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Compact Discs
Ms. Quin : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if his Department intends to bring forward any proposals concerning the wholesale and retail prices of compact discs.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : The Office of Fair Trading recently completed detailed inquiries into the recorded music market, with particular reference to the price of compact discs. It found that no producer or retailer had a market share in excess of 25 per cent.--the threshold for a scale monopoly under the monopoly provisions of the Fair Trading Act 1973-- and that there was no evidence of collusion between recorded music producers or retailers, or between producers and retailers. It concluded that prices of compact discs had settled at the level which the market was willing to bear. There was no evidence that the profits of record producers were excessive. In the absence of any evidence of collusion or anti- competitive conduct the Director General of Fair Trading concluded that no action under the competition legislation was appropriate but the OFT proposes to keep the market under review.
Environmental Protection Technology
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proportion of the European market for environmental protection technology is held by United Kingdom companies ; and which EEC country has the biggest proportion of the market.
Mr. Leigh : United Kingdom companies are well represented among the top European environmental firms in major sectors such as water treatment, waste management and consultancy ; and United Kingdom companies are selling environmental goods and services throughout west and east Europe.
Figures on environmental market shares would depend on assumptions on technologies included. The evidence available suggests that United Kingdom companies are relatively well placed but face competition especially from their German and French counterparts. The market in Europe, as elsewhere, certainly represents important opportunities for United Kingdom companies.
British Coal
Mr. Dobson : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the organisations or individuals retained to advise or assist him or his Department on the privatisation of British Coal who were not appointed by competitive tender.
Mr. Eggar : All consultants retained in connection with coal privatisation have been appointed following competitive tenders.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the organisations and individuals retained by him or his Department to advise or assist on the privatisation of British Coal, giving in each case, the date their appointment commenced and the aspect on which they are advising.
Mr. Eggar : Information concerning consultants who have been appointed to give advice in connection with the privatisation of the coal industry is as follows :
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Consultant |Date contract |Nature of
|commenced |advice
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
N. M. Rothschild and Sons Ltd. |30 May 1991 |Financial
Touche Ross and Co. |12 June 1991 |Accounting
Messrs Clifford Chance |19 June 1991 |Legal
John T. Boyd Company |5 August 1991 |Mining
Wardell Armstrong |5 August 1991 |Mining
Mr. P. Williams |7 January 1992|Safety
Clearing Banks
Mr. Caborn : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the effect on small businesses of the number of clearing banks.
Mr. Leigh : The President of the Board of Trade will consider a possible offer from Lloyds bank for Midland bank in the light of considered advice from the Director General of Fair Trading. This advice will include an assessment of all aspects of the merger affecting the public interest, including the implications for small businesses.
Mr. Caborn : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the services provided by the clearing banks for small businesses.
Mr. Leigh : In recent years, banks have played an important part in meeting the financial needs of small businesses and have introduced a wide range of new products and services for their small business customers. Details of those products and services are set out in the codes of practice for small business customers which all the major banks have now produced. Clearing banks meet the vast majority of small businesses' needs for finance, currently providing over £40 billion of loans to small companies.
Mr. Devlin : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the implications for individual banking customers of a reduction in the number of clearing banks.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : The President of the Board of Trade and I will consider the possible offer by Lloyds bank for Midland bank in the light of considered advice from the Director General of Fair Trading. This advice will include an assessment of all aspects of the merger affecting the public interest including the implications for individual customers.
Bank Mergers
Mr. Caborn : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to meet representatives of (a) the Confederation of British Industry, (b) the Association of British Chambers of Commerce and (c) the Small Business Bureau to discuss bank mergers.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : The President of the Board of Trade and I have no plans to meet representatives of these or other organisations to discuss the current merger proposals involving the Midland bank. In order to act in an evenhanded way, we are following the normal practice in merger situations of not receiving direct representations from interested parties but asking them to make their representations to the Director General of Fair Trading. The President of the Board of Trade will consider the proposals in the light of the advice he will receive from the director general which will take account of all the views and arguments that have been expressed.
