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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 3 July 1991
TRANSPORT
Drink Driving
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the proportion of (a) male drivers and (b) younger male drivers who were killed who were over the legal alcohol limit for each year since 1979.
Mr. Chope : The information requested is in the table.
Fatally injured male drivers and riders:
estimated percentage over legal blood alcohol limit by
age:
Great Britain: 1979 to 1989
|Aged up to 21|All ages
--------------------------------------------------------
1979 |32 |32
1980 |29 |32
1981 |23 |30
1982 |28 |34
1983 |24 |28
1984 |27 |27
1985 |21 |25
1986 |26 |25
1987 |22 |27
1988 |21 |22
1989 |17 |20
Motorways
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which methods of assessing the extent of mitigation of the M40's environmental impact (a) have and (b) have not, been applied to the M11 link road ; and for those in (a) what relative values have been applied.
Mr. Chope : The environmental impact of the M40 extension, which runs for 59 miles through largely agricultural land, cannot be directly compared with an urban scheme such as the A12 Hackney Wick to M11 link road. The Department's methodology for environmental appraisal is applied to all road proposals, but the measures required to mitigate the adverse effects are dependent on the individual nature of each project. In the case of the M11 link road, a significant amount of the cost of the scheme is for measures to mitigate the adverse effects of the road including the construction of three sections of tunnel.
Ministerial Correspondence
Mr. Maxwell-Hyslop : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reasons Ministers in his Department have not complied with the prime ministerial guideline that all Ministers should accompany their replies to Members' letters with a copy of that reply.
Mr. McLoughlin : It is, and always has been, the practice of the ministerial correspondence unit in the Department of Transport, to enclose a copy of letters from Ministers to Members, along with the original--and any enclosures, for example, press notices--of any replies dealing with constituents' correspondence.
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If, however, a subject has been raised by a Member, and no specific constituent is involved, only the original of the reply is sent. The ministerial correspondence unit is particularly aware of the importance of enclosing a copy of replies involving constituents during recesses, when Members are dealing with correspondence from their homes.Airline Employees
Mr. Snape : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what steps were taken to secure the terms and conditions of employment of the TWA. United Kingdom-based employees being transferred to American Airlines as a result of his decision to allow American Airlines to take over the TWA Heathrow routes ;
(2) if he will make it his policy, when he agrees to the transfer of airline routes from one foreign airline to another, to take steps to ensure the protection of employment terms and conditions of United Kingdom employees concerned.
Mr. McLoughlin : These arrangements are matters for the companies concerned and their employees, subject to any relevant rules regarding employment protection and transfer. They are not matters in which I intervene and I have no plans to change my policy in this respect.
Shipping
Mr. Douglas : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the current level of investment by British shipowners in new capacity and the tonnage to be built.
Mr. McLoughlin : In 1989, United Kingdom shipowners placed orders for 29 new vessels and took delivery of a further 34 second-hand vessels at an estimated total cost of £462 million. Comparable figures for 1990 are in preparation. I will write to the hon. Member with this information as soon as it becomes available.
Disability Manifesto
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his policy towards the recommendations of the "Disability Manifesto : An Agenda for the 1990s", a copy of which has been sent to him, which relate to his Department ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : My Department has a strong and continuing policy commitment to improve transport facilities for disabled people. A summary of recent developments and current priorities is contained in the annual report for 1990 from my Department's disability unit, a copy of which is in the library.
Severn Bridge (Gantry Accident)
Mr. Grist : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he is able to announce the outcome of the investigations he commissioned into the accident to a maintenance gantry on the Severn bridge on 4 September 1990.
Mr. Chope : I am publishing the report of the investigations today and am placing a copy in the Library. I accept the broad thrust of all the recommendations in the
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report. As the report itself recognises, further work will be necessary before deciding exactly how certain of the recommendations are to be pursued ; this work is already under way.ENVIRONMENT
Toxic Waste
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table to show the amounts of (a) hazardous and (b) toxic wastes imported into Great Britain from (i) Northern Ireland and (ii) the Irish Republic in each of the past five years for incineration.
Mr. Baldry : Information on the importation of waste into Great Britain has been available only since the introduction of the Transfrontier Shipment of Hazardous Waste Regulations in October 1988. No distinction is made in the regulations between hazardous and toxic waste.
From 1 October 1988 to 31 March 1989, a total of 29.4 tonnes of hazardous waste for incineration were imported through English ports from the Irish Republic. The equivalent figure for 1989-90 is 89.1 tonnes. Final figures for 1990-91 are not yet available.
The provision of information for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales, for Scotland and for Northern Ireland respectively. Information on trade within the United Kingdom is not held centrally.
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on the quantity of toxic and hazardous wastes arising from the operations of the Du Pont company in Northern Ireland which is transferred to the incinerators of the Cleanaway and Raychem plants in Great Britain each year.
