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Written Answers to Questions
Friday 8 November 1991
TRANSPORT
Motor Vehicles
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) whether he will publish the conformity of production exhaust emission standards for motor cars approved for use in the United Kingdom ; (2) when he intends to introduce MOT test standards based on conformity of production emission limits ; and if he intends to use these in roadside spotcheck programmes.
Mr. Chope : The current United Kingdom conformity of production standard for CO emission from petrol-engined vehicles is 4.5 per cent. which is 1 per cent. more than the type approval standard to allow for manufacturing tolerance. This is the same as in the EC. These are the standards to which we are testing.
Road Schemes
Mr. Higgins : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he proposes to publish the criteria for accepting requests made under the new compensation provisions of the New Road and Street Works Act 1991 for the purchase of properties affected by road schemes.
Mr. Chope : I believe my hon. Friend has in mind section 62 of the Planning and Compensation Act 1991 which gives authorities discretion to acquire property seriously affected by public works. The criteria to be applied to the Department's road schemes are under consideration.
Rail Service, Leicester
Mrs. Currie : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has yet reached a decision on the proposed passenger rail service to run from Leicester through the South Derbyshire coalfield to Burton on Trent, Toyota and Derby.
Mr. McLoughlin : I hope to make announcements about the allocation of resources for local public transport projects in 1992-93 shortly.
Channel Tunnel
Mr. Rowe : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps are being taken to ensure that standards in the construction of the channel tunnel rail link meet the requirements for new railway construction laid down by the European Community.
Mr. Freeman : There are no such EC requirements.
Mr. Rowe : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) when he expects to announce details of the arrangements for working up the new route for the new railway to the channel tunnel ;
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(2) if he will ensure that the study of the new rail link to be built to the channel tunnel includes full appraisal of the route needed for through running of international passenger and freight trains beyond London ;(3) when the status of Ove Arup will be clarified to enable the company once again to enter into discussions with the citizens of Mid-Kent on the alignment, environmental protection measures and other causes of concern of the channel link.
Mr. Freeman : My right hon. and learned Friend has asked British Rail to carry out the next phase of developing the route in close consultation with the Government and the private sector and take the lead in consulting the public. We shall announce more details of the arrangements as soon as we are able to. The work to be done will include examination of the implications of the route for international freight and passenger services to and from both London and beyond.
Mr. Rowe : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will provide additional funds to British Rail to enable it to fulfil its obligation to purchase properties rendered unsaleable by their safeguarded railway corridor between Detling and Cheriton and to act as a buyer of last resort in compassionate cases.
Mr. Freeman : British Rail's offer remains open to buy any domestic property within the safeguarded zone between Detling and Cheriton. There are no present plans to broaden the terms of, or area covered by, the voluntary purchase scheme for this route section.
Mr. Rowe : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of containers currently being carried on the European railway network could reach (a) London and (b) Liverpool (i) now and (ii) in 10 years' time on tracks currently operated by BR.
Mr. Freeman : BR's European container services to London and Liverpool can at present accept all standard ISO containers as well as 2.5m wide pallet containers and 12.2m long swap bodies. When the channel tunnel opens in 1993 BR will be able to accept between 90 and 95 per cent. of all containers in use on other European railways. In the longer term, the percentage will depend on future developments in the global container market.
Mr. Rowe : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will meet the chairman of British Rail to discuss his invitation to anyone to take BR's freight operation off his hands ; if he has any plans to assist towards that outcome ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : My right hon. Friend regularly meets the chairman of British Rail to discuss a variety of issues, including progress on his rail freight initiative. The Government intend to seek substantial privatisation of BR in the next Parliament. Meanwhile, my right hon. Friend wrote to the chairman on 9 October asking BR to give positive and sympathetic consideration to reasonable proposals from the private sector to introduce new freight or passenger services. We look forward to BR's response.
