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Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which body has responsibility for ensuring that tipping of chemical, toxic or other waste into pits within a particular district authority complies with the licences, and health and safety regulations ; and what information he has on the frequency with which such checks have been made in respect of each pit in the borough of Thurrock over the past two years.
Mr. Maclean : Essex county council, as waste regulation authority for the Thurrock area, is responsible for granting disposal licences and monitoring them to ensure that their conditions are adhered to and continue to be appropriate. It is the responsibility of the local office of the Health and Safety Executive to ensure that the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974 are not breached.
The Department has no record of the number of site visits made by Essex county council in Thurrock. It would be for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment to advise as to any steps taken to monitor compliance with the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act.
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information his Department keeps on the location and size of waste dumps in each local authority area, together with the type and amount of waste accepted in each dump ; what such information is available for the borough of Thurrock ; and if he will make it his policy to maintain such information as is not already kept centrally.
Mr. Maclean : The Department does not keep detailed information on the size and location of waste disposal facilities. Waste regulation authorities maintain on public registers copies of disposal licences for each facility in their area. Essex county council is the waste regulation authority which covers Thurrock. An environment agency which included the waste regulation functions of local authorities would also have responsibility for the maintenance of the licence information they currently hold.
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Climate Change
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the Government's position on the Sao Paulo statement on global climate change and the emission of greenhouse gases.
Mr. Maclean [holding answer 15 May 1992] : The United Kingdom welcomed the first report of the United Nations Environment Programme-World Meteorological Office intergovernmental panel on climate change which included the declaration agreed in Sao Paulo in January 1990 by the agricultural, forestry and other human activities sub-group.
Sink Benefits
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his policy on sink benefits, equal rights of access to sink benefits and use of the global commons ; and how they will feature in his Department's submission to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development.
Mr. Maclean [holding answer 15 May 1992] : The United Kingdom supports the commitment contained in article 4 of the United Nations framework convention on climate change that all countries should promote sustainable management and promote and co-operate in the conservation and enhancement of sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse gases. Increases in the absorption of greenhouse gases by sinks will benefit all countries in limiting potential climate change.
Equitable Emissions Restraint
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his policy on equitable emissions restraint at source ; whether this concept will feature in his submission to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean [holding answer 15 May 1992] : The United Kingdom supports article 3 of the United Nations framework convention on climate change which states that all parties should protect the climate system on the basis of equity and in accordance with countries' common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities and that accordingly developed countries should take the lead in combating climate change and the adverse effects thereof.
Wild Birds
Mr. Dunnachie : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will consider taking steps to ban the importation of wild-caught birds into the United Kingdom ; what consideration he has given to the recommendations on this subject of the recent Joint Nature Conservation Committee report ; and if he will press within the Community for legislation to outlaw the wild bird trade in Europe.
Mr. Maclean [holding answer 15 May 1992] : The Government keep this issue under very close review. Last year we endorsed the conclusions of the report prepared
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for us by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee that we should continue to support the present framework of selective international controls on the wildlife trade and that we should refrain from a general ban, as this would remove a potentially important incentive to conserve species abroad. We regard the principle of sustainable use of natural resources as an important aspect of our approach to conservation worldwide.We have vigorously pursued the JNCC's detailed recommendations for improved implementation of the current controls ; in October last year we wrote to the European Commission urging it to propose EC-wide action and in March at the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species conference in Japan we pressed successfully for effect to be given by 115 countries worldwide to one of the JNCC's most important proposals. This will require exporting countries to make proper assessments of the impact of trade on certain species to avoid import bans by other countries.
The European Commission has now responded to our concerns by proposing a strong new regulation on the wildlife trade. We intend to make this a priority for our presidency of the European Community later this year.
With colleagues in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and food, we are also introducing a number of tighter controls to protect birds in transport. The United Kingdom played a prominent part at the CITES conference in gaining worldwide acceptance of the need to suspend trade in birds suffering unacceptably high mortality.
Seals
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to bring forward proposals to amend the Conservation of Seals Act 1970 in order to ban the shooting of seals on the grounds of fisheries protection.
Mr. Charles Wardle : I have been asked to reply.
We have no plans to do so.
