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Date ---------------------------------------------------- 23 to 31 March |Otterburn Range 15 to 19 May |Salisbury Plain 13 to 19 July |Mid Wales 17 to 21 July |East Lothian 30 July to 4 August |Otterburn Range
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the purpose of the fast jet low-flying activity scheduled to take place on Saturday 21 and
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Sunday 22 October in northern England and south-east Scotland ; what types of aircraft and which units were involved ; how many sorties took place on each day ; and if the Spadeadam range was specially activated for the exercise.Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Low flying was exceptionally authorised on the weekend of 20-21 October for Jaguar aircrew conducting training connected with our current commitment in the Gulf. However, in the event bad weather forced all the sorties to be flown at medium level, and no use was made of Spadeadam range.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to publish the results of the military aircraft noise survey held at RAF West Freugh earlier this year.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : I refer the hon. Member to the reply which my hon. Friend the Member for Romford (Mr. Neubert) gave to the hon. Member for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley (Mr. Foulkes) on 13 June 1990 at column 241.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the types of stores or materials which military aircraft are permitted to drop within the Spadeadam range area.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Within the Spadeadam range area aircraft are permitted to drop small amounts of chaff. In addition, the range is cleared, up to a maximum of 28 days per year, to allow the dropping of practice bombs on Wiley Sike (an air weapons range within the Spadeadam range).
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the areas of the United Kingdom where military aircraft are permitted to release infra-red decoy flares.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Military aircraft are not normally permitted to release infra-red decoys over the land anywhere in the United Kingdom, but may do so over the sea when clear of shipping or other hazards.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the purpose of the recent changes made to the southern boundary of the Spadeadam area of intense aerial activity ; and whether concomitant changes have been made to the southern boundary of low flying area 13.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The United Kingdom low flying system is continuously monitored and changes are made where necessary to spread low- flying more evenly and enhance flight safety while at the same time reducing, where possible, disturbance to those on the ground. The southern boundaries of low-flying area 13 and the Spadeadam area of intense air activity remain coincident.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the areas of the United Kingdom where military aircraft are permitted to dispense chaff.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The dispensing of chaff in the United Kingdom by military aircraft is strictly controlled and is generally carried out over the sea. Over land military aircraft are permitted to dispense small quantities of chaff when operating at the electronic warfare training range at Spadeadam.
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Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to introduce a limit on the number of military aircraft permitted to operate in low flying area 16 at any one time.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The United Kingdom low-flying system is kept under constant review but there are no such plans at present.
Borders Tactical Training Area
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the Borders tactical training area first came into use.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The Borders tactical training area was formally incorporated in the United Kingdom low-flying system in 1984.
Military Hospitals
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the consequences for military hospitals of the preparations for the outbreak of hostilities in the Gulf.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The medical support to the Gulf has been drawn in part from all the service hospitals in the United Kingdom. The Cambridge military hospital at Aldershot, together with the Queen Elizabeth military hospital, Woolwich and the Princess Mary's RAF hospital at Halton, are not accepting new NHS patients other than for maternity and paediatrics and oncology at Halton. The remaining five hospitals at Catterick, Wroughton, Ely, Haslar and Plymouth are still accepting NHS patients, but on a reduced scale. Discussions have been held between officials of the Ministry of Defence and Department of Health on how alternative provision can best be made for the NHS patients affected by these changes.
Options for Change"
Mr. Viggers : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress in considering the "Options For Change" policy which was announced on 25 July.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Gateshead, East (Ms. Quin) on 30 October at column 501.
Atlantic Conveyor
Mr. Prescott : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what compensation was paid for the loss of the Atlantic Conveyor in the Falklands war.
Mr. McLoughlin : I have been asked to reply.
A payment of £9.3 million in respect of the loss of the Atlantic Conveyor was made from the marine and aviation insurance (war risks) fund under the Government's war risks insurance arrangements.
EMPLOYMENT
Sheltered Placement Schemes
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities about the
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failure to expand the number of sheltered placements schemes ; what assurances the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities has sought about future policy ; and what replies he has sent.Mr. Jackson : My right hon. and learned Friend has received a copy of a letter from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on this issue, and a reply will be sent shortly. A further letter has been received by the Employment Service's assistant resettlement adviser for Scotland. The convention has sought the assistance of the Department in ensuring that the sheltered placement scheme expands wherever desirable in the interests of the employment of people with disabilities. The Government remain committed to the scheme.
