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EMPLOYMENT
Association of Community Enterprises--Highlands and Islands
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps his Department has taken to try to expedite payment by the European social fund of an interim grant payment due to the Association of Community Enterprises--Highlands and Islands in June, following representations to his Department about the delay in receiving payment.
Mr. Forth : The association's claim for its interim payment from the European social fund was received in my Department on 22 June, and forwarded to the European Commission on 26 June.
I understand from the Commission services that an interim payment of £42,089 was finally approved on24 September, and that authority to pay should be received later this month.
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
Under-fives
Ms. Armstrong : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he intends to publish the report on under-fives prepared by the group chaired by the hon. Member for Mitcham and Morden (Mrs. Rumbold) ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : My right hon. Friend has just received, and is now considering, the report of the committee of inquiry chaired by my hon. Friend the Member for Mitcham and Morden. He will make a further statement in the near future.
Iraqi Students
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his policy in relation to the provision of loans to Iraqi students at universities in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Alan Howarth : Students, of whatever nationality, are entitled to loans from the Student Loans Company provided that they meet the eligibility requirements set out in the Education (Student Loans) Regulations 1990. These include the condition that a student should satisfy the ordinary residence requirements set out in the schedule to the regulations or in the Students' Allowances (Scotland) Regulations 1987, or be a refugee--or a spouse or child of a refugee--who has been ordinarily resident in the British Islands since being recognised as a refugee.
HEALTH
Young People (Secure Accommodation)
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list, for each of the years 1975, 1980, 1985, 1987, 1988 and 1989 the names of those community homes and other facilities providing secure accommodation for young persons according to each local social services authority area.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Information in the form requested is not available for the full period. The table
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gives details of approved secure units in England, and their managing local authority, as at 31 December 1989. Comparable details covering the period 1984-1988 are given in the annual publication "Children Accommodated in Secure Units During the Year Ending 31 March", copies of which are available in the Library.Column 824
In addition, two centrally provided youth treatment centres are available. St. Charles YTC at Brentwood, Essex opened in 1971 and Glenthorne YTC in Birmingham opened in 1978.Column 823
Secure units provided by local authorities: 31 December 1989
Region |Name of Unit |Local Authority
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern |New Aycliffe (Royston House) |Durham
|Clavering House |Newcastle
|Aycliffe Special Unit |Durham
|Netherton Park |Northumberland
Yorkshire and Humberside |Kepples View |Rotherham
|East Moor |Leeds
|East Moor |Leeds
North Western |Red Sands |Cheshire
|Derwent House |Liverpool
|Red Bank (Vardy House) |Lancashire
|Red Bank Special Unit |Lancashire
|Blackbrook House (Labore House)|St. Helens
|Briars Hey (Orchard House) |Lancashire
|Dyson Hall |Liverpool
|Barton Moss (Park House) |Salford
West Midland |Danescourt |Wolverhampton
|St. Johns |Birmingham
East Midlands |Moorfield |Derbyshire
|Kesteven |Lincolnshire
|Amberdale |Nottinghamshire
|Greenacres |Derbyshire
Thames/Anglia |Salters |Cambridgeshire
|Woodside Young People's Cnt |Hertfordshire
|Thornbury House |Oxfordshire
|Brookside |Berkshire
London |Middlesex Lodge |Hillingdon
|Little Heath Lodge |Newham
|Orchard Lodge |Southwark
|Frant Court |Greenwich
|Stamford House |Hammersmith
Southern |Landsdowne |East Sussex
|Beechfield |West Sussex
|Fairfield |Hertfordshire
|Glen House |Hertfordshire
South Western |Atkinson Unit |Devon
|Kingswood |Avon
Ambulance Dispute
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the latest total cost figure for military assistance during the recent ambulance workers' dispute ; and whether more bills are expected from the Ministry of Defence.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The final total cost of military assistance was £7.2 million. Bills for this amount have been received and paid.
Channel Tunnel
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he was consulted by the European Investment Bank over its decision to provide further loan finance to the channel tunnel project ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Freeman : Under the EIB statute, the bank is obliged to consult the host Government before making a loan to any project. As is the case with all proposed loans to projects in the United Kingdom, the Government were consulted on a further loan for the channel tunnel project.
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if it remains the policy of Her Majesty's Government not to engage in the provision of public funding for the channel tunnel project.
Mr. Freeman : Yes. Section 2 of the Channel Tunnel Act 1987 specifically prohibits the provision of Government funds or guarantees for the project.
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Glasgow-London Line
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to meet British Rail to discuss the shelving of the £750 million rail scheme for the Glasgow-London route ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : British Rail has not shelved its scheme for investment in the west coast main line from London to Glasgow, and currently plans for the first of the new trains to come into operation in the mid-1990s.
