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Column 165
Recycling
Mr. Speller : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he intends to take to encourage the use for foodstuffs of which are disposable and recyclable.
Mr. Leigh : I have been asked to reply.
The Government have set the challenging target of recycling 25 per cent. of the domestic waste stream--which includes packaging materials for foodstuffs--by the year 2000. Achieving this aim requires the existence of technologies to use recyclable material, and markets for the resulting products. The Government are addressing these elements through the support that they are providing to business-led collaborative projects under their environmental technology programmes. Many such projects feature the recycling of packaging. The Government are also monitoring eight kerbside collection schemes the results of which will help to promote and establish best practice and will encourage the take-up of such schemes.
ENERGY
Video Recordings
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Don Valley of 18 June, Official Report, column 115, if he will make it his practice to keep central records of lists of titles of the video recordings purchased by his Department.
Energy Efficiency
Mr. Day : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will report on the progress of the interdepartmental ministerial committee on energy efficiency.
Mr. Wakeham [pursuant to his reply, 12 November 1990, c. 79] : I now have pleasure in placing copies of the ministerial group's annual report on energy efficiency in the Libraries of the House.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Prison Visitors
Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to extend training provision for prison visitors ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : The prison service does not provide formal training for prison visitors. The National Association of Prison Visitors issues guidance and advice on the role of prison visitors, which is supplemented, as necessary, by governors and their staff.
BBC Borrowing Limits
Sir John Wheeler : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the BBC's borrowing limits are to be increased.
Mr. Kenneth Baker : I am today placing in the Library a copy of a supplemental charter which has been approved
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today by counsellors of state on Her Majesty's behalf. This increases the BBC's borrowing limit under article 3(w) of the charter from £100 million to £200 million, with power for the Secretary of State to approve further sums up to a maximum of £250 million. These changes are intended to allow for the expected effects on cash flow of the budget payment scheme for television licences and the licence fee settlement announced earlier this year.Squatting
Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to amend the law on squatting ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. John Patten : I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend on 15 October at columns 151-2.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
EC Regional Policy
15. Mr. Michael J. Martin : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he next intends to meet representatives of the European Commission to discuss regional policy.
Mr. Leigh : At an informal meeting of EC regional policy Ministers which has been called at The Hague on 18 and 19 November 1991.
Car Exports
16. Dr. Michael Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on exports of British-made cars.
18. Mr. Hind : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on exports of British-made cars.
28. Mr. Dykes : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on exports of British-made cars.
Mr. Sainsbury : Between 1988 and 1990 the number of cars exported from the United Kingdom increased by 60 per cent. The number of cars exported in the first eight months of this year exceeded 400,000. This is an increase of 82 per cent. on the same period last year.
World Trade
17. Mr. Brazier : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the trends in the United Kingdom's share of world trade.
Mr. Sainsbury : The United Kingdom's share of world exports of manufactures volume has been stable since the early 1980s after decades of decline. The United Kingdom's share of total world trade has been stable over the last five years.
Scotch Whisky
20. Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he next intends to meet representatives of the Scotch whisky industry to discuss the promotion of exports.
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Mr. Sainsbury : My right hon. Friend has no immediate plans to meet representatives of the industry. Ministers take every opportunity to press for improved access to overseas markets for Scotch whisky.Quality Management
21. Mr. Stevens : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking to promote the implementation of total quality management standards by British companies.
25. Mr. Wilshire : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will make a statement on Government initiatives to support the implementation of total quality management standards.
Mr. Leigh : The Government are actively promoting total quality management through their "Managing into the '90s" awareness programme and through assisted consultancies under the consultancy help scheme.
Export Policy
22. Mr. Alan. W. Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has any plans to meet representative of British exporters to discuss Government policies on exports.
29. Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has any plans to meet representatives of British exporters to discuss Government policies on exports.
Mr. Lilley : I frequently meet members of the United Kingdom business community involved in exporting for Britain.
West Midlands Development Agency
23. Mrs. Maureen Hicks : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what Government assistance has been given to the West Midlands development agency since it was established.
Mr. Leigh : Since its establishment in 1983, a total of £2.94 million in grant in aid has been provided to WMDA for its inward investment promotion activities. In 1991-92, £670 thousand was offered in grant in aid for inward investment, representing a 67.5 per cent. increase in funding over the last two years.
