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Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the basis of payment to the chairman of the Northern Ireland tourist board ; how many hours per week he works for the board ; if he is involved in its day-to-day management ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Needham : Payment to the chairman of the board is on the basis that he devotes 2.5 days per week to its business. The board is responsible for the discharge of its statutory functions and it is for the board to decide what authority to delegate to its employees and how this is to be discharged.
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the hon. Hugh O'Neill was appointed as chairman of the Northern Ireland tourist board ; how many persons have served as chief executive since that date ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Needham : Mr. O'Neill was first appointed chairman of the Northern Ireland tourist board on 1 July
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1988 for a term of three years and reappointed on 1 July 1991 for a further three-year term. Following the Government's review of tourism in 1989, the then chief executive decided to take early retirement and was, at the invitation of the board succeeded by a Northern Ireland civil servant seconded to the board as executive director to help implement the new tourism strategy. Early last year, the civil servant indicated that, on completing 40 years' service in the Northern Ireland civil service, he would wish to retire in the late summer. The board decided therefore to recruit a chief executive and Mr. E. J. Friel was appointed with effect from 1 September 1991. Mr. Friel resigned, for personal and family reasons, on 11 December 1991 and the board appointed the deputy chief executive to temporarily act as the chief executive.Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Northern Ireland tourist board will advertise the position of chief executive ; if there will be any change in the terms of reference for this post from those previously applicable and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Needham : I understand from the chairman of the Northern Ireland tourist board that the chief executive post will be advertised very shortly and that there will be no significant change in the chief executive's responsibilities from those previously advertised.
Belfast International Airport
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern ireland what facilities at Belfast international airport are made available for party political meetings ; whether these facilities have been made available for members of the Conservative party ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Needham : Belfast international airport is a commercial enterprise which includes, in its facilities, a business centre available for private hire at the discretion of the airport company.
Rathlin Island (Electricity)
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when mains electricity will be available on Rathlin Island ; what number and proportion of householders will be connected ; and how and where the electricity will be generated.
Mr. Needham : Mains electricity is expected to be available in September 1992. Forty-one householders--79 per cent.--have applied to be connected. Electricity will be generated on the island by wind turbines backed up by diesel generators.
House Building
Mr. Peter Robinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many new houses have been built by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive in each of the last five years ; and what are the projected new start figures for the next three years.
Mr. Needham : This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive whose chief executive has advised me that it has started the following numbers of new dwellings in the last five years.
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Year |Number ---------------------- 1986-87 |1,675 1987-88 |1,632 1988-89 |1,554 1989-90 |1,404 1990-91 |1,007
The executive expects to start building 800 new dwellings in the current year but it has not yet proposed how its resources should be allocated for the next three years. Consequently, it is not possible to provide projected figures.
Mr. Peter Robinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many new starts have been made by housing associations in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years ; and what are the projected figures for each of the next three years.
Mr. Needham : The position for registered housing associations is as follows :
New Starts |Dwellings |Hostel
Year |(Self- |Bedspaces
|contained)|(Shared)
--------------------------------------------
1987-88 |692 |285
1988-89 |378 |236
1989-90 |623 |41
1990-91 |733 |259
<1>1991-92 |610 |290
1992-93 |600 |250
1993-94 |660 |280
1994-95 |720 |300
<1>Figures for 1991-92 are estimated.
Social Security Allowances
Mr. Peter Robinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many people in Northern Ireland have been in receipt of mobility allowance ; and what has been the cost of this provision in each of the last five years ;
(2) how many people in Northern Ireland have been in receipt of attendance allowance ; and what has been the cost of the provision in each of the last five years ;
(3) how many applications for mobility allowance in Northern Ireland have been (a) turned down and (b) granted upon appeal after initially being refused, in each of the last five years.
Mr. Hanley : Social Security operational matters are the responsibility of Mr. Alec Wylie, chief executive of the Social Security Agency. He will write to the hon. Gentleman and copies of his reply will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.
