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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 21 May 1991
TRANSPORT
Bus Companies
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what were (a) the numbers of buses owned, (b) the numbers of staff employed and (c) the net book value of the assets of the National Bus Company subsidiary, Yorkshire Traction Company.
Mr. McLoughlin : When the company was privatised in January 1987, it owned 328 buses, employed 1,470 staff and the net book value of its assets was £4.120 million.
Taxi Drivers
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 2 May, Official Report , column 306 , on licences for taxi drivers, what assessment he has made of the difficulties created for local authorities in fulfilling the requirements of section 59(1)(a), and section 51(1)(a) of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 by their lack of access to criminal records from the police ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. McLoughlin : I am aware that local authorities can encounter difficulties in satisfying themselves that applicants for such licences are fit and proper persons, and I understand that my Home Office colleagues and the Association of Chief Police Officers are considering this issue following the completion, in April, of the scrutiny study report on criminal records. The scrutiny study was undertaken in response to a Home Affairs Select Committee report in December 1990.
Agency Status
Mr. Cash : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those bodies currently with agency status within his Department under the "next steps" initiative ; and whether he has identified any further candidates for agency status under the initiative within his Department.
Mr. McLoughlin : There are currently four executive agencies in the Department of Transport :
The Vehicle Inspectorate (VI)
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)
The Driving Standards Agency (DSA)
The Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA)
VI was established as the Government's first executive agency on 1 August 1988 ; DVLA, DSA and VCA were established on 2 April 1990. I announced, at column 1 , on 15 April this year, that the Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL) should become a candidate for executive agency status under the "next steps" initiative.
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British Rail (Financing)
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the external financing limit of British Rail in (a) 1979-80 and (b) 1990-91, in cash terms and at constant prices.
Mr. Freeman : British Rail's external financing limits and outturns for 1979-80 and 1990-91 were :
|Limit |Outturn
|£ million|£ million
---------------------------------------------------
1979-80
Cash |715 |715
1990-91 prices |1,545 |1,545
1990-91
Cash |700 |1,016
1990-91 prices |700 |1,016
Newtownards (Aircraft Movement)
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what restrictions apply to aircraft flying from Ards airport over the residential areas of Strangford Heights, Morstan Park and Bowtown road in Newtownards ; whether any new restrictions have been applied to flight paths at this location in the past five years ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. McLoughlin : The rules applying to all civil aircraft in respect of the overflight of residential areas are contained in the Rules of the Air Regulations 1990. Essentially these prohibit any aircraft from flying over such areas below either a height which will enable it to alight clear of the area in the event of an engine failure on a single-engined aircraft or a height of 1,500 ft whichever is the higher, unless the aircraft is taking off or landing in accordance with normal aviation practice. These rules are applied by the Civil Aviation Authority, which has the statutory responsibility for the safety regulation of United Kingdom civil aviation and I am advised by the CAA that there have been no significant changes over the past five years.
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether any agent on behalf of his Department inspected the light aircraft which crashed at Morstan Park in Newtownards on 14 May 1991, before the removal of the damaged aeroplane.
Mr. Rifkind : Following the initial notification of the accident, the air accidents investigation branch gave permission for the damaged light aircraft to be removed from the accident site. AAIB inspectors did not examine the aircraft before its removal.
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what form of inquiry will be held to investigate the crash of a light aircraft at Morston Park, Newtownards, on Tuesday 14 May ; when the inquiry will commence ; who will preside at the inquiry ; whether local residents of the Morston Park/Strangford Heights area of Newtownards will be invited to give evidence ; whether the inquiry will be in public ; whether the report of the inquiry will be published ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Rifkind : The air accidents investigation branch is investigating the circumstances of the accident to the light aircraft at Morston Park, Newtownards on Tuesday 14
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May. The inquiry commenced on 15 May 1991 and is being conducted by an inspector of air accidents. Any person with evidence concerning the circumstances of the accident is invited to contact the chief inspector of air accidents. The inquiry will not be held in public but the circumstances will be published in an AAIB bulletin.Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the various accidents and crashes involving aircraft in the vicinity of Newtownards during the past five years.
Mr. Rifkind : The Civil Aviation Authority's safety data and analysis unit records show that there have been 10 reportable accidents in the vicinity of Newtownards in the past five years. All have involved light aircraft.
Commercial Road, London
Ms. Gordon : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what date he first received a request from the hon. Member for Bow and Poplar for him to arrange a meeting with Ministers or departmental officials concerning road works in the Commercial road, east London ; when a substantive reply was sent ; when any meeting is to take place ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : The hon. Member's letter was received on 25 April. I have copied to the hon. Member my letter of 17 May to the hon. Member for Newham, South (Mr. Spearing) on this subject. I shall arrange a meeting as soon as possible after the Whitsun recess.
