| Previous Section | Home Page |
Teachers
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the funding formula for individual schools in Northern Ireland under local management of schools will make provision for the real cost of teachers' salaries rather than the average salary of a teacher in Northern Ireland.
Dr. Mawhinney : Under the formula the determination of budgets for schools will be based principally on age-weighted pupil numbers. For schools with fewer than 12 teaching staff, the formula may include a factor to provide some protection if the teachers' salaries are higher than average. For all schools, additional teachers' salary costs associated with school reorganisation will be funded outside the formula.
Human Rights
Mr. Ashby : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he has received the 15th report of the Standing Advisory Commission on Human Rights ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Brooke : The report has been published today, and copies have been laid before Parliament. It covers the period 1 April 1989 to 31 March 1990.
The report covers a wide range of matters which the commission has considered during the period under review. These include discrimination and equality of opportunity including fair employment, education, the law relating to children, police and criminal evidence matters, prisons, emergency legislation, the Broadcasting Bill and electoral law.
I attach importance to the work of the commission and value the advice it gives me on a range of human rights issues. I am particularly grateful to the commission for having maintained a programme of work in addition to its recent review of the adequacy and effectiveness of existing laws and institutions to secure freedom from discrimination and further equality of opportunity in Northern Ireland. I laid the second report of that review before Parliament on 26 June--Cm.1107.
Copies of my response to the commission's 15th report and of the report itself have been placed in the Library.
Airports
Dr. Twinn : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Government plan to privatise Northern Ireland Airports Ltd.
Mr. Brooke : The Government have decided that Northern Ireland Airports Ltd. is a candidate for privatisation. We shall seek specialist advice.
Column 164
Terrorist Offences
Mr. McNamara : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons were charged with terrorist-type offences following initial detention under Acts other than the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Acts and the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Acts in 1989.
Mr. Cope [holding answer 4 July 1990] : The information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Terrorism
Sir Peter Emery : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons known or claiming to be members of the Irish Republican Army have been killed and injured each year since 1969 as a result of terrorist activities.
Mr. Cope [holding answer 19 July 1990] : The information is not available.
WALES
Disabled People
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has laid before Parliament under section 11 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Grist : A report will be laid before Parliament within the required period of one year from 18 December 1989, the date of implementation of section 11 of the Act.
NHS Reform
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether any of the district health authorities in Wales have indicated to his Department an interest on opting out of the present national health service structure in their entirety ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Grist : Pembrokeshire health authority has expressed an interest in self-governing status. If the authority submitted a successful application for such status, this would not involve opting out of the NHS structure. Self-governing trusts will remain firmly part of the NHS.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what was the number of patients requiring non-urgent treatment as in- patients for traumatic and orthopaedic surgery at Withybush hospital at the latest available date who had waited for (a) up to three months, (b) between three months and six months, (c) between six months and nine months, (d) between nine months and one year, (e) between one year and 15 months, (f) between 15 months and 18 months, (g) between 18 months and two years and (h) more than two years ;
(2) what was the number of patients requiring treatment as out-patients for traumatic and orthopaedic surgery at the latest available date who had waited for (a)
Column 165
