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Mr. Leigh : The 17th annual report by the Director General of Fair Trading has been published today. It covers the period from 1 January 1990 to 31 December 1990. Copies of the report have been laid before Parliament.
Post Office Counter Services
Mr. Amos : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress Post Office Counters has made in implementing the recommendations of the 1988 Monopolies and Mergers Commission report on Post Office counter services at Crown offices.
Mr. Leigh : The Monopolies and Mergers Commission reported on Post Office counter services at Crown offices on 23 June 1988, Cm 398. Post Office Counters' initial response to this report was made available to the House on 21 December 1988, Official Report, columns 265-66. My Department agreed with Post Office Counters a detailed timetable for implementation of the accepted recommendations, and a reporting regime involving interim reports
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on progress, a main report in mid-1989, Official Report, 27 July 1989, column 812 and a final report in June 1991. I am today placing copies of the final report by Post Office Counters in the Library of the House.Post Office Counters was able to accept, in whole or in part, 79 of the MMC's 80 recommendations. Action has now been completed on 76 recommendations. Of these, Post Office Counters has concluded, on the basis of detailed work, that two linked recommendations--Nos. 59 and 60--are impractical in the form suggested by the MMC. These recommendations propose that clients should each decide, on the basis of different options presented by Post Office Counters, the size and shape of network that they are willing to pay for. Post Office Counters has accepted the principle lying behind these
recommendations, that clients' requirements should inform the provision of services and products, and will continue to look at ways of bringing this principle into their discussions with clients. Post Office Counters continues to take action on the three remaining recommendations. These are :
recommendation 6a, dealing with the charging of occupancy costs for property on an open market rental basis ; this depends on hardware and software becoming fully operational, forecast for April 1992 ; recommendation 18, concerning the assumption by Counters from Royal Mail of responsibility for all stamp vending machines ; some of these have required modification to provide consistent customer service, and the handover should be completed by the end of 1991 ; recommendation 67f, proposing that the costs of the data transmission network be shared among its users ; this will be further pursued when the related network automation plans are
authorised--(earliest completion date July 1992).
My officials will continue to monitor progress on the implementation of these three outstanding recommendations. The original report by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission was based on a wide-ranging and thorough review of counter services in Crown offices ; I commend Post Office Counters for the conscientious and constructive manner in which it has addressed the MMC recommendations.
Textile Machinery
Mr. Nicholas Winterton : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what consultations he has had with British textile machinery manufacturers about proposed new European regulations on magnetic compatibility ;
(2) what steps he is taking to ensure that British textile machinery manufacturers do not suffer unnecessarily under the terms of proposed new European regulations on magnetic compatibility ; (3) if he has any plans to visit Sir James Farmer Norton and Co. to discuss the possible impact of proposed new regulations on magnetic compatibility ;
(4) if he will list those testing facilities which currently exist in the north-west of England which could be used for testing compliance of heavy machinery with proposed new regulations on magnetic compatibility.
Mr. Leigh [holding answer 25 June 1991] : My officials met officers and members of the British Textile Machinery Association on 12 June to discuss the electro-magnetic
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compatibility directive. I am not aware of any reason why British textile machinery manufacturers should be disadvantaged by the directive.My right hon. Friend has no plans to visit Sir James Farmer Norton and Co.
Manufacturers following the "standards" route to compliance with the directive may use any test facilities, including their own. I regret that the Department does not have a list of such facilities in the north-west of England.
