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Mr. Key : Local authorities already make returns to the Department of their mortgage arrears and possessions. Building societies make returns on arrears and possessions to the Building Societies Commission. In addition, the Council of Mortgage Lenders has collected data on arrears and possessions from a number of major mortgage lenders. In view of the information already provided by lenders, I do not consider it appropriate for the Department of the Environment to require returns from private sector lenders.
Housing and Independent Living
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if his Department was represented at the housing and independent living conference organised by Shelter, the King's Fund community development living team, the British Council of Organisations of Disabled People and the living options project on 12 and 13 November ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Spicer [holding answer 16 November 1990] : No.
WALES
European Court
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what policy considerations led him to send a member of his legal department to observe the preliminary hearing of the Leybucht bay case in the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg on 16 October.
Sir Wyn Roberts : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to him by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for the Environment on 19 November, at columns 41-42. A member of the Welsh Office's legal division attended because of the relevance of the issues to Welsh Office circular 52/87 "Nature Conservation".
Mr. Rod Richards
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) on what basis the salary to be paid to Mr. Rod Richards, his personal ministerial adviser, has been calculated ;
(2) what salary will be paid to Mr. Rod Richards as his personal ministerial adviser.
Sir Wyn Roberts : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to him on 19 November by my hon. Friend the Paymaster General and to the reply my right hon. Friend gave on 13 November to the hon. Member for Cardiff, South and Penarth (Mr. Michael).
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, further to his reply of 13 November, Official Report, column 106, if he will give specific details of the knowledge and experience of Mr. Rod Richards in respect of the private sector which will be relevant to his work as special adviser.
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Sir Wyn Roberts : My right hon. Friend has nothing to add to the answer he gave the hon. Gentleman on 13 November.Civil Defence
Mr. Bill Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many civil servants are currently employed (a) full time and (b) part time by his Department on civil defence ; what the total costs of employing staff on civil defence duties were in 1989-90 ; what the total costs of employing staff on civil defence duties are expected to be in 1990-91 ; and whether he has any plans for these staff to be transferred to work on other duties.
Sir Wyn Roberts : The Department has no full-time or part-time staff engaged exclusively on civil defence, but such work is estimated to account for the equivalent of six full-time posts across the Department as a whole. The total cost was £156,000 in 1989-90 and is estimated to be £161,000 in 1990-91.
My right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary announced on 16 October 1990 that he had initiated a review of the options for the future of civil defence arrangements in the light of east-west relations. Future levels of expenditure on civil defence will depend on the outcome of that review.
Music Teachers
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many peripatetic music teachers are currently employed by each local education authority in Wales ; and what is the average amount of instrument tuition time per week offered by schools in each local education authority.
Sir Wyn Roberts : Information on the number of peripatetic music teachers and the amount of tuition time is not collected centrally.
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Junior Doctors
Mr. Geraint Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what progress has been made in negotiations on proposals for a reduction in hours worked by junior doctors in Wales ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Grist : The Department is represented on the working group established by my hon. Friend the Minister for Health which is currently engaged on a detailed examination of the issues involved. A considerable amount of ground has already been covered and all parties are aiming to reach broad agreement in principle on specific changes by the end of the year.
Self-governing Hospitals
Mr. Geraint Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the latest position in respect of hospitals becoming self-governing in Wales.
Mr. Grist : Pembrokeshire district health authority has submitted an expression of interest in applying for NHS trust status which is currently under consideration.
Toxic Waste
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will state for the last available year (a) the amount of toxic waste imported through Welsh ports in total, and by port and (b) the country of origin and destination of toxic waste imports by port, together with the nature of toxic waste in each case.
Mr. Grist : The information for the year to 31 March 1990 is shown in the following table.
