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M3
Mr. Hill : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the current approximate date for the completion of the entire M3 motorway ; and if he will take steps to prevent any further delays.
Mr. Chope : The section of M3 at present under construction between Compton and Bassett is expected to be completed in autumn next year. Subject to completion of the remaining statutory procedures we will start work on the final section at Winchester as soon as possible which unfortunately cannot now be until 1992.
Road Journey Times
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the average time taken on a daytime car journey between central London and central Birmingham ; what was the corresponding time in 1975, 1980 and 1985 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Chope : My Department does not have estimates of these journey- times, for 1990 or for the earlier years mentioned.
Roadside Crash Cushions
Mr. Day : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his policy on the use of roadside crash cushions and the development of an appropriate performance specification for roadside crash cushions.
Mr. Chope : The policy for crash cushions, as for any road safety equipment, is to provide such equipment where it can be shown to be cost- effective to do so, to a performance specification consistent with our inter-national obligations and agreements.
Air Traffic Controllers
Mr. Day : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if any action has been taken following the report of the committee looking into the control of fatigue amongst air traffic controllers.
Mr. McLoughlin : The statutory responsibility for the safety regulation of United Kingdom civil aviation rests with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). I am advised by the CAA that all air traffic control units within the United Kingdom have been informed that a scheme to regulate controllers' hours based on the CRATCOH report, will be implemented on 1 October 1991. A letter of intent to
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implement such regulations was despatched by the CAA in September 1990. One year has been allowed in order that ATC may bring their staff levels up to the strength recommended in the report.British Rail Hotels
Mr. Gregory : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if British Rail has any plans to sell its remaining hotel interests ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : British Rail still owns the freeholds of 11 hotels. Nine, all at stations, are leased to the private sector on 125-year leases. British Rail considers it essential to retain the freeholds in case it becomes necessary to carry out work on the stations. The other two hotels are the Great Northern at King's Cross and the Great Eastern at Liverpool Street both in London. Management of both these hotels is contracted to the private sector. British Rail's plans for the passenger concourse at King's Cross would require the demolition of the Great Northern hotel. British Rail does not consider it opportune to dispose of the Great Eastern hotel at present, but will be looking carefully at the possibility of doing so as development work is completed at Liverpool Street station and on the Broadgate site.
Kuwaiti Aircraft
Mr. Warren : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has made the necessary arrangements to seize any of the Kuwaiti transport aircraft which have been taken from Kuwait by the Iraqi Government if they enter United Kingdom air space or territory ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. McLoughlin : Arrangements have been made for any such aircraft found at an airport in this country to be detained and returned to its owners.
British Airways Aircraft, Kuwait
Mr. Warren : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has made to the International Civil Aviation Organisation about the hijacking of the British Airways 747 aircraft and its passengers and crew by the Iraqi Government at Kuwait airport on 2 August.
Mr. McLoughlin : The British delegation to the International Civil Aviation Organisation raised this matter at the October ICAO Assembly. The delegation called on the Iraqis to release the passengers and crew of the British Airways flight. In a resolution adopted condemning the plunder of Kuwait international airport the delegation secured the inclusion of wording calling upon Iraq to facilitate the early recovery by their owners of foreign-registered aircraft stranded at the airport.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Civil Defence
Mr. Bill Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 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 ;
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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.Mr. Leigh : The information requested is as follows :
Number of |Number of |Total |Total
staff |staffem- |estimated cost|estimated cost
employed full- |ployed part- |1989-90
time 16 |time 16
November |November
1990 |1990
|£ |£
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 |6 |247,300 |112,000
The lower estimated costs for 1990-91 result from reductions both planned and already made in the staffing provision for civil defence work. The staff concerned have been or will be transferred to other work. Further consideration will be given to staffing and expenditure on this work when my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary has completed the review, which he announced on 16 October, of the options for civil defence arrangements in the light of east-west relations.
Recycling
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what incentives he will bring forward to persuade industry to use recyclable materials.
