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Mr. Atkins [holding answer 15 February 1991] : The National Youth Agency's budget for 1991-92 has not yet been decided. It will be determined on the basis of the agency's work programme which will be agreed with the Department.
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether grants for education support and training may be used to finance training for volunteer youth workers.
Mr. Atkins [holding answer 15 February 1991] : The grants for education support and training programme for 1991-92 does not include grants which could support the training of volunteer youth workers.
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what guidelines he has given to the National Youth Agency in relation to its proposed role and functions ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Atkins [holding answer 15 February 1991] : My right hon. Friend's reply on 5 April 1990 to the question from my hon. Friend the Member for Bury, North (Mr.
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Burt) described the proposed role and functions of the National Youth Agency. These functions were explained in greater detail in a letter to the chairmen of the youth service bodies in June 1990. I shall send the hon. Member a copy of the list of functions.Dual Use Facilities
Mr. Pendry : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the reason for the delay in publishing the practical guidance booklet on dual use facilities ; by what date the booklet will be published ; if he will require specific responses to the guidance from all local education authorities, and particularly from those with responsibility for inner-city areas ; and by what date he will publish an implementation timetable for proposed new schemes.
Mr. Atkins [holding answer 15 February 1991] : I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 14 December 1990, Official Report, column 514 . The dual use guidance booklet is currently being revised with a view to publication in the spring. The Department will continue to monitor good practice in this area, but there are no plans to require individual responses to the booklet from local education authorities or to publish an implementation timetable.
Child Abuse
Sir Michael McNair-Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will list the changes he has introduced in the regime of independent schools as a result of the case involving child abuse at Crookham Court school in Berkshire ; (2) if he will introduce legislation to require head teachers always to inform the police and his Department when a member of staff is required to leave a school because of child abuse ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Fallon [pursuant to his answer, 22 January 1991,c. 121-23] : The Department is now consulting independent schools organisations and other bodies on amendments to the Education (Particulars of Independent Schools) Regulations 1982. The Welsh Office will consult in Wales.
These amendments will require proprietors of independent schools to report to the Secretary of State where any person--not just any teacher as at present--is dismissed from employment for misconduct, or would have been dismissed or considered for dismissal had they not resigned. Proprietors will also be required to provide particulars of all staff, not just teaching staff, on application for registration and annually.
The changes will enable the Department to consider placing independent schools' non-teaching staff on list 99, as well as teaching staff, and will make it possible to check regularly that no barred staff are working in independent schools in a non-teaching capacity.
The closing date for consultation is 8 March and we plan to make amending regulations soon thereafter. In the meantime, the organisations consulted are being asked to invite any schools in membership to begin reporting voluntarily.
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CIVIL SERVICE
Women Employees
41. Mr. Janner : To ask the Minister for the Civil Service how many women are employed in civil service grades 1, 2 and 3, respectively.
Mr. Renton : Currently, there are no women in the civil service at grade 1 level, seven at grade 2 level and 37 at grade 3 level.
Disabled Employees
42. Mr. Bowis : To ask the Minister for the Civil Service what steps he is taking to remove obstacles to, and restrictions on, the employment and promotion of people with disabilities in the civil service.
Mr. Renton : My Department is taking a range of initiatives to promote equality of opportunity for people with disabilities. These include support and advice to Departments and agencies in implementing the revised code of practice on disability.
Public Relations Officers
43. Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Minister for the Civil Service in what grades press and public relations officers are employed.
Mr. Renton : These officers are employed in a wide spectrum of grades, but most commonly information grades.
Agencies
44. Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Minister for the Civil Service how many civil service jobs are now performed by agencies ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Renton : More than 82,000 civil servants are working in the 34 "next steps" agencies now established. The Chancellor announced earlier this month that the Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise Departments are also to operate fully on "next steps" lines. This, together with the further 32 agency candidates which have been announced, covers over 280,000 staff.
45. Mr. Favell : To ask the Minister for the Civil Service whether the creation of "next steps" agencies will affect the numbers employed in the civil service.
Mr. Renton : "Next steps" is designed to produce a better-managed and more efficient civil service responsive to the needs of Ministers and the public.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Satellite Television
Mr. Holt : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much has been set aside to pay additional housing benefit to housing trust tenants who require a decoder to receive satellite television.
Miss Widdecombe : Housing benefit is an income-related benefit intended to help meet reasonable accommodation costs. Broadly this means rent and any
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compulsory service charges related to the provision of adequate accommodation. It is for local authorities to determine what proportion of a rent is eligible for housing benefit in any particular case by reference to the housing benefit regulations. We are currently reviewing those regulations to ensure that they clearly prevent charges for satellite television relay from being met by benefit.Appeal Tribunal
Mr. Fraser : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many appeals are currently outstanding from the social security appeal tribunal ; and what is the average time for those appeals to be dealt with at all levels.
