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Race Relations Act
Mr. Hume : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he has any plans to extend the provisions of the Race Relations Act 1976 to Northern Ireland.
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Mr. Brooke [holding answer 25 February 1991] : In its second report, on "Religious and Political Discrimination and Equality of Opportunity in Northern Ireland" (Cm 1107) the Standing Advisory Commission on Human Rights has recommended that racial discrimination be made unlawful in Northern Ireland. I am considering this with the other detailed recommendations of the report.Youth Training Programme
Mr. Hume : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion of the total number of students eligible to leave school (a) remained on at school, (b)
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became employed full-time, (c) joined the youth training programme and (d) entered further education in each of the past five years.Dr. Mawhinney [holding answer 26 February 1991] : The information is not available in the form requested. However, an estimate based on movements between fifth and sixth forms suggests that about 40 per cent. remain on at school after fifth form. Available information on the intended destinations of 16-year-old school leavers is as follows :
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Intended destinations of 16-year-old school leavers
|1983-84 |1985-86 |1986-87 |1987-88 |1988-89
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Employment |8,119 |7,801 |8,145 |3,614 |3,258
Training (inc YTP) |3,633 |3,703
Further Education |3,510 |3,999 |4,293 |4,003 |4,359
Seeking Employment |1,932 |1,324 |1,011 |476 |357
Unknown |2,400 |2,190 |1,922 |1,793 |1,618
|------- |------- |------- | -------|-------
Total |15,961 |15,314 |15,371 |13,519 |13,295
Notes:
No survey was conducted for 1984-85.
Pupils were aged 16 at the end of each school year (31 August).
Further Education
Mr. Hume : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will initiate an Her Majesty's inspectorate survey on further education provision to assess the demand for and availability of provision for students.
Dr. Mawhinney [holding answer 26 February 1991] : No. Such assessments will form part of the strategic plan of each education and library board with which rests the statutory duty for securing adequate further education facilities for its area.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Organic Produce
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make representations to his European Community counterparts to introduce a community-wide symbol for organic and conservation grade produce.
Mr. Curry : The draft European Community regulation on the production and labelling of organic foods already contains provision for the use on organic foods, except on those processed foods which are only partially composed of organic ingredients, of a reference to the EC control system. Further, if the regulation is adopted, it will be illegal to sell food as organic unless it has been produced in accordance with the regulation.
The term conservation grade is a certification trade mark owned by the Guild of Conservation Food Producers.
Meat (Residues)
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has yet instituted proceedings following the recent report of the veterinary medicines directorate on drug residues in meat ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Maclean : The Ministry carries out routine surveillance on animals and animal products for veterinary residues. Where evidence of illegal use of growth-promoting hormones is found, farmers can be prosecuted. In 1989, proceedings were taken against four farmers, two successfully. In 1990 there were no prosecutions.
Green Issues
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food who in his Department has been appointed to oversee and develop green issues ; how many civil servants have been allocated new or additional responsibilities to deal with the management and development of green issues ; and what additional allocation of resources has been made to support programmes related to green issues in his Department.
Mr. Curry : My right hon. Friend the Minister has taken personal responsibility for the development of environmental policies and for the follow-up to the White Paper "This Common Inheritance" (Cmd 1200) by the Ministry. I expect officials throughout the Department to take account of environmental considerations in discharging their duties. We have a duty under the Agriculture Act 1986 to balance the interests of agriculture with other interests in rural areas and the Government's commitment set out in chapter 7 of "This Common Inheritance" to seek a closer integration of agriculture and environmental policies. In 1991-92, expenditure on specific schemes designed to protect and enhance the countryside in England is expected to be of the order of £40 million. I have responsibilities for the conservation of living marine resources and protection of the marine environment.
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Loans to Farmers
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list (a) the interest charges for current farming purposes, buildings and works and (b) the bank advances for agriculture for each year from 1979 to 1990.
Mr. Gummer : The information requested is shown in the table. The figures for total interest charges to agriculture for current farming purposes, buildings and works include interest on bank advances and on advances from other financial institutions. They are net of interest received by farmers on money held on short-term deposit. The figures for bank lending are the amounts outstanding to agriculture, forestry and fishing as at November each year. Bank advances for current farming purposes, buildings and works represent 80 to 90 per cent. of the total. Bank lending to agriculture, forestry and fishing expressed as a proportion of total bank lending has fallen substantially over the period.
