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Mrs. Chalker : ODA's policy is to take account in all its activities of the role of women as agents and beneficiaries of development aid. Our efforts focus on designing projects to ensure that these benefit women in developing countries ; finding ways of increasing the numbers of women participating in training programmes both in the United Kingdom and in developing countries ; trying to overcome constraints to the recruitment of women on ODA contracts in developing countries and improving ODA staff's understanding of women-in-development issues.
The ODA encourages aid recipient Governments to adopt policies which would fulfil the aims of the Nairobi forward-looking strategies and has encouraged other donor agencies, including the World bank and the European Commission, to improve their performance on women-in-development issues. Britain plays an active role in the OECD's development aid committee women- in-development expert group and has contributed over £900,000 to the United Nations development fund for women (UNIFEM) since it was established.
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of nominations by developing countries under the technical co-operation training programme to study in Britain were for women in each year since 1980.
Mrs. Chalker : No central record is kept of the number of nominees for awards for women under the technical co-operation training programme (TCTP) but the number of women arriving to take up awards in this country since 1985 (earlier figures are not available) and as a percentage of the total is as follows :
Financial |Woman |Total
year |TCTP |percentage of
|arrivals |TCTP
--------------------------------------------------------
1985-86 |698 |14.5
1986-87 |964 |16.7
1987-88 |1,065 |17.0
1988-89 |1,122 |17.8
1989-90 |1,115 |19.2
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the answer of the Minister for Overseas Development of 9 July, Official Report, column 20, what is the number and percentage of women participating in Overseas Development Administration training programmes in developing countries.
Mrs. Chalker : In 1988, the latest date for which analysed figures are available, 2,665 women students and trainees were on courses financed directly or indirectly by the ODA, excluding some in-country training. This was 19 per cent. of the total.
Uganda
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Minister for Overseas Development holds regular discussions with the Government of Uganda.
Mrs. Chalker : The Minister for Overseas Development and her officials have regular discussions with President Museveni, Ugandan Ministers and officials on all aspects of our aid relationship.
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Forestry
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many forestry projects have been agreed with Latin American, Caribbean, African and Pacific countries.
Mrs. Chalker : Bilateral forestry projects, research projects and projects financed by ODA under the joint funding scheme in the regions named are as follows :
|Number
----------------------------
Latin America |17
Caribbean |5
Africa |59
Pacific |7
Vietnam
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the European Economic Community regarding aid to Vietnam.
Mrs. Chalker : We have regular contacts with our European Community partners at both ministerial and official level on the question of aid to Vietnam.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Trade Sanctions
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what factors he takes into consideration when considering the circumstances in which it is appropriate to apply trade sanctions against any country.
Mr. Redwood : The imposition of trade sanctions is a matter for the Community as a whole. In considering whether such action is appropriate, the Government must have regard not only to the reasons why sanctions may be necessary but also to their likely impact and effectiveness and to the response of others. In addition, we need to consider the broader implications for our foreign, trade and competition policy.
Post Office Users National Council
Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what response he proposes to make to the latest report by Post Office Users National Council and if he will review the Post Office monopoly as it may be affected by its recommendations.
Mr. Forth : I have noted with interest the comments contained in the annual report of the Post Office Users National Council and I have written to the chairman thanking him for the valuable work done by POUNC on behalf of all postal users. The Post Office's letter monopoly is kept under review, but no decisions have been taken.
Management Training
Mr. Blair : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the amount of money spent by his Department on the management charter initiative for management training and the anticipated amount to be spent in each of the next three financial years, in real terms.
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Mr. Forth : My Department agreed in principle in 1988 that we should offer support of up to a total of £2.5 million over a period of up to five years to cover the setting up of the management charter initiative (MCI). Funding for each financial year is the subject of separate negotiation. In the first financial year 1988-89 £500,000 was spent and in 1989-90 £500,000 was spent. The Government are presently considering MCI's business plan for 1990-91 and beyond, and a decision on future funding will be made shortly. Responsibility for this funding will be transferred to the Department of Employment from 1 April 1991.Textiles
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he next proposes to meet representatives of the textile industry.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : My right hon. Friend's predecessor met representatives of the textile industry on 12 June. No date has been fixed for a further meeting, but Ministers and officials are in regular contact with the industry.
Accounting Practices
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received (a) on the open marketing of off- balance sheet financing schemes and (b) calling for the curbing of such schemes ; and from where.
