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ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Solicitors Complaints Bureau
Mr. John Townend : To ask the Attorney-General how many complaints have been received about the legal profession from judges, lawyers, members of the public and the lay observer during the past 12 months ; and what assessments he has made of the efficiency of the Solicitors Complaints Bureau.
The Attorney-General : This information is not available in the form requested. The responsibility for any assessment of the efficiency of the Solicitors Complaints Bureau lies with the Law Society.
The Government responded to disquiet about the handling of complaints about the legal profession by establishing under the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 the office of Legal Services Ombudsman, to be independent of government and the profession, and to have a wider range of powers than the lay observer whom he replaced. The Legal Services Ombudsman will present an annual report to the Lord Chancellor which will be laid before Parliament.
DEFENCE
Efficiency Exercise Incentive Scheme
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what guidance he has issued on the uses to which money awarded under the Department's efficiency exercise incentive scheme can be put ; and how the expenditure of such moneys is monitored.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Guidance was issued to management areas about the way money awarded under the Department's trial efficiency incentive scheme was to be used. The guidelines stated that the scheme was intended to provide as much flexibility as possible on the type of project on which a management area chose to spend its reward, provided that the project did not breach Treasury guidelines and complied with departmental instructions on propriety and value for money ; and that the project should benefit the defence community as a whole and/or contribute to its future efficiency. Proposals for projects on which management areas wished to spend their rewards were required to be approved by the relevant service executive committee member, commander-in-chief or the chief of defence procurement, and also by the relevant senior finance officer. Details were reported to a central point where the expenditure could be monitored against the sums awarded.
NATO
Sir Eldon Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how and when he expects to make known to the House the results of NATO's review of its role, force levels and the deployment of allied forces in Europe, following the end of the cold war and east-west agreement on conventional forces.
Column 609
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Work on NATO's strategy review is continuing. We will keep the House informed.NGOs (Appointments)
Mr. Grocott : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the individual appointments excluding casual vacancies he is scheduled to make to quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations in (a) 1991 and (b) 1992 indicating in each case the title of the post, the salary if any and the duration of the appointment.
Mr. Alan Clark : I refer the hon. Member to "Public Bodies 1990" issued by the office of the Minister for the Civil Service in December 1990 ; pages 12 to 14 list Ministry of Defence appointments. Relevant information is also in "Public Appointments : a Handbook for Women's Organisations", pages 31 to 37, published by the Women's National Commission. Copies of these publications are available in the Library.
Buccaneer and Tornado Aircraft
Sir Eldon Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if, on completion of his assessment of the performance of RAF equipment in Operation Desert Storm, he will make a statement on the operational benefits, including target identification and accuracy, of Buccaneer and Tornado aircraft working together.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The performance of all aircraft and equipment used in the Gulf is still being evaluated. We have not yet decided how the results of this work might be made public.
Sea King Helicopters
Mr. Speller : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to order Sea King helicopters to replace or supplement older helicopters in the search and rescue role ; and when he will announce his decision on replacement search and rescue aircraft.
Mr. Alan Clark : Although the Wessex continues to make a valuable contribution to the search and rescue service, we are examining the case for its replacement as part of the MOD's normal equipment planning process. An announcement will be made once a decision is taken.
HEALTH
Cryptosporidiosis
Mrs. Ann Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the current incidence of cryptosporidiosis in the Battersea area.
Mr. Dorrell : An increased number of cases of cryptosporidiosis has been reported from the Wandsworth area. A detailed investigation into the cause of the increase is being conducted by the local consultant in communicable disease control with the support of the Public Health Laboratory Service.
Severely Disabled People
Mr. Pendry : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with representatives from disability organisations on the need to secure future local authority payments to severely disabled people to enable them to make their own personal assistance arrangements.
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Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : I have had several such discussions, most recently at a meeting with the Spinal Injuries Association in March.