Queen Elizabeth II Bridge
Mr. Dunn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list the procedures to be followed by householders who live near the Queen Elizabeth II bridge
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at Dartford, and who wish to process a claim for compensation for enhanced noise levels due to a faster throughput of traffic ; and if he will make a statement ;(2) if he will publish the compensation entitlement of householders who live near to the Queen Elizabeth II bridge at Dartford, or the approach/exit roads thereto, and who find themselves affected by enhanced noise levels due to a faster throughput of traffic ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Chope : Notices will be published soon in the local press describing the procedures for claiming compensation under part I of the Land Compensation Act 1973 for depreciation in value of property. Details of the procedure and conditions of eligibility are further described in a booklet "Your Home and Nuisance from Public Development", available from the Department's regional office at Federated house, Dorking. The claim period lasts six years commencing from a date 12 months after the new road was opened to traffic on 30 October 1991. Special provisions apply for those selling their houses within the first 12 months after completion of the works. Under part I of the Land Compensation Act 1973, there is a right to claim compensation for depreciation of more than £50 in the value of land (including buildings) caused by specified physical factors (noise, vibration, smell, fumes, smoke and artificial lighting and the discharge on to the land in respect of which the claim is made of any solid or liquid substance) arising from the use (but not its construction) of a new or altered highway. If compensation is payable, reasonable valuation or legal fees incurred by claimants in making claims will also be paid. Interest is payable from the date the claim is received or the first claim day, whichever is later, until the compensation is paid.
Bus Passes
Mr. Patchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to make a free bus pass available to all pensioners as of right ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. McLoughlin : We have no plans to change the present arrangements. Local authorities already have powers to provide pensioners with free or reduced price bus travel. The decision on what to provide is one for the local authority in the light of local demand and the resources that they can make available.
ENERGY
Gas
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when reserves of British gas are likely to run out on current consumption levels.
Mr. Moynihan : The 1991 Brown Book (Development of the Oil and Gas Resources of the United Kingdom ; a report to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Energy) showed the estimated remaining gas reserves of the UKCS to lie in the range 963-3345 billion cubic metres (bcm). Total consumption in 1990 was estimated at approximately 59 bcm. Over the last decade additions to reserves have exceeded consumption : the 1981 Brown Book showed
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estimated reserves in the range 750-2150 bcm. The United Kingdom will remain a major producer of gas well into the next century.Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will identify the consumption levels of British gas for the next century in 10- yearly periods.
Mr. Moynihan : My Department published a range of scenarios of United Kingdom energy consumption (up to 2020) based on oil price assumptions supplied by the intergovernmental group on climate change in Energy Paper number 58. A copy of this paper has been placed in the Library of the House.
Coal-burning Schemes
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the level of investment provided for research into and promotion of clean coal-burning schemes within the United Kingdom ; and what proportion of the total energy budget this constitutes.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : Both British Coal and my Department are supporting a wide range of research and development projects to develop cleaner coal technologies. The development of these technologies is a collaborative exercise and many of the projects also involve United Kingdom industry and overseas organisations such as the European Commission and the International Energy Agency. The value of contracts in the Department's current coal R and D programme are worth over £115 million with Department support of over £21 million. One of the most important of these projects is the development of British Coal's topping cycle technology which is taking place at Grimethorpe and its coal research establishment. Information on total spending by industry in the United Kingdom on energy-related research is not available to my Department.
Transmission Link
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what discussions he has had with the Energy Minister of the Republic of Ireland and the chairman of the National Grid Company concerning the proposals for an undersea transmission link between Wales and the Republic of Ireland, and if he will make a statement.
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what proposals there are to link the United Kingdom electricity grid with that of the Republic of Ireland.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : There have been no substantive discussions at ministerial level. However, I understand that the National Grid Company and the Electricity Board of Ireland are considering the matter ; it is for them to assess the technical and commercial viability of the project.
Energy Sources
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what percentage of national energy needs are met from (a) coal, (b) oil, (c) windmills, (d) gas and (e) other sources ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Moynihan : Figures for shares of primary energy consumption in 1990 are as follows :
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Fuel |Percentage
|share
|Per cent.
----------------------------------
Coal |31.3
Oil |35.5
Natural gas |24.1
Other<1> |9.1
<1> Nuclear and natural-flow
hydro electricity, and net
imports of
electricity from France.
The amounts produced from wind power at present represent less than 0.05 per cent. of total primary energy consumption. However, following the 1990 and 1991 Renewables Orders under the non-fossil fuel obligation the regional electricity companies have been obliged to contract for wind power capacity, building up to the substantial level of 94.63 MW. This should considerably enhance the potential for bringing wind power into the electricity market on a competitive basis.
