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Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has any evidence of potentially adverse effects on the health of individuals who live or work in the vicinity of flowering crops of oil seed rape during the months of May and June.
Mr. Dorrell : Some individuals may be allergic to the pollen and other products of oil seed rape, as they are to other crops and plants. There is no conclusive evidence of increases in allergic conditions in vicinities where this crop is cultivated.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list in the Official Report any occupational health studies current, planned or in progress to determine whether flowering crops of oil seed rape cause adverse health effects on those who live or work near fields planted with the crop.
Mr. Dorrell : The Government have given financial support for a project based at Aberdeen university examining the possible effects on public health which might be associated with oil seed rape. The results of this study will not be known for some time.
Insulin
Mr. Terry Davis : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Glanford and Scunthorpe (Mr. Morley) of 23 May, Official Report, columns 595-6, when he expects discussions about the supply of insulin injectors to be completed.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : I cannot give an estimate of when the present discussions on making pen systems and needles available on prescription will be completed. The pricing and cost implications of various systems and other technical matters need to be resolved before a decision can be reached.
The Health of the Nation"
Mr. Amos : To ask the Secretary of State for Health which organisations he has invited to comment on the Green Paper, "The Health of the Nation."
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : More than 7,000 copies of "The Health of the Nation" have been distributed as part of the consultation process. NHS management and staff, the health professions, patients' organisations, the independent health care sector, employers' and employees' organisations and local authorities have been invited to comment. The views of some 200 voluntary organisations have also been sought.
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Registered Homes Act
Ms. Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward legislation to disqualify any person whose registration under the Registered Homes Act 1984 has been cancelled from being registered under the Act.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : There are no plans to do so. There are various grounds on which registration in respect of a home may be cancelled. They include not only the fitness of the person carrying on the home, but also the adequacy of the accommodation or facilities provided, and of any staffing arrangements. It does not necessarily follow that a person whose registration has been cancelled will never again be fit to run a home of any size or type. The earlier cancellation of registration would, however, be one of the factors which a registration authority would want to take into account when considering whether any later application for registration should be granted.
Food Premises
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list all the organisations that responded to the consultation concerning the draft regulations on the registration of food premises under the Food Safety Act 1990 ; and which organisations were in favour ;
(2) if he will identify the main issues of concern raised by organisations consulted about the registration of food premises under the Food Safety Act 1990 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : A list of those who responded to the consultation exercise has been placed in the Library. The issue which caused most comment was which premises should be covered by the regulations.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he can identify the different categories of food premises it is intended that local authorities will be obliged to register under the Food Safety Act 1990 ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) if he will give estimates for the number of premises likely to be identified in each category of premises that will be registered under the Food Safety Act 1990 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : The draft regulations propose that premises used for a food business for five or more consecutive days, or for eight or more days in any four consecutive weeks, should be registered. They propose an exemption for two main groups of premises ; for those already registered or licensed under food legislation and those which local authority officers would not need to include in their regular inspection programmes. Information on the number of premises in each category is not available centrally.
NHS Spending (Cornwall)
Mr. Robert Hicks : To ask the Secretary of State for Health by how much expenditure on the national health service has increased in real and cash terms since May 1979 in the Cornwall health authority area and the East Cornwall overlap part of the Plymouth health area ; and what are the figures when expressed as expenditure per head of population.
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Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 10 June 1991] : The annual accounts of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly health authority and those of its predecessor area health authority record total revenue expenditure of £29.11 million (cash) for 1978-79 and £98.58 million cash for 1989-90. Those figures represent increases of 238.7 per cent. in cash terms and 44.7 per cent. in real terms, measured at 1989-90 prices. Expressed as average expenditure per head of resident population the figures equate to £70 (cash) per head for 1978-79 and £212 (cash) per head for 1989-90 representing cash and real-terms increases of 202.9 per cent. and 29.3 per cent., respectively.Expenditure data for part of health districts are not collected centrally and prior to 1 April 1982 the Plymouth health authority's predecessor health district was included in the larger Devon area health authority. However, for Devon as a whole the annual accounts of the relevant health authorities record total revenue expenditure averaging £89 (cash) per head of resident population for 1978-79 and £271 (cash) for 1989-90 representing cash and real-terms increases of 204.5 per cent. and 30.3 per cent.
