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Column 659
|Local
|Income
|Tax Rate
|(pence in £ )
------------------------------------------------------
Borders |3.1
Central |4.5
Dumfries and Galloway |3.4
Fife |5.0
Grampian |3.3
Highland |3.5
Lothian |7.2
Strathclyde |4.0
Tayside |4.7
Orkney |0.1
Shetland |-
Western Isles |0.7
Berwickshire |0.2
Ettrick and Lauderdale |0.6
Roxburgh |0.5
Tweeddale |0.4
Clackmannan |2.1
Falkirk |0.5
Stirling |2.0
Annandale and Eskdale |1.0
Nithsdale |1.0
Stewartry |0.5
Wigtown |0.9
Dunfermline |1.2
Kirkcaldy |1.2
North East Fife |1.4
Aberdeen City |2.1
Banff and Buchan |1.0
Gordon |0.6
Kincardine and Deeside |0.1
Moray |0.4
Badenoch and Strathspey |0.3
Caithness |0.1
Inverness |0.1
Lochaber |0.9
Nairn |0.2
Ross and Cromarty |0.8
Skye and Lochalsh |0.4
Sutherland |0.5
East Lothian |1.5
Edinburgh City |2.5
Midlothian |1.3
West Lothian |0.8
Argyll and Bute |1.8
Bearsden and Milngavie |1.4
Clydebank |2.3
Clydesdale |1.7
Cumbernauld and Kilsyth |0.9
Cumnock and Doon Valley |1.0
Cunninghame |1.9
Dumbarton |2.8
East Kilbride |2.1
Eastwood |0.5
Glasgow City |2.0
Hamilton |1.8
Inverclyde |1.4
Kilmarnock and Loudoun |1.2
Kyle and Carrick |2.2
Monklands |1.8
Motherwell |1.3
Renfrew |2.1
Strathkelvin |1.9
Angus |0.7
Dundee City |1.9
Perth and Kinross |0.9
Cochlear Implants
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list the total funding allocated to relevant Scottish health boards for cochlear implant operations ; and what funds will be made available in the next three years ;
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(2) if he will list the total number of cochlear implant operations which were conducted in Scotland in the last three years ; and what assessment has been made of the current waiting list.Mr. Michael Forsyth : The Government announced their decision in 1990 to allocate £200,000 over the next three years to establish a cochlear implant programme in Scotland. £150,000 per annum has been allocated to Ayrshire and Arran health board to enable the service already initiated there through public support to be developed and consolidated. £50,000 per annum has also been allocated to Lothian health board to establish a second implant centre for Scotland. A total of 20 cochlear implant operations have been conducted in Scotland to date. Charitable funding had allowed seven operations to take place at Crosshouse hospital, Kilmarnock prior to central funding in 1990-91. Central funding will enable eight implants per year to be undertaken at Crosshouse hospital and three implant operations per annum in Lothian. A further three operations are expected to be carried out at Crosshouse hospital per annum from charitable funds.
There are currently six people on the short-term waiting list for cochlear implant at Crosshouse hospital who are categorised as urgent cases. The board has also assessed a further 30 people who would be expected to benefit from an implant and another 64 who are considered to be low priority cases in terms of expected benefit. At present Lothian health board has identified six people as suitable for cochlear implant. The board expects to undertake three of these operations before March 1992.
Housing Improvement
Mr. Strang : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will set out the number of housing improvements and modernisations carried out by (a) Edinburgh, (b) Dundee, (c) Glasgow and (d) Aberdeen district councils in each year from 1974-75.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The available information, as supplied by the relevant housing authorities, is set out in the table.
Comparable information for 1974 to 1978 is not available.
