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Select Committee on Trade and Industry
Sir Teddy Taylor : To ask the Attorney-General what action he has taken on the papers sent to him by members of the Select Committee on Trade and Industry relating to the alleged harassment of members of that Committee ; and if he will make a statement.
The Attorney-General : The question of what action may be appropriate in response to the matter to which my hon. Friend refers is at present under consideration.
NATIONAL FINANCE
Written Answers
Mr. Nellist : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many parliamentary questions for written answer have been answered by his Department so far in the current Session, and in the comparable period for the last Session ; and if he will publish a table of how many answers (a) do not give the information requested because of (i) disproportionate cost or (ii) other reasons, (b) give an undertaking to write to the hon. Member who asked the question and (c) were referred for answer to the chief executive of a next steps agency.
Mr. Mellor : The information requested is a matter of public record.
VAT
Ms. Gordon : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses (a) registered for VAT and (b) deregistered for VAT in Tower Hamlets giving the reasons for deregistration if known, for each year since 1979.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The table gives figures for VAT registrations and deregistrations for the Stratford local VAT office. The local VAT office at Stratford covers areas in addition to Tower Hamlets, but a more detailed
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breakdown is not available. No distinction is made between businesses registering for the first time and other registrations, for example a sole proprietor taking on a partner on forming a limited company.Years end December |New registrations |Deregistrations ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1980 |1,560 |1,521 1981 |1,467 |990 1982 |1,825 |1,910 1983 |2,023 |1,849 1984 |2,137 |1,877 1985 |2,232 |1,946 1986 |2,455 |2,349 1987 |2,458 |2,118 1988 |2,496 |2,150 1989 |3,000 |2,370 1990 |2,216 |1,774
Government Staff
Mr. Knapman : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the number of staff in post in central Government Departments at 1 April.
Mr. Mellor : On 1 April 1991 there were 553,863 staff in post in central Government. Of those, 490,041 were non-industrials and 63,822 were classified as being in industrial work.
Income Tax
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the changes in the rates of income tax for each year for which the information is readily available ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maude : The changes in the main rate of income tax since 1900 are shown in the table. The table does not show the various reduced rates of tax which applied nor any difference between the rate of tax on earned and unearned income.
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Rates of income tax, 1900 onwards
Government Party Rate of tax
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1900 to December 1905 |Conservative |1900 |1s 0d Uniform rate
|1901 |1s 2d Uniform rate
|1902 |1s 3d Uniform rate
|1903 |0s 11d Uniform rate
|1904 to 1905 |1s 0d Uniform rate
December 1905 to May 1915 |Liberal |19061s 0d Uniform rate
-------
|1907 to 1908 |1s 0d Standard rate
|1909 to 1913 |1s 2d Standard rate
|1914 |1s 8d Standard rate
|1915 |3s 0d Standard rate
May 1915 to October 1922 |Coalition |1916 to 1917 |5s 0d Standard rate
|1918 to 1919 |6s 0d Standard rate
-------
|1920-21 to 1921-22 |6s 0d Standard rate, |(30%)
|1922-23 |5s 0d Standard rate, |(25%)
October 1922 to January 1924 |Conservative |1923-24 |4s 6d Standard rate, |(22.5%)
January 1924 to November 1924 |Labour |1924-25 |4s 6d Standard rate, |(22.5%)
November 1924 to June 1929 |Conservative |1925-26 to 1927-28 |4s 0d Standard rate, |(20%)
|1928-29 |4s 0d Standard rate, |(20%)
|1929-30 |4s 0d Standard rate, |(20%)
June 1929 to August 1931 |Labour |1930-31 |4s 6d Standard rate, |(22.5%)
|1931-32 |5s 0d Standard rate, |(25%)
August 1931 to May 1940 |National |1932-33 to 1933-34 |5s 0d Standard rate, |(25%)
|1934-35 to 1935-36 |4s 6d Standard rate, |(22.5%)
|1936-37 |4s 9d Standard rate, |(23.75%)
|1937-38 |5s 0d Standard rate, |(25%)
|1938-39 |5s 6d Standard rate, |(27.5%)
|1939-40 |7s 0d Standard rate, |(35%)
|1940-41 |8s 6d Standard rate, |(42.5%)
