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Teachers' Pay
Mr. Straw : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what increase in income tax would be required if the whole of the additional cost of transferring the total teachers' pay bill to the Exchequer was to be met from this source of revenue.
Mr. Mellor [holding answer 26 November 1990] : Local education authorities in the United Kingdom are likely to spend nearly £10 billion on teachers' pay in 1990-91. The additional cost to central Government of transferring the responsibility for that spending would depend on the extent to which there was a reduction in the grant paid to local authorities.
Benefits in Kind
Mr. Allen : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue would be raised from treating all taxable benefits in kind as earnings for national insurance contributions in 1991-92.
Mr. Maude [holding answer 10 December 1990] : For 1991-92 it is estimated to be £750 million. This estimate is based on projections of data relating to 1987-88 and is provisional.
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NORTHERN IRELAND
Goods and Services
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will publish tables showing the amount spent on (a) acquiring and (b) commissioning goods and services by his Department in each of the last five years.
Dr. Mawhinney [holding answer 11 December 1990] : Departmental purchasing information systems do not differentiate between acquiring and commissioning goods and services. However, information on departmental purchasing expenditure from 1986-87 is set out in the annual reports of the central unit on purchasing, copies of which are available in the Library.
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
Football
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what has been the response from the football authorities to the Sports Minister's recent call for one body to represent both the Football League and Football Association.
Mr. Atkins : I understand that the Football Association council is to consider the proposals made by the Football League for a joint board of management at its meeting on 14 January. I welcome any constructive proposals for greater unity between the two bodies but the details of how this is achieved are matters for the football authorities.
Cricket
Mr. John Carlisle : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what measures he is considering to promote the game of cricket in the community.
Mr. Atkins : The Sports Council already runs a number of schemes aimed at developing sport in the community. In announcing the council's grant in aid for 1991-92 I asked it to pay attention to developing initiatives for young people in partnership with cricket clubs and I know that they are now working up detailed proposals. I am also in touch with the Test and County Cricket Board, the National Cricket Association, the English Schools Cricket Association and the Marylebone Cricket Club on a regular basis to discuss these matters.
School Premises
Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the organisations to be consulted in the review of the School Premises Regulations announced on 2 October ; and when the consultation process is likely to begin.
Mr. Fallon : I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to him on 28 November, at column 421, regarding timing of consultations for the review. The list of consultees has not yet been finalised.
School Meals
Mr. Clay : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what the average cost of a school meal is in 1990 in (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools.
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Mr. Fallon : In January 1990 the average cost of a school meal in England was :
---------------------------- Primary schools<4> |68|68 Secondary schools |72|74 <1> This is the simple average of the most common charge reported by individual local education authorities. <2> This applies to dining centres. <3> This applies to a cash cafeteria service. <4> Includes nursery schools.
Research Councils
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Havant (Sir I. Lloyd) of 19 November, Official Report, column 30, he will make a further statement on his meeting with the chairman of the Advisory Board for the Research Councils on priorities for United Kingdom science.
Mr. Alan Howarth : My right hon. and learned Friend will hold this meeting after he has received the board's advice on the allocation of the science budget for 1991-92 and later years, which is expected shortly.
Postgraduates (Fees)
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what will be the tuition fee met under the awards arrangements for postgraduate students in the academic year 1991-92.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : The maximum tuition fee reimbursed through the awards system for eligible home students and those from other European Community countries on full-time postgraduate courses will be increased from £1,985 in the current academic year to £2,104 in 1991-92. As for tuition fees for students on first degree and equivalent courses, fees will be paid in three termly instalments.
Medical Research Council
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has received the annual report of the Medical Research Council for 1989-90 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Alan Howarth : The Medical Research Council has submitted to my right hon. and learned Friend its 1989-90 annual report under the requirements of the Science and Technology Act 1965, and we are placing a copy before the House today.