Mr. Redwood : I replied to questions from the hon. Member for Great Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell) about off-balance sheet finance in April, but have not received any subsequent representations. The extension of the definition of a subsidiary undertaking in the Companies Act 1989 will bring on to the balance sheet a number of schemes which would previously have been off-balance sheet. The issue of off-balance sheet finance is also being addressed by the Accounting Standards Committee, which published an exposure draft in May entitled "Reflecting the substance of transactions in assets and liabilities".
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received on the different treatment of (a) research and (b) development expenditure in company accounts.
Mr. Redwood : The issue of disclosure of research and development expenditure was discussed during the passage of the Companies Bill last year. I am not aware of any representations since then on the treatment of such expenditure in company accounts.
EC-Gulf Trade
Mr. McCartney : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if his Department plans to make an assessment of the effects on the United Kingdom petrochemical industry of a free trade agreement between the European Community and the states of the Gulf Co-operation Council.
Mr. Redwood : The Government have consulted widely with industries interested in the forthcoming negotiations, including the petrochemical industry, and remain ready to consider further views.
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Fur Products
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the value of fur and fur product exports from Britain in (a) 1987-88, (b) 1988-89 and (c) 1989-90 ; and what proportion in each case was accounted for by re-export.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 16 July 1990] : The available information is in the table. Data on re-exports could be made available only at disproportionate cost.
United Kingdom exports of fur and fur products
Year |Value
|(£ million)
---------------------------------------------------
1 April 1987-31 March 1988 |130.3
1 April 1988-31 March 1989 |99.4
1 April 1989-31 March 1990 |86.8
Sources: Industrial Economics Indicator (IEI)
Database Overseas Trade Statistics of the United
Kingdom (March 1990).
Classification: Standard Industrial Classification
(SIC 80)-Activity Heading 4560.
Definition: Sorting, dressing and dyeing furs and
the manufacture of fur apparel and other fur
goods.
Financial Services
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the names of all companies or firms investigated or suspended since the implementation of the Financial Services Act.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 16 July 1990] : Statistical information on investigations is included in the report of the Trade and Industry Select Committee on company investigations and the annual report of the Securities and Investments Board also includes similar information on the use of their enforcement powers. Suspensions by SIB and the SROs are made public by these bodies. Investigations are confidential, as they may reveal that the firm or persons being invesitgated is innocent and publication of suspicion would be damaging.
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list all the reports published on investigations carried out under the Financial Services Act.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 16 July 1990] : Only reports of inspectors appointed under section 94 of the Financial Services Act can be published. No such reports have been published. The Secretary of State's powers under section 94 have been transferred to the Securities and Investments Board.
Auditors
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the number of cases since 1980 when his Department has taken court action against auditors criticised in Companies Act inspection reports.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 16 July 1990] : None. Copies of initial reports are passed to the auditors' professional body for consideration.
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EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
National Curriculum
Mr. Robert Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when examples of test papers under the new curriculum for mathematics, science and English will be made available to teachers.
Mrs. Rumbold : Prototype standard assessment tasks (SATs) were piloted in a sample of primary schools this summer. In the light of the evaluation of that pilot, SATs for the purpose of statutory assessment will be developed and made available to teachers in spring 1991.
Mr. Robert Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when the guidelines for making reports to parents in assessments under the new curriculum for school reports will be available.
Mrs. Rumbold : The Education (Individual Pupils' Achievements) (Information) Regulations 1990 were laid by my right hon. Friend on 10 July and come into force from 1 August 1990. Copies are available in the Library.
Primary Schools (Admissions)
Mr. Dover : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a commencement order in respect of admissions to primary schools in accordance with sections 26 to 32 of the Education Reform Act 1988.
Mr. Alan Howarth : My right hon. Friend has not yet reached a decision on when the more open enrolment provisions of the Education Reform Act 1988 should be extended to primary schools. When a decision has been reached, a commencement order will be made as necessary at the appropriate time.
School Closures
Mr. Bill Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received about the closure of four comprehensive schools in the borough of Wandsworth.
Mrs. Rumbold : None. I understand that the authority is to consult locally on school reorganisation proposals which include the closure of four secondary schools.
Student Loans
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if students training to qualify as physiotherapists and other vocational qualifications registered under the Professions Supplementary to Medicine Act 1960 are eligible for a student loan.
Mr. Jackson : The Education (Student Loans) Act, together with the regulations recently approved by Parliament, make the loan available to full-time students who meet the personal eligibility requirements and who attend courses of the type prescribed by schedule 1 of the Act at educational institutions receiving support from public funds. At other institutions such courses would have to be specifically designated.
