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Urban Programme
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what level of urban programme funding for each year since 1979, expressed both in net figures, current prices and as a proportion of the total urban programme allocation, has been allocated to individual projects designed to promote positive action in relation to (a) ethnic minorities and (b) disabled people.
Mr. Redwood : The information requested on projects relating to ethnic minorities is as follows :
Ethnic expenditure
|£000 |£000 |As percentage
|(cash) |1991-92 |of urban
|prices<1> |programme
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1980-81 |6,500 |12,771 |4
1981-82 |7,500 |13,439 |4
1982-83 |15,000 |25,090 |7
1983-84 |27,000 |43,162 |12
1984-85 |31,000 |47,195 |14
1985-86 |37,000 |53,384 |17
1986-87 |35,500 |49,589 |16
1987-88 |31,500 |41,732 |13
1988-89 |29,500 |36,464 |12
1989-90 |30,500 |35,404 |13
1990-91 |27,000 |28,890 |11
1991-92 |28,627 |28,627 |11
<1> 1991-92 prices adjusted by GDP deflator.
Note: Information on projects for disabled people is not available.
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are his latest estimates for allocations from his Department for the urban programme, expressed both as net expenditure at current prices and as a percentage of total urban block expenditure for the next five years, beginning 1992-93.
Mr. Redwood : The planned allocations for the urban programme for 1992-93 and 1993-94, expressed as net expenditure at 1992-93 prices and as a percentage of total urban block expenditure are given in the table. No decisions on allocations for subsequent years have yet been taken.
Year |Urban |Percentage of
|programme |urban block
|provision |provision
|£ million
--------------------------------------------------------
1992-93 |245 |30
1993-94 |232 |29
Defective Housing
Mr. Corbett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on the estimated number, location by local authority area and by building type of privately owned homes known to be defective and outside the scope of the Housing Defects Act 1984.
Mr. Baldry : That information is not available in the form requested. When the housing defects legislation was
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passed, it was estimated that there were some 3,000 privately developed dwellings of designated types, whose owners would therefore not be eligible for assistance, in addition to those owners who bought ex-public sector stock in knowledge of the defects.Planning Regulations
Mr. French : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he intends to exercise his powers to make regulations under sections 106A and 106B of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir George Young : Sections 106A and 106B of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 were inserted into that Act by section 12(1) of the Planning and Compensation Act 1991. These provisions, which are not yet fully in force, enable my right hon. Friend and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales to make various regulations governing applications to a local planning authority to modify or discharge a planning obligation and appeals to my right hon. Friends when such applications are refused or not determined. Such appeals may be determined by a planning inspector if my right hon. Friends so determine.
The Government's proposals for these regulations are set out in a public consultation paper, which has been issued today to local authority associations and other representative bodies for their comments. The main proposals are that a person or persons bound by a planning obligation will be able to agree with the responsible local planning authority to modify or vary it ; someone who is bound by a planning obligation will be able to apply to the local planning authority for it to be modified or discharged once five years have elapsed since it was entered into ; the applicant will be required to serve notice on others with an interest in the land concerned or who are tenants of it, and the local planning authority will be required to publicise the application ; the authority will not be able to determine the application until a set period for representations has elapsed ; when the authority determines an application it will have to send a notice to the applicant. If the application is refused, the notice will state clearly and precisely the authority's reasons and set out the applicant's right of appeal ; an applicant will have six months from the date of the notice of refusal to lodge an appeal ; a form will be prescribed for appellants to use which will set out the rights of either party to a public local inquiry if they wish ; appeal decisions will be given in writing and with reasons ; a planning inspector will be able to determine all classes of appeal under section 106B, although my right hon. Friends may recover individual cases for their own determination.
My right hon. Friends intend to make regulations this autumn to bring these proposals into effect.