We were very interested to read of the good progress made in the year, and to learn about work in areas of current public concern such as AIDS research--where the council continues to work towards the development of effective vaccines and drugs to limit the progress of the disease. I was greatly encouraged that the council's income from contracts with industry has increased from £4.4 million in 1987-88 to £6.1 million in 1989-90, and that royalty income has more than doubled over the same period. I congratulate the MRC laboratory of molecular biology for winning, jointly with Cambridge Research Biochemicals, the Queen's award for technological achievement as a result of a successful collaboration on the generation of improved peptides.
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I congratulate the council on these and other achievements and look forward to reading about further advances in next year's report.Column 420
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
Caribbean Countries (Aid)
Mr. Fraser : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the amount of bilateral aid per capita for each of the Caribbean countries, including Guyana.
Mrs. Chalker : Following are the figures for the latest available year :
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1. United Kingdom bilateral 2. Bilateral aid
Caribbean countries in 198per capita<1>
|(of which CDC
|Total |project aid
|£'000s |expenditure) |£
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anguilla |1,997 |- |249.61
Antigua and Barbuda |757 |- |9.01
Bahamas |30 |- |0.12
Barbados |285 |- |1.12
Belize |3,786 |(1,472) |20.80
Bermuda |39 |- |0.69
British Virgin Islands |4,448 |(2,200) |317.73
Cayman Islands |1,305 |(1,299) |62.14
Dominica |2,493 |- |30.77
Dominican Republic |25 |- |-
Grenada |1,352 |- |13.25
Guadeloupe |0 |- |-
Guyana |6,561 |- |8.21
Haiti |0 |- |-
Jamaica |20,304 |(16,639) |8.36
Martinique |0 |- |-
Montserrat |4,044 |- |337.02
Netherlands Antilles |0 |- |-
St. Kitts-Nevis |711 |- |16.52
St. Lucia |8,872 |(5,500) |61.19
St. Vincent |1,091 |- |8.95
Trinidad and Tobago |640 |(295) |0.52
Turks and Caicos Islands |5,240 |- |748.51
<1> 1988 population figures used: 1989 not yet available.
Least-developed Countries
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the least-developed countries will benefit from the new initiatives related to aid procurement and local cost rules which were announced at the second United Nations conference on the least- developed countries in Paris in September.
Mrs. Chalker : Allowing least developed countries to which we provide aid to use some of our aid funds to procure from other poor countries, as well as from the United Kingdom, should make a positive contribution to trade between developing countries and help to achieve good value for money from the aid programme.
The removal of limits on the extent to which our bilateral financial aid to the least developed countries can be used to meet local costs should give added flexibility in ensuring that our aid meets the most pressing needs of recipients.
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of gross national product is currently spent on aid to the least-developed countries ; and if he has any plans to raise this to meet the United Nations targets for such spending.
Mrs. Chalker : In 1989 Britain's net official development assistance to the 42 countries presently classified by the United Nations as least developed was 0.10 per cent. of GNP. In the programme of action adopted by the Second
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UN Conference on the least developed held in Paris on 3-14 September 1990 no target applicable to all donors was established. The UK along with several other donors undertook to make our best efforts to reach the previously agreed UN target of 0.15 per cent. Over 60 per cent. of our bilateral aid in 1989 was provided to the poorest fifty countries.Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the criteria by which the least-developed countries are adjudged to meet the requirements of good governance.
Mrs. Chalker : The criteria for least developed countries are the same as for other recipients of our aid. They were set out in my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's speech to the Overseas Development Institute of 6 June.
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the second United Nations conference on the least-developed countries held in Paris in September.
Mrs. Chalker : I refer the hon. Member to my answer to him of 29 October 1990, which said :
"The Government welcome the outcome of the second United Nations conference on the least developed held in Paris from 3-14 September and will support those least developed countries which implement the policies outlined in the programme of action.
