe bovine spongiform encephalopathy ; and whether this disease is present or endemic under these names in any European Community country.
Mr. Maclean : Bovine spongiform encephalopathy has been a notifiable disease in the European Community under that name since 1 April 1990 and to date has been confirmed only in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.
Animal Welfare
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will make it his policy to ban the tethering of sows in stalls ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) if he has made an assessment of the animal welfare implications of the use of narrow stalls to contain sows ; and if he will make a statement ;
(3) if he has made an assessment of the space required to allow a sow to perform her natural functions, including grooming, turning and stretching ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : The Farm Animal Welfare Council has undertaken an assessment of pig production systems. It concluded that stall and tether systems for dry sows fail to meet important welfare criteria including freedom to exercise and to display most normal behaviour patterns. It recommended that new stall or tether systems should be banned and that existing systems of this type should be phased out as soon as the Government are content that welfare related problems have been eliminated from the emerging alternative systems and that they are commercially viable.
The Government have accepted these conclusions and are seeking to have them implemented through European Community legislation as soon as possible.
Bovine Somatotropin
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the licensing requirements which bovine somatotropin met before milk containing bovine somatotropin was allowed to be offered for sale to the general public.
Mr. Maclean : All milk contains natural BST. Milk from cows treated with manufactured BST may be offered
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for sale to the public if the treatment was carried out in accordance with an animal test certificate--ATC. Before ATCs were issued the Veterinary Products Committee examined all available data relating to the BST products concerned and concluded that they were of good quality and that their use in field trials would pose no threat to the health of consumers, to persons handling the product or to the environment.Field Sports
Mr. Meale : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether it is Her Majesty's Government's policy to promote field sports such as fox hunting, deer hunting and hare hunting and coursing as a method of vermin control or for any other reason.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I have been asked to reply.
Hunting is one of several methods by which the populations of certain wild animals can be controlled. The Government's position is that the choice of method is a matter for the landowner and that participation in field sports is a matter for individual decision and conscience.
THE ARTS
British Theatre Association
Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Minister for the Arts what steps he intends to take to secure accommodation and future support for the British Theatre Association and its library ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Luce : I am in touch with the British Theatre Association and other interested parties and understand that a number of options are now being considered which should help to secure the future of the library. I have asked to be kept informed of developments.
PRIME MINISTER
Political Union
Q12. Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Prime Minister what decision was made at the Dublin meeting of the European Council on United Kingdom participation in a conference on political union.
Sir Geoffrey Howe : I have been asked to reply.
I refer my hon. Friend to the statement my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister made to this House on 28 June. The United Kingdom will participate fully in the preparation for and in discussion at the inter-governmental conference.
European Parliament
Q131. Dr. Godman : To ask the Prime Minister what recent discussions she has had with the leaders of other European Community states concerning the structure, functions and powers of the European Parliament ; and if she will make a statement.
Sir Geoffrey Howe : I have been asked to reply.
I refer the hon. Gentleman to the statement my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister made to this House on 28 June about the European Council meeting in Dublin, at which the roles of the European Parliament and national parliaments were discussed in general terms.
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South Africa
Q205. Mr. Hunter : To ask the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on the outcome of her discussions with Mr. Nelson Mandela with regard to the United Kingdom's contribution to the emergence of a just and equitable society in South Africa.
Sir Geoffrey Howe : I have been asked to reply.
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister had a very good exchange of views with Mr. Mandela on 4 July. Mr. Mandela expressed his appreciation of our efforts to secure his release and accepted our sincerity and determination to get rid of apartheid. My right hon. Friend's discussions with Mr. Mandela concentrated on examining the political and economic way ahead in South Africa.
Divorce
Q226. Mr. Beith : To ask the Prime Minister whether the Government have any plans to make divorce easier or more difficult to obtain (a) in England and (b) in Scotland.
Sir Geoffrey Howe : I have been asked to reply.
It would be premature to say what reform might be brought forward in England and Wales ahead of the English Law Commission's report later this year on divorce. In considering any proposals the Government will be concerned to support marriage and the family and to ensure that those contemplating divorce recognise in advance the consequences of divorce, especially for their children, and wherever possible either draw back from it or at least make arrangements to provide a firm basis for the future upbringing and support of their children.
The Scottish Law Commission issued a report on reform of the ground for divorce in 1989 and recommended that the Divorce (Scotland) Act 1976 should be amended.
These proposals are embodied in clause 53 of the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Bill which is presently before the House of Commons.
Engagements
Mr. Rathbone : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 10 July.
Mr. Pike : To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 10 July.
Sir Geoffrey Howe : I have been asked to reply.
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister is attending the economic summit in Houston.
