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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 11 June 1991
TRANSPORT
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage reductions of carbon dioxide emissions are planned for each year between the present time and 2005.
Mr. Chope : We have not set year-by-year targets.
Airline Deregulation
Mr. Shersby : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to initiate a pan-European airline deregulation campaign as a prerequisite to an open skies environment between Europe and the United States of America ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. McLoughlin : The United Kingdom Government have been and continue to be in the forefront of the pursuit of aviation liberalisation in Europe, both multilaterally in the EC and bilaterally. Wherever possible, we have been taking steps to pursue similar liberalisation elsewhere in the world. Discussions on liberalisation with the United States are at an early stage. Our aim will be to remove obstacles to fair competition, which hinder our airlines at present, and to remove unnecessary regulation.
Driving Licence Records
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department is examining the possibility of disclosing copies of photographs obtained on driver licences to the police ; whether powers in section 15(1) of the Road Vehicle (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 1971 would allow for this ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Chope : The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency--DVLA--is currently collating and analysing responses to the consultation document on the proposal to include photographs on driving licences. The police are allowed access to the driver licensing records for law enforcement purposes under the terms of the Data Protection Act 1984. The DVLA would, as necessary, seek advice on disclosure of photographs from the Data Protection Registrar. Regulation 15 of the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 1971 specifically covers release of information from the vehicle register. I will make a further statement shortly.
Taxi Licences
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond) of 2 May, Official Report, column 306, whether he has issued advice to local authorities on how to
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determine what offences make a person not a fit and proper person to hold a taxi licence ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. McLoughlin : Local authorities have broad discretion over all the main areas of taxi licensing and they decide, based on the information at their disposal, whether to issue a taxi licence. No guidance has been issued.
A33
Sir David Price : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the upgrading of the Chilworth to Otterbourne section of the A33 to motorway standard to be completed and opened to the public ; and how he intends to control the consequential traffic congestion on the unreconstructed section of the A33 between Bar End, Winchester and Otterbourne.
Mr. Chope : Upgrading of the Compton (Otterbourne) to Bassett (Chilworth) section of the A33 to motorway standard is currently due to be completed and open to the public later this year. We have no plans to carry out any major works on the existing A33 between Winchester and Compton (Otterbourne) which will be superseded by the planned Bar End--Compton section of the M3. Advance works for this scheme are already under way. The main construction is due to start next year.
Rail Services
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will issue a general directive to the British Railways Board, under section 27 of the Transport Act 1962, to require it to take into account the national interest of Wales in exercising its functions relating to passenger transport, relating to the need for adequate and convenient InterCity services between Cardiff and Holyhead ; (2) if he will now use powers under section 3 of the Railways Act 1974 to give directions to the board of British Rail to continue to provide InterCity railway service through trains six times a day each way between Holyhead and London ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. McLoughlin : No. The Government's policy is that InterCity should take its decisions on a normal commercial basis. Government grants are available for services provided by Regional Railways.
A1-A1068 (Junction)
Mr. Beith : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what studies he has undertaken of the costs and benefits of a junction providing direct access from the A1 to the A1068.
Mr. Chope : No economic appraisal has been undertaken of a direct access from trunk road A1 Alnwick bypass to the A1068.
Roads (Safety Fencing)
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many dual carriageways and motorways have Bridon wire fencing installed along the central section.
Mr. Chope : In England, wire rope safety fencing has been provided on dual carriageway central reserves at three locations. A further five such installations are in progress.
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My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales are responsible for highway matters in Scotland and Wales.Red Routes
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans exist to extend red routes to other urban areas.
Mr. Chope : It will be for local authorities outside London to decide whether to introduce priority red routes in their areas using their existing powers, in co-operation with the police and seeking the authorisations of the priority red route signs and markings from the Secretary of State.
Road Tankers (Safety)
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to strengthen road tankers to reduce risk of spillage and fire in case of accident.
Mr. Chope : The Dangerous Substances (Conveyance by Road in Road Tankers and Tank Containers) Regulations 1981 are the subject of current review and consultation by the Health and Safety Executive. Updated regulations covering improved requirements for petrol tankers and tankers carrying other flammable liquids are expected to be published at the end of this year, supported by approved codes of practice.
A1 (Resurfacing)
Mr. Beith : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times the A1 south of Scremerston has been resurfaced in the course of the road works carried out there over the last year ; and whether he will make a statement.
Mr. Chope : The road improvement south of Scremerston widened the existing carriageway by 2m to bring the section of the A1 up to current design standards for a single carriageway road. Work commenced in September last year and was substantially completed in December. The contractor returned to the site in May to replace an area of surfacing that did not comply with the specification.
West Midlands (Rail Services)
Mr. Snape : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if, when he next meets the chairman of British Rail, he will discuss the quality of rail services between London Euston and the west midlands.