The British delegation to the conference was led by the Parliamentary Under -Secretary of State, Foreign and
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Commonwealth Office. The Delegation played an active and positive role in the negotiations for the programme of action for the 1990s adopted by the Conference. Two new British initiatives relating to aid tying and local costs rules, which will be of direct benefit to the least developed countries, were announced at the conference. The delegation kept in close contact with British non-governmental organisations, both before and during the conference. The booklet LLDCs in the 1990s : Development or Oblivion' was taken into account in formulating the United Kingdom position on the various issues."--[ Official Report, 29 October 1990 ; Vol. 178, c. 361. ]FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Cambodia
Mr. Lester : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current situation in Cambodia.
Mr. Hurd : As one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, Britain has played an active role in continuing diplomatic efforts to resolve the Cambodian conflict. In August 1990 the five agreed on a framework for a comprehensive political settlement. This was accepted in its entirety by the Cambodian parties in September when they also agreed to form a Supreme National Council (SNC) which will embody national sovereignty and represent Cambodia at the United Nations. The framework was subsequently endorsed unanimously by the Security Council and the General Assembly.
The five's framework was elaborated into a full-scale draft agreement at meetings in Jakarta from 9-10 November and in Paris from 23-26 November. A copy has been placed in the Library of the House. The document covers the major aspects of a settlement, including the proposed mandate for a UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) ; a ceasefire and related military measures ; elections ; the repatriation of Cambodian refugees and displaced persons ; and principles for a new constitution. A draft agreement guaranteeing the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and inviolability, neutrality and national unity of Cambodia ; and a declaration on Cambodia's rehabilitation and reconstruction were also produced. Our objective remains a durable settlement which will enable the Cambodian people to choose their own Government free from the fear of Khmer Rouge atrocities, invasion or civil war. We believe that the five's plan offers the best chance of this. It is now up to the Cambodians to play their part, firstly by resolving the differences between them which have so far prevented the Supreme National Council from functioning ; and by stopping the fighting. It will then be possible for the French and Indonesian co-chairmen to reconvene the Paris international conference on Cambodia to complete work on the settlement documents and formally adopt them. We hope that will happen soon.
Antarctica
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those countries proposing a protocol at the Antarctic conference in Chile and those Antarctic treaty consultative parties who support the proposal.
Mr. Garel-Jones : Argentina, Norway, Uruguay, the United Kingdom and the United States had proposed,
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before the meeting, that a protocol to the Antarctic treaty, together with annexes setting out detailed rules on specific activities, would provide a practical means of protecting the Antarctic environment.This proposal, together with illustrative draft protocols tabled by the United Kingdom and United States of America, and a draft protocol tabled by New Zealand, together with a proposal for separate convention tabled by France and Australia, were discussed at the meeting. The outcome of these discussions is set out in paragraphs 18-20 of the report of the meeting as follows :
"18. Detailed discussion of the various proposals led to the conclusion that there was unanimous support for the need to adopt a new legally binding international instrument for the protection of the Antarctic environment and its dependent and associated ecosystems. Although the proposed texts represented alternative options, there was a considerable measure of agreement as to the general structure of such a legal instrument. A member of one delegation, Mr. Rolf Trolle Andersen from Norway, presented, on a personal basis, a single text drawing upon the documents mentioned in paragraph 9 as well as on draft articles proposed in the Working Group I and sub-groups.
19. The Meeting agreed that this draft Protocol and Annexes should be attached to this Report as Annex F. Reflecting, as it does, the papers submitted and the discussions at the XIth Antarctic Treaty Special Consultative Meeting, it would form a valuable basis for further work to be undertaken at a future session of XIth Antarctic Treaty Special Consultative Meeting in 1991. It was understood that these texts would not prejudice the position of any government with regard to the issues addressed therein nor any proposals already made.
20. The Meeting noted that the present restraint on Antarctic mineral resource activities continues. In the context of future work on the issue addressed in Article 6 of the attached Protocol, a number of delegations expressed their strong preference for a permanent ban, others continued to see merit in CRAMRA, but there was a widespread willingness to consider a lengthy prohibition or moratorium. Several aspects of this issue, in particular the circumstances and modalities under which a prohibition might be reviewed or terminated needed further consideration. In regard to a moratorium, it was stressed that internationally agreed arrangements for taking decisions on mineral resource activities should be in place before the need for such decisions arises."