NATIONAL FINANCE
Interest Rates
Mr. Allen : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has on the reduced availability of German and Japanese capital on the international market and its effect on long-term interest rates in the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Ryder : Data for the current and capital accounts of Japan and Germany are published by the IMF in "International Financial Statistics". The availability of
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capital from Japan and Germany is one of a number of domestic and international influences on United Kingdom long-term interest rates.Royal Mint
Dr. Marek : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the cost to the royal mint of the recent investigation into staff salaries carried out by Hay MSL.
Mr. Ryder : The cost of this study is commercially confidential.
EC Contributions
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the various published estimates or projections by Her Majesty's Government of the United Kingdom's net contribution to the European Community in 1989 ; and if he will indicate the date on which each such estimate or projection was made.
Mr. Ryder [holding answer 5 July 1990] : The "Statement on the 1990 Community Budget"--Cm. 1059--which was published on 26 April 1990, included the outturn of £2,315 million for the United Kingdom's net contribution to the European Community in 1989. The previous forecast for the 1989 net contribution, £1,966 million, was contained in the "Statement on the 1989 Community Budget"--Cm. 680--published on 27 April 1989. In addition, the Central Statistical Office balance of payments press notices of 13 March and 13 June 1990 gave, on a slightly different basis from the annual statements, an estimated outturn of £2,301 million for the United Kingdom's 1989 net balance with the European Community. These forecasts are on a calendar year basis.
The annual public expenditure White Paper includes calendar year forecasts and outturns of United Kingdom contributions and receipts arising out of successive budgets, irrespective of when receipts and payments occur.
VAT
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he proposes to reconsider the list of items considered for exemption from value added tax.
Mr. Ryder [holding answer 9 July 1990] : No.
Government Shareholdings
Mr. Allen : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update the answer of 11 December, Official Report, column 463, on (a) the golden shares and (b) other shares currently owned by Her Majesty's Government.
Mr. Lilley [holding answer 9 July 1990] : The Government hold special shares in the following companies : Britoil, Cable and Wireless ; Jaguar ; Sealink ; British Telecom ; British Aerospace ; VSEL Consortium ; British Gas ; Rolls-Royce ; BAA ; British Steel ; Anglian Water ; Northumbrian Water ; North West Water ; Severn Trent ; South West Water ; Thames Water ; Welsh Water ; Wessex Water ; and Yorkshire Water.
Details of the Government's other shareholdings are given in the "Consolidated Fund and National Loans Fund Accounts 1988-89 : Supplementary Statements" (HC45). The 1989-90 supplementary statements will be laid before the House before the end of the year. In the case
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of the 10 water plcs, the Water (Target Investment Limit) Order 1990, laid before the House on 21 May, gave the maximum limits, by percentage, of the Government's residual shareholding. The current market value of the shareholdings can be established from the International Stock Exchange's official list.ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Legal Aid
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Attorney-General how many booklets have been printed advising the public on the European agreement on the transmission of applications for legal aid ; and where they have been distributed.
The Attorney-General : No booklets advising the public on the European agreement on the transmission of applications for legal aid have been produced.
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Attorney-General whether his Department has sponsored any advertising of the European agreement on the transmission of applications for legal aid.
The Attorney-General : The Legal Aid Board, which is responsible for publicising the legal aid scheme, has not sponsored any advertising of the European agreement on the transmission of applications for legal aid.
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Attorney-General what consideration the Legal Aid Board has given to publicising the European agreement on the transmission of applications for legal aid.
The Attorney-General : In paragraph 2.17 of its annual report, which was laid before Parliament on 25 June 1990, the Legal Aid Board reported that it was reviewing its publicity requirements. The board expects to complete its review during the current financial year and publicity for the European agreement on transmission of applications for legal aid is one of the topics to be considered.
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Attorney-General how many United Kingdom citizens have received legal aid in foreign countries under the European agreement on the transmission of applications for legal aid.
The Attorney-General : Applications made by United Kingdom citizens under the European agreement on transmission of legal aid applications during the year 1 January to 31 December 1989 as follows :
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|Transmitted|<1>Granted
------------------------------------------------------
England and Wales |30 |10
Northern Ireland |3 |n/a
Scotland |1 |0
|---- |----
United Kingdom |34 |10
<1> Information received so far. Information relating
to Northern Ireland is not available.
Information relating to earlier years is not readily available.
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Attorney-General whether his Department has supplied legal firms offering the legal aid scheme with details of the European agreement on the transmission of applications for legal aid.
The Attorney-General : The Legal Aid Board publishes the "Legal Aid Handbook" each year. This guide to practitioners includes at note 52 of the notes for guidance detailed instructions on the preparation of applications including information on payment arrangements.
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Attorney-General if he will give the budget for publicising the European agreement on the transmission of applications for legal aid.
