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Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 14 November 1991
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Mr. and Mrs. Beurton
Mr. Riddick To ask the Attorney-General what action he intends to take to stop the self-confessed spy Ursula Beurton from profiting from the sale of her book ; and if he will refer the case of Mr. and Mrs. Beurton to the Director of Public Prosecutions to decide what case there is to answer in light of Mrs. Beurton's admission in the book that she and her husband were Soviet intelligence officers.
The Attorney-General : The case of Mr. and Mrs. Beurton has been drawn to the attention of the acting Director of Public Prosecutions. Taking into account all the circumstances, in particular their ages, the lapse of some 50 years since any Official Secrets Act offences may have been committed and the context in which they were then operating, the acting Director has decided that it would not be in the public interest to take any action against them in respect of these offences. There does not at present appear to be any basis for civil proceedings in respect of the publication of the book.
Legal Aid Board
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Attorney-General if he will list the names, salaries and former and present occupations of each member of the Legal Aid Board ; and how often the board has met.
The Attorney-General : The names and occupations, or former occupations, of the present members of the Legal Aid Board are : John Pitts (Chairman) --Former Chairman and Chief Executive of the Tioxide Group. Chairman of the Shildon and Sedgefield Development Agency.
Martin Acland--JP, General Commissioner of Income Tax and Former Executive Director of Mercantile Credit Co.
Diana Beale--Advice Worker and member of the National Association of Citizen Advice Bureaux.
Allan Blake--Associate Dean of Leeds Business School. Formerly Head of Department of Law at Leeds Polytechnic.
Lyn Devonald--Solicitor.
Kenneth Farrow--Barrister and Recorder.
Geoffrey Hibbert--JP, former Personnel Director, Shell International Petroleum Co.
David Sinker--JP, Chartered Accountant and Director. Formerly advisor to the National Board of Prices and Incomes.
John Smith--JP, former Personnel Director and Assistant Managing Director, Associated British Ports. Member of Industrial Tribunals. Peter Soar-- Solicitor. Former Chairman of Cambridge Duty Solicitors Scheme.
The chairman of the board is paid £22,930 per annum. All other members are paid £7,109 per annum. With effect from 1 December the salaries will increase to £23,355 and £7,785 per annum respectively. There have been 29 full meetings of the board since 1 April 1989.
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Bank of Credit and Commerce International
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Attorney-General how many members of staff are at the disposal of the Serious Fraud Office in dealing with the BCCI issue.
The Attorney-General : The director of the SFO is satisfied that the staff resources available to her are sufficient for this purpose, and that there is sufficient flexibility to enable the fluctuating requirements of current cases to be satisfactorily met. It is the policy of the Serious Fraud Office not to disclose the deployment of operational staff involved in particular criminal investigations.
SOCIAL SECURITY
National Insurance
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what action he is taking arising from the report on national insurance contributions which his permanent secretary agreed with the National Audit Office.
Mr. Jack : The Department's official response and indications of any action required will form part of the evidence to be given by the Permanent Secretary on 20 November 1991 to the Public Accounts Committee. The formation of the Contributions Agency in April 1991 has already enabled the Department to improve the effectiveness of its management of contributions business by, among other things : (
(a) setting financial and business targets and providing an information system to monitor costs and progress
(b) reorganising its operations to centralise contribution correction work which does not involve face-to-face contact with employers or contributors, achieving substantial efficiency savings and tighter control of queries ;
(c) developing a dedicated inspectorate with more, better-informed and better-trained staff able to tackle non-compliance, and provide guidance to employers, the self-employed and contributors to prevent errors ; and
(d) publicising its contributions business in employer and contributor charters and through conferences and surveys monitoring the agency's performance.
The Department already has in hand a substantial programme of action, which includes the specific issues raised by the NAO report.
Retirement Ages
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards equalising the retirement ages of men and women.
Miss Widdecombe : I refer the hon. Member to the statement by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State made in the House on 26 June at columns 997-1006.
Cold Weather Credits
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received from the Campaign for Cold Weather Credits ; if he has costed its proposals ; and what action he now proposes.
Mr. Scott : We have received a letter dated 17 October 1991 from the Campaign for Cold Weather Credits. Its proposals have not been costed in detail, but it quotes an
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estimated cost of £500 million per year. We have recently introduced improvements to the cold weather payments scheme for the coming winter by introducing automatic payment based on forecasting as well as actual periods of very cold weather, and by abolishing the capital rule. We will continue to keep this scheme under review.Social Fund
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will explain the procedure whereby he notifies changes to the social fund directions and the stage in the procedure at which the changes take effect.