Integrated Pollution Control
Mr. Garrett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the process applications for integrated pollution control authorisations which have applied for commercial confidentiality, analysed by process categories and sub categories as specified in the Environmental Protection (Prescribed Processes and Substances) Regulations 1991 ; how many of these Her
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Majesty's inspectorate of pollution has declined to accept and how many have gone to appeal to the Secretary of State ; and what was the result of these appeals.Mr. Maclean [holding answer 18 May 1992] : The information is as follows :
Environmental Protection (Prescribed Processes
and Substances)
Regulations 1991
Applicant |Section
|reference
--------------------------------------------------
National Power, Skelton |1.3(a)
National Power, Willington |1.3(a)
National Power, Drax |1.3(a)
National Power, Eggborough |1.3(a)
National Power, Agecroft |1.3(a)
National Power, Blyth |1.3(a)
National Power, Thorpe |1.3(a)
National Power, Padiham |1.3(a)
National Power, Ironbridge |1.3(a)
National Power, Rugeley |1.3(a)
National Power, Uskmouth |1.3(a)
National Power, Pembroke |1.3(a)
National Power, Littlebrook |1.3(a)
National Power, West Thurrock |1.3(a)
National Power, West Burton |1.3(a)
National Power, Didcot |1.3(a)
National Power, Staythorpe |1.3(a)
National Power, Fawley |1.3(a)
National Power, Tilbury |1.3(a)
National Power, Aberthaw
|1.3(b)
PowerGen, Ferrybridge |1.3(a)
PowerGen, Drakelow |1.3(a)
PowerGen, Fiddlers Ferry |1.3(a)
PowerGen, Ince |1.3(a)
PowerGen, Hams Hall |1.3(a)
PowerGen, Castle Donnington |1.3(a)
PowerGen, High Marnham |1.3(a)
PowerGen, Cottam |1.3(a)
PowerGen, Isle of Grain |1.3(a)
PowerGen, Richborough |1.3(a)
PowerGen, Ratcliffe |1.3(a)
PowerGen, Kingsnorth |1.3(a)
ICI, Wilton |1.3(a)
British Salt |1.3(a)
Cabot Carbon Ltd. |1.3(a)
Lindsey Oil |1.3(a)
Esso |1.3(a)
Fibrogen |1.3(c)
Vert |3.5
Synthetic Chemicals Ltd. |4.1(c)
Hickson & Welch Ltd. |4.2(a)
Robinson Brothers Ltd. |4.2(c)
N. R. Grace Ltd. |4.2(c)
Fine Organics |4.2(c)
Great Lakes |4.2(d)
NIPA |4.2(d)
BP Chemicals Ltd. |4.2(d)
Bio-synthetics |4.2(d)
Nexton Chemicals |4.2(j)
ICI Fine Chemicals |4.4(c)
Peboc Ltd. |4.4(e)
Rhone-Poulenc |4.7(ii)
A total of 39 applications for confidentiality have been rejected in total or in part : and 30 of these are currently the subject of appeals to the Secretary of State. None of the appeals has yet been determined, but decisions will be made as soon as possible.
Chair of State
Mr. David Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the Chair of State.
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Mr. Key : I have been asked to reply.The Chair of State remains on display at the Victoria and Albert museum. I understand that the National Heritage Memorial Fund is still hopeful that the chair will be returned to the Palace of Westminster, but that this is dependent on a charitable trust being set up to which ownership of the chair can be transferred.
WALES
Rented Housing
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what was the level of capital investment in housing for rent by both local authorities and housing associations in 1979, 1987 and 1991 in Wales ;
(2) what was the level of capital investment in housing for rent by both local authorities and housing associations in 1979, 1987 and 1991 in Blaenau Gwent.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : Outturn information is as follows :
Wales Blaenau Gwent
£ million £ million
|HA |LA |HA |LA
-------------------------------------------
1979-80 |30.7 |81.8 |<1>n/a|6.0
1987-88 |64.5 |135.7 |<1>n/a|6.9
1990-91 |116.0 |125.6 |8.1 |4.0
<1> Prior to 1988-89 the Housing
Corporation did not report expenditure by
Local Authority.
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what was the average fair rents of housing association-owned housing in Wales in (a) 1987 and (b) currently ; and what are the current assured tenancy rents by housing associations in Wales ;
(2) what the average fair rent of housing association-owned property in Blaenau Gwent was in 1987 ; and what are the average fair rents and average assured rents of housing association-owned property currently in Blaenau Gwent.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : This information is not held centrally.