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if it is still his policy to retain the legal prohibition on local authorities from making payments to severely disabled people to employ their own personal care assistants ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : During the passage of the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990, the Government gave careful consideration to an amendment to allow local authorities to make payments direct to those in need of services, but decided not to do so because of the difficulties in determining which clients would be eligible for direct payments and in controlling costs. However, our guidance stresses the need for disabled people to be fully involved in decisions about the care which they need and points out that there is no reason why a disabled person who wants to have day-to-day management of his or her carers should not do so.
Hip Fractures
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the number of hospital episodes for hip fractures distinguishing between men and women, and women aged over 75 years nationally and in each health authority region, in each year since 1980 ; and what is his estimate of the total annual national cost of these procedures.
Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 30 April 1991] : Information is given in the table about the estimated numbers of discharges and deaths from 1980 to 1985 and finished consultant episodes between 1987-88 and 1989 -90 for hip fractures. Information is not available centrally on the total annual national cost of these procedures.
Estimated numbers of discharges and deaths (1980 to
1985) and
finished consultant episodes (1987-88 to 1989-90)
where principal diagnosis was ICD 820: Fracture of
neck or femur
by RHA of residence
1980
Male Female
|All ages|Over 75 |All ages
------------------------------------------------------
England |8,750 |21,874 |30,511
Northern |698 |1,212 |1,797
Yorkshire |637 |1,766 |2,362
Trent |965 |2,352 |2,968
East Anglia |370 |791 |1,130
North West Thames |513 |1,119 |1,736
North East Thames |709 |1,715 |2,270
South East Thames |750 |2,136 |2,845
South West Thames |606 |1,766 |2,331
Wessex |462 |1,469 |1,920
Oxford |308 |637 |1,027
South Western |606 |2,105 |2,896
West Midlands |924 |2,300 |3,420
Mersey |257 |791 |1,253
North Western |945 |1,715 |2,557
1981
Male Female
|All ages|Over 75 |All ages
------------------------------------------------------
England |8,904 |22,409 |30,670
Northern |541 |1,234 |1,846
Yorkshire |663 |1,897 |2,499
Trent |918 |2,601 |3,346
East Anglia |275 |949 |1,224
North West Thames |592 |1,010 |1,469
North East Thames |704 |1,683 |2,244
South East Thames |877 |2,152 |2,887
South West Thames |592 |1,703 |2,275
Wessex |581 |1,387 |1,805
Oxford |214 |918 |1,244
South Western |571 |1,703 |2,295
West Midlands |989 |2,346 |3,335
Mersey |530 |969 |1,397
North Western |857 |1,856 |2,805
1982
Male Female
|All ages|Over 75 |All ages
------------------------------------------------------
England |8,994 |23,095 |31,835
Northern |590 |1,516 |2,218
Yorkshire |743 |1,913 |2,686
Trent |1,119 |2,452 |3,256
East Anglia |346 |987 |1,445
North West Thames |539 |1,302 |1,811
North East Thames |733 |1,608 |2,320
South East Thames |804 |2,035 |2,706
South West Thames |712 |1,852 |2,381
Wessex |366 |1,292 |1,923
Oxford |315 |926 |1,201
South Western |529 |1,730 |2,269
West Midlands |1,058 |2,635 |3,602
Mersey |387 |997 |1,424
North Western |753 |1,852 |2,594
1983
Male Female
|All ages|Over 75 |All ages
------------------------------------------------------
