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Written Answers to Questions
Monday 8 June 1992
HOME DEPARTMENT
Disabled Voters
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many grants were (a) received and (b) approved in the last financial year for portable ramps to enable church and other authorities to adapt polling stations to meet the needs of disabled voters.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Grants towards the purchase of temporary ramps to provide access to polling stations for disabled voters are paid to returning officers. About 25 grants for the purchase of temporary ramps were paid in the financial year 1991-92. No applications for grants were refused. In addition, a few applications which were received in the last financial year will be paid during the current year.
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to allow grant aid for church and other authorities providing polling stations for local and national elections to meet the needs of disabled voters ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Councils are required, so far as is reasonable and practicable, to designate as polling places only places which are accessible to the disabled. Where this is not possible, grants are available to returning officers towards the purchase of temporary ramps. Permanent adaptations to improve access for disabled people to buildings used by the public are the responsibility of the owners of the buildings. Returning officers' fees are not a suitable means of providing assistance towards such adaptations.
Homosexual Offences
Mrs. Currie : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many men were sent to prison in each of the last five years for convictions involving consenting sex with men aged over 16 years and under 21 years ; and how many such convicted prisoners there are at present ;
(2) how many prosecutions have taken place in each of the last five years for offences involving consenting sex with men aged over 16 years but under 21 years ; and how many convictions there were.
Mr. Jack : The table gives information on consensual acts of buggery or attempted buggery of a male of, or over 21, with another male under the age of 21, with consent--Sexual Offences Act 1956, section 12 as amended by the Sexual Offences Act 1967, section 3(1). Information on the numbers currently serving a custodial sentence in a prison service establishment in England and Wales for these offences, is not presently available centrally.
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|c|Number of persons prosecuted, convicted and sentenced to
immediate|c|
|c|custody for consensual sexual offences,<1> 1986-90|c|
England and Wales Number of persons
Year |Prosecutions|Convictions |Sentences of
|immediate
|custody
-----------------------------------------------------------------
1986 |24 |21 |12
1987 |21 |13 |7
1988 |19 |24 |11
1989 |8 |17 |10
1990 |10 |9 |8
<1>Buggery or attempted buggery of a male of, or over 21 with
another male under the age of 21 with consent.
Ethnic Minorities
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if specific guidelines exist for prioritising education bids for section 11 funding.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : No specific guidelines have been issued about how local authorities should exercise their own judgment in prioritising their applications for section 11 funding, either within or between education and other service areas.
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will indicate total spending by his Department for section 11 grants, at current prices, for each year since 1987, and projected allocation for section 11 funding in 1992-93, 1993-94, 1994-95 and 1995-96.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : The total amount of section 11 grant paid in each financial year since 1987-88 at current prices was as follows :
|£ million
------------------------------
1987-88 |123.0
1988-89 |109.5
1989-90 |132.8
1990-91 |144.9
1991-92 |113.0
Current expenditure plans are as follows :
|£ million
------------------------------
1992-93 |129.7
1993-94 |136.0
1994-95 |139.0
Expenditure plans for 1995-96 will be included in the autumn statement.
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will indicate for each year since 1987, in both net figures at current prices and as a proportion of total section 11 funding, the amount of section 11 money allocated to non-education bids.
Mr. Peter Lloyd : Under arrangements operating until 31 March 1992, precise figures for the amount of grant paid for non-education expenditure are not available. It is estimated, however, that non-education provision has accounted for approximately 20 per cent. of total grant in the past.
For new projects starting in 1992-93, the provisional allocation in respect of the potential grant cost of non-education projects in 1992-93 is some £11.5 million representing some 11 per cent. of the total grant.
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Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for 1991-92, what proportion of section 11 bids which were given high priority by local authorities were not approved by his Department.Mr. Peter Lloyd : As a result of the consideration of bids submitted in 1991 for funding under the new arrangements for section 11 grant to take effect from 1 April 1992, 17 per cent. of project bids listed in the top 20 per cent. of local authorities' priority lists were not approved.
