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Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he next intends to introduce an order under the Electricity Act in respect of permitted generating capacity from renewable energy sources.
Mr. Baldry : My right hon. Friend intends to bring forward the first additional order for the non-fossil fuel obligation in respect of renewables next year.
Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation
Mr. Barron : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what action he is taking to review the basis on which the Director General of Electricity Supply determined the inclusion of particular schemes in the non-fossil fuel obligation.
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Mr. Baldry : The object of the director general's review of the schemes submitted to him was to assess whether they were likely to be capable of being qualifying arrangements, under the provisions of section 33 of the Electricity Act 1989, for the purpose of the renewables order that the Secretary of State proposed to make. The Government have no plans to amend those provisions.
Non-Fossil Purchasing Agency
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he next expects to meet the 12 chairmen of the regional electricity companies to discuss a strengthening of the role of Non-Fossil Purchasing Agency, pursuant to page 135 of the pathfinder prospectus for the flotation of the regional electricity companies.
Mr. Baldry : The NFPA is the agent of the 12 regional electricity companies, and this is therefore a matter for them.
Nuclear Power Stations
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the life expectancy of Calder Hall and Chapelcross nuclear power stations.
Mr. Baldry : This is an operational matter for British Nuclear Fuels plc--BNFL--subject to any safety requirements stipulated by the Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorate--NII. In the report on British Nuclear Fuels plc's long-term safety review of Calder Hall and Chapelcross, published by the Health and Safety Executive on 23 April, the nuclear installations inspectorate concluded that the stations would be safe to operate until each reactor is 40 years old, subject to British Nuclear Fuels plc's completing a programme of work and to satisfactory results from the regular test and inspection programme required under the licensing system enforced by the nuclear installations inspectorate. The oldest reactor will reach 40 years in 1996, the youngest in 1999. I understand that it is British Nuclear Fuels plc's policy to continue to operate Calder Hall and Chapelcross as long as the stations remain safe and it is economic. The company believes continued operation beyond the 40 years assumed in the present nuclear installations inspectorate assessment could be economically justified. It will consider a further major safety review to support this view at the appropriate time.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Prison Officers
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women prison officers working in prisons in England and Wales hold the rank of principal officer ; and if he will list the prisons.
Mrs. Rumbold : There are 40 female principal officers, serving in the following prisons :
Askham Grange Bullwood Hall Cookham Wood Drake Hall Feltham Full Sutton Garth Hatfield Hindley Holloway Leeds Low Newton The Mount Nottingham Risley Rochester Styal Wetherby
Prisons
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the action that his Department has taken in any prison in England and Wales for which he has received a report from the inspector of prisons ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : Since 1980 Her Majesty's chief inspector of prisons has made more than 130 reports to my right hon. and learned Friend on prison establishments in England and Wales. Information about action to implement the recommendations in these reports on individual establishments is set out in the statement we issue when the report is published, copies of which are placed, with the reports themselves, in the Library. Each one is followed up by prison service operational directors and subsequent developments are reported to the chief inspector.
Police Complaints Authority
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the numbers and types of complaint to the Police Complaints Authority in 1989 which relate solely or primarily to Waltham Forest.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The London borough of Waltham Forest lies within the Metropolitan police No. 1 area. Table 5 at appendix C of the Police Complaints Authority's 1989 annual report, a copy of which is in the Library, gives an analysis of the numbers and types of complaints dealt with by the authority in relation toNo. 1 area. Figures which relate solely to Waltham Forest are not available.
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are serving on the Police Complaints Authority ; how, and on what basis, they are appointed ; and whether any are (a) women, (b) from black and ethnic minority communities and (c) people with disabilities.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The Police Complaints Authority currently comprises 15 members, including the chairman and two deputy chairmen. All the members, aside from the chairman, are appointed by my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary following a careful selection procedure. The chairman is appointed by Her Majesty the Queen. The normal term of appointment is for three years in the first instance.
Of the 15 members, two are women, three are from ethnic minority backgrounds and none is disabled.
Sentences
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which areas have (a) the greatest and (b) the lowest percentage of people sentenced at magistrates
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courts to receive prison sentences ; what are the percentages in each area ; and what is the pecentage in Waltham Forest.Mr. John Patten : The information is given in the table. This information is published annually in volume 5 of the criminal statistics, England and Wales, supplementary tables, copies of which are in the Library.
