| Previous Section | Home Page |
CIVIL SERVICE
Non-departmental Public Bodies
Mr. Grocott : To ask the Minister for the Civil Service when it was decided not to publish in the Official Report information requested on total expenditure by non-departmental public bodies ; and what were the reasons for this decision.
Mr. Renton : Details of total expenditure by non-departmental public bodies is set out in "Public Bodies 1990" whose publication was announced in the Official Report on 19 December 1990, at column 176 and copies of which are available in the Library of the House. This is the usual method of publicising this information.
NATIONAL FINANCE
HMSO
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the 1991- 92 annual budget for Her Majesty's Stationery Office is ; and what percentage of that is allocated to staff costs.
Mr. Maples [holding answer 14 May 1991] : This question falls within the scope of the policy announced in
Column 179
Cm. 1263 : arrangements have therefore been made for the controller and chief executive of HMSO to respond direct. Copies of the letter will be placed in the House Library and with the Public Information Office.Mr. McAllion : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether Her Majesty's Stationery Office is being examined as a candidate for privatisation.
Mr. Maples [holding answer 14 May 1991] : The future of Her Majesty's Stationery Office is reviewed from time to time. There are, however, no current plans to privatise it.
Central Office of Information
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the 1991-92 annual budget for the Central Office of Information ; and what percentage of that is allocated to staff costs.
Mr. Maples [holding answer 14 May 1991] : This question falls within the scope of the policy announced in Cm. 1263 : arrangements have therefore been made for the chief executive of the COI to respond direct. Copies of the letter will be placed in the House Library and with the Public Information Office.
Royal Mint
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the 1991-92 annual budget for the Royal Mint ; and what percentage of that is allocated to staff costs.
Mr. Maples [holding answer 14 May 1991] : This question falls within the scope of the policy announced in Cm. 1263 : arrangements have therefore been made for the deputy master and chief executive of the Royal Mint to respond direct. Copies of the letter will be placed in the House Library and with the Public Information Office.
WALES
Dental Services
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list in the Official Report those district health authorities in Wales which have implemented his Department's recommendation in the circular on community dental services issued on 6 April 1989 that an annual reminder should be sent to parents about the benefits of regular dental examinations for their children.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : This information is not available centrally. Responsibility for the issue of annual reminders rests with district health authorities.
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish the procedures his Department has adopted to enable him to assess whether district health authorities have provided the necessary annual screening of the teeth of children in state-funded schools in areas of poor dental health and where availability of general dental services is poor.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : Health authorities are required annually to provide the Department with statistical returns, including information on the screening of the teeth of school children. This information is published annually in "Health and Personal Social Services Statistics
Column 180
for Wales", copies of which are available in the Library of the House. The level and frequency of screening is a matter for local determination by health authorities.Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidance on the development of the new management information system referred to in paragraph 4 of his departmental circular on community dental services issued on 6 April 1989.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : Since the publication of WHC(89)28 "The Future Development of Community Health Services" and following consultation with the national health service in Wales, a management information system providing an improved level of information has now been successfully piloted. Its introduction throughout Wales is currently under consideration.
Value for Money
Mr. Andrew Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will have discussions with the Audit Commission about ways of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of relevant activities which fall within the responsibility of his Department with a view to securing better value for money ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. David Hunt : From my examination of Audit Commission reports, and from the variety of contacts which I and my Department have with the commission, I am satisfied that the commission is making a real impression on the way local and health authorities deliver the services for which they are responsible.
Singleton Hospital, Swansea
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State discussed trust status on his visit to Singleton hospital, Swansea.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Agricultural Chemicals
Mr. David Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether patentable agricultural chemicals which are required to pass safety tests before they receive marketing approval will be eligible for supplementary protection certificates of the type proposed by the EC Commission for medicinal products.
Mr. Leigh : My colleagues and I accept that the patent term erosion in the agrochemical industry is similar to that for pharmaceuticals and that agrochemical patents should have similar supplementary protection. We intend therefore to seek either amendment of the Commission's proposal to cover agrochemicals or the introduction of a new proposal to that effect.
