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Written Answers to Questions
Friday 19 October 1990
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
School Meals
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list in the Official Report those local education authorities which do not provide a school meals service other than for pupils of families on family income support.
Mr. Fallon : In January 1990, the latest date for which information is available, all local education authorities in England recorded that there were pupils who had had a paid meal at school. Detailed information on school meal arrangements will be published in "Statistics of Education Schools 1990".
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether local management of schools system schools will be able to decide whether to provide a hot school meals service for at least the winter months.
Mr. Fallon : Every local education authority with an approved scheme for local management of schools is continuing with the arrangements for the provision of school meals that were in operation before the introduction of LMS.
Under-fives
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what financial incentives exist under the local management of schools system for schools to recruit pupils who are aged under five years at the start of the school year ; what guidance his Department offers to local education authorities on education provision for rising-fives ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Fallon : The admission of four-year-olds to school is a matter for the schools and their local education authorities in the light of local needs and circumstances. The Department offers no guidance to local education authorities on provision for rising-fives. However, under local management of schools, all pupils registered at a school, including those under five years at the start of the school year, are funded through the age-weighted pupil element of the local education authority's resource allocation formula.
National Tests
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on national tests at the ages of seven, 11 and 14 years ; and how many children at each such age group are currently in maintained schools.
Mr. Eggar : I refer my hon. Friend to the oral statement that my right hon. Friend made to the House on 18 October at columns 1395-1407.
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Education Spending
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proportion of gross domestic product is spent on education (a) in the United Kingdom, (b) the United States of America, (c) Japan and (d) Germany.
Mr. Eggar : Data are readily available for public expenditure as a percentage of GNP only and are shown in the table :
Total public expenditure on education, 1986
Country |Expenditure as a
|percentage of GNP
----------------------------------------------------------------
United Kingdom |4.9
United States of America<1> |4.7
Japan<1> |4.4
Germany (West) |4.4
<1>Excludes public expenditure subsidies to private education.
Environmental Education Study Centres
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list those environmental education study centres which (a) were in operation in 1987, 1988 and 1989 and (b) have already closed or face closure within the next 12 months.
Mr. Eggar : This information is not collected centrally.
Grant-maintained Schools
Ms. Armstrong : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to his written answer of 15 October, if he will list the dates of visits by Her Majesty's inspectors to grant-maintained schools other than the last date of visit, in those cases where the school has been visited more than once.
Mr. Eggar : Listed below are the dates, other than the last dates, on which HMI visited these GM schools up to June 1990. The other schools listed in my reply of 15 October have each been visited once only.
|Date
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Queensbury School, Bedfordshire |November 1989
Small Heath School, Birmingham |September 1989
St. James CE School, Bolton |September 1989
|October 1989
|December 1989
Colyton GS, Devon |November 1989
Old Swinford Hospital School, Dudley |November 1989
London Oratory School |September 1989
Wilmington Girls School, Kent |October 1989
Castle Hall School, Kirklees |October 1989
Heckmondwike GS, Kirklees |November 1989
|January 1990
King's School, Grantham |November 1989
Queen Elizabeth GS, Lincolnshire |November 1989
Wilson's School, Sutton |November 1989
Audenshaw School, Tameside |December 1989
Queen Elizabeth's, Barnet |November 1989
Table file CW901019.002 not available
Hospitality
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much was spent by his Department on official hospitality in 1989-90.
Mr. Eggar : In 1989-90 the Department spent a total of £88,800 of its administration budget in providing official hospitality.
City Technology Colleges
Mr. Stern : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to be able to report the establishment of the city technology college for Bristol.
Mr. Fallon : My right hon. Friend announced on Wednesday 3 October his intention to consult interested parties on proposals which he has before him to establish a city technology college in Bristol. He will announce his
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decision on the proposal after he has considered all responses received in the course of the 56-day consultation period.TRANSPORT
Nottingham-Mansfield Line
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent information he has received on the reopening of the Nottingham to Mansfield line ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. McLoughlin : Nottinghamshire county council has recently sent the Department of Transport a video about its proposals to reopen this line, and officials will meet council representatives shortly to discuss the proposals further. More information would be needed before any decision on resources for the project could be taken.