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Assisted Areas
Mr. Morgan : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what progress he has made with the review of assisted areas ; and what weight he will give to relative unemployment levels (a) on the post-1982 counting method, (b) the pre-1982 counting method and (c) gross domestic product per head relative to United Kingdom average in any revision he proposes to make to United Kingdom assisted area status designation and boundaries.
Mr. Sainsbury : The Government indicated before the election that a review of the assisted areas map would be conducted early in this Parliament. We are now considering how to take that commitment forward and are looking at the criteria to be applied. I hope to make an announcement on this shortly.
ENVIRONMENT
Estate Action
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to give form B approval to the estate action bid for the Bonamy estate, London SE16 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Baldry : A form B bid has not yet been submitted. Officials are continuing to discuss progress with the council.
Hazardous Waste
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps are being undertaken to improve the availability and quality of data relating to waste published by his Department.
Mr. Maclean : The first stage of an informal in-house review of waste statistics involving policy divisions with responsibilities in this area and co-ordinated by the environmental protection statistics division was completed at the end of last year. As a result of this review a number of immediate steps have been taken to improve information availability : statisticians in the DOE have co-operated with the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy in the development of new surveys of waste collection and disposal authorities to gather information on household and other municipal wastes ; a programme to develop independent methods of assessing household waste arisings and its composition is also planned ; and reviewing the content and form of the annual survey of special waste arisings.
A considerable amount of underpinning research work is also required to develop appropriate methodologies for collecting data on other waste streams and the results of the review are being used to develop those strands in the Department's research and development programme.
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to prohibit the incineration of wastes containing heavy metals, organochlorines and other organic halogens within the United Kingdom.
Mr. Maclean : This would not be appropriate. Incineration is an important waste disposal option. However, it is essential to apply tight environmental
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regulation to incineration as to other waste disposal methods. Existing controls are being strengthened through implementation of part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. This already covers new plant and will extend to existing plant later this year. Proposals have also been published for a new European Community directive on hazardous waste incineration.Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to ban the trade in hazardous wastes to and from the United Kingdom.
Mr. Maclean : Negotiations are in progress on a draft regulation on the supervision and control of shipments of waste within, into and out of the European Community. The regulation will enable the United Kingdom to ratify the Basel convention on the control of transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and their disposal. The Government believe that all developed countries should become self-sufficient in final disposal of waste, but that imports of hazardous waste should continue from developing countries which are unable to deal safely with such waste. The Government consider that international movements of waste for recovery should continue subject to appropriate environmental controls, such as those included in the recent decision by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development on the control of transfrontier movements of waste destined for recovery operations.
Emissions
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the latest available figures for the difference between the level of emissions and the level the biosphere can safely absorb.
Mr. Maclean : The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that the biosphere and other components of the carbon cycle absorb almost half of current man-made emissions of carbon dioxide. We have no information on the amount of carbon dioxide that the biosphere can safely absorb.
Ozone-Depleting Substances
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the progress being made towards the halting of production of products containing (a) chlorofluorocarbons, (b) hydrochlorofluorocarbons, (c) methyl chloroform, (d) carbon tetrachloride and (e) halons.
Mr. Maclean : The Montreal protocol and associated European legislation control the production and consumption of CFCs, halons, carbon tetrachloride and methyl chloroform themselves, rather than the production of products containing them. The Government are committed to phasing out production of those substances by the end of 1995 at the latest, and production of products will diminish as the supply of the chemicals is phased out. The protocol is likely to be extended in November to include controls of HCFCs, and the European Community has proposed that those controls should consist of a quantitative limit on consumption, restriction of possible uses and a phase-out date.
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Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will review the level and quality of the enforcement of CITES regulations by authorities in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Maclean : The enforcement of the CITES regulations is kept under constant review by my Department through regular contacts with the police authorities and Her Majesty's Customs and Excise, which are primarily responsible for enforcing the regulations. We are currently examining proposed new European Community controls on trade in wildlife, and the enforcement of those controls will need to be considered by the Community as a whole.
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the EC CITES committee temporary ban on import of lizards and other reptiles applies to all EC nations ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : The temporary ban on the import of certain species from Indonesia was agreed by the EC CITES committee and applies to all EC member states.
