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Written Answers to Questions
Monday 15 April 1991
TRANSPORT
Executive Agencies
Mr. Andrew MacKay : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has identified any further candidates within his Department for executive agency status under the "next steps" programme.
Mr. McLoughlin : I have decided that the Transport and Road Research Laboratory should become a candidate for executive agency status under the "next steps" initiative.
The Gulf
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 21 March, Official Report, column 219, on the marine pollution control unit in the Gulf, if he will make a statement on the results of the MPCU's actions in co-ordination of commercial offers of counter-pollution personnel and equipment from British companies.
Mr. McLoughlin : The purpose of the marine pollution control unit's co-ordinating activities has been to alert prospective customers in the Gulf to what counter-pollution equipment and personnel are available from British companies. Thereafter, it is for customers to take up whatever offers, if any, they wish to pursue. To date, three contracts have been let to British companies as the result of the actions--one by the Department of the Environment and two by the International Maritime Organisation. These are :
a. DOE
DESMI Engineering Ltd, of Newcastle under Lyme. The supply of six Heavy Duty Oil Skimmers. These were presented to the Government of Bahrain by HMG as described in my answer of 21 March.
b. IMO
(1) Alba International Ltd, of Aberdeen. Clean-up feasibility study for Musallamiyah Bay. An area of ecological importance given high priority by the Saudi Arabian Government.
(2) Alba International Ltd., of Aberdeen. Clean-up of the coastline of Karan Island, off the Saudi Arabian coast. The most important breeding ground in the Gulf for Green Turtles.
Both IMO contracts are being funded from the IMO Gulf fund to which a number of countries have contributed, including the United Kingdom.
Cars (Fuel Efficiency)
Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are his Department's projections of the change in the average fuel efficiency of cars between 1991 and 1996.
Mr. Chope : Improvements in the fuel efficiency of vehicles that have occurred in past years are now increasingly reflected in the overall vehicle fleet. The Government do not make projections of fuel economy for
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vehicles. Such improvements will depend on motorists' demands for more fuel-efficient vehicles and on the ability of manufacturers to respond.Channel Tunnel Rail Link
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will ensure that an environmental assessment is carried out of the various route options for the channel tunnel high-speed rail link.
Mr. Freeman : Environmental considerations form part of the British Rail's assessment of the route options for the channel tunnel rail link.
Severn Bridge
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what assumptions about toll rate and its rate of increase underlay the oral statement by the Minister of State on 14 January, Official Report, column 644, that current forecasts indicated that tolling for concessionaires for the second Seven bridge would not be necessary for more than 21 or 22 years ; and what were the underlying assumptions about future traffic growth ;
(2) by what date at the rate currently envisaged for 1992 under the current assumptions indicated in the oral statement by the Minister of State, Official Report, 14 January, column 644, payment for the Severn bridge will be completed ; and what the annual toll income would be in the final year at constant prices ;
(3) on the basis of current assumptions about traffic growth on the second Severn bridge and toll levels for 1992 indicated in the oral statement by the Minister of State on 14 January, Official Report, column 644, what at constant prices is the forecast annual income from tolls for each year from 1992 until the bridge is paid for.
Mr. Chope : The forecast that the concessionaire's actual tolling period for the Severn bridges would be 21 or 22 years, within the 30 year maximum allowed, was based on the toll levels set out in the Severn Bridges Bill, indexed for inflation in accordance with the provisions of the Bill. The forecast was based on the
concessionaire's assumptions about future traffic growth, which were approximately as follows :
|Per cent.
|Per annum
------------------------------
1992-1995 |2.7
1996-2000 |2.4
2001-2005 |2.2
2006-2010 |2.0
2011-2013 |1.8
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how the costs of operating the Severn bridge, excluding costs arising from original design faults, have moved relative to the retail prices index since the bridge was opened ;
(2) if he will give a breakdown of the costs, excluding those arising from original design faults, of operating the Severn bridge in the last year for which figures are available.