London Transport
Ms. Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set out the remuneration of each of the members of the London Transport board, their hours of work and their individual responsibilities on the board.
Mr. Freeman : The information requested is as follows :
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Member |Annual salary and |Responsibilities
|time commitment
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Executive Members
Mr. Wilfrid Newton, CBE |£100,000 |Chairman and Chief Executive of LT, Chairman of LT Executive Committee;
|full time |Chairman of London Underground Limited; Member of Safety Audit Committee,
|Design Policy Committee, London Transport Property Board and Remuneration
|Committee.
Mr. John Telford Beasley, |£75,000 |Deputy Chief Executive of LT; Member of LT Executive Committee; Chairman of
CBE |full time |London Buses Limited, Docklands Light Railway Limited, LT International Services
|Limited and of London Transport Museum; Member of Safety Audit Committee and
|Design Policy Committee.
Mr. Michael Marsh |£69,650
|full time |LT Property Board; non-executive director of London Underground Limited, London
|Buses Limited and Docklands Light Railway Limited.
2. Non-executive part--time members
Sir Neil Shields, MC |£22,000 |Deputy Chairman of LT; Chairman of LT Property Board; Member of Design Policy
|two days per week | Committee and Remuneration Committee.
Mr. Keith Brown |£8,250 |Chairman of Audit Committee; Director in charge of LT Disabled Passengers Unit.
|0.75 days per week
Dr. Stephen Glaister |£8,250
|0.75 days per week | of Victoria Coach Station Limited.
Mr. Oscar Roith |£11,000 |Chairman of Safety Audit Committee.
|one day per week
Mrs. Helen Robinson |£8,250 |Chairman of Design Policy Committee; Member of Remuneration Committee.
|0.75 days per week
Miss Patricia Steel, OBE |£8,250
|0.75 days per week | Railway Limited and of Victoria Coach Station Limited.
Mr. Roy Thomas |£8,250 |Member of Audit Committee and of Remuneration Committee.
|0.75 days per week
Ms. Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what directions he has given to London Transport to improve the training and driving standard of bus drivers.
Mr. Freeman : It is for London Transport to determine what the training needs and the driving standards of its bus drivers should be, in accordance with the appropriate public service vehicle driver licensing legislation.
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Ms. Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has received a plan from London Transport regarding the closure of Victoria bus garage ; and if he will make a statement.
Rail Electrification (West Yorkshire)
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what meetings he or his officials have had with officials of the West Yorkshire passenger transport
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authority in the current year to date, to discuss rail electrification between Bradford and Leeds and local services.Mr. McLoughlin : The hon. Member was present when the then Minister of State met the West Yorkshire passenger transport authority on 26 April to discuss the scheme and other matters. In addition, officials have had two meetings and several exchanges of correspondence on this scheme with the West Yorkshire passenger transport executive.
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) when he expects to announce his decision on loan approval being given to the West Yorkshire passenger transport authority to enable electrification of rail services ;
(2) whether British Rail has supplied him with information as to what extra costs are incurred each year that the electrification of the Bradford-Leeds railway is deferred ; what is his latest estimate of the total cost of such electrification ; and when he expects to announce his decision on loan approval for the scheme.
Mr. McLoughlin : Decisions on credit approvals for local public transport schemes in 1991-92 will be announced after the autumn statement. The most recent cost estimate for this project is about £60 million ; we have no information on cost increases if it is deferred. Whether it can go ahead in 1991-92 depends on the availability of physical resources for the necessary signalling work as well as on funding.
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received since the beginning of 1990 concerning the electrification of the Bradford--Leeds railway and local rail services ; and if he will list the names of individuals and organisations who have urged electrification take place.
Mr. McLoughlin : We have this year received almost 300 representations in support of this scheme, some individuals and organisations having written more than once. Representations have also been sent to other Government Departments, and we do not have a complete list available.
Road Programme
Mr. Snape : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the number of civil and traffic engineering staff employed directly by his Department in each regional office in 1989 and 1990 and forecast for 1992 ; how many of the additional staff engaged for the expanded road programme will be given permanent civil service status ; and how many will be given short service contracts.