Rail Freight (Safety)
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the adequacy of safety precautions for the transport of toxic or flammable freight by rail, as evidenced by the derailment and fire on a train carrying flammable goods at Bradford-on- Tone, near Wellington, Somerset in the early hours of 16 May.
Mr. Freeman : Dangerous goods are carried by rail in accordance with the British Railways Board's list of dangerous goods and conditions of acceptance by rail on freight services and parcels service. Major incidents involving toxic substances or the spillage of large quantities of flammable substances, such as the one referred to, are infrequent. There have been no deaths and very few injuries since 1984.
Responsibility for operational safety rests primarily with the railway operator. Her Majesty's railway inspectorate, a part of the Health and Safety Executive, is responsible for enforcement of the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974 on the railways.
ENVIRONMENT
Housing
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether he will publish in the Official Report 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 his proposals for a council tax ;
(2) if he will publish a table showing for disposals of (a) freehold and (b) leasehold residential property by
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individuals in 1989, as shown in Inland Revenue Statistics 1990, the number and average value of properties falling within each of his council tax bands together with the median within each band and the median overall ; and if he will provide similar figures for sales by councils to sitting tenants.Mr. Key : I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave him on 15 May at columns 173-74.
Household Composition
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing nationally, regionally and for each district, the number of households with three or more adults and the numbers of those on national assistance ;
(2) whether he will publish a table showing nationally, regionally and for each district, the number of two-adult households with one child and the number of those on national assistance ;
(3) whether he will publish a table showing nationally, regionally and for each district, the number of one-parent households, the number with one, two and three or more children and the number of those on national assistance ;
(4) whether he will publish a table showing nationally, regionally and for each district, the number of two-pensioner households and the number of those on national assistance ;
(5) whether he will publish a table showing nationally, regionally and for each district, the number of one-adult, non-retired households and the number of those on national assistance ; (6) whether he will publish a table showing nationally, regionally and for each district, the number of three-adult households with children and the number of those on national assistance ; (7) whether he will publish a table showing nationally, regionally and for each district, the number of two-adult, non-retired households and the number of those on national assistance ; (8) whether he will publish a table showing nationally, regionally and for each district, the number of two-adult households with two children ; and the number of those on national assistance ; (9) whether he will publish a table showing nationally, regionally and for each district, the number of single pensioner households and the number of those on national assistance.
Mr. Key : The only available information on household composition at district level is contained in table 39 of the county reports to the 1981 census, copies of which are in the House of Commons Library. Similar analyses from the 1991 census will become available during 1992. Information on income support by household type at district level is not available.
Local Government Management
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to publish his consultation paper on the internal management of local government ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Heseltine : When we have given due consideration to the issues.
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Ministerial Duties
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate the proportion of his ministerial duties that has been taken up by (a) the review into the structure and finance of local government and (b) achieving the objectives of the White Paper "This Common Inheritance" during the last (i) month and (ii) six months.
Mr. Heseltine : I do not keep timesheets.
Local Authorities (Government Grants)
Mr. Ronnie Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the level of Government grant per head of the population for 1990-91 and 1992 in the local authorities of (a) Blyth Valley, (b) Wansbeck, (c) Castle Morpeth and (d) North Tyneside.
Mr. Key : The available information is as follows :
Government grants in 1990-91, consisting of revenue support grant, special grant, specific grants in aggregate external finance, community charge benefit grant and transitional relief grant, per head of relevant population, are £364 in Blyth Valley, £259 in Wansbeck, £236 in Castle Morpeth and £360 in north Tyneside.
Squash Clubs
Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about the impact of the uniform business rate on commercially operated squash clubs.
Mr. Key : We have received many representations on the new non- domestic rating system. As far as I am aware, however, there has been none on the impact on commercially operated squash clubs.
Local Government
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to consider the methods of organising local government in the United States of America and European Community countries in his review of local government.
Community Charge Reduction Scheme
Sir William Shelton : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much community charge payers in Lambeth, who are eligible, will benefit in 1991-92 from the community charge reduction scheme, where the property in which they live paid (a) average rates in 1989-90, (b) half the average rate and (c) quarter the average rate ; and what was the average domestic rate in Lambeth in 1989-90.
Mr. Portillo : As a result of the Government's general £140 reduction in headline charges and of the community charge reduction scheme, a couple in Lambeth living in a property of average rateable value for the area will have to pay £568 between them, in a property of half average rateable value £310 between them and in one quarter of average rateable value £181 between them. The average domestic rates bill in Lambeth in 1989-90 was £516.
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Property Values
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether his estimate for illustrative purposes of the average value of residential properties included mobile homes ; and if he will publish a table showing his estimate of (a) the average value for each region and (b) the difference for each region, and each price range between his estimate and that of the table 2b attached to his answer of 13 May on property transfers, Official Report, columns 21-24 ;
(2) whether he will publish a table showing, on the basis of the number and average values shown in the answer of 13 May, Official Report, columns 21- 24, on property transfers, the amount of council tax payable in each region as a percentage of their value.