Immigration
Mr. Fraser : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans Her Majesty's Government have to ratify the convention determining the states responsible for examining applications for asylum lodged in one of the member states of the European Community signed in Dublin on 15 June 1990.
Mr. Charles Wardle : We plan to ratify the Dublin convention shortly.
Mrs. Wise : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many husbands have applied from Pakistan for settlement visas to join their wives in Britain in each of the last three years ; how many have been granted ; and how many have been refused.
Mr. Charles Wardle : The information requested is given in the table.
|c|Applications for entry clearance made by husbands in Pakistan|c|
Number of persons
|Newly |Granted |Granted |Granted |Refused
|received |initially|on |(total) |initially
|appeal
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1989 |1,760 |630 |100 |730 |1,430
1990 |1,950 |600 |400 |1,000 |1,550
1991 |2,270 |960 |540 |1,500 |1,610
Mrs. Wise : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many wives have applied from Pakistan for settlement visas to join their husbands in Britain in each of the last three years ; how many have been granted ; and how many have been refused.
Mr. Charles Wardle : The information requested is given in the table :
|c|Applications for entry clearance made by wives in Pakistan|c|
Number of persons
|Newly |Granted |Granted |Granted |Refused
|received |initially|on |(total) |initially
|appeal
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1989 |3,060 |2,760 |80 |2,840 |140
1990 |2,800 |2,750 |200 |2,950 |340
1991 |2,900 |2,900 |110 |3,010 |360
Entry Clearance
Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when the adjudicators' decision was received by his Department in the case of NB, date of birth 1 June 1966, and fiance of ABH, date of birth 8 October 1968 ; and if he will give reasons for the delay in issuing entry clearance ;
(2) if he will seek to improve the length of time it takes to issue entry clearance after a decision by the adjudicator ;
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(3) what is his target for the length of time between the adjudicators' decision to grant entry clearance and entry clearance being issued.Mr. Charles Wardle : I will write to the hon. Member.
Convictions (Safety)
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to receive the report of the Essex constabulary into the safety of the convictions of Sam Kulasingham and Prem Siuchasinghan ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Jack : The Essex police are actively proceeding with their inquiries into this case, but the extent of their remaining inquiries make it difficult, at this stage, to give a precise timing for its conclusions.
Public Assemblies
Mr. Michael Spicer : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will conduct an urgent review of the powers available to the police to prevent assemblies such as that at Castlemorton common taking place where they are a threat to public order, safety and health and consider bringing forward measures, similar to those affecting marches, to enable chief constables to ban such events if unauthorised.
Mr. Charles Wardle : We have called for a full report from the chief constable of West Mercia on the policing of the event at Castlemorton. Senior officials will very shortly be considering with chief constables the powers available to the police service, the intelligence and liaison arrangements between forces and their tactics for handling such large gatherings.
Departmental Staff
Mr. Terry Davis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are employed in C3 division of the Home Office.
Mr. Jack : On 1 June 1992, a total of 55 staff were employed in C3 division.
NATIONAL HERITAGE
Royal Parks
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what are the hours of opening for each of the royal parks ; and what are the hours for their lighting.
Mr. Key : The information is as follows :
|c|Hours of opening and closing|c|
Park |Opening |Closing
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hyde Park |05.00 am |Midnight
Kensington Gardens |05.00 am |Dusk
St. James's Park Open always
Green Park Open always
Regents Park (except Queen Mary |05.00 am |Dusk
Gardens)
Queen Mary Gardens |07.00 am |Dusk
Primrose Hill Open always
Greenwich Park
Pedestrian Gates |05.00 am} |18.00 pm or
|} |Dusk, which -
Traffic Gates |05.45 am} |ever is later
Bushy Park
Pedestrian Gates Open always
Traffic Gates |06.00 am |Midnight
Richmond Park
Pedestrian Gates Open always
Traffic Gates |November |Dusk
|-February
|07.30 am
|March- |Dusk
|October
|07.00 am
|c|Lighting up hours|c|
Hyde Park}
}
Kensington Gardens}
} |Summer |20.45 pm
St. Jame's Park} |- Midnight
}
Green Park} |Winter |Standard light-
} |ing up times
Regent's Park including}
Primrose Hill}
Greenwich Park}
}
Richmond Park} No lighting in parks
}
Bushy Park}
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what was the total cost of providing street and path lighting in royal parks for each of the last five years ; and how many employees are engaged in providing and maintaining this service.