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Imports of Toxic Waste
Port |Country of Origin |Destination |Type of Waste |Tonnes
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Holyhead |Ireland |Cheshire CC |Sodium sulphide/sulphate |36
|Sodium hydroxide |18
|Greater Manchester |Cyanoacrylate residue |47
|Glycerine waste |21
|Glycolmethacrylate scrap |24
|Torfaen BC |Miscellaneous waste |10
|-------
| Total |156
Newport |Austria |Torfaen BC |PCB/Transformers Carcass |53
|Germany |Torfaen BC |Miscellaneous chemical waste|69
|Pesticides |77
|Ireland |East Sussex CC |Nerol (Toluene waste) |48
|Greater Manchester |Iron hydroxide/oxides |177
|Hampshire CC |Organic waste (mix) |125
|Torfaen BC |Chlorinated solvents |5
|Inorganic waste |2
|Liners (cont; toxic waste) |8
|Miscellaneous waste |8
|Miscellaneous chemical waste|7
|Organic waste (mix) |68
|Polychloro Biphenyl (PCB) |17
|Pharmaceutical waste |21
|Spain |Nottinghamshire |PCB |22
|Torfaen BC |PCB contaminated material |21
|PCB/transformers carcass |195
|Switzerland |Greater Manchester |Aluminium Hydroxide/oxide |6
|Battery waste |23
|Calcium hydroxide |7
|Carbon/charcoal waste |1
|Distillation residue |38
|Inorganic waste |9
|Organic waste (mix) |5
|Paint waste |15
|Sodium Chloride |91
|Torfaen BC |Organic acids |44
|Organic waste (mix) |1
|PCB |171
|PVC waste |12
|-------
|1,346
Swansea |Greece |Torfaen BC |PCB |5
|-------
| Grand Total |1,507
Soundproofing, Skewen
Mr. John Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consideration he has given to representations from householders in Skewen about the proposals for window soundproofing from the current motorway development.
Sir Wyn Roberts : I have given the representations careful consideration and will be writing shortly to the right hon. and learned Gentleman in response to his recent correspondence.
Waiting Lists, West Glamorgan
Mr. John Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what are the current waiting lists to see national health service consultants in the West Glamorgan area for first appointments ; (2) what are the present waiting lists for hospital admissions in the West Glamorgan area.
Mr. Grist : The information requested, which relates to 31 March 1990, is as follows :
|Number
|waiting
----------------------------------------------
First out-patient appointment |14,462
Hospital in-patient admission |6,949
Residential and Nursing Homes (Agents)
Dr. Marek : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will take measures to stop touting for business on health authority property by agents for residential and nursing homes.
Mr. Grist : This is a matter for the district health authority, which deplores the action reported to have taken place in Maelor hospital, Wrexham, by representatives of private nursing homes. I am assured that the district health authority is taking appropriate steps to ensure that incidents of this kind do not occur again.
Disabled Staff
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what were the percentages of disabled staff employed in his Department in each of the past 10 years.
Mr. Grist : The information is as follows :
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|Percentage
---------------------------------
1980 |2.3
1981 |2.3
1982 |2.3
1983 |2.1
1984 |1.8
1985 |1.4
1986 |1.5
1987 |1.4
1988 |1.3
1989 |1.1
1990 |1.4
Retail Sales
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has on retail sales in Wales ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Wyn Roberts : The latest provisional information for 1988, previously unpublished, appears in the following table :
Wales
|Retail outlets |Turnover
|(number)<2> |(£ million)<1><2>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Food retailer |6,711 |2,000
Drink, confectionery and tobacco
retailers |3,379 |529
Clothing, footwear and leather
goods retailers |2,891 |411
Household goods retailers |3,357 |825
Other non-food businesses |1,787 |339
Mixed retail businesses |452 |567
Hire and repair businesses |240 |65
Source: CSO.
<1> Inclusive of VAT.
<2> The figures in this table include retail outlets and retail turnover of non-retail
businesses.
Teacher Vacancies
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 16 November to the hon. Member for Alyn and Deeside on teacher vacancies, what was the definition of teacher vacancy used in each survey.
Sir Wyn Roberts : The advice given to local education authorities on the definition of a teacher vacancy for the January survey was : "Returns are only required in respect of current vacancies (at 18 January 1990) for full-time permanent appointments or full-time appointments for at least one term's duration which
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have been advertised but not filled. Resignations which have occurred too recently for the vacancy to have been advertised should not be included in the return. A post which has been filled by a temporary appointment pending the finding of a more permanent appointee should be regarded as a vacancy for this purpose but a post which is filled by an appointee whom it is desired to replace by somebody more suitably qualified should not be regarded as a vacancy for that reason alone."For the September survey LEAs were asked for information on vacancies for full-time permanent appointments or full-time appointments of at least one term's duration which have been externally advertised. LEAs were told that a post which had been filled by a temporary appointment of a term or more should be regarded as filled for this purpose, even if a permanent appointee is still actively being sought. Posts which there was no intention to fill in September 1990 were to be excluded.
Bathing Waters
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will announce the results of the 1990 survey of bathing water quality in Wales ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Grist : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Rugby and Kenilworth (Mr. Pawsey) on 14 November by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment and to the press notice, No. 638, issued on the same day. This included a list of Welsh bathing waters and indicated which had complied in 1990 with the coliform parameters set in the EC directive. A copy of the press notice was placed in the Library.
