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Mr. Key : Arrangements have not yet been determined.
Community Charge
Mr. Ian Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will list for each local authority the percentage of community charge uncollected at31 March.
Mr. Key : I am arranging for the available information to be placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what the cost would be of abolishing the minimum 20 per cent. contribution to the poll tax.
Miss Widdecombe : I have been asked to reply.
I refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 27 June 1991 at column 519 .
District Council Newspapers
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if his Department's library receives copies of the Basildon district council newspaper "Basildon Link" and Thurrock borough council newspaper "Thurrock Voice".
Toxocara
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what analysis his Department carries out on the presence of toxocara canis in soil ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Trippier : The matter of pet-borne infections is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health. My Department has not carried out any research into the presence of toxocara canis in the soil.
Urban Development Initiative
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what criteria were used to decide the recent list of cities to be included in the Government's new urban development initiative programme.
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Mr. Key : City challenge is a new initiative through which local authorities are asked to provide local leadership for the regeneration of critical areas of their towns and cities. The authorities will bring together the relevant interests in their areas--the private sector, voluntary sector and local residents--to draw up plans for economic, social and environmental renewal. The initiative has been launched this year through a pilot scheme in which 15 authorities were invited to bid for 10 places as pacemaker authorities. Provided this pilot competition is successful, we intend there will be a full competition open to urban programme authorities in 1992.
The 15 authorities invited to participate in this year's pilot exercise were chosen to represent a wide range of circumstances across the country and for their ability to work up imaginative plans quickly.
Countryside Stewardship Scheme
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether farmers in (a) environmentally sensitive areas and (b) national parks will be eligible for payment under the countryside stewardship scheme.
Mr. Trippier : Countryside stewardship payments will not be available where funding is available under the ESA scheme. However, the Countryside Commission may, at its discretion, agree payment in an ESA under the stewardship scheme for items not covered by the ESA scheme, for example access. The position is made clear in the scheme literature.
So far as national parks are concerned, farmers and other landowners and managers who have land within the landscape types targeted by the scheme may apply provided they are not receiving public funding already for work and management practices covered by the stewardship scheme.
Advertising Campaigns
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment 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.
Mr. Heseltine [holding answer 1 July 1991] : My Department has no plans to use television advertising in any of its publicity work in the current financial year. We have two proposed publicity campaigns, which are estimated to cost more than £100,000. These are the joint campaign with the Department of Energy on the environment and home energy efficiency and a campaign to alert all businesses to the duty of care under section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Council Tax (Exemptions)
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if those exempt from poll tax because of severe mental handicap will be exempted from the council tax ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key [holding answer, 2 July 1991] : We have proposed that people who are severely mentally impaired should be entitled to personal discounts under the council tax if they would otherwise give rise to a higher bill for the property in which they live.
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Disability Manifesto
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment 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. Heseltine [holding answer 3 July 1991] : My Department's policy, in respect of the relevant recommendations of the disability manifesto, is to increase opportunities for people with disabilities to participate fully in the life of the community. A major and continuing initiative is the introduction and implementation of building regulations aimed at making the built environment accessible to disabled people. On this and all other policy issues of concern to disabled people for which I have responsibility, my Department's practice is to consult with organisations representing disabled people.
PRIME MINISTER
Engagements
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 4 July.
The Prime Minister : This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today.
Immigration
Mr. Madden : To ask the Prime Minister if he will place the official record of the briefing concerning immigration given on his behalf during the Luxembourg meetings of the European Council in the Library ; and if he will make a statement.
The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the statement I made in the House on 1 July, and the conclusions of the European Council, which have been placed in the Library of the House.
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Disability Manifesto
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Prime Minister 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 ; and if he will make a statement.
The Prime Minister [holding answer 3 July 1991] : The aim underlying the Government's policies for people with disabilities is to enable them to take a full part in the life of the community. Considerable progress has been made towards this goal over the past 12 years, and, while much remains to be done, we are continuing to build on these achievements.
