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Mr. Kenneth Baker : A bomb hoax is an irresponsible waste of other people's time and effort, which can cause massive disruption and endanger lives by making it more difficult to identify and to respond to genuine warnings. Eighty-four hoax calls were received in the 24 hours following the Paddington and Victoria bombs on Monday 18 February and 789 by 3 March.
We have now concluded the review of maximum penalties for this offence announced by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State during Report stage of the Criminal Justice Bill, Official Report, 25 February 1991, column 689.
We shall table an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill proposing to increase a magistrate's power to imprison a person found guilty of a bomb hoax from three months to a maximum of six months. We also propose to increase the maximum penalty from five to seven years in prison if the case goes to the Crown court. This is a clear indication of the seriousness with which we view this offence.
Asylum
Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of applications for asylum in the United Kingdom made in each month of 1990, showing the number of applications by country.
Mr. Peter Lloyd [holding answer 12 March 1991] : Reliable monthly estimates of the number of applications for asylum in the United Kingdom in 1990 cannot yet be made, but provisional indications are that the total in 1990 was of the order of 30,000, including associated dependants. This figure does not include applications for upgrading to refugee status by those previously granted exceptional leave.
Estimates for 1990 will be published as usual in the annual Home Office statistical bulletin "Refugee Statistics, United Kingdom" later this year.
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of people who applied for political asylum in 1990 ; what was the number from each country ; what was the number who were new arrivals in the United Kingdom ; and what was the number who had already entered the United Kingdom in previous years.
Mr. Peter Lloyd [holding answer 12 March 1991] : Reliable estimates of the number of applications for asylum in the United Kingdom in 1990 by nationality are not yet fully available. However, provisional indications are that the total number was of the order of 30,000, including associated dependants, comprising about 12,000 applications made on entry at ports and an estimated 18,000 applications made after their arrival in the United
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Kingdom. These figures do not include applications for upgrading to refugee status by those previously granted exceptional leave. Estimates for 1990 by nationality will be published as usual in the annual Home Office statistical bulletin "Refugee Statistics, United Kingdom" later this year.Iraqi Nationals
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Iraqi nationals have entered the United Kingdom since 1 January ; how many have been refused entry ; and how many have been deported.
Mr. Peter Lloyd [holding answer 12 March 1991] : Since 1 January six Iraqi nationals have been removed from the United Kingdom under deportation powers. A further eight Iraqi passengers were removed in January after being refused leave to enter the United Kingdom. Information on admissions since 1 January and on passengers removed since 1 February is not yet available centrally.
Animal Experiments
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any Community-wide procedures have yet been adopted for the validation of new animal scientific procedures or the validation of new products.
Mr. Forth : I have been asked to reply.
The European Community has no standard validation procedures for new animal scientific procedures. It has adopted animal scientific procedures for the testing of chemical substances which have been validated under the auspices of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. The Community's National Co-ordination Committee for testing methods oversees all testing methods. The sixth amendment to the European Community's dangerous substances directive established a notification scheme for new chemical substances which entails the collection and scrutiny of data on such substances.
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
Expenditure, Northern Region
Mr. Trotter : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much was spent per pupil in the Northern region in (a) current expenditure and (b) capital in 1980 and 1990.
Mr. Fallon : In 1979-80 local education authorities in the Northern region spent an average of £530 per pupil on current school-based expenditure and £40 per pupil on capital expenditure. These figures were £1,380 and £55 per pupil respectively in 1988-89, the latest year for which data are available.
Free School Meals
Mr. Dykes : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what guidance and advice he gives to local education authorities on the provision of free school meals in primary and secondary maintained schools ; and if he plans any changes in such guidance and advice.
Mr. Fallon : My right hon. and learned Friend has issued no guidance on the provision of free school meals.
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It is for each local education authority to secure that such refreshment as it deems necessary is made available free of charge in the middle of the day to pupils whose parents are in receipt of income support.Student Allowances
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much money has been paid to local education authorities to reimburse them for expenditure on vacation hardship allowances ; and how many students have benefited in each of the last five years including the current year to date.
Mr. Alan Howarth : Local education authorities in England and Wales currently have a discretionary power under the Education (Mandatory Awards) Regulations 1990 to pay a means-tested allowance of up to £53.50 a week during a vacation to students on designated courses who would, in the authority's opinion, otherwise suffer undue hardship. Since 1 April 1990, authorities' expenditure on mandatory awards has been reimbursed by 100 per cent. grant from my right hon. and learned Friend. Lower rates applied in earlier years.