"Competent bodies" have not yet been appointed to issue technical reports or certificates for manufacturers following the "technical file" route to compliance with the directive.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Basle Convention
Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those countries which have signed the Basle convention and the dates on which these signatures were presented.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The following countries have signed the Basle convention :
|Date
-----------------------------------------------------------------
1989
Afghanistan |22 March 1989
Argentina |28 June 1989
Bahrain |22 March 1989
Belgium |22 March 1989
Bolivia |22 March 1989
Canada |22 March 1989
Colombia |22 March 1989
Cyprus |22 March 1989
Denmark |22 March 1989
Ecuador |22 March 1989
European Economic Community |22 March 1989
Finland |22 March 1989
France |22 March 1989
Germany, Federal Republic of |23 October 1989
Greece |22 March 1989
Guatemala |22 March 1989
Haiti |22 March 1989
Hungary |22 March 1989
Israel |22 March 1989
Italy |22 March 1989
Jordan |22 March 1989
Kuwait |22 March 1989
Lebanon |22 March 1989
Leichtenstein |22 March 1989
Luxembourg |22 March 1989
Mexico |22 March 1989
Netherlands |22 March 1989
New Zealand |18 December 1989
Norway |22 March 1989
Panama |22 March 1989
Philippines |22 March 1989
Portugal |26 June 1989
Saudi Arabia |22 March 1989
Spain |22 March 1989
Sweden |22 March 1989
Switzerland |22 March 1989
Syria |11 October 1989
Turkey |22 March 1989
United Arab Emirates |22 March 1989
United Kingdom | 6 October 1989
Uruguay |22 March 1989
Venezuela |22 March 1989
1990-91
Austria |19 March 1990
Chile |31 January 1990
China |22 March 1990
El Salvador |22 March 1990
France | 7 January 1991
German Democratic Republic |19 March 1990
Hungary |21 May 1990
India |15 March 1990
Ireland |19 January 1990
Nigeria |15 March 1990
Poland |22 March 1990
Romania |27 February 1990
Thailand |22 March 1990
United States of America |22 March 1990
Strategic Arms Reduction
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his counterpart in the United States of America on strategic arms reduction talks.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs discusses arms control issues regularly with Mr. Baker and we keep in very close contact with the United States Administration on the subject at other levels. The START talks themselves are a matter for the United States and Soviet Union.
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what monitoring his Department undertakes of the United States and Soviet proposals for reducing the number of nuclear warheads ; and what sources of expertise are available to him on the quantity of fissile material that might be made redundant if a strategic arms reduction treaty is concluded.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We have strongly supported United States and Soviet negotiations for reduction of their nuclear arsenals. Fissile material made redundant under strategic arms reduction treaty is a matter for the two parties.
Journalists' Deaths (Iraq)
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultations he has had with the Red Cross and the Red Crescent concerning the investigation of the disappearance of the British television journalist, Roseanna Della Casa, and the deaths of Nick Della Casa and Charles Maxwell in the Turkish-Iraqi border region ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The British mission to the United Nations in Geneva first raised the matter of the disappearance of Rosanna della Casa, Nicholas della Casa and Charles Maxwell with the International Committee of the Red Cross on 17 April 1991. ICRC delegates in Iraq have since then had many written and oral contacts with the Iraqi authorities. They continue actively to pursue the disappearance of Rosanna della Casa.
We maintain regular contact with the ICRC in Geneva. We have had no direct contacts with the Red Crescent.
Iraq
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to report to the House details of the report of the visit made
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by the International Atomic Energy Agency's special inspection team in Iraq between 14 and 22 May, pursuant to United Nations Security Council resolution 687.Mr. Douglas Hogg : It would be wrong for us to publish details of IAEA documents communicated in confidence to IAEA member states. It is for the IAEA, with the UN special commission, to make such details public.
Thailand (Sanctuary)
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations Her Majesty's Government have made to the Thai Government on the proposed forced repatriation of Burmese people who have sought sanctuary in Thailand.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : My noble Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth office raised the subject of Burmese immigrants in Thailand with the Thai Foreign Minister on 6 June. The Thai authorities are aware of our concern that no Burmese should be forcibly returned to face persecution in Burma.
Chittagong Hill Tracts
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has received a copy of the report produced by the Chittagong Hill Tracts Commission ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Yes. The report is a useful contribution to public knowledge and debate about the problems of the Chittagong hill tracts.
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations Her Majesty's Government have made to the Government of Bangladesh regarding reports of human rights violations of ethnic minorities in the Chittagong hill tracts ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : We have regularly made our concerns about the situation in the Chittagong Hill tracts known to the Government of Bangladesh. We welcome their recent decision to implement the 1989 devolution plans in full, to allow the three hill tract councils greater autonomy.
Office for Emergency Operations in Africa
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether, at the meeting of United Nations heads of agencies, donors and non-governmental organisations on 27 June, in New York, Her Majesty's Government will support the proposal to re-establish the Office for Emergency Operations in Africa.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : We are considering the best organisational response to the serious situation in Africa. As I told the hon. Member for Cynon Valley (Mrs. Clwyd) on 17 June, the Office for Emergency Operations in Africa provided excellent inter-agency co-operation from 1984 to 1986. Since its experiences are reflected in current United Nations working practices, re-establishing it now does not automatically guarantee improved co-ordination. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and the German Foreign Minister launched a joint initiative on 9 June to improve and support the way the United Nations responds to humanitarian disasters and emergencies including those in Africa.
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Anti-ballistic Missile Treaty
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration Her Majesty's Government have given to signing the anti-ballistic missile treaty.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The AMB treaty is a bilateral agreement between the United States and Soviet Union ; the question of United Kingdom signature does not therefore arise.