Mr. Chope : The total cost of operating the Severn bridge in 1967- 68, the first full year, was £1.032 million or £7.071 million at 1988-89 prices. This compares with a
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total cost of £12.753 million in 1988-89, the last full year for which figures are available. A breakdown of the figures is published in the Severn bridge accounts. The figures include the costs of toll collection, servicing debts, strengthening work to allow for vehicular loadings into the next century, and maintenance to make good general wear and tear normal for a structure of this size and age. The original design complied fully with the requirements of that time.Trunk Roads
Ms. Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list the occasions in the last 10 years where one of the routes listed in the public consultation on a trunk road scheme went through or within 100 m of a site of special scientific interest but where the final route chosen did not ;
(2) if he will list the trunk road schemes constructed through or within 100 m of a site of special scientific interest in the last 10 years ;
(3) if he will list the occasions in the last 10 years where the draft line order of a trunk road scheme went through or within 100 m of a site of special scientific interest but where the confirmed line order did not.
Mr. Chope : This information could not be obtained without disproportionate cost. Every effort is made to keep trunk roads away from sites of special scientific interest. Where this is not possible we take particular care that the routes chosen do as little damage to the environment as practicable.
Ms. Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will state (a) the average duration, in days, of a public inquiry into a trunk road scheme, (b) the average cost per day of holding a public inquiry into a trunk road scheme and (c) how many person days are spent by officers of his Department on public inquiries each year.
Mr. Chope : In the financial year 1990-91, the average duration was 16 days. More than half took less than 10 days, and a third less than five days.
Accurate costs to the Department of these inquiries, including consultants' fees and costs, are not identified separately from total scheme preparation cost. Inspectors' costs, which can be identified, could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Similarly, the amount of staff time, where it could separately be identified, could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Shipping Accidents
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which of the recommendations in the marine directorate's report, "The Human Element in Shipping Casualties" (i) have been implemented, (ii) it is intended to implement and to what timetable and (iii) will not be acted upon ; and for what reasons.
Mr. McLoughlin : "The Human Element in Shipping Casualties" research project was designed primarily to aid the identification and recording of the human element in future accident investigations and to assess the feasibility of preventive measures. The marine accident investigation branch is generally in sympathy with the tenor of the recommendations covering investigation procedures and is
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adapting its methods accordingly. The report has been submitted to the International Maritime Organisation where it will be discussed by the maritime safety committee in May. The Department will consider its further actions in the light of those discussions.Highway Cleaning
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what arrangements he has made for ensuring that the cost provision of cleaning roads and embankments, currently the responsibility of highway authorities, is transferred to those authorities due to take over responsibility for road cleaning on 1 April under the Environmental Protection Act.
Mr. McLoughlin : The control totals for highway maintenance and all other services provided for 1991-92 in the Revenue Support Grant Distribution Report (England) as amended by the Revenue Support Grant Distribution (Amendment) Report (England) take account of the clarification of responsibility for street-cleaning for non-highway purposes brought about by the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
National Road Traffic Forecasts
Mr. Roy Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will state the terms of reference of the commission given to the MVA Consultancy to review the 1989 national road traffic forecasts.
Mr. Chope : The MVA Consultancy has not been commissioned to review the 1989 national road traffic forecasts. Those forecasts remain the best available view. The MVA commission is for a technical review of methodology, which in this field, as in others, needs to be reviewed from time to time to see whether further improvements can be made.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Mammals
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce a code of practice to ensure that scientific procedures involving the dissection of mammals are not carried out within sight, sound or smell of other mammals.
Mrs. Rumbold : The Home Office "Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals Used in Scientific Procedures"--1989 ; HC107--specifies that
"major surgery and euthanasia should not be performed in rooms where animals are normally housed or where other conscious animals are undergoing procedures".
Local Government Finance
Mr. Ronnie Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases related to non-payment of the poll tax in Blyth valley have been dealt with by the magistrates court.
Mr. John Patten : In the period 1 April to 31 December 1990, Blyth valley magistrates court issued 15,478 summonses in community charge enforcement proceedings and made 12,451 liability orders.
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Charity Commissioners
Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the relevant biographical details of each of the charity commissioners which he took into account when making their appointments.
Mr. John Patten : In appointing the commissioners, my right hon. Friend took into account the range of their experience and the knowledge and skills which they could bring to the work of the commission.
Trespassers
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has concluded his review of section 39 of the Public Order Act 1986 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : We have completed our review of section 39 and we expect to announce our conclusions very soon.
