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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 19 June 1991
NATIONAL FINANCE
Consultancies
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidelines govern the maximum length of time that the same consultancy practice may be continuously employed by a Government Department.
Mr. Mellor : I will write to the hon. Member.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidelines there are governing the awarding of consultancy contracts on a cost- reimbursable basis.
Mr. Mellor : None, but advice on contracting with management consultants can be found within the Treasury's booklet, "Seeking Help from Management Consultants", and this includes at annex 7 a description of the salient points of such a contract.
Environmental Protection
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has had on the subject of fiscal measures to increase environmental protection in the United Kingdom.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : I have received a number of such representations.
Money Laundering
Mr. Rathbone : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 13 May, Official Report, columns 23-24, if he has yet completed consultations with law enforcement agencies about which activities and professions should now have procedures tightened in order to combat money laundering ; and what discussions have started with which relevant representative bodies.
Mr. Maples : We hope to complete consultations with law enforcement agencies shortly.
Interest Rates
Mr. Cox : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what have been the interest rates in the United Kingdom for each quarter since October 1979.
Mr. Maples : The information requested is available in table 13.15 of "Financial Statistics".
Inflation
Mr. Cox : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the inflation rate in the United Kingdom in each quarter since October 1979.
Mr. Maples : Following is the information :
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Retail prices index-percentage increases on a year earlier. Year |Quarter 1|Quarter 2|Quarter 3|Quarter 4 ------------------------------------------------------------ 1979 |- |- |- |17.3 1980 |19.1 |21.5 |16.4 |15.3 1981 |12.7 |11.7 |11.3 |11.9 1982 |11.1 |9.4 |8.0 |6.2 1983 |5.0 |3.8 |4.6 |5.1 1984 |5.2 |5.1 |4.7 |4.8 1985 |5.5 |7.0 |6.3 |5.5 1986 |4.9 |2.8 |2.6 |3.4 1987 |3.9 |4.2 |4.3 |4.1 1988 |3.4 |4.3 |5.5 |6.5 1989 |7.7 |8.2 |7.7 |7.6 1990 |7.8 |9.7 |10.4 |10.0 1991 |8.7 |- |- |-
Heveningham Hall
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much inheritance-related tax has been received in respect of Heveningham hall.
Mr. Maude : The information requested about Heveningham hall is covered by the normal rules ensuring taxpayers' confidentiality.
Income Tax
Mr. Battle : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, further to his answer of 2 May, Official Report, column 296 , he will estimate the effect on Treasury revenues in 1991-92 and in a full year of introducing a higher rate band of income tax of 50 per cent. on taxable incomes over £36,705.
Mr. Maude : Compared with the income tax regime considered in the previous answer, the revenue yield at 1991-92 levels of income of introducing the rates of income tax shown in the table would be about £0.1 billion lower in 1991-92, and about £0.2 billion lower in a full year. In rounded terms the total yield, compared with the income tax regime for 1991-92 proposed in the Budget, would be about £1 billion in 1991-92 and about £2 billion in a full year. The estimates do not take account of the consequential effect on capital gains tax, nor do they allow for any behavioural effects that might result from such an increase.
Taxable income (£) |Rate
|per cent.
---------------------------------------------------------
1 to 23,700 |25
23,701 to 36,705 |40
Over 36,705 |50
Taxable income is income subject to tax from all sources after deducting allowances and reliefs.
VAT (Zero-rating)
Mr. Battle : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the effect on Treasury revenues in 1991-92 and in a full year of abolishing value-added tax zero-rating on all items except food, children's clothing, and domestic fuel and power.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Estimates of the revenue effect of abolishing zero-rating on all items of domestic expenditure other than food, children's clothing, and fuel and power are as follows :
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|£ billion
---------------------------------
1991-92<1> |3.7
Full year<2> |5.2
<1>Assuming a 1 April change
<2>Assuming all receipts in
1991-92 reflect VAT at 17.5 per
cent.