Spent Nuclear Fuel
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether any plutonium separated at Sellafield from the spent nuclear fuel discharged from the JAPCO TOKAI--1 Magnox nuclear plant has ever been co-processed with (a) spent fuel of similar irradiation from electricity board/nuclear board/Scottish Nuclear Magnox plants and (b) spent fuel of similar irradiation from BNFL's Magnox plants.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : The policy of British Nuclear Fuels plc is to co-process civil spent fuel from its various home and overseas customers wherever it is operationally desirable to do so. In respect of material from BNFL's own reactors, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Member for South Worcestershire (Mr. Spicer) to the hon. Member for East Lothian (Mr. Home Robertson) on 8 December 1988 at column 329.
Windscale
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the current arrangements for storage of the filters from the Windscale pile number one damaged in the 1957 fire.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : This is a management matter for BNFL. However, I understand that the filters from Windscale pile number one which became contaminated as a result of the 1957 fire are stored along with other intermediate-level waste at Sellafield.
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Private Bills
Mr. Allen : To ask the Lord President of the Council what proposals he has to abolish or reform the private Bills procedure.
Mr. McLoughlin : I have been asked to reply.
Proposals will be published very shortly.
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NORTHERN IRELAND
Residential Homes
Rev. Martin Smyth : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether residential homes are exempted from policies for exemption for competitive tendering for catering, cleaning and laundry services.
Mr. Hanley : This is a matter for HPSS boards to determine in accordance with my Department's instructions, which provide for exemption for residential homes
"where these services are provided on site and clients are directly involved as an integral part of the therapeutic or rehabilitative process".
Civil Defence
Mr. Kilfedder : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many RIMNET sites for civil defence are in existence in Northern Ireland ; how many are fully operational ; and what is the maximum level of radiation in centrigrays which they can quantify.
Dr. Mawhinney : Northern Ireland has one fully operational RIMNET site with a further four expected to be in operation by mid-1992. The maximum level of measurable radiation which such sites can quantify is 0.3 centigrays per hour.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Police
Mr. Shersby : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many new police officers will be recruited during the next 12 months for front-line duties in the fight against crime as a result of the announcement on 9 October 1991 ; how many will be deployed in the Metropolitan police area ; and if he will publish the names of provincial police forces who will be authorised to recruit additional officers giving details of the number in respect of each force.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : My right hon. Friend will announce allocations of establishment increases to forces shortly.
Overseas Electors
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons living abroad were registered as electors on the most recent electoral register ; how many of them lived in Belgium, Cyprus, France, Spain and South Africa ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Rumbold : A total of 34,454 overseas electors are included on the electoral register for 1991-92. A breakdown of the total by parliamentary constituency is included in "Electoral Statistics 1991", published by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, a copy of which is in the Library. Information on the number of overseas electors living in particular countries abroad is not held centrally.
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Asylum Seekers
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will obtain a copy of "United Kingdom, Deficient Policy and Practice for the Protection of Asylum Seekers" published by Amnesty International for his departmental library.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The Home Office library already has a copy.
Belmarsh Prison
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of inmates at Belmarsh prison on 1 November.
Mrs. Rumbold : On 1 November there were 658 inmates in Belmarsh prison.
Stress-related Illnesses
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to develop health attention services for staff at prisons in England and Wales to deal with stress-related illnesses.
Mrs. Rumbold : The prison service has developed a stress management package for use by all its staff. Training in the use of this package is currently under way, and the aim is for the majority of staff to receive this training in 1992.
A servicewide scheme of post-incident care was launched in July this year providing care, support and expert counselling for staff suffering stress reactions following traumatic incidents at work. In addition, a lifestyle screening programme has been introduced which covers stress levels as well as other aspects of health. Prison service staff also have access to the confidential counselling services of the civil service occupational health service and the Home Office staff welfare service.
Category A Prisoners
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number of prison inmates who have been taken off category A classification in prisons in England and Wales during the last 12 months.
Mrs. Rumbold : During the 12 months up to the end of October 1991, 71 category A inmates were downgraded to category B following review by the category A committee.