Mr. Chope [holding answer 18 October 1990] : Information is not available precisely in the form requested. Engineering staff employed directly by my Department in the regions are as follows :
|<1>1989|<2>1990
-------------------------------------------------
South East |61 |64
London |52 |64
Eastern |45 |48
South West |42 |48
West Midlands |59 |62
East Midlands |45 |43
North West |66 |57
Yorkshire and Humberside |59 |60
Northern |15 |15
|---- |----
|444 |461
<1> Figures as at December 1989.
<2> Figures as at September 1990.
Table file CW901019.005 not available
No regional estimates are available for 1992, or for the number of staff who will be engaged on short service contracts.
Construction Programme Divisions
Mr. Snape : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what difference in function the new construction programme divisions created in 1990 will have from the former road construction unit headquarters offices abolished by his Department in 1981.
Mr. Chope [holding answer 18 October 1990] : In the construction programme divisions private sector teams will be working alongside civil servants on project management and other specialist functions. In addition the organisational framework is different.
ENVIRONMENT
Public Bodies (Funding)
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many non-Government public bodies funded by his Department have an interest in environment matters ; how many of these have been in existence since October 1988 and how many existed before that date.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : Three of the executive non-departmental public bodies (the Countryside Commission, the National Rivers Authority and the Nature Conservancy Council) and two of the advisory bodies (the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee and the Royal Commission on environmental pollution) currently sponsored by the Department have major environmental responsibilities. Of these only the National Rivers Authority, created in September 1989, did not exist in October 1988. Many of the other non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the Department also make significant contributions to restoring, protecting or enhancing the urban or rural environment. All non-departmental public bodies are listed in the annual Cabinet Office publication "Public Bodies".
Global Warming
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further studies he has carried out into the contribution of natural nitrous oxide to global warming.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : Three research programmes to quantify emissions of nitrous oxide from both natural and managed land have recently been initiated by the Natural Environment Research Council. The Department of the Environment contributes 50 per cent. to the funding of one project which studies nitrous oxide fluxes from forest soils.
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Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research he has instigated to establish the impact of the presence of sulphur dioxide in the atmosphere in respect of global warming.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : Sulphur dioxide is not itself a greenhouse gas and so does not contribute to global warming. However, by contributing to sulphate aerosol formation and possibly increasing the reflectivity of clouds, sulphur dioxide may contribute a slight cooling effect. These issues will be studied as part of the Department's climate prediction programme at the Hadley centre.
Public Water Supplies
Mr. Onslow : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of the rainfall required during the coming months in each of the regions of the United Kingdom if adequate public water supplies are to be ensured in 1991 without prejudicing reservoir and river levels.
Mr. Trippier : The National Rivers Authority estimates for England and Wales that rainfall ranging from below average in Northumbria, to average in the north-west and the midlands to above average in the south and east, in some areas substantially so, would be required in the next six months to ensure adequate public water suplies in 1991 without prejudicing reservoir and river levels.
Pesticides
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the progress of the study by the Natural Environment Research Council into the possible implications for wildlife resulting from the combination of different pesticides.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : The results of the NERC/Reading university studies on captive partridges were published late last year. They have been drawn to the attention of the advisory committee on pesticides. New studies, building on this work and, in particular, to relate it to what may happen in the wild, are under way or will be started soon. These additional studies are being funded by both NERC and my Department.
Dog Registration
Mr. Pendry : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his Department's policy with regard to plans to set up a national dog registration scheme.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : We are still considering the implications of the vote in another place which would require the Government to set up a dog registration scheme.
Household Dust
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to publish the study by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution into the levels of radioactivity in household dust ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : The household particulate surveys commissioned by Her Majesty's inspectorate of
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pollution and carried out by ICI have now been completed. A draft report has been received and is currently being reviewed. The report will be published in due course and copies will be placed in the Library.Home Improvement Agencies
Mr. Gregory : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has for the future funding of home improvement agencies ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key : Home improvement agencies have a valuable role to play in helping the elderly, the disabled and those people on low incomes living in poor condition houses to improve their living conditions. The existing experimental scheme which expires on 31 March 1991 is to be replaced by a permanent scheme open to agencies throughout the country. Fifty per cent. of the running costs of approved schemes will be met by Government grant.