Authorities' expenditure on the allowance and the number of students in receipt of it from 1986-87 onwards are given in the table. Figures are not yet available for either 1989-90 or the current year and, in the latter case, are likely to be affected by the improved arrangements for student support.
----------------------------- 1988-89 |305 |40,837 1987-88 |322 |47,706 1986-87 |288 |36,425
Access Funds
Mr. Batiste : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what resources will be available for the access funds in 1991-92.
Mr. Alan Howarth : The sum of £25.8 million will be available for the access funds in Great Britain for the 1991-92 academic year. My Department's share will be £23.01 million. This sum is being allocated between the three funds as shown in the table.
|£ million
-----------------------------------------------
Undergraduate fund |13.10
Postgraduate fund |5.74
Further Education fund |4.17
NORTHERN IRELAND
Social Security
Mr. Clifford Forsythe : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the number of beneficiaries who received (a) attendance allowance, (b) invalid care allowance, (c) severe disablement allowance, (d) mobility allowance, (e) income support, (f) one-parent benefit, (g) family credit, (h) housing benefit, (i) community care grant, (j) budget loans and (k) crisis loans during the year 1989-90.
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Mr. Hanley : The average numbers receiving these benefits at any one time during the year 1989-90 was as follows :--------------------------------------------- Attendance Allowance |31,600 Invalid Care Allowance |7,000 Severe Disablement Allowance |12,900 Mobility Allowance |14,100 Income Support |188,800 One-Parent Benefit |22,600 Family Credit |14,700 Housing Benefit Rent Rebate |108,000 Rent Allowance |21,000 Rates Rebate |107,100 In addition there were 52,066 budgeting loans, 21,057 crisis loans and 28,883 community care grants from the social fund. Note: Beneficiaries may be receiving more than one benefit at any one time
Mr. Clifford Forsythe : To ask the Secrertary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the number of beneficiaries who received (a) unemployment benefit, (b) sickness benefit, (c) statutory sick pay, (d) invalidity benefit, (e) industrial disablement benefit, (f) industrial death benefit and (g) non-contributory retirement benefit during the year 1989-90.
Mr. Hanley : The average numbers receiving these benefits at any one time during the year 1989-90 was as follows :--
|Numbers
----------------------------------------------------
Unemployment Benefit |17,100
Sickness Benefit |9,600
Invalidity Benefit |49,100
Industrial Disablement Benefit |5,700
Industrial Death Benefit |1,000
Non-contributory Retirement Benefit |3,200
Statutory sick pay is paid by employers and no
information is available about number of
recipients.
Note : Beneficiaries may be receiving more than one benefit at any
one time.
Pensioners
Mr. Clifford Forsythe : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Northern Ireland citizens were in receipt of old-age pension during January and February ; and how many such pensioners received cold weather payments during these months.
Mr. Hanley : At 31 March 1990, the latest date for which figures are available, 215,604 people were receiving retirement pension and non- contributory retirement pension. Up to 28 February 1991, 30,897 cold weather payments were made in respect of the period 1 to 14 February to people getting income support including pensioners.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
Arms Purchases
Mr. Simon Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on the percentage of gross domestic product spent on arms by countries who are recipients of aid from the United Kingdom.
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Mrs. Chalker : The information requested by the hon. Member is not available in a comprehensive or consistent form. The hon. Member will be aware of the work of the Swedish International Peace Research Institute and the International Institute for Strategic Studies, and may wish to refer to the latter's publication, "The Military Balance 1989-90", which is available from the Library of the House.
Iraq
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 28 February, Official Report , column 582-83 , from which departmental budget the £8.1 million of assistance via the EC will be paid ; and from which budget the £3 million of aid referred to in the answer to the hon. Member for Islington, North (Mr. Corbyn), Official Report , 18 February, column 54 , will be paid.
Mrs. Chalker : The £8.1 million assistance provided through the European Community will be attributed to the overseas aid programme. Of the £3 million emergency assistance, £2.5 million was contributed to the International Committee of the Red Cross from class II, vote 2, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (other external relations), and £0.5 million to the United Nations Disaster Relief Organisation from the Overseas Development Agency's 1990-91 humanitarian assistance budget.
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to give humanitarian assistance to Iraq and Kuwait, and from which budget this will be paid ; and what plans he has to give reconstruction aid to Kuwait and from which budget this will be paid.
Mrs. Chalker : 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.