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many homes were available for rent by local authorities and housing associations in Blaenau Gwent in 1979, 1987 and at the most recent available date ;
(2) what are the number of homes available for rent by local authorities and housing associations in Wales in (a) 1979, (b) 1987 and (c) currently.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The available information, excluding dwellings awaiting sale or demolition, is as follows :
Local authority dwellings available
for rent at 1 April
|1987 |1991
--------------------------------------
Blaenau Gwent |10,871 |9,777
Wales |253,028|222,290
Source: Welsh Office local authority
returns.
A total of 27,928 housing association dwellings were available for rent at 31 March 1991. Figures on housing association dwellings awaiting sale or demolition are not held separately for Wales prior to 1989, or by district.
Source : Housing for Wales.
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Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the number of homes for rent built by local authorities in Wales in 1979, 1987 and currently.Mr. Gwilym Jones : The information requested is given in the table :
Local Authority
Completions
|Number
---------------------
1979 |3,010
1987 |810
1991 |421
Source: Welsh Office
local authority
returns.
Housing associations are now the main providers of social housing in Wales. Housing for Wales provided more than 3,500 new homes last year, 1991-92, and expects to complete around 4,000 in the current year.
Council Tenants
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many council tenants in Wales were in receipt of housing benefit and what percentage this was of the total number of council tenants in 1987 ; and what are the equivalent current figures.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The information requested for 1990-91, the latest available year, is given in the following table. The numbers are provisional estimates based on information at the end of February 1991. Equivalent figures are unavailable for 1987 as there was an element of double counting prior to 1988.
Local authority tenants receiving rent rebate, 1990-91
|Estimated number of|Percentage of total
|recipients |number of tenants
|(at 1 April 1991)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aberconwy |1,783 |71
Alyn and Deeside |2,944 |61
Arfon |3,277 |69
Blaenau Gwent |6,821 |70
Brecknock<1> |1,820 |69
Cardiff |14,343 |77
Carmarthen |1,961 |59
Ceredigion |1,722 |55
Colwyn |1,841 |76
Cynon Valley |3,684 |77
Delyn |3,437 |77
Dinefwr |1,544 |65
Dwyfor |881 |64
Glyndwr |1,700 |61
Islwyn |3,861 |68
Llanelli |4,705 |73
Lliw Valley |3,378 |70
Meirionnydd |1,187 |61
Merthyr Tydfil |4,920 |77
Monmouth |2,728 |59
Montgomeryshire<2> |1,994 |48
Neath |3,796 |74
Newport |8,902 |70
Ogwr |6,753 |75
Port Talbot |3,671 |69
Preseli
Pembrokeshire |3,340 |63
Radnorshire |523 |47
Rhondda |3,900 |82
Rhuddlan |1,732 |67
Rhymney Valley |7,694 |82
South Pembrokeshire |1,816 |68
Swansea |11,785 |73
Taff-Ely |4,836 |73
Torfaen |7,928 |62
Vale of Glamorgan |3,865 |67
Wrexham Maelor |8,144 |55
Ynys Mon |3,784 |73
|---- |----
Wales |153,000 |69
Source: Department of Social Security, Welsh Office local authority returns.
<1> Data not available, estimated value given.
<2> Includes 474 recipients from Newtown which is designated as a new town.
#9153
Disabled Facilities Grant
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when his Department plans to announce the outcome of the recent review of the disabled facilities grant system ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The findings of the review of the house renovation grant system, including disabled facilities grants, are under consideration. We hope to make an announcement shortly.
Young Unemployed
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what policy initiatives he intends to take to reduce the number of young people without jobs.
Mr. David Hunt : The Careers Service and the Employment Service already offer a wide range of services aimed at helping young people find suitable employment. The Government are firmly committed to quality training for young people and all 16 and 17-year-olds who are not in full- time education or employment are entitled to a youth training place. By 1996 all 16 and 17-year-olds in this category will be entitled to a training credit which will increase their ability to obtain jobs with training to approved standards and to achieve recognised qualifications.
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will establish drop-in centres to assist young people out of work.
Mr. David Hunt : The Careers Service and the Employment Service already offer a wide range of readily accessible services to young people aimed at providing advice, guidance and information on suitable training and employment opportunities.
Vandalism
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what studies he has made of vandalism in Wales ; and what policies he has to lessen vandalism in town centres and housing estates.