May 1940 to May 1945 |Coalition |1941-42 to 1945-46 |10s 0d Standard rate, |(50%)
May 1945 to July 1945 |Conservative |- |-
July 1945 to October 1951 |Labour |1946-47 to 1950-51 |9s 0d Standard rate, |(45%)
|1951-52 |9s 6d Standard rate, |(47.5%)
October 1951 to October 1964 |Conservative |1952-53 |9s 6d Standard rate, |(47.5%)
|1953-54 to 1954-55 |9s 0d Standard rate |(45%)
|1955-56 to 1958-59 |8s 6d Standard rate, |(42.5%)
|1959-60 to 1964-65 |7s 9d Standard rate, |(38.75%)
October 1964 to June 1970 |Labour |1965-66 to 1969-70 |8s 3d Standard rate, |(41.25%)
1970-71 41.25%, Standard rate
June 1970 to March 1974 Conservative 1971-72 to 1972-73 38.75%, Standard rate
-------
|1973-74 |30%, Basic rate
March 1974 to May 1979 |Labour |1974-75 |33%, Basic rate
|1975-76 to 1976-77 |35%, Basic rate
|1977-78 |34%, Basic rate
|1978-79 |33%, Basic rate
May 1979 to |Conservative |1979-80 to 1985-86 |30%, Basic rate
|1986-87 |29%, Basic rate
|1987-88 |27%, Basic rate
|1988-89 to |25%, Basic rate
Civil Service Relocation
Mr. Simon Coombs : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many civil service jobs have been relocated from London in the past five years ; and how many he estimates will be so relocated in the next five years.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Comprehensive data for the period prior to 1988 are not held centrally. However, posts relocated or located outside London totalled over 11,000 over the past five years ; and over the next five years, a further 20,000 posts will follow.
Civil Servants (Salary Advances)
Mr. Hayes : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make a statement about the arrangements for making advances of salary available to civil servants for travel.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Civil servants may receive an advance of salary to purchase a season ticket for public transport. It is proposed to extend this scheme in two ways. Departments will be able to offer junior civil servants advances of salary to purchase season tickets for car parking and advances of salary of up to £100 to assist civil servants in the purchase of a bicycle for home to office travel.
Mr. Andrew Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make a statement about the arrangements for making advances of salary available to civil servants, both for house purchase and for travel to the office.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : When civil servants move in the public interest, they may be eligible for an advance of salary to assist with the purchase of a property at the new station. The current maximum advance payable is six months' pay, repayable over 12 years. The arrangements have recently been reviewed for civil servants whose bridging loans exceed the selling price of
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their property as a result of changes in the housing market. In these exceptional cases, it is proposed that the maximum advance should be 12 months' pay, repayable over a maximum of 15 years. On the question of travel, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave today to my hon. Friend the Member for Harlow (Mr. Hayes).VAT
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what grounds VAT was imposed on fuel and energy from 1 July 1990 ; and in what circumstances it is imposed.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard [holding answer 19 July 1991] : The standard rate of value added tax was applied to fuel and power for non- domestic use from 1 July 1990. This followed a judgment of the European Court of Justice in 1988 that zero rating by the United Kingdom of fuel and power other than to final consumers was contrary to European Community law. Fuel and power for domestic use, and also for use by a charity for its non- business activities, remains zero-rated.
Bank of Credit and Commerce International
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the dates on which he has discussed the trading position or other matters relating to BCCI with Governors of the Bank of England in the past two years.
Mr. Maples [holding answer 17 July 1991] : My right hon. Friend has discussed a number of supervisory cases, including BCCI, with the Governor of the Bank of England on a number of occasions since becoming Chancellor ; but was not aware that fraud had been uncovered until 26 June.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he was first informed by the banking authorities of their doubts concerning BCCI.