Energy Efficiency
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonweath Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 3 June, Official Report, column 49, if he will give such information as is available without disproportionate cost, in the form of his answers of 30 April 1990, Official Report, column 405, and 10 May 1990, Official Report, column 205.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd [pursuant to his reply, 19 June 1991, c. 206.] : The figures for ODA energy consumption and expenditure in the financial year 1990-91 were as follows :
0
Consumption |Figures
------------------------------------------------
(i) Electricity (kwh) |6,268,388
(ii) Gas (therms) |486,942
(iii) Fuel Oil (litres) |66,221
Expenditure |£
(i) Electricity |393,101
(ii) Gas |185,149
(iii) Fuel Oil |11,316
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
Voluntary-aided Schools
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what were the amounts of (a) planned and (b) actual expenditure on capital projects for voluntary-aided schools in each of the last five years ; and what is the planned expenditure for 1991-92.
Mr. Fallon : Figures for planned and actual expenditure on capital building work at voluntary aided and special agreement schools between 1986 and 1992 are as follows :
|(a) Planned|(b) Actual
|£ million |£ million
------------------------------------------------
1986-87 |27.8 |31.8
1987-88 |39.1 |37.2
1988-89 |55.3 |50.3
1989-90 |65.3 |67.6
1990-91 |87.2 |75.3
1991-92 |98.8 |-
Note:
These figures include governors' contributions
but exclude any work conducted off-programme
and any which would be the responsibility of
the Local Education Authority.
School Meals
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has of the number of local education authorities which have now discontinued the provision of school meals on an authority-wide basis ; and if he will list the authorities.
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Mr. Fallon : All local education authorities in England are obliged to provide a free school meal for any pupil whose family is on income support. In January 1990, the latest date for which information is available, some paid meals were also provided in all authorities.School Premises
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has of the proportion of secondary school places in each local education authority that are in temporary accommodation ; and whether he will list all such authorities with more than 20 per cent. in temporary accommodation, giving the estimated proportion of such places in each case.
Mr. Fallon : This information is not available centrally.
Brent (Schoolchildren)
Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will state how many children who are resident in the London borough of Brent are educated in the London borough of Barnet.
Mr. Fallon : As at January 1990, a total of 1,634 school pupils belonging to the area of the London borough of Brent were being educated in the London borough of Barnet.
Education, London
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will provide a table setting out the number of pupils in Greater London reaching the school leaving age in every year from 1975, including figures for 1991 or estimates for 1991 if figures are not available.
Mr. Fallon : The table shows the number of pupils in maintained secondary schools in Greater London in their final year of compulsory education. The figure for 1990-91 has been estimated on the basis of the number of pupils in their penultimate year of compulsory education in 1989- 90.
Pupils in their final year of
compulsory education in maintained
secondary schools in Greater London,
academic years 1974-75 to
1990-91.
|(Thousands)
------------------------------------
1974-75 |87.9
1975-76 |88.9
1976-77 |91.2
1977-78 |92.7
1978-79 |93.2
1979-80 |94.1
1980-81 |92.6
1981-82 |90.5
1982-83 |87.5
1983-84 |83.9
1984-85 |80.0
1985-86 |75.5
1986-87 |75.4
1987-88 |69.4
1988-89 |64.9
1989-90 |62.4
1990-91 |<1>60.0
<1> Estimated.
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he has any plans to provide further funds for London's education service ;
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(2) if he has received a copy of the Association of London Authorities' report "Taking Stock, The Resources Needed to Fund London's Education Service."Mr. Eggar : Yes. My right hon. and learned Friend has seen the document. The Government have provided a financial framework in which London councils can provide a high-quality education service if they manage their affairs well. Standard spending assessments for London for all services are on average 21 per cent. higher in 1991-92 than in 1990-91, while education standard spending assessments have risen 18 per cent. on average. Inner London also receives help through special education grants, which total £70 million in 1991-92 alone. The average SSA allowance for pupils of compulsory school age is around 50 per cent. higher in inner London than in Barnsley or Sheffield.
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will provide a table for Greater London, showing the number of places available at, and the number of 16-year-old students entering separately, sixth forms, sixth-form colleges, tertiary colleges, and further education colleges in every year from 1975, including figures for 1991 or estimates for 1991 if figures are not available.