Year Total interest Bank lending to agriculture,
charges for currentforestry and fishing<1>
farming purposes,
buildings and works
|£ million |£ million |As a proportion of
|total bank lending
|Percentage
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1979 |318 |2,600 |4.7
1980 |464 |3,178 |5.0
1981 |468 |3,660 |4.7
1982 |501 |4,447 |4.3
1983 |494 |5,184 |4.2
1984 |569 |5,495 |3.6
1985 |704 |5,877 |3.5
1986 |700 |6,088 |3.0
1987 |637 |6,080 |2.5
1988 |696 |6,530 |2.1
1989 |955 |6,836 |1.7
1990 |<2>1,080 |7,118 |1.6
<1> As at November.
<2> Provisional.
Drinks Cans
Mr. Nicholas Winterton : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has concerning the number of incidents of product contamination which have arisen in the latest year for which figures are available as a result of opening mechanisms of cans of drinks which involve part of the opener entering the can and coming into contact with the contents.
Mr. Maclean : No detailed statistics on food law enforcement are available centrally.
HEALTH
Laboratory Services
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on the privatisation of Yorkshire regional health authority and Bradford health authority laboratory services.
Mr. Dorrell : We have received a number of representations concerning the initial discussions within Yorkshire regional health authority on the local organisation of pathology services.
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EC Health Treatment
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what information he has on the consideration being given by Medway health authority to sending patients for treatment in France ;
(2) what guidance he has given on the provision of interpreters to patients of United Kingdom health authorities being treated overseas ; and what arrangements he plans for assisting patients with travel expenses under such circumstances ;
(3) which health authorities in the United Kingdom are considering transferring patients for routine health care outside the United Kingdom.
Mr. Dorrell : The relevant legislation, EC social security regulation 1408-71, places responsibility for authorisation of referrals of individual patients elsewhere in the EC on the Department of Health as the United Kingdom competent institution. We have received no representation from any United Kingdom health authority for referrals of patients as a matter of routine ; this includes Medway health authority. Interpretation facilities for referred patients would be a matter for the institution providing treatment or the patient. Travelling costs would be the patient's own responsibility.
Cancer Screening
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those health authorities which are failing to meet his one-month target for the return of cervical smear tests to the doctor who took them ; and what action he is taking in respect of such authorities.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Current information is not available in the form requested. A survey was carried out in the second half of 1990 into laboratory backlogs and workload. This survey showed that at July 1990 about two thirds of laboratories were meeting the target. We do not yet have comprehensive information for a more recent date.
Liverpool and Sefton Health Authorities
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has received any proposals for the amalgamation of the Liverpool and the South Sefton district health authorities.
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Health who is currently appointed as the district general manager of (a) the Liverpool area health authority and (b) the South Sefton health authority ; and what were their previous posts.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The appointment of a district general manager is a matter for the district health authority. The hon. Member may wish to contact the chairman of the health authorities for details.
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has received any proposals from the Merseyside regional health authority to dispose of the Liverpool district health authority headquarters offices.
Mr. Dorrell : No. The disposal of these offices is a matter for the Mersey regional health authority.
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Clinical Psychology
Ms. Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has received the MAS report on the shortfall in psychology services in the national health service ; and what steps he is taking to increase the availability of clinical psychology services in the national health service.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The management advisory service (MAS) report was commissioned by the manpower planning advisory group (MPAG), a joint Department of Health and NHS body. Part of its brief was to address manpower planning issues in the NHS. The recommendations of the MAS report informed the work of MPAG and the production of its own report on clinical psychology services in the NHS. It is for health authorities to determine the staff they require in the light of the services they are required to provide.
London Ambulance Service
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the time spent by any 999 caller in the automatic telephone stacking systems of the London ambulance service is included in the response time recommended as a component of the national ORCON standards.
Mr. Dorrell : No. The response time commences when the London ambulance service operator answers the call.
