| Previous Section | Home Page |
Column 303
Net Income at 1987 Prices
All Pensioner Units
cash change: per cent change:
Decile |1979 |1983 |1987 |1979-87|1983-87|1979-87|1983-87
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lowest |36.39 |42.57 |42.67 |6.28 |0.10 |17.3 |0.2
2 |42.93 |50.44 |51.36 |8.43 |0.92 |19.6 |1.8
3 |48.15 |57.26 |59.20 |11.05 |1.94 |23.0 |3.4
4 |52.64 |62.40 |65.40 |12.76 |3.00 |24.2 |4.8
5 |58.66 |68.69 |72.27 |13.61 |3.58 |23.2 |5.2
6 |66.60 |78.47 |83.02 |16.43 |4.55 |24.7 |5.8
7 |75.58 |88.37 |94.65 |19.07 |6.28 |25.2 |7.1
8 |87.23 |99.95 |110.84 |23.60 |10.89 |27.1 |10.9
9 |107.33 |121.23 |139.71 |32.38 |18.48 |30.2 |15.2
Highest |159.93 |186.66 |219.77 |59.84 |33.11 |37.4 |17.7
Overall Mean |75.92 |88.96 |99.88 |23.96 |10.92 |31.6 |12.3
Net Income at 1987 Prices
All Pensioner Units
cash change: per cent change:
Decile |1979 |1983 |1987 |1979-87|1983-87|1979-87|1983-87
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lowest |36.39 |42.57 |42.67 |6.28 |0.10 |17.3 |0.2
2 |42.93 |50.44 |51.36 |8.43 |0.92 |19.6 |1.8
3 |48.15 |57.26 |59.20 |11.05 |1.94 |23.0 |3.4
4 |52.64 |62.40 |65.40 |12.76 |3.00 |24.2 |4.8
5 |58.66 |68.69 |72.27 |13.61 |3.58 |23.2 |5.2
6 |66.60 |78.47 |83.02 |16.43 |4.55 |24.7 |5.8
7 |75.58 |88.37 |94.65 |19.07 |6.28 |25.2 |7.1
8 |87.23 |99.95 |110.84 |23.60 |10.89 |27.1 |10.9
9 |107.33 |121.23 |139.71 |32.38 |18.48 |30.2 |15.2
Highest |159.93 |186.66 |219.77 |59.84 |33.11 |37.4 |17.7
Overall Mean |75.92 |88.96 |99.88 |23.96 |10.92 |31.6 |12.3
*Medians have been used to calculate the incomes by deciles to minimise statistical distortion at either end of the income distribution. Means have been used to calculate overall average incomes.
Net Income at 1987 Prices
All Pensioner Units
cash change: per cent change:
Decile |1979 |1983 |1987 |1979-87|1983-87|1979-87|1983-87
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lowest |36.39 |42.57 |42.67 |6.28 |0.10 |17.3 |0.2
2 |42.93 |50.44 |51.36 |8.43 |0.92 |19.6 |1.8
3 |48.15 |57.26 |59.20 |11.05 |1.94 |23.0 |3.4
4 |52.64 |62.40 |65.40 |12.76 |3.00 |24.2 |4.8
5 |58.66 |68.69 |72.27 |13.61 |3.58 |23.2 |5.2
6 |66.60 |78.47 |83.02 |16.43 |4.55 |24.7 |5.8
7 |75.58 |88.37 |94.65 |19.07 |6.28 |25.2 |7.1
8 |87.23 |99.95 |110.84 |23.60 |10.89 |27.1 |10.9
9 |107.33 |121.23 |139.71 |32.38 |18.48 |30.2 |15.2
Highest |159.93 |186.66 |219.77 |59.84 |33.11 |37.4 |17.7
Overall Mean |75.92 |88.96 |99.88 |23.96 |10.92 |31.6 |12.3
*Medians have been used to calculate the incomes by deciles to minimise statistical distortion at either end of the income distribution. Means have been used to calculate overall average incomes.
