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Workers' Co-operatives
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) how many projects involving the development of workers' co-operatives in the third world have commenced since 1988, by year ;
(2) what is the total amount of money invested in the development and setting up of workers' co-operatives in the third world since 1988, by year.
Mrs. Chalker : Comprehensive statistics on aid to workers' co- operatives are not separately maintained and cannot readily or accurately be extracted. A number of projects financed under country programmes have, during the period, included significant elements supporting workers' co- operatives, for example the rural development project in Bangladesh, the co -operatives and rural business development training project in Vanuatu and the handicraft marketing project in Zimbabwe. Other projects will have include smaller components for workers' co-operatives.
Assistance has also been provided under the joint funding scheme. The number and cost of projects approved since 1988 which were primarily concerned with workers' co-operatives were :
|Number |Cost (£ )
--------------------------------------------
1988-89 |3 |9,000
1989-90 |6 |31,000
1990-91 |6 |57,900
1991-92 |3 |10,700
In other cases, support for workers' co-operatives will have formed a smaller part of the project.
In addition to project support, an annual average of three members of workers' co-operatives have, since 1988, been given awards to attend courses at the international co-operative training centre at Loughborough.
HEALTH
NHS Overseas Ltd
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when NHS Overseas Services Ltd. was set up ; what its objectives are ; whether its mission statement and business plan have been placed in the Library ; how many staff it employs and at what grade ; and what its cost in 1992-93 is expected to be.
Mr. Dorrell : I have arranged for the Chairman of NHS Overseas Enterprises to write to the hon. Member ; a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.
GP Complaints
Mr. Kennedy : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals he has to speed up the family practitioner committee complaints system ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : On 2 April 1990 the Government introduced changes to speed up and simplify the family health services complaints system. We are presently considering the scope for Family Health Services Authorities to improve the administration of the complaints procedures.
Column 443
Mr. Kennedy : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has any plans to publicise statistics of complaints received by family practitioner committees and the General Medical Council ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Dorrell : Statistics on the number of formal investigations into complaints by Family Health Services Authorities are published annually in "Health and Personal Social Services Statistics", copies of which are available in the Library.
The General Medical Council is an independent statutory body whose procedures are governed by the 1983 Medical Act. A summary of complaints received and considered by the council is published by it annually.
King's College Hospital (Death)
Mr. Fraser : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will institute an inquiry into the death of Frederick Seymour at King's college hospital, London SE5, at the accident and emergency department, following the remarks of the coroner at the inquest on the deceased.
Mr. Dorrell : The regional health authority has set up an external inquiry to investigate this tragic incident.
Hospitals (Parking)
Mr. Edwards : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines are issued to health authorities regarding the imposition of car parking charges for patients, visitors or staff at national health service hospitals.
Mr. Dorrell : No such guidance has been issued, as this is a matter for local determination.
No-fault Compensation
Mr. Kennedy : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the working of no-fault compensation schemes ; and if he will make a statement.
Column 444
Mr. Dorrell : No full assessment has been made of the working of no- fault compensation schemes, although the Department has noted developments in Scandinavian countries and New Zealand. The question of no-fault compensation was fully debated last year during the NHS (Compensation) Bill. The House decided on a free vote against the measure and the Bill did not receive a Second Reading.
Medical Training
Mr. Kennedy : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department of the December High Court ruling in respect of the Joint Committee on Higher Medical Training ; if he has any plans to revise the arrangements by which the General Medical Council delegates to the medical royal colleges the regulation of post graduate medical training leading to United Kingdom accreditation ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : An appeal has been lodged against the High Court ruling and we would not wish to comment until the outcome of the appeal is known.
Prescriptions
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health for each NHS region and health district what was (a) the total number of prescriptions and (b) the total number of prescriptions that incurred charges in 1988 and 1991 ; and if he will express the latter as a percentage of the former.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Information for 1988-89 is not available. Information for the financial years 1989-90 and 1990-91 is in the table.
