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Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 5 March 1992
CIVIL SERVICE
Equal Opportunities
Mr. Roger King : To ask the Minister for the Civil Service what plans he has to take forward equal opportunities for women in the civil service.
Mr. Renton : I have, today, launched a new programme for action to achieve equality of opportunity for women in the civil service. This builds on the very considerable progress achieved under the programme of action launched in 1984. Departments and agencies will use the new programme to develop action plans which will ensure that the civil service continues to be a leading equal opportunities employer.
THE ARTS
Public Sector Grants
Mr. Steen : To ask the Minister for the Arts how much is received in public sector grants by (a) Dartington arts unit and (b) Exeter and Devon arts centre, in each of the past three years ; what information he has on the proportion which public sector grants formed of the annual turnover in each case ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Renton [holding answer 19 February 1992] : The information available is as follows :
Dartington Arts Society
|1989 |1990 |1991
|£ |£ |£
--------------------------------------------
South West Arts |10,660|10,875|11,750
Note: Local authority figures not
available.
Exeter and Devon Arts Centre
|1989 |1990 |1991
|£ |£ |£
---------------------------------------------------------------
Grants associated with educational and recreational activities
Exeter City Council |39,650 |28,771 |30,459
Devon County Council |- |10,072 |11,464
South West Arts |11,300 |16,385 |14,490
|--- |--- |---
|50,950 |55,288 |56,413
Turnover (income from
activities and trading) |110,814|194,726|209,452
Proportion which public sector
income represents of
turnover (Per cent.) |46 |28 |27
In addition the Exeter and Devon Arts Centre receives the
following grants towards operational expenditure
Devon County Council |164,584|179,238|194,100
Exeter City Council |151,900|134,107|145,000
|---- |---- |----
Total |316,484|313,345|339,100
All figures are expressed in real terms.
TRANSPORT
Departmental Properties
Mr. Soley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many residential properties owned by his Department are (a) empty, (b) for sale on the open market, (c) intended for sale on the open market and (d) for sale to housing associations, in terms of numbers and percentages of stock.
Mr. McLoughlin : The Department's portfolio is constantly changing as a consequence of properties being acquired or demolished for road schemes, or being disposed of as surplus to requirements.
(a) Currently, the Department owns 2,577 properties, of which 460--17.9 per cent. of total stock--are empty, including those recently acquired, uninhabitable, being sold or awaiting demolition. The remaining 2,117 properties--82.1 per cent. of total stock--are equally divided between direct lettings by the Department and indirect letting on its behalf by housing associations and local authorities. (b) Currently, 124 properties-- 4.8 per cent. of total stock--are for sale on the open market.
(c) A figure cannot be provided for the number of properties intended for sale on the open market as it is not known which will be surplus to the requirements of road schemes until an advanced stage when the line of the road is fixed.
(d) Housing associations have an opportunity to buy almost all of the department's surplus housing. A small number of properties are bought back by previous owners under the Crichel Down rules, otherwise property is offered next to the agent housing association. Associations are also free to bid on the open market for other surplus properties not under their management.
Buses
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultations he has had with bus drivers concerning safety of drivers, passengers and pedestrians.
Mr. Freeman : The safety of bus drivers and passengers is considered regularly by the standing panel on assaults on bus staff--STAB--which includes representatives of the bus industry, the unions and Government Departments. STAB's remit includes all forms of crime on buses including vandalism and attacks on passengers. At a local level the traffic commissioner has powers to attach conditions to an operator's licence if a local service has been operated in a manner dangerous to the public. The traffic commissioner may also suspend or revoke a PSV driver's licence if the driver has been convicted of dangerous driving.
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what new measures he will introduce to improve bus road safety ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Freeman : Buses are the safest form of road passenger transport in this country. Regulations covering the safety of buses are kept under continuous review and can be amended as the need becomes apparent.Ferry Services
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will issue guidance notes on the operational responsibilities of British ferry operators for ferry services marketed and advertised by them, but operated by a foreign company.
Mr. McLoughlin : The responsibility for safe operation of a ship is prescribed in section 31 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1988. No guidance notes are planned.
Maritime Conventions
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made on the ratification of maritime conventions Nos. (a) 163, (b) 164, (c) 165, (d) 166, (e) 173 and (f) 176.