Departmental Reorganisation
Mr. Robert Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what organisations and sections within his Department presently being housed in London are being considered for dispersal to provincial areas.
Mr. Jackson : On 2 August 1989 my predecessor announced that 1,100 posts from my Department's headquarters, the Training Agency's head office and the Employment Service head office would be moved to Runcorn--800--and Sheffield--300.
Relocation is kept under constant review and, as a result, I have decided that a further 90 posts from the Employment Service will also be relocated to Sheffield.
Employers (Prosecutions)
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment in which year an employer was last prosecuted for (a) illegal underpayment of wages, (b) failure to produce records and (c) producing false records.
Mr. Forth : Employers have been prosecuted on one or more of these charges during the course of 1990.
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of civil proceedings taken by the wages inspectorate in Scotland in each year from 1979 to 1989 inclusive.
Mr. Forth : Two civil proceeding cases were taken by the wages inspectorate in Scotland between 1979 and 1989 ; both were in 1984.
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of cases in Scotland passed by the wages inspectorate to the procurator fiscal for consideration or prosecution in each year from 1985 to 1989 ; and if he will indicate for the cases where there was decision not to prosecute, the reasons for these decisions.
Mr. Forth : No cases were passed to the procurator fiscal during the period specified.
Channel Tunnel
Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the prosecution of the five companies forming Translink Joint Venture concerning the death of Keith Lynch on10 January during construction of the channel tunnel.
Mr. Forth : On 12 October 1990 the Health and Safety Executive announced its decision to prosecute Translink
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Joint Venture for an alleged breach of Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 following the investigation into the circumstances which led to the death of Keith Lynch on 10 January. The case is due to be heard before Dover and East Kent magistrates court on12 December 1990.Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will detail the prosecutions against the five companies forming Translink Joint Venture, the British half of the Anglo-French consortium Transmanche Link, building the channel tunnel ; and in each case itemise the outcome of each prosecution and Government action taken as a result of the outcome.
Mr. Forth : The Health and Safety Executive has successfully prosecuted the five constituent companies of Translink Joint Venture (TJV) on three occasions :
(i) on 26 July 1988 at Canterbury Crown court total fines of £8,750 and costs of approximately £7,500 were imposed for breaches of sections 2 and 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974--HSW--and the Construction (General Provisions) Regulations 1961. This followed HSE's investigation into an incident on 2 December 1987 when four eight-ton railway wagons ran 300m down an adit into the tunnel workings ;
(ii) on 16 November 1988, Dover magistrates court imposed fines totalling £20,000 and costs of £500 for breaches of sections 2 and 3 of the HSW Act arising out of HSE's investigation into an incident underground on 5 April 1988 when a cylinder of liquefied petroleum gas was hit and punctured by a train ;
(iii) on 26 March 1990 at Maidstone Crown court fines totalling £50,000 and costs of nearly £6,000 were imposed for a breach of section 2 of the HSW Act following HSE's investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of David Symes on 6 February 1990.
The HSE's prosecution of TJV for alleged breaches of section 2 of the HSW Act following the investigation into the death of Gary Woodward on 23 October 1989, the third site fatality, is before the courts. The HSE is also prosecuting Robbins-Markham joint venture companies--suppliers of the tunnel boring machine--for an alleged breach of section 3 of the HSW Act. On 24 October 1990 Dover magistrates committed these cases to Maidstone Crown court. On 12 October the HSE announced its decision to prosecute TJV for an alleged breach of section 2 of the HSW Act following the investigation into the death of Keith Lynch, the fourth site fatality, on 10 January 1990. The case is due to be heard before Dover and East Kent magistrates court on 12 December 1990.
It is the duty of the Health and Safety Executive to make arrangements to enforce the 1974 Act. When investigating accidents or other incidents, HSE inspectors will ensure that the firms concerned take prompt remedial action to prevent any recurrence. Such action is not linked to the outcome of a particular prosecution.
Temporary Work Sites
Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the European Community directive on temporary and mobile work sites.
Mr. Forth : I refer the hon. Member to the explanatory memorandum on the directive which was submitted to the House by the Department on 12 October 1990. Copies of the memorandum are available from the Vote Office.
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Beryllium
Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution will conduct an evaluation of the safety practices currently in place for the transport, storage and fabrication of the metal beryllium.