Moray Adventurer
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has about an incident involving the fishing vessel Moray Adventurer at noon on 4 October ; what investigations have been or will be carried out ; whether the report will be made public ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Patrick McLoughlin [holding answer 15 October 1990] : A report was received by HM coastguards on 4October that the fishing vessel Moray Adventurer had an object caught in her nets and was at one stage in danger of capsizing. The incident is being investigated by the marine accident investigation branch. No decision can be made about whether or not to publish a report on the incident until the investigation has been completed.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
EC Stocks
Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the latest estimate of the stocks of skimmed milk powder and butter in the European Economic Community ; and what was the position 12 months previously.
Mr. Curry : Physical stocks of skimmed milk powder and butter (including aided private storage) in the European Community at the end of September were as follows :
(Tonnes)
|1989 |1990
--------------------------------------------
Butter |252,689|378,168
Skimmed milk powder |4,811 |333,406
Suckler Cow Premium
Mr. Mudd : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will extend the suckler cow premium by putting young bulls into intervention.
Mr. Curry : My right hon. Friend the Minister has already announced that the suckler cow premium will be paid at the maximum rate allowed under Community legislation in the less-favoured areas, and will be maintained at last year's rate for other producers. This will provide an extra £8 million for beef farmers. Intervention coverage has also been extended, and expenditure so far this year has been over £130 million. It would be difficult to justify any further extension in intervention coverage in view of the substantial cost of existing measures.
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Food Advisory Committee
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice he has received to date from the Food Advisory Committee concerning health claims made for foods not requiring a medical product licence ; what advice he has given to the European Commission on the issue ; and when he intends to introduce new draft regulations.
Mr. Maclean : The Food Advisory Committee is currently considering the question of health claims as part of the review of food labelling which I announced on 15 November 1989. My right hon. Friend expects to receive its report at the end of the year and it is likely that the European Commission will be advised of the relevant findings of the review. Any proposals for further legislation controls will be the subject of wide consultation with interested parties before any new draft regulations are introduced.
Beef
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met European Commission Agriculture Ministers to discuss trade in beef.
Mr. Gummer : I have regular contacts with Agriculture Ministers from other Community countries, in particular during meetings of the Agriculture Council. Matters related to the trade in beef are discussed as the need arises.
Zoonoses Order
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will repeal the Zoonoses Order.
Mr. Maclean : I have no plans to do so.
Dairy Products
Mr. John Marshall : To ask Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the latest estimate of expenditure by the European Commission on the dairy sector during the 1990-91 dairy marketing year.
Mr. Curry : Estimates of EC expenditure are not available on a market year basis. The preliminary draft budget for 1991 includes provision of 4,927 million ecu (£3,433 million) for the dairy sector. This does not take account of any costs arising from German unification, which are still under consideration.
Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what changes have occurred in the level of consumption within the European Community of dairy products since 1983.
Mr. Curry : Consumption of the major milk products in 1983 and 1989, including disposals of skimmed milk powder for animal feed, was as follows :
'000 tonnes |<1>1983 |<2>1989 -------------------------------------------------------- Butter |1,520.0 |1,571.0 Skimmed Milk Powder |1,606.0 |1,057.0 Cheese |3,631.0 |4,134.0 <1>EC10 <2>EC12
Agricultural Exports (France)
Mr. Mudd : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he places on the effect of recent French action on the quantity and value of British-produced lamb sold to France.
Mr. Curry : The level of British lamb exports is influenced by a number of different factors. We cannot identify the effects of individual factors.
Less-favoured Areas
Mr. Mudd : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will consider interim relief for farmers in less-favoured areas by introducing the special premium scheme for ewes during the current financial year.
Mr. Curry : The payment to producers in the less-favoured areas (LFAs) of an additional 4 ecu per ewe in sheep annual premium, due to come into effect from the 1991 marketing year, could not be made this year without a proposal from the European Commission and agreement by member states. This is unlikely to happen. All sheep producers, however, will benefit from the decision to bring forward the second advance of annual premium ; and we have decided to pay suckler cow premium at the maximum possible rate in the LFAs.
Mr. Mudd : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will monitor beef and lamb imports from eastern Europe with a view to reducing the volume if it proves detrimental to the interests of British producers.
Mr. Curry : I have made clear to the Commission our concern about the effects which such imports might have on the market and the need to monitor the situation closely.
British-produced Meat
Mr. Mudd : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he places on the effect, according to quantity and variety, of the hot summer on sales of British-produced meat.
Mr. Curry : It is not possible to isolate the effects of the hot weather from other factors affecting meat consumption. The latest figure for consumption of meat and meat products from the national food survey (which covers only domestic consumption and does not distinguish between home-produced and imported meat) covers the period from April to June 1990. The table gives the estimated average consumption per person per week for that period, for the same period in 1989, and for the first quarter of 1990.