Prostitutes, Balham
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what requests he has had from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis for an increase in the number of police officers in the Tooting police division in the light of the presence of prostitutes in the Bedford hill area of Balham ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : It is for the Commissioner to decide how to allocate resources between divisions from the overall pool of officers available to him.
The Commissioner is aware of the problem of prostitution in Bedford hill and a local squad is dedicated to combating it. In addition, as a result of discussion with
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the local police consultative group, the police and Wandsworth council have within the last few weeks set up a working party to explore multi-agency approaches to tackling the problem.Remand Prisoners
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the police stations and the numbers of remand prisoners being held at police stations in the Greater London area on 31 October.
Mrs. Rumbold : On 31 October a total of 166 prisoners were held in the following police stations in the Greater London area :
|Number
-------------------------------
Albany Street |10
Bow Road |12
Brentford |5
Camberwell |13
Cannon Row |15
Croydon |5
Deptford |11
Earlsfield |1
Forest Gate |3
Gipsy Hill |3
Horseferry Road |24
Kennington |5
Lambeth |11
Lavender Hill |5
Mitcham |1
Muswell Hill |2
Ruislip |4
Snowhill |2
South Western |10
Teddington |2
Thames |8
Walthamstow |4
West End Central |10
I regret that it is not possible to identify separately remand and other classes of prisoner.
Prisoners (Police Cells)
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners were being held in police cells in the Cardiff gaol catchment area in the week ending 26 October, how many were (a) sentenced and (b) remanded, and how many were aged 15, 16 or 17 years old.
Mrs. Rumbold : During the week ending 26 October the following number of prisoners who should have been held in Cardiff prison were held in police cells :
|Number
-------------------------
21 October |197
22 October |199
23 October |193
24 October |194
25 October |201
Information on prisoners in police cells is not collected at weekends. It is not now possible to differentiate between remand and other classes of prisoner or to identify the ages of prisoners held on those days.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what guidelines he proposes to govern the use of police cells for overnight stays involving young children and babies accompanying their parents while being questioned ;
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(2) what discussions he has had with the chief constable of South Wales concerning the children under the age of 10 years kept with their parents in police cells at Fairwater police station, Cardiff, on the night of Sunday 27 October ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Peter Lloyd : It is not proposed to issue guidelines. The police do not, in normal circumstances, allow children to remain with parents in cells. Every effort is made to place children with responsible adults relatives or friends, or to seek assistance from the social services department.
I understand from the chief constable of South Wales constabulary that at 2.20 pm on 27 October a man and woman, of no fixed abode, were arrested and taken to Fairwater police station where it was decided not to grant bail. They were accompanied by seven children. Between 3.45 and 10.55 pm the police made numerous attempts to find accommodation via the social services, but were unsuccessful. The children were therefore housed overnight with the parents in a cell with integral sanitation.
Commission for Racial Equality
Mr. Adley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are employed by the Commission for Racial Equality, and what is the cost per annum of running the board.
Mrs. Rumbold : On 5 November 1991, the Commission for Racial Equality employed 199 staff. The budget for the financial year 1991-92 is £14,055,000.
THE ARTS
Public Libraries
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Minister for the Arts how many public libraries were open for 45 hours or more per week in 1980 ; and what is the corresponding figure for 1991.
Mr. Renton : Direct comparisons are not available. Statistics prepared by the Chartered Institute of Public
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Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) show that 106 library authorities in England at 31 March 1981 had 761 service points (excluding mobile libraries) open for 45 hours or more per week. At 31 March 1990, the latest year for which statistics are available, 96 authorities reported 572 service points in the same category.NATIONAL FINANCE
Company Directors
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the increase since 1979 in the real earnings, including fringe benefits, of directors of public companies.
Mr. Maude : I regret that the information is not available.
Publicity
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide an up-to-date list of each television advertising campaign carried out, or to be carried out, by (a) Her Majesty's Treasury (b) the Central Office of Information, (c) the Department of National Savings, (d) Her Majesty's Customs and Excise, (e) the Inland Revenue and (f) the HMSO during 1991-92, and of each other publicity campaign costing more than £100,000, giving for each (i) the topic, (ii) the commencement date, (iii) the duration and (iv) the advertising, promotional and public relations companies involved.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard [holding answer 5 November 1991] : Advertising campaigns costing more than £100,000 carried out this year are given in the table. Campaigns that used television in addition to other media are marked with an asterisk. Those without an asterisk did not use television.
