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Kenya
Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Kenya concerning the fate of those designated by Amnesty International as prisoners of conscience, including George Anyona, Edward Oyugi, Ngotho Kariuki, Augustus Kathanga and Kanu and Caleb Mokaya Gichana ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Waldegrave : We have made representations on several occasions to the Government of Kenya urging the release of those detainees held without charge. It is our understanding that Messrs Anyona, Oyugi, Kariuki, Kathanga, and Gichana have now been charged in accordance with Kenyan law. The Kenyans are well aware of our concern for the maintenance of good human rights standards.
Argentina
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made any representations to the Argentine Government about abuses of human rights in Trelew, Patagonia, Argentina.
Mr. Garel-Jones : No. We have seen a report of public demonstrations in Patagonia but we have not received any reports of human rights abuses.
Gulf Crisis
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has about indications given by the United States Government to the Government of Iraq, prior to the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq, concerning the United States Government's likely response to such an eventuality.
Mr. Waldegrave : This is a matter for the United States Government.
Cambodia
Mr. Mullin : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the Ministers in (a) the Lords and (b) the Commons who have had responsibility for Cambodia since 1980.
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Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Since 1980 Ministers in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office with responsibility for Cambodia have been : Peter Blaker MP--1 January 1980--August 1981
Nicholas Ridley MP--until November 1981
Douglas Hurd MP--until August 1982
Cranley Onslow MP--until February 1983
Douglas Hurd MP--until August 1983
Richard Luce MP--until Novembber 1985
Timothy Renton MP--until August 1987
David Mellor MP--until November 1987
Lord Glenarthur--until November 1989
Lord Brabazon--until July 1990
The Earl of Caithness--since July 1990
Antarctica
Mr. Shersby : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his present policy towards ratification of the convention on the regulation of Antarctic mineral resource activities ; if he will consider supporting the Australian initiative calling for a new all -embracing environmental convention ; annd if he will make a statement.
Mr. Garel-Jones : My hon. Friend will have received a copy of my letter which has been sent to all Members and which encloses a copy of our policy paper "Britain in Antarctica". This paper sets out our position on all issues concerning Antarctica including the convention on the regulation of Antarctic mineral resource activities (CRAMRA). The United Kingdom, along with 18 out of 38 member states, has signed CRAMRA, but there is no set timetable for ratification.
We remain committed to the protection of the Antarctic environment and we look forward to discussion of all proposals to that end at the meeting of Antarctic treaty consultative parties in November. Along with a number of other member states, we are proposing an environmental protocol to the existing Antarctic treaty which will provide comprehensive measures for protecting the Antarctic environment and for which we believe there is widespread support.
Palestinians
Mr. Marlow : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek a report on the Palestinian doctor found hanged in the occupied territories in the early part of October ; and as to what progress there has been towards an autopsy.
Mr. Waldegrave : The consulate-general in Jerusalem is watching this case closely. We understand that an autopsy has been carried out at the request of the family. The preliminary findings from this, suggesting death by suffocation, have been published. But we await a fuller report.
Mr. Marlow : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out the number of Palestinians he had originally intended to meet during his recent visit to Israel ; and how many of them were imprisoned before his visit.
Mr. Waldegrave : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs had intended to meet 29 Palestinians for discussions and lunch in Jerusalem on 17 October. Of these, one--Feisal Husseini--was detained by the Israeli authorities before his visit.
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Gaza Strip
Mr. Marlow : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the security problem that existed in the area of Gaza strip where he had been scheduled to open a British Council operation at the time at which he had been originally scheduled to carry out the opening.
Mr. Waldegrave : The trial of a Hamas leader from Gaza, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, was scheduled to begin on 17 October when my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs had intended to open the new British Council office there. This would have been marked by a general strike and a significant increase in tension in the area. My right hon. Friend therefore decided to delay the opening which was carried out on his behalf by the consul-general in Jerusalem on 24 October.
Israel
Mr. Marlow : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether, in his recent visit to Israel, he entered into any commitments to the Israeli Government in the event of an Iraqi attack on Israel.
Mr. Waldegrave : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs made it clear to the Israelis during his recent visit that such an attack would be absolutely unacceptable.
British Muslims
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will meet British Muslims recently returned from a visit to the Gulf states.
Mr. Waldegrave [holding answer 22 October] : I will meet Mr. Yusuf Islam shortly.
