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Mr. Grist : I shall write to the hon. Gentleman and place a copy of my reply in the Library of the House.
A470
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list in the Official Report all those road improvement schemes whose cost is estimated to be in excess of £1 million, on the A470 north-south trunk road in Wales, which are currently either committed, at planning stage or in the preparation pool, indicating for each scheme (a) the approximate length of roadway involved, (b) the standard of road after improvement, and (c) the approximate date or latest information when it is hoped the work will commence.
Sir Wyn Roberts : The following schemes are under construction, all to single carriageway standard :
|Length (Miles)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Llanidloes bypass |2.5
Brecon bypass-Felinfach |1.4
Junction Improvements South of Llangurig |0.8
Details of schemes in the forward programme are shown in "Roads in Wales : Progress and Plans for the 1990s".
A487
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list all those road improvement schemes whose cost is estimated to be in excess of £1 million, on the 487 north-south trunk road in Wales, which are currently either committed, at planning stage or in the preparation pool, indicating for each scheme (a) the approximate length of roadway involved, (b) the standard of road after improvements and (c) the approximate date or latest information, when it is hoped the work will commence.
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Sir Wyn Roberts : Cardigan bypass, a 1.5 mile single carriageway scheme, is under construction. Details of schemes in the forward programme are shown in "Roads in Wales : Progress and Plans for the 1990s".Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what date a public participation exercise took place at Caernarfon for improvements to Port Seiont on the A487 trunk road ; on what date a preferred route was announced ; when work will commence on this scheme ; and when it is expected to be completed.
Sir Wyn Roberts : The public participation exercise was held in 1977 and the preferred route announced in 1979. Details of the scheme are contained in "Roads in Wales : Progress and Plans for the 1990s". The concept of the scheme is currently under review. Construction is expected to take around two years.
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when the Felinheli (Port Dinorwic) bypass on the A487 was first placed in the Welsh Office trunk road preparation poll, and at what estimated cost ; and what is his latest estimate of commencement date, completion date and cost for this scheme.
Sir Wyn Roberts : A scheme for bypassing Port Dinorwic was first announced in 1974, and costed in 1975 at some £4.4 milion. The scheme has subsequently been substantially modified ; details are set out in "Roads in Wales : Progress and Plans for the 1990s".
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when his Department first drew up plans for the widening and provision of a pavement between Caernarfon and on the Bontnewlydd A487 trunk road ; when this work is expected to be undertaken ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Wyn Roberts : Following investigatory work the county surveyor was invited to prepare a scheme in October 1982. There is an outstanding objection to the draft compulsory purchase order. A start of works is unlikely before 1993.
M4
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what, in the context of his Department's plans for improving road links between the M4 and Aberystwyth, is the official route designated for such improvement ; whether this entails the designation of any new stretches of trunk road ; and what is the target date for completing such improvements.
Sir Wyn Roberts : The main trunk road link is the A470 and A44 via Llangurig. Selective improvements to the A470 route are planned, as indicated in "Roads in Wales : Progress and Plans for the 1990s". There are no plans to add to the trunk road network.
Mr. Murphy : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects the Baglan-M4 link to be completed.
Sir Wyn Roberts : I expect the M4 Baglan-Lonlas to be completed by 1995.
Roads (Fishguard)
Mr. Murphy : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what progress has been made with regard to improving road conditions in Fishguard.
Column 548
Sir Wyn Roberts : We have consulted the public on proposals for road improvements in West street, Fishguard, and a possible future bypass. We have separately consulted councils and representatives of residents' associations regarding proposals for a relief road at Lower Town. The responses to both consultations are being carefully considered and I hope to be in a position to make a decision in the near future.
Roads and Bridges
Mr. Murphy : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to increase funding available for local authority roads and bridges in Wales.
Sir Wyn Roberts : My right hon. Friend hopes to announce details of central Government support in the revenue support grant and local authority capital settlements shortly.
