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Soviet Union (Food Aid)
Mr. Geraint Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to launch a food aid package on behalf of the people of Wales to the Soviet Union ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. David Hunt [holding answer Monday 10 December] : This is a matter which my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food would consider sympathetically if any such request for assistance were received from the Soviet Union.
Transport
Mr. Geraint Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to increase transport expenditure in Wales ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Wyn Roberts : Information on planned expenditure for 1991-92 will be set out in the Welsh Office departmental report 1991 to be published early in the new year.
Epileptics
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the work with epileptics and their families in parts of north Wales, undertaken with support from the Mersey Region Epilepsy Association.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : My right hon. Friend and I are aware that a number of voluntary bodies, including the Mersey Region Epilepsy Association, make a valued contribution to the development and provision of services.
Health and Personal Social Services
Mr. Gwilym Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has reached a decision about the allocation of resources for health and personal social services in Wales in 1991-92.
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Mr. David Hunt : Yes. Subject to parliamentary approval, I have decided on the allocation. I shall place a summary of my proposals in the Library of the House.
NATIONAL FINANCE
Incomes
Ms. Quin : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what was the average post-tax income of the bottom 2 per cent. of income tax payers in each financial year since 1979-80 ;
(2) what was the average post-tax income of the top 2 per cent. of income tax payers in each financial year since 1979-80.
Mr. Maude : Estimates are given in the table for 1979-80, and 1990- 91. Information for other years could be provided only at disproportionate cost. All estimates of income are based on information reported to tax offices and collected through the annual surveys of personal incomes. For 1979-80 the figure excludes employees' contributions to occupational pension schemes and some investment income on which tax is deducted at source. The figures for 1979-80 represent the average income of single people or married couples ; for 1990-91 the figure relates to individuals following the change to independent taxation. The figures for 1990-91 are based on projections of the 1987-88 survey of personal incomes and are therefore provisional.
I regret that reliable estimates for the bottom 2 per cent. of taxpayers are not available. The table therefore shows figures for the bottom 5 per cent.
Average post-tax income (£)
|1979-80<1>|1990-91<2>
----------------------------------------------------
Bottom 5 per cent. |1,800 |4,300
Top 2 per cent. |15,100 |51,800
Average tax paid (£)
|1979-80<1>|1990-91<2>
----------------------------------------------------
Bottom 5 per cent. |40 |60
Top 2 per cent. |8,200 |23,500
<1> For single people and married couples.
<2> For individuals.
European Monetary System
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment has been made of the experience of France and Italy in the European monetary system since 1979 so far as employment in manufacturing is concerned ; and if he will publish a table showing the numbers employed in manufacturing in Germany, France and Italy each year since 1979 and at the latest available date together with the percentage increase since 1979 and 1985, respectively.
Mr. Maples : Data for manufacturing employment in France, Germany and Italy are published by the OECD in "Labour Force Statistics 1968-88".
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment has been made of the experience of the original EC Six in the European monetary system since 1979 so far as the rate of economic
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growth is concerned ; and if he will publish a table showing for each of the six the average rate of growth since 1979 as a percentage of the rate of growth in (i) the decade ending in 1973 and (ii) in the period in which the currency snake was in operation.Mr. Maples : Data for GDP of the original members of the European Community are published by the OECD in "National Accounts 1960-88" and in "Main Economic Indicators".
Occupational Health Services
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 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.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : All civil service departments and agencies have access to the services of the civil service occupational health service which employs some 100 fully qualified occupational health professionals--doctors, nurses and hygiene and safety advisers. It operates via a network of regional offices throughout the United Kingdom. The Treasury employs about 3,150 staff who have access to three welfare staff and 32 first-aiders in additional to CSOHS services.
Income Tax
Mr. Allen : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the change in Treasury income during the financial year 1991-92 resulting from (a) increasing all personal allowances in line with the rise in average earnings and (b) increasing the threshold for the higher rate of income tax in line with earnings rather than prices.
Mr. Maude : At 1991-92 levels of income the estimated tax yield resulting from indexation in line with earnings compared with price indexation are as shown in the table. The estimates are based on the illustrative rate of price indexation of 10.25 per cent. and the working assumption of an 8.5 per cent. increase in average earnings between 1990-91 and 1991-92 used in the autumn statement 1990.
£ million
|Yield in a|Yield in
|full year |1991-92
-----------------------------------------------------------
Personal allowances |450 |340
Threshold for higher rate |120 |70
Goods and Services
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 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.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : 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 House of Commons Library.
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Benefits in Kind
Mr. Allen : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many taxpayers get benefits in kind ; and what is their average income.
Mr. Maude [holding answer 10 December 1990] : It is estimated that in 1990-91 2.77 million taxpayers receive taxable benefits in kind and that their average earnings, including the taxable value of the benefits, are £23,000. These estimates are based on projections from data relating to 1987-88 and are provisional.
Upper Earnings Limit
Mr. Allen : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people who pay tax are below the upper earnings limit for 1991-92.