Modernisation and improvement of dwellings
|Aberdeen |Edinburgh|Glasgow |Dundee
------------------------------------------------------------
1979 |192 |- |2,745 |580
1980 |322 |324 |1,981 |263
1981 |131 |407 |1,364 |232
1982 |2,537 |541 |2,397 |218
1983 |1,964 |620 |4,817 |194
1984 |1,307 |747 |3,182 |88
1985 |1,298 |959 |23,894 |297
1986 |1,471 |353 |21,755 |294
1987 |1,091 |1,015 |27,616 |254
1988 |406 |522 |13,136 |326
1989 |161 |541 |9,939 |356
1990 |8,036 |550 |12,255 |74
NORTHERN IRELAND
Chief Executives Forum
11. Mr. John Browne : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the purpose of the Chief Executives Forum ; and how it is funded.
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Dr. Mawhinney : The Chief Executives Forum brings together the chief executive officers of almost 100 public bodies in Northern Ireland. Its purpose is to strengthen communication links and provide a mechanism to share best management practice within the Province's public service. The forum is to be funded for a three-year period by a grant-in-aid from the Department of Finance and Personnel of approximately £100,000 per annum.Inward Investment
13. Mr. Dover : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on current levels of inward investment in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Hanley : During the last financial year we have secured 13 inward investment projects involving both the private and public sector. These projects are expected to create 1,294 jobs.
Constitutional Reform
14. Mr. Andrew MacKay : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on his recent talks with the constitutional political parties in the Province.
19. Mr. McAvoy : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals he has for an early introduction of devolution of government in Northern Ireland ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions are currently being held between Northern Ireland's political parties and with the Irish Government.
Mr. Riddick : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he intends to carry out any further talks between the interested parties on the constitutional position of Northern Ireland within the United Kingdom.
Mr. Brooke : I refer my hon. Friends and the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Greenock and Port Glasgow. (Dr. Godman).
Select Committees
15. Mr. Stanbrook : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions he has given oral evidence to Select Committees.
Mr. Brooke : I have not given evidence myself in my present capacity, but Northern Ireland Office Ministers including my predecessor as Secretary of State have given such evidence on four occasions in the past three years, most recently on 16 October when my hon. Friend the Member for Wiltshire, North (Mr. Needham) appeared before the Select Committee on Energy.
I am particularly pleased that seven Select Committees have visited Northern Ireland in the past 18 months to look at matters for which I have responsibility. I was able to meet two of those committees during their visit.
Security
16. Mr. Winnick : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the latest terrorist killings in Northern Ireland.
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20. Sir Patrick Duffy : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on security in Northern Ireland.
Rev. William McCrea : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the security situation in the Province.
Mr. Brooke : Since I last answered a question on the security situation in Northern Ireland on 11 July, 41 people have been killed in terrorist-related incidents. Of these 36 were civilians, four were members of the Army, including one member of the Ulster Defence Regiment, and one was an RUC officer.
The response of the Government and the security forces to terrorist activity has been and will continue to be firm and resolute. It is already the case that a high proportion of attempted terrorist attacks are aborted because of pre-emptive activity by the security forces. Moreover, in the period from 1 September to 13 November, 115 people have been charged with terrorist-related offences, of whom 14 have been charged with murder and 23 with attempted murder.
NHS Spending
17. Mr. Jacques Arnold : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the change in real terms of the annual spending on the national health service in Northern Ireland since 1979.
Mr. Hanley : Net public expenditure on the health service in Northern Ireland in 1991-92 will be an estimated £1,015 million, an increase of almost 42 per cent. in real terms, as measured by the GDP deflator since 1978-79.
Murder Sentences
18. Mr. Trimble : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will make a statement on his Department's policy concerning guideline sentences for persons convicted of the murder of members of the security forces.
Dr. Mawhinney : The Government are conscious of the great debt which the community in Northern Ireland owes to members of the security forces. All life sentences are regularly reviewed. A provisional release date is set only when my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is satisfied that a period appropriate to the nature of the crime, and the offender's role in it, has been served and that the risk of reoffending is minimal. The case of each terrorist convicted of murder is dealt with according to those criteria.
Patients Charter
21. Mr. Knapman : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the application of the patients charter to Northern Ireland.
Mr. Hanley : I aim to publish a charter for patients and clients of the health and personal social services in Northern Ireland towards the end of this year.