Figures of expenditure per head of resident population tend to vary between individual authorities reflecting patterns of local service provision and the fact that people travel across authority boundaries for treatment.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Burma
Sir David Steel : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if a date has yet been set for a debate in the United Nations on the resolution on Burma which was co-sponsored by the United Kingdom last November ; and what the motion includes on trade sanctions.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The resolution is expected to be reconsidered in the course of debate at the 46th United National General Assembly in New York this autumn. The General Assembly works through a pre-set agenda rather than setting precise dates for each debate. The resolution does not refer to trade sanctions.
Sir David Steel : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action the European Community has taken in response to the violation of human and political rights in Burma.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The EC suspended all bilateral aid to Burma in 1988. EC countries also refrain from selling military equipment to Burma, and are discussing our proposal for a formal embargo. Frequent representations have been made to the Burmese : this year EC statements were issued on 4 January and 27 May, and the joint declaration from the EC- ASEAN Foreign Ministers' meeting in Luxembourg on 30-31 May included a reference to Burma.
Soviet Research Ship
Mr. Boyes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the reasons for banning the Soviet research ship Akademick Boris Petrov from British waters.
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Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Certain elements of the research programme were unacceptable, particularly regarding research in United Kingdom internal waters and in areas where our defence and security interests may be affected.
Environmental Modification Techniques
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will meet the United Nations Secretary General to discuss the strengthening of the 1977 United Nations convention on the prohibition of military or any other hostile use of environmental modification techniques.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has no plans to meet the United Nations Secretary General to discuss the 1977 United Nations convention on the prohibition of military or any other hostile use of environmental modification techniques.
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to press for an early review conference on the 1977 United Nations convention on the prohibition of military or any other hostile use of environmental modification techniques.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The United Kingdom will be sending
representatives in a personal capacity to the Canadian conference of experts on the use of the environment as a weapon of war on 10-12 July. This meeting is likely to discuss, inter alia, the 1977 UN convention on the prohibition of military or any other hostile use of environmental modification techniques.
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to propose the establishment of a consultative committee under the 1977 United Nations convention on the prohibition of military or any other hostile use of environmental modification techniques to investigate the environmental destruction in the Gulf region.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has no such plans.
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultations he has had with other signatory states of the 1977 United Nations convention on the prohibition of military or any other hostile use of environmental modification techniques, concerning the possibilities of strengthening the regulations of the convention ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has had no such consultations. UK experts will attend, in a personal capacity, the forthcoming Canadian conference of experts on the use of the environment as a weapon of war which we expect is likely to discuss, inter alia, the 1977 UN convention on the prohibition of military or any other hostile use of environmental modification techniques.
Kurds
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what military equipment will be deployed by the United Nations forces to protect the Kurds in northern Iraq.
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Mr. Douglas Hogg : The UN security guards will be equipped to carry out their mandate.Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what guarantees of protection have been provided by Her Majesty's Government to the Kurdish population of northern Iraq.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We have made it clear publicly and to the Kurdish leadership that the deployment of allied forces in northern Iraq was intended as a temporary measure to meet an urgent and overwhelming humanitarian need. We have also made clear that it is our intention to withdraw our forces from Iraq in conditions which will encourage those living in the areas of northern Iraq at present under the control of allied forces to remain.
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what guarantees of protection were offered by Her Majesty's Government to Kurdish refugees to encourage them to come down from the mountainous regions of northern Iraq.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Allied forces were deployed to northern Iraq to encourage the refugees to come down from the mountains to places where humanitarian relief could be provided effectively and in safety. The operation has succeeded in that objective.
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information his Department has as to the presence of Iraqi Government agents in the camps of the Kurdish people currently under the protection of United Kingdom forces.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We are aware of reports that Iraqi Government agents may be present in the area of northern Iraq presently controlled by the allied forces.
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many military personnel will comprise the United Nations force envisaged for the protection of the Kurds in northern Iraq.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The United Nations intends to deploy by mid-July 500 security guards throughout Iraq to complement the UN relief effort.
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his Department's assessment of the likelihood of the return of the Kurds to the mountainous areas of northern Iraq once United Kingdom and United States forces have withdrawn.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We intend that the withdrawal of the allied forces should be completed in conditions which will enable those living in the area at present controlled by allied forces to remain.