Llanidloes Bypass
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what date the Llanidloes bypass was first placed in the Welsh Office trunk road preparation pool, and at what estimated cost ; and what is the latest estimate of the completion date of this scheme, and at what cost.
Sir Wyn Roberts : A scheme for bypassing Llanidloes was first announced in 1969, at a cost of £0.3 million (1969 prices). The scheme was subsequently modified, and is due to be completed in early 1991 at a cost of some £7.5 million.
Community Care
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 26 October, Official Report, column 321, on community care implementation, when he expects to send the hon. Member for Cardiff, South and Penarth the material referred to in that reply ; and when he intends to place a copy in the Library.
Mr. Grist : This material was sent to the House of Commons Library in September and is available there to Members on request.
Secure Accommodation
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answers of 18 October, Official Report, column 870, and 22 October, Official Report, column 25, about secure accommodation in Wales, when he intends to provide the hon. Member with the appendices referred to in his letters dated October 1990 ; and when he intends to place a copy of those appendices in the Library.
Mr. Grist : A copy of the appendices was sent to the hon. Gentleman on Tuesday 30 October 1990 and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.
Local Management of Schools
Mr. Murphy : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received about the impact of local management of schools on smaller secondary schools in Wales.
Sir Wyn Roberts : My right hon. Friend continues to receive representations from individual school governors and school governing bodies. Many of these welcome the opportunities which delegated budgeting brings to them.
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School and College Governors (Resignation)
Mr. Murphy : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many school and college governors in Wales have resigned since the introduction of the Education Reform Act.
Sir Wyn Roberts : This information is not available.
National Library of Wales
Mr. Murphy : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what action he intends to take as a result of the recent Welsh Office inspection of and report on the national library of Wales.
Sir Wyn Roberts : In accordance with the normal procedures for dealing with staff inspection reports, the report has been sent to the national library for comment. No decisions will be taken until consultation with staff at the Library is completed and the Library's management have discussed the report's recommendation with officials of the Department.
Local Government Finance
Mr. Gwilym Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales at what level he proposes to set the totals of revenue support grant and the distributable amount of non-domestic rates for Welsh local authorities in 1991-92.
Mr. David Hunt : I announced on 23 July that I proposed to set the total of aggregate external finance--the level of central Government support for local authority revenue spending--at £1,939 million, an increase of 11.2 per cent. over the comparable level for 1990-91. This support comprises three component elements : the NNDR distributable amount, the total of relevant specific grants, and revenue support grant.
My officials are today sending to Welsh local authorities for purposes of consultation my proposals for these component amounts. I am placing a copy of that letter in the Library. I intend to specify as the distributable amount from the non-domestic rating pool £525 million. In arriving at that amount I have estimated that the Welsh national non-domestic rate multiplier for 1991-92 will be 40.8p ; but my final decision on this must await parliamentary approval of the Welsh revenue support grant report.
I am proposing that relevant specific grants towards local authority revenue expenditure will total £174.6 million. Details of the proposed distribution of that total among the various specific grants are set out in the consultation letter.
I further propose that the total of revenue support grant should be £1,239.4 million, of which I propose that £1,238.2 million should be paid to Welsh county and district councils and £1.2 million should be paid to certain specified bodies, in the amounts shown in the consultation letter.
I will shortly be notifying the Welsh local authority associations of my proposals for the distribution and population reports.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has proposals for community charge capping of Welsh authorities in 1991-92.
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Mr. David Hunt : I have today written to the Welsh local authority associations about their budgets for 1991-92. I am placing a copy of that letter in the Library.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will announce the results of consultation on "The Standard Community Charge and Other Matters : A Consultation Paper for Wales" ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. David Hunt : I indicated to the House on 23 July that I was consulting on a number of changes which I proposed to make in Wales as a result of our review of the operation of the community charge. A copy of the consultation paper was placed in the Library of the House.
In Wales, 22 responses were received from local authorities and other interested organisations and individuals. The proposals contained in the consultation paper were generally welcomed, and, in the light of those responses, I will be introducing regulations shortly to bring the changes into effect.