We have no plans at present to provide humanitarian assistance for Kuwait, but we do expect to assist in the process of reconstruction. Financing it will be a matter for the Government of Kuwait.
Angola
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has concerning the United Nations programme for humanitarian relief in Angola ; and what representations he has made to the Government of Angola, and to United Nations' representatives regarding the resumption of the United Nations special relief programme for Angola.
Mrs. Chalker : The United Nations special relief programme was suspended by the Angolan Government on 21 December. We urged the Angolan Government to reinstate the programme without delay and welcome their announcement on 11 March that it is to restart.
Column 515
ENVIRONMENT
Widowers' Pensions
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on what date he intends to introduce regulations to allow local authorities to meet in full their obligations to pay widowers' pensions.
Mr. Key : Draft regulations, including new widowers' benefits and other proposals, were circulated on 28 December 1990 to local authorities in England and Wales and to other interested parties. The consultation period ended on 15 February and consideration is now being given to the responses. Subject to the necessary parliamentary procedures, the regulations will come into force as soon as possible.
Regeneration Programmes
Mr. O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the programmes prepared by his Department to help local authorities who have schemes to regenerate decaying areas of their authority commencing in the year 1991-92 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Portillo : My Department supports a wide range of programmes promoting the regeneration of inner-city areas and treatment of dereliction. These are :
|1991-92
|resources<1>
|£ million
---------------------------------------------------------
Urban Programme<2> |243.2
City Grants |66.0
Derelict Land Grant<2> |75.5
Urban Development Corporations |473.1
City Action Teams |8.1
Estate Action Programme<2> |268.0
<1>Central Government provision.
<2>Resourced jointly with local authorities.
Housing renewal programmes, enterprise zones, garden festivals and the Department's inner cities and urban land research programmes also contribute to regeneration.
Mr. O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice he has given to local authorities who wish to invest capital receipts in a regeneration programme ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Portillo : Local authorities are free to invest the usable part of their capital receipts as they wish, including in projects to promote regeneration.
Uniform Business Rate
Miss Lestor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many appeals have been lodged in the north-west area against the uniform business rate.
Mr. Portillo : The 12 valuation offices in the north-west have received 68,316 proposals by ratepayers to alter their 1990 rating assessments.
Local Authority Accounts
Mr. Fraser : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many London boroughs have failed to produce audited accounts since April 1985 ; and for which years.
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Mr. Key : The information requested is listed in the table. The latest year for which audited accounts could be available is 1989-90.
The reasons for late completion of audited accounts vary and may not be within the control of the borough concerned.
Authority |Audits
|outstanding
|from stated
|year to date
-----------------------------------------
Hackney |1984-85
Brent |1985-86
Islington |1985-86
Haringey |1985-86
Lambeth |1985-86
Southwark |1985-86
Hammersmith |1986-87
Hounslow |1986-87
Richmond |1986-87
Waltham Forest |1986-87
Camden |1987-88
Greenwich |1987-88
Lewisham |1987-88
Westminster |1987-88
Bromley |1988-89
Bexley |1988-89
Croydon |<1>1988-89
Ealing |1988-89
Merton |1988-89
Newham |1988-89
Kensington |1988-89
Redbridge |1988-89
Sutton |1988-89
Tower Hamlets |1988-89
Barnet |1989-90
Harrow |1989-90
Kingston |1989-90
<1>Only.
Northern Region
Mr. Trotter : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much has been spent by his Department in revitalising the urban and inner- city areas of the Northern region since June 1987.
Mr. Key : The total sum spent by my Department from 1987-88 to 1990- 91 in the nine designated urban areas of the Northern region is almost £396 million. This significant level of assistance has been provided via a range of initiatives geared to regenerate the inner cities and includes expenditure incurred by the Tyne and Wear and Teesside urban development corporations.
Waste Disposal
Dr. Hampson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the progress made on the drafting of the planning policy guidance on waste disposal since his response to the hon. Member for Altrincham and Sale (Sir F. Montgomery) on 30 January, Official Report, column 1087 ; and when he expects publication.
Mr. Yeo : I have nothing to add at this stage to what my hon. Friend said on 30 January ; new guidance will be issued in draft for public consultation later this year.
Column 517
Dr. Hampson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what guidance he currently gives local planning authorities on the siting of municipal waste incinerators ; and if he has any plans to change this advice.Mr. Yeo : The Government have not issued any planning guidance on the siting of municipal waste incinerators. However, work is in hand on the preparation of a planning policy guidance note on pollution and waste management which we plan to issue in draft for public consultation later this year. One of the issues on which we shall consult is the need for guidance on the siting of incinerators.
