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Adoption
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many adoptions have been approved by his Department for parents wishing to adopt Romanian children ; how many have been turned down ; how many are in the process of application ; and if he will make a statement on adoptions from other countries.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Since December 1989, 238 Romanian children have been granted entry clearance with a view to adoption. Ten applications have been refused, 14 withdrawn and 37 are currently outstanding, 25 of which have been made since 1 April 1991. Information about children from other countries granted entry clearance with a view to adoption is not collected centrally.
Asylum
Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many claims for asylum were outstanding as at (a) 31 December 1988, (b) 31 December 1989 and (c) 31 December 1990.
Mr. Peter Lloyd [holding answer 17 May 1991] : The available information is given in the table.
Number of asylum applications outstanding Date |Total ------------------------------------- As at: 31 December 1988 |10,710 31 December 1989 |<1>16,190 31 December 1990 |<1>34,500 <1>Provisional estimates. The figure for 31 December 1990 is likely to understate due to delays in recording.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Soviet Union
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Maryhill, of 14 May, Official Report, column 94, if he will list the specific services offered by overseas trade
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services staff ; and what efforts have been made to overcome the difficulties created by problems in the Soviet economy.Mr. Sainsbury : The services offered are : market information inquiries ; overseas status report service ; support for missions, trade fairs and overseas seminars ; new products from Britain ; export intelligence service ; export market research scheme ; overseas project fund ; consultancy under the export initiative, as well as practical advice. These are described in the brochure, "The Export Initiative", a copy of which will be placed in the Library.
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, further to his reply of 13 May, Official Report, column 39, on ECGD cover for export credits for the Soviet Union, if he will take into account in his review the competition faced by firms in the United Kingdom from firms in other countries whose Governments do not intend to withdraw cover.
Mr. Sainsbury : I can confirm that the review will take account, inter alia, of the cover position of the other export credit agencies.
Export Restrictions
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the enhanced proliferation control initiative launched by President Bush in November 1990 had any impact on British exports.
Mr. Sainsbury [holding answer 20 May 1991] : There is no evidence to indicate that the United States initiative has had any direct impact on British exports.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for how many of the chemicals denoted as precursors of concern by the Australia Group Her Majesty's Government do not require export licences ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sainsbury [holding answer 20 May 1991] : The Australia Group has identified on its warning list 50 chemical weapons precursors of concern, of which 37 are specifically subject to control under the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1989 (as amended). Controls were further strengthened last year by addition of an end-use control which renders the export of any chemical from the United Kingdom subject to control, where the exporter knows or suspects that it is for use for chemical or biological weapons purposes.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has on British armaments exported since 1979 which were (a) retained by the designated end user and (b) illegally transferred to persons or organisations not designated as end users by the export certificate.
Mr. Sainsbury [holding answer 14 May 1991] : It has been the policy of this and successive Governments not to reveal details of individual licence applications.
Company Liquidations
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will propose legislation under which the auditor of a creditor company will be prevented from acting as the receiver or liquidator of a company owing money to that creditor.
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Mr. Redwood : I have no such plans.Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has any plans to propose legislation under which the firms auditing a company will not be allowed to have one of their partners appointed as a liquidator.
Mr. Redwood : I have no such plans.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what are the statutory arrangements for monitoring the work of insolvency practitioners.
Mr. Redwood : The insolvency service monitors the estate accounting of insolvency practitioners to seek to ensure that funds are paid into the insolvency services account by them in accordance with the legislation. The insolvency service also monitors compliance by insolvency practitioners with the requirements to report on the conduct of directors under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986.
Accountancy Firms
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has any proposals under which senior partners from accountancy firms criticised by his Department's inspectors will be required to attend courses on business ethics.
Satellite Television
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proposals have been made by the European Community for the harmonisation of satellite television-receiving equipment, what will be the impact of these proposals on individuals who have such equipment in the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood : The European Commission is consulting interested parties on how to follow up directive 86/529/EEC which imposes the MAC family of transmission standards on high-power direct-to-home satellite broadcasts. Currently the majority of viewers receive satellite broadcasts in PAL from medium-power satellites. It is understood that the Commission will make its proposals known shortly. The Government are not in favour of any regulations which impose on viewers the obligation to purchase new or additional equipment in order to receive the services they currently enjoy. The Government believe that consumers should be free to invest in new technology when they decide the time is right.