Mr. Trippier : None. Monitoring the movement of hazardous waste within the United Kingdom is the responsibility of local waste disposal authorities.
Housing Grant
Mr. Riddick : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will produce a table showing (a) the level of grant made by the Housing Corporation to housing associations within each one of the five West Yorkshire local authorities in each of the past five years, (b) the housing needs index for each authority in each year, (c) the excess or shortfall of grant over or below housing needs index for each authority in each year and (d) the total excess or shortfall for each authority over the five-year period ; and if he will outline the criteria used by the Housing Corporation which would cause the grant made to housing associations within each local authority being either above or below that authority's housing needs index.
Mr. Yeo : The distribution of resources among local authority areas is a matter for the Housing Corporation. I have, therefore, asked the corporation to reply direct to my hon. Friend with the information he has requested. A copy of the reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House. It should be noted, however, that although the housing needs indicator is the best means available for allocating resources to Housing Corporation regions, for
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statistical reasons it is less reliable at local level. In determining priorities within the regions, therefore, the corporation's regional offices also use their own assessment of need, informed by discussions with local authorities in their enabling role.Ministerial Conference, Czechoslovakia
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representation the United Kingdom had at the ministerial conference for environment in Europe held in Drobis, Czechoslovakia on 22-23 June ; and what decisions were taken at the conference.
Mr. Heseltine [holding answer 1 July 1991] : I attended the "Environment for Europe" ministerial conference held in Drobis last week where we discussed ways for further strengthening co-operation to protect and improve the environment, long-term strategies towards a European protection and restoration system and an environmental programme for Europe. The conclusions of the conference have been made available in the Library.
Valuation Rules
Mr. Beith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidance which has been issued to valuation officers on the interpretation of Statutory Instrument 474/91 ; and whether this guidance makes reference to the presence of en suite bathrooms or of tea-making facilities as relevant to assessing whether a householder is excluded from the business rate concession.
Mr. Maples : I have been asked to reply.
It is not our practice to disclose instructions which are issued for the confidential guidance of staff, but when deciding whether a household is to be excluded from non-domestic rating valuation officers will have regard to all the facilities provided and the intensity of business use. No particular facility will be considered in isolation, but only in relation to all the circumstances of the case.
DEFENCE
Mr. William Douglas-Home
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Bexleyheath (Mr. Townsend) of 17 June, Official Report, column 65, if he will publish the decision reached in the review of the case of the hon. William Douglas-Home, and the reasons for it.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : No. This is a private matter between the Ministry of Defence and the hon. William Douglas-Home.
Anti-personnel Minefields
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the countries where United Kingdom forces are helping to discover and disarm anti-personnel minefields.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Royal Engineers are currently deployed in Colombia, the Falkland islands and Kuwait. In Colombia they are providing bomb search and disposal
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training as part of the Government's package of anti-drugs assistance. In the Falkland islands the explosive ordnance disposal detachment of the garrison field squadron is responsible for monitoring the minefields left behind by the Argentine invasion forces in 1982. In Kuwait, in the aftermath of hostilities, Royal Engineers co- ordinated the multinational effort of marking Iraqi-laid minefields. The current activities of the Royal Engineers in Kuwait do not include specific tasking on the search for and disarming of anti-personnel mines, but concentrate on the disposal of unexploded ordnance.Royal Ordnance Factories
Mr. George : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement of the future of Ministry of Defence police currently involved in policing of Royal Ordnance plc sites at Chorley, Radway Green, Nottingham, Bridgewater and Glascoed.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The number of Ministry of Defence police officers to be based at each factory remains the subject of negotiations between the Ministry of Defence and Royal Ordnance plc.
Operation Granby
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current number of service personnel being treated for anxiety disorders or other psychiatric problems resulting either wholly or partially from Operation Granby.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Seventy-nine service personnel are at present receiving treatment within service facilities for anxiety disorders or other psychiatric problems resulting wholly or partially from Operation Granby.
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel have had some form of treatment for anxiety disorders or other psychiatric problems resulting either wholly or partially from Operation Granby.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The information requested is not held centrally.
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy towards the treatment of (a) service personnel suffering from anxiety disorders or other psychiatric problems resulting either wholly or partially from Operation Granby and (b) their families.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The services aim to identify and treat service personnel and their families suffering from anxiety disorders or other psychiatric problems at the earliest possible time. Service personnel would be treated within their community at service facilities and their dependents would be treated in both service and NHS facilities according to location.
