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Schools and Colleges (Rates)
Mr. Stott : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what services and support local district councils provide for secondary schools and further education colleges in respect of rates payments.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 14 May 1991] : There are two rates in Northern Ireland, the regional rate determined by the Department of Finance and Personnel, which funds regional services, including education, and the district rate struck by each district council to meet the costs of district services which include the provision of leisure facilities--playing fields, leisure centres, swimming pools, and so on--and environmental services--refuse collection and disposal, street cleansing and litter control, building control, environmental health enforcement and so on. District services are provided for secondary schools and further education colleges.
WALES
Speech Therapy
Mrs. Ray Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time speech therapists are currently employed by each Welsh health district board ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Nicholas Bennett : The information requested is given in the following table :
Number of staff in post as at 30 April 1991 District health |Full-time |Part-time authority ---------------------------------------------------------------- Pembrokeshire |4 |3 Clwyd |18 |10 East Dyfed |12 |3 Gwent |16 |5 Gwynedd |9 |3 Mid Glamorgan |19 |4 Powys |6 |3 South Glamorgan |26 |10 West Glamorgan |8 |5
There has been a significant and welcomed increase in the number of speech therapists employed by district health authorities in Wales since this Government took office. Since 1979 the number of whole-time equivalent speech therapists employed has increased from 65 to 154, an increase of 137 per cent.
Brymbo Steelworks
Dr. Marek : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the quality of training provided for people from Brymbo steelworks who were recently made redundant ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. David Hunt : Training for those recently made redundant at the Brymbo steelworks is provided under the iron and steel employees' readaptation benefits scheme which is jointly funded by the Department of Trade and Industry and the European Commission. In the course of administering the scheme the Department of Trade and Industry has discussed the quality of training, both with trainees and with training providers, and has drawn apparent deficiencies to the attention of the providers. That Department is continuing to monitor the situation closely.
TRANSPORT
Severn Crossing
Mr. John P. Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will require that local companies and jobs will be given priority when considering supply and service contracts for the John Laing-GTM second Severn crossing joint venture.
Mr. Chope : The concession company for the second Severn crossing scheme will be required to comply with the normal competitive rules for sub -contracting. It will not therefore be allowed to discriminate on the grounds of nationality or location in its selection of sub-contractors. But I hope that local firms and individuals will bid for the work.
Channel Tunnel
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which authorities are responsible for determining the charges or tolls for the carriage of freight traffic through the channel tunnel for those portions of the journey (a) on the continent (b) within the United Kingdom and (c) between Frethun and Cheriton ; and if
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the payer of such moneys can be made aware of the components of any combined charge for any class or quantity of traffic attributable to each part of the journey.Mr. Freeman : Charging for international rail freight services through the channel tunnel will be a commercial matter for British Rail and SNCF, who have a commercial agreement with Eurotunnel for the use of the tunnel.
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assistance is being provided out of public funds, other than that for grants toward the costs of private railway sidings, for the development or equipment of freight terminals for cross-channel rail traffic on the basis of (a) general desirability and (b) reduction in road congestion.
Mr. Freeman : Investment in terminals for channel tunnel freight services is a commercial matter for British Rail and, where appropriate, its private sector partners. British Rail is prohibited under section 42 of the Channel Tunnel Act 1987 from receiving Government grants for international rail services.
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what is British Rail's target date for signing a contract for building the main fleet of international trains for the channel tunnel route ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) when British Rail will order the fleet of 18-coach Euro-express trains ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : British Rail, SNCF and SNCB signed the contract for the 30 inter-capital trainsets in December 1989. British Rail are still discussing with the manufacturers the design of and terms for the specially modified trainsets needed for north of London services.
Essex Roads
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to increase the capital allocation to Essex county council for road construction in this or following financial years ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Chope : The allocation of transport supplementary grant, annual capital guideline and supplementary credit approval for local authority expenditure on roads in 1991-92 was announced last December. The resources available were fully distributed among the 108 authorities and none held back for later allotment.
The allocations are decided in the light of information in authorities' annual transport policies and programme documents, which have to be submitted to the Secretary of State by the end of July each year. The allocations for Essex county council for 1992-93 will be considered on this basis, taking into account the competing bids from other highway authorities and the total resources available. It is not therefore possible to anticipate the outcome.
Kingsway Underpass
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how long the underpass from Waterloo bridge to Kingsway has been closed to traffic ; when it will be re-opened and how much is the estimated cost of the work.
Mr. Chope : Westminster city council, which is the highway authority for the underpass, closed it on
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18 January 1989. I understand that it is to re-open within the next few weeks and that the estimated cost of refurbishment is £4 million.24 Claremont Road, E11
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the Waltham Forest environmental health officer with regard to his Department's property at 24 Claremont road, E11 ; and what action he proposes to take on it.