(r)
Ounces per person per week
|Second |First |Second
|quarter |quarter |quarter
|1989 |1989 |1990
Meat and meat products |36.45 |33.99 |35.77
of which beef and veal |5.62 |6.06 |5.13
mutton and lamb |2.65 |2.72 |2.75
pork |3.15 |3.21 |3.30
bacon and ham |4.88 |4.12 |4.29
poultry and cooked chicken |8.00 |7.25 |8.88
Slaughterhouses
Mr. Tredinnick : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met representatives of knackermen and slaughterhouses to discuss working conditions ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : I, and my officials, have regular meetings with representatives of knackermen and slaughterhouses to discuss a wide range of issues. However, working conditions in knackers yards and slaughterhouses are a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Employment.
Nuclear Emergency
Mr. David Porter : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made in publishing his Department's arrangements for dealing with a nuclear emergency in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Maclean : My right hon. Friend the Minister announced on 26 March this year at column 56 his intention to publish details of the Department's arrangements at each of the major United Kingdom nuclear sites. Plans have now been published for the nuclear installations at Sizewell, Bradwell, Hinkley Point, Oldbury, Winfrith, Capenhurst and Springfields. Copies are being sent to public libraries in the vicinity of each installation and have also been placed in the Library of the House. Plans for other installations will be issued as they become available.
Wild Birds
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what checks are carried out by his Department to monitor the transportation conditions of wild birds being imported into the United Kingdom.
Mr. Maclean : The Ministry is responsible for legislation under the Animal Health Act 1981 to protect the welfare of animals and birds during transport and to prevent the introduction of diseases. This legislation is enforced by local authorities. Ministry veterinary staff maintain close liaison with the authorities concerned, particularly with the corporation of the city of London which operates the Animal Quarantine Station (AQS) at Heathrow airport through which all commercial consignments of wild birds are routed. On release from the AQS imported birds are held for 35 days at quarantine premises approved by the Ministry. During this period the health and welfare of the birds is monitored by veterinary inspectors including Ministry veterinary officers.
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has regarding the number of wild birds imported into the United Kingdom during 1988 and 1989 which were dead on arrival or died in quarantine.
Mr. Maclean : Details of mortalities in imported wild birds in 1988 compiled by the Ministry were published in
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December 1989 and placed in the Library of the House. The figures show that of 184,577 birds imported, 4,732 (2.6 per cent.) were found to be dead on arrival and a further 20,619 (11.2 per cent.) died during quarantine. A similar analysis of imports in 1989 is currently being compiled.EC Food Surpluses
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what increases or decreases have taken place in the surpluses of food and wine in the EEC, both in public and private storage, over the most recent 12-month period for which figures are available ; and if he anticipates that they will increase or decline over the next 12 months.
Mr. Curry : The information is as follows :
Commodity |1989 |1990 |Reference
|date
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
EC Intervention Stocks ('000 tonnes)
Butter |30 |187 |September
SMP |5 |333 |September
Beef |123 |145 |June
Olive oil |133 |71 |June
Total cereals |8,586 |11,651 |September
Durum |1,117 |1,053 |September
Wheat |2,466 |5,346 |September
Barley |3,136 |3,412 |September
Rye |1,089 |1,521 |September
Table wine (ML) |1,531 |624 |January
|(March)
EC Private Storage ('000 tonnes)
Butter |223 |191 |September
Cheese |159 |167 |September
Beef |38 |0 |September
Pigmeat |0 |2 |July
Stock levels are affected by a variety of factors and changes for the next 12 months cannot be predicted.
Set-aside Scheme
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the total amount of land now covered by the set-aside arrangements ; and what expenditure is involved in financing this per annum.
Mr. Curry : The latest information available indicates that the total amount of land to be set aside in England in the year commencing 1 October 1990 will be some 105,000 hectares. A total of £7.4 million was paid in the financial year 1989-90 to participants in the first year of the set-aside scheme and a further £17.5 million has been allocated in the 1990-91 financial year in respect of participants in the second year of the scheme.
Fishing Quotas
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many Spanish vessels will be permitted to engage in fishing of the United Kingdom quota in terms of the decision of the British and Euro courts on interim relief ; how many United Kingdom boats are entitled to fish for the same quota ; and if the Spanish vessels which have successfully claimed interim relief will be entitled to compensation from the United Kingdom Government.
Mr. Curry : Only United Kingdom-registered and licensed vessels may fish against the United Kingdom
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quota. The interim relief granted to applicants in the Factortame case is restricted to the requirement that owners and shareholders be resident and domiciled in this country and affects only 53 vessels. The requirement that vessels should be managed and their operations controlled from the United Kingdom remains.At present approximately 3,200 boats are licensed to fish in the United Kingdom. The House of Lords granted interim relief to the Factortame applicants on the grounds, among others, that damages would not be available.