Mr. Freeman : Quality of inter-city services is a commercial matter for British Rail. I am sure that it will want to improve performance on this route in order to compete successfully with other forms of transport.
A38
Mr. Robert Hicks : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will state the total number of representations his Department have received in response to the A38 trunk road improvement between Liskeard and Bodmin, indicating (a) the numbers favouring the options to the north and south of Dobwalls, respectively, (b) the numbers favouring the options to the north and south of the A390, respectively and (c) the number who would have preferred a Glynn valley option.
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Mr. Chope : More than 500 completed questionnaires were received in response to the recent public consultation on the proposed improvement of the A38, Liskeard to Bodmin. The questionnaires are still being evaluated. We will make a full statement on the results of the public consultation when the preferred route is announced towards the end of the year.
Mr. Robert Hicks : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when and for what reasons the decision was taken not to include an upgrading of the A38 on a new line of route through the Glynn valley as an option as part of the A38 trunk road improvement between Bodmin and Liskeard ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Chope : The decision not to include a new route through the Glynn valley as one of the options for the improvement of the A38, Liskeard to Bodmin, was taken at an early stage in the development of the scheme.
Forecasts of future traffic indicate that a dual carriageway road will be necessary. The poor vertical and horizontal alignment of the existing road through the valley precludes its use as half of a dual carriageway system. It would be necessary to build a completely new road.
The topography of the valley is such that building a new dual carriageway through it would be extremely difficult. Major engineering works, including substantial earthworks and structures, would have a very damaging impact on the environment of the valley, which is the central feature of the Mid- Fowey special area of great landscape value and a Cornwall nature conservation site.
Railway Construction
Mr. Adley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list for all OECD countries, the number of miles of new publicly funded, main line railway track constructed, for each of the last 10 years, and the number of miles of such track (a) actually under construction and (b) planned.
Mr. Freeman : This information is available only at
disproportionate cost.
Vehicle Licensing
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the application for a heavy goods vehicle licence from Mr. George West, ref. VDL/H/CC, was received by the DVLA at Swansea ; when the licence is going to be issued ; and if he will make a statement explaining the reasons for the delay in issuing this licence.
Mr. Chope : I regret that, without Mr. West's date of birth, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency--DVLA--officials are unable to investigate Mr. West's case. The agency has more than 40 million driver records, and these are held under unique numbers made up from the driver's name and date of birth. The agency deals with up to 40,000 driving licence applications each day.
I have written to the hon. Member requesting the information which DVLA will need to identify Mr. West's application ; and I will write to him again when my inquiries are complete.
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Seamen
Sir Geoffrey Johnson Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will announce the results of the studies into the future supply and demand for United Kingdom seamen and into the supply and demand for United Kingdom merchant ships in time of war.
Mr. McLoughlin : Summaries of both reports have today been placed in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament.
Trinity House Transmitter, Amble
Mr. Beith : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will arrange for a non-statutory public inquiry into the proposal of Trinity House to erect a Loran C transmitter at Amble,
Northumberland.
Mr. McLoughlin : The arrangement of a non-statutory public inquiry into this proposal would be a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment. Since no Crown development is involved in the proposal, the question of such an inquiry under Department of Environment circular 18/22 does not arise.
Mr. Beith : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department has been notified as the developing department of the strong objections of the local planning authority to the proposal by Trinity House to erect a 700ft mast at Amble, Northumberland ; and whether he will apply the procedures set out in circular 18/84 in response to these objections so as to enable a public local inquiry to take place.
Mr. McLoughlin [holding answer 10 June 1991] : The Department of Transport is aware of the objections of the local planning authority to the proposal by Trinity House to erect a mast near Amble in Northumberland. The Department is not however the developing Department ; indeed no Crown development is involved in the proposal. Accordingly the question of using procedures under Department of the Environment circular 18/84 does not arise.
PRIME MINISTER
Engagements
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 11 June.
The Prime Minister : This morning I has meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall have further meetings later today.
Tanks
Mr. Bill Michie : To ask the Prime Minister what response he has made to the letter of 4 June from Sanderson Kayser Ltd. on the implications of the Chieftain main battle tank replacement contract.
The Prime Minister : A reply will be sent to the company shortly.
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EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
Nuclear Structure Facility, Daresbury
Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many Nobel prize winners wrote to him to ask for the retention of the nuclear structure facility at Daresbury ; and what was the nature of his response.
Mr. Alan Howarth : My right hon. and learned Friend has received one letter from a Nobel prize winner who expressed the hope that the Science and Engineering Research Council's nuclear structure facility at Daresbury could be kept open. The reply was to the effect such decisions were for the SERC to make, based on its judgments of scientific priority.
Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish his Department's evaluation of the quality of the work done at the nuclear structure facility at Daresbury.