WALES
Labour Statistics
Mr. Denzil Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those travel-to-work areas, together with the respective percentages, where 40 per cent. or more of employees are employed in production.
Mr. David Hunt : The most recent estimates of employees in employment in travel-to-work areas are from the September 1989 census of employment. The table shows those Welsh travel-to-work areas where 40 per cent.
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or more of employees are employed in production (divisions 1-4 of Standard Industrial Classification, Revised 1980) industries :
TTWA |Employees employed
|in production as
|percentage of all
|employees
------------------------------------------------------------
Neath and Port Talbot |42.7
Wrexham |41.5
Merthyr and Rhymney |41.4
Llanelli |40.1
Mr. Denzil Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of all employees in Wales are employed in (a) production and (b) services.
Mr. David Hunt : In December 1990, it is estimated that 26.7 per cent. and 66.5 per cent. of all employees in employment in Wales were employed in the production (divisions 1-4 of Standard Industrial Classification, Revised 1980) and services (divisions 6-9 of SIC 1980) industries respectively.
Abandoned Trolleys
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many local authorities have made use of the powers available under section 99 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : This information is not held centrally.
PRIME MINISTER
Engagements
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 21 May.
The Prime Minister : This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today.
Antarctica
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Cambridgeshire, South-East (Mr. Paice), Official Report, of 10 May, column 604, whether Her Majesty's Government now intend to pursue the objective of creating an international wilderness reserve in Antarctica.
The Prime Minister : The Government have welcomed the draft text from the Madrid meeting. Article I of the draft protocol would designate Antarctica as a natural reserve, devoted to peace and science. We support that designation.
General Pinochet
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Prime Minister how much official expenditure has been incurred in connection with General Pinochet's visit to the United Kingdom.
The Prime Minister : The visit to this country by General Pinochet was a private visit. No additional official expenditure was incurred.
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Kill the Messenger"
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister if he will acquire for the library at No. 10 Downing street a copy of Sir Bernard Ingham's "Kill the Messenger".
The Prime Minister [holding answer 20 May 1991] : Sir Bernard has already sent a copy of his book to my office.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
Zimbabwe (Retired Police)
Sir Eldon Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to Zimbabwe about the fall in value of both the pensions and the Zimbabwe funds paid to former members of the British South Africa Police who served there throughout their active careers and are now living in retirement in Britain ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Chalker : I understand that the Zimbabwe Government are meeting their legal obligations on the payment of pensions to their ex-public servants. No representations have therefore been made to them about this. The question of exchange control is an internal matter for the Zimbabwe Government, but we take every opportunity to remind them of the hardship which their controls can cause for people who wish to transfer funds from Zimbabwe.
Refugees (Iraq)
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Iran is paying for the transport of British aid to refugees in Iraq ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Chalker : No. The costs of transport for supplies of British aid are paid by the ODA.
NATIONAL FINANCE
Trade Statistics
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to his answer to the right hon. Member for Blaby (Mr. Lawson), Official Report, 17 April, columns 179-80, if he will provide the same information for each year since 1979 at constant 1990 prices.
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Mr. Norman Lamont : The current account balance is not available at constant prices.
Gross Domestic Product
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the gross domestic product at constant prices in each year since April 1979, excluding North sea oil and gas production.
Mr. Norman Lamont : Figures of the output measure of the gross domestic product at constant 1985 factor cost excluding the contribution of the oil and gas extraction industry are available in index form only as shown.