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1), pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Northfield (Mr. King) of 20 February, Official Report, columns 675-77, on pensioners' incomes, if he will give the same analysis for each decile or quintile of pensioners' incomes, and if he will include income from the state earnings- related pension scheme as a separate item ;
(2) if he will indicate the breakdown of the 17 per cent. real increase in the net income of the lowest quintile of pensioners since 1979 ; if he will indicate what percentage is due to the (a) basic state retirement pension, (b)
Column 306
SERPS, (c) occupational pensions, (d) savings and interest, (e) increased take-up of disability benefits and (f) other sources of income ; and if he will give a similar breakdown for each of the four quintiles.Mrs. Gillian Shephard [holding answer 8 March 1990] : The information requested is set out in the tables. The source of the data is the family expenditure survey. It is not possible from this source to identify payments of additional pension from the state earnings-related pension scheme.
Column 305
Table 3: Pensioners' Incomes
by Quintile 1987 prices
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table 3: Pensioners' Incomes
by Quintile 1987 prices
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table 3: Pensioners' Incomes
by Quintile 1987 prices
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table 3: Pensioners' Incomes
by Quintile 1987 prices
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pensioners' Charter
Mr. Skinner : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will meet representatives of retirement pensioners' organisations to discuss the pensioners' charter ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Ministers have met pensioners' groups twice during the last two months to discuss a range of issues of concern to them and to listen to their views.
Invalid Care Allowance
Mrs. Wise : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, further to the reply to the hon. Member for Preston of 7 March, Official Report, column 682, on recipients of invalid care allowance who also receive income support, if he will publish the corrected figures provided in a letter to the hon. Member by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The corrected figure of the number of recipients of invalid care allowance who also received income support in May 1988, which I provided in a letter to the hon. Member, is 14, 000.
Mrs. Wise : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to the reply of 7 March, Official Report, column 682, on recipients of invalid care allowance who also receive income support, what are the corresponding figures for May 1989.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The figures requested have been published in "Income Support Statistics Annual Inquiry May 1989", a copy of which is in the Library.
Benefit Claimants
Mr. Moss : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average length of time an individual claimant has to wait for a decision on their claim for benefit from an adjudication officer or tribunal hearing from the time that individual becomes unemployed.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The average time taken to clear benefit claims is calculated by reference to the date a claim is received rather than from the date of unemployment and the date a decision is made by the adjudication officer. The two main benefits concerned are unemployment benefit and income support. The latest available information from 31 May 1990 is as follows :
Benefit |Average clearance time --------------------------------------------------------------------- Income support |4.6 days
Information is not available in the form requested for claims to unemployment benefit or for decisions made by social security appeals tribunals and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Pensioners
Mrs. Beckett : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many (a) male and (b) female pensioners there are in the United Kingdom.
Column 310
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The latest available figures show that in March 1989 there were 3.49 million male pensioners and 6.55 million female pensioners receiving retirement pension in the United Kingdom.
( Source : retirement pension statistics March 1989.)
Earnings
Mrs. Beckett : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many (a) men and (b) women in each region earn below the national insurance threshold ; and how many are between the upper and lower earnings limits.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The average number of employees earning between the lower and upper earnings limits in any week in 1990-91 is approximately
Men 8.6 million
Women 8.0 million
Detailed information on the numbers earning below the lower earnings limit is not available. It is estimated, however, that in any week about 2.75 million employees earn less than the lower earnings limit, of whom about one quarter are men. Up to 0.5 million of these people would be only temporarily below the lower earnings limit by virtue of a reduction in their normal earnings--for example, due to sickness.
The figures are for employees in Great Britain. Information on a regional basis is not available.
McKiernon Judgment
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people suffering from occupational deafness and asthma, whose cases were affected by the decision of the Court of Appeal in the case of Mr. Frank McKiernon, have benefited or will benefit from the decision ; how many such people will have lost their entitlement in consequence of the action he took retrospectively to change the law ; and what is the estimated total saving to his Department from the action he took.
Mr. Scott : Information on those who have benefited from the Court of Appeal decision is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The intention of the legislation in schedule 6 paragraph 4 of the Social Security Act 1990 is that any entitlements conditional upon the court's judgment should be discontinued once the Act is in force. Were it not for this legislation, it is estimated that a trawl of past cases might have increased benefit expenditure by up to £100 million.