Repair and Improvement Grants
Mr. Peter Robinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) repair grants and (b) improvement grants have been made available by the Housing Executive in the last five years ; and what has been the cost of the provision of these grants.
Mr. Needham : This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive whose chief executive has advised me that the information is as follows :
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Rehabititation Starts |1987-88 |1988-89 |1989-90 |1990-91 |1991-92<1> |1992-93 |1993-94 |1994-95
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dwellings (Self-contained |75 |118 |279 |101 |130 |100 |110 |120
Hostel Bedspaces (Shared) |106 |272 |103 |83 |70 |50 |50 |60
<1> Figures for 1991-92 are estimated.
House Improvements
Mr. Peter Robinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many houses in Northern Ireland have been improved by housing associations in each of the last five years ; and how many are projected to be started in each of the next three years.
Mr. Needham : The position for registered housing associations is as follows :
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Rehabititation Starts |1987-88 |1988-89 |1989-90 |1990-91 |1991-92<1> |1992-93 |1993-94 |1994-95
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dwellings (Self-contained |75 |118 |279 |101 |130 |100 |110 |120
Hostel Bedspaces (Shared) |106 |272 |103 |83 |70 |50 |50 |60
<1> Figures for 1991-92 are estimated.
Mr. Peter Robinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Housing Executive dwellings have been improved in each of the last five years ; and what are the projected figures for the next three years.
Mr. Needham : This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive whose chief executive has advised me that the number of its dwellings improved in each of the last five years was as follows :
|Number
------------------------
|1986-87
1987-88 |37,036
1988-89 |29,545
1989-90 |13,095
1990-91 |10,895
The executive expects to improve 9,450 dwellings in the current year but it has not yet proposed how its resources should be allocated for the next three years.
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The high figures for 1987-88 and 1988-89 were due to the combined effect of a major insulation programme and the installation of new heating systems as a result of gas supplies being withdrawn.Bus Exhaust Emissions
Mr. Clifford Forsythe : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland further to his answer to the hon. Member for Antrim, South on 13 January, Official Report, column 482, if he will list the specific measures being taken by Ulsterbus and Citybus to reduce exhaust emissions during their maintenance of buses.
Mr. Needham : I am advised by the managing director of Ulsterbus and Citybus Ltd. that as a routine part of the vehicle maintenance programme oil samples are taken from engines and subjected to spectographic analysis. This identifies at an early stage engines not functioning properly and enables remedial action to be taken.
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DEFENCE
Military Training
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will now cease the practice of offering military training by United Kingdom service men, or individuals privately contracted within his Department, to security personnel from (a) China, (b) indonesia, (c) Iraq and (d) Sri Lanka.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : No military training is currently provided for China or Iraq. Personnel from Indonesia and Sri Lanka receive some military training in the United Kingdom. There are no plans to cease this practice.
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the extent, content and scope of human rights instruction offered as part of military training of nationals other than United Kingdom nationals, by United Kingdom service men or individuals privately contracted within his Department.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Newport, West, (Mr. Flynn) on 21 January 1992, Official Report, at column 188.
Privatisations
Mr. Page : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give in respect of each privatisation since 1979 (a) the loss or profit for the five years prior to privatisation and (b) any grants or loans made over the same period.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The only privatisation that my Department has undertaken since 1979 was the sale of Royal Ordnance plc, following an open competition, to British Aerospace plc in April 1987. The trading results of the ROF's trading fund, which operated from 1 July 1974 to 1 January 1985, and of the successor company, after 2 January 1985, are given in the relevant published accounts. These were summarised in figure 1 of the Comptroller and Auditor General's report, "Ministry of Defence : Sale of Royal Ordnance plc", HC 162.