Mr. Battle : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list all items currently subject to the zero rate of value added tax.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Schedule 5 to the VAT Act 1983 applies the zero rate of VAT to a wide range of goods and services. The main areas covered are listed in table 4B.1 of the "Financial Statement and Budget Report" for 1991-92 which is available in the House of Commons Library.
Unemployment
Mr. Beith : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the cost to the Exchequer of the increase in unemployment from May 1990 to May 1991 in terms of (a) increased social security payments and (b) reduced taxation receipts, both direct and indirect.
Mr. Maude : A rise of 100,000 in unemployment is estimated directly to add around £305 million to benefit expenditure in 1991-92--as shown in table 24 of the DSS departmental report, Cm. 1514. Estimates of the effects on tax receipts and public finances as a whole would depend on the assumptions made.
Birds
Mr. Steen : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide an estimate of the number of birds which were illegally imported into the United Kingdom for each year since 1987.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Customs detected the following numbers of birds being illegally imported into the United Kingdom in contravention of the laws relating to the convention on the international trade in endangered species--CITES.
|Number
----------------------
1986-87 |209
1987-88 |208
1988-89 |380
1989-90 |533
1990-91 |243
It is not possible to estimate how many illegal importations may have evaded Customs controls.
TRANSPORT
London Transport
Mr. Lawrence : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will increase Government grant to London Transport in 1991-92.
Mr. Rifkind : Yes. I am pleased to announce that I am increasing London Transport's grant by £53 million and its external financing limit by £39.8 million. This will be charged to the reserve and will not, therefore, add to the level of planned public expenditure. The increase is
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additional to the £55 million extra grant for 1990-91 announced in February this year. I have approved it because of the current downturn in LT's property receipts and revenue. It will enable LT to repay borrowing it undertook in 1990-91 and to proceed with important investment in the underground and docklands light railway.British Rail
Mr. Lawrence : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about British Rail's external financing limit for 1991-92.
Mr. Rifkind : We have now completed discussions with the railways board about the serious financial situation that British Rail faces this year in the light of the downturn in the property market and its reduced forecasts of revenue. The Government have decided to increase British Rail's external financing limit for 1991-92 by £400 million, to a revised total of £1,522 million. This increase will be charged to the reserve, and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure. Last year BR's EFL was increased in-year by £102 million, and BR subsequently overshot the revised EFL by £316 million. I am not, however, requiring BR to meet that overshoot from this year's provision, as would normally be required. I have also today told the chairman of British Rail that I have approved his proposal to invest £127 million in 188 additional Networker vehicles for commuter services in south-east London and north Kent.
HEALTH
Video Recordings
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the titles of the video recordings purchased by his Department during the financial year 1990-91 and 1991-92 to date.
Mr. Dorrell : The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Dentists
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of dentists in each family health service authority are offering a less than full NHS service.
Mr. Dorrell : Dentists are independent contractors who are free to accept or refuse patients as they see fit. However, having accepted a patient into an NHS continuing care or capitation arrangement, a dentist is required to offer all the care and treatment that is necessary to secure and maintain oral health.
Immunology
Mr. John Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the locations of consultant immunologists in England.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Contracts for consultants are held by regional health authorities or, where appropriate, by teaching health districts. The table shows the locations of consultant immunologists, by regional health authority.
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Number of consultant immunologists by
regional and special health
authority as at 30 September 1989
|Number
-----------------------------------------
Northern |1
Yorkshire |2
Trent |4
East Anglia |2
North West Thames |5
North East Thames |4
South East Thames |5
South West Thames |1
Wessex |1
Oxford |1
South Western |2
West Midlands |5
Mersey |2
North Western |2
Special Health Authorities |3
|---
Total |40
(Figures include permanent paid and
honorary staff).
Spectacles
Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will increase the maximum help available to people who receive vouchers to cover the entire cost of spectacles.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Voucher values were increased overall by 6 per cent. from 1 April this year. The values of the most commonly prescribed vouchers A, B and D were increased by 7.2, 6.1 and 6.5 per cent. respectively.