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Mr. Norman Lamont [holding answer 17 July 1991] : I was informed in very general terms that fraud had been uncovered on 26 June. I was given the gist of the section 41 report on 28 June.Mr. Vaz : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what meetings he, or his predecessors, have had with executives or directors of BCCI in the last five years.
Mr. Norman Lamont [holding answer 17 July 1991] : Neither I nor any of my predecessors have, so far as I am aware, had any meetings with executives or directors of the BCCI in the last five years in an official capacity.
Mr. Madden : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will establish an independent inquiry into the closure at the Bank of Credit and Commerce International, including the role of the Bank of England ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maples [holding answer 18 July 1991] : I refer the hon. Member to the statements made by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor last Friday, Official Report, columns 715-16, and by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister today.
Mr. Madden : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the major shareholders of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International were informed of the closure of the bank by the Bank of England.
Mr. Norman Lamont [holding answer 18 July 1991] : The main supervisory authorities concerned met the official representative of the major shareholder of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International on the morning of 5 July, and informed him then of the action they proposed to take.
Bank of England (Authorised Institutions)
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what role his officials play in drawing-up the Bank of England's list of authorised institutions under the Banking Act 1987.
Mr. Maples [holding answer 17 July 1991] : The Treasury plays no role in drawing up the list of authorised institutions.
Pensions
Sir Ian Gilmour : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentages of national income were spent in (a) 1975, (b) 1980 and (c) 1985 and the latest available date on (i) national insurance retirement pensions, (ii) supplementary pensions/income support for the elderly, (iii) public sector occupational pensions in payment and (iv) private sector occupational pensions in payment.
Mr. Norman Lamont : The latest estimates are given in the table ; 1989 is the most recent year for which estimates are available for all the items.
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As percentages of nation
|1975|1980|1985|1989
-------------------------------------------------------
National insurance retirement
pensions |5.3 |5.9 |6.1 |5.3
Supplementary pensions/
income support for the
elderly |0.5 |0.5 |0.5 |0.5
Public sector occupational
pensions in payment |1.8 |2.5 |2.9 |2.8
Private sector occupational
pensions in payment,
including payments under
life assurance policies |3.0 |2.8 |4.6 |5.5
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
South Africa
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he discussed nuclear matters during his recent visit to South Africa.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Yes. During my right hon. Friend's discussions, the recent decision by South Africa to accede to the
non-proliferation treaty was raised. He made clear our warm welcome for this step.
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is Her Majesty's Government's policy in respect of the accession by the Government of South Africa to the nuclear non- proliferation treaty.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We warmly welcome South Africa's recent accession to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. This important step will serve to strengthen the treaty which is a pillar of our hopes for peace and security, both in southern Africa and internationally. We hope that South Africa's accession will set an example to all states which have yet to accede to the treaty.
Iraq
Mr. Frank Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has regarding the possession and use by Iraq of calutrons to enrich uranium.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Two inspection teams from the International Atomic Energy Agency, acting under the authority of United Nations Security Council resolution 687, visited Iraq between 15 and 21 May and 22 June and 3 July. A third inspection has just been completed. On 17 July the IAEA submitted to the Security Council a consolidated report No. S/22788 dated 15 July 1991 providing details of the first two inspections relating to Iraq's nuclear capabilities. A copy of this report will be placed in the Library of the House. Information from the third inspection visit is not yet available. It will be for the IAEA to decide how it treats any findings.
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy on securing Iraqi compliance with Security Council resolution 687.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Security Council resolution 687 sets out Iraq's obligations in detail. We shall continue to work to secure Iraq's compliance in full with the terms of the resolution.
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Southern Afria
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will discuss with each of those Southern African front-line states which are not already members the question of their accession to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : As a depository state of the nuclear non- proliferation treaty--NPT--it is our policy to take every suitable opportunity both to raise the importance of nuclear non-proliferation with all non-parties to the NPT and to lobby them to accede to the NPT as soon as possible.
Soviet Union
Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Soviet Government about their failure to grant an exit visa to Yefin and Lilya Rokhvarg, Faina and Ilya Rayerg and Alexander Perliy all of Leningrad and Yakov Orlov of Perm.
