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provide a holiday play scheme ; how many and what proportion of workplaces provide after-school child care facilities ; what charges are made for use of any facility ; what the net cost has been for the provision of these facilities ; and what estimate he can make of any future expenditure.Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The information requested is as follows :
---------------------------------------------
Workplaces |6 |668 |530
On-site nursery
Number |1<4>|3<2>|1<3>
Proportion (per cent.) |17 |0.5 |0.2
Holiday play scheme
Number |<1> |26 |24
Proportion (per cent.) |<1> |3.9 |4.5
After school care |0 |0 |0
<1>The Treasury has no on site holiday play
schemes at present, but it is involved in
play schemes in the immediate vicinity of
three of its workplaces.
<2>In addition Inland Revenue has one
off-site shared nursery and a further two
on-site and three off-site nurseries being
developed.
<3>In addition Customs and Excise have
reserved places in five other nursery
schemes and a further three on-site
nurseries are being developed.
<4>From 1 April.
Small Businesses
Mr. Trotter : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many small businesses have registered for VAT in the northern region ; how many have deregistered ; and what is the surplus or deficit, for each year since 1983.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Statistics cover all businesses registering or deregistering for value added tax although in practice most could be termed small ones. The local VAT offices in Carlisle, Newcastle upon Tyne, Middlesbrough and Washington covers areas in addition to the northern region of Tyne and Wear, Cleveland, Durham, Cumbria and Northumberland. The number of VAT registrations and deregistrations processed by those offices was :
Year |New |Deregistrations|Net change
|registrations
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1985 |7,461 |7,521 |- 60
1986 |7,745 |7,343 |+ 402
1987 |7,926 |6,652 |+1,274
1988 |9,756 |7,232 |+2,524
1989 |10,449 |7,594 |+2,855
1990 |9,073 |7,819 |+1,254
Records go back only to 1985.
Mr. Trotter : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many small businesses have registered for VAT in the constituencies of Tynemouth, Langbaurgh, and Darlington and Stockton, South ; how many have deregistered ; and what is the surplus or deficit, for each year since 1983.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Statistics cover all business registering or deregistering for value added tax although in practice most could be termed small ones. The local VAT
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offices in Newcastle upon Tyne, Middlesbrough and Washington cover areas in addition to those listed. The number of VAT registrations and deregistrations processed by those offices was :
Year |New |Deregistra- |Net Change
|Registrations|tions
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1985 |6,051 |6,244 |- 193
1986 |6,303 |5,867 |+ 436
1987 |6,345 |5,358 |+ 987
1988 |7,854 |5,746 |+2,108
1989 |8,409 |5,998 |+2,411
1990 |7,290 |6,357 |+ 933
Records go back only to 1985.
Bankruptcy
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many petitions for bankruptcy have been originated by the VAT office for each year since 1985.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The following petitions for bankruptcy have been made by Customs and Excise for the years in question with orders made shown alongside :
0
|Petitions |Orders made
------------------------------------------------
1985 |1,622 |883
1986 |2,022 |1,082
1987 |1,456 |895
1988 |2,253 |1,025
1989 |2,905 |987
1990 |4,452 |1,259
1991 |396 |<1>140
<1> (January only).
Personal Equity Plans
Mr. Nicholas Brown : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list, for each year that PEPs have been in operation (a) the number and proportion of people with PEPs who are on the higher rate of tax and the number on the basic rate and (b) the cost to the Exchequer in total of PEPs and per person with a PEP.
Mr. Maude [holding answer 25 February 1991] : Information on personal equity plans is available only in respect of the number of plans and the amounts invested. Estimates of the direct revenue costs are as follows :
|Total |Per Personal
|(£ million)|Equity Plan
|£
--------------------------------------------------------
1986-87 |<2> |<2>
1987-88 |5 |10
1988-89 |15 |35
1989-90 |20 |25
1990-91<1> |45 |35
<1> Provisional.
<2>Negligible.
Mr. Nicholas Brown : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list for each year that PEPs have been in operation (a) the number of people with PEPs, (b) the average holding per person in a PEP and the distribution of holdings and (c) the distribution of PEP holdings by region.
Mr. Maude [holding answer 25 February 1991] : Information is not available in the form requested.
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The number of plans taken out since the introduction of personal equity plans is estimated as follows :
|£
--------------------
1987 |1,650
1988 |1,950
1989-90 |2,900
The average value of the investment in each plan at the end of the year is estimated as follows :
1987 1,650
1988 1,950
1989-90 2,900
There is no information available on the distribution of the level of investments or the regional distribution of investors.
