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Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the South Glamorgan training and enterprise council concerning the location of its new headquarters office.
Wentloog Lagoon
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will place a copy in the Library of the letter written to the chairman of the Countryside Council for Wales on Friday, 6 December, concerning the construction of the Wentloog lagoon for wading birds.
Mr. David Hunt : Correspondence between the Countryside Council and my Department on the Wentloog lagoon has been at officer level.
Cardiff Bay Development
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will agree a code of conduct with the chairman of Cardiff Bay development corporation limiting the use of advertising incorporating the proposed barrage during the passage of the Cardiff Bay Barrage Bill.
Mr. David Hunt : The Cardiff Bay development corporation observes the spirit of the conventions governing propriety and value for money which apply to all Government Departments.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairman of Cardiff Bay development corporation concerning progress on the training centre of excellence.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy for the report from Mr. Roy Stoner, on the possible groundwater rise side-effects of the proposed Cardiff Bay barrage to be completed and published before the commencement of the select committee proceedings on the Cardiff Bay Barrage Bill.
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Mr. David Hunt : Mr. Stoner's advice to me following the consultation on the Hydrotechnica report will form part of the advice submitted to me before I make my decision. I shall be publishing my decision, together with the factors I have taken into account, as soon after the end of the consultation period as is consistent with proper consideration for all of the issues raised.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will instruct Mr. Roy Stoner to include in his report on the side-effects of the groundwater rise expected to be caused by the proposed Cardiff bay barrage, the expected effects of the barrage on sports grounds, gardens and allotments.
Mr. David Hunt : Mr. Stoner's terms of reference include advising me on representations made during the three months' consultation period. Since these include the issue of protection for open ground such as sports grounds, gardens and allotments, I would expect him to include this issue in his advice.
Sports Clubs
Mr. Pendry : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, further to his written answer of 5 November, Official Report, columns 53-54, if he will give for 1990-91 a breakdown of the total number of non-profit-making sports clubs awarded discretionary rate relief (a) after submitting an application, (b) without submitting an application and (c) which applied for discretionary rate relief and were denied such relief.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : Discretionary rate relief was awarded by Welsh local authorities in 1990-91 to non-profit making clubs, including sporting organisations, as follows :
Number of clubs awarded discretionary rate relief Category |Number -------------------------------------------------------- (a) After submitting an application |620 (b) Without submitting an application |53 (c) Applied but not awarded relief |83
Sewage Treatment Works, Llanfaes
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those organisations, individuals, companies and parties that contacted him requesting that he call in a planning application for a sewage treatment works at Llanfaes, Ynys Mon ; and how he communicated his decision to those listed, giving dates in all cases.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : The information is as follows :
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Person/organisation requesting call-in and date of letter
|Contact date |Date of letter
|informing decision
|not to call-in
|application
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr. Joe Wilson MEP |21 October 1991 |8 November 1991
Ms. G. Robson |n/a |11 November 1991
Mr. Stuart Andrew, Chairman of Ynys Mon
Young Conservatives and Secretary of
Wales Young Conservatives |14 October 1991 |13 November 1991
The Bishops of Wrexham, Bangor, and St. |5 and 17 October
Asaph (joint letter) |1991 |13 November 1991
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones MP |24 October 1991 |14 November 1991
Mr. Gwynn Price Rowlands-PPC, Ynys
Mon
Dr. Robin Jones-PPC, Ynys Mon
Mr. Joe Wilson MEP |24 October 1991 |19 November 1991
Mr. S. Earnshaw, Vice Chairman, Beaumaris
East Ward Action Group (joint letter)
Mrs. Kathryn Pritchard Gibson |7 November 1991 |26 November 1991
Mr. Dafydd Wigley MP |11 November 1991 |27 November 1991
The Baroness Nicol JP |14 November 1991 |29 November 1991
Teacher Training
Mr. Gwilym Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many students were recruited to courses of initial teacher training in Wales in 1991.
Sir Wyn Roberts : A survey undertaken by the Department shows that 2,195 students entered courses of initial teacher training in Wales in October 1991, an increase of nearly 28 per cent. over 1990. Intakes to primary training courses were almost 26 per cent. higher than last year and for secondary courses the increase was over 32 per cent. The figures for secondary teacher training are particularly encouraging as many of these student teachers are pursuing courses in the shortage areas, including Welsh.
Local Government Finance
Mr. Anderson : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people in Wales have been summonsed because of poll tax arrears in Wales to the latest available date.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett [holding answer 5 December 1991] : The total number of summonses issued by Welsh courts for the period 1 April 1990 to 30 September 1991 was 442,988.
