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Column 251
TRANSPORT
British Rail
Mr. Illsley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the total amount of public money spent on British Rail in the period 1961 to 1990.
Mr. Freeman : The total of external finance required by British Rail, from 1976-77 to 1990-91 inclusive, was some £11.2 billion in cash, equivalent to around £18.8 billion in current prices. There are no readily available figures for earlier years which cover Government grants and net borrowing.
Mr. Illsley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the British Rail establishments which have been closed since 1961 broken down by (a) size of establishment and (b) number of employees.
Mr. Freeman : This information is not held by the Department and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Roads Expenditure
Mr. Illsley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the total amount of public money spent on (a) roads and (b) motorways from 1961 to the present date.
Mr. Chope : The total amount spent on all public roads in England from 1961-62 to 1989-90 was £39 billion--£96 billion at 1989-90 prices. It is not possible, except at disproportionate cost, to produce a comparable figure for motorways.
Motorways
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has to remove litter from and clean up the motorways.
Mr. Chope : We are reviewing current practices to ensure that the standards set out in the code of practice for litter and refuse are achieved and that the duties placed on the Department of Transport by the Environmental Protection Act 1990 are fully discharged.
BR, Swinton
Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has received any proposals from BR to close the railway station at Swinton near Rotherham ; and if he will meet the chairman of British Rail to discuss means of securing its future.
Mr. McLoughlin : No proposals have been received concerning Swinton. My right hon. and learned Friend has regular meetings with the chairman of BR.
A1-M1 Link
Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport by what date he expects the A1-M1 link road to be completed, and what type of road he considers to be appropriate in this case.
Mr. Chope : I understand that the hon. Member is referring to the A635 Dearne towns link road proposed by Barnsley metropolitan borough council. I have recently
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made resources available which will enable the council to begin construction of one phase of this scheme in September 1991. The council hopes to complete the scheme by 1996 and progress would depend on the whole scheme being accepted for transport supplementary grant. The council has proposed that the road should be a 7.3 m single carriageway with local widenings at junctions and crawler lanes.Channel Tunnel
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he next expects to meet his French counterpart to discuss freight transport facilities from the United Kingdom to the continent through the channel tunnel.
Mr. Freeman : I plan to have discussions with the French Ministry in April.
War Risk Re-insurance
Mr. Malins : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the war risk re-insurance he has been providing for British aircraft under the Marine and Aviation (War Risks) Act 1952.
Mr. Rifkind : Copies of agreements concluded under section 1 of the Marine and Aviation (War Risks) Act 1952, covering aircraft owned by British Airways plc and Magec Aviation Ltd. have been laid before each House of Parliament. The agreement in respect of British Airways facilitated the maintenance of scheduled flights to the Gulf area before and during the recent hostilities. With the improvement in the situation in the Gulf, it is no longer necessary for the Government to reinsure aircraft, and the two agreements were accordingly terminated on 5 March. No claims have arisen in respect of aircraft reinsured.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
The Gulf
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what additional costs were incurred by the United Kingdom missions to the United Nations in (a) New York and (b) Geneva, since 2 August as a result of the invasion and liberation of Kuwait ; and what consideration has been given to increasing the resources available to United Kingdom diplomatic missions to the United Nations.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Increases in local costs at the two posts have been offset by savings made elsewhere in their local budgets. Additional staff have been provided on a temporary basis to the missions to help them deal with short-term increases in work load, and we have improved security and communications facilities where necessary.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to offer economic assistance to the families of men from the Indian sub-continent killed accidentally by allied military activity in the Gulf war, where evidence exists that the dead civilians were the sole economic provider for the families in Kuwait or the sub-continent.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : No, although we naturally regret all civilian casualties resulting from the recent hostilities in the
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Gulf. Security Council resolution 674, which has now been accepted by the Government of Iraq, reminded Iraq of its liability for any loss, damage or injury ensuing in regard to Kuwait and third states and their nationals as a result of its invasion and illegal occupation of Kuwait.Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what initiatives the United Kingdom intends to take at the United Nations arising from the Gulf war.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We are working to ensure the restoration of international peace and security in the area in keeping with the relevant Security Council resolutions.
Arms Sales
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list (a) all resolutions initiated by the United Kingdom, (b) all resolutions supported by the United Kingdom and (c) all resolutions put forward at the General Assembly of the United Nations since 1979, on the restriction or prohibition of arms sales and military equipment ; and if he will indicate, where applicable, the reasons why the United Kingdom did not support resolutions on arms sales.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : (a) No resolutions on the restrictions or prohibition of arms sales have been initiated by the United Kingdom since 1979.