1985=100
|1985 factor
|cost
------------------------------------
1979 |96.0
1980 |93.2
1981 |91.0
1982 |91.9
1983 |94.2
1984 |96.7
1985 |100.0
1986 |103.4
1987 |108.4
1988 |113.9
1989 |117.3
1990 |118.1
Property Transfers
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to his answer of 13 May, Official Report, columns 21-24, concerning residential property transfers, whether he will publish a table giving for the latest quarterly samples information on the same basis as in table I in his reply ; and if he will add an estimate of the number and average value of transactions where the price was less than £40,000 and more than £160,000.
Mr. Maude : Owing to the size and structure of the sample used in the survey of property transactions, it is not possible to provide reliable quarterly estimates. The following table gives the other information requested :
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Freehold residential properties transferred in 1989 and 1990
Numbers: thousands
Average values: £ thousands
1989 1990
Price less than Price more than Price less than Price more than £ 160,
|Numbers|Average|Numbers|Average|Numbers|Average|Numbers|Average
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
North |51 |21 |<2>- |359 |39 |21 |<2>- |251
Yorkshire and Humberside |105 |22 |2 |248 |58 |23 |2 |258
East Midlands |47 |24 |2 |255 |35 |26 |1 |245
East Anglia |13 |22 |2 |268 |11 |24 |1 |260
South East<1> |50 |23 |19 |270 |33 |21 |17 |257
Greater London |19 |21 |10 |330 |17 |18 |11 |295
South West |30 |21 |6 |264 |24 |20 |4 |254
West Midlands |60 |21 |3 |265 |44 |21 |2 |267
North West |83 |22 |2 |253 |62 |21 |2 |263
England |457 |22 |45 |281 |325 |22 |40 |267
Wales |44 |21 |1 |260 |34 |19 |1 |265
England and Wales |501 |22 |46 |281 |358 |21 |41 |267
<1> Excludes London.
<2> Less than 500.
Source: Survey of property transactions 1989 and 1990.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to his answer of 13 May, Official Report, columns 21-24, concerning residential property transfers, whether transfers of residential property under category L of the Stamp Duty (Exempt Instruments) Regulations 1987 are included in his figures ; and whether he will provide an estimate of the proportion of (a) transfers at nominal value between connected persons and disposals and transfers of part shares in a house, (b) council house sales under the right-to-buy scheme, and (c) other miscellaneous transactions.
Mr. Maude : Transfers to which category L of the Stamp Duty (Exempt Instruments) Regulations 1987 apply are not transfers on sale and are not generally included in the survey of property transactions which was used to provide the estimates given in the answer of 13 May. As regards the second half of the question, it is not possible to give estimates from the survey of property transactions for each of the categories requested.
Heathrow Airport (VAT-free Goods)
Mr. Denzil Davies : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the terms of the agreement between Her Majesty's Customs and Excise and BAA whereby goods will be sold at Heathrow airport free of VAT.
Mr. Norman Lamont : There is no agreement as such. Her Majesty's Customs and Excise are prepared to consider applications from any airport operator for VAT-free shopping facilities where it can be demonstrated to Customs' satisfaction that sales will be restricted to outbound passengers who will export their purchases. There is no question of goods being sold free of VAT for consumption at airports or to passengers on domestic flights.
Mobile Telephones
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list all those Inland Revenue forms and associated documentation which (a) require to be completed and (b) require to be read as a result of his proposals to tax mobile telephones.
Mr. Maude : There are no new forms to be completed because the tax charge on mobile telephones is not new. The Budget proposal for a standard benefit charge on mobile telephones, extended to include those fitted in company cars, simplifies the records which employers need to keep.
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As part of the normal Budget information service to employers, they have been issued with guidance on how to complete the existing return for benefits in kind--the form P11D.Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has on the use of mobile telephones by size of firm ; and if he will give the proportion of the total number of mobile telephones in use by employment size bands in firms with (a) one to two, (b) three to five, (c) six to 10, (d) 11 to 19, (e) 20 to 49 and (f) over 50 employees.
Mr. Maude : I regret that this information is not available.
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimates he has made of the approximate number of (a) 1990-91 P11D forms, (b) 1991-92 tax code forms and (c) 1991-92 P11D forms that are required to be completed or acted upon by employers as a result of his proposal to tax mobile telephones.