Mr. Anderson : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the costs of legal proceedings involving poll tax to the present.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett [holding answer 5 December 1991] : For the period 1 April 1990 to 30 September 1991, the estimated cost of legal proceedings to enforce the community charge through the magistrates courts in Wales was £315,000.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Badgers
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will consult the Coalition for Badgers before finalising his criteria for the issue of licences under section 4 of the Badgers Act 1991.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list those persons and organisations he has consulted in considering the criteria under which section 4 licences may be issued under the Badgers Act 1991 ; and if he will publish a summary of the views each interest presented to him.
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Mr. Maclean : The consultation exercise on licensing under section 4 of the Badgers Act 1991 has not yet taken place ; the consultation document is to be issued shortly. It is the standard procedure in such consultations to make available to the public all responses received unless specifically requested not to do so by the respondent.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will ensure that any licences issued under section 4 of the Badgers Act 1991 take into acount the rules of the National Working Terrier Federation on interference with badger setts.
Mr. Maclean : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 12 December, Official Report, column 550.
Fish Quotas
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to announce sectoral fish quotas allocations earlier in the calendar year in 1992 than in previous years ; and if he will make a statement.
Fruit and Vegetables
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the gross production figures for the major fruit and vegetables in the United Kingdom in 1990 and 1991.
Mr. Gummer : The latest estimates of the gross production ('000 tonnes) of the major fruit and vegetables in the 1990-91 and 1991-92 crop years is as follows :
|1990-91 |1991-92
|(forecast)
----------------------------------------------
Cabbages |665.8 |672.6
Carrots |550.1 |600.7
Cauliflowers |308.5 |365.4
Lettuces |252.1 |269.4
Peas |318.2 |314.0
Tomatoes |138.8 |141.8
Apples |310.5 |333.6
Pears |36.7 |39.1
Raspberries |19.2 |17.9
Strawberries |52.3 |52.9
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the figures for the amount of each different type of fruit and vegetable which was withdrawn from the market in the United Kingdom, indicating in each case how much was (a) delivered to institutions such as schools and prisons, (b) delivered to
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charitable organisations, (c) ploughed into the ground, (d) used as animal feed, (e) processed into fruit juice or alcohol and (f) put to other uses, specifying the use, in (i) 1990 and (ii) 1991 ; and how much was spent on these withdrawals in the United Kingdom and EC.Mr. Gummer : These arrangements are an operational matter for the chief executive of the Intervention Board executive agency, who will write to the hon. Member.
EC Agriculture Expenditure
Sir Teddy Taylor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps have been taken by the Agriculture Council and the EC Commission on the containment of agricultural spending within the budget of 1991.
Mr. Curry : The Council at this year's price fixing agreed a number of measures to reduce the level of EC expenditure on agricultural support. These included price cuts, a 2 per cent. cut in milk quotas and changes to the beef and butter intervention arrangements. The Commission took action under its management powers in a number of sectors. Expenditure on agricultural support in 1991 is now expected to be some £350 million below the level provided for in the EC budget.
Sir Teddy Taylor : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what adjustments have been made to the budget of agricultural spending by the EC in 1991 to take account of inflation ; and if he will further state the basis on which the rate of inflation is calculated and the responsibility for making such assessments.
Mr. Curry : No changes were made to the provision for expenditure on the common agricultural policy in the 1991 EC budget.
Community expenditure on agricultural market support is legally constrained by the agricultural guideline which is adjusted each year to take account of 74 per cent. of the rate of growth of Community GNP and of inflation. The level of EC GNP, the general GNP deflator and the level of the guideline are calculated each year by the Commission on the basis of information supplied by the member states.
Set-aside Scheme
Mrs. Ray Michie : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which crops were proposed for each acre of agreed set-aside land for each year since 1988 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Curry : Detailed information on base year crops, cropping patterns in the year prior to the entry of land into set-aside and the green cover crops sown on fallowed set-aside land is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mrs. Ray Michie : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many farmers in England and Wales have applied for the set-aside scheme for 1991-92 ; how many hectares of land are involved ; what was the total expenditure for set-aside schemes for each year since 1988 ; how many farmers benefited ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : The information requested is shown in the table :
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Applications for the 4th year (1991-92) of the set-aside scheme
|Number of |Hectares
|applications<2>|set-aside
|received
----------------------------------------------------------------
England |673 |24,396.98
Wales |6 |177.02
Applications for the temporary one-year set-aside scheme (
1991-92)
|Number of |Hectares
|applications<2>|set-aside<1>
|received
England |742 |12,651.75
Wales |7 |94.81
<1> Approved to date.
<2> The figures shown in the table relate to applications
received,
they are provisoinal and liable to adjustment in the light of
eligibility and withdrawals.