Mr. Alan Howarth : Evaluation of the scientific quality of research carried out under the aegis of the research councils is a matter for them and the scientific community to assess. The Department does not seek to make its own judgments in these matters.
Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations were made to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Stratford-on-Avon, in the course of his recent visit to Daresbury laboratory about the desirability of a peer review of the quality of work undertaken at the nuclear structure facility ; and what was his response.
Mr. Alan Howarth : During my visit to Daresbury laboratory with my hon. Friend on 22 February I met a number of the staff and their representatives who put to me their concern about SERC's planned closure of the nuclear structure facility. Several expressed the view that such a decision should be subject to further peer review. I responded by emphasising that decisions on the management of SERC's programme must be for the council to judge, and by referring to the further study to assess the importance of the area of nuclear structure science announced by SERC on 7 February.
National Curriculum
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the expenditure to date incurred on the production and administration of the national curriculum, broken down between that incurred on (i) working groups, (ii) publication, (iii) publicity,(iv) School Examinations and Assessment Council meetings, (v) in-service training, (vi) monitoring and(vii) other.
Mr. Eggar : Government expenditure on the national curriculum in the 1989-90 financial year was some £20.6 million ; and in 1990-91 it was £24.8 million (provisional). These figures include grant-in-aid to the National Curriculum Council and the School Examinations and Assessment Council. Planned expenditure for 1991-92 is some £34.9 million.
The implementation of the national curriculum has also been supported by the Government via specific grants to
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local education authorities. Eligible expenditure includes in-service training, the employment of advisory teachers, support for non-teaching support staff, and the provision of extra books, materials and equipment. In 1989-90 these grants totalled some £100 million ; in 1990-91, they were some £120 million ; and in 1991-92 they will support LEA expenditure of around £170 million. It is not possible to break down this expenditure in the way requested by the hon. Member. The table shows direct expenditure by the Department :(i) Working Groups In the financial years 1987-88 to 1990-91-£710,000. Planned expenditure in 1991-92-£127,000. (ii) Publication National curriculum subject orders-£5,500,000. NC assessment statutory documents and speeches-£148,000. (iii) Publicity Leaflets for parents and teachers-£665,000. (vi) Monitoring Monitoring is being carried out by Her Majesty's Inspectorate as part of their normal duties.
Monitoring is being carried out by Her Majesty's Inspectorate as part of their normal duties.
Local Authority Service Provision
Mr. Rowe : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science for which areas of local authority service provision for which he is responsible payments are required to be made to individuals who are not employees (a) in the form of a grant or one-off payment and (b) on receipt of paid invoices.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 6 June 1991] : Local education authorities may make payments to a variety of individuals who are not their employees. Examples may include mandatory and discretionary awards to students ; assistance to school children and students for clothing, footwear, school journeys or towards tuition fees ; allowances to councillors or governors ; and payments to suppliers of goods and services. Information on the full range of such payments, or on whether they take the form of grants or of reimbursement of paid invoices, is not collected centrally.
ENERGY
British Coal
Mr. Patchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the number and type of job creation opportunities set up by British Coal Enterprise Ltd. in South Yorkshire since 1984.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : Since 1984, in the Yorkshire region as a whole British Coal Enterprise Ltd.--BCE--has helped to create 5,711 new job opportunities by funding the start-up or expansion of new businesses, and a further 1,298 new job opportunities through the funding of managed workspace. BCE has also helped 4,695 ex-British Coal employees to find alternative employment, through the job and career change scheme. The total to 31 March 1991 is therefore 11,704. Separate figures for South Yorkshire are not published.
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Electricity Privatisation
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many of the stockbrokers eligible for selling commissions in respect of electricity privatisation in England and Wales he proposes (a) to pay and (b) not to pay, before the end of June, all or most of the fees due.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : The relevant payments in respect of the regional electricity companies share offers are under way : I would expect the remainder to be substantially completed during the month. Those in respect of the generating companies share offers should be in train shortly thereafter.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects Touche Ross to complete its audit in relation to the sale of shares in the privatisation of the electricity supply industry of England and Wales.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : I have recently received Touche Ross's audit report in relation to the selling commissions due to brokers in respect of the regional electricity companies share offers, on the basis of which the relevant payments are now being made to brokers ; that in relation to the generating companies share offers is expected shortly. As regard the firm's work on fraud audit, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave him on 10 June at columns 408-9.
Fossil-Fuel Power Stations
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what uses are made of the ash created in the burning of coal in fossil-fuel power stations.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : Up to 50 per cent.--around 7 million tonnes-- of the ash from coal-fired power stations is used for commercial purposes in a number of constructional applications and building products, for example, as structural fill material in road construction projects, in the manufacture of aerated building blocks and lightweight aggregates, and concrete applications.