Petty sessional divisions with the highest and lowest percentage of
persons sentenced to immediate custody 1989
Petty sessional division |Highest
|percentage
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ardudwy-uwch-Artro<1> |21
Ashton-under-Lyne |21
Waltham Forest |8
Petty sessional division |Lowest
|percentage
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brigg<1> |0
Buckingham<1> |0
Bulmer West<1> |0
Caistor<1> |0
Carmarthen North<1> |0
Crickhowell<1> |0
Cricklade |0
Cullompton |0
Diss<1>
Eccleshall<1> |0
Everley and Pewsey<1> |0
Gilling East<1> |0
Gogledd Preseli<1>
Hailsham |0
Hallikeld<1> |0
Hang East<1> |0
Holme Beacon<1> |0
Howdenshire<1> |0
Ilminster |0
Isles of Scilly<1> |0
Lambeth<1> |0
Llandrindod Wells<1> |0
Llanidloes<1> |0
Lutterworth<1> |0
Machynlleth<1> |0
Malmesbury<1> |0
Mansion House Justice Room<1> |0
Market Rasen<1> |0
Marlborough<1> |0
Middle Holderness<1> |0
Newtown |0
Plympton |0
Rhayader<1> |0
Rutland |0
Ryedale<1> |0
Saxmundham |0
South Holderness<1> |0
South Molton<1> |0
Stow |0
Swaffham |0
Talgarth<1> |0
Tisbury and Mere<1> |0
Usk<1> |0
Westbury |0
West London (Walton Street) |0
Whorwellsdown<1> |0
Wincanton<1> |0
Witon Beacon<1> |0
<1> Fewer than 50 people sentenced at the magistrate's court.
Animal Experiments
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the membership of the Animal Procedures Committee, indicating which members have previously held licences to conduct animal experiments, and which have previously been or are currently employed by organisations which undertake such experiments.
Mrs. Rumbold : The membership of the Animal Procedures Committee as at 15 November 1990 is as follows :
Lord Nathan, MA Hon. LLD (Chairman)
Dr. Michael Balls, MA DPhil--Reader in Medical Cell Biology, University of Nottingham ; Chairman, Trustees of the Fund for the Replacement of Animals in Medical Experiments (FRAME).
Mr. Edward Bernard, FIAT--Chairman, Serotec Ltd.
Professor Margaret Brazier, LLB--Professor of Law, University of Manchester.
Professor Barry Bridges, BSc MD--Professor of Histology, Queen's University, Belfast.
Dr. Roger Brimblecombe, PhD DSc FRCPath FIBiol--Consultant, Smith Kline and Beecham Laboratories.
Dr. Fiona Broughton Pipkin, MA DPhil--Reader in Reproductive Physiology, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham.
Mr. Henry Carter, MRCVS--Senior Vice President, Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
Professor Anthony Dayan, MD FRCP FRCPath FIBiol--Professor of Toxicology, St. Bartholomew's Hospital.
Mr. Roger Ewbank, OBE MVSc FIBiol MRCVS--Director, Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW).
Dr. Judith Hampson, BSc PhD--Consultant in animal welfare. Mr. Clive Hollands--Secretary, Committee for the Reform of Animal Experimentation (CRAE).
Sir Andrew Huxley, OM FRS--Past President, Royal Society. Dr. Susan Iversen, MA PHd--Director of Behavioural Pharmacology, Merck, Sharp and Dohme Research Laboratories.
Professor John Ledingham, DM FRCP--Professor of Medicine, University of Oxford.
Dr. Brian Newbould, BPharm FPS PhD MCPP--Director, International Research Affairs, ICI Corporate R and T.
Professor Onora O'Neill, MA PhD--Professor of Philosophy, University of Essex.
Professor Thomas Pilkington, MD FRCP--Emeritus Professor of Medicine, St. George's Hospital Medical School.
Professor Lord Soulsby, MA PhD DVSM AM DSc MRCVS--Professor of Animal Pathology, University of Cambridge.
