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Written Answers to Questions
Friday 15 March 1991
ENVIRONMENT
Child Care
Dr. Marek : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the number of workplaces for civil servants in his Department ; what proportion of the total number have an on-site nursery facility ; how many and what proportion of workplaces 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.
Mr. Heseltine : There are five headquarters offices and 17 other offices in central London. In addition, my Department has nine main regional offices, most of which are shared with other Government Departments, as well as over 50 offices throughout the country, including property holdings and my Department's three agencies, but excluding PSA Services.
None of these offices has an on-site nursery or provides after school child care facilities. A number of interdepartmental holiday playschemes are in operation in Westminster, Birmingham, Bedford, Bristol, Nottingham, Newcastle and Manchester. These are all open to the Department's staff and parents have been charged up to £5 per day per child for the use of the facilities. The Department will also be participating in a proposed interdepartmental nursery scheme in Westminster.
Expenditure in 1990-91 is estimated at £10,000. Future expenditure is difficult to estimate. Many factors are involved, including joint funding arrangements, demand, value for money of individual schemes and other departmental priorities.
Primates
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has concerning the number of wild-caught primates imported into the United Kingdom in the last three years ; and for what purposes these animals are used.
Mr. Baldry : In the three years to 31 December 1990, 11,428 live specimens of wild-caught primates were imported. Of these, 9,588 were imported for scientific or educational purposes ; 1,766 for trade ; and 74 for exhibition or breeding.
Waste Disposal
Mr. Roy Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set up a committee of inquiry into the matter of waste disposal.
Mr. Baldry : A committee of inquiry is not required. There have been a number of Select Committee inquiries
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into waste disposal in recent years and a full Government review of waste management policies culminated in the passing of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. That Act will be implemented with a full programme of supporting advice and guidance about which there will be continuing consultation.River Pollution
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent assessment he has made of the presence of (a) heavy metals and (b) polychlorinated biphenyls in river eels ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Baldry : The National Rivers Authority is currently undertaking a monitoring programme for contaminants in river eels. Results are expected later this year.
Purchasing and Distribution
Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people in his Department are wholly or substantially involved in purchasing stores and distribution activities.
Mr. Heseltine : In 1989-90, some 180 people in the central administration of my Department were whollyt or substantially involved in these activities. For the PSA, because of the nature of its business, all of the 14,140 staff supported the purchasing activity to a greater or lesser extent.
Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the full annual cost, including overheads, of his Department's purchasing activity.
Mr. Heseltine : The staff cost, including overheads, of the purchasing activity in the central administration of my Department in 1989- 90 was £1.5 million. For the PSA, all expenditure on staffing of some £390 million was associated with purchasing.
Domestic Waste
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to increase the amount of domestic waste subject to incineration ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Baldry : Incineration can be a viable alternative to landfill as a method of disposing of waste, provided proper standards are observed. The higher standards that landfill sites will be required to meet under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, and the potential for energy generation from municipal waste incinerators, will also make incineration a more viable option financially. However, the final decision on the type of facility that is most appropriate in any area must lie with the waste disposal authority.
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to ensure that there exist adequate facilities for incineration of domestic waste in compliance with the EC directive on large combustion plants ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Baldry : It is for waste disposal authorities to ensure there are adequate facilities--including incinerators--and they will need to take this into account in preparing their
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waste disposal plans. Air emissions from existing municipal waste incinerators are covered by EC directive 89/429. The Government have allocated £62 million over the next three years to local authorities for works necessary to upgrade such incinerators to meet these standards.Emergency Alarms
Mr. Martyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all methods of Government funding available to local government that would enable them to purchase emergency alarm systems for elderly and disabled people.
Sir George Young : There is no single source of funding for the purchase of emergency alarm systems by local authorities. In most cases, it will be a matter for the local authority to decide the priority it places on alarms in relation to other demands and within available resources.
Government support for such purposes may be provided through one of the following routes--the usable part of capital receipts and credit approvals ; minor works assistance under section 131 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 ; urban programme ; revenue support grant ; housing revenue accounts.
Pollution Inspectorate
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will publish in the Official Report the grades and salary scales of officers in the pollution inspectorate ;
(2) what staff complement is considered necessary to enable his Department to discharge its duties in the field of pollution inspection ; and how many vacancies currently exist for pollution inspectors.
Mr. Baldry : I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment and Countryside gave the hon. Member for Dewsbury (Mrs. Taylor) on 24 January, Official Report , column 269 . To meet its increased responsibilities for integrated pollution control under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution's staff complement has been authorised to expand from 233 to over 300 by 1 April 1992 and may thereafter need to increase up to around 400 when integrated pollution control is in full operation.
Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution currently has 14 vacancies for pollution inspectors. These vacancies, and the authorised new posts, will be filled from the recent recruitment exercise which produced 38 successful applicants.
The grades and current national rates of pay for pollution inspectors are listed below.
|Minimum |Maximum |Maximum of
|of scale |of scale |performance
|range points
Grade |£ |£ |£
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Assistant pollution
inspector (HPTO) |18,195 |19,681 |n/a
Pollution inspector
(SPTO) |20,059 |26,121 |31,150
Principal pollution
inspector (grade 7) |24,997 |29,809 |35,451
Superintending pollution
inspector (grade 6) 27,229 |35,451 |41,681
National rates of pay for pollution inspectors will
increase from 1 April 1991 to:
|21,905 |29,809 |35,451
Consequential increases for more senior inspector grades are currently under discussion with staff representatives.
Saltley Renewal Area
Mr. Terry Davis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which roads were visited by the Minister for Housing and Planning during his visit to the Saltley renewal area on 26 February ; and which residents' associations were invited to meet him.
Sir George Young : I visited the following roads in the south Saltley renewal area--Bowyer road, Hartopp road, Parkfield road, Couchman road, Alderson road, Ludlow road and Alum Rock road. I had a full day in Birmingham on 26 February 1991. I visited a hostel for the homeless, saw two public sector estates as well as the south Saltley renewal area, and went to two recent housing association developments. I was unable to meet representatives of all the local associations, but I met a large number of tenants and residents during the day and I enjoyed my visit to the home of two residents in south Saltley.
Crown Suppliers
Mr. Anthony Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement about progress in the privatisation of the Crown Suppliers' vehicle hire and maintenance business.
Sir George Young : The Government have not been able to reach agreement with the only bidder about acceptable terms for the sale of the Crown Suppliers vehicle hire and maintenance business. There is little justification for retaining in Government a business which provides services commonly provided by other suppliers. Furthermore, the workshops are unprofitable and future profits from vehicle hire are uncertain. Consequently the Government have decided to close the business. Every effort will be made to find alternative civil service posts for the staff but some redundancies are inevitable. The trade unions are being consulted about the implications for their members.
We are urgently considering the interests of customers of the business with a view to proposing alternative arrangements to meet their continuing requirements.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Invalid Care Allowance Unit
Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proposals he has to review the establishment at the invalid care allowance unit.
Mr. Scott : We intend to increase the staffing level at the invalid care allowance unit from 358 in 1990-91 to 400 in 1991-92.
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Invalid Care Allowance
Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average time between the date on which an application for invalid care allowance is received and the first payment is made to a successful claimant.
Mr. Scott : Based on the year to 31 January 1991, the average time between the date on which an application to invalid care allowance is received and the first payment is made to a successful claimant is 47.5 days, which includes an average of nine days to cover payment preparation and dispatch processes after the claim has been cleared in the unit.
Emergency Alarms
Mr. Martyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what income support arrangements exist to enable individuals to purchase or rent emergency alarm systems.
Miss Widdecombe : There is no specific provision in the income support scheme to help meet the cost of purchasing emergency alarm systems. However, where the eligible rent or eligible housing costs of an elderly, sick or disabled person include an inescapable service charge for an emergency alarm system, help with that charge can be provided through housing benefit or income support respectively.
Quality Assessment Surveys
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 28 February, Official Report, column 612, if he will send the hon. Member for Oldham, West a copy of the survey by Research Surveys of Great Britain when he places copies in the Library.
Miss Widdecombe : Yes. I will do so as soon as the report is available.
Multiple Births
Mr. Conway : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will consider the level of child benefit for the first child where multiple births occur ; and if he will make a statement.
Miss Widdecombe : Child benefit provides a worthwhile contribution towards the costs of bringing up children, but it has never been intended to meet those costs in full. The higher rate of £8.25 from this April for the eldest eligible child in each family at any one time recognises that, at all income levels, families with children face additional costs compared with other families. It is therefore the presence of any one child rather than the number of children which is significant in bringing about that difference in expenditure. The standard rate of £7.25 will of course be paid for all children who do not attract the higher rate. A mother whose first children are twins for example will get a total of £15.50 child benefit a week.