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the present established strength of officer and control assistant grades of the London ambulance service ; what plans there are for its expansion or contraction ; and for what purposes.
Mr. Dorrell : At 30 September 1989, the latest date for which figures are held centrally, there were 270 whole-time
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equivalent ambulance officers and 140 whole- time equivalent control assistants in post in the London ambulance service. Details are not held centrally on their staffing plans. The managment of the London ambulance service is the responsibility of the London ambulance service board. The hon. Member may wish to write to its chairman, Mr. James Harris, for details.Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the number of non-urgent cases cancelled by the London ambulance service in October, November and December 1990, respectively, and the approximate proportion of each relating to walking and chair cases in each month.
Mr. Dorrell : The information requested is not held centrally. The management of the London ambulance service is the responsibility of the London ambulance service board. The hon. Member may wish to write to Mr. James Harris, the chairman of the board, for details.
SCOTLAND
European Loans
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing separate total amounts of money for grants from the European regional development fund, the European social fund, the European agricultural guidance and guarantee fund and loans from the European investment bank for each of the years 1983 to 1990, inclusive, for each region in Scotland and for Scotland as a whole.
Mr. Lang : The information is set out in the tables ; not all of it is available in the form requested.
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£ million
1983 1984
Region |ERDF |ESF |EAGGF<1>|EIB |ERDF |ESF |ESGGF<1>|EIB
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Borders |Nil |- |- |0.8 |Nil |- |- |Nil
Central |4.3 |- |- |2.0 |2.4 |- |- |Nil
Dumfries and Galloway |0.9 |- |- |1.2 |2.3 |- |- |Nil
Fife |7.9 |-- |- |2.8 |4.9 |- |- |Nil
Grampian |0.2 |- |- |4.0 |Nil |- |- |Nil
Highlands and Islands |19.7 |- |- |42.0 |20.6 |- |- |Nil
Lothian |2.1 |- |- |70.6 |7.3 |- |- |150.6
Strathclyde |38.4 |- |- |37.6 |58.6 |- |- |Nil
Tayside |9.5 |- |- |3.2 |6.1 |- |- |13.0
Other |0.2 |- |- |<2>0.2 |1.1 |- |- |<2>0.4
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Total |83.2 |- |21.5 |164.4 |103.3 |- |19.0 |164.0
<1> denotes not available.
<1> Fiscal year; not available by region.
<2> Multi region; funding of schemes run across more than one region.
Note:
Due to rounding, regions showing nil expenditure may have received amounts of less than £50,000.
£ million
1985 1986
Region |ERDF |ESF |EAGGF<1>|EIB |ERDF |ESF |ESGGF<1>|EIB
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Borders |Nil |- |- |Nil |Nil |- |- |Nil
Central |7.2 |- |- |7.5 |2.9 |- |- |7.5
Dumfries and Galloway |Nil |- |- |Nil |Nil |- |- |Nil
Fife |5.5 |- |- |Nil |6.0 |- |- |5.0
Grampian |0.4 |- |- |Nil |Nil |- |- |Nil
Highlands and Islands |11.0 |- |- |Nil |4.3 |- |- |7.0
Lothian |6.5 |- |- |81.0 |7.6 |- |- |213.0
Strathclyde |37.2 |- |- |10.2 |48.6 |- |- |53.0
Tayside |1.3 |- |- |Nil |14.4 |- |- |8.2
Other |0.3 |- |- |<2>34.8 |Nil |- |- |20.0
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Total |69.4 |- |20.9 |133.5 |83.8 |- |20.3 |313.7
<1> denotes not available.
<1> Fiscal year; not available by region.
<2> Multi region; funding of schemes run across more than one region.
Note:
Due to rounding, regions showing nil expenditure may have received amounts of less than £50,000.
