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Mr. Eggar : The Government are working towards the establishment of 1,000 MW of new renewables-based electricity generation capacity in the United Kingdom by the year 2000. Targets for the exploitation of renewable energy resources are under consideration, as part of the current review of the Government's renewable energy programme.
Earth Summit
Mr. Morgan : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the impact for fuel choice and generating plant capacity, investment, mothballing and permanent retirement of treaty undertakings on global warming on offer at the Rio de Janeiro Earth summit conference ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 9 June 1992] : The Government's commitments to the control of carbon dioxide emissions under the framework convention on climate change will take into account a wide range of issues, which in the electricity sector include the expected installation of high- efficiency gas-fired plant, the fostering of renewables under the non- fossil fuel obligation, and the retirement of some existing generating plant.
Barlow Clowes
Mr. Redmond : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what has been the result to date of the writs issued by his Department to the Midland bank and other financial intermediaries in respect of the Barlow Clowes affair.
Mr. Nelson : I have been asked to reply.
A number of proceedings have been commenced following the statement by the Secretary of State to the House on 19 December 1989. I cannot comment on individual cases.
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WALES
Local Government Reorganisation
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the last date on which he considers it would be reasonable to indicate that his plans for local government reorganisation will go forward in a time scale that woud make it convenient to cancel the county council elections currently planned for May 1993.
Mr. David Hunt : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on Friday 5 June 1992, at column 662.
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether it is his intention to introduce legislation to give effect to his plans for local governmnent reorganisation in Wales during the current session of Parliament.
Mr. David Hunt : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on Wednesday 10 June, at column 182.
A483 (Bridge Repairs)
Dr. Marek : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the reasons for the bridge repairs at Rosset, near Wrexham on the A483 ; and who is to pay for them.
Sir Wyn Roberts : The bridge is not being repaired. Concrete sections of the bridge are being treated with a chemical to protect the surfaces from the harmful effects of winter salting. The Welsh Office will pay for the work.
Singleton Hospital
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he will announce his decision about the night casualty service at Singleton hospital, Swansea.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : As soon as possible.
PRIME MINISTER
Engagements
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 11 June.
Sir Peter Tapsell : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 11 June.
Mr. Newton : I have been asked to reply.
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister is in Rio de Janeiro to attend the Earth summit and will have bilateral meetings later today with various Heads of Government.
Women
Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to increase the number of women in the Cabinet.
Mr. Newton : I have been asked to reply.
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister considers all the excellent candidates available on merit at the appropriate times.
Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the actions he intends to take to promote the interests of women.
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Mr. Newton : I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has recently set up a new ministerial sub-committee on women's issues to review and develop the Government's policy and strategy on issues of special concern to women. The committee will be chaired by the Secretary of State for Employment, who now has overall responsibility for co-ordinating women's issues within Government. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has also appointed Baroness Denton, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Consumer Affairs and Small Firms, as Government co-chair of the Women's National Commission which will continue to represent the concerns of women to the Government.
Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement about the measures being taken to increase the number of women in the upper levels of the civil service.
Mr. Newton : I have been asked to reply.
Appointements and promotions at all levels in the civil service are made on the basis of merit, qualifications and suitability for the job. Under a new programme for action to achieve quality of opportunity for women in the civil service, launched in March this year, Departments and agencies are developing and implementing action plans tailored to their own needs. The plans aim at improving the quality and quantity of women's opportunities at senior and all other levels.
Family Conciliation
Mr. Madden : To ask the Prime Minister what proposals he has for funding family conciliation services ; which departmental budget funds such services at present ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Newton : I have been asked to reply.
Local family conciliation services in England and Wales are currently funded by the voluntary and private sectors with assistance in some areas from the probation service and local authorities. No Department currently funds such services directly and the Government have no current plans to introduce such funding.
The Lord Chancellor's Department is considering the role of conciliation services in England and Wales as part of the wider review of family law announced earlier this year.
Conservation Unit
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to develop an interdepartmental conservation and development co-ordinating unit with a mandate to examine departmental policy and investment proposals prior to their presentation to Cabinet.
Mr. Newton : I have been asked to reply.
This is not necessary. Cabinet procedure already requires that all papers which are prepared for Cabinet and ministerial committees should, where appropriate, cover any significant costs or benefits to the environment. There is a ministerial committee on the environment, whose terms of reference are
"to consider questions of environmental policy".
Each Government Department has a Minister responsible for environmental matters in his or her Department. There is also other co-ordinating machinery.
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CIS (Research)
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his response to the recommendations of the report he commissioned last year from the Royal Society on ways to assist scientists in the Commonwealth of Independent States to maintain their research base.
Mr. Newton : I have been asked to reply.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister gave the hon. Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell) on 20 May at column 137.