Benefits
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 28 June, Official Report, columns 353-56, on the value of benefits, if he will publish the corrected figures for the benefits in relation to earnings, including the period November 1979 to April 1990.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : I regret the error in the earlier reply. This arose from the use of the incorrect category of
Column 311
workers for the gross earnings figures. The corrected figures are in the table. It is not possible to provide the ratio of benefits to gross earnings for April 1990 because the 1990 new earnings survey is not yet available. The corrections also apply to the answer given to the hon. Member on 20 December 1989 at columns 300-02 .
Ratio of benefit to gross earnings
|November |November |April
|1978 |1979 |1989
|Per cent.|Per cent.|Per cent.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Retirement pension
Single person |23.4 |23.3 |18.2
Married couple |37.4 |37.3 |29.1
Unemployment benefit
Single person |18.9 |18.5 |14.5
Married couple |30.6 |29.9 |23.4
Sickness benefit
Single person |18.9 |18.5 |13.9
Married couple |30.6 |29.9 |22.4
Industrial disablement benefit |38.3 |38.0 |29.7
Industrial death benefit |24.1 |23.8 |18.2
Maternity allowance
Single person |18.9 |18.5 |13.9
Married couple |30.6 |29.9 |22.4
Non-contributory retirement pension
Single person |14.0 |14.0 |10.9
Married couple |22.5 |22.4 |17.5
War disablement pension |38.3 |38.0 |29.7
War widows pension |30.7 |30.4 |23.7
Attendance allowance
Higher rate |18.7 |18.6 |14.6
Lower rate |12.5 |12.4 |9.7
Invalid care allowance
Single person |14.0 |14.0 |10.9
Married couple |22.5 |22.4 |17.5
Severe disablement allowance
Single person |14.0 |14.0 |10.9
Married couple |22.5 |22.4 |17.5
Mobility allowance |12.0 |12.0 |10.2
Child benefit |3.6 |4.0 |3.0
One-parent benefit |2.4 |2.5 |2.2
Note: Gross earnings means average gross weekly earnings, all full-time
workers on adult rates in all industries and services excluding those whose
pay was affected by absence (source: new earnings survey). Figures for
November use an estimate of average earnings interpolated by the seasonally
adjusted monthly index of average earnings, all employees in industries and
services published in the Employment Gazette.
Fylde Local Office
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give the number of claims for each of the last 12 months made to the Department of Social Security, Fylde.
Column 312
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The number of claims for family credit received by the family credit unit at North Fylde central office is in the table :
|Claims
----------------------------
1989
July |66,075
August |62,397
September |80,792
October |80,670
November |85,530
December |70,996
1990
January |78,122
February |76,049
March |89,088
April |77,080
May |93,310
June |70,101
Notes:
1. The figures are for the
4 or 5 weeks ending on the
last Friday of the month.
2. The figures for claims
received include those made
to renew existing awards
and those made more than 4
weeks before the expiry of
an existing award (and
therefore invalid.)
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the current staffing establishment at Fylde, Blackpool, to deal with family credit claims.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The current staffing complement at North Fylde central office to deal with family credit claims is 779. An additional 33 staff years are available to assist in handling claims in periods of high activity.
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give the number of (a) filled posts, and (b) unfilled posts, for each of the last 12 months, dealing with family credit at Fylde, Blackpool ; and if he will make a statement on staffing requirements to deal with family credit applications by the Fylde office at Blackpool.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Information about filled and unfilled posts is not available in the form requested. The allocation of staff years and expenditure against allocation in the last 12 months is in the table :
|Budget |Expenditure
|(staff years)|(staff years)
--------------------------------------------------------
1989
July |69.50 |74.17
August |69.25 |72.60
September |67.83 |68.84
October |67.58 |67.32
November |67.58 |67.32
December |67.00 |71.80
1990
January |66.50 |70.51
February |66.50 |66.89
March |66.50 |66.83
April |64.92 |63.56
May |64.92 |64.02
June |64.92 |65.69
Months where expenditure exceeded budget reflect the injection of additional resources in the light of the work load situation at the time.
The present complement of 779 was set for 1990-91 following a staff inspection to ascertain correct staffing levels against anticipated work load. An additional 33 staff years were allocated for use during periods of high activity.
Column 313
Resettlement Unit
Mr. David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he has agreed business targets for the resettlement unit's executive agency for the current financial year.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Yes. They form part of the Resettlement Agency's business plan, a copy of which will be placed in the Library shortly.
Social Security Acts
Mr. Robert G. Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he has received the report by the Government Actuary on the operation of the Social Security Acts since 1980.