Mr. David Hunt : Vandalism is an aspect of crime which is being tackled along with others in Wales by the police, local authorities, the probation service and voluntary bodies working together. The reduction of vandalism in town centres and on housing estates is one of the elements of the strategies being pursued.
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NATIONAL HERITAGE
Tobacco
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage whether the submission by the Health Education Authority on the review of tobacco sponsored sport on BBC television is in accordance with the policy of Her Majesty's Government ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Key : The Government's policy is that sport should be allowed to benefit from tobacco sponsorship providing it is subject to the proper control. That control is provided by the voluntary agreement which exists between the Government and the tobacco industry. The Health Education Authority report "Tobacco and the BBC" makes recommendations about the BBC's present sports coverage. The content of its programmes is a matter for the BBC. I understand that the BBC's producers' guideliness draw attention to the voluntary agreement. The Government believe that the agreement is working well.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Inspectors' Reports
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he will publish a list showing the DTI inspectors' reports relating to post-1979 investigations carried out under the Companies Act 1985.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : The table lists all inspections under sections 432 and 442 of the Companies Act 1985, or their predecessor sections, where inspectors were appointed after January 1980 and have submitted a report.
Date of |Company name |Date of report
appointment
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12 February 1980 |Consolidated Gold Fields Ltd. |24 July 1980
25 July 1980 |Dunlop Holdings Ltd.
|<2>12 November 1981
4 September 1980 |Euroseas Securities Ltd. |5 March 1985
24 August 1981 |Riafield Ltd. |30 December 1983
11 November 1981 |Corporate Management Planning |24 September 1986
|Ltd.
8 March 1982 |Euroflame Holding plc |27 June 1987
25 March 1982 |Pharmaceutex (IV Fluid) Ltd.
|Drivehouse Ltd. |4 June 1986
|Furdrove Ltd.
10 May 1982 |Cubar Construction Ltd. |28 August 1984
24 September 1982 |Alexander Howden Group plc |<1>30 December 1985
|<2>26 June 1987
8 November 1982 |Minet Holdings plc |<1>7 April 1986
|WMD Underwriting Agencies Ltd. |<2>16 January 1990
19 November 1982 |Signal Life Assurance Co. Ltd. |16 November 1988
11 November 1983 |Graylaw Holdings Ltd.
|Link Service Stations Ltd. |28 November 1989
|British Anzani plc
6 April 1983 |The Greenbank Trust plc |28 June 1985
4 October 1983 |Bank Street Securities Ltd |28 November 1989
|Pennine Commercial Holdings plc|<1>28 November 1989
25 February 1983 |Hartley Baird plc |21 December 1983
7 June 1983 |Westminster Property Group plc |17 October 1985
23 August 1983 |House of Fraser plc |<1>23 July 1984
16 February 1984 |Medway Secondary Metals Ltd. |21 October 1987
3 September 1984 |Emray plc |9 December 1987
|(now Equity & General plc)
9 May 1985 |Hartley Baird plc |23 May 1986
27 August 1985 |Milbury plc |26 August 1987
27 September 1985 |Aldershot Football Club Ltd. |2 March 1987
26 November 1985 |Westminster Property Group plc |26 August 1987
7 February 1986 |Sumrie Clothes plc |31 May 1988
|(now Summer International plc)
28 November 1986 |Guinness plc |<1>24 November 1988
10 December 1986 |Consolidated Gold Fields plc |30 September 1988
10 February 1987 |Bremner plc |23 December 1988
9 April 1987 |House of Fraser Holdings plc |23 July 1988
20 November 1987 |The Animal Defence Society Ltd.|23 December 1989
16 August 1988 |Rotaprint plc |8 March 1991
24 August 1988 |Aldermanbury Trust plc |<1>20 December 1988
|<2>11 December 1990
20 October 1988 |Consolditated Gold Fields plc |<1>13 January 1989
|<3>5 April 1989
19 December 1988 |County NatWest Ltd. |12 July 1989
|County NatWest Securities Ltd.
9 March 1989 |Sound Diffusion plc |25 February 1991
26 May 1989 |Blue Arrow plc |4 June 1991
23 June 1989 |The Bestwood plc |26 March 1991
|Atlanta Fund Managers Ltd.
30 June 1989 |The Milford Docks Company |30 September 1991
6 February 1990 |BOM Holdings plc |2 August 1991
<1> Interim.