Nurses' Grading
Mr. Ronnie Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give a breakdown of the total number of nursing clinical grading appeals already heard in the Northern region and the numbers (a) upheld or (b) rejected.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The figures for nurse clinical grading regional appeals for staff employed in the Northern regional health authority area are as follows--up to 31 May 1991 :
|Number
----------------------------------
Total number heard: |77
of which
(a) upheld |14
(b) rejected |8
No national appeals have been heard to date. Information on local appeals is not collected centrally.
Prescribing Incentive Schemes
Mr. O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what representations he has received from family health services committees and doctors over the delay in being notified over the introduction of the prescribing incentive schemes ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) when he intends to take action on the prescribing incentive schemes submitted by family health services committees ; and if he will make a statement ;
(3) how many family health services committees were notified that the prescribing incentive schemes submitted for his consideration had been agreed by his Department before 1 April.
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Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : We have received several representations from family health services authorities concerning the approval of indicative prescribing incentive scheme applications. I shall be announcing shortly which incentive scheme applications have been approved.
Mr. O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he gives to general practices on the introduction of prescribing incentive schemes ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : "Improving Prescribing", issued in June 1990, set out proposals for the operation of local, voluntary incentive schemes. Further guidance was included in NHS management letter EL(91)12, issued to family health services authorities and regional and district health authorities on 31 January 1991. Copies of "Improving Prescribing" and EL(91) 12 are available in the Library.
Energy Efficiency
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 3 June, Official Report, column 69, if he will list the main items of expenditure included in the £100,000 spent in 1990-91 on improving energy efficiency.
Mr. Dorrell : The main items of expenditure included are : dry lining of interior walls ; 8-inch cork insulation as part of flat roof replacements ; replacement of ill-fitting exterior doors.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give the number of energy audits carried out in his Department in the past five years and for each audit a statement of its main conclusions.
Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 3 June 1991] : For the years up to 1989-90 it is not possible to provide separate information for the Department of Health. However, some of the conclusions that emerged from audits carried out on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Security up to that time are as follows :
1. Convert tungsten lighting to compact fluorescent.
2. Change fluorescent tubes to high efficiency types.
3. Adjust boiler controls to eliminate overheating during occupancy and unnecessary heating during silent hours.
4. Maintain records of the utilities used.
5. Remedy defects to windows and doors.
6. Display "Energy Management" posters.
In 1990-91 there were no energy audits carried out in the Department. It is hoped to carry out energy audits during 1991-92 on two buildings that will remain part of the Department's estate for the foreseeable future.
Ambulance Paramedic Services
Mr. Evennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in converting NHS training directorate ambulance aid and extended ambulance, paramedic training to national vocational qualifications status ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Progress on the development of national vocational qualifications for ambulance staff is well advanced. Occupational standards for ambulance staff have been extensively tested throughout the NHS and in collaboration with the armed forces and the voluntary sector.
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The proposed qualifications will be presented to the December meeting of the Care Sector Consortium, which is the lead industry body for health and social care, and on approval will go to the National Council for Vocational Qualifications for formal acceptance.It is expected that qualifications will be available from January 1992, and will be phased in over the following two years, replacing the existing NHS training directorate qualifications.
A process for the conversion of existing NHS training directorate qualifications to NVQs is being determined and will be included in the December submission to Care Sector Consortium.
Mr. Evennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many ambulance services in England operate motor cycle or other dedicated fast response paramedic services ; what assessment has been made of the costs and benefit of such services ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : The information requested is not collected centrally, although we are aware that there are a number of fast response services operating around the country. It is for individual ambulance services to assess the costs and benefits of such services in the light of local circumstances.
Helicopter Ambulances
Mr. Evennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the cost and benefit of providing helicopter air ambulance facilities ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : A long-term, independent study of costs, performance and benefits of air ambulance services in London and Cornwall, funded by the Department, is under way. Any assessment will need to await the results of the study.