Mr. McLoughlin : The Government stated their views on ILO conventions Nos. 163, 164, 165 and 166 in Command 658 dated April 1989 and indicated that they do not propose to ratify conventions 163, 165 and 166. Now that the syllabi for the necessary training courses in medical skills promulgated by the International Maritime Organisation, the International Labour Organisation and the World Health Organisation have been reduced to performance criteria on which colleges and other bodies can base their instruction, the Department will shortly be going to a second round of consultation on how the United Kingdom should meet its obligations under article 9.2 of convention No. 164--health protection and medical care (seafarers)--and so proceed to ratification.
The latest convention to be adopted by the ILO and therefore available for ratification is No. 172.
River Thames (Cargo Handling)
Mr. Janman : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his policy on maintaining competition in containerised cargo handling facilities on the River Thames, east of Tower bridge.
Mr. McLoughlin : Any potential concerns about competition in the provision of such facilities would be a matter for consideration by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.
Princess Maria Esmeralda
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the reply to the request for an investigation into the sailing of the Princess Maria Esmeralda on Sunday 21 July 1991.
Mr. McLoughlin : I will summarise that reply. This Belgian flag ship was sailing from a Belgian port under the sole jurisdiction of the Belgian authorities. The Department has now notified them of the reported incident. However, departmental marine surveyors have inspected the vessel and advise that the upper stern door can be left open without compromising the ship's safety. They also advise that the lower door is recessed into the stern and can appear from a distance to be open while actually closed and weathertight.
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Port of Tilbury
Mr. Janman : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration he has given to the credit rating of Maritime Transport Services Ltd. which is bidding for the port of Tilbury ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. McLoughlin : It is for the Port of London authority to consider all relevant factors in assessing the bids for the port of Tilbury and in making its recommendation to my right hon. and learned Friend concerning the sale of the port.
Bus Industry
Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many employees there were in the bus industry in 1985-86 and 1990-91.
Mr. McLoughlin : The numbers of staff employed in the bus industry in Great Britain in 1985-86 and 1990-91 were :
1985-86 174,200--annual average.
1990-91 155,500--end of year.
The figures include all platform, maintenance and administrative staff employed by the bus industry. They also include working proprietors and the full-time equivalent of part-time public service vehicle staff.
PRIME MINISTER
Housing Benefit
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Prime Minister if he will introduce changes to housing benefit and mortgage interest benefit to permit people paying part-rent part-mortgage to qualify for housing benefit and income support assistance.
The Prime Minister : The current regulations already make provision for such arrangements.
Engagements
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 5 March.
The Prime Minister : This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today.
ENVIRONMENT
Thorne and Hatfield Moors
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has received from English Nature concerning the conservation of the remaining vegetated areas of Thorne and Hatfield moors, including the effect of the continued extraction of peat from the other areas ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Baldry : I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to the hon. Member for Dagenham (Mr. Gould) on 27 February 1992, Official Report, column 561 . English Nature will be producing management plans for the vegetated areas of
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these sites. High water tables will be maintained by a programme of controlled blocking of drains. Detailed monitoring of the effects will take place against recent baseline studies. English Nature will also be producing after-use plans for the areas where peat extraction is to continue.Sleeping Rough
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the most up-to-date figures recorded by his Department for the numbers of people sleeping rough in the Greater London area.
Mr. Yeo : The number of persons found sleeping rough at pre- identified sites in Greater London on censusnight--21 to 22 April 1991--was published by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys in the 1991 census preliminary report for England and Wales "Supplementary Monitor on People sleeping rough". A copy is in the Library.
Hedgehogs and Toads
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many hedgehog ladders and toad tunnels have been constructed or funded by his Department since 1979.
Mr. Baldry : No information is available on the number of hedgehog ladders constructed since 1979. Five toad tunnel systems, incorporating 11 tunnels, and financed wholly or partly by central or local government, have been constructed since 1979.
City Challenge
Mr. Steen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will favourably consider the application for funding for the Blackie Great Georges project, Liverpool 1, under the city challenge scheme later in the current month.
Mr. Key : Under the city challenge management arrangements, it will be for Liverpool's city challenge executive committee in the first instance to decide whether to include particular projects within the five-year programme. Any project with a grant requirement of £500,000 or more will additionally require detailed appraisal by my Department, and will be considered on its merits on receipt.
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what amount has been given by his Department for city challenge ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key [holding answer 3 March 1992] : A sum of £82.5 million per year for up to five years from 1992-93 has been allocated from the Department's inner-city and housing programmes to fund the 11 first- round "pacemaker" city challenge action plans. Up to £150 million per year is being made available for city challenge for up to five years from 1993-94 for those successful in the second round.