(b) The United Kingdom has voted in favour of :
(i UNGA 43 first committee resolution 43/751 of 7 December 1988 entitled "International Arms Transfers" which the United Kingdom also co-sponsored. (ii UNGA 44 first committee resolution 44/116N of 15 December 1989 entitled "International Arms Transfers". (iii UNGA 45 first committee decision 45/415 of 4 December 1990 entitled "International Arms Transfers". (iv The three resolutions above are all those brought to a vote at the United Nations General Assembly on the restriction or prohibition of arms sales since 1979.
Non-proliferation Treaty
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, pursuant to his answer on Iraqi nuclear capability to the hon. Member for Bradford, South, (Mr. Cryer) Official Report, 28 February, column 582, he will set out the occasions on which Her Majesty's Government made representations to (a) the Iraqi Government, (b) the United Nations and (c) the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency concerning Iraqi violations of its non-proliferation treaty commitments.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We have made clear our concern about possible violations by non-nuclear weapon states of their non-proliferation treaty commitments.
Somalia
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals he has for improving relations with the Government and people of Somalia.
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Mrs. Chalker : There is at present no established nationwide Government in Somalia, but Britain's record there is a good one. We took a lead in denouncing human rights violations by the previous regime and have given refuge to large numbers of Somalis.
Bananas
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what agreement Britain has to buy Windward Island bananas.
Mr. Curry : I have been asked to reply.
The United Kingdom has a long-standing commitment reflected in protocols of successive Lome conventions to give preferential access to the United Kingdom banana market for our traditional African, Caribbean and Pacific suppliers, which include the Windward Islands.
NATIONAL FINANCE
Interest Rates
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the average level of real interest rates, mimimum lending rate, in each year since 1978.
Mr. Maples : There is no agreed definition of the real interest rate, nor is mimimum lending rate any longer in continuous use. The table shows the annual average of the three-month interbank rate since 1978 and the average three-month interbank rate deflated by the 12-month all-items retail price index for each year.
Manufacturing industry<2>
|Employees per
|establishment<1>
---------------------------------------------------
1963 |89.5
1970 |91.4
1980 |59.7
1983 |49.6
---------------------------------
<3>1984 |37.2
1988 |33.4
Note: A comparison of the above series with
alternative
information on larger manufacturing sites
corroborates the
significant fall in employees per unit.
<1> Employment includes both employees and working
proprietors,
and the self employed.
<2> Figures for 1988 and 1980 cover manufacturing
industry as
defined by Divisions 2-4 of the 1980 Standard
Industrial
Classification. Figures for 1970 cover
manufacturing industry as
defined by Orders III-XIX of the 1968 Standard
Industrial
Classification. Figures for 1963 cover
manufacturing industry as
defined by Orders III-XIX of the 1958 Standard
Industrial
Classification. There have been minor changes in
the coverage of the
census with the adoption of each new Standard
Industrial
Classification.
<3> Figures for 1984 based upon new register with
more complete
coverage of smaller businesses.
Labour Statistics
202. Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the average number of employees per establishment in industrial firms in the United Kingdom in (a) 1990, (b) 1980, (c) 1970 and (d) 1961.
Mr. Maples : Changes in the definition of the establishment and in the coverage of statistical registers inhibit valid long-term comparisons. The table provides the available information from the censuses of production.
Manufacturing industry
Employees per
establishment
1963 89.5
1970 91.4
1980 59.7
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1983 49.61984 37.2
1988 33.4
Note : A comparison of the above series with alternative information on larger manufacturing sites corroborates the significant fall in employees per unit.
Employment includes both employees and working proprietors, and the self employed.
Figures for 1988 and 1980 cover manufacturing industry as defined by Divisions 2-4 of the 1980 Standard Industrial Classification. Figures for 1970 cover manufacturing industry as defined by Orders III-XIX of the 1968 Standard Industrial Classification. Figures for 1963 cover manufacturing industry as defined by Orders III-XIX of the 1958 Standard Industrial Classification. There have been minor changes in the coverage of the census with the adoption of each new Standard Industrial Classification.
Figures for 1984 based upon new register with more complete coverage of smaller businesses.
The Gulf
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, pursuant to his answer to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton (Mr. Kaufman) of 26 February, Official Report, column 442, he is in a position to update his estimates of the costs of Britain's contribution to the Gulf war in the light of the cessation of hostilities ; and if he has any information to add about assistance promised from other countries towards the meeting of Britain's costs.