England |9,157 |24,277 |33,032
Northern |494 |1,483 |2,235
Yorkshire |834 |2,122 |2,719
Trent |1,123 |2,709 |3,708
East Anglia |309 |1,236 |1,710
North West Thames |474 |1,277 |1,720
North East Thames |721 |1,813 |2,575
South East Thames |772 |2,070 |2,812
South West Thames |505 |1,648 |2,163
Wessex |556 |1,514 |2,029
Oxford |288 |834 |1,009
South Western |814 |1,936 |2,482
West Midlands |1,112 |2,297 |3,389
Mersey |546 |1,092 |1,483
North Western |608 |2,245 |2,997
1984
Male Female
|All ages|Over 75 |All ages
------------------------------------------------------
England |8,450 |25,256 |33,541
Northern |596 |1,521 |2,107
Yorkshire |555 |1,943 |2,631
Trent |802 |2,703 |3,454
East Anglia |493 |1,203 |1,562
North West Thames |473 |1,511 |2,015
North East Thames |514 |1,953 |2,601
South East Thames |586 |2,446 |3,094
South West Thames |565 |1,758 |2,292
Wessex |545 |1,614 |2,087
Oxford |319 |730 |1,038
South Western |555 |2,015 |2,703
West Midlands |1,182 |2,344 |3,392
Mersey |411 |1,367 |1,747
North Western |853 |2,148 |2,817
1985
Male Female
|All ages|Over 75 |All ages
------------------------------------------------------
England |9,700 |26,272 |34,703
Northern |609 |1,496 |2,177
Yorkshire |867 |2,301 |3,106
Trent |939 |2,827 |3,508
East Anglia |351 |1,125 |1,538
North West Thames |578 |1,269 |1,847
North East Thames |887 |2,023 |2,590
South East Thames |640 |2,353 |3,106
South West Thames |702 |1,713 |2,270
Wessex |609 |1,507 |1,981
Oxford |258 |929 |1,218
South Western |774 |2,126 |2,745
West Midlands |1,218 |3,085 |3,890
Mersey |454 |1,383 |1,744
North Western |815 |2,136 |2,982
1987-88<1>
Male Female
|All ages|Over 75 |All ages
---------------------------------------------
England |9,055 |25,049 |32,707
1988-89
Male Female
|All ages|Over 75 |All ages
------------------------------------------------------
England |8,677 |25,722 |33,371
Northern |513 |1,309 |1,702
Yorkshire |514 |1,462 |1,936
Trent |989 |2,506 |3,215
East Anglia |388 |1,173 |1,464
North West Thames |572 |1,824 |2,369
North East Thames |678 |2,027 |2,750
South East Thames |772 |2,298 |2,839
South West Thames |535 |1,829 |2,329
Wessex |575 |2,263 |2,779
Oxford |252 |878 |1,235
South Western |840 |2,697 |3,354
West Midlands |825 |2,306 |3,078
Mersey |463 |1,252 |1,646
North Western |765 |2,264 |3,047
1989-90
Male Female
|All ages|Over 75 |All ages
------------------------------------------------------
England |10,303 |30,295 |38,622
Northern |752 |1,919 |2,515
Yorkshire |627 |1,944 |2,478
Trent |939 |3,022 |3,832
East Anglia |491 |1,366 |1,780
North West Thames |782 |2,177 |2,846
North East Thames |940 |2,467 |3,210
South East Thames |800 |3,146 |3,848
South West Thames |608 |2,174 |2,623
Wessex |725 |2,660 |3,304
Oxford |390 |1,094 |1,381
South Western |767 |2,014 |2,424
West Midlands |953 |2,837 |3,588
Mersey |574 |1,477 |1,940
North Western |1,000 |2,229 |2,917
<1> Data for 1987-88 are not available centrally by
region of residence.
Notes:
Data for 1986 are not available.
The figures for 1987-88 onwards are provisional
estimates based on incomplete data and may be subject
to revision when ongoing analysis has been completed.
Column 613
SOCIAL SECURITY
Claims
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the current figures in (a) numbers and (b) time involved in waiting for claims to be dealt with ; and what were the figures 12 months ago.
Column 614
Miss Widdecombe : The total number of claims received and the average clearance time for the month or quarter ending 31 March, and the comparable figures for March 1990 are in the table.