Profit-related Pay
Mr. Nicholas Brown : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the average income and the distribution of income of those in profit- related pay schemes.
Mr. Maude [holding answer 25 February 1991] : Average annual earnings of participants, including those working part-time, in registered profit-related pay schemes were about £12,500 in February 1991. I regret that information on the distribution of earnings is not available.
No Smoking Day
Mr. Amos : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to support smokers in his Department to give up smoking on the eighth No Smoking Day on 13 March ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard [holding answer 11 March 1991] : The no smoking policy in operation in my Department was set out in my reply on 7 February, at columns 171-72. Self-help groups have been run to support smokers who wish to give up smoking, but there are no plans to take any further measures in support of No Smoking Day.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Slaughterhouses
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will publish the communications to his chief veterinary officer and to other Ministry officials by European Community veterinary inspectors about the common deficiencies of slaughterhouses they visited in 1990 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : It would not be appropriate to publish this correspondence between EC Commission officials and officials in my Department, as the information requested includes confidential details of the commercial activities of certain companies. I will, however, write to the hon. Member further on this matter.
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Veterinary Investigation Service
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the numbers of (a) veterinarian, (b) scientific, (c) administrative and (d) other posts that will be lost as a result of his decision to close and reorganise the Veterinary Investigation Service ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : An estimated 13 veterinary, 14 scientific, 11 administrative and 14 laboratory support posts will be lost when the reorganisation of the VI service is completed in three or four years' time. Everything possible will be done to help staff find alternative jobs and to keep redundancies to a minimum.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
Ghana
Mr. Anthony Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what aid has been provided to Ghana over the past two years.
Mrs. Chalker : Information is as follows :
£ thousand
|1988 |1989
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Gross bilateral aid |32,976|50,206
Mulilateral aid attributable to United Kingdom |11,890|n.a.
of which through EC |2,130 |n.a.
Figures for 1990 are not yet available.
Mr. Anthony Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what conditions have been attached to the granting of aid with regard to improvements in human rights in Ghana.
Mrs. Chalker : We have made it clear to the Ghanaian authorities that our decisions on the allocation of bilateral aid funds for Ghana will take account of the extent to which they develop accountable and democratic institutions and respect for human rights. We shall continue to urge them to introduce the necessary reforms to obtain these objectives.
Cyprus
Mr. Faulds : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the figure of overseas aid provided over the last three financial years to the island of Cyprus ; and what proportion of those sums has gone to the Turkish Cypriot sector.
Mrs. Chalker : Under the ODA's bilateral aid programme technical cooperation funds were provided as follows :
|£
---------------------------
1988-89 |301,000
1989-90 |231,000
<1>1990-91 |266,000
<1> (Estimate).
About 42 per cent. of the allocations for the three years taken together were directed to the Turkish-Cypriot community.
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In addition training awards were provided by the ODA under the Commonwealth scholarship and fellowship plan :
|£
------------------------
1988-89 |242,000
1989-90 |233,000
1990-91 |216,000
About 12 per cent. of the allocations for the three years taken together were for Turkish Cypriots.
Support has also been provided from aid and trade provision funds for two projects in the Republic of Cyprus, with annual disbursements as follows :
|£
------------------------
1988-89 |184,000
1989-90 |674,000
1990-91 |25,000
Iraq
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what humanitarian aid has been provided to Iraq since 15 January ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Chalker : In addition to emergency relief supplies provided by the International Committee of the Red Cross and funded from its Gulf appeal to which Her Majesty's Government contributed £2.5 million, the European Community has provided humanitarian aid through the ICRC totalling £2.5 milion. Britain's share of this is approximately £420, 000.
A multi-agency United Nations mission is currently in Iraq to assess humanitarian needs. It will make recommendations to the secretary-general on emergency actions the United Nations might take. We will consider responding to any subsequent appeal for funding launched by the secretary- general.
Famine
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his assessment of the number of people at risk from famine in Ethiopia and Sudan ; how much British food aid has been made available ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Chalker : The World Food Programme estimates that in Ethiopia there are some 7.45 million people in need of food aid and in Sudan around 7.7 million. Since September 1990 the Government have committed a total of 60,300 tonnes of food aid to Ethiopia, and 35, 550 tonnes to Sudan. A total of 35,300 tonnes will have been delivered to Ethiopia by the end of March and 15,550 tonnes to Sudan. The balance will be supplied over the coming months.
