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RAF TrainingMr. Rogers : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what differences exist between the first stage of training for a Royal Air Force fast jet pilot and the first stage of training for a civil pilot.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : There is no single, standard route for training for either civil or RAF fast jet pilots. However, a typical civil trainee may expect to be awarded his commercial pilot's licence after approximately 170 to 200 hours of flying training, normally on a light piston engined aircraft. An RAF fast jet trainee will carry out around 147 hours of basic flying training on the Tucano before going on to the Hawk. During this training, both will have carried out general flying, including circuit work, stalling, instrument flying and navigation. However, the civil training will have concentrated on instrument flying and navigation in airways, whereas the RAF pilot, although carrying out some airways training, will have concentrated on low-level navigation. It would also be very rare for a civil trainee to do aerobatics or formation flying, whereas these disciplines form very major elements of RAF training.
Mr. Rogers : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will provide a declassified summary of the programme of training for (a) fast jet pilots, (b) helicopter pilots and (c) transport aircraft pilots.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Due to the different flying backgrounds of personnel entering the RAF for training, it is not possible to give a single definitive programme. Some pilot recruits will have no previous flying experience whereas some may have received flying training at one of the university air squadrons, or may have considerable previous civilian experience, including commercial licences. Their training pattern will depend to some extent on this previous experience. For an entrant holding a private pilot's licence, his training up to the award of wings, and following completion of initial officer training, for the three specialisations mentioned would typically be :
a. Fast jet
147 hours on the Tucano, taking 46 weeks.
75 hours on the Hawk, taking 22 weeks.
b. Helicopter
64 hours on the Tucano, taking 26 weeks.
80 hours on the Gazelle, taking 18 weeks.
63 hours on the Wessex, taking 14 weeks.
c. Multi-engine
140 hours on the Tucano, taking 40 weeks.
50 hours on the Jetstream, taking 20 weeks.
After award of wings, pilots will go on to complete specialised training for the specific type of aircraft they will fly operationally, which in the longest case will be a further 40 weeks. During the whole of this period, their flying training will be integrated with ground instruction in specialist and general service training.
Type 23 Frigates
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he next expects to place orders for Type 23 frigates.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : I have nothing to add to my answer of 20 February, Official Report, column 192.
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Missiles
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy towards Dutch participation in the local area missile system study.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : No aproach has been received from the Netherlands about joining the local area missile system study. Any approach would require discussion among the collaborative partners in the family of anti-air missile systems programme, the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Italy.
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to announce the successful bidder in the advanced short- range air-to-air missile contract.
Mr. Alan Clark : I hope to be in a position to make an announcement next year.
Over-the-Horizon Radar
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what were the considerations which influenced the cancellation of the plans to base relocatable over-the-horizon radar transmitters at St. David's airfield and at Blakehill.
Mr. Alan Clark : The decision was taken in the light of competing calls on the defence budget and various representations made to me over the last 12 months.
Airborne Stand-off Radar
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to receive the results of the airborne stand-off radar demonstration programme ; and what factors he will take into account in deciding whether the programme will be further developed.
Mr. Alan Clark : The results of the technology demonstrator programme will be considered towards the end of this year. Decisions on the future of the programme will take account of all relevant factors including the results of the demonstrator programme, operational requirements and affordability.
Hunt Class Minehunters
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the updating of Hunt class minehunters will commence ; what improvements will be made ; when the updating is expected to be concluded ; and what effect there will be on the capability of the vessels.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Hunt class minehunters are modern and capable ships. The most recent of the class, HMS Quorn, entered service in 1989. We are considering whether, as with other ships, they should eventually be updated as technology develops. No decisions are required for some time.
The Gulf
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will commission a study into the contribution made to successful United Kingdom operations in the Gulf war by logistical support.
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Mr. Archie Hamilton : All aspects of the Gulf conflict are currently being considered.Nuclear Submarines
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy towards Anglo-French co-operation in the development of a new generation SSN.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : No decisions have yet been made concerning a new generation SSN for the Royal Navy. The scope for Anglo-French co- operation will continue to be kept under review.