This Government will continue to work towards enabling people with disabilities to live independently as far as possible, and to contribute fully to all aspects of the life of the community. As the right hon. Member has asked similar questions of a number of my right hon. Friends, I have asked them to outline the major initiatives of their departmental programmes for people with disabilities.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Agricultural Development Advisory Service
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the number of man hours spent in ADAS on (a) charged statutory work, (b) chargeable advice, (c) non-chargeable advice and (d) non-chargeable statutory work for each year since 1986 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : ADAS began charging for services generally on 1 April 1987. Information for the years 1986-87 and 1987-88 is not available in the form requested.
Information for the years 1988-89 to 1990-91 is as follows :
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|1988-89 |1989-90 |1990-91
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
(a) Charged statutory work |109,074 |88,911 |108,032
(b) Chargeable advice |1,229,570|2,554,089|2,191,263
(c) Non-chargeable advice |137,705 |477,948 |560,003
(d) Non-chargeable statutory work |685,588 |1,283,431|1,555,490
Notes:
(a) There have been structural changes in ADAS during this period.
Figures are for ADAS as it was constituted at the time.
(b) Includes hours spent on work for MAFF/Intervention Board for
Agricultural Produce.
(c) Figures for 1989-90 onwards include directly attributable
overheads-training, leave, management, and so on. Figures for 1988-89
exclude overheads.
Veterinary Investigation Centres
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the closure dates for each of the veterinary investigation centres which are due to be closed ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : The veterinary investigation centre at Wye will close on 31 July 1991 ; the Bangor centre will close on 30 September 1991. The closure dates for the Lincoln and Truro centres have not yet been finally decided. The Cambridge and Norwich centres will close when the new centre at Bury St. Edmunds is opened in 1993. The
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Worcester centre will close when the new centre in Warwickshire is opened in 1993. The Reading centre will close when the Winchester centre is enhanced and the new Warwickshire centre is opened in 1993.Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the counties which fall into each currently operating veterinary investigation centres catchment area ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : The counties and areas covered by the national network of veterinary investigation centres in England and Wales are generally defined by county boundaries but there is however a degree of flexibility to
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meet local requirements. The specific counties and other areas which form the catchment areas for the currently operating veterinary investigation centres in England and Wales are :Bristol (Langford) VIC :
Avon, Somerset, Dorset and parts of Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Gwent.
Cambridge VIC :
Essex, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and parts of Greater London, Suffolk, Northamptonshire and Hertfordshire.
Lincoln VIC :
North Humberside, South Humberside, Lincolnshire and parts of Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire, Leicestershire and West Yorkshire. Newcastle VIC :
Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, County Durham and Cleveland. Norwich VIC :
Norfolk and parts of Suffolk.
Penrith VIC :
Cumbria and parts of North Lancashire, Northumberland and West Yorkshire.
Preston (Barton Hall) VIC :
Lancashire, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Isle of Man and parts of Yorkshire, Cumbria, Staffordshire and Derbyshire. Reading VIC :
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Surrey, Guernsey, Jersey and parts of Wiltshire, Northamptonshire, Gloucestershire, Middlesex, Greater London and Hertfordshire.
Shrewsbury VIC :
Shropshire, Staffordshire, West Midlands Metropolitan County and parts of Cheshire, Powys, Clwyd, Warwickshire and Derbyshire. Starcross VIC :
Devon and parts of Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset.
Sutton Bonington VIC :
Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and parts of Staffordshire, South Yorkshire, Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire. Thirsk VIC :
North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and parts of South Yorkshire, North Humberside, Cleveland and County Durham.
Truro (Polwhele) VIC :
Cornwall, Isle of Scilly and parts of Devon.
Winchester VIC :
Hampshire, Isle of Wight, West Sussex and parts of Dorset, Wiltshire and Surrey.
Worcester VIC :
Hereford and Worcester, Warwickshire and parts of Gwent, Gloucestershire and West Midlands.
Wye VIC :
Kent, East Sussex and parts of Greater London, Surrey and West Sussex.