Environmental Audit
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to ensure that all Government Departments are subject to periodic environmental audits.
Mr. Newton : I have been asked to reply.
Government Departments publish accounts of their environmental performance in their annual departmental reports. This follows a commitment set out in the 1990 environment White Paper "This Common Inheritance", Cm 1200, and reaffirmed in the 1991 first-year report on that White Paper, Cm. 1655.
Earth Summit
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister what resource commitments have been made by Her Majesty's Government to support the institutional requirements to implement United Nations Conference on Environmental and Development decisions.
Mr. Newton : I have been asked to reply.
We expect agreement to be reached during the Earth summit on the most effective and efficient institutions to follow up
recommendations made at the UN Conference on Environment and Development. We believe that a sustainable development commission is the right mechanism. We will consider what financial resources are appropriate once the institutional framework has been agreed.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Ceredigion and Pembroke, North (Mr. Dafis) of 2 June, Official Report, column 392, if he will list the heads of Government he has met since 9 April, and the date on which he discussed with them the Earth summit.
Mr. Newton : I have been asked to reply.
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has nothing further to add to the answer he gave to the hon. Member for Ceredigion and Pembroke, North on 2 June at column 392 .
Secret Services
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list all the present and past locations in Britain of the secret intelligence service and of the Security Service.
Mr. Newton : I have been asked to reply.
It would not be in the interests of national security to provide this information.
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Honours System
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Prime Minister what is the latest estimated annual cost to public funds of operating the honours system.
Mr. Newton : I have been asked to reply.
Figures for the cost of operating the honours system could not be provided other than at disproportionate cost.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Rape
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the number of females who have reported being raped during the last 12 months in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Mates : I am informed by the Chief Constable that the most recent figures available show that during the 12-month period 1 May 1991 to 30 April 1992 the Royal Ulster Constabulary received 108 reports of rape from females.
Chemical Waste
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the chemicals and the amounts of such chemicals removed from the old Mackies factory in Belfast after the factory was vacated ; by whom the materials were removed ; by what means final disposal was effected and by whom ; what steps he has taken to assure himself that the disposal was safe and effective ; what role his Department had in the clearing of such chemicals from the site ; and why the chemicals were not removed and disposed of before the premises were vacated.
Mr. Atkins : Lummus Mackie Ltd. has not yet fully vacated its old factory in Belfast. The move to new premises should be completed by the end of August this year, by which time it is understood that all potentially harmful chemicals will have been removed.
Fire Regulations
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects all premises registered under the Northern Ireland tourism legislation to comply with the necessary fire regulations ; and when he expects the Northern Ireland Fire Service to complete inspection of all such existing premises for compliance with such regulations as are required under the 1984 order.
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Mr. Atkins : Applications for the grant of a fire certificate have been made on behalf of 372 premises in the categories covered by Northern Ireland tourism legislation. Of these, 69 remain to be inspected and this process is expected to be completed by December 1993. Sixty-four premises have so far been refused certificates.
Traffic
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the traffic volume on (a) the Belfast road into Larne and (b) the Dublin road south of Newry to the border.
Mr. Atkins : The average daily traffic flow is 13,850 vehicles and 6,000 vehicles respectively.
Data Protection
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department's arrangements for consulting the Data Protection Registrar during the planning stage of any initiative involving the collection, use or disclosure of personal data ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Mates : The Northern Ireland Office and each of the Northern Ireland Departments have appointed a data protection officer responsible for the maintenance of the Department's data protection register. Recently, with the assistance of the office of the Data Protection Registrar, all Departments reviewed their effectiveness in fulfilling the requirements of the Act and subsequently initiated a number of minor refinements to existing practice. There is an inter-departmental data protection officers' forum in Northern Ireland which ensures regular review of requirements as well as the effective read-across of departmental experiences.
Road Schemes
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table to show the total sums projected in the appropriate orders for (a) major capital road works, (b) road maintenance and (c) minor capital road works in each of the financial years (i) 1988- 89, (ii) 1989-90, (iii) 1990-91 and (iv) 1991-92 and the sums actually expended under each of those headings in those years ; and if he will indicate any increases and decreases from the sums initially projected in each year and also any differences from the longer term estimates for those years.