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Ethnic Minorities
Mr. Janner : To ask the Lord President of the Council (1) what steps he has taken to recruit members of ethnic minorities in top grades of employment in his office ;
(2) when his office 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 ;
(3) 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. Newton : The Privy Council Office has 31 staff, many of whom are on loan from other civil service Departments. It has no staff in grades 1 and 2, and has three permanent staff in grades 3 to 7, none of whom are members of ethnic minorities. Five per cent. of permanent staff below grade 7 are members of such minorities. Given this background, the conduct of surveys is inappropriate. On the rare occasions when direct recruitment is undertaken, every effort is made to ensure that selection procedures are fair and non-discriminatory.
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EC Parliaments
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will publish a table showing the opportunities for individual hon. Members to ask questions of Ministers and the Head of Government ; to introduce draft legislation, participate in debates on subjects chosen by an opposition grouping, raise a specific grievance at a regular interval, apply to an authority not controlled by Government for leave to ask an emergency question or initiate an emergency debate, table and debate a motion on any topic or be free to change political allegiance between elections, in each of the Parliaments of the member states of the European Economic Community.
Mr. Newton : Parliamentary procedures, practices and conventions vary widely in the parliaments of the member states of the European Community according to traditions and needs. To supply the information requested by the hon. Member would involve detailed consultation of the parliaments of the other member states and could therefore be made available only at disproportionate cost.
EMPLOYMENT
Freight Forwarding Agents
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps she is taking to compensate those freight forwarding agents and their staff who will lose their jobs as a direct result of the ending of customs controls between members of the European Community on 1 January 1993.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : We await the formal publication of a study initiated by the European Commission into the effect on the freight forwarding industry of the removal of customs barriers when the single European market is completed.
Employees dismissed because of redundancy and who satisfy the qualifying conditions may be entitled to redundancy payments under employment protection legislation.
To anyone unfortunate enough to lose his job the Government are now offering a comprehensive range of help and advice. In 1992-93 we are providing almost 1 million places on employment, enterprise and training programmes through the networks of employment service job centres and training and enterprise councils.
Industrial Tribunals
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans she has in relation to each industrial tribunal situated on the Wales and Chester circuit ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. McLoughlin : The Cardiff regional office has recently acquired some additional accommodation, and this will provide for an additional tribunal hearing room to deal with the increased caseload. The associated office at Shrewsbury, which serves mid and north Wales and parts of the Welsh Marches, has recently moved to new and larger premises, and these new premises also provide for an additional hearing room. Hearings are also held by visiting tribunals at other towns in the region, as determined by the president. There are no immediate plans to further change the tribunal premises, but the matter will be kept under review.
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SCOTLAND
Milk Industry
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the talks of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Dumfries (Sir H. Monro), with (a) the President of the Scottish National Farmers Union, (b) the Milk Marketing Board and (c) the Scottish Dairy Trade Federation on the milk industry in Scotland.
Sir Hector Monro : I recently had useful discussions with the president and his senior colleagues in the National Farmers Union of Scotland about a number of matters including the future of milk marketing in Scotland. I hope to meet the three milk marketing boards in Scotland and the Scottish Dairy Trade Federation soon.
Forestry Commission
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to dispose of all, or any part of, the Forestry Commission's assets ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Hector Monro : The Government's policy on the disposal of Forestry Commission land and woodlands was set out by my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Edinburgh, Pentlands (Mr. Rifkind) on 16 June 1989, Official Report , columns 542-43. This has not changed.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has any plans to privatise the Forestry Commission ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Hector Monro : The Government have no such plans.
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list all the land owned by the Forestry Commission which is currently up for sale, giving the name, amount of land involved and the length of time it has been on the market, in each county or region ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 15 May 1992] : The following forest areas are at present being offered for sale on the open market :
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Home Improvement Grants
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the financial limits on the current home improvement grants scheme ; and when they were last increased.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 14 May 1992] : Local authorities may give various grants for works of improvement or repair. The amount which they may offer is limited by the percentage rate of grant in each case and by statutory maxima which govern the cost of works eligible for grant assistance. The various percentage rates of grant, and the approved maximum cost for each, are given in a Scottish Office publication "Improve Your Home with a Grant", which is available in the Library.