The Attorney-General : The Legal Aid Board is currently reviewing its publicity requirements and although at present no part of its publicity budget is spent on publicising the European agreement on the transmission of applications for legal aid consideration will be given to this as part of the review.
TRANSPORT
Bus Fares
Mr. John Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the most recent information his Department has on the level of bus fares since deregulation.
Mr. Freeman : The latest information on local bus fares is in the table.
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Great Britain (outside London)
|English |Other areas<1>|All outside
|metropolitan |London
|areas
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Percentage increase in fares between 1985-86 and 1989
(i) in cash terms |<2>+56 |+20 |+29
(ii) adjusted for general inflation<3> |+29 |no change |+7
Journeys using adult single ticket<4>
Average fare per journey in 1989 (pence) |41p |55p |50p
Average fare per mile in 1989 (pence) |14p |15p |15p
Average journey length |2.9 miles |3.6 miles |3.3 miles
<1> English shire counties, Scotland and Wales.
<2> A sharp rise from a low level following the introduction of precept control in 1986-87. In 1989, fare levels
in English metropolitan areas remained below those elsewhere.
<3> Using the retail prices index, which increased by 20 per cent., between 1985-86 and 1989.
<4> 1985-86 national travel survey data adjusted using the appropriate stage fares index.
Speed Limiters
Mr. Moate : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of coaches in the United Kingdom are now fitted with speed limiters ; if he will make a statement about the benefits which have been secured for road users ; and what is his policy with regard to speed limiters being fitted to heavy goods vehicles.
Mr. Atkins : One hundred per cent. of those first used in Great Britain after April 1984. By next April, all coaches first used since April 1974 will also have to be fitted with limiters, and I am glad that the Bus and Coach Council is urging its members to act ahead of this deadline. It benefits all road users' safety if maximum speed limits are observed. We are currently looking into the merits of the European Commission proposal that speed limiters should also be required on heavy goods vehicles.
Air Services
Sir Thomas Arnold : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects his recent agreement with the United States Government in respect of air services to take effect.
Mr. McLoughlin : Documentation is being completed as quickly as possible and the agreement should come into full effect immediately thereafter. It will however probably take further time for airlines to plan and introduce new services.
Oil Field Workers (Insurance)
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what statutory provisions cover the insuring of oil field workers carried to rigs by helicopters.
Mr. McLoughlin : None. However any helicopter operator serving United Kingdom oil and gas fields on the North sea requires an air transport licence from the Civil Aviation Authority. In deciding whether to grant such a licence the authority takes into account the financial arrangements of the operator, including the insurance arrangements which have been made.
Airlines
Mr. Conway : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to ensure that the operating opportunities for American airlines within the United Kingdom and Europe are reciprocated for British airlines in the United States of America.
Mr. McLoughlin : We and the United States Government are jointly to study liberalisation of United Kingdom-United States air services arrangements : issues of the sort my hon. Friend raises are bound to be discussed.
Driving Test
Mr. Graham : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what revisions are planned to the Department of Transport driving test in preparation for 1992.
Mr. Atkins : The European Commission published its proposals for a second directive on driver licensing in 1989. My Department consulted subsequently with
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interested parties on the implications of these proposals for driver testing and training. I shall announce the outcome of that consultation shortly.Driving Instructors
Mr. Graham : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to restrict the register of approved driving instructors.
Mr. Atkins : Over the past two years the qualifying examinations for the register have been made more thorough. There are no plans to make any further alterations or to restrict entry in order to limit numbers in the profession.
Mr. Graham : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a list of categories of people excluded from becoming Department of Transport approved driving instructors.
Mr. Atkins : The grounds on which the registrar of approved driving instructors may refuse to enter a person's name in the register are given in section 125 of the Road Traffic Act 1988.
Mr. Graham : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are (a) the number of people admitted to the register of approved driving instructors and (b) the total number registered in each year since 1980.
Mr. Atkins : The numbers at the end of each calendar year were as follows :
|New ADIs |Numbers on
|the register
----------------------------------------------------
1980 |2,490 |23,562
1981 |2,476 |25,098
1982 |2,262 |26,101
1983 |2,281 |26,942
1984 |2,574 |28,090
1985 |2,290 |28,675
1986 |3,147 |30,069
1987 |2,862 |31,336
1988 |<1>1,925 |<2>32,381
1989 |<1>2,421 |<3>32,931
1990 |<4>1,081 |<4>33,080
<1> Figures for new ADIs exclude those joining the
register between August 1988 and February 1989 when
computerisation of the Register was taking place.
<2> To end July.
<3> A computer count revealed that there has been
an overcount during the past of about 1,000.
<4> To end of May.
Internal Service Operations
Mr. Conway : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the countries with which reciprocal internal United Kingdom and Europe service operations have been agreed.
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