Column 443
Total Prescriptions Dispensed by Chemist and Appliance Contractors
FPC Name 1989-90 1990-91
|Total |Chargeable |Percentage |Total |Chargeable |Percentage
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cleveland |4,645,593 |674,509 |14.5 |4,742,004 |648,293 |13.7
Cumbria |3,465,124 |650,960 |18.8 |3,566,067 |633,483 |17.8
Durham |4,875,161 |740,129 |15.2 |5,005,114 |708,441 |14.2
Northumberland |2,077,930 |375,987 |18.1 |2,135,101 |365,735 |17.1
Gateshead |1,774,914 |258,388 |14.6 |1,791,076 |244,524 |13.7
Newcastle upon Tyne |2,551,553 |326,188 |12.8 |2,585,659 |312,000 |12.1
North Tyneside |1,838,823 |251,353 |13.7 |1,853,674 |237,069 |12.8
South Tynside |1,441,112 |171,487 |11.9 |1,479,724 |161,017 |10.9
Sunderland |2,898,914 |342,866 |11.8 |2,926,604 |325,004 |11.1
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Northern |25,569,124 |3,791,868 |14.8 |26,085,023 |3,635,566 |13.9
Humberside |6,768,700 |1,027,742 |15.2 |6,846,640 |978,061 |14.3
North Yorkshire |4,275,083 |757,755 |17.7 |4,389,417 |740,198 |16.9
Bradford |4,277,766 |578,667 |13.5 |4,328,881 |549,174 |12.7
Calderdale |1,639,454 |271,693 |16.6 |1,702,257 |267,932 |15.7
Kirklees |2,857,411 |513,388 |18.0 |2,898,651 |486,789 |16.8
Leeds |6,013,320 |930,678 |15.5 |6,104,747 |890,517 |14.6
Wakefield |2,759,190 |438,637 |15.9 |2,844,187 |425,105 |14.9
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Yorkshire |28,590,924 |4,518,559 |15.8 |29,114,780 |4,337,776 |14.9
Derbyshire |6,487,547 |1,184,802 |18.3 |6,624,863 |1,143,588 |17.3
Leicestershire |6,153,752 |1,153,423 |18.7 |6,271,886 |1,100,908 |17.6
Lincolnshire |3,658,907 |619,919 |16.9 |3,757,464 |584,846 |15.6
Nottinghamshire |7,254,541 |1,285,193 |17.7 |7,458,561 |1,228,879 |16.5
Barnsley |2,191,445 |279,842 |12.8 |2,187,861 |260,122 |11.9
Doncaster |2,765,903 |387,152 |14.0 |2,836,161 |369,282 |13.0
Rotherham |2,082,331 |292,406 |14.0 |2,107,267 |278,733 |13.2
Sheffield |4,817,349 |654,625 |13.6 |4,893,289 |626,028 |12.8
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Trent |35,411,775 |5,857,363 |16.5 |36,137,352 |5,592,386 |15.5
Cambridgeshire |3,480,702 |725,805 |20.9 |3,622,234 |702,202 |19.4
Norfolk |4,047,224 |743,357 |18.4 |4,230,216 |731,160 |17.3
Suffolk |3,476,437 |696,214 |20.0 |3,567,657 |673,420 |18.9
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
East Anglia |11,004,363 |2,165,376 |19.7 |11,420,107 |2,106,782 |18.4
Bedfordshire |3,340,943 |691,350 |20.7 |3,385,068 |657,867 |19.4
Hertfordshire |6,321,276 |1,469,875 |23.3 |6,453,717 |1,415,252 |21.9
Barnet |2,048,821 |396,549 |19.4 |2,075,473 |381,753 |18.4
Brent and Harrow |3,245,635 |612,335 |18.9 |3,287,635 |576,916 |17.5
Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow |4,693,664 |896,906 |19.1 |4,741,660 |841,151 |17.7
Hillingdon |1,700,576 |369,255 |21.7 |1,721,949 |350,928 |20.4
Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster |2,358,714 |655,211 |27.8 |2,361,988 |623,929 |26.4
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