Jet Skis
Mr. Viggers : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer to the right hon. Member for Worthing (Mr. Higgins) Official Report, 22 February, column 277, on powers of local authorities in respect of control of the operation of waterborne jet ski machines, whether he proposes to increase such powers.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : We have no plans at present to introduce legislation to increase authorities' powers in this area. This is one of a number of safety related issues being considered by a working group on water sports safety which has been appointed by the Minister for Sport. I understand that it will report its conclusions this summer.
Poll Tax Rally
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis on the anti-poll tax march and rally in central London on 23 March with particular regard as to how many officers were deployed and at what cost to public funds ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The policing of demonstrations in the Metropolitan police area is an operational matter for the Commissioner. I understand from him that 4,950 officers were deployed to police the demonstration on 23 March against the community charge and that the additional cost of policing the event, including catering and transport costs, is estimated at around £205,000.
Prisons
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish the White Paper on the Government's legislative proposals arising out of the Woolf report.
Mrs. Rumbold : The White Paper to chart the future direction of the prison service in England and Wales is being prepared for publication later this year.
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Armley Prison
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will put in the Library a copy of the report of the governor of Durham prison on his inquiry into prisoners moved from Hull to Armley.
Mrs. Rumbold : I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the report of an investigation into allegations made by certain prisoners transferred from Her Majesty's prison Full Sutton to Her Majesty's prison Leeds in 1988. This report was prepared for internal purposes only and we do not plan to make it more widely available.
Miscarriages of Justice
Ms. Abbott : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, for each of the last four years, he will list the sums of money that have been paid by his Department as compensation for miscarriages of justice involving wrongful imprisonment ; and for each sum if he will give the length of the term of imprisonment served.
Mr. John Patten : The following information relates to payment of compensation in respect of imprisonment as a result of wrongful conviction, and is based upon the date on which the final payment of compensation was made. A number of interim payments, pending final assessment of compensation, have also been made during the period. The amounts shown are inclusive of any previous interim award.
Year |Amount of |Period of
|compensation |detention in
|paid in resolved|custody
|cases £
--------------------------------------------------------------------
1987 |23,830 |15" months
|38,100 |6" years
|20,850 |2" years
|34,350 |3 years
| 2,449 |1" months
|10,701 |12 months
| 1,342 |1 month
|30,656 |21 months
1988 |25,357 |23/4 years
|18,604 |16 months
|12,000 |13" months
1989 | 5,805 |2 months
|10,425 |15 months
|30,709 |6 months
| 8,230 |3 months
| 6,345 |4" months
| 6,344 |3 months
| 2,494 |2 weeks
| 7,125 |7 months
1990 | 7,650 |3 months
|33,750 |17 months
|17,315 |20 months
| 6,156 |3 months
| 8,250 |7 months
Ms. Abbott : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria he uses when considering whether to recommend the royal prerogative of mercy to grant a remission of sentence (a) on grounds affecting the original sentence and (b) on other grounds.
Mr. John Patten : My right hon. Friend considers recommending the exercise of the royal prerogative of
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mercy in cases where (a) the sentencing court were unaware or misinformed about matters which may have affected the sentence, no avenue of appeal exists and it is not possible or appropriate to refer the matter to the Court of Appeal ; and (b) where developments subsequent to the sentence and unconnected with the circumstances of the conviction suggest that special remission should be granted as an act of mercy, for example where a prisoner suffers from a terminal illness or gives valuable assistance to the authorities.Ms. Abbott : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria are used in assessing the quantum of compensation payable for miscarriages of justice (a) under section 133 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 and (b) on an ex-gratia basis where there has been misconduct or default by the police or some other agency of the criminal justice system.
Mr. John Patten : The amount of compensation to be paid under both the statutory and ex-gratia schemes is decided on the advice of an independent assessor experienced in the assessment of damages. In making his assessment the assessor applies principles analogous to those governing the assessment of damages for civil wrongs. The assessment takes account of both pecuniary and non-pecuniary losses arising from the conviction and/or loss of liberty. The assessor also has regard, where appropriate, to the extent to which the circumstances leading to the wrongful conviction or charge might have been attributable to any action, or failure to act, by the police or other public authority.