Plastic Bullets
22. Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has for (i) the continued use or (ii) the replacement of plastic bullets.
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Dr. Mawhinney : The security situation in Northern Ireland continues to require the protection of life and property from organised and vicious attacks. No method for dealing with such attacks is entirely free from risk. The plastic baton round provides the security forces with an option in circumstances where the only realistic alternatives are the use of live rounds or withdrawal from the scene and consequent risk to life and property.The existing baton round launchers are no longer in production and are therefore increasingly difficult to maintain. Careful consideration is being given to a replacement baton round system, although no final decision has yet been reached.
Social Security Offices
23. Mr. Brazier : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the changes he has made in social security offices in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Hanley : There have been several significant changes in social security office operations and recommendations in Northern Ireland within the past year. A new Social Security Agency has been set up and the 34 social security offices have been reorganised into 11 districts under new management structures. These districts are committed to the provision of a good quality service to the public.
Engineering
24. Mr. Rathbone : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what encouragement is being given to encourage the study of engineering in further education institutions in the Province.
Dr. Mawhinney : The Department of Education encourages further education colleges to provide courses which meet the identified training needs of Northern Ireland industry, including the engineering sector. Engineering courses at colleges have been identified by the Department as a priority area for the allocation of additional resources for teachers, capital equipment and staff development.
Northern Ireland Electricity
25. Mr. Colvin : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the proposals for interconnectors with Scotland and the Republic of Ireland following the privatisation of Northern Ireland Electricity.
Mr. Hanley : Heads of agreement for a 250 MW interconnector between Northern Ireland and Scotland were signed in September by NIE and Scottish Power. NIE hopes to have the interconnector operational by late 1995/early 1996.
The re-establishment of the interconnector with the Republic of Ireland is under review.
Health Care
27. Mr. Temple-Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what co-operation takes place between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland on health care ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Hanley : There have been regular and useful meetings between the Health Ministers for a number of years, I have met Dr. O'Hanlon TD, Minister of Health, on two occasions during the past year. Staff from both Departments meet to review areas of existing co-operation and to examine the possibilities for further co-operation as and when the need arises. There are also exchanges between chief executives and managers and long- standing co-operation between professional staff north and south.
The arrangements for co-operation cover the whole spectrum of health care and discussions and initiatives have included health promotion ; the provision of highly specialised treatments to each other's patients ; joint emergency planning exercises ; the export of health care services to other countries and the purchasing of equipment and supplies.
Co-operation of this nature has been of mutual benefit to both health services and the populations they serve.
Student Support
28. Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he will take to improve the financial situation of many students to enable them to continue third level education apart from the student loans regime.
Dr. Mawhinney : The total resources--grant plus loan available to each full-time student for the 1991-92 academic year have been increased by 6 per cent. The availability of this support, together with new and more flexible access fund arrangements, should mean that no student need suffer undue financial hardship.
Electricity Privatisation
29. Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he intends to publish his Bill to privatise the Northern Ireland electricity industry ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hanley : Following an extended and thorough consultation period, I have recently authorised the draft Electricity (Northern Ireland) Order to be laid before Parliament. I anticipate that it will be printed and available to the House before the end of November. The draft order is based on the Electricity Act 1989 and I am convinced that it will bring lasting benefits to electricity consumers in Northern Ireland.
Employment
Mr. Stevens : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the levels of employment in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Hanley : At June 1991, the latest date for which figures are available, there were an estimated 525,680 employees in employment plus approximately 75,000 self-employed people. This represents an increase of almost 25,000 employees and 40,000 self-employed people over the past five years.
Traffic Flow, Limavady
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many vehicles per day use the one-way section of Catherine street, Limavady ; what are
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the highest and lowest hourly flows ; and how many of these vehicles are in each of the categories used in road traffic surveys.Mr. Hanley : The information is not available in the form requested. On 3 May 1991 the highest hourly flow was 1,121 vehicles.