North West Thames |23,709,629 |5,091,481 |21.5 |24,027,490 |4,847,797 |20.2
Essex |9,874,403 |2,043,221 |20.7 |10,132,792 |1,961,065 |19.4
Barking and Havering |2,801,735 |537,117 |19.2 |2,807,571 |499,236 |17.8
Camden and Islington |2,555,908 |485,247 |19.0 |2,570,372 |451,263 |17.6
City, Hackney, Newham and
Tower Hamlets |5,116,857 |698,195 |13.6 |5,203,786 |643,292 |12.4
Enfield and Haringey |3,151,598 |592,033 |18.8 |3,253,609 |555,331 |17.1
Redbridge and Waltham Forest |3,566,650 |645,390 |18.1 |3,604,724 |604,857 |16.8
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
North East Thames |27,067,151 |5,001,203 |18.5 |27,572,854 |4,715,044 |17.1
East Sussex |5,714,784 |929,082 |16.3 |5,809,616 |889,044 |15.3
Kent |10,708,354 |2,068,884 |19.3 |10,906,431 |1,983,984 |18.2
Bexley and Greenwich |3,090,571 |579,471 |18.7 |3,122,385 |539,132 |17.3
Bromley |1,975,701 |425,869 |21.6 |2,008,178 |410,927 |20.5
Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark |5,171,672 |832,863 |16.1 |5,269,598 |780,601 |14.8
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
South East Thames |26,661,082 |4,836,169 |18.1 |27,116,208 |4,603,688 |17.0
Surrey |6,287,851 |1,526,647 |24.3 |6,377,659 |1,474,506 |23.1
West Sussex |4,985,936 |906,329 |18.2 |5,077,230 |874,149 |17.2
Croydon |2,117,939 |452,523 |21.4 |2,132,843 |429,607 |20.1
Kingston and Richmond |2,076,122 |475,683 |22.9 |2,079,613 |459,077 |22.1
Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth |4,146,503 |800,263 |19.3 |4,221,855 |774,851 |18.4
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
South West Thames |19,614,351 |4,161,444 |21.2 |19,889,200 |4,012,190 |20.2
Dorset |5,060,355 |815,042 |16.1 |5,205,630 |784,249 |15.1
Hampshire |10,620,014 |2,163,583 |20.4 |10,871,595 |2,095,593 |19.3
Wiltshire |3,370,352 |712,109 |21.1 |3,444,502 |692,623 |20.1
Isle of Wight |1,003,261 |162,154 |16.2 |1,027,719 |157,997 |15.4
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Wessex |20,053,982 |3,852,889 |19.2 |20,549,446 |3,730,462 |18.2
Berkshire |4,510,779 |1,117,376 |24.8 |4,625,941 |1,081,873 |23.4
Buckinghamshire |3,656,942 |895,191 |24.5 |3,742,879 |863,281 |23.1
Northamptonshire |3,592,195 |740,776 |20.6 |3,676,666 |713,415 |19.4
Oxfordshire |2,752,473 |671,793 |24.4 |2,826,551 |653,246 |23.1
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Oxford |14,512,389 |3,425,135 |23.6 |14,872,037 |3,311,816 |22.3
Avon |6,390,596 |1,257,301 |19.7 |6,502,170 |1,207,801 |18.6
Cornwall |3,078,878 |481,932 |15.7 |3,180,072 |465,614 |14.6
Devon |7,633,769 |1,223,816 |16.0 |7,848,651 |1,188,226 |15.1
Gloucestershire |3,087,228 |642,122 |20.8 |3,158,325 |626,206 |19.8
Somerset |2,943,809 |541,796 |18.4 |3,009,379 |524,533 |17.4
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
South Western |23,134,280 |4,146,966 |17.9 |23,698,597 |4,012,379 |16.9
Hereford and Worcestershire |4,113,740 |812,683 |19.8 |4,203,161 |793,452 |18.9
Salop |2,600,082 |466,427 |17.9 |2,617,820 |450,264 |17.2
