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Abu Dhabi
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Prime Minister when he next plans to seek to visit Abu Dhabi.
Mr. MacGregor : I have been asked to reply.
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has at present no plans to do so.
Engagements
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 17 October.
Mr. MacGregor : I have been asked to reply.
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister is attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Harare.
Nuclear Disarmament
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Prime Minister what response he made to the proposal by President Mitterrand of France that the four permanent members of the United Nations Security Council that deploy nuclear weapons in Europe hold an urgent summit meeting to discuss future multilateral nuclear arms cuts.
Mr. MacGregor : I have been asked to reply.
We welcome President Mitterrand's proposal for a meeting with the Soviet Union to discuss the future security of its nuclear weapons. We believe that this is a matter to be taken forward in consultation with all our NATO allies.
Mr. Li Ka Shing
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Prime Minister what was the purpose of his meeting in Hong Kong with Mr. Li Ka Shing, chairman of Cheung Kong ; what topics were discussed ; what United Kingdom Government officials were present ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. MacGregor : I have been asked to reply.
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's normal practice is and will continue to be neither to confirm nor deny whether meetings with private individuals have taken place, even in those cases where no such meeting has occurred.
Correspondence
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Prime Minister when the hon. Mrmber for Walsall, North will be receiving a reply to the letter he wrote on 23 September.
Mr. MacGregor : I have been asked to reply.
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister will reply to the hon. Member's correspondence shortly.
NUM (Sequestration)
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 3 June, Official Report, column 35, if he will place in the public domain the information requested and obtained from the Government, by the sequestrators of the National Union of Mineworkers funds, relevant to the discharge of their duties to the court.
Mr. MacGregor : No. I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's answer of 10 June to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Hillhead (Mr. Galloway) at column 425.
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Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Prime Minister if, during his meeting with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing in September, he discussed the implications of the Chinese Government announcement that they intend to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
Mr. MacGregor : I have been asked to reply.
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister discussed China's decision to accede to the NPT with Mr. Li Peng. China's action is an important step in the field of non-proliferation.
Party Funds (Donations)
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Prime Minister what guidelines are issued to Cabinet members and other members of the Government about the granting of access where there has been payment to party funds.
Mr. MacGregor : I have been asked to reply.
None.
Senior Civil Servants (Guidelines)
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Prime Minister what guidelines exist for senior civil servants about discussing political matters ; and whether these guidelines apply also to the chief executive of the national health service.
Mr. MacGregor : I have been asked to reply
General guidance for civil servants on discussing political matters in public is contained in the civil service pay and conditions of service code and in the note on the duties and responsibilities of civil servants in relation to Ministers issued by the former head of the home civil service in December 1987. This guidance does not preclude individual civil servants, including the chief executive of the national health service, from explaining Government policy when appropriate.
ENERGY
Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what progress has been made by the International Atomic Energy Agency in its assessment of the ways to implement special unannounced safeguards inspections, pursuant to articles 73 and 77 of INFCIRC/153 (1971), as requested in the final document of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty fourth review conference in September 1990 ; and what role has been played by the depository states for the nuclear non-proliferation treaty in supporting this assessment ; (2) if he will make a statement on the actions taken by the international nuclear safeguards authorities, pursuant to the proposals made by Her Majesty's Government in the statement at the fourth review conference of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty on 22 August 1990, and in particular on special safeguards inspection regimes.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : In his statement of 26 February of this year to the board of governors, the director general of the IAEA, Dr. Blix, outlined a number of proposals for improving international safeguards ; these included a proposal for the increased use of special inspections. Detailed proposals are currently being developed by the
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IAEA and will be discussed in due course by the board of governors. The United Kingdom will play a full part in these discussions.Sellafield THORP
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what provisions have been made for the decommissioning of the thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield ; what volume of decommissioning waste it is expected to generate ; what is the projected cost of decommissioning ; and who is expected to cover the costs of decommissioning the plant.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : I have nothing to add to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Member for Banbury (Mr. Baldry) to the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan (Mr. Salmond) on 21 June 1990 at column 659.
Electricity Companies (Pensions)
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what consultations he has had with the Director-General of Electricity Regulation concerning the level of provisions made by the 12 regional electricity companies following the GRE-Barber case on future pension entitlement and the amount of provisions generally.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : Provisions made in annual accounts are a matter for the companies concerned.