Disability Working Allowance
Mr. Hannam : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many additional claimants would qualify for the disability working allowance if the functional test were applied for initial claims for those not receiving a
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quailfying benefit ; and if he will estimate the numbers and net cost in each category for (a) claimants working in receipt of no benefit, (b) claimants working in receipt of income support and earnings, (c) claimants working and receiving housing benefit and/or community charge benefit, (d) claimants not working in receipt of income support without the disability premium, (e) claimants not working in receipt of unemployment benefit with no income support addition, (f) people not working and receiving no benefit and (g) people receiving family credit.Mr. Scott : Estimates of the number of people who might claim disability working allowance (DWA) can be only tentative since they depend on assumptions about how availability of the benefit might influence behaviour. We do not believe that the test of functional disability as proposed would be a suitable alternative to the requirement to be or to have been receiving a long-term incapacity or disability benefit. However, our best estimate is that if claimants were able to qualify by satisfying the test of functional disability alone, the DWA case load would be increased by about 200,000 and the cost by roughly £200 million net of other benefit savings. It is not possible to estimate with confidence the numbers or net cost in the categories (a) to (g).
Care Homes
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list his estimate of the numbers of claimants in receipt of income support payments towards the cost of (a) residential care homes and (b) nursing homes for each of the last 10 years.
Miss Widdecombe : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, Central (Mr. Cousins) on 16 November 1990 at column 238.
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps are taken by local benefit offices to ascertain whether income support claimants in receipt of payments towards the cost of nursing home care are (a) in need of nursing care and (b) in receipt of nursing care.
Miss Widdecombe : The level of income support payable depends on the type of care the nursing home is providing for the claimant. The adjudication officer must be satisfied that the home is recognised by the registration authority as able to provide a level of care and that the resident is receiving such care. We have no evidence to suggest that residents of nursing homes do not need to be there.
Disabled People
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 16 January, Official Report, column 535, giving figures on the hours worked by people with disabilities, if he will indicate the source of his statistics ; and whether these figures have been used in determining the likely take-up of the proposed disability working allowance.
Mr. Scott : The information to which the hon. Member refers was obtained from the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys disability surveys. Estimates of the cost and case load of the disability working allowance have been largely based on data from these surveys.
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EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
Tertiary College (Truro)
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he intends to make a decision on the proposed establishment of a tertiary college in Truro.
Mr. Fallon : The Secretary of State has before him a proposal significantly to change the character of Richard Lander school, published on 1 November 1990, which relates to the establishment of the proposed tertiary college. Our aim is to decide such proposals within five months from the date of publication. The establishment of the college itself does not require a decision by the Secretary of State.
Welsh Registry, University of Wales
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) on what basis the recently announced 15.47 per cent. increase in funds allocated to the Welsh Registry, university of Wales, for the year 1991-92 was calculated ;
(2) what performance indicators he intends to use to ensure that the £3.7 million allocated to the Welsh Registry, university of Wales, for the year 1991-92, will provide value for money.
Mr. Alan Howarth : The distribution of funds to individual institutions and the monitoring of related performance are, under the Education Reform Act 1988, matters for the Universities Funding Council.
University of Wales
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his policy in regard to the development of the university of Wales and its constituent colleges in the light of the likely economic and cultural needs of the people of Wales into the next century.
Mr. Alan Howarth : It is for each institution to plan its own development in the light of its perception both of national and other demands and of its abilities to respond to these, consistent with its general mission. The distribution of public funding in support of these plans is a matter for the Universities Funding Council.
Assisted Places
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he intends to introduce a new scheme for assisted places ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Fallon : The assisted places scheme has been in operation since 1981 and has provided the opportunity for many thousands of youngsters from familiies on lower incomes to benefit from the education provided by good independent schools. There will be 35,000 places available in the scheme by the mid-1990s, following the admission of new schools to the scheme this academic year, many in the north of England.
We have no plans to introduce any new scheme.
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WALES
Voluntary Organisations
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will list the main funding headings which are used in providing grants to voluntary organisations and any changes that have taken place over the last five years ;
(2) if he will publish in a table under the relevant headings all funding given to voluntary organisations in the most recent year for which figures are available and for the previous four years.
Mr. David Hunt : I refer the hon. Lady to the reply given to her on 14 March by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department.
Foxes
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will provide a table of moneys allocated to Welsh fox destruction clubs since 1979.
Mr. David Hunt : No moneys have been allocated to Welsh fox destruction societies since 1979.
Health Service
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people in the health authority area in Powys are awaiting surgery.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : Under existing arrangements, information is collected about the number of people waiting for treatment at hospitals but not about their area of residence. From 1 April 1991, waiting lists become the responsibility of the health authorities of the patient's area of residence and, in time, published information will reflect this.
EMPLOYMENT
Energy Efficiency
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment which of his Ministers has been given responsibility for energy use by his Department ; and what is his brief regarding energy efficiency.
Mr. Forth : The Minister responsible for energy use is Viscount Ullswater, a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State.
He has a dual role--
(1) As the departmental representative on the ministerial group on energy efficiency, which is chaired by the Secretary of State for Energy, he contributes to the implementation of the Government's policy to promote energy awareness and efficiency throughout the public and private sectors of the economy.