Staffordshire |7,579,951 |1,422,494 |18.8 |7,736,986 |1,364,350 |17.6
Warwickshire |3,240,435 |639,082 |19.7 |3,284,385 |611,940 |18.6
Birmingham |9,288,033 |1,145,009 |12.3 |9,401,661 |1,071,959 |11.4
Coventry |2,731,192 |408,062 |14.9 |2,735,711 |376,780 |13.8
Dudley |2,324,858 |423,633 |18.2 |2,349,260 |406,447 |17.3
Sandwell |2,869,891 |392,390 |13.7 |2,864,781 |357,595 |12.5
Solihull |1,508,560 |298,745 |19.8 |1,531,261 |285,528 |18.6
Walsall |2,547,769 |370,237 |14.5 |2,530,137 |341,679 |13.5
Wolverhampton |2,273,563 |333,547 |14.7 |2,272,690 |314,026 |13.8
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
West Midlands |41,078,074 |6,712,307 |16.3 |41,527,853 |6,374,020 |15.3
Cheshire |7,447,839 |1,343,351 |18.0 |7,617,115 |1,284,739 |16.9
Liverpool |5,202,664 |451,909 |8.7 |5,309,343 |418,933 |7.9
St. Helens and Knowsley |3,517,069 |393,842 |11.2 |3,628,178 |371,783 |10.2
Sefton |2,887,641 |375,084 |13.0 |2,961,666 |351,658 |11.9
Wirral |3,263,855 |423,098 |13.0 |3,344,633 |401,672 |12.0
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Mersey |22,319,068 |2,987,284 |13.4 |22,860,935 |2,828,784 |12.4
Lancashire |13,019,122 |1,927,035 |14.8 |13,225,919 |1,833,966 |13.9
Bolton |2,278,039 |346,806 |15.2 |2,327,601 |331,371 |14.2
Bury |1,709,275 |259,782 |15.2 |1,743,156 |247,298 |14.2
Manchester |4,466,316 |491,264 |11.0 |4,512,237 |458,344 |10.2
Oldham |2,094,502 |307,895 |14.7 |2,139,172 |284,895 |13.3
Rochdale |2,023,600 |275,252 |13.6 |2,063,949 |259,195 |12.6
Salford |2,505,149 |303,759 |12.1 |2,534,318 |281,965 |11.1
Stockport |2,433,369 |430,941 |17.7 |2,475,952 |417,509 |16.9
Tameside |2,003,432 |308,615 |15.4 |2,036,652 |290,122 |14.2
Trafford |2,192,308 |364,438 |16.6 |2,233,437 |349,379 |15.6
Wigan |2,912,792 |455,527 |15.6 |2,948,785 |438,338 |14.9
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
North Western |37,637,904 |5,471,314 |14.5 |38,241,178 |5,192,383 |13.6
|------- |------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
England |356,364,096|62,019,359 |17.4 |363,113,060|59,301,074 |16.3
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether a chronic asthmatic on invalidity benefit and in receipt of housing benefits and poll tax benefit but below pensionable age is entitled to free prescriptions.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Since 1968, when medical exemptions from prescription charges were first introduced, asthma has not been a condition which of itself attracts free prescriptions. The NHS low income scheme underpins wide-ranging exemption arrangements on grounds of health or status, thus ensuring that no one need be deterred from obtaining any necessary medication for financial reasons.
As a result of the exemption and charge remission arrangements, coupled with the prescription prepayment certificate scheme, less than one item in six dispensed in the NHS attracts a charge. In 1991 100 million more items were dispensed free than in 1979, when one in three attracted a charge.