Miss Widdecombe : Responsibility for the administration of social security appeals lies with the president of social security and medical appeal tribunals, His Honour Judge Holden. He has advised that the total number of appeals outstanding at the social security appeal tribunals, as at 8 January 1991, is 22,823.
The latest figures available for processing appeals are those for the quarter ending 31 March 1990. The average times for that quarter were :
(a) from lodgement to receipt of the submission by the tribunal clerk--10.2 weeks ;
(b) from lodgement to the date of hearing--23 weeks.
Severe Disability Premium
Mr. Rooker : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applicants in Birmingham for severe disability premium are (a) awaiting decisions of the appeal tribunal and (b) awaiting his Department's action following appeal tribunal decisions.
Miss Widdecombe : The responsibility for social security appeal tribunals lies with the president of the social security and medical appeal tribunals, His Honour Judge Derek Holden. He has supplied me with the following information :
(a) just over 700 cases held by the Birmingham tribunal concern the income support severe disability premium and are awaiting decisions, listing or the adjudication officer's submission ; (b) the information is not available, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Community Charge Benefit
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the proportion of those receiving poll tax rebates in Wales expressed as a percentage of the total number of poll tax payers.
Miss Widdecombe : At 31 August 1990, community charge benefit was in payment to 24 per cent. of those liable to pay the charge in Wales.
Cold Weather Payments
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will initiate a study into the relationship between the number of applications for special cold weather payments in any social security office area and the extent of local newspaper advertising of the relevant application forms.
Mr. Scott : The hon. Member's suggestion will be considered as part of the review of cold weather payments.
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Retirement Pension
Mr. Steen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the cost each year to the Exchequer of giving those over 80 years of age an additional 25p a week pension ; and what is the administrative cost of making these additional payments.
Miss Widdecombe : The estimated current cost of giving those over 80 years of age an additional 25p per week pension is over £26 million a year. As the addition is added automatically to the pension on the first payday after the pensioner's 80th birthday there is no additional administrative cost involved in making these payments.
THE ARTS
Cultural Matters (EC Competence)
30. Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will be attending any future meetings of the intergovernmental conference on political union of the European Community to discuss the competence of the Community in cultural matters.
Mr. Renton : I have no plans at present to do so. The discussions of the intergovernmental conference on political union cover a wide range of issues, on which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs is in the lead. The view of Her Majesty's Government is that the treaty of Rome does not confer competence on the Community in the cultural area.
Museums and Galleries
31. Mr. Grist : To ask the Minister for the Arts what proposals there are to ensure that the fabric of museums and galleries is being maintained.
Mr. Renton : I have commissioned Arup Research and Development to conduct a study of the building renovation needs of national museums and galleries which I sponsor. I expect it to report to me in summer 1991.
Scholarships
32. Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Minister for the Arts how many scholarships in the arts and in what main areas of activity are sponsored by his Department ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Renton : No arts scholarships are sponsored by the OAL. Many of the institutions sponsored by the OAL provide education, training, work experience, and so on, for their staffs. In addition, the national film and television school has a scholarship fund from which support is given to British students in need, developed with the aid of private sponsors.
Funding, London
34. Mr. Cohen : To ask the Minister for the Arts when he plans to meet the chair of Greater London Arts to discuss funding for smaller arts clients in London.
Mr. Renton : I have no such plans. The funding of arts clients in London is a matter for the Arts Council and for Greater London Arts as appropriate.
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36. Mr. Butler : To ask the Minister for the Arts what proportion of central Government arts spending is spent within Greater London.
Mr. Renton : Nearly 37 per cent. of the Arts Council of Great Britain's total grant in aid in 1989-90 was allocated to clients in Greater London.
Arts Council Grant
35. Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the Minister for the Arts how much of the Arts Council grant in England and Wales in 1989-90 was actually paid to artists, writers, musicians and those in the performing arts ; and how much was absorbed by administration.
Mr. Renton : The total of the Arts Council's grant in aid spent in England and Wales in 1989-90 was £139,745,000. Just under £14.4 million was spent by the Arts Council of Great Britain, the Welsh Arts Council and the 12 English regional arts associations on operational services. The functions of these bodies extend well beyond grant administration and include arts promotion and marketing, other professional advice and support to client organisations, and development and planning work.