Mr. Mellor : At this stage I have nothing further to add to the information given in my right hon. Friend's reply of 26 February to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton (Mr. Kaufman), and mine to the hon. Members for Northampton, North (Mr. Marlow) and for Islington, North (Mr. Corbyn) on 4 March.
Official Visits
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many overseas visits were made in an official capacity in 1990 by (a) the Chancellor, (b) the Chief Secretary, (c) the Financial Secretary, (d) the Paymaster General and (e) the Economic Secretary including, in each case, those visits made in connection with European Community matters.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Following is the information requested for the calendar year 1990 :
(a) Twenty, of which 16 were related to European Community matters ;
(b) Nil ;
(c) Thirteen, of which 12 were related to European Community matters ;
(d) and (e) Five and three respectively, all of which were related to European Community matters.
Beneficial Loans
Dr. Bray : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what assumed rate of interest employees of banks and building societies who are in receipt of beneficial loans are currently paying tax on the difference between the rate of interest on beneficial loans and that rate ; and what considerations are taken into account in deciding against which rate to assess this benefit.
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Mr. Maude [holding answer 6 March 1991] : The taxable benefit, if any, of a loan made by an employer to an employee is determined using the "official rate" of interest which is 14.5 per cent. from 6 March 1991. The statutory formula which governs the "official rate" of interest is contained in Treasury regulations and is, broadly, the average base rate of six named banks plus 1.5 per cent.
Manufacturing Investment
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give for each year since 1979 the level of investment in United Kingdom manufacturing industry expressed as a percentage of the amount required to cover depreciation of existing capital stock.
Mr. Mellor [holding answer 6 March 1991] : Available estimates of gross fixed capital formation as a percentage of capital consumption for the manufacturing industries, including assets leased from the financial industries, are as follows :
|per cent.
------------------------------
1979 |130
1980 |111
1981 |86
1982 |84
1983 |83
1984 |97
1985 |111
1986 |103
1987 |108
1988 |118
1989 |127
Estimates of capital consumption, and hence these percentages, must be interpreted with some caution. Capital consumption is not directly observable and so the estimates made are based on a series of assumptions.
Autumn Statement
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library the statistics supporting his chart number 2.10 in the autumn statement.
Mr. Mellor [holding answer 1 March 1991] : The figures are as follows :
United Kingdom share of world trade in
manufactures
|Volume |Value
|per cent.|per cent.
----------------------------------------
1970 |9.3 |9.1
1971 |9.4 |9.3
1972 |8.4 |8.2
1973 |8.6 |8.7
1974 |8.3 |7.4
1975 |8.3 |7.6
1976 |8.1 |7.1
1977 |8.2 |7.5
1978 |7.6 |7.3
1979 |7.1 |7.4
1980 |7.0 |8.0
1981 |6.3 |7.0
1982 |6.5 |6.8
1983 |6.1 |6.2
1984 |6.0 |5.9
1985 |6.1 |6.1
1986 |6.1 |5.8
1987 |6.1 |6.1
1988 |5.9 |6.1
1989 |6.0 |6.0
<1>1990 |6.2 |6.2
<2>1991 |6.1 |6.2
<1> Estimate.
<2> Forecast.
Sources: World trade: Based on data
published in United Nations Monthly
Bulletin of Statistics.
United Kingdom exports: Central
Statistical Office.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Sheep
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many outbreaks of sheep scab have been confirmed this year to date ; and what was the corresponding figure for 1990 and 1989.
Mr. Maclean : There have been 26 confirmed outbreaks of sheep scab so far this year, compared with 20 in 1990 and 16 in 1989.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received from the Association of County Councils concerning the enforcement of compulsory sheep dipping ; and what is his estimate of the number of farmers who have not complied with the latest regulations.
Mr. Maclean : Comments have been received from some county councils which show that there have been enforcement difficulties, but no formal representations have been made by the Association of County Councils. The review of the 1990 dip is not yet complete and until the various responses have been analysed it is not possible to assess the level of compliance.
Badgers
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many live tests for bovine tuberculosis in badgers have now been conducted ; what were the results of such tests ; how long the current pilot study will continue ; if any non-tested badgers have been killed during the duration of the tests ; and if he will make a statement on his preliminary findings of the study.
Mr. Maclean : Field trials on the live test have only just started, having been delayed by bad weather. The trial is expected to last 12 months. Not all badger removal operations will be included and therefore some badgers killed will not have been tested.