Column 613
Month ending 31 March 1991 Month ending 31 March 1990
Benefit |Number |Average |Number
received |clearance |received |clearance
|(days)<1>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Income support |352,299 |5 |298,705
Sickness/Invalidity |88,867 |8 |90,391
Retirement pension |47,128 |19 |46,407
Family credit |81,696 |73 per cent. |77,694
|within 20 days
Invalid care allowance |5,683 |35 |5,342
Severe disablement allowance |764 |32 |707
War disablement pension |3,277 | 37 per cent. |3,573
|within 125 days
War widows pension |508 |63 per cent. |401
|within 50 days
Attendance allowance |39,264 |42 |39,208
Mobility allowance |21,079 |50 |23,916
Child benefit
straightforward claims |37,431 |96 per cent. |42,879
|within 5 days
non-straightforward claims |27,152 |82 per cent.30,495|95 per cent.
|within 16 days
One parent benefit |15,650 |85 per cent.17,438|93 per cent.
|within 12 days |within 12 days
<1> Rounded.
Quarter ending 31 March 1991 Quarter ending 31 March 1990 Benefit Number
received Average
clearance
(days) Number
received Average
clearance
(days)
Widows benefit 14,994 15 15,984 15
Maternity allowance 27,611 10 31,377 12
Rounded.
Quangos
Mr. Grocott : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the individual appointments excluding casual vacancies he is scheduled to make to quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations in (a) 1991 and (b) 1992 indicating in each case the title of the post, the salary if any and the duration of the appointment.
Miss Widdecombe : The readily available information about the appointments for which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is responsible, a number of which fall to be made in 1991 and 1992, is given in "Public Bodies" and "Public Appointments : A Handbook for Women's Organisations", copies of which are in the Library.
Mortgages
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will indicate how many mortgages supported by DSS interest payments total (i) over £700,000,(ii) £600,000 to £700,000, (iii) £500,000 to £600,000,
Column 614
(iv) £400,000 to £500,000, (v) £300,000 to £400,000,(vi) £200,000 to £300,000, (vii) £100,000 to £200,000,(viii) £50,000 to £100,000 and (ix) under £50,000 ; what is the average weekly interest paid by the DSS in each band ; and what is the total DSS payment of interest for each band.Miss Widdecombe : This information is not collected and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Information about the amount of weekly loan interest included in the assessment of income support is collected and is published in the income support annual statistical enquiry. A copy of the 1989 enquiry is in the Library ; the 1990 enquiry will be available shortly.
Residential Care Allowance
Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the level of funding provided by way of the residential care allowance.
Column 615
Miss Widdecombe : The estimated annual expenditure on income support for claimants in residential care at August 1990 was £772 million, excluding nursing homes.Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received about the adequacy of residential care allowances.
Miss Widdecombe : A number of representations have been received recently both from individuals and representative bodies.
Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps he takes to monitor the impact on rent levels and the number of tenancies in the private, housing association and local authority sectors of the residential care allowance.
Miss Widdecombe : The higher income support limits for people in residential care homes are based on costs of care, not on charges by the homes or on housing costs and occupancy rates prevailing in the community as a whole. Residents in local authority homes do not receive the higher income support levels of benefit.
Cold Weather Payments
Mr. Andrew Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claims for cold weather payments have been received by his Department since 1 January ; and how many claims were (i) approved,(ii) refused and (iii) still outstanding at 30 April.
Column 616
Mr. Scott : The information will be placed in the Library as soon as it is available.
Gulf : Crisis Loans
Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he intends to reply to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Shettleston's letters of 7 March and 14 April regarding the Gulf crisis : crisis loans.
Mr. Jack : I apologise for the delay in the Department not replying sooner to the hon. Member's letters. Following receipt of the letters, work has been undertaken to fully examine the circumstances of the hon. Member's constituent, and to recheck the information given in the reply he received from the local office manager on 29 January. The case has a number of factors which are being given careful consideration, but inquiries should shortly be completed and a reply will be sent to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
Disablement Benefits
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people were receiving industrial disablement at each rate at the last date for which figures are available ; and if he will break down the figures by sex and standard age cohorts.
Mr. Scott [holding answer 1 May 1991] : The information is in the table.