Departmental Staff
Mrs. Mahon : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total number of employees in his Department ; and how many are (a) black and (b) disabled.
Mr. Dorrell : As at 3 February 1992, there were 4,511 people employed by the Department of Health of whom 539 were of ethnic minority origin. As at January 1992, 85 members of staff were registered disabled. A survey early in 1991 identified a further 61 additional members of staff with a disability who were not registered disabled.
Notes :
Figure obtained from the Department's payroll held by the Information and Technology Systems Agency.
Figure based on questionnaires voluntarily completed by staff. Figure obtained from the Personnel Computer System which does not include four people on the sheltered placement scheme.
Column 448
Mrs. Mahon : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish a table showing the number of (a) men and (b) women in his Department in each of the grades (i) 1, (ii) 2, (iii) 3, (iv) 4, (v) 5, (vi) 6, (vii) 7, (viii) SEO, (ix) HEO, (x) administrative trainee, (xi) EO, (xii) CO and (xiii) CA.
Mr. Dorrell : The information requested is set out in the table :
Grade |Men |Women
--------------------------
1 |1 |0
2 |5 |2
3 |21 |5
4 |17 |7
5 |108 |55
6 |69 |17
7 |349 |154
SEO |224 |74
HEO |339 |278
AT |5 |5
EO |332 |482
AO (CO) |322 |880
AA (CA) |218 |542
|--- |---
Total |2,010|2,501
Note:
Figures obtained from the
Department's payroll held
by the
Information and
Technology Systems Agency
on 3 February 1992.
Medical Doctors
Mr. Stern : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has any plans to increase the statutory protection for the title "doctor" as applied in the medical field.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Statutory protection already exists. Any person who wilfully and falsely uses any title, including that of "doctor of medicine", implying that he is registered as a medical practitioner under the Medical Act 1983 is guilty of an offence under section 49 of that Act.
Column 449
Population Statistics
Mr. Squire : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the estimated population of (a) the United Kingdom, (b) England, (c) Greater London, (d) outer London, (e) inner London, (f) Manchester, (g) Liverpool, (h) Birmingham, (i) Leeds, (j) Sheffield, (k) Bristol and (l) Glasgow in 1961, 1971, 1981 and 1991.
Mr. Dorrell : The information requested is as follows :
Estimated resident population (Thousands)
Mid-year:- |1961 |1971 |1981 |<1>1990
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
United Kingdom |52,807.4 |55,928.0 |56,352.2 |57,236.2
England |43,561.0 |46,411.7 |46,820.8 |47,837.3
Greater London |7,997.0 |7,529.4 |6,805.6 |6,794.4
Outer London |4,496.0 |4,469.7 |4,255.4 |4,271.2
Inner London |3,481.0 |3,059.7 |2,550.1 |2,523.2
Local Government
areas
Manchester |657.0 |553.6 |462.7 |446.7
Liverpool |741.0 |610.2 |517.0 |462.9
Birmingham |1,179.0 |1,106.8 |1,020.7 |992.8
Leeds |710.0 |748.5 |717.9 |712.2
Sheffield |581.0 |578.8 |547.8 |525.8
Bristol |436.0 |432.5 |401.2 |374.3
Glasgow City |<2>N/A |982.6 |774.1 |689.2
<1>The latest estimates available relate to mid-1990. They are based
upon 1981 Census data, with allowance for subsequent births, deaths,
and migration. Estimates for mid-1991 based upon results of the 1991
Census will become available in Autumn this year.
<2>There is no estimate available for 1961 comparable with the
figures presented for 1971, 1981, and 1990 relating to the
present Glasgow city authority area.
Confronting Elder Abuse"
Mr. John Garrett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he proposes to take on the report of the social services inspectorate "Confronting Elder Abuse".