Gas Prices
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what discussions he has had with the Director General of the Office of Gas Supply concerning the status of the April 1991 agreement with the board of British Gas plc to accept new price increase controls from 1 April 1992.
Mr. Moynihan : The terms of the agreement regarding the new tariff price formula are a matter for the Director General of Gas Supply and British Gas. I am pleased the agreement reached will reinforce the downward trend in gas prices since privatisation.
Nuclear Materials
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards releasing to Parliament details of nuclear materials and technology exports from the United Kingdom.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : It is the Government's policy to assist Parliament by being as open as practicable about details of such goods licensable for export from the United Kingdom, subject to the constraints of national security and commercial confidentiality. It has been the practice of successive Governments not to reveal details of individual applications.
Coal Privatisation
Mr. Andy Stewart : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what recommendations Rothschilds have made about the future size of the coal industry and the impact of privatisation.
Mr. Wakeham : As is generally known, Rothschild's has been asked by my Department to analyse possible options
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for privatising British Coal. One of the key criteria of this work, which is being carried out in close conjunction with British Coal, is the Government's objective of achieving the largest economic United Kingdom coal industry in the longer term. Clearly, Rothschild's task can only be done against a background of a range of assessments about the potential future United Kingdom market for coal. Rothschild's has not been asked to make recommendations on the future size of the industry, or on the number of pits, or on the future of individual pits. As we have made repeatedly clear, decisions on the form and timing of the privatisation of British Coal will not be taken until after the next general election.The future size of British Coal's operations will depend on the size of the United Kingdom coal market and the share of that market that it can win. This is the key issue, which recent ill-informed and mischievous press speculation has obscured. Given that sales to the electricity industry account for around 80 per cent. of British Coal's market, the contracts with the electricity generators will be crucial to its future. British Coal's success in this market will depend on its ability to improve productivity and to reduce its unit costs to enable it to sell profitably into that market at competitive prices. British Coal has made great strides in increasing productivity--up by over 100 per cent. compared to pre-strike levels. More needs to be done if the corporation is to compete with its major competitors, but I am confident that it will be able to achieve this.
The negotiation of the post-1993 contracts with the electricity generators has not yet started, and therefore speculation about the future size of the United Kingdom coal industry is premature. British Coal will have to face the challenge of the market whether it is in the public or private sector. Coal privatisation is not the issue.
Speculation about the future size of the industry is damaging to British Coal's drive to increase the competitiveness of its business and undermines the objective of creating the largest economic United Kingdom coal industry in the longer term.
Petroleum Engineering Directorate
Sir Hector Monro : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether the Government have replied to that part of the Energy Committee's seventh report which deals with the location of the petroleum engineering directorate--PED--of his Department.
Mr. Wakeham : The successful development of the oil and gas resources of the United Kingdom continental shelf--UKCS--has brought great benefits to oil industry and supply centres across the United Kingdom. I am determined that these benefits should continue. So far this year I have approved 17 new oil and gas developments with a total value of £4.2 billion, there have been nine significant finds, and drilling activity has continued at high levels. Capital investment in the UKCS in the first six months of this year was about 30 per cent. higher than in the first half of 1990. All this activity is helping to sustain and develop the economies of the regions concerned.
The Offshore Supplies Office of my Department is, of course, already located in Glasgow.
I agree with the Energy Committee that further studies are needed of the case for relocating the PED to Aberdeen and this is made clear in the reply that the Government
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have made today to the Committee's report. I have therefore decided to commission a thorough review of all the issues to be carried out by independent consultants. The results of this review will be published.SOCIAL SECURITY
Social Security Appeals
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many social security appeals by category are awaiting determination or are outstanding ; and if he will make a statement.
Miss Widdecombe : Responsibility for the administration of social security and medical appeal tribunals lies with the president of the Independent Tribunal Service, his honour Judge Holden, and the hon. Member may wish to contact his office direct to obtain this information.
Child Support Agency
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the appointment of the chief executive of the Child Support Agency.
Mr. Jack : My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, announced on 1 October the appointment of Mrs. Rosalind Hepplewhite as chief executive of the Child Support Agency, following recruitment by open competition. Mrs. Hepplewhite is currently national director of MIND, having previously spent most of her career in the National Health Service. Her appointment will take effect on 1 January 1992.