Mr. Scott : Changes to the social fund directions are normally made through an amendment to the Social Fund Manual. When an amendment is made to the manual, the date from which it takes effect is indicated by the date on the amendment. This date has in the past been the month and year, but will in future be a specified day.
Five Countries Meeting
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the total estimated cost of the five countries meeting on 3 to 8 November being hosted by his Department ; who are the delegates and how they were appointed ; and if he will publish the minutes of the meetings.
Miss Widdecombe [holding answer 5 November 1991] : The total estimated cost is somewhat less than £40,000. Delegates are chosen by their own countries and a full list is as follows. As discussions are informal no proceedings will be published.
Delegates
United Kingdom --Department of Social Security
Sir Michael Partridge, KCB, Permanent Secretary
Mr. Nick Montagu, Deputy Secretary, Resource Management and Planning Group
Mr. Alec Wylie, Chief Executive, Social Security Agency, Northern Ireland
Australia --Department of Social Security
Mr. Derek Volker, AO, The Secretary
Mr. Jim Humphreys, National Manager, Operations
Dr. Owen Donald, First Assistant Secretary, Social Policy Division Canada - -Department of National Health and Welfare
Mrs. Margaret Catley-Carlson, Deputy Minister
Mr. John Soar, Assistant Deputy Minister, Income Security Programs Branch
Mr. Ray Laframboise, Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Management Branch
New Zealand --Department of Social Welfare
Mr. Robin J. Wilson, Deputy Director-General
Mr. Alan Nixon, Assistant Director-General, Programmes and Services
United States of America --Social Security Administration Mr. Louis D. Enoff, Principal Deputy Commissioner
Ms. Janice Warden, Deputy Commissioner for Operations
Mr. Renato A. DiPentima, Deputy Commissioner for Systems [Mrs. Geraldine Novak, Director, International Activities Staff Mrs. Gertrude Wiggins, International Activities Staff]
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Mortgage Assistance
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give the comparable figures to those contained in his answer of 22 October, Official Report, columns 577-78, for 1987, 1988 and 1989 ; and if he will give unemployed claimants receiving mortgage assistance as a proportion of unemployed claimants.
Miss Widdecombe [pursuant to her reply, 7 November 1991, c. 87- 88] : The following information was incorrect
Supplementary benefit 1987
|Number |Per cent.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Unemployed |207,000
As proportion of all claimants
receiving help with mortgages |28
As proportion of all unemployed
claimants |10
Lone Parents |74,000
As proportion of all claimants
receiving help with mortgages |10
The correct information is as follows :
Supplementary benefit 1987
|Number |Per cent.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Unemployed claimants receiving help
with mortgages |160,000
As proportion of all claimants
receiving help with mortgages |48
As proportion of all unemployed
claimants |9
Lone parents receiving help with
mortgages |58,000
As proportion of all claimants
receiving help with mortgages |17
ENERGY
Standing Charges
Mr. Skinner : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will now introduce legislation abolishing standing charges on gas and electricity consumption ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Moynihan : No. Standing charges are intended to reflect those fixed costs of supply which do not vary according to the actual consumption.
Royal Portbury Dock
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what assessment he has made of the effects on coal mining employment in each coalfield in the United Kingdom of the development of a coal-importing terminal proposed for the Royal Portbury dock ; (2) what assessment he has made of the effect of the proposed Royal Portbury dock coal importing terminal on the south Wales coalfield in respect of (a) deep mines and (b) licensed mines.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : No such assessments have been made.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what consultations he has had regarding a rail link for the proposed Royal Portbury dock coal importation terminal.
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Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : None.AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Sea Bass
209. Mr. Rowlands : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice and powers have been given to officials who will enforce the bass conservation measures.
Mr. Curry : Bass conservation measures are currently enforced by British sea fisheries officers (BSFOs) with powers arising from the Sea Fisheries Act 1968, the Sea Fish (Conservation) Act 1967 and in relation to fishing boats the Bass (Specified Areas) (Prohibition of Fishing) Order 1990. Advice is given in the context of compulsory training programmes for BSFOs.
Mr. Rowlands : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on what dates he listed the sea bass fishing nursery areas ; and how many warrants have been issued since those dates to officials to patrol and enforce the conservation measures.
