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Mr. Trippier : The United Kingdom is sending to the European Commission this week its programme for achieving the cuts in emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO ) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) required by the large combustion plants directive. The planned reductions in each target year are greater than those required by the directive.
For SO , the planned reductions from existing United Kingdom large combustion plants are 21 per cent. by 1993, 45 per cent. by 1998 and 63 per cent. by 2003, and for NOx 21 per cent. by 1993 and 35 per cent. by 1998, in each case relative to 1980. The programme incorporates a plan backed up by legally binding controls. The total investment of the electricity supply industry alone both on new, clean plant and new equipment for older plant over the next decade will be over £6 billion.
The United Kingdom is submitting the programme in good time for the 31 December deadline set in the directive.
Salford (Boundaries)
Mr. Lewis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to announce his decision with regard to the Local Government Boundaries Commission proposals for the city of Salford.
Business Rates
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of the non-payment of business rates for the years 1989-90 and 1990-91.
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Mr. Key : I have made no such estimates.
Oil Heaters
Mr. Gould : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what evidence he has on the degree to which small waste oil burning appliances, used as a source of heat in garages and workshops, are contributors to airborne pollution.
Mr. Heseltine : There is only limited evidence of the scale of the problem, but appliances of this type are known to be sources of a variety of atmospheric pollutants, including lead and other heavy metals, hydrogen, chloride, NOx, and SO .
Nautical Archaeology
Mr. Andrew Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he now expects to respond to the recommendations of the Joint Nautical Archaeology Policy Committee's report, "Heritage at Sea".
Mr. Trippier : We have responded today, and I am placing copies in the Library of the House.
In response to the report, we have already announced two main changes. These were set out in the White Paper, "This Common Inheritance". The first is the transfer of responsibility for the protection of historic wrecks in English waters from the Department of Transport to the Department of the Environment. This will bring together control of archaeology on land with that under water. Similar transfers will take place in relation to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The second is the preparation of a central record of historic wrecks by the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England. The commission in Scotland will be asked to take on a similar responsibility. In Wales, the Welsh Office will be reviewing the new work with the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales.
In the fuller response made today, we say that we are ready to develop, in discussion with the organisations concerned, a code of practice for sea-bed operators whose activities could affect wreck sites. We are also willing to exercise Government powers of ownership, where these can be established, in favour of conserving wreck sites and the artefacts recovered from them. We will consider sympathetically applications for special grant for the development of diver training in the skills required for underwater archaeology. We also make a commitment to make the best of existing salvage reporting arrangements to encourage important finds to be properly conserved and displayed.
The Government do not accept that there is a need for a new agency or legislation, but we intend to make the best use of the powers and resources available in the interests of conservation, and to review these matters once the new allocation of responsibilities has had time to take effect.
The Government are grateful to the joint committee for its work and hopes to have the benefit of its expertise and advice again on these matters in future.
Travellers
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he now proposes to relax planning controls over sites for travelling showpeople.
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Mr. Yeo : I have considered carefully, in the light of the responses to my Department's consultation paper "Sites for Travelling Showpeople", whether to introduce permitted development rights for the stationing of up to five caravans, inhabited by travelling showpeople and their families, and for the storage and maintenance of their fairground equipment.I do not underestimate the difficulties which some showpeople have experienced in obtaining sites with planning permission from which to base their activities. However, the consultation exercise has highlighted the difficulty of reconciling any relaxation of planning control with safeguarding local amenity and the environment. Accordingly, I have decided not to introduce permitted development rights to establish sites for travelling showpeople.
My Department will, however, issue fresh guidance to local planning authorities which will emphasise that, both in formulating local and unitary development plan policies and in development control decisions, authorities should take full account of travelling showpeople's requirements for secure, long-term sites. My officials will work closely with the Showmen's Guild of Great Britain in preparing the guidance.
Opinion Surveys
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment 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. Heseltine [holding answer 17 December 1990] : Since 1 January 1985 the Department of the Environment has commissioned numerous surveys, including many small surveys, to local authorities, businesses and the general public. Some of these contained questions about opinions but a list of such surveys is not readily available.
Anglian Coastal Study
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on what date he received the Anglian coastal study ; and if he will now place a copy in the Library.
Mr. Maclean : I have been asked to reply.
The initial phases of this study are complete and resulting data has been made available to interested parties. The remaining phase which should be completed next summer concentrates on field measurement which will provide valuable data for the detailed design of coastal defence. This information which will be the main output of the third phase will be stored in detabases managed by the Anglian region of the National Rivers Authority. The information will be made available to coastal defence authorities in the region and to this Department.