There is only one substantive change to the proposals concerning the standard community charge. I have decided that, in the case of the proposals relating to people who are subject to the standard community charge but who have their sole or main residence in job-related accommodation, the maximum multiplier should be a half, rather than one. All other maximum multipliers for the standard charge will be set as proposed. The regulations will take effect from 1 April 1991.
Further regulations will be brought forward to implement the proposals on billing following a change of address, costs of summonses, notifications of entry on the community charge register and attachment of earnings orders. Regulations to implement the proposals on foreign language assistants are already in force. I also intend to implement the proposal, which was widely welcomed, whereby additional protection will be given to occupiers of small composite properties--such as the shop with living accommodation over--in respect of their business rate liabilities. From 1991-92 the maximum year- on-year increase in real terms in the business rate for these properties will be 10 per cent. rather than 15 per cent. at present.
A further announcement will be made about the treatment of bed-and- breakfast accommodation in the rating system, following consideration of the responses to the recent separate consultation exercise.
Homelessness
Mr. Murphy : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people are homeless in Wales.
Mr. Grist : The number of persons within households accepted as homeless during 1989 was 19,168.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Overseas Visitors
Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of visitors to the United Kingdom admitted in each quarter of 1990 showing the numbers by country of embarkation.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The available information is by nationality and is given in the following table. Information for the third quarter of 1990 is not yet available.
Column 551
Ordinary and business visitors admitted to the United Kingdom
by nationality, first half of 1990
Geographical region/Nationality Total visitor admissions<1>
|1st quarter |2nd quarter
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Western Europe
(excluding EC)
Austria |20,000 |36,900
Cyprus |6,130 |7,200
Finland |25,300 |38,100
Malta |7,030 |7,390
Norway |51,900 |68,600
Sweden |90,000 |129,000
Switzerland |41,000 |76,500
Turkey |9,570 |11,200
Yugoslavia |9,160 |12,100
Western Europe |------- |-------
(excluding EC) |260,000 |387,000
Eastern Europe
Bulgaria |1,750 |1,580
Czechoslovakia |3,320 |6,470
German Democratic Republic |2,010 |6,910
Hungary |3,540 |6,000
Poland |6,600 |10,200
Romania |930 |1,460
USSR |5,510 |8,240
|------- |-------
Eastern Europe |23,600 |40,900
Europe
(excluding EC) |284,000 |428,000
Americas
Argentina |3,370 |5,280
Barbados |470 |1,500
Brazil |12,200 |14,000
Canada |67,900 |157,000
Chile |1,470 |2,420
Colombia |1,630 |4,120
Cuba |200 |130
Guyana |520 |880
Jamaica |2,450 |4,940
Mexico |3,740 |9,420
Peru |1,090 |1,660
Trinidad and Tobago |1,150 |2,710
USA |362,000 |686,000
Uruguay |700 |1,280
Venezuela |1,150 |2,000
Americas |460,000 |894,000
Africa
Algeria |3,760 |2,860
Egypt |4,680 |6,870
Ethiopia |900 |1,350
Ghana |3,950 |5,210
Kenya |3,530 |6,360
Libya |410 |500
Mauritius |1,990 |4,160
Morocco |3,060 |2,160
Nigeria |15,000 |17,800
Sierra Leone |990 |1,310
Somalia |220 |350
South Africa |15,300 |32,200
Sudan |1,410 |3,980
Tanzania |1,580 |2,700
Tunisia |1,540 |1,020
Uganda |1,250 |1,690
Zambia |2,230 |2,400
Zimbabwe |3,270 |5,870
|------- |-------
Africa |65,100 |98,000
|------- |-------
Asia
Indian sub-continent
Bangladesh |1,860 |3,200
India |22,700 |58,700
Pakistan |10,900 |20,600
|------- |-------
Indian sub-continent |35,400 |82,500
|------- |-------
Middle East
Iran |5,190 |6,390
Iraq |4,190 |6,300
Israel |16,400 |21,000
Jordan |4,240 |3,550
Kuwait |4,160 |6,040
Lebanon |3,090 |4,140
Saudi Arabia |4,920 |7,320
Syria |450 |610
|------- |-------
Middle East |42,600 |55,400
Remainder of Asia
China |2,000 |2,740
Indonesia |1,520 |4,950
Japan |155,000 |120,000
Malaysia |6,220 |14,600
Philippines |2,090 |7,170
Singapore |4,280 |15,400
Sri Lanka |2,080 |3,870
Thailand |2,870 |9,320
BDTC Hong Kong |7,430 |12,000
|------- |-------
Remainder of Asia |183,000 |190,000
|------- |-------
Asia |261,000 |328,000
|------- |-------
Australasia
Australia |45,400 |106,000
New Zealand |8,580 |27,800
|------- |-------
Australasia |54,000 |134,000
|------- |-------
British Overseas Citizens |1,440 |2,160
|------- |-------
Other countries not elsewhere specified |25,800 |40,600
|------- |-------
Stateless |9,770 |20,000
|------- |-------
All Nationalities (excluding EC) |1,160,000 |1,950,000
Ford Open Prison
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what limitations are placed upon the use of telephones in Ford open prison.