Mr. Chope : Yes ; I have placed in the Library a copy of the environmental health officer's report about 24 Claremont road, E11 dated 27 June 1990. This property has been acquired in connection with A12 Hackney- M11 link road and is temporarily occupied by tenants of the Department.
The Department has offered alternative accommodation to the tenants in order to vacate the property. They have turned the offer down. Since the report, essential repairs have been carried out. It is our intention to demolish the property after the tenancy agreement expires in November 1991.
British Transport Police
Mr. Denzil Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidelines are laid down for investigations by the British Transport Police in cases of sudden death.
Mr. Freeman : The guidelines for investigations by the British Transport police in cases of sudden death are the same as those for Home Department forces. Investigations are conducted on behalf of Her Majesty's coroners of the areas in which such deaths occur. In apropriate cases, the facts are brought to the attention of the Crown prosecution service.
Mr. Denzil Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what statutory bases the British Transport Police is required to investigate and submit reports to Her Majesty's coroners in cases of sudden death involving British Rail trains.
Mr. Freeman : The British Transport police in its present form is established by section 69 of the Transport Act 1962 and its jurisdiction stems from section 53 of the British Transport Commission Act 1949 as amended. Constables are appointed in accordance with the provisions of the British Transport Commission Act 1949 as amended by section 70 of the Transport Act 1962, section 43 of the British Transport Commission Act 1962 and section 25 of the British Railways Act 1978. Parallel provisions apply in Scotland. BTP constables have the same powers and duties as any other constable in England, Wales and Scotland while acting within their jurisdiction. Within that jurisdiction, investigations into sudden deaths are conducted on behalf of Her Majesty's coroners in the same way as those conducted by other police forces.
Mr. Denzil Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what facilities of a technical and engineering nature are available to the British Transport police when investigating cases of sudden death suspected of having being caused by mechanical failure.
Mr. Freeman : The British Transport police has full access to the forensic science service, Home Office
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pathologists, the Metropolitan police forensic laboratory, and the Laboratory of the Government Chemist. In addition, it can use each and every technical and engineering facility avialable within British Rail. Should independent advice not available from these organisations be necessary, the force is free to obtain that advice from the most appropriate source, including the Health and Safety Executive.Mr. Denzil Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the practice of the British Transport police with regard to making use of engineering and mechanical reports in the control and possession of British Rail when submitting reports to Her Majesty's coroners in cases of sudden death.
Mr. Freeman : The practice of the British Transport police is the same as that of any Home Department police force when investigating sudden deaths. If any relevant report is held by British Rail, it will be sought and, if obtained, disclosed to Her Majesty's coroner. If such a report is not disclosed by British Rail, Her Majesty's coroner will be informed of its believed existence enabling him to exercise his power to order the appearance of witnesses to give evidence on the contents at the inquest should he deem it necessary.
Mr. Denzil Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether there is a complaints procedure similar to the police complaints procedure in respect of the activities of the British Transport police.
Mr. Freeman : Arrangements for dealing with public complaints concerning the British Transport police are identical to those for Home Department police forces in England and Wales, except that the final appellate authority in respect of the police disciplinary appeals is the Secretary of State for Transport and not the Home Secretary. Arrangements in Scotland are identical to those operating in other Scottish police forces.
Mr. Denzil Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) whether he will list the present members of the British Transport police committee, indicating which members are employed full time and part time ;
(2) what are the primary duties and function of the British Transport police committee ;
(3) which members of the British Transport police committee are now, or have been, employees of the British Railways Board.
Mr. Freeman : The present membership of the British Transport police committee is as follows :
Mr. J. C. P. Edmonds (Chairman)
Mr. D. Tunnicliffe
Mr. C. J. D. Driver
Mr. A. P. Watkinson
Dr. J. D. C. Prideaux
Sir Lawrence Byford CBE, QPM, DL, LLD
All the above mentioned members are current full-time members or employees of the British Railways Board except for Mr. Tunnicliffe and Sir Lawrence Byford. Membership of the committee is not, however, a full-time responsibility.
The principal duties and function of the committee are set out in paragraph 4 (g) of the British Transport Police Force Scheme 1963, made under section 69 of the Transport Act 1962. These are primarily to supervise the administration of the force, to make recommendations to
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the British Railways and London Regional Transport boards on any matter concerning the force, to exercise the powers of the Railways Board under section 53 of the British Transport Commission Act 1949 as amended by section 70 of the Transport Act 1962 and to do on behalf and in the name of the Railways Board all other things which may be necessary for performing its functions under the BTP force scheme.Speed Limiters
Mr. Irvine : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he intends to publish regulations requiring speed limiters to be fitted to heavy goods vehicles ; and whether he will extend the requirement to vehicles already in service.
