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Mr. Leigh : The DTI leaflet "Protecting the Ozone Layer", advises industry that HCFCs
"should be used only where necessary and recovered for re-use, recycling or proper disposal wherever possible".
Toxicity testing HCFC 123 is not yet complete. However early results give some cause for concern. Producers have therefore advised the competent authorities and user industries of potential problems, and application development is proceeding with caution.
British and Commonwealth Group
Mr. Gordon Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the current position of his Department's investigation into the collapse of British and Commonwealth ; when the report will be completed ; when the report will be published ; and what use his Department has made of the investigation financed by shareholders in Atlantic.
Mr. Lilley : Inspectors were appointed on 15 June 1990 under section 432 of the Companies Act 1985 to investigate and report on the affairs of Atlantic Computers plc and Atlantic Computer Systems plc, companies in the British and Commonwealth group. The inspectors are making good progress, but I cannot say when they will complete their report ; it is the general practice to publish reports by inspectors under section 432 relating to the affairs of public companies.
The inspectors are aware of the inquiries made on behalf of shareholders of British and Commonwealth and will take into account that information.
Maxwell Companies
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will commence an inquiry under the Companies Acts and Financial Services Act into (a) Bishopsgate Investment Management Ltd. and (b) London and Bishopsgate International Investment Management plc ;
(2) what steps he is taking to ensure that moneys belonging to (a) Mirror Group pensioners and (b) Maxwell Communication Corporation pensioners are recovered from those Gibraltar-based trusts or companies under the control or influence of the Maxwell family or companies or trusts associated with them ;
(3) if he will use his powers under the Companies Acts to wind up on just and equitable grounds (a) Maxwell Communication Corporation plc and (b) Mirror Group Newspapers plc ;
(4) if he will use his powers under the Companies Acts to wind up on just and equitable grounds (a) Bishopsgate Investment Management Ltd. and (b) London and Bishopsgate International Investment Management plc ;
(5) if he will use his powers under the Financial Services Act to trace and recover moneys belonging to pensioners associated with (a) Mirror Group plc and (b) Maxwell Communication Corporation plc ; (6) if he will list his powers, if he will take steps, under the Companies Acts, the Insolvency Act and the Financial Services Act to secure the assets and businesses of (a)
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Mirror Group Newspapers plc and (b) Maxwell Communication Corporation plc for the benefit of the pensioners of these companies ;(7) if he will use his powers under the Financial Services Act to trace moneys belonging to (a) Bishopsgate Investment Management Ltd. and (b) London and Bishopsgate International Investment Management plc and their clients.
Mr. Lilley : The Serious Fraud Office is conducting an investigation into the Maxwell companies. Action is being taken to secure and recover assets by IMRO, the provisional liquidator, administrators and receivers appointed to a number of Maxwell private companies. I have instructed my officials to maintain the closest consultation with the Serious Fraud Office and IMRO. I will also want to hear from the administrators, receivers and the provisional liquidator if they consider that the exercise of my investigative powers or other action is warranted.
I will not hesitate to use powers available to me to investigate any matter which may emerge from these consultations as requiring separate inquiry or to take any other action, so long as that would not impede the work of the Serious Fraud Office or other action which is being taken.
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the directors and the financial period of the most recent accounts to be filed of (a) London and Bishopsgate International Investment Management plc and (b) Bishopsgate Investment Management Ltd.
Mr. Lilley : (a) There is currently no company registered in England and Wales with the name London and Bishopsgate International Investment Management plc. However, until 19 November 1991 that was the name of the company now known as Maxwell and East European Partners. The directors notified to the Registrar of Companies are : Robert Henry Bunn
Stuart Crosbie Carson
Jonathan Howard Ford
Kevin Francis Herbert Maxwell
Andrew Porter Smith
Larry Steven Trachtenberg
The last accounts filed at Companies House are those for the period ending 31 December 1990.
(b) The directors of Bishopsgate Investment Management Limited notified to the Registrar of Companies are :
Trevor Cook
Ian Robert Charles Maxwell
Kevin Francis Herbert Maxwell
Henry Allen Stephens
Larry Steven Trachtenberg
The last accounts filed at Companies House are those for the financial year ending 5 April 1990.