Mr. Leigh : My Department fully recognises the importance of providing outlets for recycled materials, and that industry should use materials which are themselves recyclable, in order to ensure the achievement of the Government's recycling targets. We have taken, and are continuing to take, a wide range of initiatives to this end. These include conferences and literature to encourage businesses to design products with recycling in mind ; assisting the development of new industry standards to encourage the use of recyclable and recycled products ; and, as my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 27 September, the introduction of new schemes of support for businesses in the environmental area which embrace recycling technology. In addition, we are commissioning research activity to identify the scope for greater use and application of recyclable materials, and we are in active discussion with many industrial sectors to identify ways to stimulate recycling.
Audit Procedures
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will bring forward legislation to require firms auditing a public limited company to file information with regulatory bodies.
Mr. Redwood : We have no such plans. However, I expect that all applications for recognition from supervisory bodies for auditors under the Companies Act 1989 will include requirements as to the filing of information with them by audit firms.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether his Department makes any financial contribution towards the running of the Auditing Practices Committee.
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ECGD
Mr. Grylls : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take steps to ensure that Export Credits Guarantee Department's claims outstanding from small and medium sized firms as a result of the Gulf crisis are dealt with as fast as possible.
Mr. Sainsbury : ECGD is examining claims as fast as possible within the terms of its guarantees with the objective of making payments in respect of valid claims to exporters at the end of the appropriate claims waiting period.
Children's Clothing (Safety)
Mr. Hill : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what safety regulations apply to children's nightdresses and pyjamas ; and what recent cases there have been whereby injury has been caused to children due to the lack of flame retardants in these articles of clothing.
Mr. Leigh : Under the Nightwear (Safety) Regulations 1985 (as amended in 1987) children's nightdresses must pass a test for low flammability. Pyjamas do not have to comply with the flammability standard, but they must carry a permanent label showing whether or not they meet that standard. Garments can achieve low flammability through use of fabrics which are inherently fire resistant or by adding a fire retardant treatment to the fabric.
My Department's home accident surveillance system (HASS) monitors accidents receiving attention at the accident and emergency departments of 22 hospitals in England and Wales. HASS statistics for 1988 (the latest year for which data is complete) record two accidents in which children required hospital treatment for burn injuries after their nightwear caught fire. In one case the child was wearing pyjamas and in the other a nightdress was being worn. There is no record in these particular cases whether or not the garments were flame retarded.
Motor Vehicle Manufacturing Industry
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give an estimate of the number of people employed in the United Kingdom motor vehicle manufacturing industry in each year since 1979 ; and if he will make a statement concerning Government policy towards that industry.
Mr. Leigh : The number of people employed in the United Kingdom motor vehicle manufacturing industry is shown in the table. Government policy for the motor industry, as for industry as a whole, is to set the framework for free and fair competition and the encouragement of enterprise.
Numbers employed in the United
Kingdom motor vehicle
manufacturing industry 1979-90
Year |Employees
|(Thousands)
------------------------------------
June
1979 |466.3
1980 |437.1
1981 |365.7
1982 |318.0
1983 |299.0
1984 |280.8
1985 |274.0
1986 |265.8
1987 |260.0
1988 |269.1
1989 |270.8
1990 |268.3
Note:
The employment figures are those
under the Standard Industrial
Classification (SIC) heading 35,
"Motor vehicles and their parts".
Thus the figures include employees
in the large automotive components
sector. However, the actual
employment figure will be higher
when taking into account the
manufacture of components not
separately identifiable as specific
to the motor industry.
Steel Industry
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give an estimate of the number of people employed in the United Kingdom steel industry in each year since 1979 ; and if he will make a statement concerning Government policy towards that industry.
Mr. Leigh : The Department of Employment estimate the number of people employed in the United Kingdom steel industry in each year since 1979 as :
Year |Employees
|(Thousands)
------------------------------------
June
1979 |422.1
1980 |383.6
1981 |314.0
1982 |284.9
1983 |284.4
1984 |240.2
1985 |231.6
1986 |215.1
1987 |206.3
1988 |209.5
1989 |215.7
1990 |216.0
The figures above are the sum of the Department of Employment's estimates for the following industries, classified according to the 1980 Standard Industrial Classification : iron and steel industry (group 221) ; ferrous metal foundries (activity heading 3111) ; forging, pressing and stamping (group 312) ; and industrial plant and steelwork (group 320). There are, in addition, various industries associated with the manufacture and processing of steel for which separate estimates for the dates specified are not available. Government policy towards the steel industry, as for industry as a whole, is to set a framework for free and fair competition and the encouragement of enterprise.