<2> Final.
<3> Second Interim.
#9155
Political Parties (Donations)
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he has any proposals for legislation under which the approval of a company's employees would be needed before a company could make any financial donations to political parties.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he has any proposals for legislation under which companies making losses would be forbidden from making donations to political parties.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many auditing firms are regulated by the recognised supervisory bodies.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : At 12 May some 16,000 firms were registered with supervisory bodies under the Companies Act 1989.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he has any plans to propose legislation under which an independent statutory body would be responsible for appointing auditors to major companies.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he has any proposals for legislation under which external auditors would be prevented from (a) performing actuarial tasks for their audit clients and (b) recruiting directors for their audit clients.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : No. It is a condition for recognition under part II of and schedule 11 to the Companies Act
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1989 that supervisory bodies must have adequate rules and practices regarding the professional integrity and independence of company auditors. In addition shareholders will in future have information provided under the Companies Act 1985 (Disclosure of Remuneration for Non-Audit Work) Regulations 1991, which require companies that are not small or medium-sized to disclose in their accounts the remuneration of their auditors and their associates for non-audit work for the company and its associated undertakings.Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he has any proposals for requiring all major public limited companies to have (a) internal audit departments and (b) audit committees.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : No. These are matters for individual companies.
Fraud
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he will propose legislation under which auditors will have a statutory duty to detect and report material fraud.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : All auditors should apply the guidance in the auditing guideline issued in February 1990 on the auditor's responsibility in relation to fraud, other irregularities and errors. If an auditor does not apply the guidance in any particular case, he must be prepared to explain why he has failed to do so. The guideline makes it clear that where the auditor is aware of matters of concern and does not have confidence that they will be properly dealt with by management, he should, if he considers that disclosure should be made in the public interest, disclose the matters to the appropriate authorities.
British Coal
Mr. John Evans : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps his Department has undertaken recently to ensure that the pensions of both current and past British Coal employees are fully protected following privatisation of the industry.
Mr. Eggar : No decisions have yet been taken on the details of the privatisation, but the Government have already made it clear that pension entitlements will be safeguarded.
Mr. John Evans : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the progress of current negotiations with National Power and PowerGen about the future of British Coal.
Mr. Eggar : The negotiations are a commercial matter between British Coal and the generating companies. It is in the interests of all concerned that there should be the earliest possible resolution of these negotiations.
Mr. John Evans : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if any current safety provisions in deep-mining collieries will be subject to change following privatisation of British Coal.
Mr. Eggar : Safety provisions relating to the coal industry are the responsibility of the Health and Safety Commission. I have therefore now formally written to the
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chairman of the commission to seek its advice on safety matters in the context of coal privatisation. The Government are determined that health and safety should remain of paramount importance in the privatised coal mining industry.Mr. John Evans : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to discuss privatisation of British Coal with the National Union of Mineworkers.
Mr. Eggar : As I made clear in the House on 18 May, I will be writing to bodies directly involved in the coal industry, including the National Union of Mineworkers, seeking their views on the privatisation of British Coal.
Mr. John Evans : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the amount per year paid out to all bodies for advice on coal privatisation since 1979.
Mr. Eggar : No payments were made to outside bodies for advice on coal privatisation before 1991-92. In that year expenditure on such advice was £3.3 million.
Timber
Mr. John Evans : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if it is Her Majesty's Government's policy to allow the import of illegally extracted timbers ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Needham : There are restrictions on imports into the United Kingdom of a limited range of timber covered by the
internationally-agreed Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Otherwise, it is for countries concerned to enforce their own laws on illegal extraction of timber, not for the United Kingdom to attempt to do so at our external frontier. We do not, however, take lightly the threat posed to the environment by the destruction of tropical forests, hence our policy of fostering sustainable management of these important resources.
Unit Pricing
Mr. McAvoy : To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he intends to forward the EC proposal on ranges for prescribed quantities and unit pricing during the United Kingdom presidency ; and when he expects it to be adopted by the European Commission.
Mr. Leigh : Although my officials have recently urged the Commission to reconvene discussions, the Commission has indicated that it does not expect to make a formal proposal to the Council this year.
Trawsfynydd Power Station
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make it his policy to publish the nuclear safety cases relating to Trawsfynydd nuclear power station.
