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Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether any persons suffering from Dupuytren's contracture as a direct result of employment in the coal industry are entitled to claim compensation.
Mr. Scott : I believe that this question relates to the condition of Dupuytren's contracture in which bands of increased fibrous tissue in the palm of the hand may result in a progressive curling over of one or more fingers. There is no firm evidence that this condition arises from any form of employment. It is not therefore recognised under the industrial injuries scheme as a prescribed disease.
Social Security Appeal Tribunals
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what explanation he offers to persons willing to serve on social security appeal tribunals but whom he decides not to reappoint ; what right of appeal against such refusal to reappoint exists ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) what opportunities to attend training courses have been offered in each year since 1979 to members of the Leeds social security appeal tribunal ; how many members have attended (a) all training courses and (b) no training courses in each of the last five years ; and what importance he places on attendance at training courses when deciding reappointments to the tribunal ;
(3) how many persons he has appointed in each year since 1979 to the Leeds social security appeal tribunal ; what is the normal term of office ; in how many cases since 1979 he has reappointed persons for further terms ; and in how many cases since 1979 he has declined to reappoint a person who is willing to continue service ; (4) what reports he has received in the past five years about complaints made by members of the Leeds social security appeal tribunal concerning the conduct of hearings.
Miss Widdecombe : The responsibility for the appointment of members of social security appeal tribunals lies with the president of social security appeal tribunals and medical appeal tribunals, His Honour Judge Derek Holden, who is appointed by the Lord Chancellor. He has, however, provided me with the following information.
Tribunal members normally hold office for three years at a time, but the president may, at any time, terminate the appointment of any member. There is no right of appeal against the decision not to reappoint a person to a panel of members.
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Since the president's office was created in 1984, training courses have been available to members of Leeds social security tribunal in 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1989. Further courses are being arranged for 1991. Training records are kept for individual members but are not collated. Availability for training courses is regarded as an important factor when considering reappointments.The number of persons appointed as members of the panel for Leeds social security appeal tribunal since 1979 is as follows :
--------------
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1989
11990
The number of members reappointed to the panel for Leeds social security appeal tribunal is available only from 1986 :
Number
8
191
19--
192
199
The number of members not reappointed to the panel for Leeds social security appeal tribunal is available only from 1989 :
Number
195
During the past five years no complaints from members have been received by the president concerning the conduct of hearings of Leeds social security tribunals.
Sexual Equality
Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to ensure that men and women are treated equally in all social security matters.
Miss Widdecombe : The Government are committed to the principle of equal treatment for men and women. Certain social security issues are exempted under European law from the general rule of equal treatment.
Child Support
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the additional cost in 1991-92 of a 10p increase in allowances for dependent children under income support, family credit, housing benefit and community charge benefit.
Miss Widdecombe : It is estimated that the net overall cost of increasing all child premiums by 10p for all four income-related benefits would be about £17 million.
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Community Charge
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he has any plans to undertake a fundamental review of the operation of the poll tax rebate scheme in 1991-92.
Miss Widdecombe : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment is conducting a fundamental review of the community charge. Any associated changes in social security arrangements will be considered at the appropriate time.
Earnings
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many (a) men and (b) women earn above the national insurance upper earnings limit, divided into those on basic rate and the top rate of tax in 1991-92.
Mr. Jack : It is estimated that in 1991-92 the numbers of employees with earnings above the upper earnings limit for national insurance contributions will be as follows :
|Men |Women
|million|million
-----------------------------------------------
Basic rate income tax |1.7 |0.3
Higher rate income tax |1.0 |0.1
|-------|-------
Total |2.7 |0.4
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many (a) men and (b) women earn below the national insurance threshold ; and how many are between the upper and lower earnings limits in 1991-92.
Mr. Jack : It is estimated that in 1991-92 about 3 million employees, a quarter of whom will be men, will have earnings below the lower earnings limit for national insurance contributions. It is also estimated that in that year about 16.5 million employees, split equally between men and women, will have earnings that are between the upper and lower earnings limits.
National Insurance
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much revenue would be raised by putting national insurance contributions on savings above (a) £3,000 and (b) £5,000 (i) including pensioners and (ii) excluding pensioners.