Set-aside: Total expenditure by scheme year
|1988-89 |1989-90 |1990-91
|£ million|£ million|£ million
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Expenditure (England) |<1>7.4 |<1>15.30 |<2>22.30
Number of participants
(England) |1,241 |2,320 |3,064
Expenditure (Wales) |<1>0.129 |<1>0.231 |<2>0.355
Number of participants
(Wales) |30 |41 |58
<1> Actual
<2> Estimated
Small Cetaceans
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what work is being undertaken by his Department to assess the level of by-catch of small cetaceans in United Kingdom fisheries ; and what measures are being taken to reduce this level.
Mr. Gummer : A national scheme to monitor accidental catches by fishermen of marine mammals will commence early next year. Fishermen will be asked to report details of such catches to fishery officers. The Fisheries Departments will be writing to all major fishery organisations, which have already been consulted about the scheme, to confirm the details. Special forms and identification booklets will be provided. The recent EC agreement to restrict the length of drift nets to 2.5 km should help to reduce the accidental catches of small cetaceans.
Common Agricultural Policy
Mr. Hague : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give details of expenditure in 1990-91 and 1991-92 by the Intervention Board executive agency and the Agriculture Departments on market regulation under the common agricultural policy.
Mr. Gummer [pursuant to his reply, 28 November, Official Report, c. 652] : Details of the outturn for 1990-91 and the latest forecasof outturn for 1991-92 in relation to market regulation are given in the table.
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£ million
|1990-91 |1991-92
|(Actual |(Forecast
|outturn) |outturn)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Expenditure by the Intervention Board
executive agency
Cereals |120.8 |197.3
Oilseeds |236.4 |250.6
Sugar |110.7 |111.1
Beef and Veal |357.6 |341.0
Sheepmeat |126.5 |154.7
Pigmeat |6.6 |3.5
Milk products |203.9 |165.9
Processed goods |44.6 |54.6
Others |55.2 |54.4
|---- |----
Total |1,262.3 |1,324.1
|---- |----
Expenditure by the Agricultural
Departments
Repayments of cereals levies |19.2 |1.7
Suckler cow premium scheme |73.7 |70.4
Annual premium on ewes |201.8 |276.1
Payments to producers giving up some
milk production |59.6 |54.5
Beef special premium scheme
(Northern Ireland) |6.2 |7.3
Orchard grubbing scheme |- |1.5
|---- |----
Total |360.5 |411.7
|---- |----
Grand total |1,622.8 |1,735.8
Some of the expenditure shown benefits consumers and trade interests rather than United Kingdom producers.
The figures for the Intervention Board executive agency are net of various receipts treated as negative expenditure. Receipts from levies on the production and storage of sugar and isoglucose and on third country exports, which are regarded as Community own resources, are excluded.
Of the estimated outturn for 1991-92, £1,664 million is expected to be offset by receipts from the European agricultural guidance and guarantee fund including those in respect of financing intervention buying and the set-aside scheme ; in 1990-91, the comparable figure was £1,584 million. However, because the United Kingdom is a net contributor to the European Community budget, the whole of this expenditure is attributable to the Exchequer. Receipts from the European Community do not always relate to expenditure in the period.
This information, coupled with my previous answer which focused on grants and subsidies, provides full details of MAFF expenditure on market regulation under the CAP and agricultural grants and subsidies.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Pensioners
16. Mr. Winnick : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received over the position of pensioners during the winter months.
Miss Widdecombe : We have received representations from various pensioner groups, and others, over the position of pensioners during the winter months. In June my right hon. Friend the Minister of State announced major improvements to the cold weather payments scheme, which include fast automatic payments, forecasts made by the Meteorological Office which can anticipate
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periods of very cold weather, and the removal of the old capital rule. These improvements will directly benefit many pensioners this winter.21. Mr. Roy Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he next plans to meet the Pensioners Association in Wales to discuss additional assistance for the winter months.
Miss Widdecombe : We have no plans to meet the Pensioners Association in Wales. In June my right hon. Friend the Minister of State announced major improvements to the cold weather payments scheme, which include fast automatic payments, forecasts made by the Meteorological Office which can anticipate periods of very cold weather, and the removal of the old capital rule. These improvements will directly benefit many pensioners this winter.
Child Benefit
17. Mr. Lawrence : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of British families have only one child ; and how much such families receive in child benefit per week.
Mr. Jack : Over 40 per cent. of families have only one child eligible for child benefit. They currently receive £9.25 a week which will increase to £9.65 from next April, that is, equivalent to £500 a year tax free. For families paying standard rate tax and national insurance contributions this would be equivalent to additional gross earnings of £750.
Mr. Nicholas Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be (a) the first year and (b) the full year costs of raising child benefit to £9.55 (i) for 1991-92 and (ii) 1992-93, including increases in linked means-tested and national insurance benefits, for Great Britain.