Mr. Curry : The Bass (Specified Area) (Prohibition of Fishing) Order 1990 came into force on 27 June 1990. No new warrants have been issued in respect of this legislation because existing warrants held by officers of the sea fisheries inspectorate acting as British sea fisheries officers (BSFOs) cover all fisheries legislation. Instruments of appointment held by sea fisheries committees' officers trained and appointed as BSFOs include the enforcement of the bass legislation.
Compensatory Allowances
Mr. Jopling : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will give details of how he intends to allot the extra £16.5 million in compensatory allowances payable on hill sheep and cattle in the 1992-93 scheme year.
Mr. Curry : The additional £16.5 million expenditure on hill livestock compensatory allowances for 1992-93 shown in the autumn statement represents the extra money necessary to meet the average 14 per cent. increase in headage rates announced on 11 February 1991. The terms of the 1992 scheme will be announced as soon as decisions have been reached in the light of the autumn review.
Sheep Scab
Mr. Geraint Howells : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cases of sheep scab there were in the United Kingdom during the last 12 months ; what were the corresponding figures for 1971 and 1981 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : In the last 12 months 160 cases of sheep scab were reported in the United Kingdom, compared with 69 in 1981 and none in 1971.
NATIONAL FINANCE
Occupational Pensions
Mr. Tim Smith : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many applications for approval of occupational pension schemes were received by the Inland Revenue ; and
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how many were approved in each year since 1988-89 ; and what was the cost per scheme of approving (a) insured schemes, (b) large self-administered schemes and (c) small self- administered schemes in 1990-91.Mr. Maude : The number of applications received and approvals given since 1988-89 are as follows :
|1988-89 |1989-90 |1990-91 |<1>1991-92
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of
applications |57,328 |50,251 |32,347 |19,281
Number of final
approvals |20,780 |30,082 |14,178 |12,144
<1>To 31 October.
The difference between the numbers of applications and approvals each year is largely a reflection of the need for schemes to amend their rules to comply with recent legislation before they can be approved.
It is not possible to provide a precise cost for approving schemes. Many pension schemes are not capable of approval in the same year that an application is received. Estimated costs for each type of scheme, based on a recent sample of approvals work, are :
|Cost per scheme
|£
--------------------------------------------------------------------
(a) Insured schemes |19
(b) Large self-administered schemes |173
(c) Small self-administered schemes |205
EC Budget
Mr. Ridley : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he expects the United Kingdom's gross contribution to the European Community budget to be in 1991-92 and in 1992-93, respectively.
Mr. Norman Lamont : The United Kingdom's gross contribution, after abatement, (but excluding receipts) to the European Community budget is forecast to be £3,827 million in 1991-92 and £5,397 million in 1992-93. The contribution in 1991-92 is lower than it would otherwise have been as a result of a refund of earlier years' contributions and higher than usual abatement.
Economic and Finance Council
Mr. Burns : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the outcome of the meeting of the European Community's Economic and Finance Council on 11 November and of the meetings of the intergovernmental conference on economic and monetary union on 11 and 12 November.
Mr. Norman Lamont : The Economic and Finance Council of the European Community met in Brussels on 11 November and the intergovernmental conference on economic and monetary union met afterwards on 11 and 12 November. I represented the United Kingdom at both meetings.
The Council discussed the Italian Government's programme for economic convergence, the first such discussion of a member state's programme under the Council's new framework for multilateral surveillance. The Council focused on the need for improved budgetary discipline.
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The Council agreed to bring forward the remaining tranches of the Community's balance of payments loans to Romania and Bulgaria subject to confirmation from the IMF that their programmes for the two countries would remain on track. The Community will also continue to encourage the members of the G24 outside the Community to increase their assistance to the two countries.The Council also discussed two proposals for aid to the Soviet Union. It was agreed that the existing 500 million ecu food credit should be disbursed as soon as possible. I urged that the Commission's new proposals for a further 1.25 billion ecu loan should be considered swiftly. It was agreed that the Commission should send a task force to Moscow to consider the operational details of the loan and that ministers should aim for agreement on the first tranche of such a loan on 25 November. I stressed the importance of including provision for feed grains in that first tranche. It was also agreed that both loans would allow a substantial element of the food to be bought from Eastern Europe.