The percentage rates of grant have been little changed since 1984, when the rate of repairs grant for works to replace lead plumbing was set at 75 per cent. The various expense maxima are amended from time to time and were most recently changed in 1988.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will consider increasing the current ceilings on grants available for home improvements.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : I have received few representations that the various approved expense limits for works qualifying for improvement or repairs grant should be generally increased. Therefore, I see no strong grounds for a review, although the limits are considered periodically. Where a local authority considers that there are good reasons for the cost of works to exceed the relevant limit, it may seek my right hon. Friend's approval to increase that limit. All such requests are dealt with promptly and sympathetically.
Disabled People (Housing)
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list by district council the number of (a) owner-occupiers and private tenants and (b) council tenants who have applied in each of the last two years for the disabled facilities grant ; in each category, by district council, how many adaptations were carried out ; what was the average time taken to complete adaptations from the time the request for the adaptations was made ; and what was the average amount paid by (i) applicants, (ii) district councils and (iii) central Government.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Disabled facilities grants are not available in Scotland. Grants for adapting dwelling-houses to meet the needs of disabled people are available under the improvement grant system, but the information requested is not held centrally.
Countryside
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any new proposals for protecting the countryside.
Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 14 May 1992] : Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) was set up under the Natural Heritage (Scotland) Act 1991 and assumed its full powers and responsibilities on 1 April 1992. SNH's aims are to secure the conservation and enhancement of the natural heritage of Scotland and to foster the
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understanding and facilitate the enjoyment of that heritage. Its wide remit and powers will enable it to promote and encourage the sustainable use of Scotland's natural resources. The Government are looking forward shortly to receiving from SNH its draft corporate plan for 1993-96 setting out specific proposals for action. The 1991 Act provides for the designation by my right hon. Friend, on the advice of SNH, of natural heritage areas. This new designation offers the opportunity to develop integrated strategies for the sustainable management of areas of outstanding value to the natural heritage of Scotland.Household Waste
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps are being taken to meet the target of recycling 25 per cent. of all household waste by the end of the century ; and if he will make a statement outlining the present percentage of all household waste that is recycled in Scotland and by how much it has changed since 1990.
Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 14 May 1992] : In Scotland, Government action to meet our recycling targets includes : guidance for local authorities on recycling, including techniques for planning and costing ; a requirement that waste disposal authorities give priority to recycling in their waste management planning ; a request to waste disposal authorities that they prepare draft recycling plans by August this year ; introduction of a system of recycling credits to encourage authorities to pass on to recyclers any savings in disposal costs that they achieve through having waste taken out of the usual disposal route ; encouragement to local authorities to make provisions for funding of recycling in their financial planning ; joint research with the Department of the Environment and the Department of Trade and Industry on the use of economic instruments to promote recycling ; pilot projects in Dundee and Falkirk, promoted by Dundee district council and UK 2000 respectively.
Within the Scottish Office, Ministers and officials increasingly use recycled paper and have encouraged others to do likewise. The percentage of all household waste that is recycled in Scotland was estimated at about 2 per cent. in 1990. The Government are taking steps in collaboration with local authorities to improve information, so that trends can be reliably established.
Fish Directives
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to publish the regulations to implement EC fish and shellfish hygiene directives together with the associated codes of practice for enforcing agencies ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 15 May 1992] : We hope to publish two sets of draft regulations to implement the fish and shellfish directives respectively for consultation purposes in June. Draft codes of practice for each directive should also be issued in June.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will seek to delay the deadline for derogation applications in respect of the EC fish and shellfish hygiene directives by six months to allow time for considered applications to be made.
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Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 15 May 1992] : No. The EC directives require that any derogations must be granted by 1 January 1993 and, in order to meet this, applications must be received by 1 July 1992. Two months is a reasonable period for applicants to decide from which of the requirements of the directives they will require derogations. Detailed aspects of the planning and execution of any works can then progress up to the end of 1995, if necessary.
HEALTH
Juvenile Offenders
Mr. Shersby : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many additional units of secure accommodation for juvenile offenders will be provided in community homes this year (a) to meet the current demand and (b) to meet the additional demand when section 60 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 comes into effect ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Yeo : Secure units may accommodate all children being looked after by local authorities, including those on remand. Two new secure units, providing a total net increase of 14 places to meet current demand, open this year. Plans to meet the additional demand required to implement section 60 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 are being considered by a juvenile remand national steering group.