Textile and Clothing Industry
24. Mrs. Heal : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has recently received from the textile and clothing industry.
Mr. Sainsbury : My right hon. Friend has received representations on a number of issues from representatives of the textile industries.
Postal Services
26. Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with his EC counterparts on extending consumer choice and commercial competition in postal services.
Mr. Leigh : Officials in my Department have been closely involved with their EC counterparts and with the
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EC Commission in the formulation of an EC policy to extend consumer choice and commercial competition in postal services. There have also been a number of discussions in the EC Council of Ministers in which we have participated. The EC Commission expects to publish its policy proposals as a green paper shortly.Company Liquidations
27. Mr. Ron Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement about the current level of company liquidations.
Mr. Redwood : The total number of company liquidations due to insolvency in England and Wales during the first six months of 1991 was 11,055. This represents an annual rate of about 2 per cent. of the stock of companies.
EC Industrial Policy
30. Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he next intends to meet representatives of the European Commission to discuss industrial policy.
Mr. Lilley : My colleagues and I maintain regular contact with representatives of the European Commission on a range of issues, including industrial policy.
Shark Products
31. Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make it his policy to ban the import of shark products.
Mr. Sainsbury : No. Sharks are not currently recognised as being endangered. Were evidence to be produced that any species of shark was becoming endangered, consideration could be given to controlling the trade under either the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora--CITES--or the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act 1976.
Manufactured Goods
32. Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the trade balance in manufactured goods in (a) Germany and (b) Britain in 1990.
Mr. Sainsbury : Only sections 5 to 8 of the standard international trade classification are included as "manufactured goods". In 1990 the United Kingdom's trade deficit in manufactured goods was £13.7 billion. The Federal Republic of Germany, excluding East Germany, had a surplus of £58.6 billion.
Inward Investment
33. Mr. Burns : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the level of inward investment from the United States.
Mr. Leigh : The United Kingdom has maintained its successful track record as the preferred location within the European Community for inward investment from the United States of America. Britain's share of United States direct investment in the EC stood at 38 per cent. at the end of 1990.
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Company Audits
34. Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he proposes any increase in the audit requirements for small limited companies.
Employers' Costs
35. Mr. Tredinnick : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received about the cost burden on employers in the United Kingdom ; and what information he has on comparable figures for other European Community countries.
Mr. Redwood : The latest figures published by the Central Statistical Office show that in 1988 the tax burden on business in the United Kingdom, including employers' social security contributions, was 8.9 per cent. of GNP compared with 17.2 per cent. in France, 13.9 per cent. in Belgium and the Netherlands and 10.5 per cent. in Germany.
Footwear Industry
36. Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received seeking further assistance for firms in the footwear industry.
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Mr. Sainsbury : My right hon. Friend and I have received representations from a number of organisations, representing companies in the footwear industry.
Kuwait
Mr. Hayes : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will make a statement on the number of new contracts which have been won in Kuwait by British companies since the end of the Gulf war.
Mr. Lilley : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave today to my hon. Friend the Member for Romsey and Waterside (Mr. Colvin) and the hon. Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell).
Latin America (Exports)
Mr. Wray : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list British manufactured goods exported to the top 10 Latin American importing countries for each year since 1975, expressing the value of such exports in 1991 moneys.
Mr. Sainsbury [holding answer 14 October 1991] : The available information is shown in the tables.