Mr. Newton : I have today laid before the House the report that the Government Actuary has made on the operation of the Social Security Acts between April 1980 and April 1985 in accordance with section 137 of the Social Security Act 1975. The report provides a detailed forward look into the next century on the possible future costs of benefits paid out on the national insurance fund and on the contributions likely to be needed to pay for them. The Government will take this report into account in the normal processes for reviewing contributions and benefit expenditure.
Housing Benefit
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security by how much public expenditure has been reduced as a result of policy changes to housing benefit each year since 1987, both at current prices and at 1990 prices ; and what has been the cumulative total of savings.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard [holding answer 21 June 1990] : Direct comparisons over this period are difficult both because the definition of what constitutes public expenditure has changed and because the replacement of domestic rates by the community charge has involved a fundamental change to the structure of the benefit. It is also not feasible to isolate the effects of individual policy changes in such a way as to judge their cumulative effect over time because they cannot readily be disaggregated from other factors affecting benefit expenditure such as benefit upratings, movements in housing costs and income levels, the level of the domestic rates or community charge set by local authorities, and changes in the numbers and compositions of the caseload.
However, in very broad terms, the overall effect of policy changes over this period has been to increase public expenditure on housing benefit and community charge benefit and also to increase the overall spending on housing benefit and on other social security support to assist with payments of rates and community charges. The main changes on a year-on-year basis are as follows. The 1988 reforms were estimated at the time to save £150 million in public expenditure on housing benefit, compared with continuing the old scheme unchanged. In addition, they were estimated to save some £480 million in expenditure not classified at the time as public expenditure, of which £350 million arose from the requirement for all claimants to meet at least 20 per cent. of domestic rates from their own resources. Against this must be set an increase of £400 million in public
Column 314
expenditure from the adjustment to the benefit rates to provide help with this contribution to those receiving income-related benefits.In the year of the reforms there were certain improvements to the scheme which increased overall expenditure. These were the higher capital limit (£35 million) and the transitional protection scheme for vulnerable groups (£65 million).
Since then there have been further improvements including a package of measures for poorer pensioners (£32 million) and the further increase in the capital limit (£90 million). The transfer of support for the accommodation costs of boarders from income support increased housing benefit expenditure by £190 million. The more generous taper used for community charge benefit in 1990-91 is estimated to cost a further £210 million.
Civil Servants
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many civil servants in his Department of the rank of principal or equivalent and above are graduates of Oxford and Cambridge ; and how many are graduates of other universities.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard [holding answer 12 July 1990] : Departmental personnel records show that 346 officers in grades 1 to 7 (and professional equivalents) in the Department of Social Security have degrees : 52 are graduates of Oxford or Cambridge and 294 graduated from other universities.
SCOTLAND
Afforestation
114. Mr. Wray : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether Her Majesty's Government are considering suggestions by scientists that adequate and extensive afforestation schemes in Britain and Europe could play an important part in the efforts to solve the problems of air pollution and global warming.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The Government are fully aware that growing trees absorb significant quantities of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, thus helping to counter the problem of global warming. We provide substantial grants to encourage afforestation in the United Kingdom, and we supported the forestry action programme initiative launched by the European Community just over a year ago.
River Tweed Fisheries
Mr. Beith : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what involvement his Department had in the alterations to the cauld in the River Tweed at Melrose and of work being carried out on the river bed in the vicinity of Horncliffe ; and whether he has made any assessment of the likely effect of these works, and of steps which may be taken to reinstate the river bed at these points, on salmon and sea trout fisheries.
Mr. Lang : I am not aware of any involvement or request for advice or assessment on the part of the Department in relation to these matters.
For salmon and sea trout fisheries, the River Tweed commissioners have powers under section 57 of the Tweed
Column 315
Fisheries Act 1857, to compel removal of obstructions to the free run of salmon and sea trout. It would be for the commissioners themselves, in the first instance, to decide whether or not the use of these powers might be appropriate in particular instances.Accountancy Firms
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has any plans to cease using accountancy firms found to be unprofessional by the joint disciplinary scheme.