Health Authorities (Public Meetings)
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether district health authorities are required to hold an annual public meeting.
Mr. Sackville : District health authorities (DHAs) are subject to the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960. All their full meetings must be public whenever they are considering any decisions, unless the Act permits them to hold a meeting in private--for example, because of the confidential nature of the business. DHAs are expected to keep the public informed about their work, aims and objectives. Although there is no specific requirement for an annual meeting, in practice their meetings are held more frequently than annually.
Dentistry
Mr. Ainger : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists, in number and as a percentage of the whole, in England have stopped providing national health service treatment for (a) adult patients, (b) patients under 18 years and (c) all patients, since the introduction of the dentists' latest contract.
Dr. Mawhinney : This information is not collected centrally. Since the introduction of the new contract 20.3 million adults and 6.6 million children have registered with national health service dentists. Patient registrations are continuing to increase.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish details of any schemes currently available to national health service dentists to provide for future investment in computer technology.
Dr. Mawhinney : A one-off payment of £900 is made to dental practices transmitting their claims for payment of
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NHS fees by computer to the Dental Practice Board at Eastbourne. This scheme was launched last year, and over 230 payments have been made so far.Additionally, these and other practice expenses are taken into account by the Dental Rates Study Group when it conducts its annual fee-setting exercise.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps she proposes to take to consult the dental profession about the effect the new contract has had on the practice of dentistry within the national health service ;
(2) what assessment she has made of the level of morale of dentists currently working in the national health service.
Dr. Mawhinney : The principles of the new dental contract are firmly established. For the first time, dentists are encouraged to carry out preventive dentistry, and to provide all-round continuing care. We continue to discuss with the profession ways in which the contract may be improved and several changes have already been made. Over 25 million patients are now registered with dentists in England. This is a true measure of the contract's success. There are currently 27 per cent. more dentists than there were in 1979 and available evidence shows that dentists are taking full advantage of the opportunities offered by the new contract.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she will review the system of capitation as a method of remuneration for dental treatment of children with the national health service.
Dr. Mawhinney : We have already announced our intention to undertake a fundamental review of the entire dental remuneration system.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she has undertaken any surveys of the impact that the introduction of child capitation has had on the number of national health service dentists prepared to treat children.
Dr. Mawhinney : Last September, family health services authorities conducted on our behalf a sample survey of 20 per cent. of dentists on their dental lists. The results of that survey showed that 85 per cent. of dentists are accepting all children for NHS treatment. Precise comparisons with the position prior to the introduction of capitation are difficult, but available information points to approximately the same number of children being treated under both systems.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what studies have been made of the number of dentists leaving the national health service ; and if she will publish any available findings.
Dr. Mawhinney : Since the introduction of the new dental contract in October 1990, there have been unfounded allegations that large numbers of dentists are leaving the NHS. This is not the case. Very few dentists have resigned from family health services authority lists since October 1990.
There are currently 15,451 dentists providing general dental services in England, 27 per cent. more than in 1979.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish the number of dental practices which have gone bankrupt over the last six years.
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Dr. Mawhinney : Information on the number of bankruptcies among dentists has been held centrally only since April 1991. Since then, the Dental practice Board (DPB) has received notices of bankruptcy in respect of five dentists. Two of these were in practice together.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish details about the new fee structure to be implemented from 1 July, indicating when the notices detailing the change in maximum charges that can be made from 1 April are to be made available to dental practitioners.
Dr. Mawhinney : The Dental Rates Study Group recommends what dentists' fees should be. The study group is due to meet shortly, and the new fee scale listing dentists' fees for 1992-93 will be available when it has completed its work. The new scale of fees will not change the present maximum charge. Once the new scale rates have been established, we intend to let dentists have posters for display which will allow them to show both relevant sections from the scale of fees and the current maximum charge.
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists were involved in NHS practice for each year since 1979.
Dr. Mawhinney : The number of dentists practising in the general dental services in England is as shown.
Year to |Number of
|Dentists
--------------------------------------
30 September 1979 |12,146
30 September 1980 |12,415
30 September 1981 |12,835
30 September 1982 |13,258
30 September 1983 |13,672
30 September 1984 |14,066
30 September 1985 |14,334
30 September 1986 |14,516
30 September 1987 |14,765
30 September 1988 |15,070
30 September 1989 |15,351
30 September 1990 |15,480
30 September 1991 |15,451
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been treated by dentists in the NHS each year since 1979.