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the criteria to be used to assess the performance- related bonus scheme for the chief executive of the Child Support Agency.
Mr. Jack : Award of bonuses to the chief executive of the Child Support Agency will depend on the achievement of specific standards of performance set by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State. These are currently being developed and will cover key areas of work including service to the public.
Residential Care
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what provision his Department makes for having the fees of residential and nursing homes assessed for a fair level of fees (a) currently and (b) under "Care in the Community".
Miss Widdecombe : We receive a large number of representations, some of which include survey results, throughout the year both from representative bodies and individuals. We consider this evidence together with the available statistical information and will continue to do so.
Benefits
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy to introduce six-monthly uprating of benefits in line with the cost of living for all recipients over 60 years.
Miss Widdecombe : We have no plans to do so.
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Government Policies
Mr. Martyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the impact of Government policies on the economic well-being of the poorest decile of the income distribution.
Mr. Murphy : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the impact of Government policies on the economic well-being of the poorest decile of the income distribution.
Miss Widdecombe : Information on the living standards of people living in the lower half of the income distribution is presented in the series of tables "Households Below Average Income 1981-1987" copies of which are available in the Library. The Social Security Select Committee has now produced figures for 1981 to 1988 in its first report "Low Income Statistics : Households Below Average Income Tables 1988". These show that there has continued to be an increase in living standards at all levels of the income distribution, including the bottom decile.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Argentina
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the current availability of medium-term cover to Argentina from the Export Credits Guarantee Department for the use of British exporters.
Mr. Sainsbury : Cover is not available from the Export Credits Guarantee Department for exports from the United Kingdom to Argentina which are sold on medium-term credit.
Iraq
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list all items that are currently banned for export to Iraq by British exporters.
Mr. Sainsbury : The Export of Goods (Control) (Iraq and Kuwait Sanctions) Order 1990 prohibits without a licence granted by the Secretary of State the export of all goods from the United Kingdom to any destination in Iraq, or to any destination in any other country for delivery, directly or indirectly, to a person for the purposes of any business carried on in or operated from Iraq.
Restraints (Exports)
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the export of leg irons, leg cuffs and similar devices manufactured in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Sainsbury : The export of leg irons, shackles--excluding handcuffs--and gang chains is subject to control under the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1989 and requires an export licence from my Department.
In the light of recent publicity I have reviewed the Government's long- standing policy of not issuing licences for these items and I can confirm that this will remain the policy.
I am advised that exports have taken place of "oversized handcuffs" and linking chains. I have sought
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advice from the police scientific development branch of the Home Department about the definition of "handcuff". I have decided that in future in determining whether goods are handcuffs for the purposes of export control my Department will use the US National Institute of Justice standard 0307.01. This standard defines the maximum length of two cuffs and connecting chain as 240 mm. This standard would bring "oversized handcuffs" under control. The only United Kingdom exporter is being advised.Foulkes Ingram and Co.
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will hold an inquiry into the reasons for the Securities and Investments Board making a favourable report following its inquiries into Foulkes Ingram and Co. of Aberystwyth in the period 1988 to 1991 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood : The conduct of the Securities and Investments Board's inquiries is a matter for the board.
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will order a public inquiry into the collapse of Foulkes Ingram and Co. of Aberystwyth and the resulting loss by small investors ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood : I have no plans to order an inquiry. The regulatory authorities took action this year following complaints from investors and I understand the matter is now being investigated by the police.
Scotch Whisky (Chile)
Mr. Bill Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the Government's and EC's negotiations with the Government of Chile concerning the exports of Scotch whisky and the tax discrimination practised by that country.
Mr. Sainsbury : Ministers raise the question of the discrimination against Scotch whisky with their Chilean counterparts whenever suitable opportunities arise. I raised the matter with the Chilean Foreign Minister when I visited Chile last February.
The EC has discussed the issue with the Chilean Government, and it now remains for discussion during the Uruguay round, where I hope it can be satisfactorily resolved.
Export Credits Guarantee Department
Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received about the premium levels set for British manufacturers by the Export Credits Guarantee Department ; and if he has plans to enable the ECGD to lower its premium rates.