Each local housing authority will be responsible for identifying the needs of its area and securing the establishment and operation of appropriate schemes. I believe that this fits in very well with the enabling role of such authorities, and provides a fine opportunity for partnership between central and local government and other bodies in the housing field. Payment of the Government's contribution will be subject to the fulfilment of certain conditions, and will be made to schemes in accordance with previously agreed budgets.
We also intend to provide support for a central co-ordinating body to undertake developmental work, monitor progress and provide help to the individual schemes including training and access to specialist advice. We will be holding discussions with appropriate organisations about the best way of establishing this body, and a further announcement will be made as soon as possible.
These arrangements will be closely monitored and will be subject to a full review in four years' time.
Green Belt
Mr. Shersby : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent consideration he has given to the criterion which indicates a general presumption against development in the green belt ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Spicer [holding answer 18 October 1990] : I am considering, in the light of recent court judgments, whether there is a need for some revision of the advice given in planning policy guidance note 2, but I can say now that there will be no fundamental change in the Government's policies for the protection of the green belts. It will remain necessary to demonstrate very special circumstances to justify inappropriate development within a green belt.
Civil Engineering (Safety)
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans for regulatory or legislative change in relation to technical decision-making involving public safety with regard to new civil engineering structures, new buildings and alterations to existing buildings which involve using computer-based models
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which are not open to scrutiny by the public in general and the scientific community in particular for commercial or other reasons.Mr. Michael Spicer [holding answer 18 October 1990] : No. The building regulations lay down requirements relating to the design and construction of buildings which have to be met to ensure public health and safety. Those who have responsibility for enforcing the regulations must satisfy themselves that the requirements have been met. If they are not satisfied, they can seek further information from the designer and they can have the design cross-checked on an alternative computer package.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Juveniles
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list for each local social services authority for each of the years 1975, 1980, 1985, 1987, 1988 and 1989 the number of placements made in prison department establishments of juveniles by virtue of the issue of a certificate of unruliness ;
(2) if he will list for each local social services authority in Wales for each of the years 1975, 1980, 1985, 1987, 1988 and 1989 the number of placements made in prison department establishments of juveniles by virtue of the issue of a certificate of unruliness.
Mrs. Rumbold : The information requested is not recorded centrally. The only information available relates to juveniles initially received on remand into prison service establishments. An unruliness certificate is required for such juveniles received as untried and for some of those received as convicted unsentenced ; it is not required for those committed in custody to the Crown court for sentence under section 37 of the Magistrates Courts Act. The statistics are published annually in "Prison statistics England and Wales" (table 2.7 of the volume for 1989, Cm. 1221), a copy of which is in the Library. Information by area is not available.
Rape
Sir Michael McNair-Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convicted rapists rape again stated as a percentage of the total held in prison at any one time ; and what measures other than imprisonment are used in rehabilitation.
Mr. Waddington : The information is not available in the form requested. Recent studies suggest that less than 5 per cent. of men imprisoned for sexual offences are convicted again of a sexual offence within two years of their release. It would be exceptional for an offender convicted of rape not to receive a custodial sentence or disposal under mental health legislation.
Sir Michael McNair-Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of reported cases of rape for the years from 1984 to 1990 and the number of cases in which an arrest and conviction followed.
Mr. Waddington : The numbers of offences of rape recorded by the police from 1984 to 1988 are published in table 2.9 of "Criminal statistics, England and Wales,
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1988", Cm 847 ; for 1989 the information is published in table 6 of Home Office statistical bulletin 10/90 ; in the first six months of 1990, the police recorded 1,558 rapes. The number of persons found guilty of rape is published annually, and most recently in table S4.1(A) of "Criminal statistics, England and Wales, Supplementary tables, 1988 Vol. 4". Corresponding information for 1989 and 1990 is not yet available. A detailed analysis of offences of rape was published in Home Office statistical bulletin 4/89, "Statistics of offences of rape 1977 -87".Electoral Registration
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been spent by his Department on campaigns to secure electoral registration (a) at home and (b) abroad in the past 12 months.