Mr. Forth : No. A number of regulations have been made under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 which specify the precautions necessary during the transport, storage and fabrication of hazardous substances such as beryllium. Additionally, occupational exposure to beryllium is currently under review by the Health and Safety Commission's advisory committee on toxic substances.
Profile Training, Bradford
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what financial monitoring has been carried out by the training agency of Profile Training, Bradford ; whether all the sub-contractors to Profile Training have been paid ; and how much has been paid by the training agency to Profile Training for 1990.
Mr. Jackson : Financial monitoring was carried out in accordance with the Training Agency's system of financial appraisal and monitoring which is designed to protect public funds and reduce the risk of fraud. Details of financial arrangements between the Training Agency and training managers and between training managers and their sub-contractors are commercial and are treated in confidence.
Labour Statistics
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many redundancies have been notified in the Bradford travel-to-work area during 1990 to the most recent practicable date in textiles, engineering, machine tools, steel fabrication and welding, textile engineering, building, electrical engineering and transport.
Mr. Forth : Figures on notification of redundancies are not held for areas smaller than economic regions.
Astra Training Services Ltd.
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the value of the freehold sites transferred to Astra Training Services Ltd. ; how many employees have been made redundant from all sites ; what provision has been made by his Department for redundant persons ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Jackson : The Government appointed King and Co. to value the Skills Training Agency estate prior to the sale of STA to the private sector. The acquisition of Astra of 28 freehold sites formed part of their overall sale package which involved a payment from the Government to Astra of some £10.7 million.
As the hon. Member was informed on 21 May 1990, staffing levels in parts of STA which have been sold to the private sector are a matter for the new purchasers. Most of these purchasers have made it clear that they will need to restructure the businesses to secure commercial viability.
Staff in the parts of STA which were not included in sale packages have been redeployed as far as possible but some
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redundancies were inevitable. Sixty five staff in instructional officer grades in the unsold sites of STA have accepted voluntary redundancy and 41 staff in industrial and support grades in these unsold units have been made redundant.My Department has reached agreement with trade unions that preferential consideration for reinstatement in the Employment Department group will be given to certain staff employed in STA immediately before sale if they are made redundant in the private sector within three years of sale.
Community Programme
Mr. Fraser : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many community programme projects have been adapted to employment training initiatives ; and what moneys are spent in providing the community with those benefits such as child care which are not directly part of employment training programmes but which were formerly an aspect of the community programmes.
Mr. Jackson : All community programme providers were encouraged to enter employment training. Information is not available on the number of specific projects which carried over from the community programme to employment training, and on moneys spent on community services like child care, which were previously funded under the community programme.
Long-term Unemployment
Mr. Ian Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any further plans to develop his Department's services for the long- term unemployed ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Howard : Over the last few months I have been reviewing the wide range of help my Department offers through training and employment service to long-term unemployed people. The number of those unemployed for over six months has fallen by 60 per cent. since April 1986. Our measures have played an important part in this very substantial fall, but there is always scope for further refinement, better targeting and the introduction of new approaches.
Already this year I have announced the introduction of new "back to work" plans for each unemployed person ; the establishment of a unified advisory service within the Employment Service to enhance the effectiveness of the support it can provide ; extra intensive counselling and advice for those who have been unemployed for two years or more ; more systematic follow-up of those who do not take up places on our programmes even though they have agreed to do so ; our intention to require those who have been out of work for two years or more and persistently refuse help in finding work to attend a restart course designed to build confidence and motivation by identifying capabilities and strengths.
I am also asking the chief executive of the Employment Service to develop further a number of its existing initiatives for the long-term unemployed, to increase the number of people helped by job clubs, in particular specialist job clubs for people with particular difficulties ; extend the job interview guarantee programme which offers the long-term unemployed a range of help in competing better in the labour market and which has been successfully piloted in a number of inner city areas over the
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last year ; develop the work being done to provide support for one-off projects to help disadvantaged groups back to work.AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Seaside Rock
Mr. Atkinson : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the food safety of seaside rock.
Mr. Maclean : I am not aware of any issues of food safety. But if there are any questions raised on the safety of seaside rock my scientists in the food safety directorate would be happy to investigate them.
Bees
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to ensure that health requirements on the importation of bees are sufficient to prevent the introduction of varroa to this country.
Mr. Maclean : Our aim is to keep this country free of varroasis. The Importation of Bees Order 1980 prohibits imports of honey bees except under licence from countries of high bee health status which are free from varroasis.