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PCBs
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will place in the Library a copy of his development action plan for the phasing out of PCBs by 1999 ;
(2) what action he has taken to implement the decision of the third North sea conference of March 1990 to phase out and destroy all PCBs by 1999, in 1990-91 and 1991-92 ; and what is planned for each year to 1999 ;
(3) how many full and part-time posts are contributing to the phasing out of PCBs by 1999 ; and if he will give the job specification and location of each post ;
(4) if he will give an estimate of the number of tonnes of PCBs in the United Kingdom still awaiting disposal and details of targets set for the disposal of PCBs in the United Kingdom ;
(5) if he will give details of all existing incinerators, and those in respect of which planning applications (a) have been approved and (b) are outstanding, licensed to accept PCBs ;
(6) what estimate he has made in respect of the presence of PCBs in United Kingdom waters.
Mr. Baldry : It is intended to produce a plan in accordance with the decision of the third North sea conference. A copy will be placed in the Library when available. Work is currently directed to refining the assessment of the types and quantities of PCBs known to exist and the available incineration capacity. New treatment techniques and alternative disposal options to incineration for particular PCB arisings are being appraised.
A revision of waste management paper No. 6 containing technical guidance on the treatment and disposals of PCB wastes is in preparation for publication in March 1993.
Planning for phase-out involves a co-operative effort between my Department and other Government Departments. I cannot therefore be precise about numbers and locations of individual posts.
The remaining PCBs in the United Kingdom are mainly associated with electrical equipment, much of which will be disposed of with its PCB content. Accurate figures are not available, but it is estimated that about 20,000 tonnes of contaminated plant requires disposal, of which about half are PCBs.
There are two merchant incinerators available for the disposal of special wastes including solid and liquid PCBs ; the Rechem plant at Pontypool and a plant at Ellesmere Port operated by Cleanaway. Plant capacity for PCB destruction cannot be stated in absolute terms since it is dependent upon the chlorine content and the physical form of the waste. It is not known if any proposed plant at the planning application stage is to be used for PCBs.
Levels of PCBs in United Kingdom coastal waters are normally so low as to be beyond the limits of detection. However, since PCBs are known to accumulate in living tissue, government monitoring programmes concentrate on levels of PCBs in fish. Results of these programmes are regularly published by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in the acquatic environment monitoring reports. Control measures taken by the Government have been effective in reducing peak levels of PCBs to considerably below those that were
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found in the 1970s. The levels are below those that would cause harm to human consumers and there is no reason to believe that they threaten fish health.Leeds Development Corporation
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what official statistics are kept on employment in the area covered by the Leeds development corporation.
Mr. Key : This is primarily a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Employment. I understand that employment statistics for development corporation areas are not compiled. Official statistics for employees in employment are made available for local authority wards and aggregations of them. The area covered by Leeds development corporation does not coincide with ward boundaries.
British Waterways Board
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about financing for the British Waterways Board.
Mr. Baldry : I am pleased to announce that we have increased the external finance limit for the British Waterways Board to £51.7 million for 1991-92. This is enabling the board to spend an additional sum of up to £3 million on canal maintenance. The increase is being financed through expenditure savings identified elsewhere within the Department, and will not add to the planned total of public expenditure.
EC Eco-labelling Scheme
Mrs. Roe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress is being made towards implementing the EC eco-labelling scheme.
Mr. Baldry : The United Kingdom is playing a leading role in preparing for the launch of the European scheme. We are developing criteria on a wider range of products than any other country and we are making a significant contribution to putting in place the necessary European administrative arrangements for the operation of the scheme.
Nationally, we are required by the eco-labelling regulation to designate a competent body for the scheme. We have decided that a dedicated non- departmental public body would be the most suitable organisation to take on this role in the United Kingdom. In reaching this decision, we took account of the National Advisory Group on Eco-Labelling's advice that the body should be official, independent and at arm's length from ministerial control. This should demonstrate the authority and impartiality of the body and promote the credibility of the scheme. We will introduce legislation to establish this body when parliamentary time permits. Until then, it will operate in an advisory capacity.
