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Mr. Fallon : Figures are as follows, taken from budget statements for 1990-91 published by local education authorities under section 42 of the Education Reform Act. The figures are applicable only for authorities with statutory schemes for the local management of schools. There are no figures for four outer London boroughs ; three of these do not as yet have statutory LMS schemes in force (Croydon, Hillingdon and Newham). Waltham Forest has not yet published its section 42 budget statement. Westminster is currently the only inner London LEA with a statutory LMS scheme.
LEA |Proportion of the
|PSB<1> delegated to
|schools
------------------------------------------------------------
Barnet |84.36
Havering |83.87
Brent |83.63
Sutton |83.44
Redbridge |82.71
Ealing |81.66
Hounslow |81.59
Harrow |81.52
Enfield |81.50
Bexley |81.33
Bromley |80.70
Richmond |79.98
Merton |79.79
Haringey |79.36
Kingston |78.46
Barking |77.98
Westminster |77.97
<1> PSB=General Schools Budget minus mandatory exceptions,
school meals, home to school transport, and transitional
exceptions.
Food Irradiation
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what advice he intends to give to local authorities about the supply of irradiated food in schools ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Fallon : No specific guidance on the use of irradiated food in schools is being issued. In common with all other catering establishments, local education authorities which choose to use irradiated products will be required so to inform consumers under the Food Labelling (Amendment) (Irradiated Food) Regulations 1990.
Agencies
Mr. Hague : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has identified any candidates within his Department for agency status under the "next steps" initiative.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : Following a detailed feasibility study, I have identified pensions branch within my Department, located in Darlington, as a candidate for agency status.
Agency status should enable pensions branch to operate with greater freedom and clearer responsibility towards specified targets and performance measures within an agreed framework of resources. It should increase the accountability of the managers within the branch and lead to improvements in the quality as well as the
cost-effectiveness of the service provided to teachers and their employers.
I have set in hand the recruitment through open competition of a new head of pensions branch, who will be appointed as the chief executive designate.
A "next steps" unit has been set up within my Department to co-ordinate further work on the project, and the preparation of a draft agency document has been put in hand. If the final decision is that this part of my Department should become an agency, the aim would be to establish it not later than early 1992.
Universities and Polytechnics
Mr. Churchill : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the level of funding for universities and polytechnics in 1979 and 1989, respectively (a) as a percentage of gross domestic product, (b) in real terms and (c) in terms of resources per student at constant prices, together with the numbers of students, other than from overseas.
Mr. Alan Howarth [holding answer 14 December 1990] : Consistent information in the form requested is not available for years prior to 1980-81. Public funding of universities in Great Britain from recurrent grant and home and EC student tuition fees and local authority expenditure on higher education (net of estimated overseas student fees and miscellaneous other income) in England have increased from £2,821 million in financial year 1980-81 to £2,968 million in 1988-89, both at 1989-90 prices, 0.7 per cent. and 0.6 per cent. of GDP respectively. Over that period, full-time equivalent home and EC student numbers increased from 469,200 to 578,900 and funding per student reflected efficiency gains by decreasing from £6, 012 to £5,127, again at 1989-90 prices.
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TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Fireworks
Mr. Summerson : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make inquiries of those European countries which have national training schemes for organisers of public firework displays with a view to setting up such a scheme in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Leigh : To require organisers of public firework displays to be formally trained would discourage many smaller local displays which I want to encourage the public to attend on safety grounds. However, a large manufacturer of fireworks already offers a voluntary training scheme, which I would encourage organisers to attend.
Mr. Summerson : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take steps to ensure that category 3 and 4 fireworks can be bought only from licensed outlets.
Mr. Leigh : By voluntary agreement, category 4 fireworks are not sold through retail outlets. Also, my Department has asked the industry not to sell through retail outlets those category 3 fireworks which require a safe distance of a full 25 m because they are likely to be too powerful for the average back garden.
Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will make a statement on the operation of the 1975 fireworks code ; and if he has any plans to strengthen the voluntary agreement not to sell fireworks until three weeks before 5 November.