France (Livestock Exports)
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the recent incidents in France relating to the import of British livestock ; and what action he has taken.
Mr. Curry : My colleagues and I have made it absolutely clear to the French Government and in the Council of Agriculture Ministers that we totally condemn the incidents in France involving attacks on imported livestock and carcases. As a result of our sustained pressure, the French authorities expressed their determination to maintain law and order and to take action against those concerned in the incidents. They have also said that they will compensate for financial losses arising as a direct result of the incidents. We remain determined to ensure the safety and free passage of animals, drivers and goods. We shall continue to monitor the situation and will not hesitate to raise the matter again with the French authorities if further incidents threaten our trade.
Food Imports
Sir Richard Body : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make representations to the Commission of the European Community about the dumping of pork by Germany on to the United Kingdom market.
Mr. Curry : Despite persistent rumours to the contrary, imports of pigmeat from Germany on to the United Kingdom market have remained at similar levels to last year. Stocks of pigmeat in ex-German Democratic Republic territories are being exported to eastern Europe.
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Green Pound
Mr. Moate : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement showing the extent of progress so far achieved in eliminating the green pound.
Mr. Curry : The green pound devaluations agreed at the price fixing have reduced our monetary gaps considerably. On the basis of the position at the time of the price fixing, the changes to MCAs would have been, for cereals, a reduction from 19.7 per cent. to 8 per cent., for milk from 18.8 per cent. to 11.1 per cent. and for beef from 15 per cent. to 5.8 per cent. In fact, by 29 October, these MCAs had been reduced to 3.8 per cent. for milk and 1 per cent. for cereals and had been removed altogether for beef.
We remain committed to the elimination of all MCAs and monetary gaps by the end of 1992 at the latest. Joining the exchange rate mechanism is a further step towards this goal.
Salmon
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to lay the report on his review of salmon net fishing before the House.
Mr. Curry : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which was given to my hon. Friend the Member for Tynemouth (Mr. Trotter) on 15 October, Official Report, column 765.
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information is available to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland about the presence of dichlorvos in salmon.
Mr. Curry : A survey was carried out by this Department between 1987 and 1989. Ninety-two salmon samples were obtained from farms, processors and markets. No residues of dichlorvos were detected.
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he intends to respond to the Select Committee on agriculture's report on BSE.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has on the absence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy from the cattle populations of other European Community countries.
Mr. Speller : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in respect of which European Community countries his Department has evidence of the existence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
Mr. Maclean : Since 1 April this year, member states have been required under European community law to notify the Commission of any cases of BSE in their territory. To date the disease has been reported only in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland.
Mink Farms
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether his Ministry carries out any tests on farmed mink to determine whether they are infected with transmissible mink encephalopathy or any other encephalopathy.
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Mr. Maclean : The Ministry's veterinary investigation service can provide histopathological diagnosis on farmed mink if requested to do so. Transmissible mink encephalopathy has not been recorded in the United Kingdom.Bird Quarantine
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on his meeting with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds to discuss its response to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food report, "Bird Mortality Statistics for Quarantine Returns".
Mr. Maclean : I understand that officials in the Department had a constructive meeting with a representative from the RSPB on 20 September, and that he was satisfied with the measures being taken and proposed by the Ministry in connection with welfare during transport and conditions at quarantine premises. The Ministry agreed to consider suggestions on improving the content and presentation of the mortality statistics.
Straw and Stubble
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what consultations he has had with the Health and Safety Executive, local authorities and the emergency services in respect of introducing legislation governing the height, size and distance from living premises for the storing and stacking of straw and stubble after the straw and stubble burning legislation comes into effect in 1992 ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) what legislation is to be enacted by 1992 governing the height, size and distance from the living premises for straw and haystacks ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Curry : The regulations which my right hon. Friend the Minister proposes to introduce following the enactment of the Environmental Protection Bill will prohibit the burning of crop residues, subject to limited
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exemptions, and will specify the conditions under which any exempted burning may be carried out. We will be consulting widely on the proposed regulations.The safety aspects of stacking and storing of straw and hay are matters for the Health and Safety Executive and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Employment.
Intervention Stocks
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, further to his answer to the hon. Member for South Shields on 25 October, Official Report, Column 312, if he will give the latest estimates for the amounts of (a) skimmed milk powder, (b) butter, (c) beef and (d) cereals in (i) public and (ii) private intervention in (1) the United Kingdom and (2) the European Community beyond those currently deposited in the Library.
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