Offshore Oil and Gas (Standby Vessels)
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the number of emergency and standby vessels which have been ordered in each of the last
Column 181
three years for service in the United Kingdom's offshore oil and gas industry from shipyards located in the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Leigh [holding answer 14 May 1991] : None has been ordered.
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
St. Margaret Ward High School
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give the grounds on which he based his decision not to select the extension project for St. Margaret Ward Roman Catholic (aided) high school in the form approved by Staffordshire county council and the Diocesan Schools Commission.
Mr. Fallon : In determining capital allocations for improvement work at voluntary aided schools for 1991-92, my right hon. and learned Friend had sufficient resources to allocate for a proportion of improvement projects rated as top priority by their LEAs. The project at St. Margaret Ward school was not Staffordshire LEA's top priority.
Stratford Grant-maintained School
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what arrangements exist at Stratford grant-maintained school for the application of the curriculum complaints procedure, as agreed by him and the London borough of Newham.
Mr. Eggar : The governing body of Stratford school is required to make arrangements for the consideration and disposal of complaints relating to the curriculum and to agree those arrangements with my right hon. and learned Friend.
Value for Money
Mr. Andrew Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will have discussions with the Audit Commission about ways of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of relevant activities which fall within the responsibility of his Department with a view to securing better value for money ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : The Audit Commission has produced reports exploring efficiency and effectiveness in various aspects of the education service, including the provision of primary and secondary schools, further education, and inspectorate and advisory services. The Department will continue to hold discussions as and when appropriate with the commission about its work in relation to the education service.
South West London College
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what assessment has been made of the effect of the closure of the South West London college on the provision of higher and further education in the south-west London area.
Mr. Alan Howarth : The Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council has advised my right hon. and learned Friend that the South West London College Higher
Column 182
Education Corporation should be dissolved and that, following consultations with the students, the college's provision should be transferred to other institutions. We are consulting the college and other institutions on this advice. The final decision will take account of all the responses received.Boarding Schools
Mr. Dunn : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what further steps he has taken to secure the safety and welfare of pupils in independent boarding schools.
Mr. Fallon : I refer my hon. Friend to the replies I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Newbury (Sir M. McNair-Wilson) on 22 January, Official Report, columns 121-23 and 18 February, Official Report, column 24. Following consultations with interested bodies, regulations were laid on 24 April, coming into operation today, which require proprietors of independent schools to report where any member of staff is dismissed for misconduct, or would have been dismissed or considered for dismissal had he not resigned. Proprietors will also be required to provide particulars of all staff, not just teaching staff, on application for registration and annually.
My Department is writing to the proprietors and heads of all independent schools bringing these requirements to their attention. Conscientious reporting by schools will enable us usefully to extend the coverage of our list of people barred from employment in maintained schools--DES List 99-- which is itself an essential resource for those responsible for the employment of staff in the independent sector.
At the same time, we shall provide each school with a copy of the guidance and regulations on the implementation of section 63 of the Children Act 1989. Section 87 places new duties on proprietors of independent boarding schools, and on local authority social services departments, to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils. The guidance, which is published jointly by the Department of Health, the Department of Education and Science and the Welsh Office, has also been sent to social service departments and local education authorities and will, I believe, provide a sounder basis for securing all aspects of the welfare of pupils in boarding schools, including strengthening the arrangements for protecting them from sexual and physical abuse.
PRIME MINISTER
Bay of Bengal
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister whether Her Majesty's Government made any offer to the Bangladeshi authorities to provide technical assistance in predicting storm surges in the Bay of Bengal.
The Prime Minister : No. This is an area where the United States of America is the principal donor. Bangladesh's cyclone early warning system was established in the 1970s when a satellite ground station was installed in Dhaka by a Bangladeshi organisation, the Space Research and Remote Sensing Organisation. The ground station has subsequently been upgraded through a project funded by the Office of the United States Foreign Disaster Assistance and implemented by the National
Column 183
Aeronautics and Space Administration. United States aid assistance has continued for this activity and now totals excess of US$6 million.The Bangladesh authorities issued warning of the cyclone two days before it struck and an estimated 350,000 people were evacuated to anti-cyclone shelters.