Mr. Leigh : I am satisfied on the basis of the recent decline in the number of firework accidents that the existing fireworks code and the voluntary agreement on the period of retail sale of fireworks are proving to be adequate.
Emergency Planning
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 (i) home defence planning, (ii) emergency planning, (iii) liaison with the NATO central supplies agency and (iv) work connected with the NATO industrial planning committee.
Mr. Leigh : This work is shared between a group of seven staff in my Department. Three of these are also engaged on other duties and one works part time, making a total equivalent of five full-time staff.
Much of the work of the NATO industrial planning committee concerns planning for the establishment and operation of the Central Supplies Agency, which would become operational only in times of crisis and war. The amount of staff time allocated to each subject varies with the work load, but currently it is approximately as follows :
|Percentage
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Home Defence Planning |25
Civil Emergency Planning |35
Work connected with the NATO Industrial
Planning Committee and the establishment and
operation of the Central Supplies Agency |40
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Mr. Bill Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the estimated cost in the current financial year and in 1991-92 of the programme of sectoral studies announced by his Department at the workshop on local authority essential needs in crisis and war, held on4 September.
Mr. Leigh : In this financial year we estimate spending £65,000 on the programme of sectoral studies. In view of the consistency of the findings of the studies completed so far, we concluded that doing further studies would not be worth while so we terminated the programme. Therefore, there will be no expenditure on the programme in 1991-92.
Credit (Marketing)
Mr. Ian Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to improve standards in the marketing of credit.
Mr. Leigh : The Government have over an extended period made known their view that there is a need for an improvement in credit marketing practices. They welcome the statements about the marketing and provision of credit in the draft code of banking practice and, in particular, the statement that banks and building societies will act responsibly and prudently in the marketing and advertising of credit. However, a code which applies only to banks and building societies cannot be a complete answer to the problem of irresponsible practices in the credit market. The consultation paper on the draft code acknowledges this.
The Government have concluded that there is a need to tighten the legislation on consumer credit. The Department of Trade and Industry is today issuing a consultative document which gives details of proposals for new regulations under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 and also for amending the Act itself. It is proposed to make four new sets of regulations under the Act.
First, the Consumer Credit (Advertisements) Regulations 1989 are to be amended. The main changes will be to require advertisers to provide additional information in particular about the affordability of credit and the risks of variable interest rate agreements. In addition, advertisements for residential property loans which mention the availability of certain related services from or through the lender will need to include a statement that loans are available whether or not the related services are taken from or through the lender.
Secondly, the Consumer Credit (Agreements) Regulations 1983 are to be amended. It is proposed that, with certain exceptions, regulated credit agreements will in future have to include the statement "Do not sign this agreement unless you are sure that you can afford the payments". In addition, advertisements for secured loans and foreign currency loans will have to include warnings about the special risks entailed in this type of borrowing.
Thirdly, new regulations on the conduct of consumer credit business will require businesses licensed under the Consumer Credit Act to take precautions in the direct mailing of credit circulars to reduce the risk of such circulars going to minors or to people who do not wish to receive them. In addition, there will be a ban on making unsolicited increases in credit limits.
The conduct of business regulations will also prohibit the use by licensed consumer credit businesses of negative options (and other techniques which rely on consumer
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inertia) to sell credit-related services. The decision to legislate on inertia selling was taken only after careful consideration of the proposals by the finance and insurance industries for a code of practice on the use of negative options to sell payment protection insurance. Whilst the code would have gone a considerable way to guard against the risk of consumers being induced to buy insurance which they did not really want, the Government consider it to be a matter of principle that consumers should not be charged for services which they have not positively and expressly requested.Fourthly, a new regulation on pre-agreement disclosure of information will require lenders under regulated credit agreements which are secured on property to explain to prospective borrowers the commitment entailed in variable interest rates.
In addition to making these regulations, the Government intend, as soon as legislative time is available, to introduce a Bill to improve the protection provided by provisions in the Consumer Credit Act 1974 on sending credit circulars to minors and on cancellation rights as well as making the important deregulatory changes announced in the White Paper "Releasing Enterprise" in November 1988.