ENERGY
Electricity Privatisation
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will publish in the Official Report the details relating to the flotation of the electricity generating companies on (a) the number of individuals who responded to the official advertising campaign and registered as prospective applicants in advance of the sale, (b) the number of those pre- registered who subsequently were not allocated any shares, (c) the value of the cheques received from those pre-registered who subsequently were not allocated any shares, (d) the date on which the cheques received from unsuccessful pre-registered applicants were encashed, (e) the date when the subsequent refunds were subsequently made and (f) the value of the interest generated by the encashment of cheques prior to refund to unsuccessful applicants.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : The available information is as follows : (
(a) By midnight on 14 November 1990 the electricity share information office had received approximately 7.3 million applications to register ;
(b) Approximately 97 per cent. of registrants who duly applied as customers received an allocation. No figures are available in respect of registrants who applied other than as customers ;
(c, f) The systems employed to record applications and account for interest do not permit the separate identification of data relating to wholly unsuccessful and partially successful applications. The value of cheques submitted with wholly unsuccessful applications by registrants and of the interest earned on those cashed is therefore not available ;
(d, e) Cheques from the public in the retail offers were cashed principally in the week 10 to 14 December 1990. Refunds of application monies were dispatched by first-class post on a phased basis, principally from 16 to 19 December 1990. The majority of wholly unsuccessful application forms and their accompanying uncashed cheques were returned the previous week.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will publish in the Official Report details relating to
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the information made available to the public in advance of the flotation of the electricity generating companies about encashment of cheques where no shares were allocated to them.Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : The prospectus for the 12 regional electricity companies share offers stated in chapter VII, paragraph 8 of the terms and conditions of application that the right was reserved to present for payment all cheques or bankers' drafts received. It also stated in chapter VI, section 2e that this would be avoided where practicable in respect of applications for which it was not expected to make an allocation.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he is satisfied with the procedures used to refund money in the electricity generating companies flotation to those who had pre-registered but were subsequently allocated no shares ; and whether he has any plans to use such a system in any future flotations.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : In the case of the 12 regional electricity companies share offers, the procedures were designed to enable cheques to be returned to applicants receiving no allocation as quickly as possible ; most received them before Christmas. For the minority of cases where no shares were allocated, but where it was not practicable to avoid cashing cheques, provision was made for refunds to be issued ; this took place in the majority of these cases before Christmas.
For the generating companies share offers the arrangements are much simpler, not least because, as only two companies are being offered together, it will not be necessary to cash cheques that are duly submitted with application forms unless it is expected that an allocation will be made.
Nuclear Power Stations
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy on what date he expects to publish the long-term safety reviews for Hinkley A, Trawsfynydd and Sizewell A nuclear power stations.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : I understand that the Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorate--NII--has almost completed its detailed assessment of the long-term safety review of Hinkley Point A. The HSE will publish the NII's findings later this year. The NII's examination of the long-term safety reviews for Trawsfynydd and Sizewell A are due for completion by late 1991 and the end of 1992 respectively. The HSE proposes to publish the NII's findings on these long-term safety reviews as soon as possible thereafter.
Kansai Electric Power Station
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects to consult his Japanese opposite number regarding the radiation leak at the nuclear power station of Kansai Electric ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : My Department has been informed of the incident at the Mihama-2 plant at Kansai Electric on Saturday 9 February by our embassy in Tokyo and has also received information from other sources including the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, to which the Japanese Government have supplied an account of events.
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From the accounts that my Department has received, it would appear that the amount of radioactivity released was extremely small and that there is no reason to believe that it constituted any danger to the population or the environment. My Department has also been told that the incident was not serious and that the reactor was shut down safely by its own protective systems.HEALTH
Hospital Beds
Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the average number of beds available within the South Manchester health authority area in 1980, 1985 and 1990 ; what is the current actual position ; and what are the comparable figures for England as a whole.
Mr. Dorrell : The information requested is given in the table.
Number of average daily available beds
|1980 |1985 |1989-90
-----------------------------------------------------
South Manchester DHA |2,423 |2,277 |1,927
England |355,979|325,487|270,334
Number of patients treated
Finished hospital stayFinished
(discharge and deaths)consultants
episodes
|1980 |1985 |1989-90<1>
-----------------------------------------------------------------
South Manchester DHA |61,745 |69,361 |76,259
England |5,670,001 |6,353,812 |7,476,626
<1>Figures for 1989-90 refer to Finished Consultant Episodes and
should not be directly compared with earlier figures (discharges
and deaths).
More recent information on beds and patients treated is not held centrally. The hon. Member may wish to write to Mr. P. Hadfield, the chairman of South Manchester health authority, for details.
The Gulf
Ms. Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provision is being made by his Department for the support of families and service men and women who are subject to trauma, stress and long-term mental illness arising from war in the Gulf.
Mr. Dorrell : The Department has issued advice to health authorities and social service departments about contingency planning arrangements for Gulf casualties.