HEALTH
Cataract Operations
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what resources can be made available under section 64 of the general scheme for care grants to encourage district health authorities to participate in the schemes organised by the Impact Foundation to reduce waiting lists for cataract operations ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : Health authorities cannot make applications for core grants under section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968. These are available only to voluntary organisations.
The Impact Foundation has made an application and we are currently considering this.
Waiting list initiative funds have been, and are being, used by health authorities to support schemes set up by the Impact Foundation to reduce waiting lists and times. So far these schemes have proved to be cost effective and have enabled many patients to be treated from waiting lists.
Mental Illness (Women)
Mr. George Howarth : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many incidents of women suffering from mental illness are currently recorded with his Department ; and, of those, how many have children in care.
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Mr. Dorrell : The information requested is not collected centrally.
Young People (Complaints)
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will specify what formal procedures for making complaints and representations, specifying where appropriate under which sections of which Acts, are now available locally and nationally, or will soon be available under the Children Act 1989, to children and young people under 18 years of age who wish to make complaints about matters which are the responsibility of his Department.
Mr. Dorrell : The information requested is as follows : (a) The National Health Service (Service Committees and Tribunal) Regulations 1974 (as amended) made under sections 29, 36, 39 and 42 of the National Health Service Act 1977 provide for a complaint to be formally investigated if it has been made by or on behalf of any person entitled to family health services and alleges that a family practitioner has failed to comply with the relevant terms of service.
(b) Directions issued to health authorities under section 17 of the NHS Act 1977, and issued following the Hospital Complaints Procedure Act 1985, provide a formal framework for dealing with complaints made about services, care or treatment received in hospital.
(c) Section 120(1)(b) of the Mental Health Act 1983, requires that any complaint made by a detained, or formerly detained, patient should be investigated. This duty is undertaken by the Mental Health Act Commission under section 121(b) of the same Act.
(d) Section 111 of the NHS Act 1977 enables any individual to make a complaint to the Health Service Commissioner with regard to certain failures in service or maladministration by health authorities, family health service authorities, the Mental Health Act Commission and the Public Health Laboratory Service Board.
(e) Section 26 of the Local Government Act 1974 allows complaints of maladministration to be made to the Commissioner for Local Administration in relation to local authority personal social services.
(f) The Department has introduced formal complaints procedures in both its youth treatment centres. Complaints may be made by residents about any aspect of their life in the youth treatment centres. (g) Section 26(3) of the Children Act 1989, to be implemented in October 1991, requires local authorities to set up procedures to consider representations including complaints about the provision of services to children and families under part III of that Act. Section 59(4) requires voluntary organisations to set up procedures to consider representations including complaints made by children accommodated by them, but not looked after by local authorities, and by other people connected with the child. Paragraph 10(2)(1) of schedule 6 to the Act places a similar requirement on registered children's homes.
The Department does not hold information centrally about national or local procedures for making complaints and representations which fall outside the scope of the legislation mentioned.
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Nebulisers
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has any plans to change the arrangements for issuing nebulisers to national health service patients.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : There are no such plans. Powered nebulisers will continue to be supplied through the hospital service for those patients for whom they are considered clinically necessary.
ENVIRONMENT
Sheffield Development Corporation
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the total possible and actual number of attendances of each member at meetings of the board of Sheffield development corporation since their appointment.
Mr. Portillo : Attendance at board meetings is a matter for the board of Sheffield development corporation.
London Docklands Development Corporation
185. Mr. Leighton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many firms were relocated from the area of the Royal Docks since the inception of the London docklands development corporation and how much money was paid to these firms in compensation for these removals.
Mr. Portillo : The London Docklands development corporation has since 1981 relocated 71 firms previously operating in the Royal Docks area, and £2.13 million has been paid out in compensation for these removals.
Young People (Complaints)
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will specify what formal procedures for making complaints and representations, specifying where appropriate under which sections of which Acts, are available locally and nationally to children and young people under 18 years of age who wish to make complaints about matters which are the responsibility of his Department.
Mr. Chris Patten : The only formal procedures relating to my Department are those under which the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration may investigate complaints drawn to his attention by hon. Members. The Department does not make any distinction on grounds of age in responding to complaints from members of the public, or from hon. Members on behalf of their constituents.
Education Authorities (Land Sales)
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on how many occasions since 1979 his Department has compelled education authorities to sell land that was being held for future school building.