Section 50 of the Act, which prohibits the sending of unsolicited credit circulars to minors, is to be made more effective. There have been a number of complaints from parents whose children have received credit circulars. Lenders and intermediaries who breach the prohibition can shelter behind the defence which section 50(2) provides for a person who has sent a circular to a minor if he can prove that he
"did not know and had no reasonable cause to suspect"
that the person to whom he sent it was a minor. It is therefore proposed to remove this defence, but not the defence under section 168 that the person who sent the circular to a minor
"took all reasonable precautions and exercised all due diligence to avoid such an act".
The effect of removing the section 50(2) defence would therefore be to require those issuing credit circulars to take reasonable precautions and exercise due diligence.
It is also proposed to extend the cancellation rights provided by section 67 and 68 to cover debtor-creditor-supplier agreements (as defined in section 12 of the Act) if they are signed on trade premises following face- to-face negotiations. The aim of this proposal is to allow consumers the right to cancel credit agreements which they may have entered into on impulse without giving sufficient thought as to their ability to make the repayments. In order to reduce the inconvenience which may be caused by the unwillingness of traders to allow consumers to have goods or services before the end of the cooling-off period, the cooling-off period for this new category of cancellable agreements will be only two days rather than the five days which applies to other cancellable agreements. The 1988 White Paper "Releasing Enterprise" proposed that protection against extortionate credit bargains should be strengthened by allowing a court to reopen a credit agreement of its own motion. It remains the Government's intention to amend the Act in this way. In addition, the Director General of Fair Trading has been asked to report on whether there is a need for any other reforms of the Act's provisions on extortionate credit agreements.
Column 184
Copies of the consultative document have been placed in the Library, and also copies will be available from the Vote Office.Northern Ireland Railways Ltd.
Mr. David Martin : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the Monopolies Commission report on Northern Ireland Railways Ltd. will be published.
Mr. Redwood : The report is published today. The commission found that Northern Ireland Railways was not pursuing any course of conduct which operated against the public interest.
The commission recognised the dedication and resilience of Northern Ireland Railways' management team in maintaining services despite terrorism and hooliganism. While concluding that there was scope for improving efficiency and reducing costs it was impressed by the company's forward-looking investment programme and its lack of complacency in facing competition. The commission identified a number of areas where improvement was possible, in particular :
(i) a reduction in the management structure, and changes in reporting relationships and board composition
(ii) abandonment of passenger sectorisation
(iii) strengthening of the company's human resource management. The commission has also recommended improvements in such areas as the setting and monitoring of financial and operating objectives, working practices and a simplified payment system, personnel and training administration, corporate planning, investment appraisal, maintenance of rolling stock and infrastructure, research into matching supply and demand, and the company's relationship with its holding company, the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company and with the Department of the Environment (Northern Ireland). That Department, in consultation with Northern Ireland Railways and the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company, will be producing a preliminary response to the Commission's findings within three to four months, in the light of which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland will make a statement.
Accountancy Firms
Mr. Grylls : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which accountancy bodies have applied under the Companies Act 1989 for recognition as a supervisory body.
Mr. Redwood : The following bodies have applied for recognition : (
(i) The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, (
(ii) The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland, (
(iii) The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland, (
(iv) The Chartered Association of Certified Accountants, (
(v) The Association of Authorised Public Accountants.
The Chartered Association of Certified Accountants has also applied for recognition of its professional qualification. As I announced in my reply of 30 October,
Column 185
at column 435, the Institutes of Chartered Accountants have already applied for recognition of their professional qualification. I have placed a copy of each application in the Library of the House. Certain material submitted in confidence has been excluded from the copy placed in the Library.Product Liability
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what inquiries have been received from the European Commission concerning the implementation by the United Kingdom of the 1985 EC product liability directive ; what replies have been sent by his Department ; and whether he will make a statement.