Professor Michael Spyer, DSc--Professor of Physiology, Royal Free Hospital Medical School.
Professor Peter Venables, BA PhD DSc FBPsS--Emeritus Professor of Psychology, University of York.
For the reasons set out in my reply to a question from
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the hon. Member on 12 November at columns 37- 38, it is our practice not to provide information which could identify those involved in animal procedures.Affiliation Orders
Mr. Fraser : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many affiliation orders have been granted in each of the last three years.
Mr. John Patten : Affiliation orders ceased to be made from 31 March 1989 and orders for financial provision are now granted under the amended Guardianship of Minors Act 1971. Information for the period before such orders were abolished is given in the table.
Affiliation orders granted Year |Number ---------------------- 1987 |10,580 1988 |11,410 1989<1> |3,570 <1> 1 January 1989 to 31 March 1989.
DEFENCE
Service Men
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will provide for each year the number of service men who leave the armed services and subsequently return, the time lapse and the reasons, where known, for leaving and returning in each case.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Apart from the figures provided in the table for non-commissioned male personnel who rejoined in the last 10 years, having previously served in the armed forces, the information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Year of |Royal |Royal |Army<3> |Royal |Total
re-entry |Navy<1> |Marines |Air
---------------------------------------------------------------
1980-81 |339 |74 |1,052 |167 |1,632
1981-82 |128 |29 |98 |44 |299
1982-83 |130 |17 |48 |41 |236
1983-84 |104 |8 |155 |146 |413
1984-85 |53 |15 |179 |84 |331
1985-86 |50 |17 |186 |108 |361
1986-87 |82 |15 |213 |103 |413
1987-88 |121 |14 |213 |105 |453
1988-89 |70 |9 |254 |95 |428
1989-90 |81 |7 |376 |138 |602
<1> The Royal Navy count as re-entrants only personnel who
could complete 22 years pensionable service.
<2> The Royal Marines count as re-entrants only personnel who
could complete their engagement of 9, 14 or 22 years, as
appropriate.
<3> The Army count as re-entrants only personnel with existing
reserve liabilities ie "rejoining reservists".
<4> The Royal Air Force count as re-entrants only personnel
who were in the Service on full duty in the 5 years prior to
rejoining.
Nuclear Weapons (Germany)
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what agreements exist with the German Government covering basing arrangements in Germany for present and future nuclear weapons.
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Mr. Archie Hamilton : The 1954 "Presence of Foreign Forces Convention" (Cmd 9617) provides the legal basis for the presence of all British forces in Germany, apart from Berlin.Cascaded Equipment
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will give details of the costs to the NATO infrastructure fund of transporting cascaded equipment ; and what the United Kingdom proportion of this will be ;
(2) if he will give details of the NATO cascade programme of equipment limited under the prospective CFE treaty ;
(3) what is the cost to Britain of cascading equipment.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Woolwich (Mr. Cartwright) on 14 March 1990 at column 290. The alliance is still examining the opportunities for transferring surplus equipment to other nations and the extent to which the costs incurred can be met from NATO common funding. No decisions have been taken and we do not yet know what costs, if any, may fall to the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom currently contributes 12 per cent. of the costs of the NATO infrastructure programme.
Air-to-Surface Missiles
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether the agreements in START differentiating strategic from tactical air-to- surface missiles have any relevance to United Kingdom policy on TASM ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) if the United Kingdom will limit the range of its proposed tactical air -to-surface missile so that it will not be defined as strategic according to current START rules.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The START negotiations are bilateral between the United States and the Soviet Union ; British nuclear forces would, therefore, not be included in any agreement. Our choice of a TASM will be guided by the need to retain a credible and effective deterrent capability.
Trident
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether there has been any change in the Government's financial arrangements for the leasing of Trident D5 missiles.
Mr. Alan Clark : The United Kingdom is not leasing Trident D5 missiles ; it is purchasing them outright. The financial arrangements for their purchase remain unchanged.
HMS Challenger
Mr. Speed : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost of the 85 tonne crane installed in HMS Challenger, including structural alterations to the ship.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : A 30 tonne crane was fitted into HMS Challenger in September 1990. The acquisition and installation costs are commercial-in-confidence.