£ million
1987 1988
Region |ERDF |ESF |EAGGF<1>|EIB |ERDF |ESF |EAGGF<1>|EIB
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Borders |Nil |Nil |- |Nil |Nil |Nil |- |4.0
Central |1.4 |0.6 |- |Nil |2.0 |0.9 |- |10.0
Dumfries and Galloway |0.3 |0.1 |- |4.0 |1.0 |Nil |- |6.0
Fife |2.7 |0.6 |- |5.0 |2.0 |0.6 |- |14.0
Grampian |0.5 |0.2 |- |Nil |Nil |0.3 |- |30.0
Highlands and Islands |17.6 |0.2 |- |60.0 |33.0 |0.3 |- |10.0
Lothian |12.0 |2.5 |- |32.0 |7.0 |2.9 |- |28.0
Strathclyde |50.5 |8.7 |- |23.0 |46.0 |9.7 |- |104.8
Tayside |7.8 |1.0 |- |5.0 |4.0 |2.2 |- |16.0
Other |Nil |<2>0.8 |- |Nil |Nil |<2>1.6 |- |Nil
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Total |92.8 |14.7 |19.5 |129.0 |95.0 |18.5 |18.2 |222.8
- denotes not available.
<1> Fiscal year; not available by region.
<2> Multi region; funding of schemes run across more than one region.
Note:
Due to rounding, regions showing nil expenditure may have received amounts of less than £50,000.
£ million
1989 1990
Region |ERDF |ESF |EAGGF<1>|EIB |ERDF |ESF |EAGGF<1>|EIB
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Borders |Nil |0.3 |- |Nil |Nil |Nil |- |Nil
Central |Nil |3.9 |- |Nil |4.6 |2.1 |- |Nil
Dumfries and Galloway |Nil |0.1 |- |Nil |Nil |0.1 |- |10.0
Fife |Nil |1.0 |- |Nil |5.7 |1.2 |- |Nil
Grampian |Nil |1.7 |- |Nil |Nil |1.9 |- |Nil
Highlands and Islands |14.2 |0.1 |- |Nil |21.7 |0.3 |- |100.0
Lothian |7.7 |3.2 |- |Nil |Nil |2.3 |- |Nil
Strathclyde |46.4 |15.0 |- |75.5 |49.0 |19.0 |- |42.5
Tayside |Nil |2.8 |- |Nil |3.0 |3.2 |- |Nil
Other |Nil |<2>1.1 |- |<2>5.8 |Nil |Nil |- |<2>45.0
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Total |68.3 |29.2 |15.9 |81.3 |84.0 |30.1 |19.3 |197.5
- denotes not available.
<1> Fiscal year; not available by region.
<2> Multi region; funding of schemes run across more than one region.
Note:
Due to rounding, regions showing nil expenditure may have received amounts of less than £50,000.
Libraries and Information Services Council
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the reports produced by the Libraries and Information Services Council for Scotland in each year from 1986 to 1990.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The information is as follows :
Year |Publication
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1986 |Scottish Newspapers, A Programme for Microfilming
| Scottish Newspapers.
|Report on the Scottish Library Association Survey of
| Special Library Statistics for Scotland.
1987 |Strategic Plan 1987-89.
|Report of the Working Party on Information Technology.
|Information in Fife, A Library and Information Plan for
| Fife, Draft Written Statement.
1988 |Income Generation and Related Matters in Scottish
| Libraries.
|Annual Report 1987-88.
|Towards Quality Resource Networks: Case Studies.
1989 |Report of the Working Group on Interlending in Scotland.
|Report on Public Library Provision in Rural Scotland.
|Strategic Plan 1989-93.
1990 |Scottish School Libraries Survey 1988-89.
|Strategic Plan 1990-91.
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Registration Statistics
Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total electorate in each registration authority in Scotland, and the Scottish total, on 16 February in each of the years 1987 to 1991.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : For 1987 to 1990 I refer the hon. Member to :
Table 2.1 in Electoral Statistics 1987 (Series EC No. 14) Table 2.1 in Electoral Statistics 1988 (Series EC No. 15) Table 3.1 in Electoral Statistics 1989 (Series EC No. 16) Table 2.1 in Electoral Statistics 1990 (Series EC No. 17) published by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, copies of which are in the Library. "Electoral Statistics 1991" will be published in two or three months' time, once all the data have been collated.
Takare plc
Mr. McAvoy : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if Greater Glasgow health board has the resources to take up elderly care places over and above the number agreed in the contract with Takare plc for the development at Rutherglen.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Health boards are given allocations to cover their total revenue expenditure. It is for boards themselves to decide their priorities for expenditure.