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many vehicles per day use Linen Hall street, Limavady ; what are the highest and lowest hourly flows ; how many of those vehicles there are in each of the categories used in road traffic surveys ; and at what level of hourly traffic flow he would assess this street to be at its maximum possible number.
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Mr. Hanley : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer that he was given by my hon. Friend the Member for Eltham (Mr. Bottomley) on 9 January 1990, Official Report, column 577. More recent information is not available in the form requested. On 3 May 1991 the highest hourly flow was 951 vehicles.
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table to show for (a) the Roe bridge, Limavady and (b) the Roe bridge, Dungiven, the number of vehicles per day, the highest hourly flow and the lowest hourly flow ; and how many of those vehicles are in each case in each category used in traffic surveys for each of the bridges in question.
Mr. Hanley : The information requested is as follows :
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Location |Date of last survey|Number of |Lowest |Highest |Number of
|vehicles per |hourly traffic |hourly traffic |heavy goods
|day |flow |flow |vehicles per day
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Roe bridge, Limavady |14 August 1991 |14,691 |17 |1,503 |1,836
Roe bridge, Dungiven |20 September 1991 |8,125 |6 |847 |894
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many vehicles per day use the two way section of Irish Green street, Limavady ; what are the highest and lowest hourly traffic flows ; and how many of these vehicles are in each of the categories used in road traffic surveys.
Mr. Hanley : The information is not available in the form requested. On 3 May 1991 the highest hourly flow was 725 vehicles.
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the last three traffic surveys were carried out on (a) the Roe bridge, Dungiven, (b) the Roe bridge, Limavady, (c) Linen Hall street, Limavady, (d) the one-way section of Catherine street, Limavady and (e) the two-way section of Irish Green street, Limavady ; and what is his estimate of the change in traffic flows at each of those places since the last survey was carried out.
Mr. Hanley : The information requested is as follows :
Location |Date for last Three Surveys
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Roe bridge, Dungiven |February 1991, May 1991,
| September 1991
Roe bridge, Limavady |January 1991, April 1991,
| August 1991
Linenhall Street, Limavady |June 1986, September 1989,
| May 1991
Catherine Street, Limavady |June 1986, September 1989,
| May 1991
Irish Green Street, Limavady |June 1985, June 1986, May 1991
There has been no significant change in traffic volumes at these locations since the last surveys were carried out.
Local Enterprise Development Unit
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what sums have been paid in each of the last three years by the Local Enterprise Development Unit for consultancy fees in respect of clients seeking assistance from the Local Enterprise Development Unit ; and what percentage of the grant aid paid to those clients in each of those years these fees represent.
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Mr. Hanley : The information requested in relation to consultancy fees, expressed as a percentage of the total grants paid to clients in each of the last three years, is given in the table :
Year |Consultancy |Fees as a
|Fees |percentage of
|Total Grant
|Aid
|£ '000 |per cent.
--------------------------------------------------------
1988-89 |713 |3.5
1989-90 |641 |2.4
1990-91 |507 |1.6
Remand Prisoners
Mr. Livingstone : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Republican remand prisoners there were in Crumlin road prison every year from 1976 until the present date.
Dr. Mawhinney : The information requested is not available.
Rates Collection
139. Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what total sums were collected by the Housing Executive in respect of rates for the Department of the Environment in each of the last three years for which figures are available ; what was the cost of collection ; what sums were transferred to the rates after the costs of collection were deducted ; and how many dwellings were involved in each of those years.
Mr. Hanley : I have been informed by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive that it is not possible to disaggregate the total value of rates collected as both rent and rates are collated and collected as one amount. This also applies to the cost of rate collection. The Housing Executive has an agreement with the Department of the Environment (NI) under article 21(a) of the Rates (NI) Order 1977 by which it pays the rates chargeable in respect of each of its properties whether they
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are occupied or not. The executive receives an allowance of 10 per cent. when payment in full is made on or before the prescribed date in the agreement.Over the last three years the rates paid by the executive to the Department were as follows :
Net Rates Paid Years |£ '000 ------------------------ 1988-89 |31,321 1989-90 |33,912 1990-91 |35,827
The number of properties involved were :--
Rateable Properties Year |Number --------------------------------- At 31 March 1989 |180,576 At 31 March 1990 |176,097 At 31 March 1991 |172,032
Social Fund
Mr. Bendall : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether any additional funds are to be made available for social fund payments in Northern Ireland in the current financial year.