Industry Council
Ms. Quin : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the matters expected to be discussed at the next meeting of the European Community Industry Council on 26 November.
Mr. Leigh [holding answer 21 November 1990] : The Industry Council on 26 November, which Lord Hesketh will attend on behalf of the United Kingdom, is expected to discuss a Commission communication to the Council on industrial policy, a draft directive on aid for the Community shipbuilding industry, and a Commission proposal to extend the patent term for pharmaceuticals.
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The Commission are also expected to make statements on the industrial impact of the Uruguay round, on the European semi-conductor industry, on the arts and crafts industry, on small and medium sized enterprises and on the future of the ECSC treaty.Company Accounts (Environmental Information)
Ms. Quin : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what studies his Department has commissioned, or intends to commission, on what proportion of companies in the United Kingdom carry out an environmental audit or publish environmental information in their annual accounts ; and if he intends to publish the results of any studies.
Mr. Leigh [holding answer 22 November 1990] : The Government encourage companies to use the management technique of environmental audit as part of comprehensive action to assess and improve their environmental performance. The Government also welcome the growth in the number of companies voluntarily publishing more information about their environmental performance. I am aware of a number of reports by commercial and other organisations which include information about environmental auditing and reporting by business. However, my Department has not commissioned--nor are there any plans to commission--a systematic study of the number of companies in the United Kingdom which are using environmental audits or publishing environmental information, for example in their annual report and accounts.
Department Inspectors (Unpublished Reports)
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether any unpublished reports of his Department's inspectors criticise any of the auditors, solicitors, bankers, brokers underwriters or other advisers involved in the matters on which the reports have been produced.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 22 November 1990] : I cannot disclose details of unpublished reports.
WALES
How Green was my Valley"
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if his Department's library will obtain a copy of "How Green was my Valley", published by the Council for the Protection of Rural Wales.
Sir Wyn Roberts : The Department's library already holds a copy of this report.
Local Government Finance
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the current poll tax payment rates in each local authority area in Wales, as percentage figures ; and if he will indicate the numbers that have only paid one poll tax instalment in each instance.
Mr. Grist : Information relating to numbers of community charge payers making payments is not available centrally.
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Green Belts and National Parks
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has any plans to designate green belt areas in Wales.
Mr. Grist : Green belts are established through development plans. As responsibility for preparing such plans rests with local planning authorities so too does the initiation of Green Belts. My right hon. Friend has recently invited the Assembly of Welsh Counties, in collaboration with other bodies, to assess the potential role which green belts might play in the proper planning of Wales and to report to him. To launch this exercise my right hon. Friend is convening a conference to be held in January 1991.
Higher Education
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total number of students at each public sector higher education college in Wales during 1989-90 ; and how many of these students were normally resident in Wales, in total numbers and as a percentage of the main student body.
Sir Wyn Roberts : The information for the academic year 1989-90 is shown in the following table :
|Students on|Resident |Resident
|higher |Welsh |Welsh
|education |students<1>|students
|courses |on higher |as a
|Wales |education |percentage
|courses |of higher
|education
|students
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Polytechnic of Wales |6,219 |3,388 |54
South Glamorgan
Institute of Higher
Education |3,618 |2,533 |70
Gwent College of Higher
Education |3,618 |2,863 |79
North East Wales
Institute of Higher
Education |2,962 |1,875 |63
West Glamorgan
Institute of Higher
Education |2,825 |2,277 |81
Trinity College |691 |487 |70
Normal College of
Higher Education |643 |534 |83
Carmarthen College of
Technology and Art |392 |336 |86
Welsh College of Music
and Drama |293 |98 |33
Bridgend College of
Technology |231 |230 |100
Gwynedd Technical
College |181 |181 |100
Llandrillo Technical
College |143 |122 |85
Newport College of
Further Education |110 |102 |93
Pontypridd Technical
College |107 |106 |99
Ebbw Vale College of
Further Education |92 |92 |100
Welsh Agricultural
College |78 |43 |55
Merthyr Tydfil Technical
College |63 |63 |100
Neath College |52 |52 |100
Pembrokeshire College of
Further Education |41 |41 |100
Crosskeys Tertiary
College |32 |32 |100
Aberdare College of
Further Education |31 |31 |100
Afan College |14 |14 |100
Ystrad Mynach College
of Further Education |10 |10 |100
Ceredigion College of
Further Education |9 |9 |100
|--- |--- |--
Total Wales |22,455 |15,519 |69
<1> Students whose home (grant-awarding) local authority is in Wales.