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Antarctic treaty negotiations.
Mr. Garel-Jones : The XIth special consultative meeting of the Antarctic treaty parties ended in Chile on 6 December. A copy of the interim report of the meeting is being placed in the Library of the House. When final texts of the annexes to the report are available, they will be added to the report.
Anti-Semitism
Mr. Soley : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has discussed the problem of anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union and east Europe with the Governments of those countries ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs discussed with Soviet Foreign Minister Shevardnadze the problem of anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union during his visit to Moscow in September. At the CSCE Paris summit in November, all participant states signed the charter of Paris for a new Europe which contained a statement of determination to combat anti-Semitism.
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Arms Control Meeting
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has entered into any correspondence with any individual or organisations on any matter raised during the meeting with non-governmental organisations on arms control, non-proliferation and disarmament held at his Department on 23 October.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : I have written to two non-governmental organisations to amplify points raised during the meeting which the hon. Member refers to. The proceedings were held under Chatham house rules and were thus off the record.
Test Ban Treaty
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if his Department plans to produce and distribute any briefing material on the amendment conference of the partial test ban treaty, to be held in New York in January 1991.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The partial test ban treaty amendment conference is addressed in the arms control briefing material published regularly by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Nuclear Tests
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any research is presently being conducted by his Department towards assisting technical advances in verification of nuclear test locations and magnitudes.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Research into the verification of nuclear testing is the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence, which has maintained an active programme in this field for more than 30 years.
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his current assessment of the attitudes of other states party to the partial test ban treaty towards establishment of a comprehensive nuclear test ban at the conference in New York in January 1991.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We cannot comment on the attitudes of other Governments to the partial test ban treaty amendment conference.
Israel
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Prime Minister or Government of Israel concerning the third anniversary of the intifada on 9 December ; what is the latest information available to his Department on the numbers (a) killed, (b) injured, (c) deported, or (d) arrested during the intifada ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We estimate that since the outbreak of intifada, 858 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli defence forces, 58 deported and about 10,000 held in administrative detention. Figures for the wounded range from an Israeli estimate of about 13,000 to the Palestine human rights information centre's estimate of about
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100,000. These figures speak for themselves and show clearly the urgent need for a settlement to the underlying political dispute. We continue to underline the importance of this in our contacts with the Israeli Government, as well as the need for maximum restraint by the Israeli defence forces.SOCIAL SECURITY
Disability
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate how many people would qualify for the disability working allowance if the requirement to be in receipt of other benefits was removed.
Mr. Scott : The number of people who would qualify for disability working allowance would depend on the disability test adopted.
Income Support
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the cost in 1991-92 of restoring entitlement to income support to 16 and 17-year-olds at (a) the rate for those aged 18 to 24 years, and (b) the rate for those aged 25 years or over.
Miss Widdecombe : Information is not available to calculate the costs of restoring entitlement to income support to 16 and 17-year-olds.
I regret that the answer which was given by my hon. Friend the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the hon. Member for Halifax (Mrs. Mahon) on 26 July at column 494 was consequently incorrect. The costs then quoted related not to the costs of changing the basis of entitlement but only to the costs of increasing the rate of income support for 16 and 17-year-olds who would satisfy the current entitlement conditions.
The best estimates that can now be made of the costs of increasing entitlement remain the same as those given earlier, that is, an annual £10 million in relation to the rate of income support of those aged 18 to 24 and an annual £150 million in relation to the rate for those aged 25 or over. More precise estimates are not available because of the unquantifiable interaction between youth training and income support.
I have written to the hon. Member for Halifax (Mrs. Mahon).
Occupational Health Services
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what arrangements exist for the provision of an occupational health service for employees within his Department, stating (a) how many staff are employed to provide occupational health services, (b) how many of those staff are qualified nurses and (c) how many employees work in his Department in total.
