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Mr. O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the estimate for community care services provided jointly by the health authorities and local authorities for 1991-92 to attend to the needs of the mentally handicapped and the mentally disabled transferred into the community ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : Information about joint funding by health and local authorities of community care services is not collected centrally. We do however have figures for joint finance and dowry expenditure for 1989-90. In that year, health and local authority joint finance expenditure on services for people with learning disabilities and for people with mental illness was £60.4 million and £14.5 million respectively on revenue and £9.4 million and £0.8 million respectively on capital (England only ; no capital figures for eight local authorities). Health authority dowry payments to local authorities for people with learning disabilities and for people with mental illness were £1.2 million and £12.3 million respectively (England only). Joint finance and dowry arrangements are described in HC(83)6, HC(84)9 and HN(86)11, copies of which are available in the Library.
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Mrs. Currie : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what advice is now given to parents on the avoidance of cot deaths ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) what progress is being made in reducing the incidence of cot deaths.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley [pursuant to her reply, 15 November 1991, c. 681-82] : To reinforce the advice on reducing the risk of cot deaths which has already been sent to all doctors, midwives, health visitors and other professionals concerned with the care of young babies, the Government are arranging an information campaign aimed directly at mothers and others who care for young babies. This will be led by advertising next month in the national and specialist press which invites people to obtain a leaflet setting out the main steps to be taken to reduce the risk of cot deaths. This leaflet--also available in ethnic languages-- will in addition be widely distributed, for instance to doctors' surgeries, maternity units and public libraries. The intention is that the leaflet can be retained for reference by families with young babies.
Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many decisions have been taken by industrial tribunals that health authorities have discriminated against black employees or job applicants.
Mr. Jackson : I have been asked to reply.
Since 1 April this year, 38 decisions have been promulgated for cases brought under the Race Relations Act 1976 against health authorities. There were no successful applications amongst them.
Mr. Robert Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the Foresterhill hospital's trust application.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland is presently considering the application and expects to make an announcement soon.
Mr. David Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to tackle the problem of violent crime in Scotland ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The detection and prevention of violent crime is given a high priority by police forces throughout Scotland. The Government continue to provide substantial resources to assist the police in maintaining law and order : since 1979 police expenditure has risen by more than 50 per cent. in real terms. The Government will also continue to ensure that an adequate range of penalties is available to the courts to deal with all crimes and offences, including those involving violence.
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has on the future of Gesto hospital, Edinbane, Isle of Skye.
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Mr. Michael Forsyth : This is a matter for Highland health board.
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many beds are available for the care of the elderly in Skye ; and what is their occupancy.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : In the year ended 30 June 1991 there were, on average, 28 staffed national health service beds available for the care of the elderly. The occupancy rate was 60.7 per cent.
Mr. Ron Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent representations he has received from community groups or individuals about the proposed erection of an incinerator by the Lothian Chemical Company at Granton foreshore, Edinburgh ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : In the last three months, representations about the proposed incinerator have been received from six individuals. Over the same period, none has been received from community groups.
An application by Lothian Chemical Company for the registration of an incinerator at its Granton works is currently being considered by Her Majesty's industrial pollution inspectorate. In determining the application, account will be taken not only of the steps to be taken by the company to control emissions from the proposed plant, but of the representations made by members of the public about the application.
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what new money will be made available to education authorities in Scotland to promote partnerships between the careers service and local employers.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : My right hon. Friend expects to issue shortly further details about the development of partnerships between the Careers Service and local enterprise companies in Scotland.
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he hopes to provide a substantive response to the letter of the hon. Member for Greenock and Port Glasgow to the Lord Advocate, dated 30 October, concerning the legal right of an individual to raise a civil action in the High Court ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : My noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate has today written to the hon. Member in response to his letter dated 30 October.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the sites of special scientific interest in Scotland for which management agreements are currently being negotiated, giving details of the damage threatened in each case ; and if he will make a statement.
Lord James Douglas Hamilton [holding answer 18 November] : The information requested is confidential to the parties.
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Mr. David Porter : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has had regarding the closure of his Department's office in Norwich ; and if he will make it his policy to review the closure decision.
