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Harwood School, FulhamHaydon School, Pinner
Highams Park School, Waltham Forest
Homewood School, Tenterden
Kettleshulme Church of England Primary School, Cheshire Langley Park Boys School, Bromley
Lord Digby's Girls Grammar School, Sherborne
Manor High School, Wednesbury
Moulton Primary School, Northamptonshire
Newton Church of England School, Lancashire
Northolt High School, Ealing
Parmiters School, Watford
Queen Elizabeth School, Penrith
Queensmead School, South Ruislip
Raines Foundation School, Tower Hamlets
Ravens Wood School, Bromley
Southlands Comprehensive School, New Romney
St. Aidan's School, Carlisle
St. George's Church of England School, Gravesend
St. Helen's Primary School, Bluntisham
St. John the Baptist School, Woking
St. Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Royston
Swanscombe High School, Kent
Thamesview School, Gravesend
The Down Primary School, Bridgnorth
Townmead School, West Drayton
Turnham Junior School, Lewisham
Vyners School, Ickenham
Watford Girls' Grammar School
William Gladstone School, Parkside
Wold Newton Primary School
Second application.
WALES
National Museum of Wales
Dr. Marek : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has on attendance figures at the National Museum of Wales for the last financial year.
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has on attendance figures at the National Museum of Wales for the last financial year.
Sir Wyn Roberts : A total of 704,035 people visited the National Museum of Wales during the financial year 1990-91 compared with 469, 521 during the previous financial year. This represents an increase of almost 50 per cent.
Public Libraries
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has on the level and quality of book stocks in public libraries in Wales.
Sir Wyn Roberts : Both the level and quality of book stocks in public libraries in Wales are matters for local library authorities. Information on the level of book stocks is prepared and published annually by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy in its volumes on public library statistics.
Museums (Funding)
Mr. Ray Powell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has met the chair of the Welsh Arts Council to discuss funding for museums in Wales.
Sir Wyn Roberts : The Welsh Arts Council has no responsibility for museums in Wales.
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Drinking Water
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to establish a programme of evaluation of the numbers of houses in Wales that have drinking water containing lead levels above those permitted by EC standards.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : Water companies in Wales are presently carrying out a survey of water supply zones where lead levels exceed, or are at risk of exceeding, the standard of 50 microgrammes per litre set in the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 1989, a standard which is tighter than the EC limit. The survey should be completed by June and the companies will then determine what, if any, remedial measures are required.
Hospital Travel Cost Scheme
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales who is responsible for deciding the criteria and the level of annual funding for the hospital travel cost scheme, following designation of its administration as an agency responsibility.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : The hospital travel costs scheme is operated throughout the United Kingdom in accordance with the criteria which were established centrally by all three health departments. Annual funding for its operation in Wales is the responsibility of the Welsh Office.
NHS Trusts
Mr. Gwilym Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his policy towards the establishment of NHS trusts in Wales.
Mr. David Hunt : The development of a contractual framework for the delivery of quality driven patient care will see NHS trusts increasingly evolving as the natural organisational model for hospitals and other units in Wales. However, it will be important that the initiative for deciding whether to seek self-governing status is determined locally taking account of individual circumstances and commitment. This view has been made clear to district health authority chairmen, senior DHA management and to existing units in Wales.
PRIME MINISTER
Labour Party Programme
99. Mr. Cohen : To ask the Prime Minister whether any civil servants will be involved in carrying out the costing of Labour's programme to which he referred in his answer of 7 May, Official Report, column 624.
The Prime Minister : Guidance on the involvement of civil servants in costing policies of Opposition parties is set out in the fifth report of the Treasury and Civil Service Committee, Session 1989-90, HC 260.
General Pinochet
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Prime Minister whether any Government Minister or official plans to meet General Pinochet on his forthcoming visit to the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement.
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The Prime Minister : No.Aid Budget
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Prime Minister if he will now set a timetable for the United Kingdom to meet the United Nations aid target of 0.7 per cent. of gross national product.
The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Mr. Kirkwood) on 30 April at column 163.