Mr. Key : I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave him on 15 May at columns 173-74.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing for each of his seven bands the numbers and average values of privately owned and publicly owned dwellings on the basis of the latest quarterly survey, together with the amount of council tax which would be payable in respect of those dwellings, grossed up, at the seven tax rates in his consultative document.
Mr. Key : The information requested is not available.
Local Tax, Germany
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on the yield from local tax of 0.5 per cent. on the value of residential property in Germany.
Abandoned Trolleys
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authorities have made use of the powers available under section 99 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Mr. Trippier : This information is not held centrally by my Department. We would expect authorities to use section 99 powers only as a last resort. We would prefer them to enter into voluntary arrangements on trolley control with trolley owners. But if local traders are unwilling to follow the code of guidance on trolley control issued by the Retail Consortium, authorities now have the power to operate a statutory trolley collection scheme.
Train Fire and Pollution
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what pollution has resulted from the derailment and fire on a train carrying kerosene, petrol and diesel at Bradford-on-Tone, near Wellington, Somerset in the early hours of 16 May.
Mr. Trippier : I understand that prompt action by the National Rivers Authority helped to ensure that little pollution ensued. The spillage of some 50,000 gallons of fuel oil was confined to an area close to the railway and a minor water
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course. A few small fish were killed. The River Tone was not affected. The NRA will take further action if necessary.Travelling People
Mrs. Roe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he proposes to publish draft planning guidance on sites for travelling show people.
Mr. Yeo : My Department has today published draft guidance which emphasises to planning authorities that in formulating development plan policies, in development control decisions, and in considering enforcement action, they should take account of travelling show people's need for secure, long-term sites. The text has been sent to a wide range of consultees, who have been invited to submit their views by 19 July. A separate but parallel consultation is being carried out by the Welsh Office.
Local Government Finance
Mr. Robert B. Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out (a) the level of central Government grant assumed to be paid to Hertfordshire county council and each district council in the country in the indicative tables of council tax produced by his Department and (b) the level of rate support grant assumed to be paid to each district council for 1991-92 under the community charge.
Mr. Key [holding answer 13 May 1991] : I refer the hon. Member to the answer given at column 12 on 29 April to my hon. Friend the Member for Tynemouth (Mr. Trotter).
Urban Development Corporation
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 1 February, Official Report, column 661, with regard to the number of jobs created in each urban development corporation area, if he will update the table to include information to March 1991 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Portillo [holding answer 20 May 1991] : The totals of permanent jobs created or attracted, net of losses, are as follows :
UDC |Net gain in
|jobs to
|March
|1991
-------------------------------------------
Black Country |9,381
Bristol |484
Central Manchester |1,496
Leeds |<1>4,605
London Docklands |31,000
Merseyside |4,626
Sheffield |7,787
Teesside |4,500
Trafford Park |3,267
Tyne and Wear |2,544
|-------
Total |69,690
<1> The figure previously given for jobs
created in the Leeds
Development Corporation's area to March
1990-5,241-was a
gross figure; the net figure, not
available when the reply was given,
was 3,964.
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Local Authority Spending
Mr. Andrew MacKay : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further measures the Government intend to take to strengthen their powers to curb excessive local authority spending.
Mr. Heseltine : Stronger capping powers are necessary to enable the Government to protect all charge payers from excessive spending by local authorities. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in his March Budget a fundamental and permanent shift from local to national taxation for the funding of local services. We are determined to ensure that in future the very substantial extra sums of money we are now providing are not wasted in higher spending by local authorities but continue to keep charges down to reasonable levels. All authorities must exercise restraint and play their part in the fight against inflation.
My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales and I have therefore decided to introduce before the Whitsun recess a Bill to abolish the exemption from capping of English and Welsh authorities with budgets of less than £15 million, and to bring the Scottish capping powers into line with those which apply in England and Wales. If approved, it would, inter alia, enable my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland for the first time to cap an authority whose year-on-year increase in expenditure he considered to be excessive.
The Bill will also contain provisions enabling properties to be allocated to bands in preparation for the introduction of the new council tax from 1 April 1993.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Refugees
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what he treats as economic migration, in respect of refugees arriving in this country ;
(2) if he will list for the last 12 months in respect of asylum seekers deemed to be economic migrants seeking refuge in this country (a) from what country they came and (b) to which country they were returned.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : "Economic migrant" is not a distinct category in the determination of asylum claims. Asylum seekers come to the United Kingdom for various reasons. Economic factors are often significant. Applications fall to be determined according to the criteria laid down in the United Nations convention.