Mr. Eggar : The comprehensive safety case which Nuclear Electric plc --NE--has prepared in respect of Trawsfynydd nuclear power station is known as a long-term safety review--LTSR. The nuclear installations inspectorate- -NII--which is part of the Health and Safety Executive--HSE--regards the LTSR as providing the primary basis for judging the adequacy of NE's case for the continued operation of Trawsfynydd.
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The responsibility for carrying out and reporting on the LTSR is placed on the nuclear site licensee. The question of the publication of the safety case is thus a matter for NE. However, the HSE has to date examined and published the NII's findings on five such LTSRs undertaken in respect of other Magnox stations. The Trawsfynydd LTSR is the next one scheduled for publication.Energy Technology
Mr. Flynn : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what scientific advice on energy technologies and strategies is provided to his Department.
Mr. Eggar : The Department has a wide range of advisory bodies with external membership offering advice on particular technological areas and on the broad balance of the Department's energy research and development programmes. The Department also has its own specialist staff who offer advice on energy issues and run the R and D programmes for the energy sector.
Department of Energy (Chief Scientist)
Mr. Flynn : To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether the former chief scientist to the Department of Energy has been relocated to his Department.
Wind Energy
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what progress his Department has made towards establishing a demonstration off- shore wind energy plant similar to that already established in waters off Denmark.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 19 May 1992] : The Government have no plans for an offshore wind energy plant similar to the one recently built in Denmark.
Assisted Area Boundaries
Mr. Harvey : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will employ criteria other than travel-to-work areas in reviewing assisted area boundaries ; and if he will take account of unemployment blackspots.
Mr. Sainsbury [holding answer 19 May 1992] : The Government announced 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 this forward and looking at the criteria to be applied. I hope to make an announcement on this shortly.
EDUCATION
Illiteracy
Sir Thomas Arnold : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the extent of adult illiteracy in the United Kingdom ; what definition he uses of illiteracy ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Forman : There are very few adults in the United Kingdom who cannot read or write at all, but there are substantial numbers who cannot cope with the demands of everyday life. They cannot, for example, fill in forms, check payslips or give the correct change. Such people are often described as being "functionally illiterate".
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The adult literacy and basic skills unit-- ALBSU--which advises the Government, estimates that 5.5 million people in England and Wales have some difficulty with reading, writing, spelling and basic mathematics. That cannot be a precise figure, but there is no doubt that there are still many people requiring help.The Government give high priority to basic skills education for adults-- that is literacy and numeracy. Local education authorities are currently the main providers of this, but central Government also give support, to ALBSU and through a number of central initiatives. Grants to ALBSU have increased more than sixfold over the past decade, to over £3 million in 1992-93.
The Further and Higher Education Act 1992 strengthens the position of basic skills. The further education funding councils will be under a specific duty to secure adequate provision of basic skills education for adults.
Such provision should make the best use of whatever facilities and expertise are available and should be readily accessible to local communities.
Religion
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proposals he has for the strengthening of the position of religious instruction in the national curriculum and of religious worship in the daily timetable of state schools ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Forth : My right hon. Friend strongly supports the requirements, as statutorily defined, for all registered pupils at maintained schools to study religious education as part of the basic curriculum, and to attend a daily act of collective worship, subject to their parents' right to withdraw them from these activities.
The Education Reform Act 1988 reaffirmed religious education and collective worship as matters for determination by local, rather than national, bodies. I welcome the National Curriculum Council's support for the role of local bodies and its intention to monitor the additional contribution of the national curriculum to the general aim of promoting pupils' spiritual and moral development, set out in section 1 of that Act.
Derwent System Buildings
Mr. Betts : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what priority he intends to give in future capital expenditure allocations to the replacement of Derwent system school buildings.
Mr. Forth : Capital resources for local authority maintained schools are distributed on the basis of national priority criteria. These give priority to the second and third-year costs of work approved under earlier allocations, new school places needed in areas of population growth and projects to remove surplus places. The remaining resources are then largely distributed to contribute towards the cost of all other capital work including improvement and replacement projects. Priority in making allocations to grant-maintained schools has been given to projects required on urgent health and safety grounds.
Bids from GM schools to replace Derwent system school buildings will be considered on their merits. For voluntary aided and special agreement schools such
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