Mr. Key : The total cost for the provision of street and path lighting was £221,000 in 1990-91 and £271,000 in 1991-92. Separate records of expenditure on these services were not kept for previous years.
The royal parks do not directly employ any staff to carry out these services.
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will set out the cost of maintaining the railings around the royal parks for each of the last five years.
Mr. Key : The total cost of maintaining and repairing the railings and gates around the royal parks was £86,000 in 1990-91 and £252,000 in 1991-92. Separate records of expenditure on these items were not kept for previous years.
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will make a statement on the progress of contracting ground maintenance in the royal parks and the royal parks police force and the effects on cost and efficiency.
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Mr. Key : Contracts for the gardening and landscape maintenance work and for urgent tree work have all been let and came into operation on 1 March 1992. The nursery contract will come into effect on 4 July. An additional contract for tree maintenance will be awarded shortly. None of the new arrangements affect the royal parks constabulary.
The primary objective of contracting out was to maintain and improve standards both in the royal parks and in the industry and I am confident that this will be achieved. Current projections are for an actual cost saving through contracting out of £200,000 in 1992-93.
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many commercially sponsored litter bins and park benches there are in the royal parks ; and what is his estimate of the consequent cost saving.
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list the direct labour departments by number of employees for each royal park and depot and list their functions.
Mr. Key : The details are as follows :
Park |Number |Function
|Employed
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Central Parks<1> |14 |Plant production in the Hyde
|Park nursery<2>
Regents Park |4 |Plant production in the
|nursery<2>
Greenwich Park |6 |Plant production in the
|nursery<2>
Richmond Park |2 |Gamekeeping duties
Bushy Park |1 |Gamekeeping duties
<1> Central Parks comprise-Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, St. James's Park and the Green Park.
<2> Until 3 July 1992 when redundancy notices take effect. Plants will subsequently be purchased from a contractor.
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans he has for reforestation of royal parks.
Mr. Key : The royal parks tree replanting programme is based on the traditional tree planting patterns in each park.
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is the total cost for each of the last five years of providing (a) refuse and litter bins and (b) park benches and their maintenance in royal parks.
Mr. Key : The details are as follows :
Year |Bins |Benches
|£ |£
--------------------------------
1987-88 |51,000 |Nil
1988-89 |138,900|Nil
1989-90 |46,900 |Nil
1990-91 |85,000 |16,500
1991-92 |81,300 |3,900
Records of park bench maintenance costs have not been kept separately.
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what was the total income earned in royal parks for each of the last five years by (a) ice cream refreshment concessions, (b) deck chair concessions and (c) boating lake concessions.
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Mr. Key : The figures are :Column 7
Concession |Year ending |Year ending |Year ending |Year ending |Year ending
|31 March 1988|31 March 1989|31 March 1990|31 March 1991|31 March 1992
|£000 |£000 |£000 |£000 |£000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Catering<1> |238.9 |273.1 |361.7 |473.2 |412.81
Boating |31.0 |34.3 |41.5 |37.5 |75.00
Deck chairs |20.6 |24.6 |7.3 |23.5 |23.30
<1> Total catering concession income. Separate records of income relating to ice cream sales are
not kept.
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when management consultants last looked at the royal parks management structure.
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many park keepers in royal parks are provided by private contractors.
Mr. Key : This is a matter for the contractors. The numbers fluctuate with the amount of work required.
Departmental Library
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will make a statement on arrangements made to establish a new library for his Department.
Mr. Key : My Department is actively working towards setting up the full range of services necessary to a department of state. Divisions are currently using the library facilities provided by their former parent Departments, but it is likely to be the case that we will be instituting our own library services in due course. Full consideration will be given to the provision of these services and it may be that there will be scope for contracting them out.