Mr. Douglas Hogg We understand that Yefin and Lilya Rokhvarg have now received permission to leave the Soviet Union. We can certainly raise with the Soviet authorities the cases of Faina and Ilya Rayerg, Alexander Perliy and Yakov Orlov, but in order to make our representations most effective we shall need further details. A list of those refusenik cases previously raised with us was brought to the attention of the Soviet authorities during President Gorbachev's visit last week.
Baltic States
Mr. Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those bilateral and collective agreements made by Her Majesty's Government in respect of the Baltic states before 1941 ; which are currently operative ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : A large number of bilateral treaties and agreements were signed by Her Majesty's Government and the Baltic governments before 1941. These included agreements with all three Baltic states on the extradition of fugitive criminals, on legal procedures and on commerce. Because we recognise de facto, although not de jure, the incorporation of the Baltic states into the Soviet Union, none of these pre -1941 agreements is currently operative.
Yugoslavia
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise at the United Nations the need during the current unrest in Yugoslavia to safeguard nuclear power stations from attack ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Countries that operate civil nuclear power programmes are responsible for ensuring the safety of plants. The restoration of peace in Yugoslavia would be the best guarantee of the safety of its nuclear power plants. The plan agreed between the European Community troika and Yugoslav representatives at Brioni on 8 July offers a basis upon which negotiations for a peaceful resolution of the Yugoslav crisis can restart.
Column 364
United Nations Security Council
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the special meeting of the five permanent member states of the United Nations Security Council in Paris on 8 July.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Representatives of the permanent five, as the world's leading arms exporters, met to discuss ways of promoting greater responsibility in conventional arms transfers and preventing proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. They agreed to work together to develop guidelines for restraint in arms transfers, and to set up a mechanism for continued consultation and exchange of information on these issues. They also agreed to support our proposal for a United Nations arms transfer register. This work will be taken forward at further meetings in London in the autumn.
Syria
Sir Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is Her Majesty's Government's current assessment of Syria's contacts with or involvement in international terrorism ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : At the time of our resumption of diplomatic relations with Syria in November 1990, we received credible assurances from the Syrian Government on their attitude towards international terrorism. We have no evidence that the Syrian Government have changed their attitude.
Sir Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his reasons for proposing to the Foreign Affairs Council and the European Commission that the arms embargo on Syria should be lifted.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : I did not make any such proposal. What I said was that should our EC partners decide that the EC arms embargo be lifted we would not, now that our relations with Syria have been restored, raise any objection.
Palestinians
Mr. Wray : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement on Her Majesty's Government's support for the Palestinian people who live in the occupied territories.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : All British bilateral aid to the Palestinian people in the occupied territories is dispersed through United Kingdom non- governmental organisations under the supplementary programme to the occupied territories--SPOT. Projects currently being undertaken are :
|Grants
|given
|£
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Appropriate Health Resources and
Technologies Action Group (AHRTAG)
1. Production of health education materials |55,887 |(1990-92)
2. Women's development |52,073 |(1990-93)
Christian Aid
1. Palestinian Agricultural Relief |3,300 |(1991)
Committee Fodder
Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP)
1. Paediatric Nurses training |42,250 |(1990-91)
2. Upgrading skills of staff for children |15,900 |(1991)
with learning difficulties
3. Intensive Care Nursing |33,500 |(1991)
Oxfam
1. Gaza blood bank project |78,715 |(1989-92)
2. Water reclamation development project |113,670 |(1989-92)
Quaker Peace and Service
1. Training women as health workers in |7,197 |(1990-91)
village clinics
Save The Children Fund
1. Physiotherapy training |97,300 |(1988-91)
2. Revolving loan fund for small farmers |240,000 |(1990-91)
and business
3. Provision of kindergarten in Nablus |42,000 |(1991-93)
refugee camp
4. Care of disabled children |18,000 |(1991-93)
5. Assistance to women's self-help |45,000 |(1991-93)
activities
United Nations Association International
Service (UNAIS)
1. Women's Co-operatives development |20,744 |(1988-91)
worker
2. Business administrative project |20,328 |(1990-92)
3. Seed propagation botanist |20,328 |(1990-92)
4. Food technology project |20,328 |(1990-92)
5. Development research project |20,328 |(1990-92)
Universities Educational Fund for
Palestinian Refugees (UNIFAL)
1. Physiotherapy training at Bethlehem |9,400 |(1989-92)
University
Y Care International (YMCA)
1. Rehabilitation programme for these |150,000 |(1991-93)
injured by Intifada
There is also an ODA contribution of £ 6 million via the United
Nations Relief and Works Agency for 1991-92 and a contribution of
approximately 19 mecu to the European Community's total aid to the
occupied territories for 1991.