DEFENCE
Gulf Fatalities
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will break down the fatalities of service men in the Gulf conflict by country of permanent residence within the United Kingdom.
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Mr. Archie Hamilton : Because of the mobile nature of service life, the information requested is not available. The country of residence of the next of kin of those who died while serving in the Gulf area or following evacuation to the United Kingdom for medical treatment is shown below :
Country |Number of
|fatalities<1>
------------------------------------------
England |<2>25
Scotland |4
Wales |<2>3
Germany |4
<1> Figures comprise fatalities which
occurred between 2 August 1990 and 8
March 1991
<2> Figures include one civilian serving
with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary
Gulf Forces
Mrs. Maureen Hicks : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans are being made for the return of British forces from the Gulf.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The withdrawal of British forces from the Gulf will continue progressively, following the return of the first personnel on 10 March. The precise timing of the return of units will depend on circumstances. During the next few weeks, some RN personnel, 7th Armoured Brigade group, and the bulk of RAF combat aircraft will return.
Walter Somers Ltd.
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence further to his answer of 6 March, Official Report, column 224, what assessment was made by the Ministry of Defence metallurgical expert of the technical aspects of the steel tubes which Walter Somers Ltd. proposed to export to Iraq as a result of his two telephone conversations with the company.
Mr. Alan Clark : The two telephone conversations did not establish that the steel tubes had a military purpose.
Export Controls
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether Ministry of Defence officials are involved in discussions with other countries as part of the co-ordinating committee for multilateral export controls.
Iraqi Defence Industry
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his assessment of the effect of British exports of non-lethal defence equipment on the Iraqi defence industry.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : It is extremely unlikely that any United Kingdom defence equipment could have enhanced the capability of the Iraqi arms industry to any significant degree.
The Gulf
Mr. Higgins : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the present arrangements for blueys and parcels posted to members of Her Majesty's forces in the Gulf will continue until they return.
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Mr. Archie Hamilton : There are no plans to change present arrangements.EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
Civil Scientific Research
7. Mr. Quentin Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proportion of gross domestic product the Government spend on civil scientific research ; and what are the comparative figures in Japan and the United States of America.
Mr. Alan Howarth : In 1988 the United Kingdom Government spent 0.55 per cent of gross domestic product on civil scientific research. The corresponding figures for Japan and the United States of America were 0.45 and 0.39 per cent.
Qualifications
16. Mr. Turner : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proposals he is considering for the reform of qualifications for 16 to 19-year-olds.
Mr. Eggar : My right hon. and learned Friend is considering advice from the School Examinations and Assessment Council on proposals for new general principles to govern A-level and AS syllabuses. The National Council for Vocational Qualifications is reforming vocational qualifications. We want many more young people to take the vocational route to higher qualifications and better jobs.
Students
17. Mr. Dunnachie : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on financing the expansion of student numbers.
Mr. Alan Howarth : We welcome the continuing expansion of student numbers which, promoted by our policies, is spreading the benefits of higher education ever more widely. We are committed to supporting this with appropriate levels of public spending. At the same time, we look for further improvements in the efficiency of provision and continued broadening of the higher education system's funding base.
Nursery Education
18. Mr. Nicholas Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proposals he has to improve the quality of nursery education as suggested in the report "Starting with Quality" ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : "Starting with Quality" is concerned with the educational experience of three and four-year-olds across various settings. Much of it addresses the needs and responsibilities of local providers of services. We have, therefore, sent copies of the report to local education authorities, local authority social service departments and other interested bodies. In addition, the Department of Health and this Department plan to issue guidance on the implementation of the Children Act which will draw, where appropriate, on the report.
Column 442
Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proposals he has to increase the number of places available in nursery education ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish (Mr. Bennett).
Standard Spending Assessments
19. Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what effect he has calculated the standard spending assessment for 1991-92 will have on the education service.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Makerfield (Mr. McCartney).
Teacher Training
20. Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what discussions he has had with the Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education regarding training for the teaching of reading as part of initial teacher training.
Mr. Fallon : Department of Education and Science officials and Her Majesty's inspectorate have regular discussions with the Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education members and officers regarding many aspects of initial teacher training, including the teaching of reading.
Adult Education, Bury
21. Mr. Sumberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received in relation to the provision of adult education in Bury.