Prison Leave
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to complete his review of the criteria applying to prison leave ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : My right hon. Friend hopes that the review will be completed and revised instructions issued to governors in the autumn. I will write to the hon. Member when the instructions are issued.
Poll Tax Payment
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the occasions where a custodial sentence has been imposed on someone for not paying the poll tax.
Mr. John Patten : Information about the number of committal warrants issued in community charge proceedings in the period 1 April to 31 December 1990 is available in the Library ; comparable information for the period 1 January to 31 March 1991 will be placed in the Library within six weeks of the end of the quarter.
Immigration
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he arranged to ask the post in Islamabad to issue a visa to Mr. Niaz Mohammed, born on 1 January 1962 (Ref : IMM/81672), to enable him to join his wife in the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Peter Lloyd : A letter authorising the issue of an entry clearance to Mr. Niaz Mohammed was sent to the entry clearance officer at the British high commission in Islamabad on 11 April.
THE ARTS
Visits (Scotland)
31. Dr. Godman : To ask the Minister for the Arts if it is his intention to visit Glasgow during the Mayfest and Edinburgh at the time of the Edinburgh international festival in order to view exhibitions and attend certain concerts and theatrical productions.
Mr. Renton : At present I have no plans to visit Glasgow during the Mayfest, but I do hope to visit the Edinburgh international festival. I am also visiting the Shetlands arts festival and the east coast of Scotland in early May.
North West Arts Board
32. Mr. Eastham : To ask the Minister for the Arts whether he has met the chair of North West regional arts board to discuss the impact of the poll tax on arts and libraries in the region in 1991-92.
Mr. Renton : No. The new chair of Arts Board : North-West was appointed at the beginning of this month. I intend to meet him regularly to discuss arts matters, as I have done with his predecessor.
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
33. Mr. Hind : To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will make a statement on the level of public subsidy granted to the Royal Liverpool philharmonic orchestra.
Mr. Renton : I am pleased that it was possible for the Arts Council to increase its grant to the orchestra this year by 17 per cent., including an enhancement fund award of £100,000. I was delighted to attend the launch of the Royal Liverpool philharmonic orchestra's appeal in Liverpool on 18 January this year.
Yorkshire Arts Council
34. Mr. Battle : To ask the Minister for the Arts what objectives he has set the new chairman of Yorkshire regional arts council.
Mr. Renton : I have determined the overall framework for the new arts funding structure. Detailed objectives within this framework are a matter for discussion and agreement between the Arts Council and individual boards.
Arts Funding (North-West)
35. Mr. Wareing : To ask the Minister for the Arts if he has visited the north-west region to discuss arts funding with local authority leaders.
Mr. Renton : I discussed arts funding during my visit to Liverpool in January this year. In addition, I regularly meet local authority representatives from the north-west who are involved in arts policy in the region.
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Reserve Collections
37. Mr. Gregory : To ask the Minister for the Arts what is his estimate of the value of reserve collections in public museums and galleries ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Renton : Information on reserve collections in public museums and galleries is not held centrally. Such collections are usually available to researchers, scholars and any interested party.
Arts Funding
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will introduce direct regional funding for the arts.
Mr. Renton : No, as the Arts Council makes allocations to the regions out of its total budget, taking account of the plans submitted by each region to do so.
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NATIONAL FINANCE
Public Expenditure
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table, consistent with table 6 of his answer to the hon. Member for Walthamstow (Mr. Summerson) of 13 December, Official Report, columns 457-58, providing an otherwise identical analysis of the planning total.
Mr. Mellor : The information requested is given in the table. The figures reflect the estimates of the planning total available when the data reported in the Official Report on 13 December were prepared.