Mr. Rifkind : On reaching an adverse finding against an accountancy firm, the committee of inquiry appointed under the joint disciplinary scheme may make an order censuring, reprimanding or admonishing such a firm and an order as to costs. My Department would not draw any automatic conclusion from the fact of an adverse finding ; careful note would be taken of the terms of the finding in considering whether work should be commissioned from the firm.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has any plans to cease using accountancy firms sued by the Government for negligence.
Mr. Rifkind : The existence of current or previous litigation is one of many aspects taken into account in deciding whether accountancy firms should be invited to tender for assignments. The objective must be to ensure that the service required is obtained from the most appropriate source.
Industrial Investment
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the levels of investment in industry in Scotland, the south of Scotland and the Borders for every year since 1979, with 1979 = 100.
Mr. Lang : Industrial investment figures are available only for Scotland as a whole.
The table below gives estimates of gross domestic fixed capital formation for industry in Scotland at current prices for each year since 1979 to 1987, the latest year for which figures are available. These figures have not been indexed with 1979 = 100 as this is appropriate only when comparing data through time at constant prices. Constant price figures are not available as separate price deflators are not available for Scotland.
Gross domestic fixed capital formation Total industry Scotland ------------------ 1979 |2,350 1980 |2,650 1981 |2,569 1982 |2,603 1983 |2,632 1984 |2,865 1985 |3,133 1986 |3,099 1987 |3,043 Source: Central Statistical Office.
Column 316
Mentally Handicapped People
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the current level of residential care provision for people with a mental handicap in Scotland ; and what level of such residential care is recommended in the "Scottish Health Authorities' Review of Priorities for the Eighties and Nineties" document.
Mr. Lang : Provisional figures for 31 March 1989, the latest date for which information is available centrally, show that 2,200 places were available for persons with mental handicap in local authority homes and homes registered by them. In addition, 727 persons resident in homes for the elderly were described as mentally handicapped. Registered homes and those provided by local authorities themselves constitute only one part of the range of housing and other accommodation which may be provided for persons in this category. The SHARPEN report recommends that priority be given to care in the community services for persons with a mental handicap but does not indicate a specific level of residential care for such people.
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list any organisations in Scotland from which he has received representations about planning blight in the development of new services for people who have a mental handicap and other priority care groups ; and what was the nature of the representations.
Mr. Lang : Representations have been received from three registered housing associations (Ark, Key and Margaret Blackwood) in respect of special needs housing developments which they were seeking to promote. The concern was that the financial viability of these schemes would be affected by the level of payments they could expect to receive from local authorities in respect of care costs for residents following the transfer of financial responsibility and resources from the Department of Social Security.
It was pointed out in reply that it will be for local authorities to decide on the allocation of the resources to be transferred to them from the Department of Social Security for expenditure on care in the community ; and that this discretion applies fully to the level of support to be provided for meeting residential care and other costs in individual cases.
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of Department of Social Security payment of income support to people with a mental handicap living in residential care in Scotland was considered to be spent inappropriately because the person was not in fact in need of such care.
Mr. Lang : The award of income support does not incorporate a test of care needs. A Government-financed study of persons living in private and voluntary residential care homes for the elderly and receiving income support payments was carried out in 1987 ; one of the four local authority areas studied was in Scotland. No similar study has been carried out in relation to persons with a mental handicap.
Column 317
Manufacturing Expenditure
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the capital expenditure on manufacturing, including and excluding leasing, in Scotland for the year 1974 and for every year since 1979 at 1985 prices.
Mr. Lang : The information is not available in the form requested.
There are no separate price deflators for Scotland and the use of United Kingdom price deflators is no longer considered to give sufficiently reliable constant price estimates. Figures are therefore given at current prices.
The figures given are for net capital expenditure for manufacturing industries in Scotland. These figures include operating leasing but not financial leasing. It is not possible to give figures for capital expenditure including or excluding leasing.
The table below gives estimates of net capital expenditure in manufacturing industries in Scotland at current prices for the years in question. The figures relate to financial years.
Year |Net capital
|expenditure
|Manufacturing
|industry
|Scotland
|£ millions
------------------------------------------
1974 |309.9
1979 |592.5
1980 |653.3
1981 |619.8
1982 |544.0
1983 |490.6
1984 |622.9
1985 |866.3
1986 |777.7
1987 |735.5
Source: Annual Census of Production.
Fishing Vessels
Mr. Morley : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland was first aware of the extent of landings into Peterhead emanating from area VIIa.