Mr. Atkins : The information requested is as follows :
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£' thousand
|Major capital |Increase/ |Road |Increase/ |Minor capital |Increase/
|roadworks |decrease on |maintenance |decrease on |roadworks |decrease on
|main estimates |main estimates |main estimates
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1988-89
Main estimates |10,905 |- |26,951 |- |6,330 |-
Spring supplementary estimates |13,830 |+2,925 |32,168 |+5,217 |6,535 |+205
Outturn |12,159 |+1,254 |34,571 |+7,620 |7,303 |+973
1989-90
Main estimates |18,365 |- |40,415 |- |7,050 |-
Spring supplementary estimates |17,849 |-516 |41,200 |+785 |7,100 |+50
Outturn |16,315 |-2,050 |41,584 |+1,169 |8,624 |-1,574
1990-91
Main estimates |16,560 |- |43,180 |- |9,030 |-
Spring supplementary estimates |16,560 |- |44,394 |+1,214 |9,030 |-
Outturn |16,046 |-1,514 |45,936 |+2,756 |9,612 |+582
1991-92
Main estimates |18,730 |- |42,151 |- |8,502 |-
Spring supplementary estimates |20,382 |-1,652 |41,250 |-901 |8,002 |-500
Outturn |19,892 |+1,162 |40,277 |-1,874 |7,910 |-592
Note:-Long term planning figures are subject to annual refinement before inclusion in the Estimates booklets.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Road Schemes
Mr. Clifford Forsythe : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what were the major capital road schemes programmed (a) in 1988 for the years 1988-89, 1989-90, 1990-91 and 1991-92 and (b) in 1990 for the years 1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93 and 1993-94 ; and if he will indicate the cost of each scheme.
Mr. Atkins : The information requested is as follows :
|c|Major capital road schemes programmed in 1988|c|
Financial year and proposed schemes |Total
|estimated
|cost
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1988-89
A26 Antrim/Ballymena Dualling: Stage 1 |3.8
A57/B101 Oldstone Road |0.7
Eastlink Dundonald |0.5
Longwood Road, Newtownabbey |0.5
Castlecourt, Belfast |1.5
Buncrana Road, Londonderry |0.3
Banbridge By-pass Dualling |1.3
Newry 8A (Canal Street/Downshire Road Link) |1.0
Balloo Road, Bangor: Stage 2 |0.8
Omagh Through-pass: Stage 1 |3.7
1989-90
Frederick Street, Belfast |1.5
Greenmount Link Roundabout, Coleraine |0.2
Crossnadonnell Limavady |0.4
Strand Road, Londonderry |0.2
Culmore Road, Londonderry |0.3
Bridge Street/Tavanagh Avenue, Portadown |0.4
Dunmurry By-pass: Stage 2C |1.8
A48 Donaghadee Road, Newtownards |0.4
T4 Hillsborough By-pass junction |0.4
Strabane By-pass: Stage 1 |2.6
Church Street/Scotch Street, Downpatrick |0.6
1990-91
Castledawson By-pass |2.5
Belfast schemes arising from Belfast Urban area plan |3.0
Greemount Link: Stages 3 and 4 Coleraine |0.4
Bushmills Road, Coleraine |0.5
T4 Mullan's Corner Dualling |1.3
Dunmurry By-pass Stage 20 |1.7
Enniskillen Through-pass Stage 3B |1.0
High Street/Hamilton Road, Bangor |0.5
1991-92
Killead By-pass |1.2
A26 Antrim/Ballymena Dualling Stage 2 |2.6
Belfast schemes arising from Belfast Urban area plan |3.0
Strand Road, Londonderry: Stage 2 |0.6
Newry By-pass: Stage 2 |2.5
North Road/Talbot Street, Newtownards |0.3
Comber By-pass Stage 2 |1.0
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|c|Major capital road schemes programmed in 1990|c|
£ million at 1990 prices
Financial year and proposed schemes |Total
|estimated
|cost
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1990-91
T8 Castledown By-pass |3.1
Ballymaconaghy Road, Belfast: Phase 1 |0.1
Purdysburn Road, Belfast |0.8
Ballymaconaghy Road, Belfast: Phase 2 |0.6
Castlereagh Roundabout, Belfast |0.6
Jordanstown Road, Belfast |0.2
Greenmount Link, Coleraine: Stage 5 |0.6
Bushmills Road, Coleraine |0.7
Queen's Quay Repairs Londonderry |0.2
A48 Donaghadee Road, Newtownards |1.0
Dunmurry By-pass: Stage 2D |2.8
Strabane By-pass: Stage 1 (bridge) |1.0
T3 Strategy |0.3
1991-92
Killed By-pass |1.5
M2 Crosskennan Slip Roads |0.6
Great Victoria Street/Sandy Row, Belfast |1.5
Forester Green Junction, Belfast |0.9
Queen's Quay, Londonderry |2.0
T4 Mullan's Corner Dualling |1.8
Church Street/Scotch Street, Downpartick |1.0
High Street/Hamilton Road, Bangor |1.3
Balloo Road, Bangor: Stage 3 |0.3
Strabane By-pass: Stage 1 (Roadworks) |2.1
T3 Strategy |0.3
1993-94
A26 Antrim/Ballymena Dualling: Stage 2 |3.1
A2 Shore Road, Belfast |4.1
Purdysburn Road, Belfast: Stage 2 |0.8
Knock Road, Belfast: Stage 1 |5.6
Strand Road, Londonderry: Stage 2 |1.0
Newry By-pass: Stage 3 (Roadworks) |3.9
A29 Carland Bridge, Dungannon |1.5
T3 Strategy |0.3
Civil Servants
Mr. Trimble : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give the number of civil servants in the Northern Ireland Office, (a) in Belfast and (b) in London, indicating in each case how many are of Northern Ireland origin and how many of Great Britain origin.