Search and Rescue Services
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the terms of the unsolicited offer received by his Department for the contractorisation of part of the search and rescue services presently provided by the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : No. This information is commercially confidential.
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to have completed consideration of the unsolicited offer received by his Department for the contractorisation of parts of the search and rescue operations presently provided by the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The provision of military search and rescue cover around the United Kingdom is being reviewed as part of the MOD's work on the "Options for Change" proposals. It will not be possible to consider the potential for contractorisation until the outcome of this work is clearer.
Coastal Patrol Boats
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many fast coastal patrol boats are in service with the Royal Navy ; and when he expects to place orders for additional vessels.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The Royal Navy does not operate a type of craft known as a "fast coastal patrol boat". It does, however, have a number of patrol craft, among them the Peacock class Hong Kong patrol craft, Bird class large patrol craft, the Attacker and Archer class training craft. There are no current plans to place orders for patrol craft.
British Marines, Turkey
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has made to the Government of Turkey concerning members of the British Marines, following a dispute with a Turkish provincial governor at a refugee camp in Yesilova, Turkey.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : There is regular contact with the Government of Turkey on all aspects of the coalition humanitarian operation. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence visited Turkey last week and met President Ozal for discussions on mutual co-operation.
Occasional misunderstandings between the different forces and authorities involved in the operation, such as
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the minor incident at Yelisova, are almost inevitable in the difficult circumstances of the refugee camps, but relations between British and Turkish forces and officials on the ground have been and remain good.HEALTH
NHS Low Income Scheme
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the responsibility for the NHS low income scheme.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Since 10 April 1991, responsibility for the national health service low income scheme has been consolidated within the Department of Health. Claims for charge remission will continue to be dealt with by the health benefits unit--previously the agency benefits unit --at Newcastle but with the unit working directly to the Department of Health on the basis of a service agreement. During 1991, the Department of Health will undertake a review of the administration of the low income scheme. The review will aim to produce proposals by the end of 1991 for simplifying the claim form AG1 and other administrative procedures.
Thalidomide
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether the pharmaceutical drug Thalidomide still has a product licence ; for what purposes its use is recommended ; and what safeguards there are to ensure that it is not taken by pregnant women ;
(2) if any drug trials are currently taking place involving the pharmaceutical drug Thalidomide.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Thre are no current product licences for Thalidomide in the United Kingdom.
The medicines control agency of the Department of Health has been notified under the doctors and dentists exemption scheme of one clinical trial involving the use of the drug Thalidomide in the United Kingdom.
Clinical trials with Thalidomide may be approved which do not involve women of child-bearing potential. There is interest in testing it for use in severe orogenital ulceration--Behcet's syndrome--and serious skin conditions--actinic prurigo and skin disease of leprosy.
General Practitioners
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the projects in Yorkshire and Trent regions studying the extension of general practitioner fundholding to the community care services ; when he expects the project to be complete ; and what other extensions of the general practitioner fundholding concept are under consideration.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The Yorkshire project is exploring the benefits to patients of co-locating health and social care services in a fundholding practice. The Trent project will consider the options for including within the general practice funding scheme community health services, some aspects of social care and other hospital services. The second year of this project will pilot some of the options developed in the first year.
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Both projects are expected to be complete in spring 1993. We are also piloting the extension of the fundholding scheme to practices with a list size of less than 9,000 patients.Health Spending
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what was the level of expenditure on (a) the national health service and (b) the hospital and
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community health services current budget, for each year since 1973-74, expressed in 1990-91 prices, adjusted by (a) the gross domestic product deflator and (b) changes in input unit costs ; (2) what was the level of net hospital and community health services current and net NHS expenditure adjusted by changes in input unit costs in each year since 1973-74.Mr. Waldegrave [holding answer 21 May 1991] : The information requested is given in the table.