TRANSPORT
VAT
Mr. Snape : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect of the imposition of value added tax on passenger transport ; and what would be the increase in (a) fares or (b) public sector grant in a full year to recover the net cost of value added tax charged at a rate of (i) 15 per cent. and (ii) 17.5 per cent.
Mr. Freeman : I have made no detailed assessment of the effects of the imposition of value added tax on passenger transport. Agreement reached by Finance Ministers enables us to retain our existing zero rates.
Antares
Mrs. Ray Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to publish the findings of the inquiry into the sinking of the vessel Antares from Carradale ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Norris : The report of the chief inspector of marine accidents into the collision between the fishing vessel Antares and HMS Trenchant is expected to be published by HMSO on 9 July 1992.
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British Rail (Finance)
Mr. Welsh : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the level of Government financial support for British Rail provided in (a) million pounds, (b) the amount needed to equal the 1979 allocation in real terms and (c) the percentage excess or shortfall compared to the 1979 allocation in real terms ; and if he will provide a breakdown by the following (i) public sector obligation, (ii) external financing limit and (iii) external financing requirement for each year since 1979.
Mr. Freeman : British Rail's external financing limit--EFL--for 1992 -93 has been set at £2,096 million. British Rail's external financing requirement--EFR--for 1979 was £1,735 million in 1992-93 prices. British Rail's EFL for 1992-93 therefore shows an increase of 21 per cent. over the figure for 1979 in real terms.
The annual breakdown by public service obligation, EFL and EFR is shown in the table.
|c|Government financial support for British Rail|c|
|c|1979 to 1992-93|c|
£ million in 1992-93 prices
|Public service|External |External
|obligation |finance |finance
|grant |limit |requirement
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1979 |1,176 |1,735 |1,737
1980 |1,180 |1,620 |1,620
1981 |1,398 |1,720 |1,795
1982 |1,425 |1,611 |1,481
1983 |1,422 |1,590 |1,352
<1>1984-85 |1,692 |1,477 |1,660
1985-86 |1,233 |1,382 |1,370
1986-87 |1,004 |1,141 |1,131
1987-88 |1,051 |1,038 |816
1988-89 |688 |971 |482
1989-90 |603 |768 |814
1990-91 |669 |781 |1,134
1991-92 |941 |1,591 |1,511
<2>1992-93 |1,040 |2,096 |n/a
<1>1984-85 was a 15-month year.
<2>The figure for public service obligation grant for 1992-93 is a
ceiling.
Rail Freight
Mr. Welsh : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what is the level of freight carried by rail expressed (a) in million tonnes and (b) as a percentage of total freight for (i) each of the EC member states, (ii) Sweden and (iii) Norway and Finland for each year since 1979 ;
(2) what is the total amount of freight carried by British Rail expressed in million tonnes ; and if he will provide a breakdown by (a) coal and coke, (b) iron and steel, (c) oil and chemicals, (d) building and construction, (e) freightliner and (f) other traffic for each of the years since 1979 ;
(3) what is the proportion of railway operating costs which are met from (a) passenger and (b) freight revenue
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expressed in (i) cash terms and (ii) as a percentage of total operating costs for each of the EC member states, Sweden, Norway and Finland.Mr. Freeman : Such data as are available are contained in the following publications :
Transport Statistics Great Britain (TSGB) 1991 : Table 6.9 ; Transport Statistics Report. International Comparisons of Transport Statistics 1970- 1988 Part 1 : Intermodal--Annex, Table B ; TSGB 1979-1989 and TSGB 1991-- Table 3.4 ;
International Railway Statistics 1990 : Table 72.
All these publications are available in the Library.
Rail Electrification
Mr. Welsh : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of (a) rail routes and (b) running tracks are electrified in the following (i) Scotland, (ii) England, (iii) Wales, (iv) Northern Ireland, (v) each of the EC member states, (vi) Sweden, (vii) Norway and (viii) Finland.
Mr. Freeman : Information regarding the electrification of running tracks is not available. The percentage of rail routes electrified appears in the table :
|c|Percentage of rail routes
electrified-1989|c|
|Per cent.