Fuel Rationing Coupons
Mr. Mans : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the current cost of storing motor fuel rationing coupons.
Mr. Moynihan : Due to an advance in printing techniques, such storage is no longer necessary. We have now moved to a print on demand scheme, which will involve no expenditure after this financial year, thus saving at least £200,000 per annum.
NATIONAL FINANCE
Child Tax Allowance
Sir Ian Gilmour : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the additional revenue in a full year that would result from abolishing the £3,295 annual tax allowance for children ; and by how much child benefit could be raised if the additional revenue were wholly used for that purpose.
Mr. Norman Lamont : The additional revenue produced by abolishing the personal tax allowance for all children
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would be about £60 million in a full year for the United Kingdom. This sum would allow child benefit to go up by about 10p a week for each eligible child.Interest Rates
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on margins charged by banks over minimum lending rate ; and what proposals he has for regulating these margins.
Mr. Norman Lamont : I have received a number of representations on this issue. My officials, together with the Bank of England, are looking at the concerns that have been raised. We will consider what--if any--action is necessary when we have established the facts.
Mortgages
Mr. Beith : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has on (a) the total number of mortgages for which monthly repayments are reviewed annually and (b) the proportion of mortgages subject to annual review which are reviewed in each month.
Mr. Maples : Only partial information is available. We do not hold information on the total number of mortgages for which payments are adjusted annually, but it is estimated that over 40 per cent. of building society mortgages fall into this category. No information is available on the proportion of annual review mortgages that are reviewed in each month.
Income Tax Assessments
Mr. Beith : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many assessments for personal income tax made by the Inland Revenue were appealed against in each year since 1987.
Mr. Maude : The number of appeals against schedule D. capital gains and taxed income assessments since 1987 are as follows. In many cases, the appeal was against an estimated assessment raised in the absence of the taxpayer's return.
|Million
------------------------
1987-88 |2.1
1988-89 |2.9
1989-90 |3.1
1990-91 |3.2
The relevant statistics for schedule E assessments are not available on the computerised PAYE system.
Mr. Beith : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many assessments for personal income-tax made by the Inland Revenue in each year since 1988 were appealed against (a) on the initial assessment, (b) on the second assessment, (c) on the third assessment and (d) on further assessments.
Mr. Maude : Figures for appeals are not recorded in this form.
Inland Revenue (Efficiency)
Mr. Beith : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what performance indicators are used by the Inland Revenue to monitor the service's efficiency and effectiveness (a) in terms of assessment of tax revenue due and (b) in terms of collection.
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Mr. Maude : A wide range of indicators is used to plan, manage and report the Inland Revenue's work. Key figures are published each year in the Board of Inland Revenue's plans and annual report, copies of which are in the House of Commons Library. For example, the report for the year ending 31 March 1990--Cm. 1321--showed that 98.8 per cent. of the main assessments for schedule D income tax were issued on time in 1989-90, and that the proportion of assessment taxes which had been collected was the highest for five years.
Pensioners (Tax)
Mr. Allen : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish figures showing for 1991-92 the numbers of pensioners who (a) pay no income tax, (b) pay income tax at the basic rate only and (c) pay income tax at the highest rate.
Mr. Maude : The latest estimates are that about 7.3 million individuals aged over 65 will pay no income tax, 2.6 million will pay income tax at the basic rate only and 150,000 will pay at the higher rate.
ENVIRONMENT
Local Government Expenditure
Mr. Higgins : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of local government expenditure in Worthing is likely to be financed from community charge, uniform business rate and central government, respectively in 1991-92 ; and what were the figures in 1990-91.
Mr. Portillo : Worthing borough council are expecting to raise £22.55 million in community charges in respect of 1990-91. Together with income of £23.6 million from the non-domestic rates pool, and £7.4 million revenue support grant, after safety net adjustment, this money will help finance £322.1 million net revenue expenditure by West Sussex county council, and £9 million net revenue expenditure by Worthing borough council.
For 1991-92 Worthing borough council are expecting to raise £25.8 million in community charges in respect of that year. Together with £26.3 million from the non-domestic rates pool, and £8.4 million revenue support grant, this will help finance £354.8 million budgeted net revenue expenditure by West Sussex county council in 1991-92, and £10 million budgeted net revenue expenditure by Worthing borough council in 1991-92.
It is not possible to say what proportion of local government expenditure in Worthing is financed by any one of these sources.
Household Incomes
Mr. Mullin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will update his answer to the hon. Member for Sunderland, North (Mr. Clay), Official Report, 27 June 1990, column 259 , to 1991-92 showing, in addition, the total gainers and losers and a more detailed breakdown of net household income, equivalised and unequivalised, at the top end of the income range.
Mr. Key : Information placed in the Library on 15 February and 27 June 1990 showed the distributional impact of the community charge on a basis directly
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