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Table 1
United Kingdom exports of manufactured goods<1> to Latin America: 1975-1990
Top ten importing countries-ranking by value of United Kingdom exports of manufactures for each year
|1975|1976|1977|1978|1979|1980|1981|1982|1983|1984|1985|1986|1987|1988|1989|1990
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brazil |1 |1 |1 |1 |1 |1 |2 |2 |1 |1 |2 |1 |1 |1 |1 |1
Mexico |2 |2 |4 |4 |2 |2 |1 |1 |2 |2 |1 |2 |2 |2 |2 |2
Venezuela |3 |3 |2 |2 |4 |4 |4 |4 |3 |3 |3 |3 |3 |3 |3 |3
Chile |7 |7 |7 |6 |6 |5 |5 |5 |6 |6 |5 |4 |4 |4 |4 |4
Colombia |8 |8 |6 |5 |5 |7 |7 |7 |4 |4 |4 |6 |5 |5 |5 |5
Argentina |4 |4 |3 |3 |3 |3 |3 |3 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |6
Ecuador |9 |9 |5 |7 |8 |9 |9 |9 |8 |8 |7 |8 |8 |6 |7 |7
Peru |5 |6 |8 |8 |10 |6 |6 |6 |9 |9 |9 |7 |6 |8 |9 |8
Cuba |6 |5 |9 |9 |7 |8 |8 |8 |5 |5 |6 |5 |7 |7 |8 |9
Panama |10 |10 |10 |10 |9 |10 |10 |10 |7 |7 |8 |9 |9 |10 |- |10
Guatemala |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |6 |-
Dominican Republic |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |10 |10 |10 |- |10 |- |10 |-
Uruguay |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |10 |- |9 |- |-
Note:
<1> Sections 5 to 8 of the Standard International Trade Classification.
<2> Current prices.
<3> The remaining countries in Latin America (Bolivia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras,
Nicaragua and Paraguay) did not rank among the top ten in any of these years.
Source: Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom (HMSO)
Table 2
Main United Kingdom manufactured goods
exported to Latin America
1975-1990
£ million<1>
|Value of
|exports
---------------------------------------------------------------------
1975
1. Machinery other than electric |241.5
2. Transport equipment |84.8
3. Manufactures of metals nes |43.2
1976
1. Machinery other than electric |260.5
2. Transport equipment |100.2
3. Electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances |62.7
1977
1. Other transport equipment |154.0
2. Machinery specialised for particular industries |97.3
3. Power generating machinery and equipment |74.4
1978
1. Machinery specialised for particular industries |105.1
2. Power generating machinery and equipment |86.3
3. Other transport equipment |82.2
1979
1. Other transport equipment |113.2
2. Machinery specialised for particular industries |92.8
3. Power generating machinery and equipment |79.1
1980
1. Machinery specialised for particular industries |110.9
2. Power generating machinery and equipment |109.5
3. Road vehicles (including air cushioned) |82.2
1981
1. Power generating machinery and equipment |108.3
2. Machinery specialised for particular industries |100.8
3. Road vehicles (including air cushioned) |84.9
1982
1. Power generating machinery and equipment |83.6
2. Machinery specialised for particular industries |74.0
3. Other transport equipment |70.3
1983
1. Other transport equipment |52.9
2. Machinery specialised for particular industries |44.4
3. General industrial machinery and parts |40.2
1984
1. Other transport equipment |137.4
2. Metal working machinery |57.5
3. Power generating machinery and equipment |56.8
1985
1. Other transport equipment |96.4
2. Road vehicles (including air cushioned) |82.9
3. Machinery specialised for particular industries |76.3
1986
1. Road vehicles (including air cushioned) |93.4
2. Power generating machinery and equipment |90.4
3. Machinery specialised for particular industries |78.2
1987
1. Power generating machinery and equipment |115.0
2. Metal working machinery |105.0
3. Road vehicles (including air cushioned) |80.7
1988
1. Power generating machinery and equipment |101.1
2. Road vehicles (including air cushioned) |98.4
3. Organic chemicals |71.2
1989
1. Power generating machinery and equipment |93.5
2. Organic chemicals |81.2
3. Road vehicles (including air cushioned) |74.1
1990
1. Other transport equipment |118.6
2. Machinery specialised for particular industries |88.1
3. Power generating machinery and equipment |87.5
<1>Current prices.
Source: Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom, (HMSO).
Mr. Wray : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the top 10 Latin American countries exporting to Britain for each year since 1975, indicating the type of products imported by Britain and their value in 1991 moneys.
Mr. Sainsbury [holding answer 14 October 1991] : The available statistics are shown in the tables.