Mrs. Rumbold : Ford prison is an open establishment where all inmates are able to make telephone calls to family and friends. There are eight telephone card booths available for use by inmates between 0745 to 2100 daily. Prisoners are allowed up to a maximum of seven £2 telephone cards at any time.
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions since being imprisoned Mr. Gerald Ronson has been given permission to travel beyond the prison limits, and for what reasons.
Mrs. Rumbold : Since Mr. Gerald Ronson was convicted he has been temporarily released from Ford open prison on one occasion, on 18 October to see his own doctor for an ongoing medical problem.
Column 553
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department under what circumstances business interests can be pursued by prisoners detained in Her Majesty's prisons.Mrs. Rumbold : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Great Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell) on 15 October at column 725.
Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison officers knew that Mr. Gerald Ronson was to see his doctor in London on 18 October ; and how many knew the name of the doctor and the location of his practice.
Mrs. Rumbold : The information that Gerald Ronson was to be temporarily released on 18 October was recorded on the prison "daily movements" list and would therefore have been available to all members of staff at Ford.
The information about his destination was known to those members of staff involved in his temporary release.
Prisons
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number of inmates in prisons in England and Wales who have internal sanitation within their cells as of 1 October ; what was the number on 1 October 1985 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : As at 8 July 1990, the latest date for which information is available, 24,175 prison places, or about 55 per cent. had access to night sanitation. Of these, 11,608 places had lavatories in cells ; the remainder had access through electronic locking systems or unrestricted access.
Similar information is not available for October 1985, but in February 1986, 19,200 places, or 47 per cent., had access to night sanitation.
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is the present number of applicants from inmates in prisons in England and Wales seeking transfers to an open prison ; what has been the average waiting time for transfer once it has been approved ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) for the Home Department what is the policy of his Department as to the transfer of inmates from one prison to another in England and Wales who are not regarded as either a security or disciplinary risk ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : The prison service seeks to transfer prisoners to appropriate conditions and locations as soon as possible after they have been sentenced. Some low-risk prisoners may be retained to help with the day-to-day operation of a higher-security establishment. Details of the number of prisoners who are awaiting transfer to open conditions, and waiting times, are not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the number of new prisons opened in England and Wales ; what is the approved staffing levels of such prisons in each of the last five years ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : The eight new prisons opened in the last five years, together with their current target staffing levels
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for officer grades, including principal and senior officers and specialists, and the complements for other staff are listed in the table :
Establishment |Opening | Officer |Other staff
|date |target |complement
|staffing
|level
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Wayland |1985 |152 |98
Stocken |1985 |130 |94.5
Thorn Cross |1985 |81 |56.5
Full Sutton |1987 |389 |128.5
Littlehey |1988 |155 |108
The Mount |1988 |171 |89.5
Swaleside |1988 |204 |101.5
Garth |1988 |210 |116
The historical data requested are not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his Department's policy on deciding the location for visits between prison inmates ; what steps are taken to minimise the amount of travelling involved and escort costs ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : Each case is considered individually. Governors are encouraged to minimise travelling distances and costs, and wherever possible to use established escorting links between prisons. Prisoners may be temporarily transferred to the establishment in which their relative is being held, or to one nearby, so that the distance for individual escorts is kept to a minimum. It is sometimes possible to use an established interchange centre as the location for a visit, the prisoners concerned being returned to their establishments the same day.