(2) As the Minister responsible for this Department's energy strategy he oversees the implementation of the strategy, the main objective of which is to reduce energy use by 15 per cent. over the next five years. He encourages energy awareness and efficiency in those areas of the economy where the Department has a sponsoring role--training and enterprise, tourism and small firms. He, with other Ministers in the Department of Employment, promotes energy awareness and efficiency at appropriate occasions during official visits and speeches.
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Loan Guarantee Scheme
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he last met the chairman of Barclays, Lloyds, National Westminster, Royal Bank of Scotland and the Midland banks to discuss their involvement in the loan guarantee scheme ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Forth : I meet or correspond with senior banking
representatives on a regular basis to discuss their general services to small firms, including their involvement in the loan guarantee scheme. I have also met the small firms sub-committee of the Committee of London and Scottish Bankers.
Between June 1981 and March 1991, more than 27,900 guarantees have been issued under the scheme, corresponding to lending of £891 million. The scheme continues to have a significant role in assisting small firms that cannot otherwise raise finance for viable business activities.
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the number of loan guarantee schemes granted by (a) Barclays, (b) Lloyds, (c) National Westminster, (d) Royal Bank of Scotland and (e) the Midland banks in each of the last three years.
Mr. Forth : The number of guarantees issued for each of the banks is as follows :
|1988 |1989 |1990
-----------------------------------------------
Barclays |586 |625 |640
Lloyds |352 |370 |263
National Westminster |430 |1,127|1,387
Royal Bank of Scotland |61 |74 |69
Midland |375 |521 |1,087
HOME DEPARTMENT
Remand Prisoners
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what proposals he has received for the provision of suitable alternative accommodation for remand prisoners in Greater Manchester ;
(2) for how many prisoners on remand provision has been made for them to held in police cells in Greater Manchester for each month over 12 months ; and if he will give the figures individually for Stockport, Cheadle Hulme and Denton police stations.
Mr. Kenneth Baker : Vigorous efforts continue to be made to reduce further the number of prisoners held in police cells. This will be greatly assisted by the opening of an additional 140 refurbished places at Manchester prison this summer and by other new accommodation which is shortly to be brought into use in the north of England.
Emergency arrangements for the use of police cells when sufficient accommodation is not available in prison service establishments, and the use of cells in individual police stations, is a matter for the chief officer of the force concerned. Prison service management liaises closely with the police on the provision of accommodation, and the police are reimbursed for the additional expenditure they sustain.
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Terrorism
Mr. Hunter : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will name the three people who, according to Lord Colville's report on the operation in 1990 of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989 (table 3) in 1988 were charged following detention and/or examination on account of their involvement in international terrorism ; their country of origin ; and the terrorist organisation or activity in which they are suspected to have been involved ;
(2) if he will name the seven people who, according to Lord Colville's report on the operation in 1990 of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989 (Table 9) in 1990 were charged following detention and/or examination on account of their involvement in international terrorism ; their country of origin ; and the terrorist organisation or activity in which they are suspected to have been involved.
Mr. Kenneth Baker : It is not the practice to disclose the names of those who are detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act or the nature of their suspected involvement in terrorism. Of the three people who were suspected of involvement in international terrorism and charged with criminal offences following detention under the Prevention of Terrorism Act in 1988, one was born in Austria, one in Italy and one in the United Kingdom. Of the seven such people who were so charged following examination or detention under the Prevention of Terrorism Act in 1990, two were born in Egypt and one each in Brazil, India, Kenya, Pakistan and the United Kingdom.
Escapees
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answers to the right hon. Member for Swansea, West on 6 March, which of the six persons who absconded were on drugs- related offences and which owed money to the courts.
Mrs. Angela Rumbold : The six women concerned had all been convicted of drug offences. Of these, one was ordered to pay costs of £450 which is still owed to the court. None of the other women are known to have been in debt to the courts.
Ethnic Minorities (Attacks)
Mr. Bernie Grant : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what specific guidance he has given since 15 January to chief police officers regarding attacks on Muslims and other ethnic minorities and their properties ; if he plans to give any further guidance in the immediate future ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Decisions about the deployment of officers and other operational matters are solely the responsibility of individual chief officers. It would therefore be inappropriate for specific guidance to be issued to chief officers about attacks on Muslims and other ethnic minorities and their properties.
All chief officers are aware of the continuing need to respond to racially motivated incidents as a priority. Close links are maintained between the Government and the Association of Chief Police Officers on community and race relations issues through regular discussions. These meetings have been used in recent months to ensure that all
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developments and tensions relating to British Muslims during the Gulf crisis have been closely monitored by police forces. The Government will continue to issue guidance as appropriate on the response by the police and other agencies in tackling these unacceptable crimes.
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