Mr. Speed : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence why a new 85 tonne crane was installed in HMS
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Challenger a few weeks before the ship was to be sold to commercial interests ; and whether the cost of this crane and its installation will be fully reflected in the price being sought from prospective purchasers.Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The crane had been bought some time before the decision was taken to decommission HMS Challenger. The Ministry of Defence will naturally endeavour to obtain the most competitive price possible for the ship from prospective purchasers.
Mr. Speed : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he will take to ensure that the decision to dispose of HMS Challenger at the end of the current year will not adversely affect the security of the United Kingdom's strategic nuclear deterrent.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The disposal of HMS Challenger will not adversely affect the security of the United Kingdom's strategic nuclear deterrent.
HMS Churchill
Mr. Speed : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been spent to date on refitting HMS Churchill at Rosyth dockyard and over what period of time ; and how much work would have to be done to allow the submarine's return to the active fleet.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : I refer my hon. Friend to the answers given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces to the hon. Member for Clackmannan (Mr. O'Neill) on 15 November, Official Report, columns 195-98.
Malaysia (Equipment Sales)
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the dates on which all contracts for sales of military equipment from Britain to Malaysia were signed since 1979 and the date on which the exports were authorised.
Mr. Alan Clark : It has been the consistent policy of successive Administrations not to provide details of defence exports to specific countries.
Forces in Europe Treaty
Mr. Arbuthnot : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give details of the limits imposed by the conventional forces in Europe treaty on the United Kingdom's holdings of treaty-limited equipment.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The CFE treaty imposes ceilings on the holdings of certain types of equipment by each group of states. It obliges the members of each group to agree a division of these collective ceilings among themselves, and to notify the other parties. The allocations thus agreed for each nation can thereafter be increased with the consent of other members of the same group. As a result of consultations with our alliance partners, we have agreed the following allocations for the United Kingdom, to apply once the reductions necessitated by the treaty have been completed :
|Number
---------------------------------------
Battle Tanks |1,015
Artillery |636
Armoured Combat Vehicles |3,176
Combat Aircraft |900
Attack Helicopters |384
Mr. Arbuthnot : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give details of the numbers and types of United Kingdom equipment covered by the conventional forces in Europe treaty and their location.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The information requested is as follows :
Type |United Kingdom|Elsewhere<1> |Total<2>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Battle Tanks
Chieftain |244 |508 |752
Challenger |44 |364 |408
Centurion |11 |27 |38
|-- |-- |---
Total |299 |899 |1,198
Artillery
M107 |4 |33 |37
M110 |1 |15 |16
M109 |8 |101 |109
FH70 |68 |- |68
Abbot |18 |133 |151
105 Lt Gun |167 |13 |180
5.5 Howitzer |9 |- |9
Pack Howitzer |52 |- |52
MLRS |6 |8 |14
|-- |-- |--
Total |333 |303 |636
Armoured Combat Vehicles
FV432 |180 |1,060 |1,240
FV432 Rarden |1 |12 |13
Humber |274 |39 |313
Saracen |121 |45 |166
Spartan |254 |278 |532
Saxon |291 |11 |302
Saladin |1 |12 |13
Scorpion |173 |115 |288
Warrior |115 |211 |326
|--- |--- |---
Total |1,410 |1,783 |3,193
Combat Aircraft
Buccaneer |62 |- |62
Canberra |50 |- |50
Harrier |94 |30 |124
Hunter |34 |- |34
Jaguar |136 |- |136
Lightning |1 |- |1
Phantom |97 |28 |125
Tornado |214 |96 |310
|-- |-- |--
Total |688 |154 |842
Attack Helicopters
Gazelle |128 |65 |193
Lynx |56 |53 |109
Scout |66 |- |66
|-- |-- |--
Total |250 |118 |368
<1> Almost entirely Germany, but some small numbers in Belgium, Gibraltar and
Cyprus.
<2> Includes equipment deployed to the Gulf area.
A copy of the full United Kingdom CFE data declaration has been placed in the Library of the House.