Mr. Eggar : The number of places available at, and the number of 16- year-old students entering, sixth-form colleges is not available centrally. The number of full or part-time students aged 16 years in sixth forms, sixth-form colleges and further education colleges are as follows :
|Sixth forms|Sixth form |Further |Percentage
|(thousands)|colleges |education |of
|(thousands)|(thousands)|population
|aged 16<1>
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1974-75 |26.8 |1.2 |- |-
1975-76 |29.6 |1.3 |- |-
1976-77 |30.8 |1.4 |- |-
1977-78 |30.0 |0.9 |- |-
1978-79 |30.4 |1.0 |- |-
1979-80 |30.2 |1.2 |21.4 |-
1980-81 |31.0 |1.3 |- |-
1981-82 |33.7 |1.4 |20.7 |60
1982-83 |32.6 |1.5 |21.0 |60
1983-84 |30.1 |1.4 |22.1 |61
1984-85 |28.2 |1.5 |22.2 |62
1985-86 |26.5 |1.8 |20.4 |61
1986-87 |24.6 |1.8 |21.7 |64
1987-88 |24.5 |0.9 |21.6 |64
1988-89 |22.5 |2.4 |20.8 |65
1989-90 |22.2 |2.3 |21.5 |70
<1> Source: DES Statistical Bulletins 6/87 and 14/91.
Notes:
(1) Age is at 31 August at the start of the academic year.
(2) Adult Education Centres have been excluded.
(3) Information on which to make reasonable estimates for 1990-91 is
not yet available.
(4) GLC data for further education colleges are not readily available
for 1974-75 to 1978-79 and 1980-81.
(5) GLC data for tertiary colleges are not readily available.
Teacher Training, London
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what action he plans to take in respect of London in response to the conclusions of Her Majesty's inspector's report on training teachers for inner city schools.
Mr. Fallon : We have asked the higher education funding councils to give specific consideration, in the
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allocation of initial teacher training places, to courses which are particularly focused on the needs of inner city schools and which give the students concerned experience of teaching in such areas. We have made available grants to the Urban Learning Foundation, whose work in inner London was commended in Her Majesty's inspector's report, and the St. Peter's Saltley project, which provides teaching experience in inner city Birmingham for trainee teachers. We have commissioned research by Professor Desmond Nuttall of the London School of Economics to establish whether increasing the number of trainees at institutions in London would in itself increase the number of those taking up first appointments there.Finally, in the light of Her Majesty's inspector's findings, the Teaching as a Career Unit's spring advertising campaign "Train to Teach in London" was specifically targeted towards people resident in London, more than 11,000 of whom responded.
Blind Students
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) whether he intends that blind and partially sighted students should have the opportunity to take the GCSE as key stage 4 of the national curriculum ;
(2) what arrangements are being made by his Department to ensure that examination papers for the GCSE are available in Braille.
Mr. Eggar : Examination papers are made available in braille for those visually impaired candidates who are notified to the examining groups as needing this facility. The cost of brailling papers is spread evenly over the examination fees of all GCSE candidates. I would envisage these arrangements continuing with the introduction of the national curriculum.
Environmental Education
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has received a report on the meeting hosted at Warwick university on 22 May by the Association of British Chambers of Commerce on the development of environmental education and business schools, universities and polytechnics.
National Curriculum
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to publish proposals to put into effect his policy of expecting whole classes of pupils who have taken examinations for GCSE or equivalent qualifications in national curriculum subjects early from the further requirements of the national curriculum.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : The National Curriculum Council, as required by section 20(3) of the Education Reform Act 1988, will next week give notice of my proposal to except whole classes of pupils who have taken examinations for GCSE or equivalent qualifications in national curriculum subjects early from all the provisions of the national curriculum relating to that subject at key stage 4. I announced my intention of issuing such a proposal in January. Copies of my proposal have been placed in the Library.
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My proposal is that where groups of particularly able pupils complete full courses of studies in particular national curriculum subjects before the last year of key stage 4 and take the relevant GCSE or equivalent examinations in those subjects, they should be discharged from any further requirement to follow the programmes of study or be formally assessed in those subjects. Pupils in such circumstances would then be free to use in other ways the time which they would otherwise have spent continuing to follow national curriculum requirements, as is already possible for individual pupils who take their GCSEs early.At present, the obligation to study further the relevant provisions of the national curriculum can be lifted only, in the case of individual pupils completing their national curriculum studies early, by moving such pupils into classes of older pupils. It is my view that the present restriction upon the accelerated progress of whole classes of pupils should now be removed.
The period for the submission of evidence and representations on the proposals to the National Curriculum Council will end on 27 September 1991. The council will then report to me. I intend to publish draft regulations, as required by section 20(5) of the Act, in November 1991. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales is separately directing the statutory consultation process in Wales.