Roads
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what date the Welsh Office publication, "Roads in Wales : Progress and Plans for the 1990s", was first published ; and if there were any changes, amendments, additions or deletions to this programme between that date and 31 October.
Sir Wyn Roberts : "Roads in Wales : Progress and Plans for the 1990s" was published in April 1989. Since then the following schemes have been added to the programme :
A5 Holyhead improvement
A5 Cefni Bridge--Llanfair PG
A5 Stanley Embankment--Cefni Bridge
A470 Blaenau Ffestiniog--Betws y Coed improvements
A487 Penygroes--Llanllyfni bypass
A550 Woodbank--Deeside Park (joint DTp/WO scheme)
Information on these schemes and updated information on the schemes listed in "Roads in Wales" will be included in a supplement to be published in the new year.
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Broadcasting (Direct Feed)
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Lord President of the Council what representations he has received from commercial companies requesting a direct feed of the House proceedings subscriber service ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. MacGregor : I know of no such recent representations either to me or to my predecessor. Under
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the present arrangements, organisations wishing to take a clean feed from the Chamber must first approach House of Commons Broadcasting Unit Ltd., the company formed by the main broadcasters which has been licensed by the House to produce and distribute the signal. Those wishing to take coverage of Select or Standing Committees apply to Commons Committee Television, the company contracted for that purpose by the broadcasters. In either case the Select Committee on Broadcasting stands ready to arbitrate in any possible dispute over the terms on which access is granted to the signals. So far the Committee's intervention has not been required. If however, my hon. Friend has a particular case in mind, perhaps he would let me know.HEALTH
Young Offenders
Mr. John Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on funding arrangements for secure units for young offenders ;
(2) how many secure units for young offenders are funded directly by his Department ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : There are currently 33 approved secure units run by local authorities and two secure youth treatment centres run direct by the Department of Health. All these facilities are available for children in care who meet the admissions criteria. (Some will be offenders or alleged offenders). The costs of these placements are met by the placing authority. Certain children who have been convicted of grave crimes under section 53 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 may also be placed in these facilities on behalf of the Home Office by the Department of Health. The cost of these placements is borne by central Government. In addition, grants may be made by the Department of Health to local authorities towards the capital costs of providing such accommodation.
Ring-fenced Funding
Mr. Bernie Grant : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he has any plans to issue guidance to local authorities on the distribution of moneys to local authorities which are ring-fenced specifically for drug, alcohol and mental health projects under the National Health Service and Community Care Act ;
(2) if moneys ring-fenced specifically for funding drug, alcohol and mental health projects under the National Health Service and Community Care Act are awarded to local authorities on the basis of existing services ;
(3) if he will take steps to ensure that local authorities pass on to existing drug, alcohol and mental health projects moneys ring-fenced for those purposes under the provisions of the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990.
Mr. Dorrell : Guidance on the alcohol and drugs services specific grant was issued last week, and on the mental illness specific grant in September (circulars LAC(90)11 and LAC(90)10 respectively, copies of which are available in the Library).
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Gulf Forces (Injuries)
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) which hospitals in the West Midlands regional health authority area have been asked to prepare contingency plans for possible receipt of injured service personnel from the Gulf ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) what contingency plans are being studied to utilise the specialist units at the Queen Victoria hospital, East Grinstead, in the event of hostilities in the Gulf ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Dunfermline, West (Mr. Douglas) on 16 November at column 248. In drawing up their contingency plans, regional health authorities are expected to take account of the services that could be made available by both general and specialist units.
Salmonellosis and Listeriosis
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths occurred from (a) salmonellosis and (b) listeriosis in the last year for which figures are available.
Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 12 November 1990] : The number of deaths registered in England and Wales in 1989 with salmonella as the underlying cause of death was 61.
In the same period 16 deaths were registered with listeria as the underlying cause. In addition, a further 14 deaths of those aged under 28 days--for which no underlying cause is assigned--contained a mention on the certificate of listeria including congenital or maternal listeria.
International Classification of Diseases (ICD) 9th revision code 003.
ICD 027.0, 771.2 (part), 655.4 (part).
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
Aid Target
Mrs. Mahon : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when overseas aid will reach the United Nations aid target of 0.7 per cent. of gross national product.