Red Cross Appeal
Mr. Madden : To ask the Prime Minister who approved the Government's £10 million contribution to the Red Cross appeal for the Kurds ; when such approval was given ; from which departmental budget the donation came ; what proportion of the Government's donation will be allocated to relieve hardship of Kurds and Shias in Iraq and Iran ; and if he will make a statement.
The Prime Minister : I announced the Government's decision to contribute £10 million to the "Simple Truth" refugee appeal in my reply to the hon. Member for Cynon Valley (Mrs. Clwyd) on 29 April at column 31 . This addition to the overseas aid programme will provide relief to all Iraqi refugees, not just Kurds.
LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL
Staff Passes
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will make a statement on the purpose of the question in the House of Commons pass renewal form which requires applicants to give details concerning their parents.
Mr. MacGregor : I will write to the hon. and learned Member.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Iraq (Nuclear Material)
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what additional resources will be made available by Her Majesty's Government to the International Atomic Energy Agency in respect of enforcement of United Nations Security Council resolution 687 ; what resources have been committed by the United Kingdom to the special committee of the United Nations in support of that resolution ; and whether Her Majesty's Government have any reliable evidence available as to the whereabouts of militarily usable nuclear material in Iraq.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The method of financing the additional work which the IAEA will undertake as a result of United Nations Security Council resolution 687 has yet to be established by the United Nations secretariat. The United Kingdom has an exemplary record in paying its assessed contributions to the United Nations and the IAEA regular budgets and is ready to pay its appropriate share of the costs of this additional work. Iraq has made two declarations to the IAEA on the location of its nuclear
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weapons usable material. The declarations are deficient in a number of respects, and do not meet the requirements of UNSCR 687. The location of the material is a matter for verification by the IAEA with the assistance and co-operation of the special commission.Syria
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his assessment of the level of human rights violations in Syria ; how many political prisoners are currently estimated to be held by the Assad regime ; of those, how many are alleged to have been tortured ; what is the Government's current policy regarding the sales of arms or high technology to Syria ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We are well aware of the public concern about human rights in Syria and allegations of torture. The resumption of relations enables us to raise these matters with the Syrians. We will play our part in underlining international concern. EC measures continue to apply to the sale of weapons and related items to Syria.
Kuwait
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether, on his recent visit, he raised with the Government of Kuwait the Amnesty International report on the torture of Palestinians ; what was the response ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Knapman) on 8 May. The Kuwaiti authorities have made it clear that all residents will be dealt with strictly in accordance with the law.
Rhino Products
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Governments of China, South Korea, Thailand and Taiwan about their continuing to allow the trade in rhino horn.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : We fully support efforts to stop the trade in rhino horn. We shall therefore raise this issue when appropriate in our contacts with the authorities in the People's Republic of China, the Republic of Korea, and Thailand. We have no governmental dealings with the authorities in Taiwan.
NATIONAL FINANCE
Government Expenditure
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish tables, otherwise identical to table 2.5 of Cm. 1520, showing separately (i) the central Government component of general government expenditure by function, (ii) the local authority component of general government expenditure by function and (iii) the public corporation component of general government expenditure by function.
Mr. Mellor : I am arranging for analyses of the central Government and local authority contributions to the data
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on general government expenditure by function presented in table 2.5 of the "Statistical Supplement to the 1990 Autumn Statement"--Cm. 1520--to be placed in the Library of the House. Public corporations' expenditure is not part of general government expenditure although grants, subsidies and net lending from central and local government to public corporations are included. These payments are included in the central Government and local authority analyses I have referred to.Mr. Dewar : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table, otherwise identical to table 2.6 of Cm. 1520, which shows separately the contributions of central Government, local authorities and public corporations.
Mr. Mellor : I am arranging for analyses of the central Government and local authority contributions to the data on general government expenditure by economic category presented in table 2.6 of the "Statistical Supplement to the 1990 Autumn Statement"--Cm. 1520--to be placed in the Library of the House. Public corporations' expenditure is not included in general government expenditure although grants, subsidies and net lending from central and local government to public corporations are included. These payments are included in the central Government and local authority analyses I have referred to above.