Mr. Sainsbury : I have received a number of representations about Export Credits Guarantee Department premium rates from project and capital goods exporters. The ECGD reviews its premium rates regularly, taking into account representations which have been made to Ministers, the rates of other export credit agencies, and the risks to the taxpayer that premium income may not be able to cover underwriting losses.
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Funerals
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, further to his reply of 3 July, Official Report, column 307, what response he has had from the National Association of Funeral Directors to his suggestion that its code of conduct should include a commitment to itemise the costs of a basic funeral.
Mr. Leigh : In my statement to the House on 3 July I said that I would ask the National Association of Funeral Directors to amend its code of practice to require its members to provide itemised estimates of their charges for funeral services.
I raised the issue of itemised estimates when I met the association on 11 July. I told it that I was convinced that customers would benefit from being provided with clearly itemised estimates of charges in advance of their purchase of a funeral. Such itemised estimates would enable customers to compare the services offered by different funeral directors and choose that which gave best value. To reinforce the points I made at our meeting I wrote to the NAFD on 16 October to urge it to amend its code of practice. I am awaiting its reply.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Albania
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his assessment of the problems facing the people of Albania ; and if he will detail both what Her Majesty's Government have done to advance practical assistance and what further measures Her Majesty's Government intend to pursue unilaterally or in concert with other states.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Albania faces major economic problems including severe food shortages and has at the same time to build a democratic society after decades of Stalinism. As part of the European Community effort Britain is contributing towards medical aid and 145,000 tonnes of wheat. The total cost is some £12.25 million, of which Britain's share is over £2 million. We have also given £50,000 to the British charity Feed the Children, which has received over £500,000 in total through an appeal run by The Sunday Times newspaper. We will continue to co -ordinate our response to Albania's need through the European Community and with other international donors. Finally the Community is preparing for negotiations on a trade and co-operation agreement.
Mordechai Vanunu
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government have made any recent representations to the Israeli Government over the continued imprisonment in solitary confinement of Mordechai Vanunu ; and if any recent communication has been received on behalf of Mr. Vanunu from the Mordechai Vanunu Trust.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We have made no recent representations to the Israeli Government regarding Mordechai Vanunu, nor have we received any recent communication from the Mordechai Vanunu Trust. But, as we have stated in the past, Mr. Vanunu's imprisonment and treatment appear to be compatible with the normal judicial process and practice in Israel.
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United Nations (Minister's Speech)
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list in the Official Report the main proposals and commitments made in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly on 24 September ; and whether he has costed the proposals and commitments.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : In my right hon. Friend's speech to the UN General Assembly on 25 September he outlined the case for the establishment of a register of arms transfers and measures to improve the UN's response to humanitarian emergencies. If the General Assembly decides to adopt the proposals, the Secretary-General, as chief administrator of the UN, will prepare the cost estimates. The costs to the UN budget will depend on the level of involvement of the secretariat envisaged by the adopted resolutions.
Aung San Suu Kyi
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the award to Aung San Suu Kyi of the Nobel peace prize ; and what further actions Her Majesty's Government intend to take to put pressure on the government of Burma to hand over power to the democratically elected government of the National League for Democracy.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : We warmly welcome the award of the Nobel peace prize to Aung San Suu Kyi. The award is a fitting tribute to her commitment to the cause of democracy and civil liberty in Burma, and a reminder to the world community that the Burmese people's struggle for political and human rights continues.
We have repeatedly called on the military authorities to hand over power to democratically elected representatives of the Burmese people. In joint actions with our EC partners, we have suspended all non-humanitarian aid and placed an embargo on all defence sales to Burma. We will continue to do everything possible to encourage peaceful democratic change in Burma, in the first instance by working for a resolution on Burma at the present session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Inhumane Weapons
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek to expand the inhumane weapons protocol 1981 to include bulldozers when used to bury soldiers alive.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : No. The use of bulldozers to breach set defences is consistent with the established laws of armed conflict.
Nuclear Test Ban
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response Her Majesty's Government made to the proposals put forward in September by the Government of the Soviet Union and Presidents of the Russian Federation and Kazakh republic that all nuclear testing should be halted and a verifiable nuclear test ban agreed at an early date.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : None. While there remains a need for a nuclear deterrent the UK will continue to carry out
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