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The report is the result of the first phase of a project being undertaken by the social services inspectorate. It describes how staff in two social services authorities responded to referrals about elder abuse in domestic settings. The inspectorate is now working to produce guidance on standards as part of our work programme implementing care in the community and improving standards in service provision for the elderly.
Low-Energy Lighting
Mr. Corbett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will make it his policy progressively to introduce low-energy lighting in all the buildings operated by his Department.
Mr. Dorrell : It is already the policy and practice of the Department to introduce low-energy lighting as part of its pursuit of improved energy efficiency.
Abortion
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals he has discussed with his EC counterparts for the harmonisation of provision for abortion within the Community ; and if he will make a statement.
Column 450
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : No such proposals have come forward. Arrangements in respect of abortion are the responsibility of each member state.
DEFENCE
Radiation Exposure
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library statistical information about the radiation doses received by (a) service personnel and (b) civilian workers during refits of the Resolution class submarines.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Radiation dose information is not available in the form requested.
Suicides
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in how many Army regiments there were no suicides in the years 1987 to 1991 ; and in how many there were more than one suicide.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : In the five years 1987-1991 there were no suicides in 33 regiments and six corps of the Regular Army. In the same period there has been more than one suicide in nine corps and eight regiments.
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will make it his policy that all reports of investigations into suicides are examined centrally, that all regiments where there are more than two suicides a year are visited by an independent investigator and that an annual report is made to Parliament on forces' suicides ;
(2) if he will investigate whether bullying was a factor in any suicide in the armed forces.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : All suicides in the armed forces are thoroughly investigated and there are no plans to change present procedures. Investigations completed into suicides committed since 1987 do not show bullying to have been a factor. Statistical information on suicides is contained in the report on "Annual Health Tables : Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force". Arrangements have been made to place the reports for 1990 and future years in the Library of the House.
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give for the (a) Royal Navy and Royal Marines, (b) the Army and (c) the Royal Air Force for each of the years 1987 to 1991 (i) the number of suicides and (ii) the number of personnel ; and if he will express the suicides as the number per 100,000 personnel.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces will write to the right hon. Member.
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will detail the investigatory procedure that is carried out when a suicide occurs in the Army.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The suspected suicide of a member of the Army in the United Kingdom would be the subject of a coroner's inquest. The coroner would expect to receive a report on an investigation of the case by the civil police assisted where appropriate by the special investigation branch--SIB--of the Royal Military police.
Column 451
Suspected suicides of military personnel overseas are investigated by the SIB. A copy of any SIB report is invariably given to the commanding officer of the unit concerned.Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 27 January, Official Report, columns 454-56, if he will investigate the reasons for the level of suicides in the Royal Engineers and the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : No. The level of suicides in the Royal Engineers and the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers is not significantly higher than in other parts of the Army.
Search and Rescue
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will complete his review of search and rescue facilities prior to 9 April.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : It is not yet possible to say when the review will be completed.
Low-Energy Lighting
Mr. Corbett : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will make it his policy progressively to introduce low-energy lighting in all the buildings operated by his Department.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : This is already the policy of the Ministry of Defence, where it is practical to do so.
Russian Defence System
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's latest assessment of the operational effectiveness of Russia's anti-ballistic missile defences.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 13 November 1991, Official Report, columns 613-14.
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with members of the Russian Government concerning (a) the future deployment of additional Russian anti-ballistic missiles and (b) the enhancement of existing Russian anti-ballistic missiles.
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has on the number of the former Soviet Union's early warning radars sited outside Russian territory.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : There are six ballistic missile early warning sites located outside Russian territory. One of these is in the independent republic of Latvia ; there are two sites in the Ukraine and one each in Azerbaijan, Byelorussia and Kazakhstan.
Nuclear Non-proliferation
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures his Department is taking to prevent the proliferation and deployment of anti-ballistic missiles around the world.
Column 452
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Transfers of anti-missile missiles and related technology from the United Kingdom are subject to rigorous national export controls. Such systems or elements of them may also be subject to the international missile technology control regime. United States and Russian ABM deployments are subject to the 1972 ABM treaty.