Mr. Curry : The Department has received representations, principally from staff representatives, about the future of the Norwich office. It sees no cause to review its decision to transfer grant and subsidy processing and other services from Norwich to a new regional service centre at Cambridge. The Norwich office will continue to provide a base for Ministry field officers and ADAS staff, as well as serving as an animal health office.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the implications for the naming of Stilton cheese if the Council of Ministers accepts the Borgo report.
Mr. Gummer : The report of the European Parliament's Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development on the Commission's proposal for a council regulation on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs (the Borgo report) has not yet been considered by the plenary session of the European Parliament. It remains unclear whether the Commission's original proposal or the recommendations of the Borgo report, if acceptable, would have any effect on the naming of Stilton or whether Stilton producers would be able to seek protection for the name Stilton under the terms of the proposed regulation, since Stilton cheese is not produced in Stilton. However, Stilton is already protected by a registered trade mark belonging to the Stilton Cheesemakers' Association, and can be used to describe only a product made in the three counties of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire, which do not encompass the village of Stilton. Under the Commission proposals as they now stand, it would not be possible to register a geographical name which conflicts with a registered trade mark.
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish the reports by departmental veterinary officers on matters relating to hygiene on poultry farms.
Mr. Maclean : Reports prepared by my Department's veterinary officers about hygiene on individual poultry farms are confidential and the details are not published. Information about diseases in animals including poultry are contained in such publications as the report of the chief veterinary officer, "Animal Health 1990".
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by how much he expects the United Kingdom's national milk quota for the current year to be exceeded ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Curry : Experience of previous years suggests that production is likely to exceed quota by a small margin.
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish hygiene-related reports on slaughterhouses within the United Kingdom.
Mr. Maclean : Local authorities--district councils--are responsible for the enforcement of hygiene standards in slaughterhouses and it is for individual authorities to decide whether or not to publish related reports.
As announced on 3 April this year, agriculture departments will take over responsibility for licensing all slaughterhouses in Great Britain when new EC rules come into force on 1 January 1993. My ministerial colleagues and I are considering what information should be made publicly available when we assume this responsibility.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the use of clenbuterol ; and if he will make it his policy to press for a Community ban on this product.
Mr. Maclean : Clenbuterol is the active ingredient within three veterinary products licensed in the United Kingdom for use on prescription to treat respiratory and calving disorders in cattle and horses. I have no plans to press for a Community ban as this would unreasonably put a stop to such legitimate use.
I am aware of reports from other member states of the illegal use of this substance as a repartitioning agent but we have no evidence of unauthorised use of clenbuterol in Great Britain at present. Nevertheless tighter controls on such substances will be introduced within the next few weeks. Interested parties have already been consulted about these measures, which amongst other things will enable animals and carcases found to contain residues of illegally administered beta agonists, including clenbuterol, to be condemned as unfit for human consumption.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when and by what mechanism he proposes to implement Council directives 71/118 on trade in fresh poultrymeat and 89/662 concerning veterinary checks in intra-Community trade.
Mr. Maclean : EC directive 71/118, on trade in fresh poultry meat, was implemented in England and Wales by the Poultry Meat (Hygiene) Regulations 1976 (as amended). Similar regulations were introduced in Scotland (also in 1976) and in Northern Ireland (in 1977). Detailed discussions on a range of issues arising out of the directives on veterinary checks are still on-going in Brussels. As a result mechanisms for implementation in this country of directive 89/662, which comes into force on 1 July 1992, are still under consideration.
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what advice he has received from the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment regarding the use of canthaxanthin ; and if he will make it his policy to ban canthaxanthin in commercial egg production.
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Mr. Maclean : The Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment has advised that the use of canthaxanthin in animal feeds should be discontinued. The United Kingdom has urged a prohibition on its use in feed in the EC. The Commission's export committees have advised that a decision should be made when further test data are available late next year. I have accepted this position given that any effects on consumers from intake of canthaxanthin would only occur over a long period of time and are not of an acute toxicological nature. I also understand that the use of canthaxanthin in poultry feed has declined recently.Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many evaluations of pesticides under the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986 have been published ; how many products await evaluation ; and whether he intends to publish all evaluations of pesticide products.
Mr. Maclean : Since the introduction of the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986, a total of 41 evaluation documents have been published for new and reviewed pesticides. There are at present 54 new pesticide active ingredients that are awaiting approval, 19 of which are currently under evaluation. Evaluations will be published for each of these as and when approvals are granted. Evaluations will also be published on further pesticides considered by the independent Advisory Committee on Pesticides as part of the reviews programme. When an evaluation is issued the data underlying the published evaluation are available for public scrutiny on application to the registration authorities.