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table covering the period 1963-64 to 1993-94, consistent with table 2.1 of Cm 1520, but expressed to the nearest £ million, showing separately for each of the general Government expenditure columns the respective contributions of (i) central Government, (ii) local authorities and (iii) public corporations.
Mr. Mellor : Data are not readily available in the form requested. I am arranging for tables giving the information requested for the central Government and local authorities components of general government expenditure for the years 1963-64 to 1989-90 consistent with the latest estimates of general government expenditure published in the April 1991 edition of "Financial Statistics" No. 348 to be placed in the Library of the House. Corresponding data for later years are not available.
Public corporations' expenditure is not part of general government expenditure although grants, subsidies and net lending from central and local government to public corporations are included. These payments are included in the central Government and local authority analyses I have referred to.
Economy (Data)
Mr. Wray : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes are proposed to the methods of monitoring of the economy ; how he proposes to ensure that such changes will reflect objective and reliable data ; and how the retail prices index will reflect what ordinary people are paying for more expensive and less expensive goods and services.
Mr. Maples : A comprehensive statement on the current state of official economic statistics was submitted by the Central Statistical Office to the Treasury and Civil Service Select Committee on Wednesday 24 October 1990--see HC 671, Session 1989-90.
The memorandum gave details of an important package of measures to improve the reliability of economic
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data which the Central Statistical Office is now implementing. This package was announced to the House by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer on 17 May 1990, at column 172. It is directed towards improving the quality of both the gross domestic product and the balance of payments estimates. In this context it has three major objectives.(i) Reducing revisions to early estimates of both gross domestic product and the overseas current account by extending the range of quarterly sources ;
(ii) Improving the accuracy and coherence of the measurement of gross domestic product through strengthening the weaker elements in the estimates ;
(iii) Improving the accuracy and coherence of the financial accounts including the overseas or balance of payments accounts. The range of quarterly information available is being extended in two ways to improve the reliability of the latest estimates. First, gaps in quarterly coverage are being filled by new statutory quarterly inquiries. Secondly, existing voluntary inquiries are being replaced by strengthened statutory inquiries, which have been found to be more effective in providing reliable estimates. Specific measures aimed at improving estimates of gross domestic product include :
(i) New quarterly turnover inquiries for the service sector ; (ii) Statutory inquires replacing voluntary inquiries into stocks and capital expenditure ;
(iii) The voluntary Inland Revenue inquiry into company profits being replaced by a statutory CSO inquiry ;
(iv) A new quarterly labour force survey together with other measures to improve employment statistics, and
(v) Improvements to construction statistics. Other measures are aimed at improving balance of payments statistics and the financial accounts. These include :
(i) New annual and quarterly inquiries into overseas trade in services ;
(ii) A survey to assess the reliability of overseas trade valuations ;
(iii) Voluntary quarterly inquiries into inward and outward direct investment being replaced by statutory inquiries ;
(iv) An annual share register survey ;
(v) A new annual inquiry into the financial assets and liabilities of large companies ;
(vi) A review of the sectoral analysis of banking flows ; (vii) An investigation of the impact on the financial accounts of institutions in the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands, and (viii) A review of balance of payments statistics to be completed in July of this year.
Some of these measures have already contributed to improvements in the quality of economic statistics and the others will contribute to further and sustained improvements over the next two years. The statistics have also benefited from implementation of the recommendations of the review of economic statistics completed in April 1989. In particular the introduction of the statutory monthly sales inquiries in 1989 has led to more reliable early estimates of manufacturing output. Also the 1989 annual share register survey has provided more accurate estimates of the holdings of shares by the overseas sector leading to a reduction of £13 billion in the cumulated balancing item for the overseas sector.
The Government attach great importance to the need for reliable economic statistics and will consider further measures to maintain and improve the quality of economic data as the need arises.