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Table 1
United Kingdom imports from Latin America: 1975-1990
Top ten exporters to the United Kingdom-ranking by value of United Kingdom imports for each
year
|1975|1976|1977|1978|1979|1980|1981|1982|1983|1984|1985|1986|1987|1988|1989|1990
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brazil |1 |1 |1 |1 |1 |1 |1 |1 |1 |1 |1 |1 |1 |1 |1 |1
Chile |3 |4 |3 |3 |3 |2 |5 |3 |5 |5 |4 |2 |3 |2 |2 |2
Mexico |9 |9 |5 |5 |7 |5 |4 |4 |3 |3 |3 |3 |2 |3 |3 |3
Argentina |4 |3 |2 |2 |2 |4 |2 |6 |- |- |- |9 |7 |5 |6 |4
Venezuela |2 |2 |4 |4 |4 |3 |3 |2 |2 |2 |2 |4 |4 |6 |5 |5
Peru |6 |5 |6 |7 |5 |6 |6 |5 |4 |4 |6 |6 |5 |4 |4 |6
Colombia |7 |7 |8 |8 |8 |7 |8 |7 |6 |6 |5 |5 |6 |7 |7 |7
Uruguay |- |10 |9 |9 |9 |- |9 |8 |7 |7 |7 |7 |8 |8 |8 |8
Guatemala |5 |- |- |- |- |10 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |9
Cuba |- |6 |10 |10 |10 |9 |10 |10 |10 |10 |- |- |- |9 |9 |10
Costa Rica |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |8 |8 |8 |8 |9 |10 |10 |-
Bolivia |8 |8 |7 |6 |6 |8 |7 |9 |9 |9 |- |- |10 |- |- |-
Ecuador |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |9 |10 |- |- |- |-
Panama |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |10 |- |- |- |- |-
Nicaragua |10 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |-
Note:
The remaining Latin American countries-El Salvador, Honduras, Paraguay, Haiti and the Dominican
Republic-did not rank among the top ten in any of these years.
Source: Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom (HMSO)
Table 2
Main United Kingdom product imports from Latin America
1975-1990
£ million<1>
|Value of
|imports
-----------------------------------------------------------------
1975
1. Petroleum, petroleum products and related
materials |133.0
2. Sugars, sugar preparations and honey |108.9
3. Metalliferous ores and metal scrap |81.2
1976
1. Petroleum, petroleum products and related
materials |100.4
2. Sugars, sugar preparations and honey |95.5
3. Non-ferrous metals |94.4
1977
1. Coffee, tea, cocoa, spices and manufactures
thereof |102.4
2. Metalliferous ores and metal scrap |101.5
3. Non-ferrous metals |97.6
1978
1. Metalliferous ores and metal scrap |111.0
2. Non-ferrous metals |81.3
3. Coffee, tea, cocoa, spices and manufactures
thereof |77.4
1979
1. Non-ferrous metals |145.9
2. Metalliferous ores and metal scrap |142.2
3. Coffee, tea, cocoa, spices and manufactures
thereof |100.6
1980
1. Non-ferrous metals |197.8
2. Petroleum, petroleum products and related
materials |150.7
3. Metalliferous ores and metal scrap |137.9
1981
1. Petroleum, petroleum products and related
materials |183.3
2. Non-ferrous metals |130.1
3. Meat and meat preparations |128.0
1982
1. Petroleum, petroleum products and related
materials |214.9
2. Non-ferrous metals |153.1
3. Meat and meat preparations |110.0
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
Boxing
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he last met the chairman of the British Boxing Board of Control ; and what topics were discussed.
Mr. Atkins : I met the general secretary of the British Boxing Board of Control and medical advisers today, to discuss safety arrangements in professional boxing.
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will set up an inquiry into amateur and professional boxing.
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what statistical information his Department maintains on the incidence of death or serious injury arising as a result of participation in amateur and professional boxing.
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Mr. Atkins : The Office of Population Censuses and Surveys provides information on deaths during sporting and leisure activities through its annual monitor series DH4. The number of deaths in England and Wales where boxing was mentioned are as follows :
1986--2 deaths
1987--1 death
1988--nil
1989--nil
1990--nil
The Department does not maintain information on serious injuries, although the Sports Council collates general information on sports accidents.
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will establish a study to ascertain the long-term physical and mental consequences of participating in both amateur and professional boxing.
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make it his policy to see that the incidence of brain stem injuries as a result of boxing accidents is monitored.