Mr. Dunn : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish in the Official Report the names of those who currently hold directorships, or have held directorships since 1985, in companies run, managed or owned by the late Robert Maxwell ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lilley : This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
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Textiles and Clothing
Mr. Dickens : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent issues affecting textiles and clothing have been discussed in the EC Council of Industry Ministers ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Leigh : The Industry Council discussed a number of textiles and clothing related issues at its meeting on 18 November. These included a Commission communication on improving the competitiveness of the industries, recent developments in world trade and the Commission's latest proposals for structural assistance to areas of the Community with a heavy dependence on textiles industries.
Cumbria's Economy Report
Dr. Cunningham : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the total cost of the consultants' report on Cumbria's economy, strategic needs and opportunities in the 1990s.
Mr. Leigh : The report was commissioned by the Northern Development Company and was co-funded by a number of other organisations, including DTI North West. The total cost was a matter between the company and the consultants. My Department contributed £5,875 towards the cost.
Textile Industry
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he intends to make to the European Community concerning French Government subsidies to the French textile industry.
Mr. Sainsbury [holding answer 10 December 1991] : The European Commission (EC) is currently investigating one case of assistance to a French textile company. Any evidence of illegal subsidies should be referred to the EC for investigation.
Eggs
Mr. Martlew : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received from the producers of free-range eggs about the excess profit being made by the large supermarket companies from the sale of their eggs.
Mr. Redwood [holding answer 10 December 1991] : I understand that concerns about the disparity between producer prices and retail prices have been expressed by a producer of free range eggs. The Office of Fair Trading is looking into this complaint to see whether there is anything that would suggest that the use of the Director General's competition powers would be appropriate.
EMPLOYMENT
EC Social Action Programme
Mr. Irvine : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list all the directives and draft directives put forward by the European Commission, pursuant to the social action programme stating in each case (a) under which article of the treaty of Rome the
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directive or draft directive has been put forward, (b) whether the directive or draft directive requires unanimity or can be passed by a qualified majority and (c) whether a decision has yet been reached in relation to it by the Council of Ministers.Mr. Jackson : The table gives the requested information for all the Social Action Programme directives identified so
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far. In its social action programme the Commission indicates some areas of action without specifying the type of instrument which it intends to propose. Such proposals have not been included in the table.(In column (b) of the table : U stands for unanimity and QMV for qualified majority voting)
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Directive |(a) |(b) |(c)
|legal base |vote |status
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3 directives on contracts and employment relationships other than full-time open
ended contracts (atypical work);
(i) Working conditions |100 |U |under
|discussion
(ii) distortions of competition |100A |QMV |under
|discussion
(iii) health and safety |118A |QMV |adopted 25/6/91
Directive for the adaptation of working time |118A |QMV |under
|discussion
Directive on the introduction of a form to serve as proof of an employment |100 |U |adopted
relationship |14/10/91
Revision of the Directive of 17 February 1975 (75/129/EEC) on the approximation |100 |U |under
of member states pertaining to collective redundancies |discussion
Directive on European works councils |100 |U |under
|discussion
Directive on the protection of pregnant women at work |118A QMV |political
|agreement
|6/11/91
Directive on working conditions applicable to workers from other member states |57(2) and 66 |QMV
performing work in the host country in the framework of the freedom to provide |discussion
services especially on behalf of a subcontracting undertaking
Directive on the minimum health and safety requirements to encourage improved |118A |QMV
medical assistance on board vessels
Directive on the minimum health and safety requirements for work at temporary or |118A |QMV |political
mobile work sites |agreement
|14/10/91
Directive on the minimum requirements to be applied in improving the safety and |118A |QMV |under
health of workers in the drilling industries |discussion
Directive on the minimum requirements to be applied in improving the safety and |118A |QMV |not yet
health of workers in the quarrying and open cast mining industries |published
Directive on the minimum health and safety requirement for fishing vessels |118A |QMV |not yet
|published
Directive on the minimum requirements for safety and health signs at the workplace |118A |QMV |political
|agreement
|3/12/91
Directive on the minimum safety and health requirements regarding the exposure of |118A |QMV |not yet
workers to the risks caused by physical agents |published
Directive amending Directive 83/447/EEC on the protection of workers from the |118A |QMV |agreed 25/6/91
risks related the exposure to asbestos at work
Directive on the minimum safety and health requirements for activities in the |118A |QMV |not yet
transport sector |published
Directive on the approximation of the laws of the Member States on the protection |118A |QMV |not yet
of young people |published
Directive on the introduction of measures on the introduction of measures aimed at |118A |QMV |under
promoting the improvement in the travel conditions of workers with motor |discussion
disabilities
Citric Acid Extraction
Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will ask the Health and Safety Executive to conduct an inquiry into the impact on employees of the use of aspogillus citric acid extraction plants ; and if he will make a statement on current information held by his Department on any respiratory problems.
