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Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the results of research on the demographic and economic impacts of AIDS in developing countries are now available ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Chalker : The Overseas Development Administration is funding two research projects on this topic, both based in Africa. They are "Analysis of the Demographic and Economic Impact of Aids in the Developing World" by Professor R. M. Anderson of Imperial College and "Community Coping Mechanisms in the face of exceptional Demographic Change" by Dr. Barnett and Professor Blaikie of university of East Anglia with Dr. Obbo. The results are expected to be published during 1991, but may not be conclusive.
Mr. Mallon : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many students attending colleges of further education, in each year since 1985, were in receipt of free school meals until they reached their 18th birthday, and were subsequently required to pay for school meals ; and if he will take measures to ensure that all students, who otherwise qualify for free school meals, will not be disqualified on grounds of age.
Dr. Mawhinney : The number of students in receipt of free school meals for the years 1985 to 1989 was as follows :
|Number --------------------- 1985 |1,300 1986 |1,507 1987 |1,958 1988 |1,150 1989 |1,026
Information is not held about the number of such students who re-enrolled in the institutions in the following years and were required to pay for their meals. There are no plans to change the existing arrangements which give parity of treatment with pupils attending secondary schools.
Mr. Mallon : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the total number of (a) physically disabled and (b) mentally disabled people living in Northern Ireland in each year since 1985.
Mr. Hanley : The information available is given in the table. It should be noted that until 1987 information on the
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numbers of physically disabled, mentally handicapped and mentally ill people known to, or in contact with, the health and social services boards was collected on a calendar year basis. Since 1988-89 the information has been collected on a financial year basis and is restricted to include only persons in contact with the health and social services board during that year.Year |Physically |Mentally |Mentally ill |disabled |handicapped ----------------------------------------------------------------- 1985 |37,895 |6,630 |5,038 1986 |38,593 |6,610 |4,890 1987 |40,498 |6,783 |5,143 1988-89 |25,811 |6,651 |6,690
The figures for 1989-90 have not yet been submitted by the health boards.
Mr. Mallon : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many individuals giving their normal occupation as farming, are receiving (a) income support, (b) family credit and (c) unemployment benefit at each district office of the Department of Health and Social Services in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Hanley : Although precise figures are not available, it is estimated there are about 1,000 people getting family credit whose normal occupation is farming. Information about the number of such individuals receiving income support is not available and information about the numbers receiving unemployment benefit could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Mallon : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the total number of people, over the age of 65 years, living in Northern Ireland in each year since 1985.
Mr. Hanley : The information, taken from the mid-year estimates of population, is as follows :
|Numbers ------------------------ 1985 |186,800 1986 |188,500 1987 |190,900 1988 |192,300 1989 |194,000
Figures for 1990 will not be available until mid-1991.
Mr. Mallon : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many individuals received home help care in each health board area in Northern Ireland in each year since 1986.
Mr. Hanley [holding answer 4 December 1990] : The information requested is set out in the table :
|1986 |1987 |1988-89 ------------------------------------------------------- Eastern Board |<1>13,866|<2>13,358|15,432 Northern Board |5,577 |5,271 |4,723 Southern Board |5,822 |6,251 |6,221 Western Board |4,632 |4,615 |4,497 NI Totals |29,897 |29,495 |30,873 <1> Includes estimated number for 1 Unit of Management. <2> Includes estimated number for 3 Units of Management.
Data for 1986 and 1987 refer to recipients during year ended 31 December. Data for 1988-89 show recipients at 31 March apart from four (of the nine) units of management in the Eastern board which gave data for the calendar year 1988. Data for 1989-90 have not yet been submitted by the health boards.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Attorney-General what steps he is taking to prosecute Mr. Bill Galbraith of Cheltenham for comments he has made concerning the adoption of Mr. John Taylor as prospective Conservative candidate for Cheltenham ; and if he will make a statement.
The Attorney-General : The Gloucestershire constabulary is conducting an investigation arising out of statements allegedly made by Mr. Galbraith. A report will in due course be submitted to the Crown prosecution service, which will consider whether to invite me to consent to the institution of proceedings for an offence under part III of the Public Order Act 1986.
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to his reply on 27 November, Official Report, column 374, if he will make a statement on the use to which the British Geological Survey's study of rock formation in England and Wales will be put.