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NHS expenditure (gross) HCHS expenditure (gross)
Year Adjusted by Adjusted for Adjusted by the GDP Adjusted for input unit
the GDP input unit cost1990-91 prices costs 1990-91 prices
|1990-91 prices|1990-91 prices
|A |B |A |B
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1973-74 |14,074 |- |- |8,992 |- |-
1974-75 |15,526 |18,045 |- |10,663 |- |12,594
1975-76 |16,285 |18,447 |- |11,126 |- |12,807
1976-77 |16,373 |18,617 |- |11,187 |- |12,846
1977-78 |15,912 |18,889 |- |11,009 |- |13,235
1978-79 |16,460 |19,606 |- |11,407 |- |13,873
1979-80 |16,766 |19,418 |- |11,644 |- |13,736
1980-81 |18,459 |19,699 |- |12,966 |- |14,116
1981-82 |18,875 |20,635 |- |13,054 |- |14,403
1982-83 |19,217 |21,107 |- |13,128 |- |14,567
1983-84 |19,550 |21,361 |- |13,207 |- |14,587
1984-85 |19,955 |21,650 |- |13,282 |- |14,570
1985-86 |20,029 |21,778 |13,592 |13,274 |14,943 |14,594
1986-87 |20,826 |22,041 |14,125 |- |15,031 |-
1987-88 |21,741 |22,462 |14,816 |- |15,306 |-
1988-89 |22,464 |22,671 |15,294 |- |15,363 |-
1989-90 |22,747 |22,821 |15,414 |- |15,378 |-
1990-91 |23,751 |23,751 |16,114 |- |16,114 |-
NHS expenditure (net) HCHS current (net)
Year Adjusted by Adjusted for Adjusted by the GDP Adjusted for input unit
the GDP input unit cost1990-91 prices costs 1990-91 prices
|1990-91 prices|1990-91 prices
|A |B |A |B
1973-74 |13,603 |- |- |8,889 |- |-
1974-75 |15,123 |17,577 |- |10,568 |- |12,482
1975-76 |15,932 |18,047 |- |11,040 |- |12,708
1976-77 |16,001 |18,194 |- |11,091 |- |12,737
1977-78 |15,537 |18,444 |- |10,914 |- |13,120
1978-79 |15,824 |18,849 |- |11,064 |- |13,456
1979-80 |16,100 |18,647 |- |11,324 |- |13,336
1980-81 |17,722 |19,170 |- |12,623 |- |13,742
1981-82 |18,084 |19,770 |- |12,701 |- |14,014
1982-83 |18,386 |20,195 |- |12,773 |- |14,173
1983-84 |18,578 |20,351 |- |12,829 |- |14,170
1984-85 |18,972 |20,583 |- |12,905 |- |14,157
1985-86 |19,027 |20,688 |13,200 |12,898 |14,512 |14,180
1986-87 |19,694 |20,843 |13,715 |- |14,594 |-
1987-88 |20,526 |21,206 |14,397 |- |14,872 |-
1988-89 |21,098 |21,292 |14,860 |- |14,927 |-
1989-90 |21,389 |21,459 |14,955 |- |14,920 |-
1990-91 |22,403 |22,403 |15,629 |- |15,629 |-
Note: Figures in column A have been adjusted to reflect the transfer of the Family Health Service Administration,
Disablement Services
Authority and the Family Health Services cash-limited spending to the HCHS (and also take account of the changes since
publication of the
Departmental Report, CM 1513). Figures in column B do not reflect these transfers and are therefore not comparable with
those for later
years.