Mr. Ian Taylor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on his review of the farm woodland scheme.
Mr. Gummer : On 23 July I announced that the Secretaries of State for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and I were undertaking a comprehensive review of the farm woodland scheme and that pending the outcome of the review we would continue to accept applications under the existing rules of the scheme until 31 March 1992. We have now completed the review and we announced on 6 November, in the context of the Government's public expenditure plans, that a successor to the farm woodland scheme, to be called the farm woodland premium scheme, will be introduced on 1 April 1992.
The new arrangements will offer increased grants for planning woodland and higher incentives to encourage farmers to convert land now in agricultural use to woodland. The aim is to enhance the farmed landscape and environment and provide a productive land use alternative to agriculture. It will also be very much easier for farmers to understand and simpler to operate than the current scheme. Detailed proposals for the new scheme have been drawn up and are being sent to the main interested organisations for comment. A copy of these proposals has been placed in the Library of the House, and they contain the following main elements :
The administration of establishment grants will be separated from that of annual incentives.
The Forestry Commission will pay the grants for planting and managing trees under the woodland grant scheme, including
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the better land supplement and community woodland supplement where appropriate, and Agriculture departments will pay the annual incentives under the farm woodland premium scheme. The Department of Agriculture will pay all the grants in Northern Ireland, where the enclosed land supplement is paid instead of the better land supplement.Annual incentives of up to £250 per hectare will be paid for either 10 or 15 years, depending on the type of woodland created on arable or improved grassland. Annual incentives of £60 per hectare will be paid for trees planted on unimproved grassland in the less favoured areas only.
There will be no limit on the number of applications that can be made, but planting must not, in aggregate, exceed more than 50 per cent. of any individual agricultural unit. In addition, planting of unimproved grassland must not exceed 40 hectares of any individual agricultural unit.
The definition of "improved grassland" will now be based on the content of "productive" species. This has the advantage of being easily checked by a physical inspection and puts no restriction on the method of grassland improvement.
No quotas or targets will be set for the scheme but it will be subject to cash limits.
Mr. Madden : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total amount received, in each of the past three years, from penalties imposed on those late in paying value added tax ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The total amounts received from penalties for late submission or payment of value added tax returns, in each of the past three and current financial years are as follows :
|Total |revenue |£ million -------------------------------------------------------- Financial year ending 31 March 1989 |79.1 Financial year ending 31 March 1990 |82.1 Financial year ending 31 March 1991 |83.1 1 April 1991 to 30 September 1991 |42.7
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give details of the assets of other countries currently frozen in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Maples : The Bank of England issued a notice on 7 August 1990 drawing attention to the Treasury directions issued under the Emergency Laws (Re-enactments and Repeals) Act 1964, which have the effect of freezing certain Iraqi assets held in the United Kingdom. The assets of no other countries are currently frozen in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Higgins : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table which provides an analysis by economic category of the 1991 -92 estimated outturn for the planning total as announced in the 1991 autumn statement, on definitions consistent with those of table 3.6 of Cm. 1520.
Mr. Norman Lamont : Data for the autumn statement forecast of outturn in the current year are collected for each Department, by spending sector and in total. No economic category analysis of spending by Departments is collected at this time of the year.
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It is possible, however, to provide an approximate analysis by economic category of forecast outturn in 1991-92 on the definitions used in table 3.6 of Cm. 1520, taking broad account of the nature of spending by individual Departments. This is set out in the following table. An economic category analysis of forecast outturn for 1991 -92 based on Departments' assessments of the economic category composition of their spending will be provided in the supplement to the 1991 autumn statement to be published around the end of January 1992.Planning total forecast outturn 1991-92 Economic category |(£ billion) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Current expenditure on goods and services |72.1 Subsidies |5.8 Current grants to persons<1> |66.3 Current grants abroad<1> |2.1 Current grants to local authorities |33.3 Distribution of non-domestic rate revenue |14.3 Net capital expenditure on assets |7.2 Capital grants to local authorities |1.4 Other capital grants |5.4 Credit approvals |4.3 Lending and other financial transactions |0.5 Privatisation proceeds |-8.0 Adjustment |0.3 |------- Planning total |204.9 <1> These categories were combined in Cm. 1520. The figure for current grants abroad is net of other governments' contributions to the cost of the Gulf conflict.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what arrangements are imposed upon a landowner for the payment of tax if the agreement for inheritance tax exemptions on national heritage land of outstanding scenic, historic or scientific interest has been broken ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maude : If a landowner breaks an undertaking given in respect of conditionally exempt land, inheritance tax is chargeable on the current value of the property.