Dr. Mawhinney : Information is collected centrally on the number of courses of treatment provided, rather than the number of people treated. This is set out in the table.
Number of courses of treatment Year |All ages |Adults -------------------------------------------- 1979 |27,164,610|17,351,250 1980 |28,613,630|18,599,830 1981 |29,035,190|18,975,130 1982 |29,926,290|19,724,540 1983 |30,505,470|20,316,210 1984 |30,970,830|20,864,560 1985 |31,386,100|21,338,100 <1>1986-87 |32,103,110|21,961,680 1987-88 |32,418,940|22,394,600 1988-89 |34,257,830|24,026,520 1989-90 |32,746,110|22,809,160 <2>1990-91 |N/A |22,559,000 1991-92 |N/A |24,273,099 <1> From 1986-87, data were provided by financial year. Prior to this data was provided by calendar year. <2> Since the introduction of the new contract on 1 October 1990 the figures available relate to adult only courses of treatment. Under the new contract dentists are paid under a capitation system for treating children and courses of treatment for children are no longer counted separately. #959
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what charges were made for NHS dental treatment for each year since 1979 at 1992 prices ; and what was the percentage increase or decrease in treatment costs compared with the previous year, for each year since 1979.
Dr. Mawhinney : The information requested is shown in the table.
General Dental Services (England)
|Income |Number of |Cost<2> |Percentage
|from |courses of |£ |difference
|charges at |adult
|1992-93<1> |treatment
|prices
|£ million
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1979-80 |170 |17,351,250 |239,048,060|-
1980-81 |189 |18,599,830 |313,930,820|31.33
1981-82 |215 |18,975,130 |367,822,590|17.17
1982-83 |246 |19,724,540 |417,283,510|13.45
1983-84 |259 |20,316,210 |453,517,990|8.68
1984-85 |272 |20,864,560 |502,246,300|10.74
1985-86 |295 |21,338,100 |529,015,450|5.33
1986-87 |322 |21,961,680 |595,397,970|12.55
1987-88 |332 |22,394,600 |658,540,620|10.61
1988-89 |375 |24,026,520 |764,593,130|16.10
1989-90 |443 |22,809,160 |759,525,390|-0.66
1990-91 |425 |22,559,000 |838,870,088|10.45
1991-92 |421 |24,273,099 |876,443,488|4.48
Notes:
From 1986-87 data were provided by financial year. Before then data
were provided by calendar year.
<1> Using the GDP deflator.
<2> Figures used are actual amounts paid.
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will set out the changes to the financing of NHS dentistry showing net gain or loss to the Exchequer for each year since 1979.
Dr. Mawhinney : The information requested is shown in the table.
General Dental Services (England) (Cash £ million)
Years |Gross |Income from|Net
|Expenditure|Charges |Expenditure
------------------------------------------------------------
1979-80 |336 |70 |266
1980-81 |419 |92 |327
1981-82 |481 |115 |366
1982-83 |538 |141 |397
1983-84 |584 |155 |429
1984-85 |640 |171 |469
1985-86 |660 |196 |464
1986-87 |742 |221 |521
1987-88 |820 |240 |580
1988-89 |950 |291 |659
1989-90 |948 |366 |582
1990-91 |1,040 |380 |660
1991-92 |1,247 |403 |<1>844
<1>provisional estimate.
Electorates
Mrs. Roe : To ask the Secretary of State for Health on the basis of the current electoral roll, what is the average number of electors in (a) constituencies in England, (b) constituencies in Scotland, (c) constituencies in Wales and (d) constituencies in Northern Ireland.
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Mr. Sackville : The average numbers of electors per constituency on the 1992 electoral registers are as follows :
Constituencies in: |Number --------------------------------------------------------- England |69,534 Wales |58,383 Scotland |54,570 Northern Ireland |67,145
Waiting Lists
Mr. Burns : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what action is being taken to reduce the size of the under-one-year waiting list for the North East Thames regional health authority ; and if she will make a statement ;
(2) if she will publish the waiting list figures for the mid-Essex area for the year up to 31 March, showing the change in the lists for under one year, one to two years, over two years and total change in terms of numbers and as a percentage.
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