Radioactive Waste (Broomfield Hospital)
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the outcome of the serving of an enforcement notice by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution on the Mid-Essex hospital service in February over the unauthorised receipt and storage of radioactive waste at Broomfield hospital in Chelmsford.
Mr. Maclean : The outcome of the serving of an enforcement notice on the Mid-Essex hospital service is that Broomfield hospital is no longer receiving radioactive waste from other hospitals and is not accumulating such waste. Radioactive waste being produced by the hospital itself is incinerated in accordance with authorisations granted under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960 and the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Rural Housing
Mr. Tyler : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to promote affordable housing in rural areas.
Mr. Baldry : We have taken a variety of measures since 1988 to boost supply of low-cost housing in rural areas. We have substantially increased public resources through the Housing Corporation for new investment by housing associations, with a target for new social housing under their special rural programme of 2,400 in 1992-93. In 1991-92 the corporation approved 2,355 units against a target of 1,500, more than making up for the previous year's shortfall. We have also made £30 million available this year for rural local authorities, to provide over 1,000 new social housing units. Amended planning guidance permits development of low-cost housing for local needs on small sites not otherwise designated for housing.
Hedgerows
Mr. Tyler : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to introduce legislation to protect hedgerows.
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Mr. Maclean : I refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer of 14 May to the hon. Member for Bridgend (Mr. Griffiths), Offical Report, column 198.
Homelessness
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assistance his Department proposes to give over the next two years to those charitable organisations which provide shelter to homeless people in Leeds.
Mr. Baldry : For 1992-93 the Department has offered financial assistance under section 73 of the Housing Act 1985 to the voluntary organisations Caring for Life, Nightstop, St. Anne's Shelter and Leeds Action to Create Homes, all of which are projects which provide direct practical help to homeless people in Leeds. Funding for future years is subject to negotiation.
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many units of permanent accommodation are to be provided in 1992-93 in (a) West Yorkshire and (b) Leeds West for mentally ill homeless people moving out of specialist short-term hostels funded by his Department ; what resources are to be provided in 1992-93 to meet the needs of these people once they are ready to move into more permanent accommodation ; and what arrangements he has to co-ordinate the provision of more permanent accommodation.
Mr. Baldry : My Department does not fund directly specialist short- term hostels for mentally ill people. Total housing investment programme allocations made to west Yorkshire local authorities for 1992-93 are as follows :
|£ million
-------------------------------
Bradford |11.896
Calderdale |7.508
Kirklees |11.917
Leeds |27.424
Wakefield |10.800
Within their total resources, it is for each authority to consider all the housing needs in its area, including the need for permanent accommodation, and to determine its priorities accordingly.
Smoke Control Areas
Mrs. Ann Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will introduce controls over sales of unauthorised fuels in smoke control areas.
Mr. Maclean : The sale associated with delivery and the acquisition of unauthorised fuels for use in a smoke control area are already offences under the Clean Air Act 1968. We propose to introduce a ban on the straightforward retail sale of such fuel in smoke control areas as soon as possible.
Pollution
Mrs. Ann Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will publish the results of the recent national nitrogen dioxide diffusion tube air pollution survey.
Mr. Maclean : I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I have given today to my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon (Mr. Amess).
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Noise
Mrs. Ann Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to publish codes of practice for the minimisation of noise from clay pigeon shooting, audible bird scarers, water sports, and off-road motorcycling.
Mr. Maclean : A draft code of practice on clay pigeon shooting was produced by the Clay Pigeon Shooting Association. Two consultation exercises have demonstrated that there are complex technical issues which have still not been resolved. The Institution of Environmental Health Officers is to issue guidance to its own members.
Government officials are working with the National Farmers Union on a code of practice on the use of audible bird scarers.
Water sports was not a subject recommended for coverage by a code in the report of the noise review working party published in October 1990 and I have no plans to prepare one at present.
A joint working group convened by the noise council has submitted a draft code for off-road motorcycling for approval. I shall consider that request as soon as possible.
Carbon Dioxide
Mr. Hargreaves : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his report to the European Commission on the United Kingdom's strategy for limiting carbon dioxide emissions.