Small Businesses
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the achievements of (a) his policies and (b) his Department in helping small businesses over the last 12 months as against the previous 12 months ; and if he will publish the performance indicators by which his Department monitors those achievments and the statistical results of such monitoring.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The Government continue to place a high priority on helping small businesses, through improvements to the business climate, through deregulation and other measures and through specific programmes of support and assistance.
During 1990-91, both wings of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office continued to place a considerable part of their business with small firms. In the diplomatic wing, the value of this business over the last three years was :
Column 366
|£ million |Percentage of
|expenditure
--------------------------------------------------------
1988-89 |16.3 |15.9
1989-90 |32.8 |22.5
1990-91 |33.9 |23.8
The ODA uses procurement agencies to undertake purchasing and supply on behalf of recipient Governments in developing countries. Its register of agents includes several small businesses. The ODA also encourages small firms to compete for aid-financed consultancy contracts overseas.
In the diplomatic wing, the director of purchasing provides information and guidance to purchasing departments about buying from small firms. He ensures that, whenever possible, small firms are included in invitations to tender and that they are awarded contracts if their offer is the best on a value-for-money basis.
Diplomatic service posts overseas provide a range of export promotion services to British firms. In line with the British Overseas Trade Board's forward plan, particular emphasis is placed on supporting small and medium- sized firms in the development of their export business. Performance indicators for the use of these services do not indicate company size.
Expo 92
Dr. Marek : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has a policy of excluding any exhibit from Gibraltar, irrespective of its merits, from Expo 92 in Seville.
Mr. Garel-Jones : No, but I would refer the hon. Member to my answers to previous questions.
G7 Summit
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the conclusions of the G7 summit on conventional arms transfers and nuclear, biological and chemical proliferation.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The summit declaration on conventional arms transfers and non-proliferation is aimed at encouraging greater responsibility in the international arms trade. The declaration sets out three principles governing arms sales : transparency, consultation and action. The summit strongly supported our initiative on a UN register of arms transfers. The non-proliferation section of the declaration contains a number of important steps forward, notably a commitment to give immediate consideration to imposing severe measures against any state that is shown to have used chemical or biological weapons.
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the conclusions drawn by the G7 summit on Iraqi aggression and the ensuing Gulf war.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The political and arms control declarations issued by the summit draw the necessary lessons from the Gulf war. The G7 agreed to maintain sanctions against Iraq until all the relevant resolutions of the Security Council have been implemented in full and the people of Iraq, as well as their neighbours, can live without
Column 367
fear of intimidation, repression or attack. The summit agreed that the Iraqi people deserve the opportunity to choose their leadership openly and democratically. Preventive diplomacy to help avert future conflicts by making clear to potential aggressors the consequences of their actions will also be a top priority.Bank of Credit and Commerce International
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) when he was first informed that the Bank of England had doubts about the operation of BCCI ;
(2) when he was first informed of the allegations of fraud at BCCI.
Mr. Garel-Jones : My right hon. Friend first heard of the doubts about the operation of BCCI arising from the report commissioned under section 41 of the Banking Act 1987 on 3 July.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultations his Department had with the Governor of the Bank of England about his visit to Abu Dhabi to meet officials concerning the BCCI issue.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : As is often the case when he makes an overseas trip, the Governor was in touch with the FCO before he left for Abu Dhabi.