Column 615
Industrial disablement pensions assessments current at 31 March 1990
Males
Percentage all assessment
|Total |10<1> |20<1> |30 |40 |50 |60 |70 |80 |90 |100
|all ages
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All ages |167,940 |13,180 |67,580 |41,370 |19,960 |9,980 |6,240 |3,140 |2,180 |860 |3,450
Under 18 |30 |- |30 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
18-19 |290 |- |170 |30 |70 |10 |10 |- |- |- |-
20-24 |1,480 |- |920 |220 |160 |60 |50 |10 |30 |10 |20
25-29 |3,120 |20 |1,710 |770 |250 |100 |110 |60 |10 |10 |80
30-34 |5,170 |70 |2,710 |1,290 |470 |190 |170 |80 |30 |20 |140
35-39 |6,880 |110 |3,420 |1,670 |650 |370 |230 |130 |80 |70 |150
40-44 |10,850 |260 |5,030 |2,720 |1,210 |550 |360 |260 |150 |70 |240
45-49 |13,670 |410 |5,840 |3,340 |1,820 |900 |500 |170 |240 |80 |370
50-54 |17,170 |870 |7,380 |4,180 |2,100 |1,000 |520 |330 |170 |100 |520
55-59 |20,150 |1,240 |8,030 |5,570 |2,550 |1,150 |700 |350 |230 |10 |320
60-64 |25,030 |2,250 |9,640 |6,190 |3,410 |1,360 |910 |420 |370 |100 |380
65-69 |25,480 |2,730 |9,320 |6,420 |2,920 |1,670 |990 |490 |370 |150 |420
70-74 |17,510 |2,190 |6,060 |3,910 |2,070 |1,300 |830 |500 |250 |120 |280
75-79 |12,450 |1,720 |4,250 |3,080 |1,350 |900 |500 |160 |140 |90 |260
80-84 |6,150 |830 |2,100 |1,410 |790 |290 |310 |130 |80 |20 |190
85 and over |2,510 |480 |970 |570 |140 |130 |50 |50 |30 |10 |80
Females
Percentage all assessment
|Total |10<1> |20<1> |30 |40 |50 |60 |70 |80 |90 |100
|all ages
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All ages |22,740 |2,000 |11,460 |5,040 |1,890 |1,120 |650 |280 |120 |50 |130
Under 18 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
18-19 |30 |- |30 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
20-24 |260 |- |190 |50 |10 |- |10 |- |- |- |-
25-29 |450 |- |370 |30 |20 |10 |20 |- |- |- |-
30-34 |580 |30 |330 |150 |40 |20 |10 |- |- |- |-
35-39 |980 |30 |560 |170 |110 |50 |60 |- |- |- |-
40-44 |1,610 |80 |970 |340 |90 |50 |50 |10 |- |10 |10
45-49 |2,150 |120 |1,150 |420 |200 |130 |60 |30 |10 |- |30
50-54 |2,610 |140 |1,510 |540 |140 |140 |80 |40 |10 |10 |-
55-59 |3,100 |200 |1,750 |680 |200 |170 |40 |30 |20 |- |10
60-64 |2,920 |390 |1,360 |540 |260 |180 |110 |20 |40 |- |20
65-69 |2,580 |330 |1,140 |630 |270 |70 |40 |50 |20 |10 |20
70-74 |1,860 |280 |640 |600 |130 |70 |80 |40 |- |- |20
75-79 |1,670 |190 |700 |450 |160 |90 |40 |10 |10 |10 |10
80-84 |1,250 |100 |550 |310 |160 |60 |20 |40 |- |- |10
85 and over |690 |110 |210 |130 |100 |80 |30 |10 |10 |10 |-
<1> 10,200 beneficiaries with disablements of between one and nineteen per cent. receive disablement pensions. Those of
1-13 per cent. are included at 10 per cent. and those of 14-19 per cent. are included at 20 per cent.