Mr. Jack : National insurance contributions are levied only on earned income not on capital.
SCOTLAND
Administrative Costs
Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the administrative costs of his Department rose by more or less than the retail prices index in the last financial year.
Mr. Lang : Gross running cost expenditure on Scottish Office administration was 8.3 per cent. higher in 1989-90 than in the previous year. During the same period the retail prices index increased by 7.8 per cent.
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Purchasing
Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what were his Department's (a) best and (b) worst purchases made in the current month as measured against the Government's supply index ;
(2) what were the 10 worst purchases made by his Department in the month of October as measured against the Government's supply index.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The Scottish Office is not a member of the Government supply index.
Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about the purchasing policy of his Department.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The Scottish Office complies with the Government's policy that purchasers should base all procurement of goods and services on value for money, including quality (or fitness for purpose) and delivery against price. In accordance with that policy, goods and services are acquired by competition unless there are convincing reasons to the contrary. Under EC rules, and the GATT Government procurement agreement (GPA) where appropriate, the Scottish Office is obliged to award relevant contracts in accordance with prescribed procedures aimed at avoiding discrimination on grounds of nationality. To help to ensure effective compliance with these policies, and in line with guidance from HM Treasury's Central Unit on Purchasing, the Scottish Office has established a central purchasing and supply unit.
Woodland Grant Scheme
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will review the level of grants paid by the Forestry Commission under the woodland grant scheme ; and if he will make a statement on the scheme's operation.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : My right hon. Friend expects to make an announcement on this matter shortly.
Nature Conservancy Council (Scotland)
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he intends to announce the membership of the council of the Nature Conservancy Council (Scotland).
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : My right hon. Friend will announce the membership soon.
A1
Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the timing of the upgrading of the A1 road from Musselburgh to Dunbar to dual carriageway standard in the light of his recent announcement on his Department's expenditure plans.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : There has been no change in our plans to develop and implement a suitable programme of road improvements for the A1 including the dualling of the route first to Haddington and then on to Dunbar. The necessary preparatory work for this upgrading will continue as planned.
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Consultation
Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make it his practice to add hon. Members to the list of consultees to whom Scottish Office consultative documents are issued.
Mr. Lang : My Department takes account of the subject matter and purpose of each consultative document in deciding to whom it should be sent. Right hon. and hon. Members are included where they are likely to have an interest. In appropriate circumstances consultative documents are placed in the Library and the attention of the House is drawn to this. Moreover, media publicity is often given to consultative exercises thus enabling anyone with an interest to obtain copies of documents and submit views.
Firearms (Amendment) Act
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to amend section 19 of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988 to include measures that are partially or wholly funded by private means ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : There are no plans to amend section 19 of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988.
Public Sector Tenants (Property Purchases)
Mr. Canavan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Falkirk, West (Mr. Canavan) on 22 November, Official Report, column 205, he will name the three authorities which have submitted proposals to operate financial incentive schemes to encourage tenants to buy homes in the private sector and which are currently under consideration.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 7 December 1990] : Skye and Lochalsh district council, North East Fife district council and Gordon district council have submitted such proposals.
Scottish Refugee Council
Mr. Canavan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will respond positively to the grant application by the Scottish Refugee Council to the Scottish Office social work services group ; and when he expects to respond.
Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 7 December 1990] : The Scottish Office and the Home Office jointly made available to the Scottish Refugee Council a three-year grant of £25,000 per annum commencing in 1989-90. The council has applied to the Scottish Office for increased grant in 1991-92. This application is currently being considered along with other competing applications, and a decision is expected by early February 1991.
Mr. Brent Hodgson
Mr. Canavan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will make a statement on the progress of the investigation by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland into the case of Mr. Brent Hodgson, a former adult student at the West of Scotland college, Auchincruive, Ayr.
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Mr. Michael Forsyth [holding answer 7 December 1990] : I will write to the hon. Member.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Shellfish
Mr. Hardy : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what arrangements are being made or have already been made to protect the environment or the local ecology before the introduction of alien species of shellfish is permitted.