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assurances have been received by his Department from the Iraqi authorities that further military action will not be conducted against the Kurdish population after United Kingdom and United States forces have withdrawn from northern Iraq.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We and other members of the Security Council have made clear to Iraq the serious consequences of a renewal of its repression of its civilian population. We expect Iraq to continue to comply with Security Council resolution 688.
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Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to offer individual guarantees of protection to Kurds who have assisted United Kingdom forces during the course of their presence in northern Iraq.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : It is our intention that the allied forces should withdraw from Iraq in conditions which will encourage those living in the area at present under the control of allied forces to remain.
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the information provided by Kurdish refugees to United Kingdom armed forces during their presence in northern Iraq.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We take full account of all information reaching us on the situation in Iraq.
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his Department's policy towards the prevention of further military action by the Iraqi armed forced against its Kurdish population.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Security Council resolution 688 calls on Iraq to end its repression of its civilian population. We expect Iraq to continue to comply with that resolution. We have made clear to Iraq the serious consequences of a repression of its civilian population.
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement of his policy on what guarantees of protection will be provided by Her Majesty's Government to the Kurdish population of northern Iraq once United Kingdom forces have been withdrawn.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : It is our intention that allied forces should withdraw from Iraq in conditions which will encourage those living in the area of northern Iraq at present controlled by allied forces to remain.
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is Her Majesty's Government's policy regarding the deployment of United Kingdom forces to protect the Kurds in northern Iraq.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The deployment of allied forces to establish safe havens in northern Iraq was always intended as a temporary measure to meet an urgent and overwhelming humanitarian need. Latest reports show that the immediate humanitarian need has been largely met. Those forces whose task is complete are being withdrawn. But no date has been fixed for the complete withdrawal of allied forces which we intend should take place in conditions which will encourage those living in the area now controlled by allied forces to remain.
Iraq
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the future safety of Iraqi refugees living in camps outside the safe havens.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We expect Iraq to continue to comply with Security Council resolution 688, which calls for an end to Iraq's repression of its civilian population. We would take the gravest view of any renewal of systematic repression.
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Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his Department's assessment as to the present level of food stocks in Iraq.Mr. Douglas Hogg : On 15 May the UN published a comprehensive report on the situation in Iraq. This report is available in the Library of the House. The United Nations Secretary-General's executive delegate, Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, will lead a multi-agency team to Iraq to reassess the situation in early July.
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his Department's assessment as to the potential risks of epidemics of serious diseases in Iraq during the summer.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We are aware of reports from the International Committee of the Red Cross that diseases related to drinking water have increased in recent weeks. The ICRC is therefore distributing purified water to vulnerable groups throughout Iraq.
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the condition in Iraq of (i) the food distribution system, (ii) the supply of drinking water, (iii) sewerage and (iv) irrigation.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : On 15 May the United Nations published a comprehensive report on the situation in Iraq. This is available in the Library of the House.
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his Department's assessment as to the likelihood of famine in Iraq during the summer months.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Reports from northern Iraq indicate that this year's harvest will be significantly better than last year's. Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan will report on the situation in the rest of the country when he visits Iraq in July.
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the objectives of the United Nations force in northern Iraq.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The United Nations guard's mandate is to protect United Nations personnel, assets and operations and to report any significant incidents.
EC Regulations
Sir Michael McNair-Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about United Kingdom policy towards the proposals that European Community member states not complying with the directives or regulations are to be subject to fines ; and whether this proposal has been discussed by EC foreign ministers.
Mr. Garel-Jones : In the intergovernmental conference on political union the United Kingdom has put forward a proposal which would allow the European Court of Justice to impose a financial penalty on a member state which failed to comply with an earlier judgment of the European Court of Justice. This proposal was discussed by EC Foreign Ministers at the IGC ministerial meeting on 17 June.
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Hong Kong
Dr. Marek : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the percentage of Hong Kong citizens entitled to register to vote at present on the Hong Kong electoral roll ; and whether there are any plans to increase it.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : A total of 1,855,443 names have been included in the current final register of electors, representing a registration rate of 50.2 per cent.
Consideration will be given to improving the registration arrangements in the overall review of the electoral system of Hong Kong to be conducted by the Hong Kong Government after the September election to the Legislative Council.