Mrs. Chalker : The Government have accepted the UN target for official development assistance of 0.7 per cent. of GNP in principle but, like previous Administrations and many other donors, have not set a timetable to achieve it. Progress towards it must depend upon economic circumstances and other calls on Government resources.
Aid Programme
Mrs. Mahon : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the level of the aid programme in real terms in 1979 and in the latest available year.
Mrs. Chalker : In 1989 gross public expenditure on aid was £1,788 million compared with £1,940 million in 1979 at 1989 prices.
Column 198
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Anti-Jewish Literature
Mr. Janner : To ask the Attorney-General if he will list the criteria used to assess whether the public interest is served by the prosecution of those alleged to have published or distributed anti-Jewish literature.
The Attorney-General : An assessment concerning the public interest is relevant only whenever it is considered that there is a realistic prospect of securing a conviction for an offence.
The general considerations applicable to the public interest aspect of the decision whether to prosecute are set out at paragraphs 7 to 9 of the code for Crown prosecutors. This guidance is necessarily in general terms because individual cases have to be considered on their own merits. Factors likely to be of particular relevance to cases of the nature referred to in the hon. and learned Member's question are the prevalence of the conduct and its seriousness. In this context the Director of Public Prosecutions and I have made plain our view that we regard the publication and distribution of material which offends against the provisions of part III of the Public Order Act 1986 as a serious matter.
The criteria set out in the code are founded on the observations of the right hon. and noble Lord, Lord Shawcross, a former Attorney-General, which are quoted in the code, who said that regard must be had to
"the effect which the prosecution, successful or unsuccessful as the case may be, would have upon public morale and order, and with any other considerations affecting public policy".
Holocaust Myths"
Mr. Janner : To ask the Attorney-General what consideration has been given by the Director of Public Prosecutions to initiating proceedings in respect of the publication entitled "Holocaust Myths", distributed by the Association of British Ex-Servicemen.
The Attorney-General : A police report has been referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions concerning a leaflet entitled "Question : how long can the Jews perpetrate the holocaust myth" and other publications allegedly distributed by the Association of British Ex-Servicemen.
The police have been requested to forward further evidence resulting from their inquiries and on receipt of this a decision will be taken concerning the institution of proceedings.
PRIME MINISTER
Homelessness
Q8. Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Prime Minister what plans she has to meet representatives of the homeless in London.
The Prime Minister : I have no such plans. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment and his ministerial colleagues have regular meetings with voluntary groups working with the homeless, and with local authorities in London and their associations.
Column 199
Forestry
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Prime Minister if she will set out the responsibility for forestry of each of the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Secretary of State for Wales, Secretary of State for Scotland and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland ; and when the respective responsibilities were last changed.
The Prime Minister : The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Secretary of State for Wales and the Secretary of State for Scotland have individual territorial responsibility for forestry matters in England, Wales and Scotland respectively. They act jointly on forestry policy questions affecting Great Britain as a whole, with the Secretary of State for Scotland taking the lead. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has responsibility for all forestry questions in Northern Ireland.
These arrangements are of long standing and were last changed in 1979 when the Secretary of State for Scotland assumed lead responsibility for policy questions in Great Britain.
Conservative Leadership Contest
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Prime Minister what steps were taken to ensure that no member of her press department was involved in briefing the media on the Conservative leadership contest ; and if she will make a statement.
The Prime Minister : My press office is aware of its
responsibilities.
Mr. Charles Powell
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Prime Minister (1) if she will set out the full duties carried out by Mr. Charles Powell ;
(2) how long Mr. Charles Powell has been employed in her office ; and how long she intends him to be employed in his current position.
The Prime Minister : Mr. Powell serves as my private secretary for foreign affairs and will serve in my office until it is time for him to leave.
Correspondence
Mr. Parry : To ask the Prime Minister if she will place in the Library a copy of the letter received from the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Baghdad and a copy of her reply ; and if she will make a statement.
The Prime Minister [holding answer 20 November 1990] : No. It is not my normal practice to do so.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
British Hostages (Lebanon)
Mr. John Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent initiatives have been taken by the Government to ensure the release of the British hostages held in the Lebanon.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the then Minister of State's answer to him of 15 October, Vol. 177, c. 752.
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Single European Act
Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date or dates and on what occasions a representative of the Crown signed the Single European Act treaty ; and who was the representative.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The Single European Act treaty was signed at plenipotentiary meetings in Luxembourg on 17 February 1986 and in The Hague on 28 February 1986. On both occasions the Government were represented by my right hon. Friend the Member for Wallasey (Mrs. Chalker), the then Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
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