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what instructions have been issued to unit commanders involved in Operation Granby regarding service personnel suffering from anxiety disorders or other psychiatric problems resulting either wholly or partially from Operation Granby ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The policy for the early identification and treatment of anxiety disorders and other
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psychiatric problems is well established within the services. Personnel at all levels have been briefed on the need for continued support in the aftermath of Operation Granby.Dartmoor National Park
Mr. Hannam To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons the licence agreement for military training in the Dartmoor national park has been renewed.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The use of Dartmoor will remain crucial for effective military training, as it is the only primary training area in the south-west of England. The requirement for Duchy of Cornwall land on Dartmoor for military training purposes therefore continues to be in the national interest.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Police Records
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many accesses were made to each index of the police national computer over the past year ; and whether he will include in these statistics an indication of the number of access requests that could search more than one index.
Dr. Mawhinney : The Royal Ulster Constabulary does not have direct access to the police national computer but can indirectly obtain information from the computer by arrangement with police forces in Great Britain. Statistics are not maintained by the RUC on the number of inquiries made each year, but I understand from the chief constable that useage of this facility is infrequent.
Next Steps Agencies
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about next steps agencies in his Department.
Mr. Brooke : I am pleased to announce three new candidates for executive agency status. These are :
The vehicle inspection and driving test centres in the Department of the Environment ;
The child support agency in the Department of Health and Social Services ; and
Criminal compensation in the Northern Ireland Office.
Further details on the timing of the launch of these agencies will be announced in due course.
Railways
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what conclusions he has reached on the report by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission on railway services provided by Northern Ireland Railways ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Brooke : I have placed today in the Library of the House the initial response produced by the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland, in consultation with the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company and Northern Ireland Railways, to the report submitted by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission in December 1990. I am grateful to the commission for the comprehensive review it carried out. While commending NIR's
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management for its dedication and resilience in maintaining services despite terrorist disruption and confirming that the company did not operate against the public interest, the commission found that there was scope for improving efficiency and reducing costs. The commission identified the principal challenges facing the company as the need to modernise a railway heavily dependent on subsidy, the rationalisation of its complex pay system, sharp competition from bus and car, and the effect of terrorist disruption on the passenger base.The report made 34 recommendations and all have been accepted. Some are already being implemented. Others require further consideration about the manner of implementation. The outcome should be a significant improvement of services to the public and the management of the company.
The Department continues to be in dialogue with the Transport holding company and Northern Ireland Railways about the implementation of the recommendations and I shall report on progress to the House in due course.
Advertising Campaigns
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the topics of each television advertising campaign to be carried out by his Department and any other publicity campaign costing more than £100,000.
Dr. Mawhinney [holding answer 1 July 1991] : The information until 31 December 1991 is as follows :
Crime Prevention Public Awareness Campaign--
multi media
Environmental Awareness and Energy Efficiency--
multi media
Job Training Programme--multi media
Pedestrian Safety--television
WALES
Conwy Tunnel
Mr. Murphy : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what arrangements were made in his Department for the financial and technical screening of sub-contractors working on the Conwy tunnel ; (2) how many sub -contractors have been used on the construction of the Conwy tunnel ; and how many of these have gone into liquidation.
Sir Wyn Roberts : In selecting main contractors invited to tender for all motorway and trunk road projects, the Department satisfied itself on the financial and technical ability of the chosen companies. In accordance with the Department's standard conditions of contract, the main contractor is fully responsible for the acts, defaults and neglects of any sub-contractor, his agents, servants or workmen. As such, the Department is not required to screen sub-contractors. Similarly the Department would not need to be made aware of any sub-contractor who may have gone into liquidation. The Conwy tunnel project has been subject to these normal procedures. The number of sub-contractors used to date on the project is in excess of 60.
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Mr. Murphy : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the efficiency of the construction of the Conwy tunnel compared with that of similar projects elsewhere.
Sir Wyn Roberts : In selecting main contractors invited to tender for all motorway and trunk road projects, the Department satisfies itself on the financial and technical capability of such contractors. In accordance with the Department's standard conditions of contracts, contractors have an obligation to meet the requirements of the contract both in terms of timescale and standard. The Department appoints agents or consultant engineers for each project to watch and supervise the construction of the works. The Conwy tunnel project is subject to these normal procedures.
NHS Administrators
Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has any plans to cut back the number of NHS administrators in Wales to 1979 levels.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : Responsibility for the number of administrative staff employed in the NHS in Wales is a matter for the appropriate health authority. The NHS reforms will deliver a better-managed and more responsive service in which resources follow patients and manpower requirements reflect local service needs. Provision of health care is now governed by district contracts in which quality and costs are continually scrutinised. In the year to March 1990--the latest period for which figures are
available--management, administrative and clerical staff costs accounted for approximately 10.2 per cent. of the salary budget for district health authorities, including the Welsh Health Common Services Authority as opposed to 12.2 per cent. in the year to March 1979.