Iraq
Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the Iraqi representations concerning their need to use helicopters for internal security which led the coalition representatives to concede that point during the ceasefire talks.
The Prime Minister : The Iraqi use of helicopters was considered at a meeting between General Schwarzkopf and the Iraqi military authorities on the suspension of hostilities at Safwan on 3 March. An Iraqi request to permit helicopter flights for transportation was agreed, without limitations of their use.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Fire Brigade
Sir John Wheeler : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of the total costs of fire brigades will be met from all central sources of funding, direct and indirect, in the current financial year ; and what percentage will be paid locally.
Mr. John Patten : Support for the expenditure of fire authorities in England and Wales is provided by central Government through revenue support grant, redistributed
Column 184
business rates and community charge grant. This support is not hypothecated to particular services, and decisions on what portion should go to meet fire expenditure are at the discretion of the local authority concerned. For England and Wales as a whole, central Government meet about 85 per cent. of the budgeted revenue expenditure of local authorities.Mr. Martin Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current establishment by rank for the South Yorkshire fire service ; what is the number of vacancies in each rank ; and what were the comparable figures for 10 years ago.
Mr. John Patten : The most recent centrally available figures relate to the establishment of the South Yorkshire county fire service on 1 January 1991. The establishments on this date and on 1 January 1981 are shown, by rank in the table, in comparison with figures showing the strength and the number of vacancies on each of those dates.
Police Forces (Budget)
Mr. Sheerman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what budget has been set for police forces in England and Wales in 1991-92 ; and what were the comparable figures for 1990-91.
Mr. Kenneth Baker : The Government do not set a budget for police expenditure, but the police share of total standard spending--TSS--is an indication of what we would expect police authorities to spend to provide an acceptable level of service. For 1991-92 the police share of TSS for England and Wales is £4,900 million. The comparable figure for 1990-91 was £4,384 million.
Column 183
|Establishment|Strength |Vacancies
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Wholetime operational ranks: 1 January 1981<1>
Chief Fire Officer |1 |1 |-
Assistant Chief Officer |4 |3 |1
Senior Divisional Officer |- |- |-
Divisional Officer I |8 |7 |1
Divisional Officer II |- |- |-
Divisional Officer III |19 |18 |1
Assistant Divisional Officer |27 |27 |-
Station Officer |130 |113 |17
Sub Officer |102 |91 |11
Leading Firefighter |136 |120 |16
Firefighter |714 |689 |25
|------- |------- |-------
Total |1,141 |1,069 |72
2. Wholetime operational ranks: 1 January 1991<1>
Chief Fire Officer |1 |1 |-
Assistant Chief Officer |4 |4 |-
Senior Divisional Officer |4 |3 |1
Divisional Officer I |2 |1 |1
Divisional Officer II |6 |5 |1
Divisional Officer III |11 |11 |-
Assistant Divisional Officer |28 |26 |2
Station Officer |131 |108 |23
Sub Officer |102 |100 |2
Leading Firefighter |136 |125 |11
Firefighter |659 |683 |<2>24
|------- |------- |-------
Total |1,084 |1,067 |<3>17
3. Retained operational ranks: 1 January 1981
Station Officer |8 |8 |-
Sub Officer |18 |16 |2
Leading Firefighter |27 |23 |4
Firefighter |198 |114 |84
|------- |------- |-------
Total |251 |161 |90
4. Retained operational ranks: 1 January 1991
Station Officer |7 |7 |-
Sub Officer |17 |10 |7
Leading Firefighter |24 |19 |5
Firefighter |144 |93 |51
|------- |------- |-------
Total |192 |129 |63
5. Control Room staff: 1 January 1981
Principal Fire Control Officer |1 |1 |-
Fire Control Officer |4 |4 |-
Senior Fire Control Operator |4 |4 |-
Leading Fire Control Operator |8 |8 |-
Fire Control Operator |20 |19 |1
|------- |------- |-------
Total |37 |36 |1
6. Control Room staff: 1 January 1991
Principal Fire Control Officer |1 |1 |-
Fire Control Officer |4 |4 |-
Senior Fire Control Operator |4 |4 |-
Leading Fire Control Operator |8 |8 |-
Fire Control Operator |20 |20 |-
|------- |------- |-------
Total |37 |37 |-
<1> Includes fire prevention staff.