Aberystwyth VIC :
Powys and parts of Dyfed and Gwynedd.
Bangor VIC :
Gwynedd and Clywd.
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Carmarthen VIC :Mid Glamorgan, West Glamorgan, South Glamorgan and parts of Dyfed, Powys and Gwent.
Countryside Premium Scheme
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to start administering the countryside premium scheme.
Mr. Curry : It is our intention to take over responsibility for the scheme and, subject to review and obtaining the necessary EC powers, extend it nationally. However, the final form and timing of adoption of the necessary EC proposals are uncertain.
North York Moors Farms
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the funding his Ministry has contributed to the North York Moors national park farm scheme in each of the last three years ; what plans he has for the next three years ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : This scheme is financed through the usual funding arrangements for national parks in which my Department has no involvement. However, farmers participating in the scheme may also benefit from the farm and conservation grant scheme funded by my Department. The Agricultural Development and Advisory Service is also available to offer advice and assistance in furtherance of the aims of the scheme, which has my full support.
HEALTH
Breast Feeding
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what information he has for 1990, for each social class of partner or husband, on the percentages of mothers who breastfed (a) initially and (b) when their baby had reached the age of six weeks ; (2) what information he has about the percentage of women breastfeeding their babies (a) initially and (b) at six weeks in 1975, 1980, 1985 and 1990.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Information for 1990 is unlikely to be published before next year. The table sets out the information requested for the years 1975, 1980 and 1985 in England and Wales.
England and Wales
|1975 |1980 |1985
|Percentage|Percentage|Percentage
-------------------------------------------------------
Birth |51 |67 |65
Six weeks |24 |42 |40
Source: OPCS surveys.
In the recently published Green Paper "The Health of the Nation" we have proposed that we should aim to increase the rates of breast feeding at birth by 75 per cent. and six weeks by 50 per cent. by the year 2000.
Clinical Standards Advisory Group
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what (a) financial and (b) personal resources have been allocated to support the work of the clinical standards advisory group ;
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(2) how often the clinical standards advisory group has met ; (3) if he will make it his policy to publish an annual report on the work of the clinical standards advisory group ;(4) if he will make it his policy that work done by the clinical standards advisory group should be made available to the public ; (5) if he will make it his policy to publish a response to each report produced by the clinical standards advisory group ; (6) how often the clinical standards advisory group will publish its findings ;
(7) if he will list the members of the clinical standards advisory group ;
(8) what authority will be given to the clinical standards advisory group to initiate its own areas of work ;
(9) when the Clinical Standards Advisory Group had its first meeting.
Mr. Waldegrave : The Clinical Standards Advisory Group comprises a chairman and 16 members as follows :
Dr. Gordon Higginson (Chairman)
Professor June Clark
Professor Roy Duckworth
Sir Terence English
Miss Pam Hibbs
Miss Jennifer Hunt
Miss Rosemary Jenkins
Miss Wilma Macpherson
Dr. Michael O'Brien
Professor Eurfil Rhys Davies
Professor John Richmond
Professor Michael Rosen
Mr. Derek Seel
Dr. Nuala Sterling
Professor Victor Tindall
Dr. Colin Waine
Professor Sir Dillwyn Williams
In addition, the General Medical Council, the General Dental Council, the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting, the General Medical Services Committee and the Joint Consultants Committee have each nominated an observer to attend meetings.
Under section 62 of the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990, the CSAG will report to Health Ministers, and to NHS bodies, on the remits that each may give to the group. Health Ministers will normally publish reports made to them together with their responses. NHS bodies which commission work by the group will decide on the handling of the group's reports. Health Ministers will expect to receive and publish periodic overview reports from the group on its work at suitable intervals.
The CSAG has no statutory authority to initiate its own areas of work. However, Health Ministers will attach importance to the views of the group on the areas of work which they might be invited to cover. Health Ministers provide administrative and professional support to the CSAG from within their Departments. In 1991-92 £900, 000 has been set aside to meet secretariat and other costs arising from the group's work.
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