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The retail prices index measures the change from month to month in the prices of the full range of goods and services bought by the majority of consumers in the United Kingdom. It does so on the basis of well over 120,000 prices collected across the country each month and information on buying patterns from a large and continuous survey of family expenditure. A number of improvements have recently been made to the quantity and quality of price data collected.Housing Statistics
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what percentage of freehold properties transferred in (a) 1989 and (b) 1990 were worth (i) under £20,000 and (ii) over £100,000 (1) nationally and (2) by region ;
(2) if he will publish a table showing for sales by individuals of single dwellings the number and average value of transactions nationally and regionally in 1989 and 1990 by range of consideration as set out in "Inland Revenue Statistics 1990" ;
(3) if he will analyse the property transfers reported to the Inland Revenue in 1988, 1989 and 1990 so as to give for each year (a) the percentage of properties under £20,000 and their percentage share of the total value of properties, (b) the percentage share over £100,000 and their percentage share of values, (c) the median value and (d) the average values for all properties and for freehold properties.
Mr. Maude : The tables provide the information requested on property transfers. All estimates are derived from a sample of property transactions in England and Wales which are reported to the Inland Revenue and cover all transactions which are classified as residential. The estimates exclude transactions in non-residential properties, but include a number of low- value transactions which cannot be regarded as ordinary house sales at market value : examples are transactions at nominal value to a connected person, disposal of part share of a house as a result of a divorce or separation, transfer of a half share on marriage, purchases of council houses under the right-to-buy scheme, purchases of tenanted property,
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transactions involving an exchange of property and other miscellaneous transactions in property at residential addresses. Comparable figures for Scotland and Northern Ireland are not available.
Table 1: Freehold residential properties transferred in 1989
and 1990
Percentage of
transactions where
price was
|under |over
|£ 20,000 |£ 100,000
---------------------------------------------------------------
1989
North |30 |2
Yorkshire and Humberside |28 |4
East Midlands |17 |6
East Anglia |12 |12
South East (excluding London) |7 |24
Greater London |7 |31
South West |11 |17
West Midlands |22 |7
North West |26 |5
England |17 |13
Wales |28 |5
England and Wales |18 |12
1990
North |29 |4
Yorkshire and Humberside |22 |5
East Midlands |14 |6
East Anglia |7 |11
South East (excluding London) |5 |21
Greater London |9 |28
South West |10 |13
West Midlands |20 |6
North West |27 |6
England |15 |13
Wales |34 |4
England and Wales |16 |12
Source: Survey of Property Transactions 1989 and 1990
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Table 2A
Sales of residential<1> properties by individuals
Numbers: thousands Average values: £ thousands
Range of price (lower limits)
1989 £ 0 £ 10,000 £ 20,000 £ 30,000 £ 50,000 £ 100,000 £ 250,000 All prices
|Numbers|Average|Numbers|Average|Numbers|Average|Numbers|Average|Numbers|Average|Numbers|Average|Numbers|Average|Numbers|Average
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
North |5 |3 |11 |16 |18 |25 |21 |39 |12 |64 |1 |122 |<2>- |395 |67 |35
Yorkshire and
Humberside |7 |3 |19 |16 |36 |26 |46 |39 |28 |66 |5 |138 |<2>- |370 |142 |40
East Midlands |4 |3 |4 |15 |14 |26 |27 |40 |22 |66 |3 |146 |<2>- |385 |75 |49
East Anglia |3 |3 |2 |15 |2 |24 |6 |41 |14 |68 |3 |143 |1 |370 |30 |65
South East<3> |10 |3 |6 |14 |6 |25 |17 |42 |113 |71 |39 |141 |5 |377 |198 |84
Greater London |10 |2 |3 |14 |4 |24 |5 |39 |72 |74 |29 |138 |5 |403 |127 |91
South West |6 |2 |3 |14 |4 |25 |15 |43 |46 |68 |14 |139 |2 |373 |91 |72
West Midlands |7 |3 |7 |15 |17 |26 |36 |41 |31 |68 |7 |143 |1 |350 |105 |51
North West |10 |4 |26 |16 |39 |26 |55 |40 |36 |65 |6 |138 |1 |346 |173 |41
England |61 |3 |81 |15 |139 |25 |229 |40 |376 |70 |108 |140 |14 |382 |1,008 |60
Wales |5 |3 |5 |15 |14 |26 |21 |40 |12 |66 |3 |135 |<2>- |363 |60 |44
England and Wales |65 |3 |86 |15 |154 |25 |250 |40 |388 |69 |111 |140 |15 |381 |1,069 |59
<1> Includes freehold and leasehold properties.