Rail Services
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with British Rail concerning the need to upgrade rail services between (a) Newport and Shrewsbury, (b) Shrewsbury and Wrexham, (c) Wrexham and Bidston and (d) Chester and Wrexham ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Wyn Roberts : I consult regularly with the chairman of British Rail on a wide range of rail issues. However, the upgrading of services is a matter for determination by British Rail.
Education Authorities (Land Sales)
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the property and land sold by each of the local education authorities of Wales, giving the moneys realised at each transaction for each year since 1980.
Sir Wyn Roberts : The information requested is not held centrally.
Green Belts and National Parks
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement concerning his policy towards the retention of existing green belts and national parks in Wales.
Mr. Grist : In December 1989 the Countryside Commission announced a major review of the means by which national parks' purposes are pursued. The review, which was endorsed by my right hon. Friend and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, is expected to make recommendations on the way forward for the parks into the next century. There are no green belts in Wales.
Primary Schools
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what guidelines are issued by his Department to local education authorities in Wales concerning the optimum size of any new primary schools, and as to whether these should, in any circumstances, have a capacity in excess of 500 pupils.
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Sir Wyn Roberts : None.Abattoirs
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the abattoirs in Wales currently available for the slaughter of lambs for export to mainland Europe ; if he has any proposals to provide part or full funding for new abattoirs ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. David Hunt : The following abattoirs in Wales are currently available for the slaughter of lambs for export to mainland Europe : Fairfield Meat Co, Maelor Abattoir, Marchwiel, Wrexham, Clwyd ; Oriel Jones and Son Ltd, Teifi Park Abattoir, Llanybydder, Dyfed ; and United Meat Packers (Wales) Ltd, Gaerwen Industrial Estate, Anglesey, Gwynedd.
Schemes for new abattoirs may be assisted by way of regional enterprise grants (if they are located in development areas and employ fewer than 25 people), or they could qualify for regional selective assistance (essentially if they create or safeguard employment and offer a distinct regional or national benefit). However, there are EC restrictions on the granting of support towards projects which increase United Kingdom slaughter capacity unless compensating reductions in capacity can be demonstrated.
Agriculture
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has any proposals to widen the role of the Development Board for Rural Wales to include strategic planning and support for the agriculture industry in north and mid Wales ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. David Hunt : I have no such proposals. These responsibilities are a matter for my agriculture department.
Kidney Patients
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what information he has about the number of renal patients who satisfy the criteria of the Renal Association of Great Britain, and approved by the Department of Health, for treatment with Erythropoietin ; and what percentage is receiving it ;
(2) how much additional money he has made available to health authorities for the newly approved drug Erythropoietin to be prescribed ; and what estimate he has made of the number of renal patients who will be treated as a result.
Mr. Grist : Information on the number of renal patients who satisfy the criteria for treatment with Erythropoietin is not held centrally, nor is information on the number of patients receiving it. Recurrent funding of £390,000 per annum has been made available to health authorities in Wales which manage the regional main renal units to support the provision of Erythropoietin. However, the prescription of Erythropoietin is a matter of clinical judgment and I am unable to estimate the number of patients who will be treated.
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Educational Psychologists
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what considerations led him to discontinue national priority status for the training of educational psychologists in the 1991-92 grants for educational support and training programme.
Sir Wyn Roberts : All Welsh LEAs were invited in a letter from the Department dated 18 October 1990 to bid for the initial training of educational psychologists in 1991-92. Several bids have been received which are being considered.
