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F
|Stockton |Middlesbrough|Hartlepool
|£ |£ |£
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1986-87 |341,243 |424,500 |562,271
1987-88 |186,895 |181,118 |842,240
1988-89 |472,000 |810,117 |1,546,107
1989-90 |1,593,549 |272,026 |2,069,192
1990-91 |764,019 |221,189 |1,059,150
|------- |------- |-------
Total |3,357,706 |1,908,950 |6,078,960
As a result of these approvals a total of 2,212 dwellings have been improved in the three local authority areas concerned. The figures in the table represent a high proportion of the total expenditure on estate action schemes. They were supplemented by resources from the authorities' mainstream housing investment programme. It will take a little time to establish the total expenditure on these schemes and I will write to my hon. Friend when I have full details.
Smoke Control Areas
Mr. Cummings : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many successful prosecutions there have been of suppliers of unauthorised petroleum coke in smoke control areas throughout the United Kingdom in each year since 1987 ; and if he will identify the local authority area and the name of the supplier.
Mr. Baldry : This information is not available to my Department.
Advice Services
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether standard spending assessments take account of the provision of advice services and section 38 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989.
Mr. Portillo : Provision for these services up to a standard level is covered by the all other services element of standard spending assessments.
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Trade in Wildlife
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures are currently being examined in order to impose and extend the controls on the import of species which are unlikely to survive in captivity.
Mr. Baldry : Discussions are taking place in the European Community on a proposed regulation to improve and extend the controls on trade in wildlife. This includes provisions that would enable restrictions to be imposed on the import of species which are unlikely to survive shipment or captivity. A draft of the regulation is expected to be published for consultation early in the summer.
Travelling Fairs
Mr. Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will make a statement on the outcome of his consultations with local authorities on travelling fairs ;
(2) what recent representations he has received from the Showmen's Guild of Great Britain on problems associated with travelling fair grounds ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Yeo : I have received no representations from the Showmen's Guild of Great Britain about the problems associated with travelling fair grounds, nor have I consulted local authorities about travelling fairs. However, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Romsey and Waterside on 20 December, column 273, about sites from which travelling showpeople base their activities. My officials have prepared some draft planning policy guidance about these sites, and invited comments from the Showmen's Guild. When we have these comments we intend to issue a revised draft for public consultation, involving the local authority associations.
Poll Tax
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will examine all outstanding poll tax cases currently the subject of prosecution before the courts with respect to reviewing continuation of the prosecutions.
Mr. Key : No. Community charge payers are under an obligation to pay their charge and local authorities must make all reasonable efforts to recover the charge from those who have not paid.
Parks Conference
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what contribution he is making to the fourth international parks conference in Caracas in 1992.
Mr. Baldry : The Government's statutory advisor, the Countryside Commission for England, intends to submit a number of papers to the organisers, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, for possible inclusion in the programme of the fourth world congress on national parks and protected areas. It is for the IUCN to determine the final programme.
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Kuwait (Pollution)
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects the results to be available of the UNEP environmental assessment in relation to the effect of hydrocarbons in the food chain and elsewhere in Kuwait ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Baldry : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 17 April, Official Report, c. 183. UNEP estimates that the completion date for its survey and assessment work is on environmental damage generally likely to be 15 July 1991.
UN Conference on the Environment and Development
Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has for consultations in the preparatory process to the United Nations conference on the environment and development which is due to be held in Brazil in 1992.
Mr. Baldry [holding answer 13 April 1991] : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment and Countryside on 10 December to the hon. Member for Gordon (Mr. Bruce), c. 266.
Water Supplies
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to require the water companies to enable customers who wish to do so to spread their payments over monthly periods of at least 10 months.
Mr. Baldry [holding answer 19 April 1991] : No. Companies are already required by condition G of their individual instruments of appointment to submit to the Director General of Water Services for approval a copy of a code of practice for customers, describing arrangements for the payment of bills by domestic customers including information about payment by instalments and budget plans.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Milk
Miss Emma Nicholson : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to seek a reduction in, or removal of, the EC co-responsibility levy on milk.