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
Schools Budgets
Mr. Jopling : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what would be the extra amount of money available to each school in Cumbria if 85 per cent. of the potential schools budget for the current year had been distributed under the conditions of his announcement of 11 December, Official Report, column 324.
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Mr. Fallon : In the current year, Cumbria is delegating 82.53 per cent. of its potential schools budget. If that was increased to 85 per cent., on average that would release £7,440 to each school. Notes :
1. Cumbria's potential schools budget in 1990-91 is £112.69 million.
2. Cumbria has 374 schools, of which 330 primary and 44 secondary. 3. The amount per school in the answer is rounded to the nearest £10.
Dental Schools
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give for each category A dental school (a) the number of unfilled technical jobs in biochemistry departments and (b) when he expects them to be filled.
Mr. Alan Howarth : Information is not collected centrally about such local management matters.
Cerebral Palsy
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what advice he gives to local education authorities concerning the funding of places in charitable and private institutions assisting cerebral palsy sufferers ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Fallon : Advice to local education authorities concerning the placement of children with statements in independent schools and non- maintained special schools is contained in circular 22/89, "Assessments and Statements of Special Educational Needs : Procedures within the Education, Health and Social Services".
Hornsey Centre for Children Learning
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received concerning the funding of the Hornsey centre for children learning ; and if he will make a statement on its future.
Mr. Fallon : My right hon. and learned Friend has received a number of representations expressing concern about the future of the Hornsey centre for children learning. As we have made clear in replying to such letters, while we are sympathetic to these difficulties and acknowledge the work of the Hornsey centre, there is no prospect of the Department's being able to provide financial assistance.
London Education Authorities
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the total spending for the Inner London education authority for each year since 1980 and what proportion of its income was from central government sources ; and if he will also list the spending figures for 1990 -91 for each of the successor education authorities and the proportion of their income that is drawn from central Government sources.
Mr. Fallon : The net expenditure of the Inner London authority as recorded on the revenue outturn returns made to the Department of the Environment is shown in the table for all years from 1980-81 to 1988-89. Figures for the
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outturn expenditure in 1989-90 are not yet available. Grants received by the ILEA are shown for the same years. No rate support grant was received by the authority during this period because of its very high rateable resources. Consistent education budget figures for all the inner London boroughs for 1990-91 are not yet available.
Net spending of the Inner London education authority 1980-81 to
1989-90
Year |Net |Specific grant|Specific
|expenditure |income |grants as per-
|centage of net
|£ million<1> |£ million<2> |expenditure
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1980-81 |674.5 |12.7 |1.9
1981-82 |743.8 |14.5 |1.9
1982-83 |803.3 |15.4 |1.9
1983-84 |870.9 |15.1 |1.7
1985-86 |956.1 |20.3 |2.1
1984-85 |924.4 |17.2 |1.9
1986-87 |1,033.0 |24.9 |2.4
1987-88 |1,097.2 |31.1 |2.9
1988-89 |1,074.8 |41.3 |3.8
<1> Net expenditure as reported on the Form RO1.
<2> The figures for grant exclude specific grant aid in support of
mandatory awards, which has also been excluded from the expenditure
column.
Special Purpose Grant
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether his Department, in calculating the special purpose grant (Development) for grant-maintained schools, takes into account the local education authority contribution to education support grant and local education authority training grants ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : The LEA contribution to expenditure supported by education support grants and local education authority training grants is treated as part of central LEA costs of which grant-maintained schools receive a per capita amount as part of their annual maintenance grant. Special purpose grant (development) is calculated by reference to the education support grants and local education authority training grants paid to LEAs.
Geography
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he now expects to lay draft statutory orders for geography in the national curriculum.
Mr. Eggar : My right hon. and learned Friend is considering the recommendations on geography in the national curriculum made to him recently by the National Curriculum Council. He hopes to issue a draft order for consultation in time to introduce national curriculum geography in key stages 1, 2 and 3 in autumn 1991.
Opinion Surveys
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, further to his answer of 17 December to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras, if he will place the surveys listed in the Library.
Mr. Eggar : A copy of each of these reports on these projects, when completed, is placed in the Department's library and is available to researchers there. It has not been our practice to place copies elsewhere.
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Bullers Wood School
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received about his decision to approve the catchment area for Bullers Wood grant-maintained school in the London borugh of Bromley ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : My right hon. and learned Friend approved Bullers Wood school as grant maintained on 10 October 1990. To date, no representations regarding this decision have been received by the Department directly relating to the admissions arrangements. Proposals by a school for grant- maintained status must contain the proposed admissions arrangements. My right hon. and learned Friend will continue to consider these on their merits taking all relevant factors, including any comments or objections, into account.