A Commission proposal to revise the financial perspective of the EC budget was also discussed but without agreement and the proposal was remitted to the Budget Council for further consideration. The Council reached agreement in principle on the VAT technical system directive and the administrative co-operation regulation. These provide for the operation of the intra- Community VAT system in the single market, and enhanced administrative co- operation between the fiscal authorities of member states in support of that system. These measures are vital steps toward the abolition of fiscal frontiers in the Community and the creation of the single market. Agreement brings a welcome end to uncertainty, allowing business and others with an interest, to plan with confidence for the completion of the single market.
I again argued strongly that while tax free and duty-free shopping could not be retained indefinitely in the single market a transitional period longer than that proposed by the Presidency was needed. Member states agreed that intra-Community duty-free shopping should continue for almost eight years : until 1 July 1999. This will be reflected in the VAT technical and excise movements and control directives. Agreement on this transitional period allows businesses a reasonable period of time in which to make the necessary changes to their marketing and investment strategies.
Full legal agreement on these two texts was not possible in the absence of texts in all Community languages, and given the need for certain technical clarifications. I made clear that the United Kingdom's agreement was subject to parliamentary scrutiny, which I look forward to completing shortly through a debate on this and the earlier agreement reached at the 24 June ECOFIN. Consideration of the draft excise movements and control directive was deferred until the next Council meeting.
In the afternon of the same day and in the morning of 12 November Economics and Finance Ministers reconvened at a meeting of the intergovernmental conference on economic and monetary union. Three main issues were discussed : economic and social cohesion, the role of the European Parliament, and the institutional provisions for stage two.
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I stressed that economic and social cohesion in the Community was best achieved through sound macroeconomic policies and progress on the single market. Many member states agreed that proposals for financial arrangements to promote cohesion could be discussed only in next year's review of the future financing of the Community, not in the intergovernmental conference.There was a brief discussion of the role of the European Parliament in economic and monetary union. I expressed the view that its involvement should be limited. Economic policy would remain largely a national responsibility under EMU, and hence accountability should properly be to national Parliaments. There might, however, be a role for the European Parliament in scrutinising the activities of the Commission and European Central bank. The role of the Parliament was discussed further at an inter- institutional meeting with MEPs in the afternoon of 12 November.
On the institutional provisions for stage two, there was broad agreement on the principle of establishing a European monetary institute and for developing the ECU.
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
School Examinations and Assessment Council
Ms. Armstrong : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will place in the Library copies of the responses from local education authorities and the School Examination and Assessment Council made in relation to standard assessment tasks taken by seven-year-olds last term.
Mr. Eggar : The School Examinations and Assessment Council will publish reports of the evaluations which it commissioned from the National Foundation for Educational Research and from Leeds university in due course. It is for LEAs themselves to decide whether to publish their own evaluations.
School Rolls
Ms. Armstrong : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will list the number of infant schools with (a) fewer than 50 pupils, (b) 50 to 100 pupils and (c) more than 100 pupils, respectively ;
(2) if he will list the number of primary schools with (a) fewer than 50 pupils, (b) 50 to 100 pupils, (c) 100 to 150 pupils, (d) 150 to 200 pupils and (e) more than 200 pupils, respectively.
Mr. Eggar : Provisional information for January 1991 on the number of maintained infant and primary schools in England, by size of school, is given in the table. The primary school figures include infant schools and middle-deemed-primary schools.
|England
--------------------------------------
Infant schools
Up to 50 full-time
pupils |53
51 to 100 |237
more than 100 |2,368
|-------
Total |2,658
Primary schools
Up to 50 full-time
pupils |1,294
51 to 100 |2,344
100 to 150 |2,667
151 to 200 |3,948
more than 200 |8,792
|-------
Total |19,045
HMI (French Visit)
Ms. Armstrong : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish the report from Her Majesty's inspectors following their visit to France.
Mr. Eggar : Yes, in due course.
School Classes
Ms. Armstrong : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of primary school children are taught in classes which cover more than one year group.
Mr. Eggar : The primary school staffing survey carried out in 1987 showed that 28 per cent. of primary school children in England were being taught in mixed age classes. Mixed age classes were defined in the survey as those where more than 30 per cent. of pupils are in age ranges other than the largest for the class.
Primary Education
Ms. Armstrong : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the written material submitted to his Department which he is considering regarding primary education.
Mr. Eggar : My right hon. and learned Friend is considering a wide range of evidence about performance and standards in primary education. Evidence is regularly available to him from HM inspectorate, and from other sources, much of which is published.
GCSE
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the consultations entered into with (a) parents, (b) teachers and (c) local education authorities prior to his announcement of a reduction in the percentage of coursework in GCSE.
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