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Mr. Jackson : The Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) field operations division is aware of only one plant in Great Britain where aspergillus niger is used in the manufacture of citric acid. HSE inspectors will make an inspection visit to the plant in the near future to check on compliance by the company with the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and associated legislation and review the precautions taken to safeguard the health of employees.
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HSE is currently aware of respiratory problems suffered by one employee of a contracting company who was employed at the plant in 1990.Offshore Installations
Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total number of risers on offshore installations ; and how many of them are currently fitted with sub-sea isolation valves.
Mr. Jackson : Following the introduction of the Offshore Installations (Emergency Pipeline Valve) Regulations 1989, 192 pipeline risers were identified as requiring the fitting or relocation of emergency shut down valve to comply with the regulations. These have now all been fitted.
Sub-sea isolation systems have been fitted to 40 pipelines on the seabed.
Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what specific additional training is being provided by the Health and Safety Executive's offshore division for inspector grade personnel who were previously in the Department of Energy's petroleum engineering division.
Mr. Jackson : Inspector grade personnel previously in the petroleum engineering division of the Department of Energy have access to the full range of existing training available to Health and Safety Executive staff, supplemented by additional training to familiarise them with HSE's operating systems and procedures, and external specialist courses.
Earnings
Mr. Jack Thompson : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of male, female and all employees in each standard industrial classification industrial division earned less than £180 per week in 1990 and less than £200 per week in the first half year of 1991.
Mr. Jackson : The information available from the "New Earnings Survey" in April 1990 and April 1991 is provided in the tables.
Full-time employees on adult rates whose pay was unaffected by absence: Percentage whose gross weekly earnings were below £180 Standard April 1990 per cent. industrial classification division |Men |Women |All --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0 |52.8 |77.7 |55.7 1 |4.4 |27.7 |8.1 2 |12.1 |53.3 |20.2 3 |13.3 |62.8 |22.2 4 |21.7 |67.9 |36.5 5 |20.7 |63.8 |24.6 6 |37.8 |75.4 |51.9 7 |15.6 |41.7 |20.9 8 |15.2 |41.5 |27.0 9 |19.9 |41.7 |31.5 Source: 1990 New Earnings Survey
Full-time employees on adult rates whose pay was unaffected by
absence: Percentage whose gross weekly earnings were below £200
Standard April 1990 per cent.
industrial
classification
division |Men |Women |All
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0 |53.8 |77.1 |56.8
1 |5.3 |25.7 |8.8
2 |15.4 |54.0 |23.2
3 |17.9 |64.5 |26.3
4 |25.7 |70.5 |40.3
5 |24.2 |63.7 |27.8
6 |40.4 |75.6 |53.7
7 |18.1 |43.1 |23.0
8 |17.0 |43.8 |29.1
9 |20.3 |41.6 |31.8
Mr. Jack Thompson : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentages of manual, non-manual and all (a) males and (b) females are earning below £190 per week in (i) Great Britain, (ii) the Northern region and (iii) Northumberland.
Mr. Jackson : The information available from the "New Earnings Survey" in April 1991 is provided in the table.