Mr. Curry : It is an offence under section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to release or allow to escape into the wild any animal of a kind which is not ordinarily resident in and is not a regular visitor to Great Britain in a wild state ; or which is included in part I of schedule 9 to that Act. Introductions into the wild may be authorised by a licence granted under section 16 and after consultation with the Nature Conservancy Council. These licences may be general or specific and subject to certain conditions. At present general licences permit releases of Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) and Portuguese oysters (Crassostrea angulata). The release of any other species of alien shellfish would require a specific licence. Moreover, all deposits of molluscan shellfish, whether native or non-native, are subject to licensing under the Molluscan Shellfish (Control of Deposit) Order 1974, as varied.
The suitability of alien shellfish for cultivation in our waters is carefully investigated by fisheries department scientists, who take account of the scope for natural recruitment and potential ecological impact. Steps are also taken to ensure that any imported broodstock are free of alien shellfish parasites or diseases. There is no evidence of natural recruitment or ecological harm having arisen from the cultivation of Pacific or Portuguese oysters.
Institute of Food Research
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give details of the research work carried out at the Institute of Food Research at Norwich which is due to be terminated in 1991.
Mr. Gummer : The following projects, identified as being near- market, are due to terminate in 1991 :
Utilisation of proteins as functional ingredients in processed food products.
Optimum conditions for maintaining quality in bulked storage of vegetables.
The Ministry's total expenditure on food R and D is rising from £20.3 million in 1990-91 to £21.4 million in 1991-92.
Farm Employment
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many (a) farmers and (b) farm workers were employed in England on a county-by-county basis in June.
Mr. Gummer : The numbers of farmers and farm workers on main agricultural and horticultural holdings are collected each year under the June agricultural and horticultural census. Results at county level are published from each census in the "Farmers and Workers" section of the "Published Statistical Material" (PSM) statement. The latest statement is for 1989 and a copy is being placed in the Library of the House of Commons.
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Information from the 1990 June agricultural and horticultural census is currently being processed and will become available next year.Surplus Produce
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement explaining the total sum in the 1991 EEC budget which relates to the storage and sale of surplus produce, including the disposal thereof.
Mr. Curry : The total sum in the 1991 draft EC budget relating to the storage, sale and disposal of agricultural produce is 17,900 million ecu (£12,500 million). Of this sum 9,800 million ecu (£6,800 million) relates to export
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refunds, 4,900 million ecu (£3,400 million) to storage, 600 million ecu (£400 million) to withdrawals and 2,600 million ecu (£1,800 million) to internal disposal subsidies.Agricultural Products and Wine
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish a table showing the special sales of agricultural products and wine agreed by the EEC in the most recent six-month period for which figures are available ; and if he will indicate the sale prices of these items in terms of pence per pound.
Mr. Curry : Special sales of agricultural produce and wine that have taken place or been agreed by the EC in the last six months are shown in the table :
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Date |Destination |Commodity |Quantity |Price (pence/lb)
| (Tonnes)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
June |Algeria |Wheat |160,800 | 3.0
June |Morocco |Wheat |122,000 | 3.0
July |Algeria |Wheat |60,000 | 3.0
June |Eastern Europe<1>|Rice |500 | 8.1
July |Eastern Europe<1>|Rice |14,750 | 7.5
October |Eastern Europe<2>|Rice |3,900 | 6.1
November |Eastern Europe<2>|Rice |6,440 |6.1-6.5
November |USSR |Wheat |1,500,000 | 1.7
November |USSR |Barley |500,000 | 2.0
September |Brazil<3> |Beef-Boneless |30,000 |25.3
September |Brazil<3> |Beef-Bone in |50,000 |17.5
<1> Includes East Germany.
<2> Excludes East Germany.
<3> Sale agreed by EC but not taken up by Brazil.
Dairy Farms
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many dairy farms there are in England on a county-by-county basis for the latest available date.