<2> Denotes surplus in strength relative to establishment.
<3> Net figure.
Police National Network
74. Mr. Colvin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his review of the police national network will be completed and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Work is in hand on establishing a detailed user requirement for a network to handle both voice and data communications between police forces and also between forces and other agencies within the criminal justice system. This work is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
South Yorkshire Police Force
77. Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current establishment by rank for the South Yorkshire police force ; and what are the number of vacancies in each rank.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The information is given in the table.
|Establishment |Vacancies
|held
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 |Chief Constable |-
1 |Deputy Chief Constable |-
3 |Assistant Chief Constables|-
11 |Chief Superintendents |-
38 |Superintendents |-
47 |Chief Inspectors |1
159 |Inspectors |-
456 |Sergeants |2
2,282 |Constables |9
------- |-------
Total 2,998 |12
Lollipop Ladies, Cheshire
Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many lollipop ladies will be made redundant in Cheshire.
Column 186
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Under the provisions of section 26 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, authority for providing school crossing patrols in Cheshire is vested in Cheshire county council. I understand from the chief constable of Cheshire, who administers the scheme by local agreement, that it is expected that by the end of June some 60 or 70 school crossing patrol posts will have been withdrawn. Some further posts are to be reviewed.
Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements have been made to ensure safety for children leaving school grounds once the services of lollipop ladies are discontinued.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Authority for providing school crossing patrols outside London is vested in individual local authorities who may make provision for them where they consider it necessary. The safety of children travelling to and from school is the responsibility of their parents.
Police Station, Leicester
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on Government plans for a new police station at Hamilton, Leicester.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Proposals by the Leicestershire police authority for a new sub-divisional police headquarters at Hamilton have been approved for planning purposes and I understand that a site has now been purchased.
Provision for the police building programme is fully committed up to 1993- 94. We shall decide later this year which schemes on the planning list should be authorised to start in 1994-95. The Hamilton police station is one of the schemes which will be considered, but there can be no guarantee that it will be given a start date.
Column 187
Fire Authorities
Mr. Sheerman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions have taken place with the Chief and Assistant Chief Fire Officers Association concerning consideration of the future of fire authorities under the review of local government.
Mr. John Patten : Home Office officials attended the annual general meeting of the Chief and Assistant Chief Fire Officers Association on 4 May, at which the future structure of local government was one of the items discussed. Representatives of the association, together with those of other organisations representing fire service employers and employees, will have a further opportunity to discuss the Government's proposals at a meeting of the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council on 21 May 1991.
Parole Board
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the cases dealt with by the Parole Board (i) in 1990 and (ii) so far in the current year, were considered by the local review committee (a) six to 12 months previously, (b) three to six months previously and (c) up to three months previously.
Mrs. Rumbold : These statistics are not recorded centrally in this form and could not be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases were dealt with by the Parole Board (i) in 1990 and (ii) so far in the current year ; what percentage of prisoners had passed their parole eligibility date at the time of the deliberations ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : In 1990 the Parole Board considered some 7,400 determinate sentence cases ; so far this year it has dealt with about 2,700. The detailed statistics sought on the timeliness of board deliberations are not available. There are not any general delays, but occasionally cases are held up for reasons beyond our control, such as late changes in inmates' circumstances.
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners who were dealt with by the Parole Board in 1990 received their decision after their earliest date of release ; what was the average delay ; and what percentages of the decisions were positive.
Mrs. Rumbold : These statistics could not be provided without incurring disproportionate costs. However, it is rare for a parole decision to be delayed until after an inmate's earliest date of release.