Mr. Curry : The Government have always opposed the
co-responsibility levy and will continue to press for its abolition provided that the cost is offset by price cuts on a sufficient scale.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether there is a minimum retail price per pint for the sale of liquid milk to the consumer.
Mr. Gummer : No. Statutory controls over the retail price of milk ceased with effect from 1 January 1985.
Whaling
Sir John Farr : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take steps to promote within the European Economic Community a total ban on commercial and scientific whaling.
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Mr. Curry : The European Community has not assumed responsibility for policy on whaling, but no whaling, whether commercial or scientific, is believed to take place in Community waters. Further, the Community prohibits trade in whale products through its implementation of the convention on international trade in endangered species. We will continue to press within the International Whaling Commission for the conservation of whales and for scientific research to be carried out by non-lethal methods wherever possible.
Honey
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a study of the problem of residues, brought about by the use of acaracides in the treatment of honey bees, in imported and home- produced honey, and the related effect of herbicides.
Mr. Maclean : Supplies of imported and home-produced honey are sampled for analysis for the presence of the antimicrobial compound fumagillin and for various pesticides. We have no plans at present to extend this testing to include acaracides and herbicides but will keep the situation under review.
Farm Waste
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he hopes to introduce regulations to control the disposal of farm wastes, to replace the code of good agricultural practice.
Mr. Curry : We have no plans to do so. The unconsented pollution of controlled waters, whether from farm wastes or any other cause, is already an offence under section 107 of the Water Act 1989. The Government recently increased from £2,000 to £20,000 the maximum fine applicable in magistrates courts for such offences. The forthcoming new code of good agricultural practice for the protection of water will give detailed practical advice to farmers on how to avoid pollution. Failure to comply with it could be taken into account in any legal proceedings for a pollution offence.
Water Pollution
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the long-term damage to wildlife of lochs, streams, and rivers caused by chronic pollution from agricultural runoff, after slurry has been spread on fields.
Mr. Curry : Land run-off accounts for approximately 10 per cent. of serious pollution incidents caused by agriculture, and about 2 per cent. of serious incidents from all causes. The Department is helping to support a research project designed to provide detailed information on the effect of land use on river quality and fish populations in the River Torridge catchment. We share the concern to reduce farm pollution of watercourses and the Government have introduced a wide range of measures designed to help achieve this.
Organophosphorous Sheep Dip
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many sheep carcases were tested in the past five years for organophosphates residues, expressed as a percentage of all sheep slaughtered.
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Mr. Curry : In the five years 1986-90, 889 sheep carcases were tested for organophosphate residues which represents a little over 0.001 per cent. of the number slaughtered but about 1 per cent. of the number of sheep flocks in the United Kingdom. No levels hazardous to human health have been found, but should that situation change a more intensive sampling regime would be introduced.Mr. Flynn : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what investigations he is conducting into possible contamination by organophosphates of water supplies, sheepmeat and farm and market workers.
Mr. Maclean : Organophosphorus pesticides generally decompose rapidly within the environment and are not normally expected to reach water. All water companies have been asked to consult ADAS about the use of all pesticides within their water supply areas. Companies have drawn up lists for monitoring purposes of those pesticides which are likely to reach water supplies. In some areas this list includes organophosphorus pesticides. The results of monitoring have not indicated problems with these pesticides.
Monitoring for organophosphorus residues in United Kingdom-produced sheepmeat is carried out under the national surveillance scheme. The results for 1989 are included in the recently published annual report of the veterinary medicines directorate. No residues were found above the advisory maximum limit.
The Health and Safety Executive has commissioned a three-year research project into the frequency and severity of acute pesticide poisoning incidents, includingorganophosphorus and whether they can result in long- term health effects. The executive also surveyed 25 sheep dipping sites during 1990 to ascertain the health effects of exposure to sheep dips and in particular to those containing organophosphorus.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is planning to introduce new regulations or
recommendations on the use and disposal of sheep dip.
Mr. Maclean : It is already an offence under the Water Act 1989 to pollute a watercourse. In 1988 and 1989 four farmers were prosecuted for sheep dip pollution incidents. No further regulations are planned.