Mr. Maude [holding answer 10 December 1990] : It is estimated that in 1991-92 there will be about 19.5 million taxpayers in employment and self-employment aged under 65 with earned income below £20,280, the upper earnings limit for national insurance contributions purposes.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Syria
Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Syrian Government concerning human rights in that country.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Halifax (Mrs. Mahon) on 4 December 1990.
Nuclear Weapons
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy on the complete removal of land- based short-range nuclear weapons in Europe through future negotiations ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The objectives of negotiations on short-range nuclear forces in Europe remain subject to discussion within the NATO alliance.
Missile Technology Control
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy on the transfer of items from category I to category II of the missile technology control regime, and on the application of more stringent inspection rights to ensure end-use compliance under the terms of the regime.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : In collaboration with our partners we keep the missile technology and control regime equipment and technology annex under constant review. Ensuring end-use compliance is the responsibility of individual supplying Governments in co-operation with the receiving Government. The United Kingdom is prepared to consider on-site inspection where appropriate.
Occupational Health Services
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements exist for the provision of an occupational health service,
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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. Lennox-Boyd : All civil service departments and agencies have access to the services of the civil service occupational health service, which employs some 100 fully qualified occupational health professionals-- doctors, nurses and hygiene and safety advisers. It operates via a network of regional offices throughout the United Kingdom.
In addition, employees of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Overseas Development Administration (and some British Council employees overseas) benefit from a contractual arrangement with St. Thomas's hospital, which provides advice on occupational health matters as well as a wider health care service.
The St. Thomas's implant in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office consists of three full-time medical advisers, two part-time medical advisers, three full-time occupational nursing sisters, two part-time occupational nursing sisters and one health promotion adviser. In addition, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office employs a full-time staff counsellor.
The total number of staff in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office including the Overseas Development Administration at the beginning of November 1990 was 8,044.
Western Sahara
Sir David Steel : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what military, financial and logistical assistance Her Majesty's Government are planning to make available for the United Nations plan for the western Sahara recently put before the United Nations Security Council by the Secretary-General.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The United Nations Secretary-General has not yet formally submitted to the Security Council his definitive report on United Nations involvement in the western Sahara. Until he does, we will not be in a position to take any decision on precisely what support we will be able to offer although as a permanent member we shall, of course, be closely involved.
Chemical Weapons
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is Her Majesty's Government's policy on the right of signatories to the chemical weapons convention to retain a percentage of their stockpile of chemical weapons.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the then Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 15 January 1990.
Gibraltar
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which European Community programmes and legislation apply to Gibraltar.
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Mr. Garel-Jones : The provisions of the EC treaties apply to Gibraltar. However, under the arrangements agreed on the United Kingdom's accession to the Community, the common agricultural policy and Community rules on VAT do not apply to Gibraltar. Gibraltar is outside the Community's customs territory and the rules on free movement of goods do not apply.
Antarctic Treaty (Chile Meeting)
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals for environmental protection have been tabled at the meeting of Antarctic treaty parties in Chile ; and which of these proposals provides the basis on which the meeting is proceeding.
Mr. Garel-Jones : The following draft proposals were tabled at the meeting of Antarctic treaty parties, which ended in Chile on 6 December :
(i) United Kingdom environment protocol
(ii) New Zealand environmental protocol
(iii) Australian/French conservation convention
(iv) United States of America environmental protocol
All these proposals contributed to the draft protocol which was accepted at the end of the meeting as a basis for further discussion.
The Gulf (Hostages)
Mr. Hayward : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice is being given by his Department to relatives of hostages in Iraq and Kuwait in relation to their visiting their hostage relatives.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Saddam Hussein announced on6 December that all foreign nationals were allowed to leave Iraq. We are arranging for the vast majority to do so. There is therefore no need for families to visit Baghdad.
Mr. Hayward : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in arranging for parcels to be sent to hostages in Iraq and Kuwait.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The British Red Cross is already packing parcels. They will be dispatched on 19 December if there is still a need for them.
Nuclear Non-proliferation
Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) written and (b) oral questions he has answered (1) last Session and (2) to date in the current Session on (i) the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, (ii) nuclear weapons testing and a comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty and (iii) nuclear export controls.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The number of questions answered is as follows :
Session |Written|Oral
--------------------------------
1989-90
(i) |164 |3
(ii) |18 |-
(iii) |5 |-
1990-91
(i) |7
(ii) |4 |-
(iii) |- |-
Iraqi Nuclear Facilities
Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek a report from the United Kingdom permanent representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna on the reliability of the report of the recently conducted IAEA safeguards inspection of Iraqi nuclear facilities.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : No ; we have confidence in the IAEA's safeguards inspection procedures.
Eastern Europe
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what payments have been made direct to political parties or organisations from know-how funds or otherwise in the countries of eastern Europe, including the Soviet Union and the area formerly known as the German Democratic Republic ; what was the size of each such payment and the organisation benefiting ; and what was the education and training purpose of the grants.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : There have been no direct payments to political parties or organisations in east and central Europe or the Soviet Union from the know-how funds or other Foreign and Commonwealth Office sources.