up to three months, (b) between three months and six months, (c) between six months and nine months, (d) between nine months and one year and (e) more than one year at (i) Nevill Hall hospital, (ii) University Hospital of Wales and (iii) Morriston hospital ; (3) what was the number of patients requiring urgent treatment as in-patients for general surgery including urology at the latest available date, who had waited for (i) between one month and two months, (ii) between two months and three months, (iii) between three months and four months, (iv) between four months and five months, (v) between five months and six months, (vi) between six months and one year and (vii) more than one year at (a) Withybush hospital, (b) St. Woolos hospital and (c) University Hospital of Wales ; (4) what was the number of patients requiring non-urgent treatment as in-patients for general surgery including urology at the latest available date, who had waited for (i) between three months and six months, (ii) between six months and nine months, (iii) between nine months and one year, (iv) between one year and 15 months, (v) between 15 months and 18 months, (vi) between 18 months and 21 months and (vii) between 21 months and two years at (a) Withybush, (b) Nevill Hall, (c) Princess of Wales, (d) Prince Charles, (e) University Hospital of Wales, (f) Cardiff royal infirmary and (g) Neath hospitals ;(5) what was the number of patients requiring treatment as out-patients for general surgery including urology at Morriston hospital, at the latest available date who had waited for (a) between one month and two months, (b) between two months and three months, (c) between three months and six months, (d) between six months and nine months, (e) between nine months and one year and (f) longer than one year ;
(6) what was the number of patients requiring urgent treatment as in- patients for traumatic and orthopaedic surgery at Withybush hospital at the latest available date who had waited for (a) less than one month, (b) between one month and two months, (c) between two and three months, (d) between three and four months, (e) between four and five months, (f) between five and six months, (g) between six and seven months, (h) between seven and eight months, (i) between eight and nine months, (j) between nine months and one year and (k) more than one year ;
(7) what was the number of patients requiring non-urgent treatment as in- patients for ophthalmology for the latest available date at Singleton and St. Woolos hospitals who had waited for (a) between six and nine months, (b) between nine and 12 months, (c) between 12 and 15 months, (d) between 15 and 18 months, (e) between 18 months and two years and (f) over two years ;
(8) what was the number of out-patients requiring ophthalmology treatment at the latest available date at the University Hospital of Wales who had waited for (a) between three and six months, (b) between six and nine months, (c) between nine months and one year and (d) longer than one year ;
(9) what was the number of out-patients requiring gynaecology treatment at the latest available date at Prince Charles and Morriston hospitals who had waited for (a) up to three months, (b) three to six months, (c) six to nine months, (d) nine months to one year and (e) longer than one year.
Column 166
Mr. Grist : Information for the ranges of waiting times specified is not collected centrally in the detail required. The latest information available is published in the "Welsh Hospital Waiting List Bulletin 1990 : No. 1" and refers to 30 September 1989 ; a copy is in the Library of the House.
Small Businesses
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the achievements of (a) his policies and (b) his Department in helping small businesses over the last 12 months as against the previous 12 months ; and if he will publish the performance indicators by which his Department monitors those achievements and the statistical results of such monitoring.
Mr. David Hunt : The Government have continued to place a high priority on helping small businesses, through improvements to the business climate, through deregulation and other measures, and through specific programmes of support and assistance. In Wales the latest available figures show that in 1989 the total number of businesses registered for VAT was 85,200 ; an increase of 21 per cent. on 1980. The Department's specific policies to encourage enterprise in Wales are :
Support for Local Enterprise Agencies
There are currently 23 Local Enterprise Agencies in Wales. Three more organisations have in the year to June 1990 applied to become approved Local Enterprise Agencies and are at present being considered for approval.
Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs)
TECs will take over responsibility for delivering the Small Firms Counselling Service from 1 April 1991. The advent of TECs allows an added dimension of local employer-led flexibilities to be built into these services and TECs will be able to integrate these into their other enterprise programmes. The Mid Glamorgan and West Wales TECs commenced operations on 23 July ; the five remaining TECs will come on line early in 1991.
Regional Selective Assistance, Regional Enterprise Grant Small businesses continue to take advantage of the help available under Regional Selective Assistance. In the year to the end of June 1990, 145 small firms (employing less than 200 people) accepted offers of RSA totalling just over £11.4 million. These results are almost identical to the previous year. A further 289 small firms (employing less than 25 people) accepted offers of Regional Enterprise Grant totalling £2.52 million. This compares with 261 small firms accepting offers of £2.18 million in the previous 12 months.
Enterprise Wales
Launched in January 1988, the Consultancy Initiatives have proved extremely popular in Wales. More than 2,800 companies have applied. In 1989-90 alone, 1,174 Business Reviews were carried out, 27 per cent. above economic weight, and 885 projects were commissioned, 19 per cent. above economic weight.
