House of Commons Hansard Debates for 16 Jul 1990

Sir Wyn Roberts : My right hon. Friend awaits the formal outcome of the consultation exercise, which the Welsh Language Board has been conducting on its legislative proposals. The board is now considering the results of this. It will present its conclusion to my right hon. Friend in due course.

28. Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received concerning the need for a new Welsh Language Act ; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Wyn Roberts : The Welsh Office has received a number of representations from individuals and organisations about Welsh language legislation. This issue is currently being considered by the Welsh Language Board. My right hon. Friend will consider very carefully any specific proposals it puts to him.

Eye Tests

17. Mr. Anderson : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what contact he has had with members of the West Glamorgan family practitioner committee about the effect of charges on eye tests.

Mr. Grist : Our officials discussed this matter at the annual review of West Glamorgan family practitioner committee in December 1989. More recently, the Department has received some papers on this subject via the family practitioner committee.

Environmental Policy

20. Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the priorities of his Department in environmental policy ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Grist : Our priorities are to prevent undue risks to human life and health, to protect the natural environment and to improve public amenity, particularly in those areas with the worst environments.

Mid-Glamorgan Training and Enterprise Council

21. Mr. Rowlands : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he proposes to meet the board of the Mid-Glamorgan training and enterprise council to discuss the new budget for 1990-91.

Sir Wyn Roberts : The budget of the Mid-Glamorgan TEC for the current year has just been agreed. I am pleased to say that contracts for both the Mid-Glamorgan and West Wales TECs will be signed tomorrow. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I will be meeting all the TEC chairmen in Wales very shortly.

Rail Services

22. Mr. Roy Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received about train services in the Principality and the need for further investment.

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Sir Wyn Roberts : I receive many representations about rail services and rail investment in Wales.

Brymbo Steelworks

23. Dr. Marek : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what further plans he has to maintain steelworking jobs at the Brymbo steelworks.

Mr. David Hunt : The Welsh Development Agency, with full support from me, is continuing to explore all possible options for the future of the works.

Roads

24. Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the progress of road developments in Wales.

Sir Wyn Roberts : Significant progress has been made since 1979, with 152 miles of motorway and trunk roads completed. Nine schemes, totalling 21 miles, are currently under construction, and a further five schemes, totalling 19 miles, are planned to start in the current financial year.

Welsh Assembly

25. Mr. Gow : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent representations he has received in favour of setting up an assembly in Cardiff.

Mr. David Hunt : None.

Beef

26. Mr. Livsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the current state of the beef industry in Wales.

Mr. David Hunt : The December 1989 sample census figures showed that the Welsh beef breeding herd had increased by 6 per cent. compared with December 1988. Specialist beef producers have also benefited from last year's 42 per cent. increase in the rate of suckler cow premium which was worth some £8 million to producers in Wales in the 1989-90 scheme year ; and hill livestock compensatory allowance payments on cattle in 1989 amounted to more than £8 million.

Following the devaluation of the green pound agreed at the 1990 price fixing, support prices have increased by 8.5 per cent. with the rate of beef special premium increasing from £29.19 to £31.80 a head from 14 May 1990.

Although the market is currently depressed, with numbers and prices down, the safety net measures for intervention together with the lifting of bans on our exports should help to sustain the market.

Less-favoured Areas

27. Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the future of the less-favoured area status farms in Wales.

Mr. David Hunt : Farmers in our less-favoured areas benefit directly from a number of special measures including the hill livestock compensatory allowances. I remain confident that less-favoured areas farmers will meet the challenges that face them in the future.

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A470, Cardiff

29. Mr. Gwilym Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consideration he has given to (a) eliminating unnecessary junctions on the A470 in Cardiff, North or (b) other measures to improve the flow of traffic on this trunk road.

Sir Wyn Roberts : These are matters for South Glamorgan county council to consider as the responsible highway authority for the A470 to the south of the Coryton interchange. Measures to improve traffic flows on the A470 trunk road north of Coryton are being considered as part of the south Wales traffic study scheduled to be completed later this year.

Water Quality

Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the causes of the increase in those sewage works serving a population band of 1,000 to 5,000 and failing to meet the Welsh water authority quality standards in 1988-89 ; and what action his Department has taken to reverse this trend.