Mr. Gummer : The number of holdings with dairy cows in each English county in June 1989 was as follows :
County |Number of
|holdings
----------------------------------------------------
Avon |575
Bedfordshire |59
Berkshire |106
Buckinghamshire |241
Cambridgeshire |62
Cheshire |1,680
Cleveland |84
Cornwall (inc. Isles of Scilly) |1,916
Cumbria |2,430
Derbyshire |1,180
Devon |3,137
Dorset |1,040
Durham |351
Essex |158
Gloucestershire |654
Hampshire |401
Hereford and Worcester |781
Hertfordshire |108
Humberside |218
Isle of Wight |115
Kent |249
Lancashire |1,753
Leicestershire |585
Lincolnshire |246
Greater London |24
Greater Manchester |277
Merseyside |35
Norfolk |313
Northamptonshire |207
Northumberland |205
Nottinghamshire |219
Oxfordshire |298
Shropshire |1,367
Somerset |1,771
Staffordshire |1,626
Suffolk |207
Surrey |177
Sussex East |291
Sussex West |262
Tyne and Wear |34
Warwickshire |369
West Midlands |61
Wiltshire |902
Yorkshire North |1,968
Yorkshire South |233
Yorkshire West |517
Wine
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Southend, East on 20 November, Official Report, column 85, if the rates of export refund for wine fall to be adjusted in respect of the special sales to Poland and other east European nations ; and if he will further indicate the prices at which the wine is purchased from EEC sources before the export refund is applied.
Mr. Curry : There are no special arrangements covering the sale of wine, or of EC stocks of wine alcohol, to Poland or other east European nations.
Representative market prices for table wines are published each week in the C series of the Official Journal
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of the European Communities. The first during the year in question were published in C.113 of 4 May 1989 (P.4) ; and the last in C.104 of 26 April 1990 (P.7).I apologise for an error in my earlier answer. Conversion rates to be applied are :
up to 31 August 1989 one ecu/per cent. vol./hectolitre = £0.0675071/litre
up to 10 January 1990 one ecu/per cent. vol./hectolitre = £0.0701383/litre
up to 11 January 1990 one ecu/per cent. vol./hectolitre = £0.0704335/litre.
The conversion rates assume table wine at 10 per cent. alcohol by volume.
Agricultural Development Advisory Service
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many people are currently employed in the farm and countryside service of the Agricultural Development Advisory Service ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : On 3 December 1990 there were 1,637 staff employed in the farm and countryside service of the Agricultural Development Advisory Service.
Borrowing
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the total liabilities of United Kingdom agriculture including borrowings by agricultural landlords and farmers, but excluding borrowing for private purposes, for 1989 and 1990 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : Information on the total liabilities of United Kingdom agriculture relates to December in each year. No figures are available for 1990. A forecast for 1989
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is published in table 3.1 of the 1990 edition of "Farm Income in the United Kingdom" and will be updated in "Agriculture in the United Kingdom", 1990 edition, to be published in January 1991. A forecast for 1990 will be given in "Farm Income in the United Kingdom", 1991 edition, to be published in April 1990. The level in real terms of total liabilities of United Kingdom agriculture has remained broadly stable since 1983.Research and Development
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the amount of money his Ministry gave to fund (a) arable crops research, (b) animal health, (c) animal physiology and genetics, (d) engineering research, (e) food research, (f) grassland and environmental research, (g) horticultural research and (h) plant science research at Agriculture and Food Research Council institutes since 1980 ; and what are his estimates for 1991 and 1992.
Mr. Gummer : My Department has a significant programme of R and D to provide the necessary scientific base for its policy decisions. In 1990-91 this Department will be spending £121 million on R and D, of which some £45 million (37 per cent.) is at the AFRC institutes. Information in the detailed format requested is available only from 1987-88 onwards and this is provided in table 1. Comparative data for earlier years can be produced only at disproportionate cost. Tables 2 and 3 give details of that information readily available for the earlier years.
The data exclude central administration and superannuation costs provided by MAFF which are used to support AFRC institutes.
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MAFF spend on R and D with AFRC institutes-Table 1 £ million April-March years |1987-88 |1988-89 |1989-90 |1990-91 |1991-92 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (a) Arable crops |5.4 |3.8 |4.3 |4.4 |4.5 (b) Animal health |5.1 |5.1 |5.0 |6.2 |5.3 (c) Animal physiology and genetics |2.3 |2.1 |2.2 |3.2 |3.0 (d) Engineering research |3.4 |3.4 |3.4 |3.4 |3.1 (e) Food research |6.3 |6.6 |6.3 |5.9 |4.7 (f) Grassland and environmental research |7.2 |7.4 |6.4 |6.0 |5.2 (g) Horticultural research |6.8 |7.6 |7.9 |7.1 |<1> (h) Plant science research |0.1 |0.3 |0.5 |0.4 |0.4 Total |36.6 |36.3 |36.0 |36.6 |<1>26.2 <1>Excludes research which will be commissioned directly by MAFF with Horticultural Research International from 1991-92 onwards.