Mr. McAvoy : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if the value of the land at Rutherglen sold by Greater Glasgow health board to Takare plc took account of any use outwith the partnership agreement with that company.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The sale price of the site was set by the district valuer. In setting the price he took into account the intrinsic value of the site on the open market.
Mr. McAvoy : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will instruct Greater Glasgow health board to publish details of the contract with Takare plc relating to the price of land sold by the board to Takare plce at Rutherglen.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : This is a matter for the board taking account of the requirements of commercial confidentiality between parties to a contract. I have asked the chairman of the board to write to the hon. Gentleman about this matter.
Mr. McAvoy : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if Greater Glasgow health board has been offered elderly care beds at over and above the agreed number of beds contained within the partnership agreement with Takare plc at Rutherglen ;
(2) if any of the land sold by Greater Glasgow health board to Takare plc at Rutherglen is to be used for the provision of elderly care units exclusively for marketing in the private sector ; (3) how many elderly care places Greater Glasgow health board has agreed to take up at the Takare plc development at Rutherglen.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : These are matters for the board and I have asked the chairman to write to the hon. Member.
Mr. McAvoy : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if any land at Rutherglen sold by Greater Glasgow health board to Takare plc is subject to any conditions about use for the provision of elderly care in the private sector.
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Mr. Michael Forsyth : The land was sold on condition that 180 nursing home beds are provided for use by Greater Glasgow health board.
Smoking (Children)
Miss Lestor : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has on the percentage of schoolchildren in Scotland who smoked in each year from 1985 to 1990.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The percentage of schoolchildren who smoke in Scotland is measured periodically by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys. Scotland was included in the 1984, 1986 and 1990 surveys. The 1990 results will be available later this year but the outcome of the earlier surveys was as follows :
Scottish Certificate of Education Ordinary Grade
1987 1988 1989
|Presented |Awarded |Presented |Awarded |Presented |Awarded
|Bands 1-3 |Bands 1-3 |Bands 1-3
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
German |6,209 |4,427 |5,806 |4,198 |5,637 |3,942
Italian |637 |498 |553 |428 |569 |439
Latin |2,366 |1,921 |2,070 |1,656 |1,387 |1,134
Spanish |1,222 |851 |1,328 |959 |1,266 |890
1987 1988 1989
|Presented |Awarded |Presented |Awarded |Presented |Awarded
|Bands 1-3 |Bands 1-3 |Bands 1-3
Latin |0 |0 |169 |135 |676 |514
1987 1988 1989
|Presented |Passed |Presented |Passed |Presented |Passed
German |2,044 |1,317 |1,950 |1,293 |1,927 |1,321
Italian |314 |238 |289 |211 |303 |239
Latin |851 |7486 |753 |648 |740 |628
Spanish |531 |380 |501 |407 |533 |413
1987 1988 1989
|Presented |Awarded |Presented |Awarded |Presented |Awarded
|Certificate |Certificate |Certificate
|(A-E) |(A-E) |(A-E)
German |163 |163 |147 |147 |172 |172
Italian |8 |8 |12 |12 |5 |5
Latin |35 |35 |43 |43 |42 |42
Spanish |27 |27 |23 |23 |28 |28
Dyslexia
Mr. Wray : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many dyslexic children are receiving special education assistance in Scotland ; and if he will make a statement about Her Majesty's Government's plans to help dyslexic people's education.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The information requested is not held centrally.
Responsibility for the education of children with specific learning difficulties, including dyslexia, lies with education authorities, which employ learning support teachers for that purpose. Additionally, the Scottish Office Education Department has commissioned from Stirling university a research study of policy, practices and provision for children with specific learning difficulties. This will offer guidance about the needs of such children and will identify any gaps in provision. The research will be completed in 1992.
Foreign Languages
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people in Scotland (a) sat and (b) passed secondary examinations in (i) German, (ii) Italian, (ii) Latin and (iv) Spanish in each year since 1987 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The available information, which has been obtained from the Scottish Examination Board's annual report, for all Scottish certificate of examination candidates is given in the table. It is Government policy to promote the study of foreign languages in schools described in SOED circular 1178 of 12 January 1989.