Mr. Grist : The prospectus for the water share offers attributed the difficulties experienced in recent years mainly to undercapacity, inadequate maintenance, outmoded equipment or breakdowns. A new regulatory body, the National Rivers Authority, has now been established and an investment programme, totalling £395 million in the next five years alone, to improve the quality of Dwr Cymru's sewerage services, including its sewage treatment works, has been approved.

Development Board for Rural Wales

Mr. Livsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if his Department has considered an application for an exhibition relating to the Development Board for Rural Wales to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.

Sir Wyn Roberts : I understand that, under procedures agreed by the Services Committee, arrangements have been made with the authorities of the House for the exhibition to be held in the Upper Waiting Hall from 10 to 14 December 1990.

Public Bodies

Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list all members of non-departmental public bodies in Wales who are members of (a) two such bodies and (b) more than two such bodies.

Mr. David Hunt : The information requested is as follows : Executive non-departmental public bodies in Wales

(a) Members of two bodies

Mr. J. Allen CBE

Housing for Wales (Chairman)

Land Authority for Wales (Deputy Chairman)

Mr. A. G. Davies

Court of National Museum of Wales

Council of National Museum of Wales

Mr. J. H. Davies

Court of National Library of Wales

Council of National Library of Wales

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Mr. H. Hudson-Davies

Cardiff Bay Development Corporation

Welsh Development Agency

Mr. I. G. M. Hughes

Court of National Library of Wales

Council of National Library of Wales

Mr. G. D. Inkin OBE

Cardiff Bay Development Corporation (Chairman)

Land Authority for Wales (Chairman)

Mr. J. Morgan

Court of National Library of Wales

Development Board for Rural Wales

Miss M. Owen

Court of National Library of Wales

Council of National Library of Wales

Mr. P. G. Price

Court of National Library of Wales

Council of National Library of Wales

The right hon. Lord Rees

Court of National Museum of Wales

Council of National Museum of Wales

Mr. J. E. H. Rees

Court of National Museum of Wales

Council of National Museum of Wales

Mr. R. P. V. Rees

Land Authority for Wales

Welsh Development Agency

Mr. W. Elfed Roberts

Wales Tourist Board

Welsh Development Agency

Mr. J. Watkin

Court of National Library of Wales

Council of National Library of Wales

Cllr. R. F. Watkiss

Cardiff Bay Development Corporation

Land Authority for Wales

Sir Donald Walters

Development Board for Rural Wales

Welsh Development Agency (Deputy Chairman)

(b) Members of more than two bodies

Mr. E. G. Davies

Development Board for Rural Wales (Chairman)

Welsh Development Agency

Wales Tourist Board

Health Authority Meetings

Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will make it his policy that public access to the meetings of health authorities in Wales and their committees and sub-committees should be required to be on the same basis as that required of local authorities in Wales.

Mr. Grist : No. District health authorities conduct their meetings in as open a manner as is reasonable. They will continue to be subject to the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960.

Community Health Councils

Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he intends to announce the results of his consultation on the future of community health councils in Wales.

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Mr. Grist : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, North (Mr. Jones) on 13 July 1990 by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

NHS Funds

Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether any additional funds are to be made available to the NHS in Wales over and above those set out in the public expenditure White Paper.

Mr. Grist : Additional funds were announced in the supplementary estimates presented to the House in June in respect of pay awards recommended in the reports of the review bodies. Future needs will be considered as part of the public expenditure survey in the normal way.

School Closures

Sir Wyn Roberts : The Department does not maintain records of school closures by size of school.

Renewal Areas Scheme

Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the actions taken by his Department to promote the renewal areas scheme in respect of older housing in Wales.

Mr. Grist : In addition to supplying very detailed guidance circulars, our officials have met representatives from all Welsh authorities to promote renewal area schemes.

Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much money his Department is making available (a) in the present financial year and (b) in the 1991-92 financial year towards the renewal areas scheme for older housing in Wales.

Mr. Grist : Credit approvals of £1 million are being held by the Department to meet local authorities' proposals for renewal areas. This is in addition to £26 million provided for area-based renovation projects such as enveloping and group repair schemes. No decision has yet been made about resources for 1991-92.

Enveloping Schemes

Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much money was provided by his Department in each of the last 10 years on enveloping schemes (a) in Cardiff and (b) in Wales ; and how much is being made available in the current year and in the 1991-92 financial year.

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