Student Support
Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information about Government support for students he will make available this year.
Mr. Alan Howarth : We have today published a booklet, "Student Grants and Loans 1991-92". It brings together for the first time information on the two main parts of the Government's system of financial support for students. Copies are being sent--in England and Wales--to schools with sixth forms, colleges, local education authorities and careers information officers ; and to higher education institutions throughout the United Kingdom. Further copies are available on request. Copies have also been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
City Technology Colleges
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether following the current review of the Education (School Government) Regulations 1989, he will amend the regulations in order to prevent the chairman and governors of a maintained school that agrees to close in order to assist the establishment of a city technology college from acquiring employment with the city technology college trust or a body sponsoring a city technical college.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 26 June 1991] : Such an amendment would be neither statutorily possible nor desirable.
SCOTLAND
Students
Mr. Watson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list for academic year 1990-91 (a) the number of students from Scotland in receipt of grants to attend
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universities or colleges in England and Wales and (b) the number of students not domiciled in Scotland attending Scottish universities and colleges ; and what percentage of the total that figure represents.Mr. Michael Forsyth : The latest available figures for the number of undergraduate students attending Scottish universities and colleges who are not domiciled in Scotland are for academic year 1989-90. These are set out in the table.
|Attending |Not domiciled|Percentage
|universities |in Scotland
|and colleges
|in Scotland
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Universities |44,094 |14,601 |33
Colleges |36,825 |2,581 |7
|------- |------- |-------
|80,919 |17,182 |21
In academic year 1989-90, the number of undergraduate students domiciled in Scotland who were in receipt of grants to attend universities and colleges in England, Wales and Northern Ireland was 4,338. Provisional figures for academic year 1990-91 indicate that this figure will rise to 4,555.
Pedestrian Crossing, Fraser Park
Sir Russell Johnston : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from the Highlands regional council concerning a survey carried out in 1990 with a view to the provision of a pedestrian crossing on the A96 at Fraser Park, Nairn.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : None. The findings of the survey carried out by Highland regional council in 1990 showed that the pedestrian -vehicle flows at this location fell well short of the figure required to meet the criteria justifying the provision of a crossing. I understand that the council plans a further survey in July this year.
Deer
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has had from the West Grampian Deer Management Group and Mr. John Grant of Rothiemurchus.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The West Grampian Deer Management Group, of which Mr. Grant is a member, has recently responded to our consultation paper on natural heritage areas.
Care Homes
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what statistics he has on the number of trained or qualified staff in (a) children's homes, (b) homes for the elderly and (c) hostels for the mentally handicapped.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Information is not held centrally on the number of qualified staff in establishments in the independent sector or on the training of staff in all sectors. In local authority homes for children and the elderly, there were, at October 1989, 434 and 775 staff respectively with a formal qualification ; but the corresponding information on homes for the mentally handicapped is not separately identified. A total of 1,545 officers in charge and assistant officers in charge of local authority residential establishments were qualified as follows :
Column 548
|Per cent.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Certificate of Qualification in Social Work-or
equivalent |9
Certificate in Social Service |14
Other Social Service Qualifications |5
Nursing Qualifications |22
NATIONAL FINANCE
Balance of Payments
15. Mr. Flynn : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the Government's forecast for the balance of payments deficit in the first half of 1992 at an annualised rate.
Mr. Maples : The figure is £8 billion.
Equipment (Write-off)
16. Mr. Speller : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward proposals to allow an earlier write-off of capital equipment purchased by manufacturing industry.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : There are no plans to do so. The present capital allowance regime for equipment already provides a generous average rate of depreciation for tax purposes.
VAT (Police Cars)
17. Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to change the way police authorities pay value added tax on police cars they buy.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : There are no plans to change the VAT treatment of police cars. Where VAT is non-recoverable by a police authority, as is the case when it purchases police cars, this is allowed for in its funding.
Institute of Directors
18. Mr. William Powell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations about economic policy he has received from the Institute of Directors.
Mr. Mellor : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Shipley (Sir M. Fox).
Interest Rates
19. Mr. Churchill : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to persuade the high street banks to reduce their margins on loans to small businesses ; and if he will make a statement.
20. Mr. Carr : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures he has taken to assess the impact of high interest rates on small businesses.
Mr. Maples : My right hon. Friend has asked Treasury officials and the Bank of England to look into these questions.
Interest Rates
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from the Confederation of British Industry regarding interest rate policy.
Column 549
Mr. Norman Lamont : I have received a number of such representations.Mortgage Repossessions
22. Mr. Eastham : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the number of mortgage repossessions in 1990.
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