Harvest Returns
Mr. Ralph Howell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the size of the United Kingdom harvest in (a) tonnes and (b) value, at actual and at 1990 prices in each year since 1979.
Mr. Curry : The size of the cereals harvest and the value of cereal sales off farms are shown below.
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Year |Cereal harvest |Value of output |Value of output
|at constant 1985
|prices
|(000 tonnes) |(£ million) |(£ million)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1979 |17,416 |1,184 |1,302
1980 |19,472 |1,463 |1,550
1981 |19,621 |1,693 |1,649
1982 |21,913 |2,062 |1,890
1983 |21,307 |1,996 |1,671
1984 |26,602 |2,420 |2,321
1985 |22,466 |2,281 |2,281
1986 |24,489 |2,184 |2,171
1987 |21,675 |2,038 |2,042
1988 |21,028 |1,881 |1,979
1989 |22,685 |2,061 |2,145
<1>1990 |22,533 |2,062 |2,068
<1>Forecast.
It should be noted that the size of the harvest does not correspond exactly to the value of output--sales off farms--even when this is measured at constant prices. This is partly because some of the harvest is used on farms for animal feed and because some of each year's harvest is sold off farms in the next calendar year. Valuations at constant 1985 prices have been used in the third column since these are more readily available and comparable with other published figures, than valuations at 1990 prices.
Bananas
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the quantities and cost of bananas imported from the Windward Islands each year since 1980.
Mr. Curry : The quantities and cost of bananas imported from the Windward Islands each year since 1980 are as follows :
|Tonnes |Value (£ )
------------------------------------------------
1980 |69,909 |20,249,027
1981 |103,389 |32,849,653
1982 |104,287 |37,758,070
1983 |114,932 |48,006,383
1984 |130,091 |58,712,038
1985 |163,168 |85,285,560
1986 |204,920 |108,315,977
1987 |183,456 |97,820,191
1988 |231,338 |104,866,452
1989 |218,222 |100,833,517
1990 |244,785 |117,153,927
Source: Her Majesty's Customs General Trade
Statistics.
ENERGY
Hydro-electric Generators
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will undertake an efficiency and effectiveness survey of the Office of Electricity Regulation, the Non-Fossil Fuel Purchasing Agency Ltd. and Her Majesty's Government in encouraging small and medium hydro-electric generators.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : The non-fossil fuel obligation has proved an effective vehicle for stimulating a variety of renewables technologies. Twenty-six hydro-electric projects, with a declared net capacity of 12 MW, contracted with the regional electricity companies under the 1990 renewables order. My right hon. Friend has announced
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that he has it in mind to introduce a reserved tranche for hydro projects under the 1991 renewables order. In these circumstances, I do not consider an efficiency and effectiveness survey of the kind proposed by the hon. Member to be necessary.Electricity
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what assessment he has made of the effect on competition in the electricity generation market of the increase in bulk gas prices for electricity generating purposes announced by British Gas on 1 March.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : It is too early to say what the implications of the new bulk gas prices may be for competition in the electricity generation market in the longer term.
THE ARTS
Arts Council
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Minister for the Arts when he plans to meet the chair of the Welsh Arts Council to discuss the funding of the Association of Artists and Designers in Wales.
Mr. Renton : I have no plans to do so, as this is very much a matter for the Welsh Arts Council to determine in the light of its artistic policies and priorities.
HEALTH
Waiting Lists, Leicester
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give the current waiting list for each specialty in Leicester health authority and the number of people who have waited (a) for over one year and (b) for more than two years.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The latest available information, at 31 March 1990, is given in the table. It is the time people wait which is important, not total numbers on the list. The number of patients waiting over one year for in-patient treatment in Leiecester health authority has fallen by 61 per cent. since 1979 and by 14 per cent. in the 12 months to March 1990. In addition, the number of in-patients treated in Leicester in 1989-90 has increased by 49 per cent. since 1979.