Mr. Atkins : It is for the boxing authorities to consider what specific information on boxing it is appropriate to collect and monitor.
SCOTLAND
Further Education
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what research he has conducted into the working of the further education system in Scotland in recent years ; and if he will publish it.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : In the years 1984-1991, the Scottish Office Education Department grant aided the following external research projects particularly relating to the further education system.
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Project Period of research
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Guidance and Choice in the 16+ Action Plan |August 1984 |-
| in Education
Articulation of the 16+ National Development |September 1985 |-
Programme | Education
Assessment in the 16+ Development Programme |October 1985 |-
| in Education
Accreditation of Work-Based Learning |April 1986 |-
| Council
Competency Testing |October 1986 |-
| Council
Marketing of Further Education by Further |January 1987 |-
|Education Colleges
The Induction of Teaching Staff into Further |October 1987 |-
Education Colleges | in Education
Assessment of Generic Aspects of Competence |October 1987 |-
Marketing in Further and Higher Education: A |December 1987 |-
Development Model
Young People's Experience of National Certificate |September 1988 |-
Modules
National Certificate Guidance Information System |October 1988 |-
| Education
Teaching, Learning and Assessment in the National |October 1988 |-
Certificate | in Education
The Single European Market: Implications for |October 1989 |-
Vocational Education and Training in Scotland
Evaluation of Advanced Courses Development |October 1990 |-
Programme in Further and Higher Education | in Education
Evaluation of the Installation of the New Further |August 1991 |-
Education College Council System | Unit
Evaluation of Scottish Wider Access Programme |September 1991 |-
| in Education
Details of recent SOED funded further education research projects are contained in the 1989-90 and 1991 editions of the Department's publication "Educational Research", copies of which are in the Library.
Publication of the results of research projects is governed by contracts between researchers and the Scottish Office Education Department. The general policy of the Scottish Office is to encourage the dissemination of research findings by publication of reports or by other means.
Higher Education
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of the relevant age cohort attained minimum qualification standard for higher education in each year since 1979.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The qualified leaver index, calulated as the number of school and further education leavers with three or more highers or equivalent qualifications expressed as a percentage of the population aged 17 years, is shown in the table.
|Qualified
|leaver
|index
-------------------------------
1978-79 |18.7
1979-80 |19.7
1980-81 |20.0
1981-82 |20.7
1982-83 |22.0
1983-84 |22.7
1984-85 |21.5
1985-86 |21.2
1986-87 |22.0
1987-88 |22.5
1988-89 |24.0
<1>1989-90 |25.2
<1> Provisional.
Feudal System
Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will bring forward legislation to abolish the rights of feudal superiors as recommended by the Scottish Law Commission ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The Scottish Law Commission is currently carrying out a major review of property law in Scotland. As part of this work, the commission published a discussion paper in July 1991
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seeking comments on various proposals for reform or abolition of the feudal system. Once responses have been received and analysed, the commission will submit a report to the Government making specific recommendations for reform. My right hon. Friend proposes to await this report before deciding whether a change in the law is needed.Polytechnics
Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the criteria by which his Department determines that educational establishments in Scotland have achieved polytechnic status ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The criteria for granting polytechnic status in Scotland are essentially those which have been used in England and Wales modified to take account of Scottish circumstances, particularly the different subject programmes used by the Scottish Office Education Department for funding purposes. The criteria are : 1. accreditation for taught degrees by the Council for National Academic Awards ;
2. a higher education enrolment of at least 4,000 full-time (including sandwich) students and substantial part-time provision (of the order of 1,500 students on substantive courses leading to a higher education award) ;
3. at least 300 full-time higher education students in a majority of funding programmes ; and
4. over two-thirds of full-time higher education students on degree level courses.
Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those educational establishments in Scotland which his Department has determined as having achieved polytechnic status.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Two Scottish higher education establishments have been granted polytechnic status--Napier polytechnic of Edinburgh and Glasgow polytechnic.
Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on what criteria the Robert Gordon Institute of Technology has failed to achieve polytechnic status.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : The Robert Gordon Institute of Technology has not submitted any application to the Scottish Office Education Department to be granted polytechnic status.
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