----------------------------------------
Scotland |23
England |33
Wales |0
Northern Ireland |0
Belgium |65
Denmark |10
France |36
Germany |38
Greece |0
Italy |59
Luxembourg |72
Netherlands |69
Portugal |15
Republic of Ireland |2
Spain |51
Sweden |63
Norway |60
Finland |28
Sources:
British Rail.
Northern Ireland Railways Co. Ltd.
Transport Statistics Great Britain.
UIC Statistics 1989.
Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety
Mr. Day : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if his Department has considered an application for an exhibition relating to the 10th anniversary of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.
Mr. Norris : I am pleased to say that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State supported this application and has agreed to open the exhibition on Monday 29 June.
Light Rail Schemes
Mr. Fry : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the funding of future light rail schemes.
Mr. Burns : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the funding of future light rail schemes.
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Mr. MacGregor : Light rail schemes are assessed for grant in accordance with the procedures and criteria set out in circular 3/89. Credit approvals are provided if required for the balance of resources, taking account of any contribution from the private sector. The fact that a scheme has qualified for funding does not however mean that the resources will be available. The Government are determined to keep tight control over public expenditure. We have funded the £135 million Manchester Metro, and are currently funding the £230 million South Yorkshire Supertram but it will not be possible to provide funds for construction of line one of the Midland Metro in the current spending round. However, we intend to continue supporting measures taken by local authorities to improve bus services, including traffic management measures. Such measures involve less call for capital expenditure and do have an immediate benefit for public transport. We have invited local authorities to submit further schemes for resource allocation next year.
Helicopter Sale
Mr. Malcolm Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when his Department authorised the sale of British Airways helicopters to Robert Maxwell ; and what conditions were applied.
Mr. Norris : The sale did not require the Secretary of State's approval or authorisation.
PRIME MINISTER
Ministerial Advisers
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the special advisers appointed to Government Ministers in this Parliament and their previous occupations.
Mr. Newton : I have been asked to reply.
The names and pre-election occupations of special advisers appointed in this Parliament are as follows :
Name |Previous occupation --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- K. Adams | Special Adviser J. S. Bercow |Sallingbury Casey E. Bickham | Special Adviser T. Burke | Special Adviser J. Caine | Special Adviser D. W. D. Cameron |Conservative Central Office Dr. E. Cottrell |Conservative Central Office Sir P. Cradock | Special Adviser Mr. Fraser | Special Adviser Sir C. Foster |Coopers and Lybrand Deloitte C. M. Grantham | Special Adviser D. Green |Television Presenter M. S. Hole | Special Adviser Mrs. S. Hogg | Special Adviser C. Hopson |Communications Consultant A. Kemp | Special Adviser Mrs. T. Keswick | Special Adviser Mrs. E. Laing | Special Adviser G. Mackay | Special Adviser R. Marsh | Special Adviser J. Mayhew | Special Adviser M. McManus |Conservative Central Office P. J. E. Miller | Special Adviser D. Poole |James Capel Mrs. K. Ramsay | Special Adviser Dr. W. Robinson | Special Adviser P. Rock |Conservative Central Office A. Rosling | Special Adviser D. Ruffley | Special Adviser I. Stewart | Special Adviser Lady Strathnaver | Special Adviser N. True | Special Adviser I. R. Wilton | Special Adviser A. Young | Special Adviser
Honours List
Sir Anthony Grant : To ask the Prime Minister what is his policy on the confidentiality of proposed recommendations by him for honours until they are formally announced ; what steps are taken when such confidence is breached ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Newton : I have been asked to reply.
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister treats such recommendations in strict confidence until they are announced and asks others to treat them similarly.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Drift Net Fishing
Mr. Onslow : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent discussions his Department has had with the National Rivers Authority concerning the phasing out of the north-east drift net fishery ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Curry : Following the report to Parliament on 17 October prepared by my right hon. Friends the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Secretary of State for Scotland, the National Rivers Authority was asked how the regulation of this fishery could be changed, inter alia, to phase out the drift net fisheries. Officials have remained in close touch with the NRA. We expect to receive the NRA's response in the summer.
Whaling
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps have been taken to instigate a permanent ban on commercial whaling.
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