Range Facilities, Benbecula
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has any plans either to develop or to reduce the range facilities at Balivanich, Benbecula.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : There are currently no plans to develop or to reduce the range facilities at the Royal Artillery ranges, Hebrides. Range requirements are, however, kept under review.
Trident
Mr. Macdonald : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria his Department will apply in determining the level at which the United Kingdom's strategic nuclear warheads will be deployed on the Trident fleet.
Mr. Alan Clark : Trident will deploy the minimum number of warheads necessary to provide effective deterrence, presenting the prospect of damage that no aggressor could find acceptable.
EMPLOYMENT
Labour Statistics
Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the latest statistics for unemployment in the Durham area for those aged (a) under 18, (b) 18 to 40 and (c) over 40 years.
Mr. Jackson : The information, for the City of Durham parliamentary constituency, is contained in the table and can also be obtained from the NOMIS database system in the Library.
Unemployed Claimants in the City of Durham January 1992 Age Group |Total<1> -------------------------------- Under 18 |3 18 to 39 |2,360 40 and over |1,028 <1> The figures are on the unadjusted basis.
Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the number of persons employed (a) in manufacturing industry and (b) in service industries for each year since 1981.
Mr. Jackson : The information relating to employees in employment is shown in the table :
United Kingdom (Thousands) Seasonally Adjusted September |Manufacturing|Services each year -------------------------------------------------------- 1981 |6,148 |13,414 1982 |5,769 |13,384 1983 |5,485 |13,570 1984 |5,402 |13,873 1985 |5,371 |14,117 1986 |5,200 |14,317 1987 |5,176 |14,693 1988 |5,217 |15,340 1989 |5,215 |15,663 1990 |5,147 |15,826 1991 |4,795 |15,495
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what estimate he makes for each year since 1979 of (a) the total available work force, namely all those of working age regardless of whether they were in work or not, and (b) the percentage of the population which was not in work regardless of whether they were looking for work.
Mr. Jackson : The available estimates from the labour force survey are given in the following table.
Population of working age and percentage not in Employment
1979-90
Great Britain
|Population of |Percentage
|working age<1>|not in
|Thousands |employment<2>
------------------------------------------------------------
1979 |31,966 |26.6
1981 |32,463 |29.9
1983 |32,861 |32.4
1984 |33,125 |31.6
1985 |33,301 |30.7
1986 |33,425 |30.6
1987 |33,620 |29.8
1988 |33,750 |27.7
1989 |33,851 |25.6
1990 |33,922 |25.1
<1>Men aged 16-64 and women aged 16-59.
<2>Unemployed (on ILO definition) plus economically
inactive as
a percentage of population of working age.
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of (a) men and (b) women registered as unemployed in the Tooting constituency on 18 February.
Mr. Jackson : In January 1992, the latest available date, there were 4,325 men and 1,636 women claimant unemployed in the Tooting parliamentary constituency, on the unadjusted basis. Figures for February 1992 will be released on 19 March 1992.
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of (a) men and (b) women under the age of 21 years who were registered as unemployed in the London borough of Wandsworth on 18 February.
Mr. Jackson : Unemployment figures by age are only available on a quarterly basis and are based on particular age bands. In January 1992, the latest available date, there were 561 male and 301 female unemployed claimants aged under 20 years in the London borough of Wandsworth.
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many jobs were on offer at each jobcentre in the Leeds metropolitan district in each month since January 1990 showing totals (a) for the Leeds metropolitan district as a whole and (b) for each jobcentre.
Mr. Jackson : The information requested can be obtained from the NOMIS database in the Library.
Column 454
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the numbers of people now registered as unemployed in the Greater London area who have been out of work for periods of up to three months, six months, nine months, one year, two years, three years or longer.