Mr. Atkins : Directions under section 98 of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 are not issued where public sector owners have firm and specific plans to bring land into use for the purposes of their functions within a reasonable period.
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Palace of Westminster (Repairs)
Mr. Fishburn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the work carried out in the current year to the great clock.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : As my hon. Friend the Member for Southampton, Itchen (Mr. Chope) announced on 22 March at column 683 , the hour strike had to be taken out of action to allow essential repair work to be carried out. The chime was restored on 28 August.
The hon. Member will no doubt have noticed that the tone of the chime is lower than it was before the work started. This is mainly because the bearings which are new need time to settle in and new rubber buffers have been installed. However, a check with the archives has confirmed that the tone is identical to a recording made after similar work was carried out in 1956.
Cornish Coast (Wildlife Losses)
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many dolphins have been found dead in the area around Portreath and Newquay in the past 12 months ; and what were the causes of death.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 17 October 1990] : The British Museum (Natural History) holds a comprehensive record of confirmed reports of strandings of cetaceans around the British Coast. Its records for the past 12 months show that 28 cetaceans were found dead around the coasts of Devon and Cornwall. Of these, three were found between St. Ives and Newquay. Comparison with past records shows nothing unusual in these numbers.
Since July, a systematic study of the strandings of cetaceans has been funded by this Department with post-mortems and the taking of samples for contaminant analysis being co-ordinated by a veterinary surgeon based at London Zoo. A post mortem carried out on the only cetacean found in the Portreath/Newquay area since the co-ordinator's appointment has shown no obvious cause of death.
EC Statistics
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent action he has taken to extend the collection and publication of statistical data on the environment ; and if he will make a statement on the policies of other EC member states on the compilation and release of their environmental statistics.
Mr. Trippier [holding answer 23 October 1990] : A wide range of statistical material is published by my Department, including the annual Digest of Environmental Protection and Water Statistics. In order to bring together environmental statistics in a more coherent and comprehensive form, the Government proposed in their Environment White Paper "This Common Inheritance" to publish at regular intervals a statistical report covering a range of data on environmental topics. It is hoped that the first report will be published in 1992. Other EC countries are making similar efforts to improve the collection and dissemination of environmental statistics. All are committed, for example, to support the work of the European Environment Agency, when
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operational, to ensure that the data underpinning environmental policy are objective, comparable and reliable, at the European level.Printing (Toxicity)
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what requirements exist for the treatment of waste water to be undertaken by print workers before discharge to local sewers or natural drainage channels.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 23 October 1990] : The treatment required will depend on the terms of the trade effluent consent by the relevant sewerage undertaker or, for natural drainage channels, the terms of the discharge consent by the National Rivers Authority.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the risk to print workers posed by the discovery of the radioactive isotopes Caesium 137, Caesium 134 and Cobalt 60 in newsprint imported from Scandinavian countries since April 1986.
Mr. Forth [holding answer 23 October 1990] : I have been asked to reply.
Measurements of Caesium 137 present in paper imported from Scandinavia indicate levels of contamination little higher than those present in any natural material. This would represent only a negligible hazard to print workers handling newsprint.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has no records of measurements for Caesium 134 and Cobalt 60 in newsprint imported from Scandinavia. However, HSE can confidently state that these measurements would be less than that for Caesium 137.
EC Environmental Directives
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on European Community document 8221/90 Env 184 FIN 268 on the implementation of Council regulation (EEC) No. 2242/87 on action by the Community relating to the environment, dated 27 July.
Mr. Trippier [holding answer 23 October 1990] : The document concerned was a report by the European Commission on applications received and funding given during 1989 under the "ACE" Programme (Action by the Community relating to the Environment). An explanatory memorandum to Parliament on the document was submited by the Department of the Environment on 13 September.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what response he has made to European Commission document 8288/90 ENV 186 COM (90) 287 Final being a proposal for a Council directive harmonising and rationalising reports on the implementation of certain directives relating to the environment, dated 2 August 1990.
Mr. Trippier [holding answer 23 October 1990] : The proposal has not yet come forward for discussion in the Environment Council. We shall be submitting an explanatory memorandum on the proposal to Parliament in the near future.
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ENERGY
Electricity Privatisation
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether any of the accountancy firms criticised by Department of Trade and Industry inspectors have been advising on the electricity privatisation.