Mr. Hanley : I am glad to be able to announce that the budgets of all district offices are being increased by a total of £1 million for loans and £0.4 million for community care grants. Details of the revised budgets are being placed in the Library. These increases are additional to any extra expenditure which may be incurred on automatic cold weather payments under the greatly improved arrangements which will apply during the approaching winter.
Royal Ulster Constabulary
Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he has reached a decision on the Royal Ulster Constabulary's manpower bid.
Mr. Brooke : I have today conveyed to the Police Authority for Northern Ireland the statutory approval required under section 6 of the Police Act (Northern Ireland) 1970 for an increase in the total strength of the RUC regular force from 8,250 to 8,489 and of the full-time RUC reserve from 3,000 to 3,202. My approval of this increase in the RUC establishment of 441 extra officers endorses the decision of the Police Authority for Northern Ireland to support in full the Chief Constable's request for additional manpower. It will now be for the authority and the Chief Constable to make arrangements for the new officers to be recruited and trained ; but I understand that it will be possible for that process to start immediately.
DEFENCE
Press Reports
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the remarks of Admiral Sir Julian Oswald concerning the safety of Royal Navy marine nuclear reactors, the operational condition of Polaris submarines and the dunking, naming and in service dates of the first Trident submarine, reported in The Times of 29 October 1991, were agreed with his Department before publication.
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Mr. Archie Hamilton : As is the normal practice, Ministers agreed in advance that Admiral Oswald should give an interview ; and Ministers take responsibility for all interviews properly given by senior serving officers and officials.
HMS Vanguard
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the planned in service date for HMS Vanguard of December 1994 became declassified information.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : It remains our practice not to make public the exact date upon which a warship becomes operational.
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give the planned dates of the first dunking and the official naming ceremony of HMS Vanguard.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : It is not our practice to make public the precise dates of submarine construction and related programmes.
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who it is planned to carry out the official naming ceremony for HMS Vanguard.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : We expect to be able to make an announcement nearer the time of the event.
Polaris Submarines
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to make a decision over any further refits for Polaris submarines.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : It is not the usual practice to disclose details about the nuclear submarine refit programme.
Staff Cars
Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current total requirement for (a) grade A and (b) grade B staff cars in each service, and for civilians employed by his Department ; and how many procurement authorisations for such vehicles were given in the latest year for which figures are available.
Mr. Alan Clark : Current total requirements for grade A and grade B staff cars are :
|Grade A|Grade B
----------------------------------------
Royal Navy |47 |332
Army |88 |1,017
Royal Air Force |30 |753
Vehicles used by MOD civilians are included in service totals, but there is no fixed allocation. Procurement authorisations in the last financial year were :
|Number
---------------------------------
Grade A staff cars |0
Grade B staff cars |451
Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate how many service personnel in
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each service are allocated to (a) driving and (b) maintaining staff cars ; and what is the approximate annual cost.Mr. Archie Hamilton : All service personnel in possession of a valid driving licence may be called upon to drive a service vehicle. Maintenance of staff cars is carried out with that of other service vehicles. The work is performed by MOD civilian and military staff, and contractors.
Nuclear Weapon Safety
Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will identify those nuclear weapon safety arrangements in force in the United Kingdom which Dr. Sidney Drell recommended in the United States House of Representatives Armed Services Committee panel on nuclear weapons safety as a model for the United States to follow ; and what assistance or information was given by his Department to the panel.
Mr. Alan Clark : Section III Of Dr. Drell's report recommends setting up an advisory committee similar in function to our own nuclear weapons safety committee. On the question of assistance or information given by my Department, I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave to the hon. Member for Houghton and Washington (Mr. Boyes) on 28 June, Official Report, column 581 .
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