Local Government Finance
Mr. Clelland : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the level of Government grant per poll tax payer for 1991-92 in (a) Newcastle-upon-Tyne, (b) Gateshead, and (c) Wandsworth.
Mr. Key : Government grants, consisting of revenue support grant, special grants, specific grants in aggregate external finance, community charge benefit grant and transitional relief grant, are per head of relevant population in 1990-91, £579 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, £415 in Gateshead, and £677 in Wandsworth.
Mr. Skinner : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the level of Government grant for 1990-91 per head of population in (a) the London borough of Wandsworth, (b) Bolsover district council and (c) North-East Derbyshire district council.
Mr. Key : Government grants, consisting of revenue support grant, special grants, specific grants in aggregate external finance, community charge benefit grant and transitional relief grant, are per head of relevant population in 1990-91, £667 in Wandsworth, £196 in Bolsover, and £197 in North-East Derbyshire.
Mr. Turner : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much Government grant per poll tax payer will be received by (a) Wolverhampton and (b) Wandsworth for 1991-92.
Mr. Key : Government grants, consisting of revenue support grant, special grants, specific grants in aggregate external finance, community charge benefit grant and transitional relief grant, are per head of relevant population in 1990-91 £609 in Wolverhampton and £677 in Wandsworth.
Stocken Hall, Rutland
Mr. Latham : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment upon what dates since April 1988 inspectors from the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission visited Stocken hall, Rutland, to inspect the condition of the buildings ; what similar visits have been paid by officials from his Department since April 1989 ; and what action has subsequently been taken.
Sir George Young : An inspector from the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission last visited Stocken hall in January 1990. No visits have been made by officials from my Department since April 1989.
The hall was sold in October 1990 and the owner subsequently received planning permission to convert it
Column 518
into offices, subject to an agreement with Rutland district council which will ensure the complete restoration of the hall. As work has started and the future of the building is secure no action has been taken by my Department.Community Charge
Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list each of the orders relating to the administration of the community charge which were laid before the House between 1 January 1990 and 31 March 1990 for implementation during April 1990 ; and if he will state the date when each of these instruments became effective.
Mr. Key : The following statutory instruments were laid before the House of Commons between 1 January 1990 and 31 March 1990 : The Personal Community Charge (Relief) (England) Regulations 1990 No. 2
[Came into force 21 January 1990]
The Relevant Population (England) Regulations 1990 No. 68 [Came into force 24 January 1990]
The Charging Authorities (Notification of Population to Precepting Authorities) (England) Regulations 1990 No. 69
[Came into force 24 January 1990]
The Levying Bodies (General) Regulations 1990 No. 70
[Came into force 24 January 1990]
The Internal Drainage Boards (Finance) Regulations 1990 No. 72 [Came into force 24 January 1990]
The Standard Community Charge (Multipliers) Order 1990 No. 129 [Came into force 26 January 1990]
The Community Charges (Co-owners) Regulations 1990
No. 146
[Came into force 26 February 1990]
The Community Charges and Non-Domestic Rating (Demand Notices) (England) Regulations 1990 No. 156
[Came into force 7 February 1990]
The Standard Community Charge and Non-Domestic Rating (Definition of Domestic Property) Order 1990 No. 162
[Came into force 2 March 1990]
The Wimbledon and Putney Commons (Special Levies) Regulations 1990 No. 201
[Came into force 7 February 1990]
The Community Charges and Non-Domestic Rating (Demand Notices) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 1990 No. 366
[Came into force 2 March 1990]
The Community Charges and Non-Domestic Rating (Demand Notices) (City of London) Regulations 1990
No. 369
[Came into force 7 March 1990]
The Personal Community Charge (Relief) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 1990 No. 402
[Came into force 26 March 1990]
The Personal Community Charge (Exemption for the Severely Mentally Impaired) Order 1990 No. 462
[Came into force 1 April 1990]
The Community Charges (Deductions from Income Support) (No. 2) Regulations 1990 No. 545
[Came into force 1 April 1990]
The Community Charges (Administration and Enforcement) (Amendment) Regulations 1990 No. 711
[Came into force 1 April 1990]
The Personal Community Charge (Qualifying Courses of Education) Regulations 1990 No. 712
[Came into force 1 April 1990]
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