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will state the level of resources allocated in 1992-93 for wildlife trade control by officers of Her Majesty's Customs and Excise.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Customs involvement in wildlife controls extends over a wide area, embracing both health and conservation aspects. It also covers a diverse range of activities, from checks on the validity of import and export licences to investigation, as the need arises, of suspected fraud. All those activities take place within the broad framework of Customs enforcement generally, with no individual officers specialising in wildlife controls. It is therefore impracticable to identify separately those resources which are, or will be, allocated specifically to those controls.
Sir Thomas Arnold : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much the total tax burden on the leading United Kingdom cigarette brands has increased since May 1979.
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Mrs. Gillian Shephard : The total tax burden on the leading five cigarette brands has increased on average from 69 per cent. in May 1979 to 76 per cent. in November 1991.
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the proportion of income tax paid by the top 10 per cent. of taxpayers (a) now and (b) in 1979-80.
Mr. Maude : It is estimated that in 1991-92 the top 10 per cent. of taxpayers will be liable to pay about 42 per cent. of the total yield of income tax. The corresponding figure for 1979-80 is 34 per cent.
Sir John Farr : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the average penalty imposed in Leicestershire on those who submit value added tax returns late by (a) one week, (b) two weeks and (c) four weeks, respectively.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Customs do not maintain statistics for individual counties or regions. The penalties imposed for late submission or payment of VAT returns do not vary with the length of the period between due date and receipt by Customs. Nationwide, the average penalty imposed on defaulting traders--including those who may have received more than one penalty--over the current and preceding financial years is :
|Average penalty |£ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Financial year ending 31 March 1989 |266.24 Financial year ending 31 March 1990 |375.42 Financial year ending 31 March 1991 |429.39 Period from 1 April to 30 September 1991 |441.41
Mr. Grylls : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost to the Exchequer of increasing the present business relief on inheritance tax from 50 per cent. and 30 per cent. to 100 per cent. (a) if the increased relief included agricultural property and (b) if the increased relief excluded agricultural property.
Mr. Maude : The full-year costs of increasing these inheritance tax reliefs are estimated to be : £40 million if relief for business and agricultural property is increased to 100 per cent. ; and £15 million if relief for business property only is increased to 100 per cent.
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action has been taken regarding the second paragraph of article 8 of the European Community Council decision dated 12 March 1990, on multilateral surveillance and on the attainment of progressive convergence of economic policies and performance during stage one of economic and monetary union.
Mr. Maude : In accordance with the requirement in article 8 of the Council decision of 12 March 1990 to which the hon. Member refers, I have drawn the results of multilateral surveillance discussions in the Council of
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Economic and Finance Ministers to the attention of the House when reporting the outcome of Council meetings in answer to questions. The annual economic report has also been deposited in the Library of the House and considered by the Select Committee on European Legislation.Mr. Paice : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the outcome of the recent meeting of the European Community's Budget Council.
Mr. Maude : The Budget Council met in Brussels on 12 November. I represented the United Kingdom. The Council established a second reading draft Budget for 1992 totalling 65,634 million ecu--£45,738 million-- in commitment appropriations, compared with the total after the first reading of 65,606 million ecu--£45,718 million.