I am pleased to announce that Dr. Elizabeth Nelson has agreed to chair the United Kingdom eco-labelling body. Dr Nelson is presently chairman of Addison Group Consultancy plc and the Taylor Nelson Group Ltd., but has indicated that she intends to step down later in the year. She has extensive business experience, and particular expertise in the fields of marketing and market research,
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which she will be able to contribute to the development of the eco-labelling scheme in the United Kingdom and across the European Community. We will be announcing the names of the other members of the board of the eco-labelling body in due course.NORTHERN IRELAND
Power Stations
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to complete the sale of Northern Ireland Electricity power stations.
Mr. Brooke : I have now reached contractual agreement for the sale of Ballylumford power station to British Gas, the sale of Kilroot and Belfast West power stations to a consortium of Applied Energy Services and Tractebel and the sale of Coolkeeragh power station to a management- employee team--MEBO.
The contracts provide for total sale proceeds of £353 million subject to the normal audit of completion accounts ; £132.4 million for Ballylumford, £214 million for Belfast West and Kilroot and £6.5 million for Coolkeeragh. In the later case, a five-year profit-sharing deal offers the possibility of up to a further £2 million. The terms of the sales and the relevant documents have been notified to the European Commission.
The companies which are being sold will be created out of the single entity of Northern Ireland Electricity at 1 April 1992 and have no separate trading records. Because of this, provisions are being included to allow for further adjustments to the sale price, if necessary, for a 15-month period until after the first year's trading has been completed and audited. These provisions mostly relate to assurances given by Government as to station liabilities and information made available and are subject to rigorous de minimus levels and caps of £26 million for British Gas, £53.5 million for AES/Tractebel and £0.5 million for the management buy-out. Completion of each of the sales is subject to a number of conditions mainly in relation to satisfying terms for financing. The sales to MEBO and AES/Tractebel are project financed and will not be completed until the money is in place. While I am hopeful that this can be achieved by 31 March, I cannot guarantee that this will be so. An important provision in the contracts allows a period before completion during which the new owners can familiarise themselves with the operation of the stations.
The sale of Ballylumford brings with it plans for the construction by British Gas of a gas pipeline to Northern Ireland and the conversion of that station to gas firing and I am pleased to announce that the European Commission has approved a grant of up to 90 million ecu towards these costs. Terms have been agreed, but British Gas has still to carry out a detailed undersea survey and complete negotiations with Bord Ga is E ireann in respect of the shared onshore pipeline in Scotland. The agreement allows for a reassessment of the gas pipeline proposals following completion of these. The pipeline has been sized so that it it can accommodate additional gas requirements for either future power generation or the development of a downstream market in Northern Ireland and I welcome the opportunities which these will present.
I am convinced that the sale of power stations on the terms which I have agreed represents the best outcome for
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not only the taxpayer but energy users in Northern Ireland. A privatised industry represents the best means of securing maximum efficiency and will be more responsive to the needs of consumers. The provision of gas will give us not only access to a clean and cost effective fuel for electricity generation but the promise of an additional alternative fuel for industrial, commercial and domestic consumers in Northern Ireland in the years ahead.National Union of Students (Grant)
Mr. Peter Robinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been given in grants to the National Union of Students in higher education colleges in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.
Dr. Mawhinney : No Government grants are paid to the National Union of Students. The students' unions of the Queen's University of Belfast, the university of Ulster and St. Mary's college of education are affiliated to the National Union of Students. Payment to the National Union of Students by the students' unions of the two universities were as follows :
|Queen's |University of
|University |Ulster
|£ |£
--------------------------------------------------------
1986-87 |24,600 |19,494
1987-88 |27,554 |21,178
1988-89 |28,576 |15,740
1989-90 |36,450 |27,872
1990-91 |42,265 |36,723
Information on the amounts paid by the students' union of St. Mary's college is not readily available. Stranmillis college students' union is not affiliated.
University Research
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken to secure and develop research activity within Northern Ireland universities for the future.
Dr. Mawhinney : The Government recognise the value of the research done at Northern Ireland's two universities, particularly its importance to the strengthening of the local economy and are already providing public funding in excess of £30 million a year to support such research.
The Department of Education for Northern Ireland is currently considering, in consultation with the universities, what arrangements for the funding of basic research
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should succeed the present system, under which the department receives advice from the Universities Funding Council, when the latter ceases to exist in 1993.It is hoped that the new arrangements will continue to provide the universities with positive incentives not only to carry out research of international quality but to meet the needs of industry and society in Northern Ireland.