Mr. Maude : My right hon. Friend's Budget proposals for mobile telephones will not require employer returns (forms P11D) for 1990-91 since they do not take effect until the following year. For 1991-92 the extension of the benefits in kind charge to mobile telephones in cars will also not increase the number of P11Ds required. This is because a return is already needed for mobile telephones not fixed in cars, which are provided by employers and subject to private use, and because company cars are subject to a benefits-in-kind charge in any case whether or not they have a mobile telephone fitted. As a transitional effect of the proposals, there will be an increase in amended PAYE tax codes for 1991-92, but a reliable estimate of the number involved is not possible.
Personal Allowances
Mr. Clay : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much the value of income tax personal allowances has increased in real terms since 1979 ; and how this amount has been distributed to each band of income taxpayers, both in total and in amount per taxpayer.
Mr. Maude : Since 1978-79, the personal allowance has increased in real terms by about 27 per cent., the married man's allowance by 24 per cent. and the age-related allowances by at least 16 per cent. If, for 1991- 92, the personal, married couple's and higher age-related allowances were reduced to levels equivalent to the 1978-79 allowances indexed to 1991-92, total income tax liability would be increased by some £5 billion, distributed as follows :
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Real change in tax allowances since 1978-79
Change in tax liability 1991-92
Single people Husbands Wives
Individual's |Total |Average |Total |Average |Total |Average
income |per taxpayer<1> |per taxpayer<1> |per taxpayer<1>
£ per annum |£ million |£ per annum |£ million |£ per annum |£ million |£ per annum
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Less than 5,000 |230 |120 |20 |100 |150 |90
5,000-10,000 |600 |150 |440 |200 |340 |160
10,000-15,000 |480 |160 |720 |230 |170 |160
15,000-20,000 |210 |160 |520 |220 |60 |160
20,000-25,000 |80 |160 |280 |210 |20 |160
25,000-30,000 |40 |190 |150 |220 |10 |190
30,000-50,000 |60 |250 |290 |330 |20 |250
Over 50,000 |20 |250 |110 |330 |10 |250
| ------- | ------- | ------- | ------- | ------- | -------
Total |1,710 |150 |2,530 |230 |770 |140
<1>Individual taxpayers liable to tax when personal allowances are reduced to their indexed 1978-79 levels.
Mortgage Interest Tax Relief
Mr. Clay : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing (a) the total cost of mortgage interest tax relief in 1991- 92, (b) the average value of relief per mortgagor and (c) the numbers receiving mortgage relief broken down in the income ranges, under £4,000, £4,000 to £5,000, £5,000 to £6,000, £6, 000 to £7,000, £7,000 to £8,000, £8,000 to £9,000, £9,000 to £10,000,
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£10,000 to £12,000, £12,000 to £15,000, £15,000 to £20,000, £20,000 to £25,000, £25,000 to £30,000 and over £30,000.Mr. Maude : Estimates are based on projected information from the 1988-89 survey of personal incomes and the 1989 family expenditure survey and are provisional. They are also based on the assumptions that interest rates remain at their current levels for the rest of 1991-92.
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Single people and married couples receiving mortgage interest relief by range of total income in 1991-92
Range of total income |Numbers receiving |Average value of |Total cost of relief
|mortgage interest |relief per mortgagor
|relief
|(thousands) |(£ ) |(£ million)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Up to £ 5,000 |460 |550 |250
£ 5,001-£ 6,000 |110 |500 |50
£ 6,001-£ 7,000 |90 |510 |50
£ 7,001-£ 8,000 |190 |560 |110
£ 8,001-£ 9,000 |250 |580 |140
£ 9,001-£ 10,000 |310 |630 |200
£ 10,001-£ 12,000 |660 |620 |410
£ 12,001-£ 15,000 |1,180 |640 |760
£ 15,001-£ 20,000 |2,090 |710 |1,480
£ 20,001-£ 25,000 |1,610 |700 |1,130
£ 25,001-£ 30,000 |990 |730 |720
Over £ 30,000 |1,560 |780 |1,200
|--- |--- |---
Total |9,500 |680 |6,500
Goodman Meat
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what gifts Customs staff in Northern Ireland have received from interests associated with the Goodman Meat firm ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Norman Lamont : Customs have no evidence that any members of their staff in Northern Ireland have received gifts from Goodman Meat firms.