Mr. Eggar : My right hon. Friend has received one representation with 33 signatures about the possibility that the Bury arts and crafts centre might be closed.
Further Education
22. Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to extend the legislation for grant- maintained schools to include colleges of further education.
Mr. Eggar : The Education Reform Act 1988 introduced a number of significant changes in the funding, governance and management of colleges. My right hon. and learned Friend is watching carefully to see how those changes work out in practice. No possibility has been ruled out for the future.
Education Authorities
23. Mr. Stern : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will seek to move towards a system whereby education authorities are purchasers of education places other than providers thereof.
Mr. Fallon : Under local management of schools and more open enrolment, parents will now become the
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effective purchasers of school education as funds follow pupils to the school of their choice. By April 1993 at least 85 per cent. of potential school budgets must be delegated to the school, and at least 80 per cent. of each budget must be allocated to pupil numbers.Grammar Schools
24. Mr. Roger King : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the future of grammar schools.
Mr. Fallon : The organisation of school provision is a matter for individual local education authorities. My right hon. and learned Friend considers any proposals to reorganise schools, including proposals for the establishment or closure of grammar schools, on their merits. He has said that he would look very carefully at any proposals to close grammar schools or end selective education, taking full account of expressed parental wishes.
Scientific Research
25. Dr. Bray : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he last met Sir Mark Richmond to discuss the funding of scientific research ; and whether he will make a statement.
Mr. Alan Howarth : My right hon. and learned Friend occasionally meets the chairman of the Science and Engineering Research Council. I have met Sir Mark Richmond twice recently. We discussed a number of matters including the funding of scientific research.
Students' Unions
26. Mr. Douglas : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the responses which have been received from students' organisations and Scottish universities with regard to the future of students' unions.
Mr. Alan Howarth : I have received a number of responses to my letter of 29 November 1990. As the consultations are still in progress, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further.
Column 444
Education Budgets
27. Mr. Butterfill : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proportion of local education authority budgets is on average spent on the provision of central services and administration ; and which authorities are the three highest and the three lowest in this respect.
Mr. Fallon : The latest information available relates to LEA spending on excepted items under local management of schools. According to authorities' budget statements, the average percentage of the LMS potential schools budget which is being withheld from schools in 1990-91, is some 16.2 per cent. Those budgeting to spent the highest percentages of the potential schools budget on discretionary excepted items are Westminster, 22 per cent., Kingston upon Thames, 21.5 per cent., and Haringey, 20.6 per cent. Those budgeting to spend the lowest percentages--so delegating the highest percentages to schools--are Bolton, 10.9 per cent., Berkshire, 12.3 per cent., and West Sussex, 12.5 per cent. Comparable information is not available for the FE or other education sectors.
Grant-maintained Schools
Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the average amount of external funding per pupil in grant- maintained schools for the current year ; and what is the comparable figure for the last complete year before the same schools acquired grant- maintained status.
Mr. Eggar : Most recurrent funding for grant-maintained schools is paid through annual maintenance grant, the majority of which is a sum which seeks to replicate the amount which would have been allocated to the school had it remained under the control of the local education authority. Also within annual maintenance grant is a sum in lieu of central services previously provided by the authority which in the current financial year averaged an additional 16 per cent. The central services element of annual maintenance grant will be standardised at that rate in 1991-92.
Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools have (i) applied for and (ii) achieved grant-maintained status.
Mr. Eggar : The number of primary and secondary schools which have become grant-maintained or are proceeding through the GM process is as follows :
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T
|Secondary|Primary |Total
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operating under GM status |50 |0 |50
Approved but not yet operating under GM
status |14 |0 |14
Published proposals with decisions pending |23 |2 |25
Preparing GM proposals following ballots in
favour of seeking GM status |23 |11 |34
Holding or committed to a ballot on GM
status |30 |13 |43
Value for Money
Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what measures of performance are employed by his Department to ensure value for money.
Mr. Eggar : This Department ensures value for money from its purchases by setting demanding savings targets
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and monitoring the results. These are recorded in the central unit on purchasing annual targets and savings return.Column 445
Hounslow
Mr. Ground : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what percentage of its potential schools budget the London borough of Hounslow is delegating to schools in the current financial year ; and how much it will need to delegate to meet the proposed requirements in the draft circular on local management of schools ;
(2) what effect the proposals contained in the draft circular on local management of schools will have on the amount delegated to schools by the London borough of Hounslow as against the current financial year.
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