Column 16
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Polly Peck International
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has now decided to request a report on the affairs of Polly Peck International ; whether he will investigate the role of the Serious Fraud Office in this matter ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 12 November 1990] : My right hon. Friend is in touch with the Serious Fraud Office and with the administrators of Polly Peck International plc both of whom are conducting investigations. If matters come to light in the course of those investigations or otherwise which need investigating under the Companies Act rather than by the Serious Fraud Office, he will not hesitate to investigage them.
The Serious Fraud Office is accountable through its director to the Attorney-General and to Parliament.
Trade Barriers
Mr. Oppenheim : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to what extent EEC or national trade barriers of all types relating to products from eastern and central Europe have been reduced in the last 12 months.
Mr. Lilley [holding answer 15 November 1990] : The signing of bilateral trade and economic co-operation agreements between the EC and the USSR, GDR, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria and Romania over the last 12 months, following earlier agreements with Poland and Hungary, completed a framework for commercial co-operation with the countries of central and eastern Europe. Agreements include a timetable for the elimination and suspension of quantitative import restrictions by the EEC on industrial and some agricultural imports from these countries. Import arrangements on MFA and ECSC products are covered by separate bilateral arrangements.
The liberalisation measures provided for in the co-operation agreements have been accelerated on the initiative of the EEC under its aid programme for central and eastern Europe--PHARE. As a result the following measures have been taken by the EEC.
With effect from 1 January 1990, all quantitative import restrictions were liberalised or suspended for products from Poland and Hungary and limited duty-free access was granted by conferring general system of preferences status on these countries for five years :
With effect from 1 October 1990 all quantitative import restrictions which discriminated against products from state trading countries were suspended for Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia. The PHARE programme also provides for increased exports to the Community of MFA products from Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland. In December 1989 a bilateral textile agreement was signed between the EEC and USSR which provided for greater access for Soviet textiles to Community markets.
The bilateral arrangements on exports of ECSC products from central and eastern Europe have been relaxed as part of the process to phase out progressively these measures by March 1992.
All EEC trade restrictions which applied to GDR goods were liberalised as part of the German unification process.
Column 17
Advanced Technology
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if his Department has been invited to contribute to the symposium on European collaboration in advanced technology, organised by the Institute of European Trade and Technology, to be held in London on 16 November.
Mr. Leigh [holding answer 16 November 1990] : Yes. My Department has regular contacts with the Institute of European Trade and Technology and an official from my Department addressed this symposium on European opportunities for United Kingdom industry.
ESPRIT
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what contribution was made by his Department to the conference on the European Communities ESPRIT programme, organised by ECCO at the Brussels congress centre from 12 to 15 November.
Mr. Leigh [holding answer 16 November 1990] : The ESPRIT conference in Brussels was organised by the European Commission and provides an opportunity for existing and potential participants in this European Community research and development programme to obtain information on ESPRIT. My officials took part in the conference and will continue to bring opportunities for participation to the attention of United Kingdom industry.
Cosmetic Products
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make it his policy to ensure that all cosmetic products have their ingredients listed in full on the packaging in order to protect people with skin allergies.
Column 18
Mr. Leigh [holding answer 16 November 1990] : The European Commission is about to publish proposals for full ingredient labelling of cosmetics throughout the European Community. I will consider them when they are published.
Cellacast
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take steps urgently to investigate the health implications of the use of Cellacast ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : I have been asked to reply.
A research assessment of splinting materials of this kind was carried out for the Department by a team from Salford university who reported in 1989. Their conclusion was that synthetic bandages are unlikely to cause a problem to either operators or patients unless cast removal is being performed for protracted periods in a particularly confined and unventilated environment. In the latter case, use of dust extraction equipment must be considered prudent.
WALES
Housing, Dwyfor
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what has been the total expenditure in Dwyfor district on housing renovation and repair of (a) local authority housing stock and (b) private sector accommodation, in each of the past five years ; and what is the projected expenditure level recognised by his Department for 1990-91 and 1991-92.
Mr. Grist : The information requested is given in the following table. Information for 1991-92 is not yet available.
Column 17
£,000
|1985-86 |1986-87 |1987-88 |1988-89 |1989-90 |1990-91<1>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gross renovation of local authority dwellings |59 |101 |54 |275 |444 |500
Gross renovation grants to the private sector |377 |665 |526 |461 |713 |1,173
<1> Local authority forecast.
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