Mr. Mates : As at 1 April 1992 there were 106 staff working in London and 1,435 in Northern Ireland. The information on origin is not held by the Northern Ireland Office.
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Airports Authority
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he requested the board of the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company Ltd. to reconsider its new nominee for the chairmanship of the Northern Ireland Airports Authority Ltd. ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Atkins : I wrote to the chairman of the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company on 1 June, asking to be reassured that the board had been able to cast its net sufficiently widely before a decision was taken on approval of any appointment as chairman. I also asked if the board would be prepared to make at least three names available for consideration.
EMPLOYMENT
Youth Unemployment
Mr. Ronnie Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons under the age of 21 are unemployed in the Morpeth- Northumberland travel-to-work area at the most recent date.
Mr. McLoughlin : Unemployment figures by age and duration are available on a quarterly basis, but only for standard age bands. In April 1992, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 695 claimant unemployed persons aged under 20 in the Morpeth and Ashington travel-to-work area.
Long-term Unemployment
Mr. Kevin Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment she has made of the impact of Government policies on long-term unemployment.
Mr. O'Hara : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment she has made of the impact of Government policies on long-term unemployment.
Mr. McLoughlin : We are firmly committed to helping long-term unemployed people get back to work. We have in place a wider than ever range of measures to help unemployed people, including the long-term unemployed, find jobs as quickly as possible. These measures are part of a coherent package of policies which are setting a sound economic framework for sustainable non-inflationary growth.
Local Office, Newport
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether she will instruct the manager of the Newport, Gwent, unemployment benefit office to report how many unemployed people were disqualified for unemployment benefit and for what periods, under each paragraph of section 20(1) of the Social Security Act 1975, in the area covered by that office in the week commencing 15 June ; and if she will place this information in the Library.
Mr. McLoughlin : Questions on operational matters in the Employment Service agency are the responsibility of the agency's chief executive, to whom I have referred this question for reply.
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ENVIRONMENT
Sites of Special Scientific Interest
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to improve the monitoring of sites of special scientific interest.
Mr. Maclean : In England the responsibility for monitoring individual sites of special scientific interest lies with English Nature which is giving particular attention to improving its performance in this area. For example in 1991-92 some 51 per cent. of SSSIs in England received site integrity monitoring involving a basic check on whether major loss or damage has occurred. English Nature is also developing its existing system of site quality monitoring which surveys a sample of SSSIs for its detailed scientific value each year.
Greenhouse Gases
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to develop and implement a United Kingdom plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural processes.
Mr. Maclean : The Government intend to consider the scope for limiting greenhouse gas emissions from all sources, including the agricultural sector, in drawing up their national programme under the framework convention on climate change.
Methane
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what efforts are currently being undertaken by his Department to improve the maintenance of oil and natural gas production systems as a means of reducing methane leakage.
Mr. Maclean : My Department is participating in a study led by the Department of Trade and Industry aimed at improving knowledge of methane emissions from all sources, including oil and natural gas production.
Social Housing
Mr. John Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps his Department will take to counteract the recent Audit Commission's optimistic forecast of a shortfall of 12,000 social lettings each year ; and if he will comment on the report.
Mr. Baldry : The Audit Commission's report "Developing Local Authority Housing Strategies", including the discussion of supply and demand for social housing, is a useful contribution to public debate on housing policy. Besides the recommendations addressed to central Government, which we shall consider carefully, the report contains many recommendations for local authorities on how they could make more effective use of their existing stock of housing and other resources.
Mr. Lester : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the Audit Commissioner's report on the shortfall of 12,000 homes per year ; and what effect this has on waiting lists.
Mr. Baldry : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave today to the hon. Member for St. Helens, North (Mr.
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Evans). Local authorities' practices in maintaining waiting lists for council housing vary widely, and they are therefore not an accurate indicator of unmet need for social housing.Local Government Finance
Mr. Cummings : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will indicate the cost to Easington district council of collecting the community charge 1991-92 and the estimated costs involved to Easington council in collecting the council tax.
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