Detailed records of my Department's financial transactions with the ROFs are no longer readily available. Precise information concerning any grants or loans in the period in question could therefore be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
REME Building, Woolwich Common
Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received about possible soil contamination at the REME building at Woolwich Common ; and if he will publish the results of his Department's inquiries on the matter.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Representations have been received from a local resident ; the health, environment and public protection committee of the London borough of Greenwich ; the Ministry of Defence's Council of Civil Service Unions ; and from some members of the garrison work force. The small amount of contamination poses no danger to members of the public and we are formulating plans for its removal. Results of the Department's monitoring survey have been made available to the local authority and to Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution.
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Byelaws (Breaches)
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who gave instructions to Ministry of Defence police to arrest for breaches of the Forest Moor and Menwith Hill byelaws on 31 July 1991 ; and what is the current procedure for dealing with people who breach the byelaws.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I have nothing to add to the answers I gave the hon. Member on 23 January at columns 338-39.
Diversification
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to assist diversification by companies in the light of changing requirements.
Mr. Alan Clark : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Leith (Mr. Brown) on 17 December 1991, Official Report, column 147.
Mr. Bill Weir
Mr. Flynn : to ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the grades and duties of the posts held in his Department by Mr. Bill Weir since 1989.
Mr. Alan Clark : Mr. Weir is a grade 7 scientist who, during the period in question, has served as a metallurgist on the central staff of the Ministry of Defence.
Submarine Berthing Tugs
Mr. Cran : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his plans for placing an order for submarine berthing tugs.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : I am pleased to announce that an order has been placed with Richard Dunston (Hessle) Ltd. of north Humberside to build two new submarine berthing tugs. The tugs will operate at the Clyde submarine base. The approximate value of the order is £10 million and delivery of the tugs is planned for spring 1993. The tugs will be a valuable addition to the fleet of Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service support craft that carry out a range of tasks and which, while largely unsung, make a significant contribution to the efficient and effective operation of the Royal Navy.
International Arms Sales Register
Mr. Robert Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements are in hand for British participation in the register of international arms sales, effected on 1 January.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : I have been asked to reply.
Information on 1992 weapons deliveries for the purposes of the register will be required by the UN by 30 April 1993. The disclosure by Britain of such information will require additional powers. The Government intend to bring the necessary legislation before the House early in the next Parliament. In the meantime, the Department of Trade and Industry has written to exporters of equipment in the register's categories to advise them of the need to provide information early next year.
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AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Imported Meat Products
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to ensure that imported meat products from eastern Europe (a) do not undermine domestic producers and (b) are not imported into the EC without satisfactory health checks and proof of origin ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : The Community beef and pigmeat markets are protected by a system of minimum import prices and import levies. Some imports are permitted at reductions in the levy under concessionary schemes reflecting obligations entered into by the Euroepan Community and its trading partners in the context of multilateral trade negotiations. The concessions are limited to quantities which represent around 5 per cent. of total Community production of beef are less than 1 per cent. for pigmeat. They are broadly based on existing trade patterns and are therefore unlikely to cause disruption to domestic markets. In the case of sheepmeat, imports are governed by voluntary restraint agreements which in 1991, limited the quantity imported from eastern Europe to 26,000 tonnes. This represents less than 2.5 per cent of Community production.
Imports of meat and meat products into the Community from third countries, including eastern European countries, are required, under the terms of Community directives, to have been produced to public health standards at least as stringent as those governing intra-Community trade. As a guarantee that these standards have been met, consignments must be health marked with an approved form of label or stamp identifying the establishment of origin and accompanied by certificates issued by an official veterinarian of the exporting country. In Great Britain checks on consignments and their documentation are undertaken by port health authorities. As yet, Community law on these matters is not fully harmonized. However, as part of the single market arrangements, all imports of animal products from outside the Community will be subject to a specified regime of checks on imports of meat and meat products from outside the Community. Entry will be restricted to specific frontier posts having adequate staff and facilities to carry out the checks. Commission inspection teams will be responsible for ensuring that these rules are implemented fully by all member states.
I believe that these arrangements, essential to the single market, will be sufficient to ensure that imports do not present a health risk to consumers in the Community.