Sport in Schools
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what has been the average number of hours allocated to compulsory sport in Wales generally and in each local education authority area for secondary schools in each year between 1979 and 1990.
Sir Wyn Roberts : Sport is not a compulsory activity in maintained schools. Physical education, which includes such sporting activities as team games, swimming and athletics, has been included as a national curriculum subject in schools for pupils aged five to 14 since autumn 1990 under the provisions of the Education Reform Act 1988. It will shortly become a national curriculum subject for pupils aged 14 to 16.
Information is not maintained centrally on time spent in secondary schools on sporting activities as part of PE.
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what is the average amount of playing area in hectares and acres in (a) primary schools in Wales, (b) secondary schools in Wales and (c) all schools ; and what was the equivalent figure in 1976, 1979 and 1984 ;
(2) what percentage of Welsh schools have (a) a swimming pool, (b) a sports hall and (c) a gymnasium ; and what were the equivalent percentages in 1979, 1984 and 1989.
Sir Wyn Roberts : The information requested is not held centrally.
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Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total number of (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools in Wales ; and how many primary and secondary schools have (i) no designated playing fields or (ii) no designated playgrounds.Sir Wyn Roberts : On 1 January 1991 there were 1,717 primary and 230 secondary schools in Wales. The Education (Schools Premises) Regulations 1981 lay down minimum standards for the provision of recreation areas and playing fields in schools. Local education authorities are responsible for applying those standards, and information on these matters is not collected centrally.
Fallen Animals
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total number of livestock carcases dumped on (a) council refuse tips, (b) road side verges, (c) forests and woodlands and (d) rivers and lakes in Wales in each year from 1985 to 1990.
Sir Wyn Roberts : This information is not held centrally.
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to set up a network of disposal centres for dead livestock in Wales ; and how much has been spent by his Department during each of the past five years on developing incinerators and digesters for dead livestock in Wales.
Sir Wyn Roberts : It is essentially the responsibility of the livestock sector to find ways of handling its waste within the framework of environmental and health restrictions. Under the farm and conservation grant scheme, on-farm grants are available to assist with waste disposal, and for on-farm anaerobic digesters for animal waste, including carcase waste. Grant aid for incinerators or disposal pits could be made only at the expense of the areas already covered.
Learning Difficulties
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many specific places on employment training the Government plan should be made available for adults with learning difficulties in 1992 in Wales.
Sir Wyn Roberts : This information is not available.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Fire Regulations
Mr. Michael J. Martin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he was consulted by the Building Regulations Advisory Committee on its new proposals regarding fire regulations ; (2) what response he will make to the new proposals on fire regulations in the Building Regulations Advisory Committee report published on 26 June.
Mr. John Patten : The Building Regulations Advisory Committee (BRAC) advises the Secretaries of State for the Environment and for Wales on matters concerning the building regulations. My understanding is that the committee held a meeting on 26 June, but its proceedings are confidential and no public report or statement has been
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made about the outcome of that meeting. There is no reason for the committee to consult Ministers or for Ministers to respond publicly to its reports. The Home Office has an observer on the committee and is represented on the committee's fire advisory panel and its stage 2 review committee which have been advising the committee on the fire safety aspects of its proposals. In addition, Home Office officials are in regular contact with officials of the Department of the Environment to ensure that there is no disagreement on the fire safety aspects of any proposed changes to the regulations.Mr. Michael J. Martin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from chief fire officers with regard to the Building Regulations Advisory Committee proposals to change fire regulations for buildings in England and Wales ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. John Patten : No such representations have been received, but I understand that chief fire officers have made their views known to the Department of the Environment both in a written submission from the Chief and Assistant Chief Fire Officers Association in response to the public consultation document which was issued by the Department in March 1990 and orally at a meeting.
Prisoners (Drug Dosage)
Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons information on the number of doses of drugs administered to inmates of penal establishments became unavailable between the answers to the hon. Member for Warrington, South on 20 January 1988, Official Report, columns 706-8 and on 26 June, Official Report, column 475.
Mrs. Rumbold : Statistics relating to the number of doses of medicines administered to prisoners in all establishments in England and Wales were last published in the Report on the Work of the Prison Department 1985/86 (Cm. 11) They were partly estimated because some prisons were unable to furnish the required information. Since corresponding information for 1986-87 was given to my hon. Friend in 1988 in respect of certain establishments an increasing number of prison pharmacies have failed to provide local statistics owing to staffing difficulties.
A further factor has been the increasing diversity in prison medicine regimes. This development has led us to reassess the value of the statistics for management purposes and to accept the view expressed by the Social Services Committee in 1986--third report from the Social Services Committee, Session 1985-86 : "Prison Medical Service"--that their publication serves no useful purpose. In the light of these factors central collection of these statistics has been discontinued.
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