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Table 6-Planning total analysed by territorial area and function 1989-90
£ million
Identifiable expenditure
|England |Scotland |Programme |Scotland |Wales |Programme |Wales |Northern |Programme |Northern |Total |Non- |United
|(total) |15<1> |other |(total) |16<1> |other |Ireland |17<1> |Ireland |identified|Kingdom
(total) other<2>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Defence |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |20,680.7 |20,680.7
Overseas services |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |2,537.5 |2,537.5
Agriculture, fisheries, food
and forestry |658.8 |215.6 |198.1 |17.5 |93.1 |83.4 |9.7 |181.6 |178.1 |3.5 |1,149.1 |913.8 |2,062.9
Trade, industry, energy and
employment |3,783.6 |640.3 |254.8 |385.5 |360.9 |163.9 |197.0 |749.0 |<3>749.0 |- |5,533.7 |1,259.2 |6,792.9
Roads and Transport |2,357.0 |201.2 |200.2 |1.1 |170.4 |170.3 |0.1 |367.9 |367.9 |- |3,096.4 |1,181.5 |4,277.9
Housing |2,892.0 |316.6 |316.6 |- |109.8 |109.8 |- |30.8 |30.8 |- |3,349.3 |17.3 |3,366.6
Other environmental
services |605.1 |75.8 |70.0 |5.8 |75.6 |70.6 |5.0 |218.0 |218.0 |- |974.5 |512.4 |1,486.8
-
Local government |19,673.9 |4,373.0 |4,373.0 |- |1,775.0 |1,775.0 |- |- |- |- |25,821.9 |-25,821.9
Law, order and protective
services |3,495.8 |476.1 |443.1 |33.0 |176.0 |- |176.0 |697.6 |666.2 |31.4 |4,845.5 |1,631.3 |6,476.8
Education and science<4> |4,402.2 |592.1 |314.2 |277.9 |188.4 |30.6 |157.8 |899.0 |899.0 |- |6,081.7 |902.3 |6,984.0
Arts and libraries<4> |258.2 |25.4 |25.4 |- |20.5 |20.5 |- |- |- |- |304.1 |188.5 |492.6
Health and personal social
services |19,992.2 |2,753.0 |2,753.0 |- |1,331.2 |1,331.2 |- |961.6 |961.6 |- |25,038.1 |40.2 |25,078.3
Social security |43,414.5 |5,177.2 |- |5,177.2 |2,935.9 |- |2,935.9 |1,708.0 |1,695.4 |12.6 |53,235.6 |637.9 |53,873.5
Miscellaneous<5> |-1.7 |126.3 |126.3 |- |49.7 |48.0 |1.7 |59.0 |59.0 |- |233.3 |6,909.7 |7,143.0
Privatisation proceeds |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-4,202.0 |-4,202.0
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Total expenditure |101,531.8 |14,972.5 |9,074.6 |5,897.9 |7,286.3 |3,803.2 |3,483.1 |5,872.5 |5,825.0 |47.5 |129,663.2 |33,210.3 |162,873.5
<1> Programmes 15, 16 and 17 relate to expenditure programmes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland covered by the Departmental Reports for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
(Cm 1515-1517).
<2> Responsibility for most expenditure in Northern Ireland rests with the Northern Ireland Office and Departments; this column includes certain expenditure in support of the
agriculture and fishing industries, the costs of the NI Court Service and War Pension payments.
<3> Includes £ 305 million for costs associated with the privatisation of Short Brothers plc.
<4> Expenditure on arts and libraries in Northern Ireland is included with education and science.
<5> Includes contributions to European Communities and expenditure associated with general maintenance of government, such as tax collection and population registration.
Building Societies
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) when it was determined that changing the timing of building societies' payments of income tax was intended to raise extra revenue ;
(2) on how many occasions Ministers have stated that the building societies income tax changes announced in the 1985 Budget and in subsequent amendments were (a) not to yield extra income and (b) to yield extra income.
Mr. Maude : Ministers have always made it clear that the changes in the way building societies account for tax on interest and dividends paid would not involve the payment of extra tax.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the disputed tax awarded to the Woolwich Equitable building society was (a) extra tax or (b) the original expected tax.
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Mr. Maude : The tax involved was that applicable to investors' interest and dividends paid in the period between 1 October 1985 and 5 April 1986. The House of Lords decided that the Inland Revenue had power to make regulations bringing these payments of interest and dividends into account but not to charge tax at rates in force for 1985-86.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) on how many occasions the courts have ruled against the Government to the effect that the Woolwich Equitable building society should not have to pay extra tax following the 1985 Budget speech ;
(2) if he will arrange for the judgments in the various Woolwich Equitable building society tax cases to be placed in the Library.
Mr. Maude : There have been two judgments in favour of the Woolwich Equitable building society in litigation over the application of the transitional provisions in the 1986 Building Societies Regulations.
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