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Universities and Polytechnics
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Leeds, North-West (Dr. Hampson), Official Report, 10 July, column 164, if he will list the distinctive characteristics in respect of universities and polytechnics.
Mr. Jackson : The distinctive characteristics of polytechnics compared to universities include a greater emphasis on : teaching compared to research ; applied research rather than other research ; vocational, professional and industrially based courses ; sub-degree and part-time courses ; provision for a broader range of students ; and meeting the particular needs of local and regional employers.
Higher Education
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give details of all visits made to independent institutions of higher education by Her Majesty's inspectors, including accompanied visits, showing the name of the institution, the circumstances by which the visit came to be made, the purpose of the visit, its results, its cost and by whom this was borne, for the period 1986 to date.
Mr. Jackson : To answer the hon. Member's question would involve a scrutiny of some 2,600 HMI diaries for each of the past four years. This information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Information Technology
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his policy in respect of the recommendations of the expert group on information technology in initial teacher training, which reported in March 1989.
Mr. Alan Howarth : The recommendations of the expert group which were for action by the Government have been implemented. The revised criteria for the accreditation of initial teacher training courses, published last November, require that initial teacher training institutions should provide all students with a specified minimum IT capability. In addition, we commissioned the Universities Funding Council and the Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council to undertake a survey of the IT resources available to initial teacher training institutions. The survey was carried out at the end of last year and the results are being analysed. A number of institutions have commented on the expert group's report, at the Department's invitation. The Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education and Her Majesty's inspectorate will be monitoring the action taken by institutions in response to the revised criteria and the recommendations of the report.
Crookham Court School (Sexual Abuse)
Sir Michael McNair-Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what consideration he has given to the result of the case concluded at Reading on 12 July concerning sexual abuse at Crookham Court school in Berkshire ; and if he will consider the introduction of new legislative provisions governing the operation of private schools.
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Mr. Alan Howarth : Under new provisions to be introduced by virtue of the Children Act 1989, section 71 of the Education Act 1944 will be amended to provide an additional ground for complaint with respect to independent schools. This additional power will be brought into effect where there is failure by a proprietor of an independent school to safeguard and promote the welfare of any child provided with accommodation by the school. The Act will also enable local social services departments to enter and inspect independent schools to determine whether the proprietor is fulfilling his welfare duties. These provisions of the Children Act will be implemented in October 1991.SOCIAL SECURITY
Public Opinion Surveys
Mr. Peter Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many representations he has received regarding unsolicited telephone calls requesting personal information made to members of the public by companies authorised by his Department.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The Department has received only one representation regarding unsolicited telephone calls requesting personal information.
Mr. Peter Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the topics of interest to his Department which were regarded as suitable for commercial public opinion surveys by means of unsolicited telephone calls.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Topics considered suitable for commercial public opinon surveys by means of unsolicited telephone calls in the last three years were :
Calls to employers :
1. Employers' sick pay and disability pension.
2. Maternity rights survey (a).
3. Awareness of the social security advice line to employers. 4. Awareness of national insurance and statutory sick pay information materials.
5. Check of receipt of 1989 national insurance tables.
Calls to the general public :
Awareness and opinions of households in Berkshire of people with disabilities.
Note : Survey jointly sponsored by DSS, Department of Employment and the Equal Opportunities Commission.
Mr. Peter Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many surveys based on unsolicited telephone calls have been commissioned by his Department in the last three years ; how many commercial organisations were engaged ; and at what cost.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Details of surveys based on unsolicited telephone calls commissioned by the Department in the last three years are contained in the table.
|£000
-----------------------------------------------------------
Number of surveys |6
Number of commercial organisations involved<1> |6
Total cost<2> |274.5
<1> Includes "not for profit" organisations.
<2> The cost is the total cost of the study of which the
survey was a part.
Mr. Peter Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what advice he will give to a member of the
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public who receives an unsolicited telephone call from a commercial company claiming it was authorised to collect personal information on behalf of his Department on how to deal with that call.Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Commercial companies authorised by the Department to conduct telephone surveys among the general public are required to give a telephone number which people may ring to check the validity of the research. A member of the public who has any reason to doubt the validity of a call should report the fact to the Department. Additionally, they have the right not to take part in any survey.