Mr. Chope : A major consultation exercise earlier this year has shown that there is overwhelming support for fitting speed limiters to new vehicles. This measure should significantly reduce both the number and severity of accidents involving speeding HGVs. I am therefore pleased to confirm that draft regulations are being published today, and they will require all new HGVs over 7.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight to be fitted with speed limiters as from 1 August 1992.
I am also proposing today to bring forward regulations which would require speed limiters to be fitted to at least the biggest and heaviest articulated vehicles first registered after 1 August 1988. There was firm support for this in the consultation exercise. Speed limiters would pay for themselves in terms of fuel savings in just a few years and there would be environmental benefits, too.
Private Bills
Mr. Tim Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will complete his consultations on the 1988 report of the Joint Committee on Private Bill Procedure (HL Paper 97, HC625) insofar as it relates to transport matters.
Mr. Rifkind : We have completed our consideration of the responses to the Government's consultation document "Private Bills and New Procedures" (HMSO ref Cm. 1110) which set out proposals for a new order- making procedure to replace private Bills as the method by which railway, rapid transit and a wider range of harbour works would in future be authorised, as the Joint Committee recommended. Over 100 bodies or individuals responded and the majority supported the principle of the proposed reform, which would relieve Parliament of a significant, and growing, volume of private business relating to works projects.
The Government are persuaded, in the light of the generally favourable reaction to the proposals, that legislation should be introduced at the earliest opportunity to establish new order-making powers for railway, tramway and other rapid transit systems, and inland waterway works, and to extend the range of harbour orders. The procedures will be broadly similar to those outlined in paragraphs 14 and 15 and 23 to 29 of the consultation document except in regard to two important aspects.
For schemes of national significance we now propose that Parliament should have a role earlier in the procedure ; issues of policy and principle would be
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considered by Parliament separately and in advance of public inquiries. This change will enable Parliament to debate and establish the principle of the very biggest schemes so that the subsequent public inquiry would be limited to considerations of more local and detailed aspects for which it is better suited. We see this as a more satisfactory arrangement. If Parliament does not like the scheme in principle neither promoters nor objectors would be put to the expense of a public inquiry. Moreover, public inquiries into schemes of national significance undertaken before the principle has been settled could become unmanageable and extremely long. Finally we were persuaded by the argument of some consultees that the rejection of a project by Parliament after a public inquiry might serve to undermine the public inquiry system.Parliamentary consideration would take the form of a debate on a resolution moved by the Government in both Houses. Parliament would, of course, require sufficient information to make a decision. We expect that the draft order, including an assessment of the impact on the environment, would be available before a debate took place. This would provide the basis for justifying the project in broad terms. Secondly, the Government have concluded that the proposal for local authorities to deal with a first tier of schemes of essentially local significance should be dropped. These schemes would instead be decided by Ministers or be delegated to persons appointed by the Secretary of State. Only a small number of respondents to the consultation document expressed enthusiasm for this proposal and we consider that too few schemes would be suitable for decisions by local authorities to warrant establishing a separate procedure to handle them.
The proposal to allow safety to be one of the factors in determining whether footpaths and bridleways should be stopped up or diverted-- paragraphs 37 to 40 of the consultation document--will, in the light of the responses, be limited in the Bill to rights of way crossing railways.
The recommendation that other works projects which require a private Bill should also be dealt with by orders has been well received. We are still considering ways in which this might best be achieved, but we agree in principle that they should be dealt with outside Parliament.
The Government will continue to consult those directly affected by these proposals as detailed procedures are worked up. They are also in contact with a range of environmental and other interests who will wish to express views on these matters.
EMPLOYMENT
Unemployment
Sir Anthony Grant : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the current rate of unemployment in (a) the Cambridgeshire travel- to-work-area, (b) the Eastern region and (c) the United Kingdom.
Mr. Jackson : Only unadjusted unemployment figures are available down to travel-to-work-areas. In April 1991, the latest available date, the unadjusted unemployment rate was 3.7 per cent. in the Cambridge travel-to- work-area, 5.7 per cent. in the East Anglia region and 7.7 per cent. in the United Kingdom.
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Careers Service
Sir Gerard Vaughan : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the outcome of consultations between his Department and Berkshire county council with regard to the future of the careers service in Berkshire.
Mr. Jackson : My Department has received a response from the education committee of Berkshire county council to my consultation paper on the future of the careers service. I welcome the response. It is being considered prior to any decision being taken on the future of the careers service.