Agriculture Council
Mr. David Davis : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the Agriculture Council held in Luxembourg on 15 and16 October.
Mr. Gummer : I represented the United Kingdom at this meeting together with my hon. Friend the Member for Skipton and Ripon (Mr. Curry), Parliamentary Secretary in my Department.
The main subject discussed was the Commission's proposal for a Community offer for reductions in agricultural support and protection in the current GATT round. Some Ministers were not able to take a definite stance and eventually the chairman decided to suspend the meeting and resume discussion on 19 October to allow them the opportunity for consultations in capitals.
I much regret that, with so much preparation, this Council was not able to endorse the Commission's package, which provides a useful basis for taking forward the talks in the GATT round.
The Council agreed on a useful amendment to the pesticides prohibition directive and on a resolution on veterinary measures required for the achievement of the single market.
ENVIRONMENT
ILEA (Abolition)
Mr. Tony Banks To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the London residuary body made a full inventory of items of historic importance prior to the abolition of ILEA.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : The London residuary body made an inventory of items known as the heritage collection once the Greater London council had been abolished.
Ivory
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his reply of 26 July, Official Report, column 702, if he will give details of the various pieces of ivory for which his Department has given formal consent for sale within the European Community.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : No. Information contained in individual applications for CITES licences is considered by the Department as confidential and cannot be released.
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many licences he has issued for the sale of elephant ivory since the current ban came into force.
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Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : Nine licences have been issued for sale of ivory within the United Kingdom, in conformity with the European Commission guidance and CITES regulations.Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his reply of 26 July, Official Report, column 702, if it remains the policy of Her Majesty's Government to allow the ivory ban to be lifted in some respects in the not-too-distant future.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : The Government remain firmly committed to maintaining the ivory trade ban for as long as is necessary to ensure the survival and recovery of elephant populations. CITES provides for species to be removed from annex 1 when no longer endangered, but the Government have no plans to initiate proposals for such a reclarification.
Sea Birds
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on the number of sea birds washed up dead on the beaches of East Anglia in each of the past five years ; and what were the main recorded reasons for death.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : This information is not available.
Local Government Finance
Mr. John Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further information he has made available to local authorities about standard spending assessments.
Mr. Key : Two publications, "Standard Spending Assessments: Background and Underlying Methodology", and the "Standard Spending Assessment Handbook 1990-91" were produced in August. These describe the way local authority services are reflected in standard spending assessments and how each SSA element is constructed. They are similar to the "Blue" and "Green Books" which we produced under the rate support grant system. Copies of the publications have today been placed in the Library of the House. Copies have also been sent to every local authority in England and to the local authority associations.
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County Hall
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will direct the London residuary body not to entertain any use of county hall, other than of a temporary nature, until after the next general election ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 16 October 1990] : No.
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has regarding damage to the interior and removal of contents from county hall ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 16 October 1990] : I am not aware of any damage to county hall.
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when was the last occasion that staff from his Department responsible for listed buildings made an inspection of county hall.
Mr. Trippier [holding answer 16 October 1990] : This is a matter for English Heritage.
London Residuary Body
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last met the chairman of the London Residuary Body ; and what matters were discussed.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer, 16 October 1990] : I met Sir Godfrey Taylor on 19 April. A number of issues were discussed.
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details of current members of the London residuary body, together with their salaries and expenses, hours worked, vehicles allocated to them and dates of their appointment.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 16 October 1990] : The information is as follows :
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n
|Time commitment |£ per annum
|(from 1 April 1990)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sir Godfrey Taylor (Chairman and Chief Executive) |Full-time |63,530
Mr. Jack Esling |2 days per week |15,350
Mr. Reg Hartles |2 days per week |15,350
Mr. Wallace Mackenzie, OBE |2 days per week |15,350
Mr. Michael Roberts |2 days per week |15,350
Cllr. Sir Peter Bowness, CBE |1 day per week |7,650
Mr. Jack Wolkind, CBE |1 day per week |7,650
Sir Godfrey Taylor was reappointed from 12 August 1990 and Mr. Hartles from 23 October 1989. All other members were reappointed from 12 August 1988.
The total expenses paid to the chairman and members in 1988-89, the latest year for which information is available, was £6,430. Travelling arrangements are a matter for the residuary body.
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Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his reply of 21 June, Official Report Column 637, if he will list the fittings removed from county hall for safekeeping by the London residuary body.
Mr. Heathcoat-Armory : The fittings that were removed from the principal floor of county hall are stored in county hall.
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