NHS expenditure (net) HCHS current (net)
Year Adjusted by
the GDP
1990-91 prices Adjusted for
input unit costs 1990-91 prices Adjusted by the GDP
1990-91 prices Adjusted for input unit
costs 1990-91 prices
A B A B
1973-74 13,603 -- -- 8,889 -- --
1974-75 15,123 17,577 -- 10,568 -- 12,482
1975-76 15,932 18,047 -- 11,040 -- 12,708
1976-77 16,001 18,194 -- 11,091 -- 12,737
1977-78 15,537 18,444 -- 10,914 -- 13,120
1978-79 15,824 18,849 -- 11,064 -- 13,456
1979-80 16,100 18,647 -- 11,324 -- 13,336
1980-81 17,722 19,170 -- 12,623 -- 13,742
1981-82 18,084 19,770 -- 12,701 -- 14,014
1982-83 18,386 20,195 -- 12,773 -- 14,173
1983-84 18,578 20,351 -- 12,829 -- 14,170
1984-85 18,972 20,583 -- 12,905 -- 14,157
1985-86 19,027 20,688 13,200 12,898 14,512 14,180
1986-87 19,694 20,843 13,715 -- 14,594 --
1987-88 20,526 21,206 14,397 -- 14,872 --
1988-89 21,098 21,292 14,860 -- 14,927 --
1989-90 21,389 21,459 14,955 -- 14,920 --
1990-91 22,403 22,403 15,629 -- 15,629 --
Note : Figures in column A have been adjusted to reflect the transfer of the Family Health Service Administration, Disablement Services Authority and the Family Health Services cash-limited spending to the HCHS (and also take account of changes since publication of the Departmental Report, CM 1513). Figures in column B do not reflect these transfers and are therefore not comparable with those for later years.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Payment Delays
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the delay in the processing of claims relating to disability benefit payments and backdated reduced earnings allowance, made by citizens resident in
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the parliamentary constituency of Greenock and Port Glasgow ; and what are the reasons for the differences in the levels of payments that have been made to such people in different areas.Miss Widdecombe : I understand from Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency, that the information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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Low Incomes
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 24 April, Official Report , columns 467-68 , if he will now provide similar information regarding those living on incomes less than 50 per cent. of the national average in each of the same years.
Mr. Jack : Information in precisely the form requested is available only for the years for which "Households Below Average
Income"--HBAI--has been published. Other information is available for earlier years, but the methodologies and definitions used differ substantially and it is therefore not appropriate to make direct comparisons throughout the whole period.
It is also important to remember that real personal disposable income per head in the United Kingdom has risen substantially during this period. Consequently, the percentage of the population who were living on incomes below any constant threshold will show a very different picture. Thus, for example, the numbers of people living below 50 per cent. of the 1979 national average equivalised
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income--before housing costs--fell from 3.8 million in 1979 to 2.5 million in 1987 and remained at 2.5 million in 1988.Sources are the Central Statistical Office's annual redistribution of income articles and the published family expenditure survey reports ; the estimates listed in the table are made from the most appropriate published source for each year. All the pre-HBAI analyses are in terms of numbers of households rather than population, and none of them used equivalisation to adjust for differing household sizes and compositions. This makes a considerable difference to the percentage shown as having below half average income. The pre-HBAI household income distributions show many households with relatively low incomes merely because there are few people- -perhaps only one person--living in these households. The HBAI figures in the first column use equivalisation to adjust for this, and thus give a meaningful indication of the income distribution and of relative living standards.
Various different definitions of income have been used, and the one from the FES reports in 1960-61 and 1965-66 is a pre-tax gross income measure.
All the figures are derived from the family expenditure survey and thus cover only the household population.
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Source: |HBAI |RoI |RoI |FES Report
Income: |Equivalised |Household |Household |Household
Measure: |Household disposable|Disposable |Final |Gross
Unit analysed: |Persons |Household |Household |Household
Coverage: |Great Britain |United Kingdom |United Kingdom |United Kingdom
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Percentage with less than 50 per cent. mean income
1988 |<1>16.8 |- |- |-
1987 |14.3 |- |- |-
1985 |9.2 |25 |- |-
1980 |<2>7.7 |23 |- |-
1975 |- |22 |20 |-
1970 |- |- |21 |23
1965-66 |- |- |- |20
1960-61 |- |- |- |20
<1>Source: Select Committee HBAI
<2> Average of figures for 1979 and 1981
Means-tested Benefits
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list, for each means-tested benefit, each of those other benefits which are taken into account in assessing its value.
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Mr. Jack : There are four income-related benefits. These are income support, family credit, housing benefit and community charge benefit. The treatment of these benefits in assessing entitlement to each of the others is set out in the table.
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