Mr. Leigh [holding answer 13 December 1990] : The EC Commission issued a reasoned opinion in July 1990 under article 169 of the EC treaty, setting out its concern over the way in which the United Kingdom has implemented the EC directive on product liability in part I of the Consumer Protection Act 1987. A full reply was sent in October 1990, and it is now for the Commission to decide whether to pursue the matter further.
By mutual agreement, the Commission and all member states treat proceedings under article 169 as confidential. I am therefore afraid that I am unable to make available the details of the correspondence.
Opinion Surveys
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State and Industry if he will list any opinion surveys conducted by, for or on behalf of his Department since 1 January 1985, giving the date and purpose of each survey.
Mr. Leigh [holding answer 17 December 1990] : The information is as follows :
Opinion survey |Date held ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Public attitudes to biotechnology |August 1987 Awareness of single European internal market |April 1988 Attitudes to the labelling of fur products |May 1988 Attitudes of adults to the use of fireworks by themselves and children |October 1990
Internal Market Council
Mr. Wilshire : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the outcome of the Internal Market Council on 13 December.
Mr. Leigh [holding answer 17 December 1990] : I attended the Internal Market Council on 13 December, the last of the Italian presidency. A number of important measures were agreed.
In particular, a common position was reached on the computer software directive, which will require member states to give copyright protection to computer programs. The compromise reached on reverse engineering (the term used to describe the process of finding out how a program works) provides that such processes will be allowed subject to certain conditions. This should make it possible to connect all components of a computer system, including those of different manufacturers, so that they can work together.
In addition, there was political agreement on the weapons directive, which deals with the acquisition and
Column 186
possession of weapons (a formal adoption of a common position is likely before the end of the year) ; and agreement to a regulation to discourage the diversion of precursor chemicals to illicit manufacture of drugs.Common positions were also reached on two amendments to the directive on certain dangerous substances, restricting the marketing and use of cadmium (10th amendment) and ugilec 121 and 141 and DBBT (11th amendment). Subject only to a technical German reserve, a common position was also reached on an amendment to the machinery directive in order to include mobile lifting machinery.
A total of six single market measures were agreed without further discussion, including a common position on the directive relating to spray suppression devices, and on the regulation allowing the use of TIR and ATA carnets as transit documents. The decision setting out mandatory testing and certification provisions within further Community technical harmonisation directives was also finally adopted.
There was further discussion without agreement on a number of issues, notably the directive on the irradiation of food. No real progress was made, but the subject will be discussed again at future Councils.
Internal Market Ministers discussed the Commission's report, required under article 8b of the treaty of Rome, on the progress made towards the completion of the internal market.
The Commission also made a report on the importance for the single market of trans-European networks in telecommunications, transport, energy and training. A full debate is expected at February's Internal Market Council.
Client Accounts
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will discuss with the Securities and Investments Board the maintenance of registers of client accounts and approved auditors for client accounts.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 18 December 1990] : This is a matter for the Securities and Investments Board. However, I understand that self-regulating organisations and recognised professional bodies hold details of the auditors of authorised firms and of firms authorised to hold client money.
Levitt Group
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if any companies in the Levitt Group were at any time holders of licences to trade in securities issued by this Department, or had applied for such licences.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 18 December 1990] : No.
Cammell Laird
Mr. Frank Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps have been taken to ensure that the treatment of Cammell Laird shipyard conforms with the principles of the European Community's directive on aid to shipbuilding to ensure that the progress towards the full achievement of the internal market is carried out on an equal and equitable basis in respect of all Community yards.
Column 187
Mr. Leigh [holding answer 18 December 1990] : The general question of Cammell Laird's ineligibility for intervention fund was explored in depth with the European Commission by the former Minister of State for Industry in October. The hon. Member for Birkenhead sought and received, on 5 December 1990, at column 297, at commitment that a further approach would be made to the Commission in respect of specific orders for which Cammell Laird was competing and for which the company requested intervention fund support. The particular order for which the company was then bidding has subsequently been placed with another yard which offered a different specification. We await a suitable further order on which to base a further approach to the Commission.EMPLOYMENT
Labour Statistics
Mr. Oppenheim : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were employed in Amber Valley in (a) 1979, (b) 1981, (c) 1987 and (d) 1990.