China
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Government of the People's Republic of China regarding human rights in China, with particular reference to religious activities.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : My noble Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office raised the subject of human rights with the visiting Chinese Vice Foreign Minister on 21 November, as did my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in his meeting with the Chinese Foreign Minister in New York on 28 September. My hon. Friend the then Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office specifically mentioned religious activities when expressing our concern on this issue to the Chinese authorities during his visit to China in July.
Advertising
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 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.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Expenditure by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on advertising and other promotional material for the years 1985-86 to 1989 -90 is as follows :
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,
|FCO |FCO ODA
|Diplomatic|Wing
|Wing
|£ |£
--------------------------------------------
1985-86 |161,000 |271,000
1986-87 |336,000 |228,000
1987-88 |195,000 |351,000
1988-89 |289,000 |330,000
1989-90 |329,000 |530,000
A disaggregation of these figures to identify the medium used is not available.
Goods and Services
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 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.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : 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.
Malawi
Mr. Fraser : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken to monitor the observance of human rights in Malawi.
Mrs. Chalker : We regularly raise reports of human rights violations with the Malawian authorities and monitor subsequent progress.
Africa
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from Africa Watch about linking future economic assistance to African countries with steps by them to end abuses of human rights.
Mrs. Chalker : We received representations from Africa Watch on Kenya in this context, to which my right hon. Friend the then Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office replied. The Secretary of State has today received a further representation from Africa Watch, to which we will reply as soon as possible.
TRANSPORT
Occupational Health Services
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what arrangements exist for the provision of an occupational health service for employees within his Department ; and (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. McLoughlin : The Department of Transport, in common with all civil service departments, has access to the services of the civil service occupational health service
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(CSOHS), which employs some 100 fully qualified occupational health professionals--doctors, nurses and hygiene and safety advisers. The CSOHS operates via a network of regional offices throughout the United Kingdom and also provides on-site medical advice to departments.The Department of Transport employs 16,700 staff.
Defective Eyesight
Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many candidates over the last five years failed the Department of Transport driving test due to defective eyesight ; and if he will express the figures as a percentage of all failures and as a percentage of all candidates.
Mr. Chope : I am asking the chief executive of the Driving Standards Agency to write to my hon. Friend.
Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to review the method of conducting the eyesight check during the Department of Transport driving test ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Chope : I have no plans to do so. The present number plate test is a simple, cheap and effective test which can also be carried out by drivers themselves and by the police at the roadside. The College of Ophthalmologists and the Medical Commission on Accident Prevention at the Royal College of Surgeons fully endorse the test.
Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans his Department has to introduce regular eyesight checks for drivers after they have passed the Department of Transport driving test.
Mr. Chope : None. It is the responsibility of all drivers to ensure that they continue to meet the eyesight standard for driving and to notify DVLA of any deterioration in their eyesight which might affect their ability to drive safely.
Heathrow-US Air Route
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the names of airlines which fly from Heathrow airport to the United States of America.
Mr. McLoughlin : Under the terms of the United Kingdom--United States air services agreement British Airways, Pan American World Airways and Trans World Airlines are permitted to operate scheduled passenger services between London Heathrow and the United States. In addition, the following airlines have been granted permission by both the United States Government and the Government of the United Kingdom to operate scheduled passenger services from their country of origin via London (including Heathrow) to the United States : Air India
El Al Israel Airlines
Kuwait Airways Corporation
Other airlines may be able to fly from Heathrow to the United States as part of an international route, but without traffic rights on the London-- United States sector.
Channel Tunnel (Rail Services)
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) when he expects orders to be placed for rolling stock for day and night services from the channel tunnel to destinations on electrified lines north of London ;
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(2) how soon after the channel tunnel opens he expects direct services to operate from it to destinations north of London on electrified lines ; and whether he expects such services to operate via the West London, Olympia--Willesden-West Hampstead lines.Mr. Freeman : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Hexham (Mr. Amos) on 5 December at column 121. British Rail plans to route the direct north of London services via Olympia using the west London and north London lines in the early years of tunnel operation.
MV Derbyshire
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will make available in the Library the draft report of the inquiry into the shipwreck of MV Derbyshire.
Mr. McLoughlin : A draft report summarising the results of the Department of Transport's investigation into the tragic loss of MV Derbyshire was circulated in July 1985 to representatives of interested parties for comment. A copy of the final report was placed in the Library on 21 March 1986, and it would be inappropriate now to release copies of the earlier draft report. Since that final report was issued, an independent public inquiry into the loss of the Derbyshire has been held.
Advertising
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 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.
Mr. McLoughlin : The spending by my 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 in each of the five most recent years is as follows :
H
£ thousands
|Press |Television |Other |Video and
|and radio |advertising|sound
|cassettes
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1985-86 |834 |928 |3,990 |36
1986-87 |738 |592 |4,440 |49
1987-88 |140 |2,360 |2,967 |43
1988-89 |365 |1,977 |3,275 |92
1989-90 |982 |2,163 |3,112 |177
The expenditure by my Department is recorded in financial years, not calendar years.
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