Mr. Alan Howarth : The results of the systematic geological surveys of the United Kingdom carried out by the British Geological Survey are published in the form of geological maps, descriptive memoirs and reports. These have a wide range of applications including land use planning, mineral and groundwater resource assessment, engineering and geotechnical investigations and academic research.
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will update the information given in the reply to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe on 15 December 1989, Official Report, column 832, and if he will make a further statement on the progress of the Medical Research Council/INSERM trial of Zidovudine.
Mr. Alan Howarth : The Medical Research Council/INSERM trial of Zidovudine is continuing. The number of participants enrolled to date is 831 in the United Kingdom and 803 in France.
Mr. Pendry : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he will take to implement the recommendations of the National Curriculum Council regarding the position of physical education and sport in the national curriculum.
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Mr. Eggar : I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the National Curriculum Council's advice on the curriculum for 14 to 16-year- old pupils. I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to him on 20 November 1990 at column 65.
Mr. Pendry : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what has been the Government's total expenditure on sport for each of the last five years and as a total over the same period ; and what measures he will take to increase Government assistance to sport over the next years.
Mr. Atkins : In England central Government's total expenditure or planned provision on sport through grant in aid to the Sports Council and the Department of the Environment's urban programme for the years 1985-86 to 1993-94 is :
|Sports |Urban |Council Grant|Programme -------------------------------------------------------------------- 1985-86 outturn |30.1 |24.7 1986-87 outturn |37.4 |21.3 1987-88 outturn |37.1 |25.2 1988-89 outturn |39.0 |17.8 1989-90 outturn |41.9 |15.5 1990-91 estimated outturn |43.7 |15.7 1991-92 plans |46.7 |15.9 1992-93 plans |47.4 |16.0 1993-94 plans |48.8 |16.1
The Government also fund sport indirectly through other inner-city programmes and agencies and provide financial support for local authorities' revenue expenditure on sport through unhypothecated revenue support grant. In the light of recent departmental changes, I am considering what further steps may be taken to improve sport in schools.
Mr. Pendry : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will re-examine the allocation of teachers' hours in relation to extra-curricular activities in sport and recreation.
Mr. Eggar : The allocation of teachers' directed time is a matter for head teachers to decide.
Mr. Pendry : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will initiate a full assessment of the needs of physical education and training colleges, with particular reference to teacher training in team sports and other sporting skills.
Mr. Fallon : My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to initiate such an assessment. As far as the content of initial teacher training is concerned, the Government's revised criteria for the approval of courses, announced in DES circular 24/89, require training institutions to prepare students to teach PE according to the requirements of the national curriculum.
Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many school students are estimated to have English as their second language.
Mr. Alan Howarth : This information is not held centrally.
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Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the outcome of the recent consultations on school teacher appraisal.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : I hope to make an announcement shortly, details of which will be placed in the Library at the earliest opportunity.
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Lord President of the Council if he has any estimate of the amount of office space taken up by filing cabinets and cupboards in hon. Members' offices.
Mr. MacGregor : No. This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Lord President of the Council (1) what assistance is available to hon. Members to move towards paperless offices ;
(2) what studies his office have carried out into the potential of compact disc technology to reduce paper use and the need for storage space in hon. Members' offices.
Mr. MacGregor : Assistance for Members who wish to establish computer and other information technology facilities in their offices is available in two forms. Advice on suitable equipment and procedures can be obtained from the computer officer. Advice on funding the cost of equipment from the office costs allowance is available from the Fees Office.
The Services Committee's fourth report of last Session suggests ways in which information technology services in the House might be developed and funded.
Mr. David Martin : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the outcome of the latest meeting of the European Community's Economic and Finance Council.
Mr. Maude : The ECOFIN Council met in Brussels on 3 December. The Minister for Corporate Affairs and I represented the United Kingdom. Further progress was made in discussions of the investment services directive and the money laundering directive was also discussed. These directives will both return to the Council for further consideration on 17 December.
Over lunch there was a brief discussion of organisational issues in preparation for the intergovernmental conference on economic and monetary union. The possibility of additional assistance for the countries of eastern Europe and the Soviet Union was also raised. This will be discussed further at a special meeting of ECOFIN to be held on 10 December.