Mr. Howard : We are already taking steps to limit carbon dioxide emissions. Earlier this week I announced a new agreement with the energy utilities and Ofgas for the establishment of an energy saving trust. This is an important further initiative which will make a real contribution to the United Kingdom's part in the international efforts to reduce emissions of CO .
In the light of this and other recent initiatives, I have now given the European Commission a report on the United Kingdom strategy for reducing emissions of CO . This builds on the strategy first set out in the Environment White Paper, "This Common Inheritance", and given to the Commission last year. Copies have been placed in the Library.
Nitrogen Dioxide
Mr. Amess : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the results of the survey of nitrogen dioxide concentrations in the United Kingdom carried out for his Department by Warren Spring laboratory from July to December last year.
Mr. Maclean : The report of the survey is being published today. I am arranging for copies to be placed in the Library of the House. I am very grateful both to Warren Spring laboratory and to the many local authorities which have co-operated in this excellent piece of work.
The survey covered over 300 sites throughout the United Kingdom. A similar survey was carried out in 1986. Comparison of the results shows that average concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO ) have risen by 35 per cent. over the period, largely as a result of motor traffic growth.
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The European Community has set a limit value on NO concentrations in order to protect human health and the environment, based on studies carried out for the World Health Organisation. The survey results gives us further reassurance that Britain is not in breach of this. There is no evidence that, at current United Kingdom levels, NO causes irreversible health effects. But of course we wish to see NO pollution levels diminish in future, since high concentrations can cause breathing discomfort in susceptible people.Much action is already in hand to curb traffic pollution. An emissions test was included in the MOT test last November. Tough European Community standards for new cars will come into effect from the end of this year, reducing harmful emissions from new vehicles by about 80 per cent. A range of new measures is also being implemented to cut traffic congestion and pollution through better traffic management, parking controls and improved public transport. Those initiatives will take time to achieve their full impact, but we should see dramatic improvements in air quality in a few years'. Careful monitoring of the situation is important in the meantime. The report confirms that our continuous monitoring sites for NO are well- chosen, but suggests further studies of the possible need for supplementary sites. Maximum public access to monitoring information is also crucial. Daily bulletins and forecasts of air quality, with associated health guidance, have been issued since October 1990, and are now available on a new Freephone number, (0800 556677), on BBC CEEFAX (page 196) and on television weather reports.
Housing Repossessions
Mr. Raynsford : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give his latest estimate of the number of people likely to lose their homes in England in 1992 as a consequence of mortgage arrears and repossession.
Mr. Baldry [holding answer 13 May 1992] : My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced on 19 December 1991 a package of measures agreed with the Council of Mortgage Lenders to reduce the number of repossessions. The Government undertook to legislate for the direct payment to lenders of the mortgage interest element of income support. My right hon. Friend also announced the lifting of stamp duty on transactions up to £250,000 for a period of eight months. The Government enacted legislation to implement those measures before the general election.
As part of the December package, the CML members undertook to advance £750 million to mortgage rescue schemes. Since then, 10 lenders have announced details of their schemes, including better counselling and arrears management to enable borrowers to remain in their own homes ; lower interest rates for a specified period for homeowners in difficulties ; reduced mortgage payments in return for the lender's taking a share in the equity ; and mortgage-to-rent schemes. The combined effect of the measures taken by the Government and lenders will be to reduce the number of repossessions in 1992 and restore confidence to the housing market.
My right hon. Friends the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for the Environment will be meeting the CML to review progress on 2 June.
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The CML figures of arrears and possessions for the first half of this year are due to be published in the middle of August.Antarctica
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to (a) ensure the removal of all United Kingdom abandoned bases in Antarctica, (b) repeal the Antarctic Minerals Act 1989 and (c) ratify the 1991 Antarctica environmental protocol.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : I have been asked to reply.
The Government are fully committed to implementation of the environmental protocol to the Antarctic treaty. Ratification of the protocol and repeal of the Antarctic Minerals Act 1989 will depend on the introduction of legislation to give effect to the provisions of the protocol.
The British antarctic survey has undertaken a survey of all accessible abandoned United Kingdom bases in Antarctica. A programme either to remove the bases, or to retain some as emergency refuges or historic sites is in preparation.