Mr. Baldry : Further to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member on 24 April 1990 at column 146, two reports of inspectors appointed under the Companies Act published since that time have contained criticisms of firms of accountants who have been appointed by the Department to advise on electricity privatisation.
Name of company, date of publication of reports and firm of accountants :
Minet Holdings plc and WMD Underwriting Agencies, 29 August, Ernst and Young.
Alexander Howden Holdings plc, 29 August, Ernst and Young/Peat Marwick McLintock and Co. Bermuda.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether any of the accountancy firms criticised by the joint disciplinary scheme have been advising on the electricity privatisation.
Mr. Baldry : Two reports, by the committee of inquiry appointed under the joint disciplinary scheme, have contained criticism of firms of accountants who have been appointed as advisers by the Department on electricity privatisation.
Name of Company, date of report and firm of accountants : Orbit Holdings Limited, 28 March 1983, Peat Marwick Mitchell and Co.
Ramor Investments Limited, 27 January 1986, Price Waterhouse.
Energy Efficiency
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what action Her Majesty's Government have taken to implement the steps proposed to urge the European Community to negotiate effective voluntary agreements on minimum standards of energy efficiency for domestic and individual appliances, as set out in paragraph C33, page 2, of annex C of the White Paper on the Environment(Cm 1200) ; (2) what studies have been undertaken or commissioned by his Department to substantiate the statement made in the White Paper on the Environment (Cm 1200) C31, page 287, that customers are unlikely to choose white domestic appliances lighting systems, central heating systems etc. on energy saving grounds ; and what additional measures are planned by his Department to increase customer awareness of energy labelling on electric goods.
Mr. Baldry : A report by independent consultants on the energy efficiency of domestic electrical appliances, commissioned by the Energy Efficiency Office, was published in September (HMSO Energy Efficiency Series No. 13). The report established the general lack of consumer interest in choosing appliances on the basis of their energy efficiency. The Energy Efficiency Office is now discussing with manufacturers, advertising agencies and consumer groups the best way to present energy information to consumers and has proposed a voluntary labelling scheme for electrical appliances.
The Energy Efficiency Office is actively participating in the EC action programme for improving the efficiency of
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electricity end use (PACE) and will be discussing information and efficiency standards for domestic electrical appliances at a workshop in Brussels next month. We are also pressing for work on labelling and standards to be carried forward under the proposed specialaction programme for vigorous energy efficiency (SAVE).Renewable Energy
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will set out each of the steps taken since May 1979 to publicise the availability of finance for renewable energy from the European Community and the efforts made to encourage British companies to take advantage of such opportunities, to which reference is made in paragraph C.58, page 291, of annex C of the White Paper on the Environment (Cm 1200).
Mr. Moynihan : The Department of Energy has publicised the availability of financial support from the European Community for the research development and demonstration of renewable energy technologies since their programmes began in 1983-84. In 1989, the latest year for which figures are available, 54 United Kingdom companies and universities successfully participated in these programmes with our active encouragement. For the 1991 call for proposals the Department has so far distributed over 30,000 leaflets, mounted nine seminars throughout the United Kingdom, and responded to more than 300 requests for detailed information.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will set out the methods by which Her Majesty's Government intend to reinforce their existing programme for demonstrating renewable technologies ; how muchadditional moneys will be made available per annum to achieve this reinforcement ; and what criteria will be adopted by his Department to judge which renewable energy technologies will receive support under the initiative at paragraph C.48, page 290 of annex C of the White Paper on the Environment (Cm. 1200).
Mr. Moynihan : In the light of the White Paper on the Environment my Department's renewable energy strategy, as published in Energy Paper 55, is to be reviewed and updated during 1991. Methods, resources and criteria for support will be addressed in that comprehensive review.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the establishment of the new ministerial committee on energy efficiency foreshadowed in paragraph 5-32, page 70 of the White Paper on the Environment (Cm. 1200).
Mr. Wakeham : The ministerial committee on energy efficiency aims to raise the profile of energy efficiency by working with Government Departments, local authorities and organisations representing energy users in all sectors of the economy to stimulate improvements. The first meeting of the committee was held on 17 October. I asked my colleagues to : develop initiatives to raise awareness of the potential for energy saving and to draw attention to the energy efficiency measures that can be taken and the Government services to promote them ; to intensify the campaign to improve energy efficiency on the Government estate ; and to report on how they and their Departments will take forward the initiatives announced in the White Paper on the Environment.
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