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Topic
-------------------------------------------------------------
(a) Her Majesty's Treasury:
*British Telecom Share Flotation
(b) Central Office of Information carried out no publicity ca
following campaigns were organised for other Departments:
RAF Recruitment
*Soldier Recruitment
Officer Recruitment
*Territorial Army
Recriutment
Citizens Charter
Customs and Excise Staff
Recruitment
*Road Tax Evasion
Northern Ireland
Electricity Privatisation
*Teacher Recruitment
Assessment Tests
Parents Charter
Teacher Recruitment
-Graduates
Launch of Investors in
People' Scheme
*TECS
Career Development Loans
*Just the Job' booklet for
unemployed
*Just the Job' booklet for
unemployed
Employment Service Staff
Recruitment
Energy Efficiency to reduce
emissions by industry
Energy Efficiency to reduce
emissions in the home
ECGD Insurance Services
Blood Donors
Health of the Nation
Leaflet
*Nursing Recruitment
Health Services for Women
Children's Act
Police Recruitment
-Specials
*Crime Prevention
Passport Renewal
Dangerous Drugs Bill
Electoral Registration
Smoke Alarms
Police Recruitment
Graduates
*Family Credit
Companies Registration
Compliance
Queens Award for Export/
Technology
*Navy Recruitment
*Census 1991
*AIDS
Ordnance Survey
Patent Registration move
to Wales
*Scottish Electricity Share
Flotation
*Child Road Safety
Helmets
Motorway Litter
Drink/Drive
Rear Seatbelts
*Child Pedestrian Safety
*British Telecom Share
Flotation
Details of future campaigns have not been finalised.
(c) Department of National Savings
5th Issue Index-linked
savings certificates
*Children's Bonus Bonds
*Income Bonds
*Savings Certificates
Investment Account
Children's Bonus Bonds,
Premium Bonds and
Investment Account
(d) Her Majesty's Customs and Excise
Customs and Excise Staff
Recruitment
(e) Inland Revenue-none
(f) Her Majesty's Stationery Office-none
HEALTH
Care Homes
Mr. Brazier : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce measures further to safeguard the welfare of residents in residential care and nursing homes.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : I have today laid before Parliament regulations made under the Registered Homes Act 1984 that will require applicants for registration in respect of residential care and nursing homes to declare any criminal convictions they may have ; and to provide proof of their identity on request. The first of these measures reinforces the administrative arrangements already in place under which authorities are advised to ask applicants about criminal convictions, and the police can be asked to make confirmatory checks against their records. Requiring proof of identity should help ensure applicants do not evade these and other checks by giving a false name.
These new requirements will strengthen the hand of registration authorities and help reduce the already small risk of unsuitable applicants becoming registered under the 1984 Act.
Abortions
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list the private clinics licensed to perform abortions which have used, or were planning to use, a macerator to dispose of the bodies of aborted unborn babies, together with the means and place of disposal that each clinic is currently using ;
(2) if he will list the private clinics licensed to perform abortions which are currently using a macerator to dispose of the bodies of aborted unborn babies.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : This method of disposal is not now considered appropriate. It is being phased out as soon as possible in the few places where it is used. The Department is writing urgently to proprietors of approved places requiring them to use incineration and, where appropriate, to confirm that they have ceased to use maceration as a means of disposal. Compliance will be further monitored through the regular, unannounced inspections by the Department's medical, nursing and investigative officers.
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines his Department issues to those places licensed to perform abortions regarding consultation with the mother concerning the disposal of her aborted unborn baby.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : This is a matter for the woman concerned to take up with the proprietors of the approved place if she wishes to do so. Where the possibility
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of research arises, advice has been given about the need to discuss this with the woman so that she can decide whether or not to give consent.General Practitioners (Overpayment)
Mr. Alexander : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he proposes to take on the overpayment to general practitioners in 1990-91 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Waldegrave : I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Warrington, South (Mr. Butler) on 7 November at columns 259-60.
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