DEFENCE
Ethnic Minorities
Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department last conducted a survey of the ethnic origin of its employees ; when it next plans to do so ; and whether he will make a statement.
Mr. Aitken : Ethnic monitoring of all civilian staff was introduced in 1988 as an important element of the MOD's equal opportunities policies. A further survey of all staff who did not reply to the initial survey was conducted in March 1991 and resulted in a 90 per cent. response rate. Ethnic monitoring is a continuous process in the MOD and all new entrants, except casuals, are surveyed on joining.
Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what percentage of officers in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, respectively, and overall in his Department are members of ethnic minorities.
Mr. Aitken : The information as at 1 April 1992, based on voluntary surveys of non-industrial staff, excluding those in executive agencies is :
|Number |Percentage of
|staff in grade
------------------------------------------------------------
Grade 1 |0
Grade 2 |0
Grade 3 |0
Grade 4 |0
Grade 5 |0
Grade 6 |3 |0.6
Grade 7 |13 |0.7
Total non-industrial staff 80,574
Total respondents to ethnic origin survey 72,505 (90 per
cent.)
Total self-declared ethnic minority staff 1,508 (1.9 per
cent.)
Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to recruit members of ethnic minorities in top grades of employment at his Department.
Mr. Aitken : MOD recruitment at grade 7 level is undertaken by the Recruitment and Assessment Services
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agency--RAS--on behalf of the civil service commissioners. RAS has put in place a range of measures to aid the recruitment of ethnic minorities. The principles of fair and open competition continue to apply including the commitment to equal opportunities. Above grade 7 level, external recruitment does not often occur.Radioactive Waste
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what technical and financial provisions have been made for the decommissioning and storage or disposal of radioactive waste materials arising therefrom, for (a) Polaris submarines and (b) Trident submarines ; and what discussions have taken place with his American counterpart over the United States plans in this field.
Mr. Aitken : It is not our practice to make public our detailed plans and costings for decommissioning nuclear submarines. A long-term policy for the disposal of all decommissioned nuclear submarines is being considered but no decisions have yet been reached. Currently, they are stored safely afloat at naval bases where de-fuelling and removal of re- usable equipment takes place. There are regular exchanges between the United States and United Kingdom Governments on all nuclear matters under the 1958 mutual defence agreement and we are aware of United States plans for decommissioning and disposal.
Payment of Commissions
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy regarding the payment of commissions to assist defence exports.
Mr. Aitken : My Department does not employ business agents in the negotiation of Government-to-Government defence export contracts and does not pay commissions.
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role the Defence Export Services Organisation has in providing defence contractors with advice about the payment of commissions to assist defence exports.
Mr. Aitken : The Defence Export Services Organisation provides, on request, a wide range of advice to companies on defence export markets, including advice on local laws and regulations governing commission payments.
Saudi Arabia
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the support provided for defence exports to Saudi Arabia.
Mr. Aitken : Within MOD, support for defence exports to Saudi Arabia is provided by the Defence Export Services Organisation which, within the constraints of Government policy, provides assistance and advice to United Kingdom companies seeking to market and sell defence equipment and services to the Saudi Arabian armed forces.
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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Visas
Mr. Speed : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those countries which are members of the Council of Europe which require visas from United Kingdom visitors and those from whom the United Kingdom requires visas for their nationals.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Member states of the Council of Europe whose nationals require visas to visit the United Kingdom are Bulgaria, Poland and Turkey. United Kingdom nationals also require visas to visit those countries.
Nagorno Karabakh
Mrs. Clwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what aid the Government are giving to relieve the situation in Nagorno Karabakh both bilaterally and multilaterally ; and what discussions the Minister for Overseas Developoment has had on the opening of a humanitarian corridor for relief supplies with our international partners.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The Government have contributed to a 1 million ecu EC aid package to alleviate the suffering of both Azeri and Armenian refugees from the Nagorno Karabakh region. The Government also support the International Committee of the Red Cross which has set up an operation in Nagorno Karabakh.
Britain has been active in the search for a negotiated solution to the Nagorno Karabakh dispute through the Conference on Security and Co- operation in Europe. The opening of a humanitarian aid corridor is part of the process the CSCE has outlined. We have supported this idea in our discussions with other Governments.
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