Pre-school Education
Mr. Anthony Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has received the report of the committee of inquiry into the educational experience which should be offered to three and four-year- olds ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : My right hon. and learned Friend is today publishing the report, a copy of which has been placed in the Library. It treats the range of factors affecting the quality of provision carefully and helpfully. My right hon. and learned Friend and I are very grateful to our hon. Friend the Member for Mitcham and Morden (Mrs. Angela Rumbold) and the members of her committee for this valuable contribution to the development of thinking about education before the age of five.
The report comes at a time of significantly increased financial provision for the education of the under-fives. In real terms, LEA expenditure on the under-fives is almost half as high again as it was a decade ago ; and the proportion of under-fives in education has increased by over 17 per cent. at a time when the birth rate has been rising.
Against this background of growing participation, the Government believe that the existing diversity of provision for the under-fives, involving the private, voluntary and local authority sectors, is healthy and should be encouraged. Good-quality provision can make a valuable contribution to young children's development. The Government consider that parents are the best judges of their children's needs : some will prefer to make provision in the home for constructive play and early learning activities ; some will look to playgroups ; and others will seek nursery or infant classes or day nurseries. We are sending copies of the report to all local education and social services authorities ; it will be for them to consider how the report should be acted on in their areas, but we hope that it will be carefully studied by local authorities and by all those working in the field.
This Department is working closely with the Department of Health to ensure that within the diversity of provision, there is a clear framework for local action on services for pre-school children ; my right hon. Friend the former Secretary of State announced the introduction of an education support grant for 1991-92 and the succeeding year to help authorities improve the planning and co-ordination of services for the under-fives, and my right
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hon. and learned Friend has recently announced a significant enhancement of my Department's grants to the Pre- school Playgroups Association and to the British Association for Early Childhood Education.Column 276
NORTHERN IRELAND
Education and Library Boards (Advisers)
Mr. Peter Robinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the number of advisers employed by each education and library board over the last five years and the cost of employing these advisers over the last five years.
Dr. Mawhinney : Actual expenditure is not available in the form requested, but the following table has been prepared based on expenditure shown in boards' revised financial schemes.
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Financial Year Education and Library Board |1986-87 |1987-88 |1988-89 |1989-90 |1990-91 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Belfast Number of advisers |7 |6 |6 |5 |8 Cost |158 |154 |161 |144 |233 North-Eastern Number of advisers |14 |14 |10 |9 |14 Cost |309 |352 |270 |261 |384 South-Eastern Number of advisers |8 |8 |7 |7 |12 Cost |202 |205 |205 |202 |381 Southern Number of advisers |1 |2 |2 |3 |12 Cost |23 |48 |53 |70 |371 Western Number of advisers |5 |5 |5 |5 |12 Cost |98 |113 |131 |137 |288
Secondary School Pupils
Mr. Peter Robinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the number of children of secondary school age in each Eastern education and library board area over the last 10 years.
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Dr. Mawhinney : The numbers are as follows :
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Year |Belfast |Western |North- |South-Eastern|Southern
|Eastern
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1981 |36,869 |27,503 |36,353 |27,586 |31,171
1982 |35,956 |27,555 |36,655 |27,907 |31,503
1983 |33,049 |27,550 |36,736 |27,902 |31,655
1984 |33,619 |27,735 |36,730 |27,560 |32,147
1985 |32,490 |27,573 |36,603 |27,331 |32,188
1986 |31,462 |27,369 |35,765 |26,607 |31,714
1987 |30,345 |27,158 |34,589 |25,913 |31,081
1988 |29,090 |26,706 |33,548 |25,163 |30,493
1989 |28,929 |26,766 |32,659 |24,591 |30,154
1990 |28,452 |26,442 |31,847 |24,316 |29,876
Fallen Animals
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the health and environmental implications of the decision by animal by-product plants not to accept fallen animals for disposal ; and what proposals he has to provide alternative means of disposal of such animals in the Strangford constituency.
Mr. A. Cecil Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the health and environmental implications of the decision by animal by-product plants not to accept fallen animals for disposal ; and what proposals he has to provide alternative means of disposal of such animals in north Belfast.
Mr. Molyneaux : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the health and environmental
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implications of the decision by animal by- product plants not to accept fallen animals for disposal ; and what proposals he has to provide alternative means of disposal of such animals in Lagan Valley.Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the health and environmental implications of the decision by animal by- product plants not to accept fallen animals for disposal ; and what proposals he has to provide alternative means of disposal of such animals in east Antrim.