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The arrangements for VAT controls after 1992 were also discussed and I explained that our consultations with industry were not yet complete. The Council heard statements from Germany and the Commission on the fiscal aspects of road transport.There was a short discussion of a Commission paper concerning the debt of African, Caribbean and Pacific countries accrued under previous Lome conventions. It was agreed that this should be considered further by ECOFIN in the new year.
The Council also discussed a further report from the presidency on negotiations with the European Parliament about revisions to the financial perspective arising from German unification and the Gulf crisis.
Mr. Andrew Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the outcome of the latest informal meeting of the European Community's economic and finance ministers.
Mr. Norman Lamont : The Economic and Finance Ministers and central bank governors of the European Community met informally in Milan on 2 December. The Governor of the Bank of England and I represented the United Kingdom.
The meeting began with a discussion of the state of the world economy and the possible need for additional assistance for the countries of eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. The chairman of the Committee of Central Bank Governors presented the committee's draft statutes for a European system of central banks, which will be published shortly. I repeated our reserve on the imposition of a single currency and a European central bank. I emphasised, however, our hope and expectation that an agreement on economic and monetary union would be reached which would be acceptable to all members of the Community.
There was also a short discussion of the economic situation in Greece.
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many accountants in the Treasury received pay increases in excess of 25 per cent. in the pay settlement years 1987, 1988, 1989 and 1990, taken individually.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : There are no instances of accountants in the Treasury receiving increases in excess of 25 per cent. in respect of any of the pay settlement years 1987, 1988, 1989 and 1990.
Mr. Leighton : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what methods are available to reduce transaction costs short of a single currency.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Transaction costs are most effectively reduced through increased competition, co-operation between banks in developing systems of making payments and technological change.
Mr. Wray : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the effects for the British financial system of the banking crisis and the collapse of the savings and loans companies of the United States of America.
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Mr. Maples : The Government and the Bank of England have been closely following developments in the banking and savings and loan industries in the United States. The United Kingdom banking system is well capitalised and comprehensively regulated, and the US problems, particularly of the savings and loans, are the result of circumstances peculiar to the US which have no direct equivalent here.Mr. Vaz : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what ethnic monitoring his Department has carried out concerning value added tax raids.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Customs and Excise does not carry out VAT raids ; it instigates investigations into VAT frauds. No monitoring of ethnic involvement is made in these investigations ; each case is treated on its merits.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many value added tax raids have resulted in (a) arrests and (b) convictions in the last five years.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : As stated, Customs does not carry out VAT raids. In the last five years investigations into VAT fraud resulted in (a) 348 arrests, (b) 1,070 convictions, and (c) 1,243 cases in which proceedings were compounded on payment of a penalty.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many persons are employed by the value added tax section engaged in raids on factories and offices.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Customs does not employ officers for specific types of VAT evasion. Its specialist VAT investigators undertake investigations of all types of VAT fraud.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many value added tax raids there have been in 1990, 1989, 1988, 1987 and 1986.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Again, Customs does not carry out VAT raids. The number of visits made in connection with VAT investigations where a search warrant was authorised are : 1986--figures not available, 1987--287, 1988--274, 1989--146, 1990--162.
Mr. Pendry : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the Government's total income from (a) the football bettings duty and (b) the football industry as a whole for each of the past 11 years and as a total over the same period.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Receipts from pool betting duty are as follows :
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Information about the total Exchequer income from the football industry is not available.
Mr. Pendry : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the Government's total income from sporting activities for each of the past five years and as a total over the same period.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : I regret that this information is not available.
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish tales showing (a) the number of new buildings, (b) the amount spent on new buildings, (c) the amount spent on repairs and maintenance and (d) the amount spent on building renovation by his Department in each of the last five years.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard [holding answer 5 December 1990] : The information is as follows :
(a) The Treasury has not acquired any new buildings.
(b) In view of (a), nil return.
Table file CW901207.008 not available
, (a) The Treasury has not acquired any new buildings. (b) In view of (a), nil return. (c) <1>1988-89 |1989-90 |<2>1990-91 -------------------------------------------- £532,000 |£371,000 |£301,000 These figures are for part II and part III services delegated to Departments under property repayment services rules.
(d) <1>1988-89 |1989-90 |<2>1990-91 -------------------------------------------- £1,211,000 |£500,000 |£200,000 <1> Figures for previous years for the whole of the Treasury could not be obtained except at disproportionate costs. <2> Forecast figures. These figures are for building renovation part I services for which the Treasury has paid from its departmental budget.