Under the Medicines Act 1968, sheep dip products must be licensed before they can be marketed. Existing licensed sheep dip products are currently subject to review by scientists in the veterinary medicines directorate to ensure that the most up-to-date safety standards apply. The review must be completed this year under EC rules. Any sheep dip products which fail to meet these standards will have their licences revoked.
New guidance notes on disposal are currently being prepared by the VMD and will be available in July. A code of good agricultural practice for the protection of water is also being prepared by the Ministry, which will include advice about use and disposal of sheep dip. This will also be published in July.
Animals (Live Exports)
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what further steps are being taken to improve the conditions of animals who are sent to the continent as live exports ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Maclean : Discussions are continuing on Commission proposals for a new Community regulation on protection of animals during transport. The Government are pressing for the adoption of high welfare standards for all transport of animals in the Community.
Fishing
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many fishing vessels in each port in England have been put up for sale since the introduction of the EC fishing regulations that came into force this year.
Mr. Curry : I have nothing to add to the answer I gave to the hon. Member on 23 January at column 245.
Fisheries Council
Mr. Harris : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the Fisheries Council held in Luxembourg on 18 April.
Mr. Curry : I attended the EC Council of Fisheries Ministers in Luxembourg on 18 April 1991 with Lord Strathclyde, Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State, Scottish Office.
The Council had an exchange of views on the Commission's communication about the common fisheries policy. There was general recognition that fishing effort against many stocks needs to be reduced. I made it clear that the basic framework of the common fisheries policy is sound, but some improvements are needed. In particular total allowable catches and quotas, together with the principle of relative stability, are a central element, but need better support from improved technical conservation measures and enforcement. The Commission will now prepare by the end of this year the report provided for in the basic CFP regulation 170/83. The Council had a further discussion of the Commission's proposals for technical conservation measures. The Council will return to this issue at its next meeting in July.
Biodiversity Convention
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on his policy on the Biodiversity convention being prepared for the United Nations conference on Environment and Development being held in Rio De Janeiro in June 1992.
Mr. Baldry : I have been asked to reply.
I refer the hon. Member to paragraph 4.26 of the Environment White Paper, "This Common Inheritance", (Cmnd. 1200), confirming the Government's support for international efforts led by the United Nations Environment Programme to agree a global convention for the conservation of biological diversity. It is intended that the convention should be ready for signing during the 1992 conference.
Flooding
Mr. David Porter : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what local authority representations he has had in the last two years about the way his Department funds and administers sea defence, coast protection and river flooding schemes ; what changes he has made to his policy in the past two years ; and if he will now reconsider his current policy.
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Mr. Curry : During the past two years, we have received 40 representations from local authorities about the funding and administration of sea defence, coast protection and river flooding schemes. These were primarily about the availability of capital allocation or supplementary credit approvals for schemes ; changes to the method of calculating the grant rate for coast protection work which was made necessary because of the changes to the system of financing of local authorities ; general questions about the approval and progress of schemes ; and about the level and availability of grant. There have been no changes in the policy over the last two years with regard to either the funding or administration of such schemes and we have no plans to make changes in the foreseeable future. We have continued to increase the grant available for flood and coastal defence work, and over the period from 1989-90 to 1993-94 provision will have increased by nearly 80 per cent. from £35.9 million to £63.4 million.Mr. David Porter : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will now bring forward proposals to enable one authority to be responsible for sea defence and coast protection and river flooding prevention to replace the existing multi-authority system ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Curry : The present arrangements, which take full advantage of local knowledge, are well understood by the authorities concerned. The arrangements have worked well over time and I see no reason to change them.
Artificial Reef
Mr. David Porter : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what evaluation his Department has made of the National Rivers Authority scheme to build an artificial reef off the shore off the north Norfolk coast ; and what lessons he expects from the scheme proposals to be applicable to the remaining Norfolk and whole of Suffolk coastlines.