*
Table 2
£s million
------------------------------------------
(a) Animals |10.7|13.8|15.3|15.2
(b) Arable Crops |7.1 |10.9|11.8|20.1
(c) Horticulture |5.8 |7.5 |8.4
(d) Engineering |2.4 |2.8 |4.0 |4.4
(e) Food Science |2.6 |3.7 |5.0 |5.8
|--- |--- |--- |---
Total |28.6|38.7|44.5|45.5
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Table 3
£ million
April-March years |1984-85 |1985-86 |1986-87
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(a) Plant Breeding |5.0 |5.1 |4.4
(b) Crop Protection |7.3 |7.1 |6.0
(c) Soils and Crop Nutrition |3.7 |3.4 |2.6
(d) Crop Production |6.6 |6.7 |5.8
(e) Animal Breeding |1.7 |1.8 |1.6
(f) Animal Disease |7.1 |5.9 |5.2
(g) Animal Nutrition |1.6 |2.0 |1.8
(h) Animal Production |7.1 |7.3 |5.6
(i) Food |6.0 |6.6 |6.7
(j) Statistics and Computing |0.8 |0.7 |0.8
|------- |------- |-------
Total |46.9 |46.6 |40.5
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Research Projects
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the number of research projects which have been identified as near-market for which his Ministry will withdraw funding ; how many of these projects have since found funding from industry ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : As I have stated on a previous occasion, a comprehensive list is not available and can be produced only at disproportionate cost. The two lists provide details of projects in the fisheries and food sectors which have been identified as near-market research for which funding by my Department has been, or is being, phased out in line with Government policy. Information is not available on how many of these projects have attracted funding from industry.
List 1 Projects for Termination in 1990 1. Effects of Frozen Storage on quality and processing meat.
2. Carcase characteristics that determine value.
3. Effects of poultry breeding, husbandry, handling and processing on carcase composition and quality.
4. Flavour of cheese, fats, oils and confectionery.
5. Identify off flavours and taints resulting from processing, packaging and storage of cheese, fats, oils, confectionery and beverages.
6. Factors controlling meat restructuring processes.
7. Protein solubilisation and adhesion in reformed meats. 8. Adhesions and cohesion in meat products.
9. Effects of breeding, husbandry and poultry plant operations on the further processing quality of turkey meat.
10. Crystallisation behaviour of triglyceride mixtures in bulk phase and emulsion systems.
11. Temperature and mass change in meat cooking.
12. Electrical stimulation, hot boning and accelerated ageing. 13. Electrical stimulation, hot boning and processing properties of beef, pork and poultry.
14. Industrial development and technology transfer.
15. Optimum conditions for maintaining quality in packaged fruit and vegetables.
16. Use of microbial enzymes for the upgrading of sugar beet. 17. Carcase composition and meat quality in cattle.
18. Carcase composition and meat quality in sheep.
19. Techniques for assessment of carcase composition.
20. Effects of pre-slaughter handling practices on value of carcase and fresh meat.
21. Microbial spoilage of packaged fish and shellfish.
22. Innovation of fish and shellfish products and relevant process technology.
23. Shellfish processing.
24. Textural modification of recovered flesh.
25. Improved chilling and handling of sea fish and farmed fish. 26. Innovation and characterisation of added value products from industrial and waste fish resources and development of relevant new pilot plant processes or existing processes.
27. Improvements in the efficiency of processing fish--smoking. 28. Investigation of chemical/physical methods of reducing the rate of deterioration of bulk stored fish at sea.
29. Assessment of the requirements for the introduction of freezing-at-sea on small fishing vessels.
30. Study of cultured fish in relation to general quality aspects and to their suitability for processing.
31. The efficient use of recovered fish flesh for human consumption.
32. Applications of electronics and physical sensors in fish processing.
33. Plant design--Development of monitoring and control systems. 34. Refrigeration--the design and development of a
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