Victims of Violence
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will introduce a new scheme to provide compensation to innocent victims of violence where the level of compensation falls outside existing provision.
Dr. Mawhinney : No. The existing criminal injuries compensation scheme in Northern Ireland provides fair and reasonable compensation to the innocent victims of violence.
Dentistry
Mr. Hume : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement outlining what plans there are to implement the recommendations of the Poswillo report on the use of general anaesthesia, sedation and resuscitation in dentistry in Northern Ireland ; and what funds will be allocated to support their implementation.
Mr. Hanley : The level of general anaesthesia in Northern Ireland is four times that in England and as a result the cost of implementing the Poswillo report in the Province will be relatively high. It has not been possible to earmark resources specifically for this purpose in 1992-93.
The health and social services boards, however, will be asked to implement the recommendations of the report, as resources permit, giving priority to the hospital and community dental services. General dental practitioners will be invited to refer patients to the community dental service where appropriate, until resources become available for the requisite investment in the general dental service.
Education Maintenance Allowances
Mr. Hume : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many education maintenance allowances were awarded by each education and library board in Northern Ireland for each academic year since 1986-87 ; and what was the total value of such awards by board in each year.
Dr. Mawhinney : The information is as follows :
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Number of awards
Academic year
Education and library board |1986-87 |1987-88 |1988-89 |1989-90 |1990-91
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Belfast |230 |109 |67 |43 |38
North Eastern |179 |93 |65 |31 |25
South Eastern |130 |82 |51 |38 |34
Southern |389 |303 |192 |102 |112
Western |575 |398 |171 |91 |144
|------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Total number of awards |1,503 |985 |546 |305 |353
Value of awards
Financial year
Education and library board |1986-87 |1987-88 |1988-89 |1989-90 |1990-91
|£ |£ |£ |£ |£
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Belfast |30,084 |23,475 |18,629 |8,582 |9,024
North Eastern |40,416 |32,465 |15,669 |11,278 |6,887
South Eastern |30,922 |28,622 |13,133 |12,880 |6,901
Southern |87,298 |63,518 |47,041 |29,169 |19,448
Western |127,681 |107,871 |45,916 |24,123 |15,160
|------- |------- |------- |------- |-------
Total value of awards |316,401 |255,951 |140,388 |86,032 |57,420
Financial information is not available on an academic year basis.
Mr. Hume : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give details of all changes to the value of education maintenance allowances and/or in the means test scales for education maintenance allowances since 1980 specifying the respective values and scales in each instance.
Dr. Mawhinney : The information is as follows :
Academic Maximum Means-test limits (£)
year |allowance (£)
|Lower |Upper
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Age 16
1980-81 |380 |1,670 |2,980
1981-82 |425 |1,910 |3,410
1982-83 |445 |2,080 |3,715
1983-84 to 1989-90 |390 |2,485 |3,925
1990-91 |520 |2,800 |5,200
1991-92 |551 |3,080 |5,720
Age 17
1980-81 |430 |1,670 |3,140
1981-82 |480 |1,910 |3,590
1982-83 |500 |2,080 |3,915
1983-84 to 1989-90 |475 |2,485 |4,165
1990-91 |520 |2,800 |5,200
1991-92 |551 |3,080 |5,720
Age 18
1980-81 |510 |1,670 |3,470
1981-82 |570 |1,910 |3,970
1982-83 |595 |2,080 |4,325
1983-84 to 1989-90 |494 |2,485 |4,645
1990-91 |520 |2,800 |5,200
1991-92 |551 |3,080 |5,720
Mr. Hume : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement detailing the progress of the review of the education maintenance allowance scheme by the Department of Education indicating the date of its initiation, consultation with education and library boards, unions or other interested bodies, the terms of the review and consultations and options identified and appraised.
Dr. Mawhinney : The Department of Education for Northern Ireland initiated the review in 1988. It was
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completed in 1990. Government departments and education and library boards were consulted in the course of the review, which also took into account representations received from other organisations and public representatives.The review was charged with examining the requirements for the scheme and the options available for upgrading. In consultation, the options identified and appraised, ranged from discontinuation of the scheme to consideration of various levels of increases in allowances, in income bands, or both, and the redefinition of eligibility. Changes resulting from the review were implemented from 1 September 1990. The changes made the scheme more straightforward--with one scale of allowances and shorter and fewer income bands. At the same time, all means-test limits were raised by 12 per cent. with an additional increase of 10 per cent. in 1991.
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