Crime, Leicestershire
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will give the total numbers of offences recorded in Leicestershire in 1990 and the numbers that have been cleared up, together with any monthly figures that are available for 1991 ; (2) if he will give the annual totals of crimes reported in Leicestershire that involve violence, or the threat of violence, from 1975 to 1990 ; and if he will give the numbers cleared up as a percentage of the above totals for each year.
Mr. John Patten : The information is published in the annual reports of the chief constable of Leicestershire
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copies of which from 1980 are available in the Library ; and for 1986-89 in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales", tables 2.19, 2.20 and 2.21, and for 1989 Cm. 1322, copies of which are also available in the Library. Corresponding information for 1991 is not yet available.West Midlands Police
Mr. George : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers and civilians were employed in the Walsall H division of the West Midlands police authority for each year since 1978.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The information requested is as follows :
West midlands police H division (Walsall)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tote Board
Mr. Alexander : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the definition of the role and duties of the chairman of the Horserace Totalisator Board which were given to him prior to his re-appointment.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : It is for the chairman to determine his role and duties within the confines of the statutory duties and functions of the Horserace Totalisator Board under the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963 and the Horserace Totalisator and Betting Levy Boards Act 1972.
Mr. Alexander : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the annual contribution to racing of the Horserace Totalisator Board in each year since 1964.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The annual contribution to racing by the Horserace Totalisator Board is set out in its report and financial statements for the year laid annually before Parliament, together with that of the levy board.
The figures for the years in question, which have been derived from the reports by the Tote, are as follows :
Year |Total ------------------------------ 1964-65 |1,048,842 1965-66 |885,150 1966-67 |964,616 1967-68 |875,965 1968-69 |631,945 1969-70 |626,996 1970-71 |195,000 1971-72 |195,000 1972-73 |270,000 1973-74 |501,305 1974-75 |410,000 1975-76 |441,000 1976-77 |488,704 1977-78 |625,411 1978-79 |988,268 1979-80 |1,449,433 1980-81 |1,803,176 1981-82 |1,834,207 1982-83 |1,599,921 1983-84 |1,589,094 1984-85 |1,768,329 1985-86 |2,004,000 1986-87 |2,510,000 1987-88 |3,172,000 1988-89 |4,317,000 1989-90 |4,765,000 Notes: 1. The contribution to racing excludes capital contribution to joint project (£ 1,240,000) in 1989-90 bringing the total contribution to racing to £ 6,005,000. 2. In the year 1973-74-1977-78 the Tote repaid a levy board loan of £ 465,605 at an annual rate of £ 93,121. This repayment has been excluded from the figures for the appropriate year. 3. The Tote paid no levy in the year 1970-71 and 1971-72 and only £ 75,000 in 1972-73 due to its precarious financial position.
Mr. Alexander : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will arrange to publish the annual accounts of the Horserace Totalisator Board as separate business divisions covering, respectively, the racecourse totalisator, Tote credit and Tote bookmaking.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : No. It is for the Tote to decide how to publish its accounts, subject to statutory provisions. As well as its annual report to Parliament, the Tote also makes annual returns to Companies House, concerning Tote Credit Ltd. and Tote Bookmakers Ltd. The figures for turnover of the three divisions are set out separately in the annual report. The Tote does not otherwise provide detailed breakdowns of its separate divisions as it regards such information as commercially sensitive.
Mr. Alexander : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions were held with the chairman of the Horserace Totalisator Board to establish business priorities prior to his re- appointment.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : It is for the Horserace Totalisator Board to establish business priorities for the Tote within the statutory framework set out in the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963 and the Horserace Totalisator and Betting Levy Boards Act 1972.
Defence Component Equipment Exhibition
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost of policing the defence component equipment exhibition (a) between 14 and 16 May and (b) during the visit of General Pinochet.
Mr. Kenneth Baker : I understand from the West Midlands police that no additional police costs were incurred in the policing of the defence component equipment exhibition between 14 and 16 May.
Football Matches
Sir John Wheeler : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has made a decision on the guidance to be given to police authorities on the charges to
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be made for police officers deployed at football matches under section 15 of the Police Act 1974 ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Kenneth Baker : I have given careful consideration to the views of Lord Justice Taylor, the Audit Commission, the Home Affairs Committee and interested parties. I have concluded that full economic costs should be charged for police officers deployed on the private property of football clubs. It cannot be right for police budgets to provide a hidden subsidy to the football industry, particularly in view of the considerable costs borne by the police for policing football crowds in public places before and after matches. However, in view of the difficulties that may be faced by some clubs, particularly those facing considerable costs in meeting Lord Justice Taylor's other recommendations, I am advising police authorities to exercise their discretion and phase in full charges over a period of up to five years where appropriate. The same principles will apply to charges made for special police services at other events.
Guidance will be issued shortly and copies will be placed in the Library.
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