Mr. Clifford Forsythe : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the health and environmental implications of the decision by animal by-product plants not to accept fallen animals for disposal ; and what proposals he has to provide alternative means of disposal of such animals in South Antrim.
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Rev. Martin Smyth : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the health and environmental implications of the decision by animal by-product plants not to accept fallen animals for disposal ; and what proposals he has to provide alternative means of disposal of such animals in Belfast, South.Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the health and environmental implications of the decision by animal by-product plants not to accept fallen animals for disposal ; and what proposals he has to provide alternative means of disposal of such animals in east Londonderry.
Mr. Hanley : I refer the hon. Gentlemen to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Upper Bann (Mr. Trimble) on 18 December at column 142 .
Building Work
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will publish tables 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.
Dr. Mawhinney [holding answer 5 December 1990] : I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
Departmental Appointees
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the annual cost of fees and reimbursements to people appointed to (a) public, (b) non-governmental and (c) other bodies by his Department.
Dr. Mawhinney [holding answer 5 December 1990] : I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
Advertising
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will publish a table showing the amount spent in each of the last five years by his Department on (a) advertising in the press, (b) advertising on television and radio, (c) other advertising and promotion and (d) promotion videos and sound cassettes.
Dr. Mawhinney [holding answer 11 December 1990] : I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 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. Dr. Mawhinney [holding answer 17 December 1990] : I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Arms Control
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement on the work of the new joint arms control implementation group.
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Mr. Douglas Hogg : My hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces explained the role of the joint arms control implementation group in his written answer on 6 March at column 622. The group is responsible to the Secretary of State for Defence for practical implementation of our obligations and exercise of our rights in the verification of arms control agreements.
Washington Embassy
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to revise the size of the staff at the United Kingdom embassy in Washington DC.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : None at present ; staffing levels in Washington, like those for all British missions abroad, are regularly reviewed to ensure that they are appropriate to requirements.
Geneva Convention
Mr. Ernie Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will propose to the United Nations Security Council a draft resolution reminding all states party to the Geneva convention of their legal duty to prosecute in the case of prima facie evidence of grave breaches of the Geneva convention by persons of any nationality.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : States party to the Geneva conventions are well aware of their legal duties since they have an obligation to ensure that grave breaches of the conventions are an offence under their national legislation.
Argentina
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what matters, in regard to nuclear weapons testing and prospects for Argentina signing the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, were discussed with his Argentine counterparts or officials from the Argentine Foreign Ministry during the visit of Foreign Minister Cavallo to London on 11 December.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Mr. Cavallo took the opportunity of his visit to explain details of the joint declaration of 28 November on the common nuclear policy of Argentina and Brazil.
Israel
Mr. Ernie Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he intends taking as a state signatory to the fourth Geneva convention if the Israeli Government proceed with their declared intention to deport members of the Palestinian civilian population of the west bank and Gaza who are protected persons under the provisions of the fourth Geneva convention.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We have made it clear that any such deportations would violate international law. We urge the Israeli Government not to proceed with them.
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Belligerent Occupation
Mr. Ernie Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will propose a draft resolution to the United Nations Security Council naming states recognised by the international consensus as being engaged in belligerent occupation.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : No, because it would be difficult to reach international consensus on such a list of states.
Mr. Ernie Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will propose to the United Nations Security Council a draft resolution reminding all states engaged in belligerent occupation of the implications of grave breaches of the Geneva convention, with particular regard to those states' treatment of the civilian population who are under occupation.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : No. The obligations of states party to the Fourth Geneva convention were reiterated by the Security Council in its resolution 674 with reference to the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait.
Mr. Salman Rushdie
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) whether he will ask the Iranian ambassador to call on him to discuss the renewal of the death threat on Mr. Salman Rushdie by the Iranian Minister for Islamic Religious Affairs and the implications for international laws protecting individuals ; (2) what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking following the renewal of the death threat on Mr. Salman Rushdie by the Iranian Minister for Islamic Religious Affairs ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Our charge d'affaires in Tehran has expressed to the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs our concern about certain recent statements made in Iran about Mr. Rushdie. We continue to understand that the Iranian Government respect international law and would not interfere in the internal affairs of any other country, any more than the United Kingdom would.
The Gulf
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if any matters in regard to the proliferation of nuclear weapons in the Gulf region were discussed during the meeting of Foreign Affairs Ministers at the inter-governmental conference in Rome.
Opinion Surveys
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library the surveys listed in his answer of 17 December to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : No. The surveys were commissioned on a private basis and were not intended to be made public.
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