Full time employees on adult rates whose pay
was unaffected by
absence: Percentage whose gross weekly
earnings were below £190
Great Britain |April 1991
|per cent.
---------------------------------------------
Manual men |26.9
Non-manual men |12.3
All men |19.1
Manual women |77.1
Non-manual women |40.4
All women |47.2
Northern Region
Manual men |27.5
Non-manual men |15.3
All men |22.0
Manual women |79.4
Non-manual women |53.7
All women |59.4
Northumberland
Manual men |35.7
Non-manual men
All men |26.7
Manual women |82.7
Non-manual women |57.6
All women |65.0
Source: 1991 New Earnings Survey.
Note:"" denotes sampling error too large or
sample size too small for reliable estimate.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Compensation Recovery Unit
Mr. Illsley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what are (a) the total running costs to date of the compensation recovery unit, (b) the original projected costs of the compensation recovery unit each year, (c) the total amount of money recovered by the compensation recovery unit to date and (d) the total amount of money the compensation recovery unit was projected to recover each year :
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(2) if he will state the total cost of appeals under the compensation recovery scheme administered by the compensation recovery unit ; and whether any assistance is made available to appellants under the compensation recovery scheme :(3) how many appeals have been lodged against certificates of total benefit issued by the compensation recovery unit, what is the total number of staff employed by the compensation recovery unit, what is the number of compensation claims registered with the compensation recovery unit to date ; and what is the projected number of claims to be registered with the compensation recovery unit annually.
Mr. Jack : The administration of the compensation recovery unit is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member shortly and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.
Contributions Agency
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy to retain a presence on behalf of the Contributions Agency at the Caerphilly office of his Department.
Mr. Jack : The provision of a local Contributions Agency presence is a matter for Miss Ann Chant, the Chief Executive of the Contributions Agency. She will write to the hon. Member shortly and a copy will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.
Child Benefit
Ms. Richardson : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the (a) gross and (b) net cost of raising child benefit for all children, in real terms (i) to its 1987-88 level and (b) to its pre 1985-86 level.
Mr. Jack : Had child benefit been increased at each general uprating of benefits in line with movements in the index of retail prices, the April 1987 rate of £7.25 and November 1984 rate of £6.85 would become £9.55 and £10 respectively from April 1991.
The additional full year costs in 1991-92 of paying £9.55 per child, instead of the current rates of £9.25 for the eldest eligible child and £7.50 for each other child, would be about £685 million gross and £470 million net of normal adjustments to other benefits. The corresponding costs of paying £10 would be £970 million gross and £665 million net.
Ms. Richardson : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the (a) gross and (b) net cost of raising child benefit by 10p in 1992-93 and 1993-94 for all children.
Mr. Jack : It has been estimated that the extra costs in each year would be around £63 million gross and £45 million net.
Family Credit
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many families were receiving family credit at the latest available date, breaking these figures down into (a) one-parent and two-parent families and (b) one-earner and two-earner families.
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Mr. Jack : The provisional family credit caseload figure for the end of September 1991 is 353,000.
The latest available breakdowns on the basis requested are for the end of April 1991 and are as follows :
|Number
----------------------------------------
(a) One-parent families |131,000
Two-parent families |210,000
(b) One-earner families
Two-earner families |16,000
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many families with children in receipt of housing benefit are also receiving family credit, broken down into couples and lone parents.
Miss Widdecombe : In May 1990, 56,800 families with children in Great Britain were receiving housing benefit and family credit. Of these, 37,900 were couples and 18,900 were lone parents.
Source : Housing Benefit Management Information System annual 1 per cent. sample May 1990.
Retirement Pension
Mr. Martyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much it would cost annually to pay retirement pension from the day and date that a pensioner attains pensionable age rather then weekly from the following Monday.
Miss Widdecombe : I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Brighton, Kemptown (Mr. Bowden) on 9 December at columns 350-51 .