Mr. Jack : The rates of child benefit from April 1991 were £8.25 for the eldest eligible child and £7.25 for each other child, and these rates increased to £9.25 and £7.50 from October. On the basis of our latest estimates, the gross cost of increasing child benefit from those rates to £9.55 for each child throughout 1991-92 would be about £895 million. If the October rates had applied throughout 1991-92, the cost would reduce to around £685 million. The gross full-year cost in 1992-93 of paying £9.55 for all children instead of the rates of £9.65 and £7.80 which will be in payment from April 1992, would be about £465 million.
25. Mr. Cyril D. Townsend : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the future of child benefit.
Mr. Jack : Child benefit is, and will remain, a strong element in our policies for family support. We are committed to index-link child benefit for future years.
Income Support
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received concerning the level of income support for people living in residential care.
Miss Widdecombe : We have recently received a small number of representations about the proposed April 1992 increases, which have generally been welcomed.
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Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received following the computerisation of claims for income support ; what information he has on the error rate in computerised assessments and on the number of checks by supervisors of the assessments of claims ; and if he will make a statement.Miss Widdecombe : The administration of income support is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.
Family Credit
18. Mr. Alison : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the highest level of net earnings that a married man with two children can have and still qualify for family credit.
Mr. Jack : In the case of the family type my hon. Friend describes, the answer is £196, but both children would have to be aged 18 and still at school. The figure will be £209 when the benefit rates are increased next April.
19. Mr. Waller : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many single parents are currently in receipt of family credit.
Mr. Jack : The latest available information is for April 1991, when there were 131,000 lone parent families in receipt of family credit, out of a total caseload at that time of 341,000.
27. Mr. Ian Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many family credit awards have been made since this benefit was first introduced.
Mr. Jack : Since April 1988, when the scheme started, over 2.4 million awards have been made.
Child Support Act
22. Sir Trevor Skeet : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps he is taking to consult on the regulations connected with the Child Support Act 1991.
Mr. Jack : On 1 November a consultation document setting out the proposed contents of the child support regulations was issued to interested organisations and made available to hon. Members. The formal consultation period ends today. The regulations concerning child support appeal tribunals and child support commissioners will be referred to the Council on Tribunals.
Occupational Pension Funds
23. Mr. Cran : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received on the need to review the legal basis of occupational pension funds.
Mr. Newton : Occupational pension schemes are mostly administered under trust law. In 1988 the Occupational Pensions Board recommended that trust law should continue as the legal basis of the law relating to occupational pension schemes. I have received representations in the last few days about various aspects of the legal basis of occupational pension funds.
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Mr. Irvine : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he proposes to bring into force regulations restricting company pension funds from investing more than a specified proportion of their assets in their own company.
Miss Widdecombe : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing, North (Mr. Greenway) on 12 December at cols. 527-28.
Attendance Allowance
24. Mr. Ground : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people currently receive attendance allowance ; and how many did in 1978-79.
Mr. Scott : The latest estimate is that, on average, 975,000 people will receive attendance allowance at any one time in 1991-92, compared to 265,000 in 1978-79.
Cold Weather Payments
26. Mr. Robert Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what recent representations he has received about the changes to the cold weather payments scheme announced last month.
Mr. Scott : I have received representations from a variety of organisations about the changes to the cold weather payments scheme. The improved scheme meets the needs of those groups of people who are most at risk from very cold weather and also makes the most effective use of public resources.
Mr. O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the amount of heat that can be purchased for the allowance to people who qualify under the cold weather payment ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Scott : The amount of heat that could be purchased by a cold weather payment will vary depending on the type, and condition, of the heating system in use.
Social Fund
28. Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people were granted loans from the social fund from April to September 1991 ; and how many have been refused loans during that period on grounds which included an assumption that they lacked resources to ensure that repayment would be made.
Mr. Scott : Nearly 730,000 loans have been awarded from the social fund between April and October 1991. In the same period just under 19,900, or 1.7 per cent. of applications were refused due to the applicant's inability to repay.
Residential Homes
Mr. Simon Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what recent representations he has received about the level of benefits for people in residential care and nursing homes.
Miss Widdecombe : I have recently received a small number of representations about the proposed April 1992 increases, which have generally been welcomed.
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Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people have benefited from real increases in the income support limits for those in residential care and nursing homes over the last three years.Miss Widdecombe : Over the past three years there have been four increases in the income support limits for people in residential care and nursing homes. Further increases, well above inflation in most cases, are proposed from April 1992. Some 265,000 income support recipients are expected to benefit from these increases.
Mr. Peter Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received about the extra help which will be available to people in residential care homes from April 1992.
Miss Widdecombe : We have recently received a small number of representations about the proposed April 1992 increases which have generally been welcomed.
SERPS
Mr. Beith : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he has any plan to modify the state earnings-related pension scheme.
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