Mr. Jackson : The most recent estimates of employment in parliamentary constituencies are from the September 1987 census of employment ; the earliest are for September 1981. There were 29,300 employees in employment in the Amber Valley constituency in September 1981 and 34,300 in September 1987. The figures exclude the self-employed and members of HM forces.
European Year for Elderly People
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what decision was taken by the Labour and Social Affairs Council meeting in Brussels on 26 November in respect of a European Year for Elderly People.
Mr. Forth : The 26 November meeting of the Social Affairs Council agreed the proposal for a European Year of Elderly People.
Overseas Workers
Mr. Archer : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many of those currently in the United Kingdom as overseas domestic workers have work permits ; and from which year of issue these date.
Mr. Jackson [holding answer 18 December 1990] : The information requested is not available.
Mr. Archer : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many work permits for overseas workers have been issued in each year since 1970.
Mr. Jackson : The number of work permit approvals for each year since 1970 are as follows :
|Main |Training |Total
|scheme |and work
|experience
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1970 |66,470 |7,549 |74,019
1971 |56,031 |6,399 |62,430
1972 |46,987 |5,712 |52,699
1973 |32,839 |3,697 |36,536
1974 |33,045 |2,903 |35,948
1975 |30,078 |3,136 |33,214
1976 |20,470 |2,651 |25,271
1977 |18,414 |3,164 |21,578
1978 |19,149 |3,662 |22,811
1979 |17,993 |4,010 |22,003
1980 |14,661 |4,152 |18,813
1981 |12,772 |3,088 |15,860
1982 |12,897 |2,557 |15,454
1983 |13,546 |2,361 |15,907
1984 |13,045 |2,646 |15,691
1985 |13,638 |2,937 |16,575
1986 |15,862 |2,826 |18,688
1987 |17,448 |2,900 |20,348
1988 |22,184 |3,790 |25,974
1989 |25,502 |4,228 |29,730
<1>1990 |28,384 |4,608 |32,392
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Less-favoured Areas
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which parishes will benefit from the extension of the less- favoured areas in the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : The Commission has now agreed to an extension to the less favoured areas in the United Kingdom. The agreed extension includes land in the following parishes in England, Wales and Scotland.
England--
Devon
Ashton, Black Torrington, Chudleigh, Drewsteignton, Doddiscombleigh, Dunsford, Dunchideock, East Anstey, East Buckland, Exbourne, Hatherleigh, Highampton, Jacobstowe, Kenn, North Molton, Romansleigh, Sampford Courtney, South Molton, Trusham, West Buckland.
Hereford and Worcester
Abbey Dore, Bacton, Dulas, Garway, Llancilo, Longtown, Orcop, Rowlstone, Walterstone.
Northumberland
Belsay, Brinkburn, Broomley and Stocksfield, Capheaton, Chollerton, Denwick, Ford, Haydon, Healey, Hedgeley, Kirkwhelpington, Matfen, Newton on the Moor, Shilbottle, Whittington.
North Yorkshire
Aysgarth, Azerley, Boltby, Burton-cum-Walden, Carperby-cum-Thoresby, Cloughton, East Hauxwell, East Whitton Town, Fylingdales, Hawsker-cum- Stainsacre, Hunton, Ingleton, Lockton, Middleham, Newbiggin, Stainton Dale, Thoralby, West Witton, Winksley. Shropshire
Bucknell, Church Stretton, Clee St. Margaret, Clunbury, Diddlebury, Hope Bowdler, Hopton Cangeford, Hopton Castle, Neen Savage, Ruckley and Langley, Wheathill, Winstantow.
Wales--
Clwyd
Abergele, Abergele Rural, Aberwheeler, Betws-yn-Rhos, Colwyn Bay, Llansannan.
Dyfed
Amroth, Bayvil, Begelly, Brawdy, Eglwyscummin, Jeffreston, Kidwelly Borough, Lampeter Velfrey,
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