ENERGY
Mersey Barrage
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects to make a decision on the next stage of funding for the Mersey barrage and its associated design and study programme.
Mr. Moynihan : The current phase of the studies is due for completion in July. A decision on work will depend on the assessment of the results of the current phase.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what representations he has received concerning his decision-making timetable and other aspects of public funding for the Mersey barrage.
Mr. Moynihan : My right hon. Friend and I have received a number of representations on a variety of aspects of work on the proposed Mersey barrage system.
Energy Consumption
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether the target of cutting energy consumption in Government Departments by 15 per cent. over five years relates to (a) energy expenditure in money terms, (b) energy expenditure in real terms or (c) energy use in fuel value terms.
Mr. Wakeham : The target of the energy efficiency campaign on the Government estate is to achieve a 15 per cent. reduction in weather- corrected energy consumption per unit of floor area, converted to expenditure using standard fuel prices. Using standard fuel prices eliminates the effect of changing fuel prices ; and introducing floor area helps to eliminate the distorting effect of the changing size of Departments' estates.
Electricity Privatisation
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to his answer of 18 June, Official Report, columns 117-18, if he will give for (a) 1987-88, (v) 1988-89, (c) 1989-90 and (d) 1991-92 estimates, the total costs of electricity privatisation, breaking down the figures for each year into (i) underwriting costs, (ii) selling and broking commissions, (iii) receiving bank costs, (iv) marketing, (v) advisers' fees and (vi) other costs.
Mr. Wakeham : Total expenditure on electricity privatisation was as follows :
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Year |£ million
|(VAT
|inclusive)
---------------------------------
1987-88 |0.8
1988-89 |5.5
1989-90 |12.5
Prior to 1990-91 there was no expenditure on items (i) to (iv) inclusive and only £0.2 million on item (vi) in 1989-90. For 1991-92 the Department has sought provision, through the supply estimates, for £116.7 million. Expenditure in 1991-92 is still the subject of commercial negotiation and it would be inappropriate to give further details at this time.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what factors account for the difference in the total underwriting costs given in his answer of 18 June, Official Report, columns 117-18, and the sum of the costs given in his answers of 28 November 1990, Official Report, column 416, and 25 April, Official Report, column 498.
Mr. Wakeham : The principal reason for the difference is that, following a re-classification, overseas underwriting is now included under the category "Selling and Broking Commissions". In addition, the underwriting costs referred to in my reply of 18 June also included the lead underwriting costs of £0.4 million on which information was not sought in the question of 28 November 1990.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to his answer of 18 June, Official Report, columns 117-18, if he will break down the underwriting total of £51.5 million into (a) United Kingdom primary underwriting for the regional electricity companies, (b) United Kingdom sub-underwriting for the regional electricity companies, (c) overseas underwriting for the regional electricity companies, (d) United Kingdom sub-underwriting for National Power and PowerGen and (e) overseas underwriting for National Power and PowerGen.
Mr. Wakeham : A breakdown of the £51.5 million previously reported is as follows :
|£ million
-----------------------------------------------------------
Regional electricity companies
United Kingdom primary underwriting: |6.7
United Kingdom sub-underwriting: |29.5
United Kingdom lead underwriting |0.4
National Power and PowerGen
United Kingdom sub-underwriting |14.9
|---
Sub-total |51.5
Regional electricity companies
Overseas commissions |13.3
National Power and PowerGen
Overseas commissions |6.0
|---
Total |70.8
Uranium Mines
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether his Department or the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority have offered the assistance of experts to the Governments of (a) Hungary, (b) Czechoslovakia
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and (c) Yugoslavia in the technical clean-up and restoration of (i) formerly used and (ii) currently operating uranium mines.Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : Neither my Department nor the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority has made any formal offers of such assistance, though the AEA has had informal discussions with Czechoslovakia.
Biomass Energy
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will make an assessment of the opportunities existing for United Kingdom based agro-energy research institutes and organisations for the development of biomass energy development in Hungary.
Mr. Moynihan : My Department has no plans at present to make such an assessment.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Auditing Firms
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which auditing firms against which the Government are currently engaged in litigation have supplied his Department's inspectors at any time since 1979.
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