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what surveys have been undertaken at prisons in England and Wales built over 80 years ago and for which plans for the installation of internal sanitation are being considered to ensure that the existing sewer system within the prison is capable of taking the proposed new internal system ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : Surveys have been carried out on the extent and condition of sewers and drains at all prisons over 80 years old, for which there are plans to install integral sanitation. As detailed plans are drawn up for each scheme further surveys are being undertaken as necessary, to ensure the additional sanitary facilities are able to function properly.
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by whom the allocation of long-term inmates is decided ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : Until recently, this was a matter for prison service regional directors, with the exception of life sentence and security category A prisoners who were allocated centrally. Since 25 September, following reorganisation in which prison service regions have now been abolished, the allocation of prisoners sentenced to 10 years or more is determined centrally within the directorate of custody. Shorter sentence prisoners are allocated at establishment level by staff in local prisons.
Column 555
Prison Hospitals
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of agency nurses employed in prison hospitals on 1 October ; what rates of pay they were being paid ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : Agency nurses are employed by the prison service as a means of filling posts temporarily during periods of acute staffing difficulty when redeployment is not an available option. About 55 posts were wholly or partially covered by agency staff on 1 October. Agency charges vary and information about the charges met by individual establishments is not held centrally. Establishments are encouraged to seek value for money in the purchase of such services.
Age of Consent
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any plans to bring in legislation to ensure that the age of consent for sex between (a) homosexuals, (b) lesbians and (c) heterosexuals is the same ; what is the present minimum age of consent ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. John Patten : A homosexual act between two consenting men in private is not an offence if both parties have attained the age of 21 years. Sexual intercourse with a girl below the age of 16 years is an offence. Below that age a girl cannot in law give any consent which would prevent a lesbian act from being charged as an indecent assault.
We have no plans at all to amend the law in this area.
Community Charge Liability Orders
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many poll tax liability orders have been granted by magistrates courts in England and Wales at the latest available date ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. John Patten : Information on the number of liability orders made by magistrates courts is not yet available centrally. An analysis of initial returns from justices' clerks covering the period April to September inclusive is likely to be available before the end of the year.
British Broadcasting Corporation
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will publish a table showing the income earned by the BBC from subscription in each of the last three years.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : I understand that the BBC has not yet earned any money from subscription.
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it is his intention to publish in full the completed report of the consultancy into the future level of the BBC licence fee.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : A decision on possible publication of the report will be made when it becomes available.
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will vary the terms of reference of the consultancy into the BBC licence fee to assess whether,
Column 556
as well as how, future increases in the television licence fee can be set below the level of inflation measured by the retail prices index.Mr. Peter Lloyd : No. Work has already begun under the published terms of reference.
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any plans to make an ex-gratia payment to the BBC towards the costs incurred by reporting events from the Gulf.
Marriage Guidance
Mr. Ian Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current level of grant provided annually by his Department to the marriage guidance counselling services ; and what plans he has to review the level of assistance.
Mr. John Patten : The grants in aid to marriage guidance organisations for the present financial year are :
|£
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Relate |<1>1,306,840
Tavistock Institute of Marital Studies |329,440
Catholic Marriage Advisory Council |131,100
Family Welfare Association |20,140
One Plus One [Formerly the Marriage Research Centre] |14,650
<1> including a special grant of £300,000
Their review is under consideration.
Somalia
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the current situation of Somali citizens awaiting entry into the United Kingdom.
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