Food Premises
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to lay the regulations on registration of food premises under the Food Safety Act 1990 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : We will make an announcement when we have fully considered the responses made during the consultation on the draft regulations.
Child Care Inquiry, Staffordshire
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to obtain an independent evaluation of the role of the social services inspectorate in the events leading up to the Staffordshire child care inquiry.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley [holding answer 18 June 1991] : Children's homes are the responsibility of local authorities. It is their job to see that proper management and monitoring systems are in place.
An independent inquiry has been undertaken by Mr. Allan Levy QC and Mrs. Barbara Kahan into the "pindown" experience and the protection of children in Staffordshire children's homes. They were quite satisfied that the social services inspectors who had visited homes in Staffordshire in 1987 as part of a general review on the development of family centres were not told about "pindown" and its workings.
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WALES
Public Appointments
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the full-time and part-time public appointments for which his Department was responsible for each of the past five years together with the salary and the date when each appointment is due for renewal.
Mr. David Hunt : Information about the appointments for which I am responsible is set out in "Public Bodies" and "Public Appointments : A Handbook for Women's Organisations" copies of which are in the Library of the House.
Hospitality Fund
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the expenditure covered by his Department's hospitality fund for the financial years (a) 1989-90, (b) 1990-91, (c) 1991-92 to date.
Mr. David Hunt : The amounts spent on official hospitality are as follows :
|£
---------------------------------
1989-90 |38,397.87
1990-91 |45,419.35
1991 to date |6,866.59
School of Instrument Making and Repair
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 14 May, Official Report, column 79, to the hon. Member for Don Valley, (a) where the equipment and the present staff at the Welsh school of instrument making and repair will be relocated when it closes at the end of the current academic year and (b) what alternative arrangements have been made to continue these studies.
Sir Wyn Roberts : These are matters for Mid Glamorgan county council, which administers the school, and for Ystrad Mynach college of further education.
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 14 May, Official Report, column 79, to the hon. Member for Don Valley, if he will list the six representations he received, and any others to date, over the closure of the Welsh school of instrument making and repair, showing in his answer whether they were for or against the closure.
Sir Wyn Roberts : The representations received were all by or on behalf of individuals and therefore I cannot give further details. All expressed concern at the closure of the Welsh school of instrument making and repair.
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list by year for the past five years, and for the current academic year, the number of students taught at the Welsh school of instrument making and repair at Abertridwr ; what nationality they were ; and what was the student establishment recommended.
Sir Wyn Roberts : This information is not readily available.
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Video Recordings
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the titles of the video recordings purchased by his Department during the financial years 1990-91 and 1991-92 to date.
Mr. David Hunt : This information is not collected centrally.
Algae
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has to improve the biological control of filamentous algae of the cladophora family in Welsh rivers, lakes and reservoirs.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : I understand that cladophora growth occurs from time to time when nutrient concentrations, flow and organic conditions are suitable. The National Rivers Authority will be addressing its possible control as part of its wider research into eutrophication.
Special Needs Education
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff there are in each of the counties of Wales who teach pupils with special educational needs.
Sir Wyn Roberts : The number of full-time and part-time qualified teachers in special schools as at January 1990 is as follows :
-
|Number
------------------------------
Clwyd |120
Dyfed |47
Gwent |73
Gwynedd |50
Mid Glamorgan |104
Powys |28
South Glamorgan |131
West Glamorgan |48
Information in respect of the number of staff in maintained primary and secondary schools who teach pupils with special educational needs is not collected centrally.
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many free-standing special educational needs schools there are in each of the counties of Wales.
Sir Wyn Roberts : The number of maintained special schools as at January 1990 is given in the table :
-
|Number
------------------------------
Clwyd |11
Dyfed |5
Gwent |6
Gwynedd |6
Mid Glamorgan |10
Powys |4
South Glamorgan |15
West Glamorgan |5
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what is his policy concerning special educational needs provision in Wales ;
(2) what policy initiatives he proposes concerning the special educational needs of pupils in Wales.
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