Sheikh of Abu Dhabi
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met the Sheikh of Abu Dhabi.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : My right hon. Friend had the pleasure of meeting the ruler of Abu Dhabi, who is also President of the United Arab Emirates, during his visit there on 12 and 13 January.
China
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy on co- operation with China in opposing Iraqi aggression and other regional issues.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has played a full part in discussions at the UN on the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions and measures to ensure Iraqi compliance. We shall remain in close touch with the Chinese over the need to ensure that Iraq meets its obligations and over other topical regional issues.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
South Africa
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the South African Government on issues of land return and reform.
Mrs. Chalker : We have often discussed land reform with the South African Government. The Land Acts of 1913 and 1936 were repealed on 27 June this year and we
Column 368
understand that the South African Government are consulting various parties about the consequences through their advisory commission on land allocation.Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response he received from the Government of South Africa in his discussions with them on organised violence and on the protection of all citizens.
Mrs. Chalker : President de Klerk confirmed that the South African Government would shortly establish a standing judicial commission on violence. He also reaffirmed both his own determination to do all in his power to reduce the violence and his support for efforts which other parties are making to the same end.
Palestinians
Mr. Wray : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list aid projects currently being undertaken to help Palestinian people in the occupied territories.
Mrs. Chalker : All British bilateral aid to the Palestinian people in the occupied territories is disbursed through United Kingdom non- governmental organisations under the supplementary programme to the occupied territories--SPOT. Projects currently being undertaken are :
|Grants
|given
|£
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Appropriate Health Resources and
Technologies Action Group (AHRTAG)
1. Production of health education materials |55,887 |(1990-92)
2. Women's development |52,073 |(1990-93)
Christian Aid
1. Palestinian Agricultural Relief |3,300 |(1991)
Committee Fodder
Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP)
1. Paediatric Nurses training |42,250 |(1990-91)
2. Upgrading skills of staff for children |15,900 |(1991)
with learning difficulties
3. Intensive Care Nursing |33,500 |(1991)
Oxfam
1. Gaza blood bank project |78,715 |(1989-92)
2. Water reclamation development project |113,670 |(1989-92)
Quaker Peace and Service
1. Training women as health workers in |7,197 |(1990-91)
village clinics
Save The Children Fund
1. Physiotherapy training |97,300 |(1988-91)
2. Revolving loan fund for small farmers |240,000 |(1990-91)
and business
3. Provision of kindergarten in Nablus |42,000 |(1991-93)
refugee camp
4. Care of disabled children |18,000 |(1991-93)
5. Assistance to women's self-help |45,000 |(1991-93)
activities
United Nations Association International
Service (UNAIS)
1. Women's Co-operatives development |20,744 |(1988-91)
worker
2. Business administrative project |20,328 |(1990-92)
3. Seed propagation botanist |20,328 |(1990-92)
4. Food technology project |20,328 |(1990-92)
5. Development research project |20,328 |(1990-92)
Universities Educational Fund for
Palestinian Refugees (UNIFAL)
1. Physiotherapy training at Bethlehem |9,400 |(1989-92)
University
Y Care International (YMCA)
1. Rehabilitation programme for these |150,000 |(1991-93)
injured by Intifada
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Metric Units
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) when he received the report of Lady Attlee's metric sense campaign ; and what conclusions he has reached ;
(2) what steps his Department is taking to ensure that metric units are user friendly ;
(3) whether his Department has carried out any study on the comprehension of metric units.
Mr. Leigh : Lady Attlee first wrote to my Department about her campaign on 22 June 1987.
The Secretary of State announced the Government's proposals for ending the use of most imperial units on 2 July. The Department is currently preparing draft legislation and there will be further consultation when this work has been completed.
My Department has not carried out any studies on the comprehension of metric units but has received a number of studies from Lady Attlee.
Space Activities
Sir Michael Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what funds were made available for support for space activities by Her Majesty's Government in each of the last five years.
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