WDA Advisory Services--Small business inquiries
During 1989-90, a total of 13,000 sessions of advisory visits and interviews have been conducted by the WDA's Business Development staff. Small Firms counsellors undertook over 10,000 first time visits to clients during the same period.
Residential Care
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will set out the statutory and other requirements which ensure that changes in the ownership and/or management of private establishments for mentally handicapped people are notified to the authorities.
Mr. Grist : Under sections 2 and 23 of the Registered Homes Act 1984 it is an offence for any person whether owner or manager to carry on a residential care, nursing or mental nursing home without being registered.
Column 167
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what powers to check on the suitability of (a) the proprietor, (b) the manager and (c) anyone with a position of responsibility in respect of a private establishment for mentally handicapped people are currently held by a social services department and by any other authority.Mr. Grist : Under the Registered Homes Act 1984, registering authorities can refuse registration of a residential care, nursing or mental nursing home if any person concerned or intended to be concerned in carrying on the home is considered not a fit person. In assessing fitness, authorities are advised to investigate whether the applicant for registration or others concerned with the
Column 168
home have previously committed offences under the Registered Homes Act 1984 or received criminal convictions.Teacher-pupil Ratios
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give each county's average teacher-pupil ratio for general certificate of secondary education classes in (a) mathematics, (b) English, (c) modern European language and (d) Welsh.
Sir Wyn Roberts : Teacher-pupil ratios by individual subject are not available, however information relating to the average size of GCSE classes in year five is as follows. In order to give an accurate figure for GCSE in a modern European language, information for French and German has been given separately.
Column 167
Average class size in year five GCSE classes, Wales
Welsh counties |Mathematics |English |French |German |Welsh as a
|first language
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clwyd |24 |25 |19 |17 |22
Dyfed |25 |26 |19 |12 |22
Gwent |24 |23 |18 |15 |-
Gwynedd |23 |24 |14 |15 |23
Mid Glamorgan |25 |24 |18 |15 |24
Powys |24 |23 |16 |15 |11
South Glamorgan |24 |25 |20 |14 |18
West Glamorgan |23 |23 |17 |14 |20
Source: Secondary Schools Staffing Survey 1989.
Prescribing
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will (a) list and (b) place in the Library a copy of any guidelines or advice his Department has offered to family practitioner committees in Wales in respect of the responsibility assumed by them in April for giving advice to general practitioners on prescribing.
Mr. Grist : I refer the hon. Gentleman to a Welsh health circular No. WHC(89)68/WHC(FP)(89)22, entitled "Managing the General Medical Services". A copy has been placed in the Library.
Health Authority Loans
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the loan of £500,000 by South Glamorgan health authority to Gwynedd health authority in the financial year 1990-91.
Mr. Grist : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave him on 23 July 1990.
BP Chemicals, Port Talbot
Mr. John Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what action he is taking about flaring and noise from BP Chemicals, Port Talbot.
Mr. Grist : I refer the right hon. and learned Gentleman to the reply given on 20 July at columns 758-59.
Column 168
SOCIAL SECURITY
International Peto Institute
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, further to the reply of 15 December 1989, Official Report, column 848, how much money has so far been contributed to the International Peto Institute ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Scott : In my reply of 15 December at column 848, I indicated that the Government proposed to commit £5 million from Government funds over four years towards the capital costs of the International Peto Institute subject to conclusion of a satisfactory agreement covering access for children and trainee conductors, and to satisfactory progress with construction. I also indicated that we proposed to stimulate interest in the private and voluntary sectors with a view to raising a similar amount from those sources. Discussions are continuing on these issues and I hope to make a further statement in the near future.
Labour Statistics
Mrs. Beckett : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people the Government estimate (a) are not in full-time work, (b) are not in part-time work and (c) are in part-time but would prefer to be in full-time work, because they remain at home to care for elderly, sick or disabled relatives ; and what is the average amount of time they remain out of the labour force.
Mr. Scott : There is no information on which to base such estimates.
Column 169
Social Fund
Mr. Jack : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will publish his annual report on the social fund ; and when he will publish the social fund commissioner's annual report.