Transitional Payments
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants were receiving transitional additions in April 1988, 1989 and 1990 ; how many of these were pensioners ; and how many were receiving income support for mortgage interest payments.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The table shows the number of income support claimants receiving normal statutory transitional additions immediately after the introduction of income support in April 1988 and the uprating in April 1989, together with the number of pensioners, and of claimants receiving income support for mortgage interest which are included in those totals. Corresponding figures, but excluding boarders and those living in residential care and nursing homes, immediately after the uprating in April 1990 are estimates based upon the results for 1988 and 1989 and estimated changes since then.
|May 1988 |May 1989 |May 1990
------------------------------------------------------------------
(a) Claimants receiving a
transitional addition |1,587,000|497,000 |130,000
(b) Claimants included in
(a) receiving a
pensioner, enhanced
pensioner or higher
pensioner premium |710,000 |241,000 |64,000
(c) Claimants included in
(a) with housing costs
including mortgage
interest |138,000 |25,000 |5,000
These figures are derived from the Annual Statistical Enquiries of May 1988 and May 1989, copies of which are in the Library.
Student Loans
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many full-time students in receipt of discretionary awards, who do not qualify for a student loan, will lose entitlement to social security and housing benefits.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : There are estimated to be some 48,000 discretionary award holders, but not all such students are excluded from receipt of a student loan.
It is not possible to estimate the number of discretionary award holders currently receiving benefit as the social security data collected do not differentiate between types of student claimant. However, those students in vulnerable groups, including students with
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dependent children, disabled students and those students in further education under the age of 19, will retain entitlement to income support and housing benefit.Those full-time discretionary award holders who lose entitlement to income support, unemployment benefit and housing benefit will be able to turn to the access funds for further financial assistance.
Elderly People (Funding)
Mr. Roy Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he has any proposals to increase the funding of support for the elderly in their homes especially for those living alone.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : All benefit levels are considered for uprating each year and final decisions for next April will be taken in the autumn.
Pensions
Mr. Roy Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he has any proposals to increase the basic state pension to one third of average male earnings for a single person, and one half of average male earnings for a couple where the partner's pension is dependent on her husband's contributions ;
(2) if he has any proposals to introduce a basic non-means-tested state pension of not less than one third and one half of national male earnings for a single person and married couple, respectively.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The Government have honoured their commitment to maintain the value of the state retirement pension in line with prices. A link with earnings is not the key factor in improving pensioners' incomes. What matters most to pensioners is the value of their total income, from whatever source. The success of our policies is demonstrated by the over 31 per cent. real terms growth in pensioners' average total net income between 1979 and 1987.
OPCS Reports
Mr. Harris : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what progress has been made to date in reproducing the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys' survey reports in braille.
Mr. Scott : I can confirm that work on reproducing the OPCS survey reports in Braille is continuing and that the report entitled "Financial Circumstances of Families with a Disabled Child" will be available shortly. A copy will be placed in the Library and additional copies can be obtained from Social Survey Division, OPCS, St. Catherines House, 10 Kingsway, London WC2B 6JP. As each braille report is published, a copy will be placed in the Library.
Widows' Benefits
Mrs. Beckett : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the cost of repealing those parts of the overlapping benefits regulations which prevent the payment of other benefits to widows receiving (a) a widowed mother's allowance and (b) a widow's pension ; and what would be the cost if the repeal were limited to the payment to widows of sickness, invalidity and unemployment benefit.
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Mrs. Gillian Shephard [holding answer 2 July 1990] : The cost in relation to widowed mother's allowance is estimated to be approximately £4.3 million and in relation to widow's pension £63.7 million. Were the repeal to be limited to payment of sickness, invalidity and unemployment benefit, the cost in relation to widowed mother's allowance is estimated to be approximately £1.9 million and in relation to widow's pension £9.7 million.
Note : Widow's pension is not payable beyond age 65. Widows aged 65 and over receive either a widow's retirement pension or a pension based wholly or partly on their own contributions.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Antarctic
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will announce his proposals to protect the Antarctic environment for the special Antarctic treaty consultative meeting to be held in November in Santiago.
Mr. Maude : When consultations with our Antarctic treaty partners have been completed.
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the purpose of the liability protocol meeting on the minerals convention.
Mr. Maude : To explore and discuss all proposals relating to article 8(7) of the convention on the regulation of Antarctic mineral resource activities.
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will now support the proposal of the New Zealand Government for an environmental protocol to the Antarctic treaty.
Mr. Maude : We favour an environmental protocol to the Antarctic treaty.
The Prime Minister of New Zealand has said that New Zealand will work with Antarctic treaty partners on a draft of such a protocol for presentation to the Santiago meeting in November. We look forward to seeing the draft.
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from non- governmental organisations calling for Antarctica to be declared a wilderness reserve.
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