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department of all cases dealt with by the Parole Board (i) in 1990 and (ii) so far in the current year, how many have had the home circumstances report completed (a) over 12 months previously, (b) six to 12 months previously and (c) three to six months previously ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : This information is not collated centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The probation service is under standing instructions to provide updates on any changes to inmates's domestic
Column 188
circumstances or release plans. A letter has been circulated to all chief probation officers reminding them of the crucial importance of timely home circumstances reports to the parole process.Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many instances of alleged maladministration or other complaints about parole dossiers have been reported by the Parole Board during the last two years.
Mrs. Rumbold : The Parole Board has not raised any specific cases with me.
Value for Money
Mr. Andrew Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will have discussions with the Audit Commission about ways of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of relevant activities which fall within the responsibility of his Department with a view to securing better value for money ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Baker : I met the chairman and the controller of the Audit Commission on 11 March and had a valuable exchange of views on the commission's work on the police and other Home Office services provided by local authorities.
War Crimes Investigations
Mr. Amos : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the cost so far to (a) the Metropolitan police and (b) his Department of the inquiries into alleged Nazi war criminals living in the United Kingdom ; what is the estimated cost of further investigations during the next 12 months ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. John Patten : The cost of the war crime inquiry, which was set up by the Home Office to investigate allegations that war criminals were resident in this country, was in the region of £460,000. It is estimated that police inquiries are likely to cost in the order of £700,000 in this financial year.
Royal Commission on Criminal Justice
Sir John Wheeler : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to announce the names of the members of the Royal Commission on criminal justice.
Mr. Kenneth Baker : The Queen has been pleased to approve a recommendation that the following be appointed members of the Royal Commission on criminal justice under the chairmanship of Viscount Runciman of Doxford : Mr. Robert Bunyard, Professor Sir John Cadogan, Professor John Gunn, Sir John May, Mrs. Yve Newbold, Ms Usha Prashar, Miss Anne Rafferty QC, Sir John Wickerson, Sir Phillip Woodfield and Professor Michael Zander.
Probation Service
Mr. Stevens : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to receive the report of the scrutiny of in-service training for the probation service.
Mr. John Patten : My right hon. Friend received the report on 18 April and I am today placing copies of it in the Library.
Column 189
I am grateful to the scrutiny team for its work and for its clear and comprehensive report. Its findings and recommendations will make a vital contribution to improving the training that the probation service will need to support its future work as a major criminal justice agency.We are consulting the probation service and others with a view to its implementation as soon as practicable.
Family Conciliation Services
Mrs. Mowlam : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he will protect family conciliation services by taking responsibility for their funding.
Mr. John Patten [holding answer 9 May 1991] : The Government are reviewing the future of and funding for conciliation services as part of their consideration of proposals for divorce law reform.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Institute of Horticulture
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he next plans to meet representatives of the Institute of Horticulture ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Curry : At present I have no plans to do so.
Lindane
Mr. Martyn Jones : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the Advisory Committee on Pesticides is expected to report on the safety of lindane.
Mr. Maclean : Data on lindane are currently being evaluated by the Health and Safety Executive. It is expected to be referred to the Advisory Committee on Pesticides by the end of the year.
Offal and Fallen Stock Disposal
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the amount of assistance given to agriculture for the disposal of offal and fallen stock.
Mr. Maclean : Government assistance to help the livestock industry overcome its problems on the disposal of fallen stock and animal carcase waste includes : practical advice from the state veterinary service and ADAS on alternative methods of carcase disposal including safe burial and incineration ; funding of research with industry and the European Community into the type of rendering systems which will destroy certain pathogens ; advising planning and regulatory authorities about the importance of adequate disposal facilities especially where planning permission is sought for incinerators ; exempting small incinerators designed for animal waste from the inspection and authorisation requirements of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 ; helping the rendering industry's examination of useful alternatives to landfilling for meat and bonemeal derived from specified bovine offal ; and identifying investment in the by-products sector as one of the priority areas for aid under the EC grant scheme for marketing and processing agricultural products.
Column 190
Milk Marketing Board
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the future structure of the Milk Marketing Board.
| Next Section
| Home Page |