The families of all service personnel are entitled to national health service and social services in the same way as any other resident. It will be for local services to arrange appropriate long-term care and support for all in their area who are subject to trauma, stress and long-term mental illness.
Mr. Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has been conducted into the use of psychotherapeutic treatment as against the use of drugs in the treatment for trauma, stress and long-term mental illness in the case of service men and women and their families consequent upon the war in the Gulf.
Mr. Dorrell : Substantial research has been undertaken into the appropriate role of drugs and psychotherapy in
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the treatment of trauma, stress and long-term mental illness in respect of previous conflicts. The war in the Gulf is of too recent origin to have permitted research in this area.Health Authority Funding
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give the basis on which extra resources to enable health authorities to reduce creditor levels are being allocated ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : The basis for allocating this money has not been finalised. Each authority receiving some of this allocation will also be expected to contribute to reducing its creditor levels from within its own resources.
Young Offenders
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the secure establishments other than prisons in England and Wales where young (a) men and (b) women, under the age of 16 years can be held.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : On 31 January 1991, there were 36 secure units in community homes for children in England and Wales, all of which admitted young people under the age of 16. Details of them are given in the table. In addition, the Department runs two youth treatment centres--YTCs-- Glenthorne in Birmingham and St. Charles in Essex. Both YTCs admit young people under the age of 16.
Secure units in England and Wales open on 31 January 1991
Local Authority |Name of home in which |Type of
|secure unit is located
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
England
Avon |Kingswood |Boys
Berkshire |Brookside |Mixed
Birmingham |St. John's |Mixed
Cambridgeshire |Salters |Girls
Cheshire |Redsands |Mixed
Coventry |Stoke House |Mixed
Derbyshire |Greenacres |Mixed
Derbyshire |Moorfield |Mixed
Devon |Northbrook |Mixed
Durham |Aycliffe (2 units) |Mixed
East Sussex |Lansdowne |Mixed
Greenwich |Frant Court |Girls
Hammersmith |Stamford House |Boys
Hampshire |Fairfield |Girls
Hampshire |Glen House |Boys
Hertfordshire |Woodside |Mixed
Hillingdon |Middlesex Lodge |Girls
Lancashire |Briars Hey |Girls
Lancashire |Red Bank (2 units) |Boys
Leeds |Eastmoor (2 units) |Boys
Lincolnshire |Kesteven |Mixed
Liverpool |Blackbrook House |Girls
Liverpool |Dyson Hall |Boys
Newham |Little Heath Lodge |Boys
Northumberland |Netherton Park |Mixed
Oxfordshire |Thornbury House |Boys
Rotherham |Keppels View |Mixed
Salford |Park House |Boys
Southwark |Orchard Lodge |Boys
West Sussex |Beechfield |Mixed
Wales
Gwent |Ty Mawr |Boys
Mid Glamorgan |Silverbrook |Girls
West Glamorgan |Llwyncelyn |Boys
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Hospital Closures, Doncaster
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospitals have closed since 1979 (a) nationally and (b) in the Doncaster area.
Mr. Dorrell : We are aware of 463 hospitals or facilities that have been approved for total closure from 1979 to 31 December 1989. Of these, two hospitals were in the Doncaster area.
Over the same period, the NHS has increased in-patient treatment as follows :
|1979 |1988-89
----------------------------------------
England |5,400,120|6,585,982
Doncaster |28,103 |41,969
That is an increase of 22 per cent. nationally--49.3 per cent. in the Doncaster area.
Day case treatment also increased as follows :
1979 1988-89
England 592,061 1,016,327
Doncaster 2,909 4,961
That is an increase of 71.7 per cent. nationally--70.5 per cent. in the Doncaster area.
From 1979-80 to 1989-90 expenditure on the NHS capital programme has grown by 55 per cent. in real terms.
Census Data
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has now considered the British Computer Society's report on its independent review of the confidentiality arrangements for the computer processing of 1991 census data ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : The report is contained in the White Paper "1991 Census of Population : Confidentiality and Computing"--Cm1447--which is being published today by my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Health and for Scotland. The White Paper includes a statement by the Government and also sets out the Government's reply to the society's recommendations.
The society's report contains the following summary assessment : "The Review Team has examined all relevant arrangements already in place, and the plans and stated intentions where preparatory work is still in progress. The Review Team can report that the arrangements made so far are, in its opinion, fully in keeping with the very high standards of confidentiality required ; and that the plans and intentions current at the time of preparing this Report are consistent with that standard."
In their statement, the Government welcome not only the society's conclusions and recommendations but the opportunity to reaffirm their determination to protect the confidentiality of the information about individual persons and households to be collected in the census on 21 April.
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