Mr. Jackson : The latest available information, relating to January 1992, is contained in the following table and can also be obtained from the NOMIS database system in the Library.
Claimant unemployment by duration in Greater London January 1992<1> Duration of |Number of unemployment |unemployed ------------------------------------------------ Up to 3 months |108,949 3 to 6 months |78,186 6 to 9 months |54,548 9 to 12 months |44,000 1 to 2 years |68,019 2 to 3 years |17,054 Over 3 years |23,288 <1> Unemployment figures by duration are produced quarterly and are on the unadjusted basis.
Sheltered Placement Scheme
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the review of the payment arrangements for the sheltered placement scheme.
Mr. Jackson : The Employment Service is conducting a review into the arrangements for current and capital funding for both the sheltered placement scheme and sheltered workshops. The review was proposed in the consultative document "Employment and Training for People with Disabilities" and received widespread support. Proposals for new arrangements will be put for consultation as soon as possible.
Employment Action
Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the best information he has, for each region and for Great Britain as a whole, separately for male and female, showing how many people have entered employment action and how many were participating in employment action in December 1991 and in January and February 1992.
Mr. Jackson : The tables show the number of people receiving employment action allowances as at each count date, plus the number starting to receive an allowance in the month ending at each count date. Information is not yet available for February. The figure for allowance starts is not available separately for men and women.
Table 1
Employment action: allowance starts in month
Period ending on
Employment service region |12 December |9 January 1992
| 1991
| 1991
|Total |Total
|men and women |men and women
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
London and South East |380 |318
South West |203 |103
West Midlands |257 |102
East Midlands |326 |170
Yorkshire and Humberside |352 |137
North West |410 |170
Northern |289 |110
Wales |266 |113
|------- |-------
England and Wales |2,483 |1,223
Scotland |213 |132
|------- |-------
Great Britain |2,696 |1,355
Source: Employment Service.
Column 455
Table 2
Employment action: Receiving allowances on count date
Count date
12 December 1991 9 January 1992
Employment service region |Total |Men |Women |Total |Men |Women
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
London and South East |626 |493 |133 |962 |763 |199
South West |337 |293 |44 |409 |339 |70
West Midlands |429 |377 |52 |503 |441 |62
East Midlands |528 |458 |70 |663 |574 |89
Yorkshire and Humberside |710 |599 |111 |792 |669 |123
North West |790 |696 |94 |904 |792 |112
Northern |503 |427 |76 |583 |500 |83
Wales |524 |502 |22 |600 |575 |25
England and Wales |4,447 |3,845 |602 |5,416 |4,653 |763
Scotland |263 |236 |27 |381 |343 |38
Great Britain |4,710 |4,081 |629 |5,797 |4,996 |801
Source: Employment service.
Employment Service
Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) for each region and for Great Britain as a whole, how many unemployed people have been referred to restart courses by employment service counsellors since June 1991 ; how many of them were unemployed for over two years ; how many attended and completed the course ; what were the outcomes of the participants ; how many had benefit penalties imposed for not attending or failing to complete their attendance at the restart course ; and if he will make a statement ; (2) for each region and for Great Britain as a whole, how many unemployed people have taken part in the job interview guarantee scheme since September 1991 ; and how many participants have secured full- time employment with their sponsoring employer ;
(3) how many people, for each region and for Great Britain as a whole, have attended a restart interview since 1 April 1991 ; and what were the results of those interviews, broken down in the same way as the reply given in his answer to the hon. Member for Pendle (Mr. Lee) of 18 December 1990, Official Report, column 148 ; (4) for each region and for Great Britain as a whole, since September 1991, how many people have joined job clubs ; how many have left ; how many leavers got jobs ; how many entered another positive outcome ; and if he will give the information broken down by the ethnic origin and gender of participants ;
(5) for each region and for Great Britain as a whole, how many unemployed people have participated in job interview guarantee work trials since September 1991 ; and how many participants have got full-time employment with their work trial employer.
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