Mr. Newton : My report has been published today and I have laid it before Parliament. I have also placed copies both of my report and of the social fund commissioner's report in the Library. The social fund commissioner's report is expected to be published tomorrow.
Small Businesses
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the achievements of (a) his policies and (b) his Department in helping small businesses over the last 12 months as against the previous 12 months ; and if he will publish the performance indicators by which his Department monitors those achievements and the statistical results of such monitoring.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The Government have continued to place a high priority on helping small businesses, through improvements to the business climate, through deregulation and other measures, and through specific programmes of support and assistance. The success of their policies is demonstrated by the latest statistics which show a record increase in the number of businesses registered for VAT, of 1, 700 a week during 1989. Over the decade the overall increase has been 373,000. Specific measures which have been introduced by the Department include :
(i) We commissioned external consultants in July 1989 to carry out research on employers' reactions to the new literature which had been issued in April 1989 on national insurance contributions (NICs) and statutory sick pay (SSP). The research showed that the new literature was considered a great improvement over the old. Additional ways of improving our communications package were identified and some of the documents were revised accordingly in April 1990.
New guidance on statutory maternity pay (SMP) has been produced ; a new SMP chapter has been added to the employers' "Quick Guide", which previously contained only SSP and NIC information, and a SMP manual became available in April 1990.
A fact card, which explains company directors' NICs in a simple way, was distributed to employers in April 1990. A company directors' NICs booklet which gives detailed guidance on this area has also been produced.
(ii) In January 1990 we launched a free seminar service for employers to help them administer SSP and SMP. This was introduced with the small employer particularly in mind and the national extension of this service followed a successful pilot exercise in Scotland. During the period January 1990 to June 1990, 1,228 people attended 103 seminars.
(iii) We have commissioned the Institute of Data Processing Management (IDPM) to produce a test pack, for producers of payroll software, to enable them to test the SSP and SMP components against Departmental standards. This is an extension of the IDPM's existing payroll evaluation service and has benefits for software producers and employers alike. Software producers can ensure the accuracy of their product and advertise it accordingly. Employers will be able to purchase, with confidence, software which will greatly assist them in the administration of SSP and SMP.
Column 170
(iv) In November 1989 the Department held the inaugural meeting of the new DSS employers' advisory panel. The panel is made up of small business people, representatives of employers' organisations including the National Federation of Self-Employed and Small Businesses Ltd. and the Association of British Chambers of Commerce, and payroll managers. The panel advises the Department on policy, procedures and communications with business.(v) We give prominence, on our training courses for purchasing staff, to the need to consider using small firms, and give each participant copies of Department of Employment booklets "Think Big Buy Small" and "Tendering For Government Contracts".
We have not designed performance indicators specifically for monitoring achievements in this area but the Department has a system to monitor proposals which impact on business, to ensure that the needs of small businesses are taken into account. We attach particular importance to action taken to help small firms and will continue to explore further ways of doing so.
School Meals
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many children were eligible for free school meals in 1985 ; and how many are currently eligible.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : In 1985, children in families receiving supplementary benefit or family income supplement were eligible for free school meals. The number of children of school age, aged five and over, in such families at that time was :
|Number
---------------------------------------------------
Supplementary Benefit |<1>1,431,000
Family Income Supplement |<2>288,000
<1> February 1986: the nearest date for which
information is available.
<2> October 1985.
No information is available about the number of children eligible under the local authority discretionary schemes which existed in 1985.
Currently, only children in families receiving income support are eligible for free school meals. The latest information relates to May 1989 when there were 1,309,000 children aged five or over in such families. When family credit replaced family income supplement in 1988 the children's rates were set at a higher level to provide help in cash in place of free school meals. In April 1990 there were 446, 000 children aged five or over in family credit families.
Severe Disability Premium
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will now make a statement on the Government's response to the social security commissioners' decision in the case for severe disability premium of Simon Crompton ; and how many other severely disabled people have already benefited or will benefit from the decision.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The regulation with which this commissioner's decision is concerned was amended from 9 October 1989. Information on the number of people who benefited under the reinterpretation of the unamended regulation is not yet available.