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Certificate(A-E) Presented Awarded
Certificate
(A-E) Presented Awa
Labour Statistics
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time jobs there were in Scotland in 1979, and at the latest available date.
Mr. Allan Stewart : There is no comprehensive information on the number of full-time and part-time jobs in Scotland. The table gives the available information on the size and composition of the civilian work force in employment in Scotland in September 1979 and 1990.
Civilian work force in employment (thousands)
|1979 |<2>1990
-----------------------------------------------------------
Employees in employment |2,108 |2,018
Of whom women working part-time<1> |331 |396
Self employed<3> |159 |250
Government work related training |- |54
|--- |---
Total |2,267 |2,322
Source: Department of Employment.
<1>Information on the number of male employees in
employment working part-time is available only from
Department of Employment censuses of employment. There
were 59,600 male employees in employment working part-time
at the time of the 1981 census of employment and 70,200 at
the time of the 1987 census of employment.
<2>Estimates for the period after September 1987 are
subject to revision on the publication of the 1989 census
of employment.
<3>There are no estimates of the number of part-time
self-employed in Scotland.
Column 524
Water Pollution
Mr. Bill Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to reduce agricultural pollution of water.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : I have today laid before the House regulations made under the Control of Pollution Act 1974 which, from 1 March 1991, will set minimum standards that must be met by silage, slurry and agricultural fuel oil installations. The Government's decision to legislate received a strong welcome in the public consultation exercise last year and the regulations take into account the responses received from a wide range of organisations representing environmental, agricultural, building and local authority interests. They are designed to strengthen the efforts already being made on a voluntary basis by the majority of farmers to reduce water pollution from agricultural sources and to implement an important commitment in the environment White Paper.
The regulations will apply to all new or substantially enlarged or reconstructed installations. The river purification authorities will also be able to require that existing installations meet some or all of the standards in cases where there is a significant risk of pollution.
These regulations represent one of a number of measures being taken by the Government to reduce farm pollution. They include the availability of generous grant-aid towards waste-handling facilities and the provision of free initial advice to help farmers avoid pollution.
We shall keep the operation of the regulations under review and introduce further measures if necessary.
Column 525
Roads
Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the estimated cost in Scotland of undertaking remedial work to counteract the effects of concrete cancer on structures associated with motorways, trunkroads and major road bridges in 1990-91, 1991-92 and 1992-93.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 26 February 1991] : Concrete cancer is a term used to describe the deterioration of existing concrete in bridges due to long-term alkali silica reaction.
This problem occurs only with certain combinations of cement and aggregate types which are rarely encountered in Scotland. However, a very limited number of bridges contain precast concrete beams manufactured in England. The bridges concerned are being closely monitored. No expenditure is envisaged to counteract the effects of concrete cancer in Scotland in 1990- 91, 1991-92 and 1992-93. Revised specifications for new concrete bridge construction should avoid problems in future years although, in the present state of world-wide knowledge of this phenomenon, it is impossible to eliminate all risks.
Food Hygiene
Mrs. Ray Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what funds will be made available to provide an awareness campaign on the forthcoming new temperature controls under the Food Hygiene (Amendment) Regulations 1990 ; and what form the campaign will take.
Mr. Dorrell : I have been asked to reply.
We are making funds available from the Department of Health's publicity budget for a publicity campaign which comprises the following measures :
a leaflet and poster highlighting the main provisions of the regulations ;
the direct mailing of the leaflet and poster to 300,000 business addresses ;
advertisements in the daily press and selected Trade journals ; a telephone link service to respond to requests for publicity material.
In addition "Guidelines on the Food Hygiene (Amendment) Regulations 1990" is being published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office. I also refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Gedling (Mr. Mitchell) on 21 February at columns 245-46.
ENVIRONMENT
Council House Sales
19. Mr. Knox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many council houses have been sold to sitting tenants in England since May 1979.
Mr. Yeo : From April 1979 to December 1990 over 1.2 million tenants bought their homes from English local authorities and new towns.
Tyneside Urban Development Corporation
20. Mr. Nicholas Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will state the principal achievements of the Tyneside urban development corporation.
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