Waiting lists Leicester health
district-March 1989-90
--------------------------------------------
Ordinary admissions
General Surgery |1,135|29 |8
Urology |330 |4 |0
Trauma and
Orthopaedics |1,601|152 |57
ENT |1,950|249 |33
Ophthalmology |438 |1 |1
Oral Surgery |508 |14 |0
Neurosurgery |14 |0 |0
Plastic Surgery |874 |480 |271
Cardiothoracic
Surgery |560 |71 |21
Accident and
Emergency |24 |0 |0
General Medicine |5 |0 |0
Gastroenterology |0 |0 |0
Cardiology |336 |16 |4
Dermatology |0 |0 |0
Nephrology |5 |0 |0
Neurology |8 |8 |8
Rheumatology |16 |0 |0
Paedriatrics |2 |0 |0
Geriatric Medicine |10 |0 |0
Gynaecology |1,082|47 |12
GP other than
Maternity |147 |0 |0
Mental Handicap |30 |24 |20
Mental Illness |18 |5 |2
Forensic Psychiatry |0 |1 |1
Radiology |5 |0 |0
|--- |--- |---
Total |9,098|1,101|438
Day cases
General Surgery |840 |64 |27
Urology |130 |4 |1
Trauma and
Orthopaedics |41 |3 |2
ENT |48 |0 |0
Ophthalmology |328 |0 |0
Oral Surgery |23 |0 |0
Neurosurgery |14 |0 |0
Plastic Surgery |766 |319 |298
Cardiothoracic
Surgery |0 |0 |0
Accident and
Emergency |15 |0 |0
General Medicine |0 |0 |0
Gastroenterology |62 |0 |0
Cardiology |0 |0 |0
Nephrology |0 |0 |0
Neurology |0 |0 |0
Rheumatology |3 |0 |0
Paedriatrics |0 |0 |0
Gynaecology |0 |0 |0
GP other than
Maternity |41 |0 |0
Radiotherapy |7 |0 |0
Community Medicine |30 |0 |0
|--- |--- |---
Total |2,438|390 |318
<1>Gross less self-deferred
Source: KHO6, KHO7, KHO7A
Mental Health Services
Mr. Beith : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the latest available figures of cost per patient per week of in-patients at each mental handicap and mental illness hospital in the Northern region.
Mr. Dorrell : As a result of the implementation of the recommendations of the steering group on national health services information--the Korner committee--the costing information submitted by authorities from 1987-88 is no longer compiled on the basis of type of hospital but focuses on district-based treatment costs by specialty/specialty groups within all hospitals.
Information relating to the Northern region for the financial year 1988-89, the latest currently available, is shown in the table.
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Average specialty costs per patient day-patients using a bed 1988-89 -------------------------------------- Hartlepool |39.98|49.01 North Tees |80.94|62.52 South Tees |65.21|50.67 East Cumbria |41.92|29.08 South Cumbria |42.80|35.43 West Cumbria |30.98|46.05 Darlington |23.56|59.78 Durham |33.21|34.72 North West Durham |- |34.88 South West Durham |- |29.93 Northumberland |28.11|30.63 Gateshead |52.15|26.94 Newcastle-upon-Tyne |57.04|46.05 North Tyneside |- |53.48 South Tyneside |25.85|27.47 Sunderland |64.42|28.75 <1> Includes, where applicable, mental illness, child and adolescent psychiatry, forensic psychiatry, psychotherapy and old-age psychiatry. Notes: 1. The figures may include treatments provided both to in-patients and day cases (those who occupy a bed for at least a period of time but do not stay overnight) under the recommended Korner definition "patients using a bed". 2. The figures cover direct treatment costs only. Expenditure incurred on general services, overheads and capital is excluded.
Liverpool AHA
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations and operating sessions were cancelled during 1990 by Liverpool area health authority ; how many hospital beds are available (a) currently and (b) in 1980 ; and how many hospitals are open (i) currently and (ii) in 1980.
Mr. Dorrell : We do not collect centrally information about the number of cancelled operations. In the year ending March 1990, 582--4 per cent. of the total--scheduled theatre sessions were cancelled in the Liverpool health authority. These sessions may have been taken up by other consultant specialties.
Details of the number of beds available and the number of hospitals open are given in the table.
|1980 |1989-90
------------------------------------------------------
Number of available beds |5,443 |2,990
Number of hospitals |18 |15
Number of day cases |15,272 |18,900
Number of in-patients treated |85,674 |103,911
Source:SH3 return 1980.
KHO3 return 1989-90.
Note:
Due to restructuring of the Health Service in 1981,
information prior to 1982 is not directly comparable
with subsequent years.
Health Authorities (Capital Valuations)
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the dates and amounts of the latest capital valuation for each district health authority and national health service trust in England and Wales.
Mr. Dorrell : The latest capital valuation of land and buildings occupied by district health authorities in
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England and Wales was carried out as at 31 December 1989. A concurrent exercise was carried out in Scotland and Northern Ireland.The totals of worth for existing use were :
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