Column 171
Pensioners, Wirral
Mr. Frank Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether pensioners over 75 years of age living in the Wirral have been paid the additional housing benefit to which they are entitled following the Government's changes in the rules for those aged over 75 years.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : I am aware that the metropolitan borough of Wirral was not able to implement the changes to the housing benefit scheme in October 1989. The authority overcame its difficulty by the end of January 1990 and all pensioners should now be receiving their proper housing benefit entitlement.
Scottish Pensioners
Mr. Dunnachie : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many senior citizens in Scotland received state benefits additional to the standard pension in the periods (a) April 1987 to April 1988, (b) April 1988 to April 1989 and (c) April 1989 to April 1990 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The latest version of the family expenditure survey (1987) shows that in Scotland 65 per cent. of pensioners in receipt of the retirement pension and supplementary benefit received at least one other social security benefit. It is not possible from the family expenditure survey to separate accurately retirement pension and supplementary benefit.
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Select Committee Reports
Mr. Allen : To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will take steps to increase the percentage of departmental Select Committee reports debated on the Floor of the House on substantive motions.
Sir Geoffrey Howe : No. Although only a small number of debates have taken place on substantive motions there have been innumerable debates which have Select Committee reports tagged as relevant to the debate. The number of such reports could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Telephone Services
Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Lord President of the Council whether, in drawing up proposals to widen the facilities available to make telephone calls to institutions of the European Commission, he will consider the possibility of using the services offered by Mercury.
Sir Geoffrey Howe : The question of introducing the services offered by Mercury Telecommunications to the House exchange was addressed in the first report this Session from the Services Committee ; and is to be further considered this autumn by the Accommodation and Administration Sub- Committee. I shall ensure that my hon. Friend's request is included in that consideration.
Small Businesses
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will make a statement on the policies pursued by the House of Commons (Services) Committee to help
Column 172
small businesses ; and what steps have been taken to develop performance indicators by which these achievements can be monitored.Sir Geoffrey Howe : The House of Commons (Services) Committee has no responsibility in these matters.
Broadcasting
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Lord President of the Council if there are any plans to arrange for a publicly broadcast trial of provision for the use of subtitling and sign language in televising the proceedings of the House as suggested by the Royal National Institute for the Deaf ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Geoffrey Howe : This is a matter which the Select Committee on Televising of Proceedings of the House, and its successor Committee, will be considering in the autumn, in consultation with the broadcasters, once the detailed evaluations of the signing and subtitling trials recently organised by the Select Committee are available.
ENERGY
British Coal
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he next expects to meet the European Commissioner responsible for competition policy regarding the three-year coal contract between British Coal and the electricity generation companies.
Mr. Baldry : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no present plans to do so.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what representations he has received from the European Commission regarding the pricing structure of British Coal's contract with the two electricity generators and its impact on private mine operators.
Mr. Baldry : The Commission is keen to see the transition to a fully competitive coal market and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has assured it of the importance which the Government attach to private mine operators having a full and fair opportunity to supply the power station market.
Flue Gas Desulphurisation
Mr. Lester : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will give the proportion of coal and oil-fired installed capacity for electricity generators fitted with flue gas desulphurisation in Japan, West Germany and Great Britain, the time scale for completion, and the cost per £ kilowatt installed.
Mr. Baldry : The latest available published information can be found in the OECD-IEA publication "Coal Information 1990", a copy of which can be obtained from the House Library.
Coal and Electricity
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what requests for information he has received from the European Commission regarding the impact on competition in the coal industry and the electricity generation industry of the three-year coal contract between British Coal and National Power and PowerGen.
Column 173
Mr. Baldry : The Commission has received memoranda and other information both from my Department and from the coal and electricity industries.Electricity Privatisation
Mr. Burns : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what are his proposals for employees and pensioners of the electricity industry in England and Wales to participate in the forthcoming share offers ; and whether he will make a statement.
| Next Section
| Home Page |