Mr. Curry : The National Rivers Authority's proposals to build an offshore reef to protect the Happisburgh to Winterton frontage of the north Norfolk coast are expected to be submitted to our engineers early in May. The Department has been kept fully informed of developments on the scheme as the NRA's consultants have progressed the design of the scheme, in the light of the knowledge generated by the east coast management study. Our normal technical appraisal of the proposals for grant purposes can be carried out only once the scheme has been received, so it is too early to reach any firm conclusions about the proposals, or to make an assessment of whether it would be possible to apply a similar approach to the remaining Norfolk and Suffolk coastline.
EMPLOYMENT
Ex-offenders (Training)
Sir John Wheeler : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he is reconsidering the methods of funding to voluntary organisations to ensure the provision of sufficient special needs training for ex-offenders ; and whether he intends to make more funds available for such training.
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Mr. Jackson : I will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
Clerical Work, London
Mr. Leighton : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what estimate he has of the change in employment opportunities in the central London clerical field (a) over the past two years and (b) over the next two years.
Mr. Jackson : In January 1991, at jobcentres in inner London, there were 668 unfilled job vacancies in the clerical and machine operators occupational class. This compares with 2,943 in January 1989. The Department does not forecast vacancy figures.
Long-term Unemployment
Mr. Cummings : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many long-term unemployed are registered in the Peterlee and Seaham areas ; and what the numbers were year by year since 1987.
Mr. Jackson : The information is available in the Library, and is shown in the table which gives the number of claimants in the Peterlee and Seaham jobcentres areas who were unemployed for at least a year as at January 1987 and each subsequent January.
Date |Total
Peterlee jobcentre area
January 1987 |1,454
January 1988 |1,326
January 1989 |892
January 1990 |446
January 1991 |331
Seaham jobcentre area
January 1987 |1,000
January 1988 |907
January 1989 |758
January 1990 |412
January 1991 |331
Employment Training
Mr. Leighton : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many trainees in employment training are (a) under 25 years and (b) in each five year age range between 26 and 65 years.
Mr. Jackson : Thirty-five per cent. of trainees in
employment-training were under 25 years of age at 31 October 1990, the latest date for which data are available. The other information is not available in the form required, except at disproportionate cost.
Unemployed Claimants, London
Mr. Leighton : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of unemployed claimants in (a) London Docklands, (b) the London borough of Newham, (c) the London borough of Southwark and (d) the London borough of Tower Hamlets in each year since 1981, as a percentage of unemployed claimants in Greater London.
Mr. Jackson : The information, available from June 1983, can be obtained from the NOMIS database in the House of Commons Library.
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Training Schemes
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will ensure that persons on Government training schemes will continue to enjoy the conditions applicable at the time of their embarking on the courses ; and if he will take steps to restore the travel allowance to Mrs. P. Horsley of 9 Byron avenue, Southend on Sea, Essex for the final four weeks of her course at the Manor college, South Benfleet.
Mr. Jackson : The Essex training and enterprise council is responsible for Mrs. Horsley's training. Essex TEC is contractually obliged to ensure that employment training and youth training trainees already in training in its area immediately prior to the start of the financial year 1991-92 should remain in training, be offered an individual training plan identical, or closely similar to that formerly being pursued, and should be offered terms and conditions of training, remuneration and assistance towards support costs at least as good, item by item, as those previously available to those trainees. My officials are looking into Mrs. Horsley's situation in these terms, and I will write to my hon. Friend shortly when I have their findings.
Youth Employment
Mr. Ronnie Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many young people under 18 years there are in the borough of Blyth valley who are not employed and have not had a youth training opportunity offered to them.
Mr. Jackson : Blyth Valley is part of the area covered by the North Tyne training and enterprise council. The TEC has a clear contractual duty to ensure that every young person under 18 not in school or a job who is seeking YT entry should have the offer, and if necessary re-offers, of a suitable training place. No particular problems have been reported concerning the YT guarantee for young people in Blyth Valley. The TEC and the Employment Department are jointly committed to maintain the guarantee.
St. John Ambulance Brigade
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what facilities he is making available to staff in his Department to contribute to the appeal that has been launched for people with the name of John to help raise £5 million for the St. John Ambulance Brigade.
Mr. Jackson : The Department encourages all staff to contribute to a whole range of charities by means of payroll giving.