Sir Gerard Vaughan : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what progress his Department has made in its consultation with local education authorities on the future of the careers service ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Jackson : My Department has received a very high response from local education authorities to the consultation on the future of the careers service. All responses are being considered.
Job Clubs
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give details of the job club provisions in the area covered by Highlands and Islands Enterprise as at 1 April.
Mr. Jackson : Questions on operational matters in the Employment Service executive agency are the responsibility of Mike Fogden, the agency's chief executive, to whom I have referred this question for reply.
Employment Measures, Waveney
Mr. David Porter : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on how much money his Department has contributed to retraining, training and employment schemes and job clubs and all other projects to reduce unemployment in Waveney in each of the past 10 years ; and what his forward plans are for the next three years.
Mr. Jackson [holding answer 14 May 1991] : The information is not available in the form requested. However, in the last 10 years the Employment Department has provided a range of opportunities to assist the unemployed in the Waveney area, including youth training, community programme, employment training, advisory services to jobseekers and job clubs. Although, because of changes to the content and collation of statistics, comparable figures are not available for previous years, in the last two financial years, 1989-90 and 1990-91, my Department has allocated a total of £842,735 million to the east midlands and eastern region to assist training and unemployment measures.
The Government are determined to ensure that unemployed people have the best possible advice and support to help them to find jobs and to provide special help where it is needed. On training, this year Government are spending more than two and half times in real terms the amount spent in 1978-79.
In the future training and enterprise provision will be delivered by the training and enterprise councils. Norfolk
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and Waveney TEC has been allocated a budget of £20 million in 1991-92 to enable it to plan and deliver training and enterprise provision in its area. The TEC will be paying particular attention to the needs of the unemployed.Employment service offices in Waveney offer a full range of programmes and services to help unemployed people back to work, including advisory interviews, job club, job interview guarantee, travel to interview scheme, Restart courses and jobsearch seminars. The employment service Norfolk and Suffolk area office has a programme budget of £549,400 in 1991-92.
DEFENCE
Cluster Bombs
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of bombs dropped by United Kingdom forces in the Gulf conflict were cluster bombs.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : About 7 per cent.
Nuclear Weapons (Transport)
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to commission a study into the transportation of nuclear weapons through urban areas in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : No ; I am fully satisfied with our arrangements for the transport of nuclear weapons.
Procurement Contractors
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the locations of facilities of United Kingdom-based defence procurement contractors paid £5 million or more for equipment by the Ministry of Defence in 1988-89.
Mr. Alan Clark : This information is a matter for the companies concerned.
Missile Technology Control Regime
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reassessment he has made of the work of (a) the co-ordinating committee on export controls or (b) the missile technology control regime following the conflict in the Gulf.
Mr. Alan Clark : The Gulf conflict has underlined the importance of the work of the missile technology control regime in preventing the proliferation of ballistic missiles. As to the co-ordinating committee for multinational export controls, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 28 March 1991, at column 571 .
Sea King Helicopters
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration has been given to the possibility of chartering civil aircraft to transport Sea King helicopters to Bangladesh.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : RFA Fort Grange was considered by the Overseas Development Administration to represent the most cost-effective way of deploying and
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operating RN Sea King helicopters in aid of Bangladesh. The Fort Grange will provide a highly flexible operating base for both the Sea Kings and the six Royal Marine rigid raider boats which she is also carrying.Options for Change"
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the "Options for Change" study will have any further effects on the RAF beyond those announced on 10 May.
Arms Transfer
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 2 May, Official Report, column 293, whether he supports the inclusion of non-lethal defence equipment on a United Nations arms transfer register.
Mr. Alan Clark : I shall consider this question in the light of any relevant recommendations by the United Nations expert study group when its report to the Secretary General is circulated.
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make it his policy to place in the Library a declassified copy of the report by the United Nations experts study group on measures to promote arms transfer transparency.
Mr. Alan Clark : When the Secretary General circulates the report I will be happy to place a copy in the Library.
Non-proliferation Treaty
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has re-assessed the inspection and verification procedures of the non- proliferation treaty following the conflict in the Gulf.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The need to strengthen the NPT regime is kept under contant review.
Overseas Development Agency
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much money he has charged the Overseas Development Agency for the use of military resources in relief operations in (a) Turkey and (b) northern Iraq ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Charges have not yet been made, but the latest estimate for the cost to date of military assistance to the ODA is around £5 million. It is not possible to apportion costs between Turkey and northern Iraq.
RAF Squadrons
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what proposals he has to provide alternative postings within the Ministry of Defence to personnel from Nos. 16, 15, 92 and 20 Squadrons ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) what proposals he has to offer early retirement or voluntary redundancy packages to personnel from Nos. 16, 15, 19, 92 and 20 Squadrons ; and if he will make a statement ;
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