Sugar Beet
Mr. Robert Banks : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the total acreage permitted for the growing of sugar beet in north Yorkshire ; and what variations have occurred in the last three years.
Mr. Curry : The areas of sugar beet grown under quota in the county of north Yorkshire for 1989 and 1990 were as follows :
|1989 |1990
-------------------------------------
Hectares |12,794|12,469
Acres (approx.) |31,600|30,800
Source: June Census.
Reorganisation of British Sugar plc's processing arrangements will have resulted in an increase in acreage for 1991, but county figures are not yet available.
British Sugar plc is responsible for contracting with growers with a view to fulfilment of the United Kingdom white sugar quota. This is done in terms of tonnage of beet delivered to processing factories and not of area cultivated.
Canada Geese
Dame Janet Fookes : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research he has undertaken regarding the humane control of Canada geese ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : Research into Canada geese undertaken at the Ministry's central science laboratory is concentrated on techniques for control during the close season, when licences are required for the killing or taking of the geese and their eggs. Recent research, now almost completed, has focused on a simple method of making Canada goose eggs unviable without causing undue suffering to the adult birds. Research is also being undertaken on the population dynamics and movements of Canada geese to provide background for future studies on the effects that various control methods have on population size and movement.
Irradiation
Mr. Butler : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy that any irradiated ingredients of compound ingredients in foodstuffs should be listed as irradiated ingredients.
Mr. Maclean : Rules for the labelling of all foods and listed food ingredients which have been irradiated have already been agreed by the EC and implemented by the Government. Further proposals on food irradiation currently before the Council of Ministers include more detailed rules on the labelling of irradiated ingredients. I am seeking to ensure that the further requirements on ingredient declarations are as comprehensive as practicable.
Ghana
Mr. Alton : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what regulations United Kingdom food exporters specialising in the export of meat have to observe when exporting to Ghana ; and what procedures enable intervention beef to be exported to Ghana by British export companies.
Mr. Maclean : There are no specific regulations governing the export of meat from the United Kingdom to Ghana. Exporters must comply with the relevant Ghanaian import requirements. To enable British exporters to satify these requirements the Agriculture Departments can provide veterinary certificates confirming the health status of the meat, based on our current understanding of the Ghanaian import conditions.
EC export refunds are available for open market and intervention beef sent to Ghana, subject to compliance with normal Community rules.
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Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the refrigerated lorries used to store BSE carcases while awaiting incineration are dedicated completely to this purpose alone ; what regulations cover the storage of BSE carcases in refrigerated lorries ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : The refrigerated containers used for BSE carcases are dedicated to this purpose. Their use is controlled and monitored by the State Veterinary Service.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food further to his answer of 23 January, how many cows with bovine spongiform encephalopathy have been identified (a) on the farm, (b) at the livestock market, (c) at the slaughterhouse and (d) at other locations ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : The information for Great Britain requested by year is as follows :
|1988 |1989 |1990 |<1>1991
-----------------------------------------------------------
Number of BSE
cases confirmed:
(a) on farm |2,142 |7,008 |13,936 |21,404
(b) at markets |16 |55 |106 |140
(c) at abattoirs |27 |73 |137 |111
<1>Provisional.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many carcasses of cattle with bovine spongiform encephalopathy were (a) buried or (b) incinerated in the United Kingdom during 1991.
Mr. Gummer : Between 1 January 1991 and 31 October 1991 a total of 353 carcasses were buried and 23,968 were incinerated.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food further to his answer of 23 January, if he will list the location of storage centres where bovine spongiform encephalopathy carcasses can be stored which are not dedicated for this purpose ; and if he will make a statement.
Animal Welfare
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what consideration has been given to the animal welfare implications of EC directive 91/497 in respect of the additional distances animals may have to travel before slaughter.
Mr. Maclean : Animals can be transported satisfactorily with proper safeguards. The Transit of Animals (Road and Rail) Order 1975 requires food and water to be offered at intervals not exceeding 12 hours. There will continue to be opportunities for all sizes of business under the single market rules.