Regular reminders are issued to staff about this facility, but, in view of the large number of competing charities, it would be invidious to single out any particular case.
Open College
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what the Government have allocated to the Open college for each year since its establishment in (a) cash terms and (b) real terms, indexed so its first year equals 100 ; and what was spent in start-up costs for the Open college.
Mr. Jackson : The Government have provided pump priming funding to the Open college since its launch in
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September 1987 with the aim of improving the skills of the work force by making open learning opportunities more widely available. To date the college has received £26.9 million. No separate funding has been supplied to the college in respect of start up costs. The allocations made to the college each year are as follows :
|Cash terms |Real terms<1>|Index
|£ million |£ million
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1986-87 |2.0 |2.0 |100
1987-88 |10.0 |9.5 |474
1988-89 |5.7 |5.0 |252
1989-90 |3.8 |3.1 |156
1990-91 |5.4 |4.2 |209
<1> 1986-87 prices.
Wages Councils
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will update his answers to the hon. Member for Coventry, South-East, Official Report, 14 March 1990, columns 252-56 and 2 April 1990, columns 460-62, concerning wages councils.
Mr. Jackson : As the information requested is contained in a large number of tables, I will write to the hon. Member enclosing the information and place a copy of my reply in the Libraries.
Young Workers
Mr. Denzil Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of the total annual wage bill for the latest available year in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) France and (c) Germany is accounted for by the local annual wage bill of those under the age of 18.
Mr. Jackson : The information requested is not available.
Motor Components
Mr. Denzil Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons are employed in the motor components industry in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) France and (c) Germany.
Mr. Jackson : Information on the motor components industry for France and Germany is not readily available.
Information at United Kingdom level is available only from the census of employment. At September 1989, the latest available date, there were 100,000 employees in the motor vehicle parts industry--activity heading 3530 of the standard industrial classification 1980. This covers the manufacture of motor vehicle parts made wholly or mainly of metal. Those engaged in the manufacture of other types of motor vehicle parts are classified elsewhere and are not separately available.
Wages
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many male and female workers earn non-adult rates in the Northern region and in each of the counties in the region.
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Mr. Jackson : The information available from the New Earnings Survey is provided in the following table :Column 367
Numbers of employees in the NES sample, April 1990
Total Of which: on non-adult rates
|Number |Percentage of
|total
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern region |Male |4,962 |169 |3.4
|Female |4,194 |85 |2.0
Tyne and Wear |Male |1,870 |63 |3.4
|Female |1,687 |23 |1.4
Cleveland |Male |867 |34 |3.9
|Female |704 |20 |2.8
Cumbria |Male |939 |39 |4.2
|Female |700 |23 |3.3
Durham |Male |888 |23 |2.6
|Female |733 |12 |1.6
Northumberland |Male |398 |10 |2.5
|Female |370 |7 |1.9
Note: Since the NES sample is mostly drawn from PAYE records, many of those with
earnings below the income tax threshold are not covered.
This may be expected to affect employees on non-adult rates more than other employees,
and so the proportions in the sample who are in this
category may not accurately reflect the proportions in the working population as a
whole.
Labour Statistics
Sir Ian Gilmour : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his latest estimate of the number and proportion of families with four or more children where neither parent is in full-time paid work.
Mr. Jackson : It is not possible to distinguish between full-time and part-time paid work for the spouse of the head of the family unit. The answer relates to single and two-parent families with four or more children where neither parent has paid employment. Preliminary estimates from the GB Labour Force Survey for spring 1990 indicate that there were 76,000 such families, representing 28 per cent. of the total number of families with four or more dependent children.
Quarries
Mr. Graham : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many companies have been charged for failing to keep quarries safe in (a) Scotland and (b) England and Wales, in each year since 1985.
Mr. Jackson : Since 1985 in Scotland there has been one prosecution of a quarry company and two prosecutions of quarry owners, all in 1989. Since 1985 in England and Wales, one company was prosecuted in 1988 ; four in 1989 and one in 1990 ; two owners were prosecuted in 1989 ; and one manager in 1988.
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