<2> Less than 500.
<3> Excludes London.
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Table 2B
Sales of residential<1> properties by individuals
Numbers: thousands Average values: £ thousands
Range of price (lower limits)
1990 £ 0 £ 10,000 £ 20,000 £ 30,000 £ 50,000 £ 100,000 £ 250,000 All prices
|Numbers|Average|Numbers|Average|Numbers|Average|Numbers|Average|Numbers|Average|Numbers|Average|Numbers|Average|Numbers|Average
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
North |3 |3 |6 |15 |12 |26 |17 |39 |12 |64 |2 |126 |<2>- |351 |53 |41
Yorkshire and
Humberside |6 |3 |5 |16 |15 |26 |41 |40 |23 |65 |4 |138 |<2>- |359 |94 |46
East Midlands |4 |4 |3 |14 |6 |26 |30 |40 |19 |65 |4 |142 |<2>- |399 |66 |50
East Anglia |2 |3 |1 |12 |2 |25 |13 |42 |15 |67 |3 |133 |<2>- |382 |37 |59
South East<3> |9 |2 |4 |14 |5 |24 |26 |42 |128 |69 |39 |142 |4 |372 |215 |80
Greater London |9 |2 |3 |14 |2 |25 |6 |41 |68 |73 |28 |143 |4 |414 |120 |90
South West |6 |2 |3 |14 |3 |25 |24 |43 |50 |68 |12 |137 |1 |390 |99 |66
West Midlands |8 |3 |3 |15 |7 |25 |35 |41 |33 |67 |5 |130 |1 |374 |92 |52
North West |8 |3 |11 |15 |18 |26 |52 |39 |33 |65 |6 |138 |<2>- |382 |130 |45
England |55 |3 |39 |15 |70 |25 |243 |41 |383 |68 |103 |140 |11 |389 |905 |63
Wales |5 |3 |3 |16 |7 |25 |16 |40 |10 |66 |2 |134 |<2>- |375 |43 |43
England and Wales |60 |3 |42 |15 |78 |25 |259 |40 |393 |68 |105 |140 |11 |388 |948 |62
<1> Includes freehold and leasehold properties.
<2> Less than 500.
<3> Excludes London.
Source: Survey of Property Transaction 1989 and 1990.
Table 3
Residential properties<1> transferred in 1988, 1989 and 1990
1988 1989 1990
|Freehold |All |Freehold |All |Freehold |All
|residential |residential |residential
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(a)Percentage of properties under £ 20,000 |17 |19 |18 |20 |16 |17
Percentage share of value |3 |3 |3 |4 |2 |3
(b)Percentage of properties over £ 100,000 |12 |10 |12 |11 |12 |11
Percentage share of value |33 |31 |37 |34 |34 |32
(c)Median price |£ 48,000 |£ 47,000 |£ 45,000 |£ 43,000 |£ 50,000 |£ 49,000
(d)Average price |£ 59,000 |£ 57,000 |£ 59,000 |£ 56,000 |£ 62,000 |£ 59,000
Source: Survey of Property Transactions 1988, 1989 and 1990.
<1>Includes sales by individuals and other purchasers.
Money Laundering
Mr. Rathbone : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on progress of the Treasury working group on possible money laundering through casinos, bullion dealers, bureaux de change and through the legal and accountancy professions.
Mr. Maples : Priority is currently being given to measures to combat money laundering in the banking, insurance and financial services sectors. However, together with other interested Departments, we are examining the scope for tightening up procedures elsewhere. Consultations are proceeding with the law enforcement agencies on which other activities and professions are the most susceptible to being used for money laundering and we shall then begin discussions with the relevant representative bodies.
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