Agricultural Land (Planning Applications)
Mr. David Clark : To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the effect of the planning policy guidance note on the
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countryside and rural economy on his Department's policy on planning applications affecting the development of agricultural land.Mr. Gummer : Planning policy guidance note 7 reaffirms my Department's policy of protecting the best and most versatile agricultural land.
Sheep Dip Products
Mr. Hague : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the review of sheep dip products has been completed ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : The independent Veterinary Products Committee--VPC-- has completed the initial phase of its review. It has concluded that at present there is no clear evidence that sheep dips cause an unacceptable level of health risk to humans when used in accordance with the label instructions. Nevertheless the VPC has noted that certain aspects of the products and conditions of use need further evaluation, in particular ; the level of purity of the active ingredient ; the toxicity of other ingredients and solvents in the product formulations ; studies of farm operators, including blood tests and details of protective clothing worn ; studies to show which areas of the bodies of operators are most exposed ; the persistence of residues in the fleece.
The companies concerned are being asked to provide additional data by the end of 1992. These, together with any further reports of suspected adverse reactions, will then be considered by the VPC. On the basis of its advice, decisions will then be taken by the licensing authority on the future authorisation of sheep dip products.
Meanwhile, it is essential that all those who use sheep dips should read the product labels and follow the manufacturers' instructions for preparing the dip solution and carrying out the dipping. All operators must ensure that they wear the necessary protective clothing when preparing the dip, dipping and handling freshly dipped sheep. The use of sheep dips is subject to the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations. Health and Safety Executive leaflet AS 29 "Sheep Dipping--Protect your Health" sets out the minimum items of personal protective equipment normally identified on the product label and that need to be worn when sheep dipping.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
Bolivia
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the World bank's forestry and environmental guidelines have been fully applied to the World bank lowlands programme in Bolivia.
Mrs. Chalker : It conforms to the guidelines in force at the time of project approval in 1990.
Mixed Credits
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) which projects funded under the aid-trade provision--ATP--in 1991 would be ineligible for aid funding under the recent OECD agreement on the use of aid in mixed credits ; and what is the value of aid and trade provision funds involved ;
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(2) what effect the recent OECD agreement on the use of aid in mixed credits will have on the British aid programme and the size of the aid trade provision ; and if he will make a statement.Mrs. Chalker : The detailed implementation of this agreement on export and tied aid credits is still under discussion among OECD donors. Its effect on all such donors, including the United Kingdom, will be to reduce aid and trade distortions, and to focus international aid support in areas that need it most. The ATP is presently the subject of a review which will take account of this agreement. Decisions on the future level of the ATP budget will be taken in the light of the review and in the context of the annual planning and budgeting exercise for the aid programme as a whole.
WALES
Waiting Lists
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many patients had been waiting for more than (a) four months and (b) one year on a consultant's in-patient waiting list for major joint replacement surgery, as at 1 January in each district health authority in Wales ;
(2) how many patients had been waiting for more than (a) four months and (b) one year on a consultant's in-patient waiting list for cataract surgery, on 1 January in each district health authority in Wales.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : Information is collected centrally on a speciality basis but not for specific operations.
A48
Mr. Edwards : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received regarding his proposals to introduce a crawler lane for the A48 at Hardwick Hill, Chepstow ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Wyn Roberts : A climbing lane--crawler lane--formed part of both the red and blue routes included in the public consultation exercise held in the summer of 1988 for the Hardwick hill improvement. I announced on 9 July 1991 that following a careful assessment of all the options and representations, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State proposed an improvement along the line of the existing A48 as his preferred option.
A summary of all representations made at that time are included in the statement "Results of Public Consultation". Many additional representations have been received since then. These restate the same views by the same interests. Gwent county council as agent is currently preparing possible options for the improvement of Hardwick hill. A climbing lane forms part of one of these options, but it is too early to say whether such a solution would be adopted.
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