NATIONAL FINANCE
Taxation
Mr. Trimble : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will indicate for the last year for which figures are available, how much was collected in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) Scotland in respect of (i) income tax, showing PAYE separately, (ii) national insurance, (iii) value added tax, (iv) capital gains tax, (v) capital transfer tax, (vi) stamp duty on conveyancing, (vii) other stamp duty, (viii) inheritance tax, (ix) road tax on private vehicles and commercial vehicles separately, (x) duty on alcohol, (xi) duty on tobacco, (xii) duty on petrol and (xiii) duty on purchase of new vehicles.
(i) No information is available on total income tax or PAYE collected in Northern Ireland and Scotland, but total income tax liabilities in 1987-88, the latest available year, were estimated to be £3.4 billion for taxpayers resident in Scotland and £0.8 billion for Northern Ireland residents.
(ii) National insurance receipts from Northern Ireland were £574 million in 1989-90. No figures are available for Scotland. (
(iv) No information available for Northern Ireland and Scotland. (
(v) and
(viii) Provisional estimates of receipts of estate duty, capital transfer tax and inheritance tax in 1990-91 are £74 million for Scotland and £18 million for Northern Ireland.
(vi) Stamp duty on conveyancing received by the Edinburgh Stamp Office in 1990-91 was £62 million and the corresponding amount for the Belfast Stamp Office was £8 million.
(vii) No information available for Northern Ireland and Scotland. (
(ix) Estimates for Vehicle Excise Duty revenue in 1989-90 are as follows :
|Scotland |Northern
|Ireland
|£ million|£ million
----------------------------------------
Total |230 |65
Private, light goods 50hicles and motorc
Others |55 |15
Note: Figures are rounded to nearest £5
million.
Information on the tax collected in Northern Ireland and Scotland in respect of value added tax, car duty on alcohol, tobacco and petrol could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The information would not reflect the tax falling on final expenditure in Northern Ireland and Scotland.
VAT (Hospices)
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effects of the recent increase in value added tax on hospices with charity status.
Column 618
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : I regret that detailed information of this sort is not readily available.
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on value added tax rating release for hospices with charity status.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : There is a wide range of VAT reliefs designed to assist charities such as hospices with their caring work.
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has any proposals to reduce the burden of value added tax falling on caring charities such as hospices.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : No. Charities, including hospices, already benefit from a wide range of VAT reliefs, as well as direct tax reliefs.
Income Levels
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update to April 1991 the information on net earnings provided in the answer to the then hon. Member for Fulham of 10 February 1987, Official Report, columns 177-78 .
Mr. Maude : Estimates of the levels of earnings for the top 5 per cent. of earners are not published. The information in the table is based on estimates of these levels derived from distributions of earnings published in the relevant new earnings surveys. Information for April 1991 is not yet available. Earnings levels are for men or women as appropriate paid at adult rates with pay unaffected by absence. Taxpayers are assumed to have no reliefs or allowances other than the appropriate personal allowance.
Earnings after Income Tax, National Insurance Contributions<1> and
Child Benefit (£ per week)
|<4>April 1979|April 1990
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Single man
At current prices |114.17 |403.75
At constant April 1990 prices<2> |263.03 |403.75
Married man<3>
At current prices |117.98 |416.98
At constant April 1990 prices<2> |271.81 |416.98
Married man<3> with two children under 11
At current prices |125.98 |431.48
At constant April 1990 prices<2> |290.24 |431.48
Single woman
At current prices |72.23 |262.92
At constant April 1990 prices<2> |166.41 |262.92
<1> At the contracted in rate.
<2> By reference to the retail price index.
<3> Assuming no wife's earnings.
<4> Under the April 1979 tax/benefit regime.
Column 619
Quangos
Mr. Grocott : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the individual appointments excluding casual vacancies he is scheduled to make to quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations in (a) 1991 and (b) 1992 indicating in each case the title of the post, the salary if any and the duration of the appointment.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : During 1991 the Chancellor is scheduled to appoint or reappoint five members of the National Economic Development Council and a further 15 during 1992. Appointments are for two years and no salary is paid.