EC Disability Benefits
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the benefits in each member state of the European Community awarded on account of invalidity or disability which are payable without time limit in another member state once entitlement has been established ; if he will indicate which of these benefits are believed to have been affected by the recent ruling of the European Court of Justice in the Newton case ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Jack : Further to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State on 10 December at col. 377, the right hon. Member will find a list of long-term invalidity and disability benefits for each member state in the "MISSOC" tables contained in "Social Protection in The Member States of The European Community". These are published by the European Commission and are available in the Library. It is for the Governments of other member states to determine the implications of the Newton judgment for their benefit systems and to make known the outcome of those deliberations.
Free School Meals
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many children will lose their entitlement to free school meals under the Income Support (General) Regulations 1987 as amended by Income Support (General) Amendment (No. 4) Regulations 1991 (S.I. No. 1559/1991) and under Family Credit (General)
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Regulations 1987 as amended by the Family Credit (General) Amendment Regulations 1991 (S.I. No. 1520/1991).Miss Widdecombe : No family with children need lose their entitlement to free school meals due to these regulations. Approximately 45,000 families currently working and receiving income support will become eligible for family credit next April as a result of the change to the qualifying hours rule from 24 to 16 hours a week. They will be able to choose whether to claim family credit or to remain with income support. Those who continue to receive income support will retain their entitlement to free school meals. However, we expect around 30,000 families to move on to family credit and to be better off, even allowing for the loss of free school meals. The number of school age children in these families is approximately 35, 000.
When the family credit children's rates were originally set in 1988, an amount was included in lieu of entitlement to free school meals. These rates have subsequently been uprated each year.
Cold Weather Payments
Mr. Dunnachie : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the operation of the cold weather payments scheme in Scotland.
Mr. Scott : The social fund cold weather payments scheme covers the whole of Great Britain. There are no differences in the way it operates in Scotland.
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what advertising has been undertaken by his Department to advertise cold weather payments ; and what expenditure he intends to make during the winter months on advertising the availability and criteria for these payments.
Mr. Scott : On 14 June we announced major improvements to the cold weather payments scheme which included ending the need to make a claim. All people entitled to a cold weather payment will receive it automatically. When a period of cold weather is triggered, district offices of the Benefits Agency will announce this in the local press.
The level of expenditure for the coming winter months cannot be predicted as it depends on the number and location of periods of cold weather.
Firefighting
Sir John Wheeler : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what special provisions are made for retained firefighters with regard to the effect of their earnings from firefighting duties on their entitlement to unemployment benefit, income support, housing benefit, community charge benefit and family credit.
Mr. Jack : All earnings from firefighting duties are disregarded in assessing the entitlement of a retained firefighter to unemployment benefit. The first £15 of such earnings are ignored in income support, housing benefit and community charge benefit, but earnings above that amount are taken into account in the normal way. In the assessment of family credit, net earnings from firefighting duties are taken into account in the same way as other earnings.
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Social Fund
Mr. Terry Davis : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many social fund inspectors were employed on 30 September ; (2) how many applications for a review by a social fund inspector were outstanding for more than one month on30 September.
Mr. Scott : I understand from the social fund Commissioner that on 30 September 1991, there were 66 social fund inspectors employed and 2,843 review applications outstanding for more than one month.
Remunerative Work Changes
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he plans to give more information on the remunerative work changes which will come into effect in April 1992 ; and if he will make it his policy to circulate this information to all citizens advice bureaux.
Mr. Jack : We are planning a co-ordinated publicity package to cover both the change in the remunerative work rule in family credit and income support and the other changes which are taking place at the same time next April, particularly the introduction of disability working allowance. This publicity will start a few weeks before the changes come into force. In the meantime, I am about to write to the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux to clarify the effect of the changes in the remunerative work rule and the protection arrangements which we are providing for those on income support, and already working 16 or more hours a week, at the time of the change. I will make available a copy of this letter to the hon. Member.
Retirement Pension
Mr. Martyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, how many pensioners each year receive their pension later than their notional birthdate arising out of the payment of pension on a Monday.
Miss Widdecombe : It is estimated that around 280,000 pensioners receive their pension on the first payday following their 60/65th birthday.
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