Income Tax
Mr. Beith : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the yield in 1991-92 and 1992-93 from introducing a new rate of income tax of 50 per cent. on incomes above £50,000.
Mr. Maude : The estimated revenue yield is about £ billion in 1991-92 and £1 billion in 1992-93. These estimates take no account of any behavioural effects that might result from such a change.
PSA Services
Mr. Dunn : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about the progress of the arrangements introduced in 1990-91 for payment by Government Department clients for works services supplied by PSA Services.
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Mr. Mellor : Arrangements for payment were introduced on schedule from 1 April 1990. However, some teething problems with the invoicing arrangements have meant that client Departments have not been able to complete all the normal checks on some of the invoices presented to them by PSAS. In order to ensure that amounts paid by PSAS to contractors on clients' behalf are brought to account in appropriation accounts for 1990- 91, interim arrangements have been made. Under these, Departments will pay from their votes, as adjustable advances, amounts shown on PSAS invoices, provided that they can identify the expenditure as relating to buildings or projects for which they are responsible ; that they are aware that work has been done, or services provided, in respect of the building or project concerned ; and that the amount charged is not grossly excessive. Any payments of this nature will be identified in a note to the appropriation accounts for 1990-91. PSAS will take any significant balance of expenditure reflected in invoices still unmet to its own Vote. Customer Departments and PSAS will pursue outstanding queries and make any necessary adjustments as early as possible in 1991-92. Such adjustments will be noted in the appropriate accounts for that year.
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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Honorary Consuls
Sir Eldon Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish in the Official Report the names and addresses of honorary British consuls in the United States and honorary American consuls in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The names and addresses of British honorary consuls in the United States are as follows :
Kansas City :
Mr. S. A. Hamilton, c/o Hallmark Cards, 2501 McGee Trafficway, Kansas City, Missouri 64108.
St. Louis :
Mr. R. A. Smith, 625 S Skinker Blvd, St. Louis, Missouri 63105. New Orleans :
Mr. J. J. Coleman, 10th Floor, 321 St. Charles Ave, New Orleans, Louisiana 70130.
Philadelphia :
Mr. C. E. Mather, 226 Walnut St., Philadelphia PA 19106. Puerto Rico :
Dr. I. Court, San Juan (HC), Taft Street No. 1, Suite 5E Santurce 00911.
Anchorage :
Dr. D. R. Hitchins, University of Alaska, Anchorage College of Arts and Sciences, 2311 Providence Drive, Anchorage, Alaska 99508. Portland :
Mr. A. Hay, 3515 SW Council Crest Drive, Portland, Oregon 97201. The position of the honorary consul in Norfolk, Virginia is vacant. Our embassy in Washington is seeking the approval of the State Department for our proposed replacement.
There are no American honorary appointments in the United Kingdom.
Polish Citizens (Visas)
Mr. David Howell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will now change the arrangements for the issue of visas to Polish citizens wishing to come to the United Kingdom, so that visas can be obtained by post instead of requiring personal attendance at the British embassy in Warsaw to obtain the necessary documents.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : It is possible for anyone to apply for a visa without personal attendance, by using the services of Orbis or another recognised travel agent. This is safer and more reliable then the postal service, and the cost is comparable with that of registered mail.
Iraq (Missing Journalists)
Mr. Nicholas Winterton : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made any representations to the Iranian Government to seek their assistance in finding Nicholas Della Casa, Rosanna Della Casa and Charles Maxwell, British journalists missing in Iraq.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Yes. The British embassy in Tehran has asked Iranian authorities on a number of occasions for help in finding the missing journalists.
There is no evidence that the journalists entered Iran.
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The Gulf
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to satisfy himself that the provisions of Security Council resolution No. 687 in relation to the Gulf are being adhered to.
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