Asthma
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will commission research on the health effects of fine dust particulates from industrial and extracting industries and as to any relationship between the presence of certain types of dust in the atmosphere and the incidence of asthma.
Mr. Grist : Health and safety matters are the responsibility of my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Employment.
Planning Appeals
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish the totals of planning appeals heard by his inspectors in each of the past eight years, and the totals of their decisions to approve or reject.
Mr. Grist : The information is set out in the table :
-
|Heard |Approved|Rejected
---------------------------------------------
1982 |678 |183 |495
1983 |620 |231 |389
1984 |610 |222 |388
1985 |581 |244 |337
1986 |811 |335 |476
1987 |747 |263 |484
1988 |1,007 |321 |686
1989 |1,177 |367 |810
NHS Trusts
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what date he received an expression of interest from Pembrokeshire health authority in reconstituting the whole authority as a national health service unit.
Mr. Grist : An initial submission was received on 8 October. Further information was submitted on 16 November.
Mental Handicap
Mr. Gwilym Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what arrangements he proposes for the full review of the mental handicap strategy in 1991-92 proposed in the Welsh chapter of the White Paper, "Caring for People--Community Care in the Next Decade and Beyond."
Mr. David Hunt : The Welsh Office has today issued a letter setting out the arrangements for the review and invited comments on key issues which are set out in a detailed paper. Copies of these documents have been
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placed in the Library. The review will enable me to take decisions about the next steps in ensuring the maintenance and development of quality services for people in Wales with mental handicaps before the end of the strategy's initially programmed 10 years in March 1993.ENERGY
Coal Industry
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will give an estimate of the number of people employed in the United Kingdom coal industry in each year since 1979 ; and if he will make a statement concerning Government policy towards that industry.
Mr. Baldry : British Coal is by far the largest single employer in the United Kingdom coal industry, and the numbers employed by the Corporation since 1979 are set out in the annual report which is available in the Library of the House.
Decisions on British Coal manpower levels are a commercial matter for the corporation.
Multiple Share Applications
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to his answer of 21 November, what is his estimate of the likely completion date of the investigations into multiple share applications for British Gas.
Mr. Wakeham : Investigations into multiple share applications for British Gas shares are a matter for the police.
Coal Supplies
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects next to discuss with the chairman of National Power an increase in the coal price to be paid to members of the South Wales Small Mines Association by National Power.
Mr. Baldry : My discussions with the chairman of National Power are confidential.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy on how many occasions he has requested the competition directorate of the European Commission to expedite its adjudication of the discrimination complaint regarding coal supplies to the electricity industry made by the South Wales Small Mines Association.
Mr. Baldry : The handling of the complaint made by the South Wales Small Mines Association is a matter for the Commission.
PowerGen
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what severance payment is to be paid to Robert Malpas on his resignation as chairman of PowerGen ; and whether he was consulted on the sums involved.
Mr. Wakeham : I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Cardiff, West (Mr. Morgan) on 23 November at column 251.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the salary of the new chairman of PowerGen ; how
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many days a week Sir Graham Day will be working for PowerGen ; and what terms have been agreed for fixing his salary after the privatisation of PowerGen.Mr. Wakeham : Sir Graham Day's salary as chairman of PowerGen is £110,000 per year.
Sir Graham will be devoting around two days a week to PowerGen over the year as a whole. Greater calls on his time in the period up to flotation are expected to be balanced by a reduced involvement later on.
No terms have been agreed for fixing his salary after the privatisation of PowerGen.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what was the salary of the former chairman of PowerGen ; how many days a week Robert Malpas worked for PowerGen ; and what terms had been agreed for fixing his salary after the privatisation of PowerGen.
Mr. Wakeham : Mr. Malpas's salary was £157,321 per year. He worked three days per week at PowerGen. No terms had been agreed for fixing his salary after the privatisation of PowerGen.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) when he was consulted on the appointment of the new chairman of PowerGen ; (2) what information he has on the reasons for the resignation of the chairman of PowerGen.
Mr. Wakeham : I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave him on 22 November at column 177.
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