In February the Queen, on the recommendation of the Chancellor, appointed five members to the Royal Mint Advisory Committee and during 1992 the Chancellor is scheduled to recommend up to four more appointments. Appointments are for seven years and no salary is paid.
Central Unit on Purchasing
Mr. William Powell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of savings achieved by the central unit on purchasing in each year since 1986.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The central unit on purchasing is an advisory unit responsible for encouraging best procurement practice in central Government Departments. It, therefore, has no executive purchasing responsibilities. However, since the formation of CUP and the start of the Government purchasing initiative in 1986, Departments collectively have achieved savings in excess of £1.3 billion. Detailed figures on departmental savings are set out in CUP's annual reports to the Prime Minister, copies of which are available in the Library.
ENVIRONMENT
Local Government Finance
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list the authorities which have a higher spending above standard spending assessment but have a lower council tax than Grimsby ; and if he will set out the reasons for the difference in each case ;
(2) further to his answer of 29 April, Official Report, column 13, if he will list each district where most households are in band B in order of the district's divergence from the standard spending assessment, with the estimated council tax for band B in each district ;
(3) further to his answer of 29 April, Official Report, column 13, if he will list each district in order of its percentage increase in spending above its standard spending assessment, showing its correlation with its position in rank order of level of council tax ;
(4) if he will publish the correlation, and its statistical significance, between the level of council tax in band B for a two-person household in all districts with (a) the percentage spending of the district over or under standard spending assessment, (b) the band of the average value home in that district, (c) the percentage of homes in band A in that district and (d) the level of unemployment in each district according to the latest available figures.
Mr. Key : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 29 April 1991 to my hon. Friend the Member for Tynemouth (Mr. Trotter) at column 12.
Column 620
Property Values
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing nationally and by regions the average and quintile amounts in income per head and property values together with the percentage deviation in each region from the national average.
Mr. Key : The information requested is not available.
House Prices
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing (i) the outturn of average dwelling prices for 1989 and (ii) for Greater London, Yorkshire and Humberside, the estimated average national capital value for the proposed council tax for all dwellings, all council dwellings and all dwellings less council dwellings ; and if he will provide an estimate of the percentage in each of the proposed tax bands in each case.
Mr. Key : The illustrative council tax bills published on 23 April were based on an average property value of about £80,000. Estimates on the same basis of average property values in 1989 are not available. Nor are estimates which distinguish between council and other dwellings.
Quangos
Mr. Grocott : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the individual appointments excluding casual vacancies he is scheduled to make to quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations in (a) 1991 and (b) 1992, indicating in each case the title of the post, the salary if any and the duration of the appointment.
Mr. Heseltine : Information about the number and levels of remuneration of people appointed to public bodies by my Department is given in "Public Bodies 1990" and "Public Appointments : A Handbook for Women's Organisations", copies of which are in the Library of the House.
Housing Statistics
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing for each region, county and district the number of dwellings and the average rateable value of dwellings within each quintile ranked by rateable value, together with the corresponding capital value ; and if he will add in each case the gross revenue yield from rates in 1989-90 and the corresponding yield from the proposed council tax.
Mr. Key : The information requested is not available.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, what is the ratio of average freehold and leasehold dwelling prices in each English region, Scotland and Wales to the English average used in his calculations in the illustrative tables for the council tax compared to 1982, 1977 and 1967 ; and what were the corresponding ratios for average incomes/earnings.
Mr. Key : Information on house prices for 1982, 1977 and 1967 is not available on a basis comparable with that
Column 621
used in the tables showing illustrative council tax bills. Information on average earnings by regions is published by the Department of Employment in its annual reports of the new earnings survey.Standard Spending Assessments
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what allowance is made in the standard spending assessment for numbers in private rented accommodation ; and how this affects allocations per head of the population in (a) Grimsby, (b) Westminster, (c) Harrogate and (d) Eastbourne.
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