Mrs. Rumbold : Home Office expenditure on electoral registration advertising campaigns in the past 12 months has been as follows :
|£ (including VAT)
------------------------------------------------------
England and Wales |460,683
Overseas |480,189
Mr. Harry Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people living abroad applied to be included on the 1991 register of electors which has a qualifying date of 10 October 1990 in each parliamentary constituency in England and Wales.
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has on the number of overseas electors registering since the passage of the Representation of the People Act 1989.
Mrs. Rumbold : I refer the hon. Members to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Ross, Cromarty and Skye (Mr. Kennedy) on 14 June at column 319 . Information on the number of applications is not held centrally.
Representation of the People Act 1990
Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to make an order under section 2 of the Representation of the People Act 1990 to give effect to the provisions of that Act ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : We propose to make a commencement order early in the next Session of Parliament in order to bring the Representation of the People Act 1990 into force. In order for the Act to take effect, it will also be necessary to make some minor amendments to the Representation of the People Regulations 1986 and the European Parliamentary Elections Regulations 1986 and to make an Order in Council in respect of local elections in Northern Ireland. That will be done as soon as is practicable.
Hospitality
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent by his Department on official hospitality in 1989-90.
Mr. Waddington : In 1989-90, £28,630 was spent by my Department on official hospitality.
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Sports Grounds
Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to extend the safety at sports grounds legislation to spectator sports grounds other than football grounds.
Mr. Waddington : The Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975 (as amended by the Fire Safety and Safety of Places of Sport Act 1987) provides for designation of sports grounds which have accommodation for more than 10,000 spectators as requiring a safety certificate issued by the local authority. Designation currently extends to all football, rugby union, rugby league and cricket grounds identified as having accommodation for over 10,000 spectators. There are no plans to extend the designation process to other classes of grounds.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Economy (Statistics)
Mr. McNamara : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures he has taken to improve the reliability of Government statistics on the economy of Northern Ireland.
Mr. Cope : The Government recognise the need to ensure that economic indicators are as reliable as possible. To this end, a comprehensive review of Government economic statistics was carried out in 1989. Detailed consideration has been given to the recommendations of the review and an action plan aimed at improving the statistics is currently being drawn up.
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Ibbs Report
Mr. Allen : To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will make a statement on progress on the Ibbs report.
Sir Geoffrey Howe : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given today to the similar question which he has tabled to the House of Commons Commission.
Mr. Allen : To ask the hon. Member for Berwick-upon- Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission, when he expects the Commission to consider the Ibbs report.
Mr. Beith : The review of management and decision-making responsibilities in the House, which is being undertaken at the request of the House of Commons Commission by a team led by Sir Robin Ibbs KBE, is near completion, and Sir Robin is expected to present his main conclusions to the Commission at the end of this month. It will thereafter be for the Commission to decide what action should be taken, and to report to the House.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
Sudan
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has concerning food availability in the Sudan ; how much food
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aid and emergency relief has been supplied by the United Kingdom and by the European Community this year ; and whether DG VI of the European Community has purchased food from Sudan this year.Mrs. Chalker : According to the world food programme (WFP), poor rainfall during the current agricultural season has resulted in nearly total crop failure in northern Kordofan and northern Darfur, while prospects are uncertain and dependent on October rainfall in large areas of eastern Sudan. This is causing increasing distress and migration due to lack of water/grazing and food scarcity. Livestock prices are reported to be falling while grain prices have increased to unprecedented levels. We have also had reports of serious crop failure in large areas of southern Sudan, also drought related. Pending a full harvest assessment by FAO to take place in November the GOS appealed to the WFP on 16 October for 75,000 tonnes of grain for immediate delivery to meet the most urgent needs of some of the 2.4 million most severely affected.
So far in 1990 the United Kingdom has pledged £3.29 million to the UN Operation Lifeline in Sudan. Additionally we have given £950,000 for refugees and nearly £100,000 for displaced persons through SCF and Oxfam. The European Community has committed 3 mecu (£2.2 million) of emergency aid in 1990 to alleviate the effects of drought in Sudan.
Over the period January to July this year DG VI purchased the following food items from Sudan :
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