Mr. Jack : In common with other civil service departments and agencies, the Department of Social Security uses the civil service occupational health service (CSOHS) for the provision of occupational health services for its 76,096 full-time and 9,061 part-time employees. The CSOHS employs some 100 fully qualified occupational health professionals-- doctors, nurses and hygiene and safety advisers--and operates through a network of
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regional offices throughout the United Kingdom. The Department employs 18 staff who are also qualified nurses engaged on occupational health including the treatment of sick members of staff and first-aid responsibilities.Young Persons (Benefits)
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he has any plans to amend the rules regarding those persons aged 16 and 17 years and entitlement to benefits ; and if he will make a statement.
Miss Widdecombe : We have no such plans. The Government's policy of guaranteeing a youth training place to all 16 and 17-year-olds who want one removes the need for them to become dependent on benefit.
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many persons aged 16 and 17 years receiving special hardship allowance are (a) living independently and (b) living in board and lodging.
Miss Widdecombe : Special hardship allowance was replaced by reduced earnings allowance from 1 October 1986. I assume that the question concerns 16 and 17-year-olds receiving severe hardship payments of income support. The information is not available in the form requested. However, in the week ending 30 November 1990 the numbers of 16 and 17-year-olds for whom a direction was made enabling income support to be awarded, under the severe hardship provision, was as follows :
----------------------------------
Living independently
In lodging
All claimants
Employees
Self-employed
A further 12 directions were made for which the requested information is unavailable.
Taxes and Benefits
Mr. Clay : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table similar to those used in the tax benefit model showing net weekly spending patterns for (a) a single person, (b) a couple with two children aged under 11 years with one earner, (c) a couple with two children aged under 11 years with two earners, (d) a lone parent with one child under 11 years old and (e) a lone parent with two children under 11 years in the old tax and benefit system before the 1988 social security changes and in 1990 in the following weekly £10 bands of income from £60 to £170.
Miss Widdecombe : The information requested is contained in the published tax-benefit model tables for the years in question, copies of which are available in the Library. I regret that it is not possible to provide an answer to (c), since the hon. Member has not stipulated whether income is gross or net ; whether it is just earnings and how it is divided between the two earners. This will affect the amount of income tax and national insurance contributions paid and the amount of income-related benefits to which the family is entitled.
Family Credit
Mr. Clay : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people will lose without transitional protection under his proposals in "Children Come First"
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from the change in the definition of full- time work from 24 hours to 16 hours ; and what the cost of transitional protection will be.Miss Widdecombe : The majority of people receiving income support and working between 16 and 24 hours at the point of change will qualify for family credit and will be better off. We expect that some 25,000 people will be entitled to receive protection at an estimated cost of £25 million in the first year (1990-91 prices), decreasing thereafter.
Mr. Clay : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average number of days it takes to process a family credit claim for (a) all claimants, (b) employees and (c) the self-employed.
Mr. Jack : For the 12 months ending 30 November 1990 the average was as follows :
Working days
All claimants 18.45
Employees 17.01
Self-employed 26.90
A fast path arrangement is available to people who have just started work after being on unemployment benefit or income support, and which enables family credit to be put into payment very quickly.
Benefits (Monitoring)
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many 16 and 17-year-olds have been interviewed by his Department's staff under the provisions announced on 13 March 1989, Official Report, columns 27-28.
Miss Widdecombe : Information about the number of 16 and 17-year- olds interviewed by local office staff is not available. However, between 1 April 1989 and 30 November 1990, 39,341 claims were referred after interview to the severe hardship claims unit for consideration of payment under the severe hardship provisions.
Community Care
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make extra funds available for community care grants for his Department's offices in Greenock and Port Glasgow.
Mr. Scott : We have no plans to do so.
Housing Benefit
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many local authority tenants of pensionable age in (a) Greenock and Port Glasgow, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland as a whole, are in receipt of (i) full housing benefit and (ii) partial housing benefit ; and what proportion they are of the total number of local authority tenants of pensionable age in (a) , (b) and (c) .
Miss Widdecombe : It is estimated that the number of people aged 60 and over in receipt of rent rebates at 31 May 1989 for Scotland was :
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