Mr. Lang : The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland first became aware of an increase in the level of landings into Scotland of non-sector cod from area VIIa at the beginning of June. At that point, the monthly allocation for individual non-sector vessels was significantly reduced by fisheries departments. Continued high levels of landings during June resulted in the catch restrictions on each vessel being tightened further from 1 July and eventually to the closure of the fishery to the non -sector from 10 July.
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which vessels were physically checked for catch details passing from areas 4 to 6 or areas 6 to 4 in each month separately since 1 January.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 24 June 1990] : The table lists by month the 32 vessels called into Scrabster and inspected following receipt of radio reports.
Column 318
Month and Vessel |Registered
|Number
-----------------------------------------------------
1990
January
Ajax |INS 168
Forelock |BCK 127
Unity |BCK 35
February
-
March
Shearwater |BF 86
Ulysses |PD 76
Seaspray |PD 245
Treasury |INS 293
Starlight |PD 150
Constant Friend |PD 83
Sparkling Star |PD 137
Sharona |INS 274
Diligent |PD 314
Orion |BF 432
Sharona |PD 185
Brighter Dawn |PD 62
Prosperity |LH 445
Rose Bay |PD 65
Lorena |BF 227
Sea Spray III |PD 245
Girl Maureen |K 100
April
Sonia Jane |BF 31
Prosperity |LH 445
Ulysses |PD 76
Solan |INS 112
Serenga |PD 95
Evening Star |LK 87
River Dee |K 51
Brighter Dawn |PD 76
Ulysses |ID 62
St. Kilda |INS 47
Eleanda |BCK 60
May
Fear Not |INS 197
June
-
Mr. Morley : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what catches were recorded by Scottish vessels from ICES areas VIId, VIIb and VIIc in June.
Mr. Lang : I refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Pembroke (Mr. Bennett) on 24 July.
Mr. Morley : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries in Scotland has instigated a review of (a) log book recordings, (b) area of activity and (c) distinguishing characteristics of fish being landed in respect of concerns over misdeclarations of landings.
Mr. Lang : Log books are examined each time a fishing vessel lands a catch or when it is boarded at sea. The log book entries are checked to ensure that they are consistent with the quantities and species of fish landed or on board the vessel. Confirmation of the areas of fishing activity are sought by comparing the log book entries with surveillance data provided by fishery protection vessels and aircraft.
The ability to determine area of catch from the physical characteristics of the fish varies from species to species. In the case of cod there is at present no ready and reliable means of distinguishing whether the fish came from the
Column 319
North sea or the Irish sea. It is also possible that a catch landed by a fishing vessel could contain fish from both areas.Mr. Morley : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many vessels have been contained in Scottish ports for misdeclaring catches from sea areas other than area VII.
Mr. Lang : It is not the policy to detain fishing vessels in port in anticipation of charges being brought for breach of fisheries legislation. A vessel would be detained only where it seemed likely that a court might order forfeiture of the vessel or where it was felt that this would help to ensure that the accused would appear in court to answer the charges.
Borders Region
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list all grants given by the Scottish Development Agency to businesses and projects in the Borders region.
Column 320
Mr. Lang : The amount of Scottish Development Agency grants given to individual businesses or projects is a commercial matter between the agency and the companies or individuals concerned and I am therefore unable to provide the hon. Member with this information. However, I can say that in 1989-90, the Scottish Development Agency made four awards of grant totalling £20,000 under the PRIDE scheme in respect of projects in the Borders region.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of people employed by industrial group, and the average income of each industrial group, in the Borders for every year since 1979.
Mr. Lang : The available information is given in the tables below. Information on employment for the Borders is available only for the years for which there was a census of employment. Information on the income-based estimate of gross domestic product is not available by industry group for the Borders. The table shows the income based estimate of total gross domestic product at factor cost in current prices for each year since 1979 for which an estimate is available.
Column 319
Income-based estimate of gross domestic product<1>-Borders region
|1979 |1981 |1984 |1987
------------------------------------------------------------------
Gross domestic product (£ million) |271 |323 |412 |551
Gross domestic product per head (£) |2,678|3,186|4,066|5,393
Source: Central Statistical Office.
<1> Gross domestic product at factor cost in current prices.
| Next Section
| Home Page |