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Payment appropriations represent 1.14 per cent. of Community GNP, compared with a ceiling of 1.2 per cent. in the own resources decision, leaving a cash margin of around 3.5 billion ecu-- £2.4 billion.The Budget Council rejected most of the European Parliament's amendments and modifications to the Council's first reading draft Budget, adopting a draft Budget broadly in line with its first reading in July, respecting the existing financial perspective ceilings. In rejecting most of the Parliament's proposals the Council was able to put back into the draft Budget a provisional figure of 400 million ecu--£279 million--for technical assistance to the Soviet Union, and a total of 160 million ecu-- £111 million--for emergency food and humanitarian aid. The following table summarises the second reading draft Budget, with reference to the financial perspective ceilings :
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Financial Perspective Draft Budget<1> |mecu |£ million<2>|mecu |£ million ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Commitment appropriations 1. Agricultural guarantee |35,039 |24,417 |35,008 |24,396 2. Structural operations |18,009 |12,550 |18,009 |12,500 3. Multi-annual programmes |3,115 |2,171 |2,687 |1,872 4. Other policies |5,224 |3,640 |5,135 |3,578 5. Reimbursements and administration |4,205 |2,930 |3,795 |2,645 6. Monetary reserve |1,000 |697 |1,000 |697 Total: Commitment appropriations |66,592 |46,406 |65,634 |45,738 of which: compulsory |38,729 |26,989 |38,548 |26,862 non-compulsory |27,863 |19,417 |27,086 |18,875 Total: Payment appropriations<3> |63,241 |44,070 |62,417 |43,496 of which: compulsory |38,669 |29,947 |38,475 |26,812 non-compulsory |24,572 |17,123 |23,942 |16,684 <1> Council's second reading draft budget established on 12 November. <2> The ERM central rate of £1=1.435 ecu is used throughout this reply. <3> There is only a global ceiling for payments.
The European Parliament will consider the draft budget at its plenary in December. The 1992 draft budget is expected to be adopted by the Parliament on 12 December.
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps are being taken to improve the quality of economic statistics.
Mr. Norman Lamont : On 17 May 1990 my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister then Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced steps to improve the quality of economic statistics, particularly on services, companies and the balance of payments. The measures are now leading to more reliable statistics in these areas and will yield additional improvements over the next year. But if we are to have economic statistics which are sufficiently up to date and reliable, we need to build on those measures and to strengthen some of the key components not covered by them. I have therefore asked the Central Statistical Office to undertake a further programme to strengthen the reliability of statistics on retail sales, consumers' expenditure, industrial and service sector output, producer prices, stockbuilding, the balance of payments, companies' finances and the transactions of financial institutions.
Like the first initiative, these measures are designed to make the early estimates more reliable, thus reducing the
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need for subsequent revisions, and to reduce both discrepancies between the different measures of gross domestic product and the balancing items in the sector accounts. The first improvements in the CSO's statistics resulting from these measures are expected during 1992.The new measures take account of recommendations from a detailed review of the way balance of payments statistics are collected and compiled. The review, carried out by Mr. Richard Eason, was commissioned as part of the initiative launched by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in May 1990. A copy of Mr. Eason's report and the CSO action plan in response to his recommendations have been deposited in the Library of the House.
The new measures, like some of those announced in May 1990, involve the wider use of existing statutory powers to secure full response and a more evenly shared burden on businesses. They include transfer to the CSO of some data collection previously undertaken mainly for national accounts purposes by the Bank of England.
In implementing the measures the CSO will consult the appropriate bodies and special efforts will be made to ensure that the burdens on businesses are kept to a minimum. A significant part of the extra burden will fall on businesses that currently have few statistical demands made of them, while some reductions will be made to other surveys.
These measures, combined with the CSO's launch today as an executive agency, demonstrate the
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Government's commitment to bringing about a significant and lasting improvement in the quality of the nation's economic statistics and minimising the burden imposed on business by their collection.Mr. Gerald Bowden : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made towards establishing the Central Statistical Office as an executive agency.
Mr. Norman Lamont : I am pleased to announce that the Central Statistical Office became an executive agency today. Copies of the framework document are being placed in the Library of the House. This sets out the functions and objectives of the CSO, defines clearly the basis of accountability and the division of responsibilities between the director of the CSO and Ministers, and sets out the CSO's commitment to minimising the burden imposed on business by the collection of economic statistics. It also restates the arrangements to ensure the integrity and validity of United Kingdom official statistics.
I have set challenging targets for the agency focusing in particular on the need, both within government and outside, for reliable and timely macro- economic statistics. Since the establishment of the enlarged CSO as a separate department in July 1989, significant progress has been made in improving the quality of these statistics. Agency status will give added impetus to this process.
Sir Jack Hibbert, the director of the CSO and head of the Government statistical service since 1985, will be the agency's first chief executive until his retirement at the end of February 1992. A successor to Sir Jack is currently being recruited through open competition.
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