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what studies have been initiated by Her Majesty's Government or by the European Community of the tangible benefits to be derived from monetary union over those expected from the completion of the single market.
Mr. Maude [holding answer 6 December 1990] : The European Commission published in October 1990 a report entitled, "One market, one money : an evaluation of the costs and benefits of forming an economic and monetary union". The Government tabled an explanatory memorandum on the report on 5 November 1990. The autumn 1990 edition of the Treasury bulletin set out the Government's proposals for the establishment of a European Monetary Fund to manage a new common currency, the "hard ecu". These measures would be a powerful force for inflation convergence at the best Community performance.
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Mr. Hill : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what talks he is planning to have with the General Council of British Shipping to discuss the trend in the tonnage of the ships registered in the United Kingdom.
Mr. McLoughlin : My right hon. and learned Friend met the president of the General Council of British Shipping on 4 December, when a number of shipping issues were discussed.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will call for a report as to how many trains were cancelled through Oxford Circus on the night of 4 December ;
(2) how many London Underground trains were cancelled on the night of 4 December.
Mr. Freeman : These are operational matters for London Underground Ltd.
Mr. Lewis : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he now expects the public consultation to take place, in respect of the proposed Greater Manchester western and northern relief road.
Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to increase transport expenditure in Scotland in the areas of responsibility under his Department.
Mr. Freeman [holding answer 6 December 1990] : Over the next three years BR plans to spend over £30 million in 1990-91 prices on infrastructure in Scotland. Scotland will also benefit from other BR investment in both infrastructure and rolling stock. In addition, the Department will issue credit approvals for £1 million for Scottish local authority ports in 1991-92.
Mr. Ralph Howell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the number of reported cases of theft and fraud in (a) the national health service and (b) the Norwich health authority in each year since 1979 showing (i) the total number of cases reported, (ii) the number of cases reported to police, (iii) the number of prosecutions and (iv) the number of convictions in each year.
Mr. Dorrell : Table A provides information on the number of reported cases in the category of theft, fraud, arson, neglect of duty or gross carelessness as reported by Norwich health authority for the years since its inception in 1982, and corresponding data for all health authorities in England. No separate breakdown of fraud or theft is available.
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Health authorities are required to report to the Department annually all instances of alleged fraud and data are shown in table B. Norwich health authority has made no reports of fraud since the authority's inception.Information on the number of theft cases reported to the police, prosecutions and convictions are not collected centrally by the Department.
Table A Reported cases of loss of cash, equipment and property in stores arising from theft, fraud, arson, neglect of duty or gross carelessness in health authorities in England Number of cases Year |Norwich |All health |health |authorities |authority ------------------------------------------------ 1982-83 |70 |4,289 1983-84 |85 |4,181 1984-85 |65 |5,308 1985-86 |76 |5,199 1986-87 |59 |4,584 1987-88 |37 |3,840 1988-89 |35 |4,373 1989-90 |33 |4,028 Source: Annual Statement of Losses from Health Authorities for the relevant years.
Table B Reported cases of fraud in health authorities in England Number of cases reported by health aut Year |Reported |Prosecutions |to police ---------------------------------------------------- 1982-83 |1 |1 1983-84 |0 |0 1984-85 |6 |6 1985-86 |6 |4 1986-87 |8 |7 1987-88 |7 |6 1988-89 |5 |3 4 |3 |1
Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many elderly people he estimates are in need of incontinence aids ; how many of such people are accommodated in residential nursing homes in (a) the public and (b) the private sector ; and how many and what percentage of such persons in each sector receive such incontinence pads free of charge.
Mr. Dorrell : Information about the demand for and supply of incontinence pads is not held centrally.
Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will issue guidance to all health authorities to provide incontinence pads to residents of homes for the elderly.
Mr. Dorrell : Guidance has already been issued to district health authorities advising them, at their discretion, to provide incontinence pads to people in residential homes.
Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ensure that resources are provided to meet the necessary costs of staff development within the area of the Rotherham health authority.
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Mr. Dorrell : The costs of staff development are met out of normal revenue funding for health authorities. It is a matter for Trent regional health authority to allocate resources to district health authorities in that region.
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