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Written Answers to Questions
Friday 19 June 1992
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Public Appointments
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the public appointments which are made by the Lord Chancellor giving (a) the name of the person appointed, (b) the period of office and (c) the salary.
Mr. John M. Taylor : The Lord Chancellor makes some 1,800 public appointments. Full details can be provided only at disproportionate cost but the table shows the public bodies to which he makes appointments and the current number of appointees.
The Lord Chancellor's Public Appointments
Body |Number of
|Appointments
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Insolvency Rules Committee |7
County Court Rule Committee |10
Supreme Court Rule Committee |11
Land Registration Rule Committee |5
Family Proceedings Rule Committee |8
Crown Court Rule Committee |9
Advisory Committees on General Commissioners
of Income Tax |520
Advisory Committees on JPs in England
(excluding the Duchy of Lancaster) and Wales |946
Magistrates' Courts Rule Committee |13
Judicial Studies Board |56
Advisory Council on Public Records |10
Agency Chief Executives |2
Advisory Committee on Legal Education and
Conduct |17
Authorised Conveyancing Practitioners Board |6
Legal Services Ombudsman |1
Legal Aid Advisory Committee |10
Legal Aid Board |11
Advisory Committee on the Children Act |13
Council on Tribunals |15
Law Commission |5
Northern Ireland Court Service-Advisory
Committees on General Commissioners of
Income Tax (NI) |15
Advisory Committees on JPs in Northern Ireland |57
Advisory Committees on Juvenile Court Lay Panel |11
Legal Aid Advisory Committee (NI) |11
Insolvency Rules Advisory Committee |8
County Court Rules Committee |9
Supreme Court Rules Committee |9
Crown Court Rules Committee |11
Matrimonial Causes Rules Committee |11
Magistrates' Courts Rules Committee |9
Immigration Appeals
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what are the current levels of outstanding appeals for (a) the Immigration Tribunal and (b) the Immigration Appeal Tribunal.
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Mr. John M. Taylor : As at 31 May 1992, 27,879 cases were outstanding before immigration adjudicators and 552 before the Immigration Appeal Tribunal.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the average period from the time the explanation statement is received by the Immigration Tribunal to the date for the hearing.
Mr. John M. Taylor : The current period from the time the explanatory statement is received by the Immigration Appellate Authorities (IAA) to the date of the hearing before the adjudicator can be shown as follows :
(a) The time from the date the explanatory statement is received by the IAA to the date copies of the case papers are dispatched to the parties' representatives in this country is up to five days ; (
(b) the time taken for the parties to prepare their case before indicating to the IAA that they are ready to proceed to a hearing averages six months ;
(c) the time for the hearing to take place once the parties have indicated readiness to proceed to a hearing is from four weeks to six months.
Equal Opportunities
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many county court oficers are employed ; and, of these, how many are (a) black, (b) Asian and (c) women.
Mr. John M. Taylor : The number of county court officers employed by the Lord Chancellor's Department is 5,018 at 12 June 1992. Approximately 78 per cent. of these have responded to the Department's ethnic origin questionnaire. Of the officers who have an ethnic record, 94 are black and 91 are Asian. A total of 3,382 of the officers are women.
Combined court centres deal with county and Crown court matters. A total of 2,484 officers work within the combined court centres. We are not able to distinguish the number who work solely on county court matters. Approximately 80 per cent. of combined court centre officers have responded to the Department's ethnic origin questionnaire. Of the offices who have an ethnic record, 13 are black and 35 are Asian. A total of 1,666 of the officers are women.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the number of district judges ; and how many are (a) black, (b) Asian and (c) women.
Mr. John M. Taylor : On 1 June 1992 there were 266 district judges, including those in the principal registry of the Family Division of the High Court.
The ethnic origin of members of the judiciary and of applicants for judicial posts was not recorded prior to the autumn of 1991 and the formal records in respect of ethnic origin are therefore incomplete. It is, however, believed that there are at present no black district judges. There is one Asian--who is a woman--and 18 women holding this office.
Legal Aid
Mr. Bermingham : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the current level of expenditure for the year 1991-92 in England and Wales on legal aid in respect of (a) civil litigation and (b) criminal litigation ; and what proposals he has to reduce such expenditure levels.
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Mr. John M. Taylor : The estimated outturn of gross expenditure on legal aid in England and Wales in 1991-92-- excluding advice and assistance under the "green form" or duty solicitor schemes--is :
|£ million
---------------------------------------
Civil legal aid |540
Criminal legal aid |400
These figures represent an increase of 28 per cent. overall on the equivalent figures for 1990-91. The Lord Chancellor has announced measures, including the introduction of standard fees in the magistrates courts, which will help to control the rate of increase in legal aid costs in future.
Mr. Bermingham : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what are his proposals for establishing eligibility for legal aid within the framework of altered levels for legal aid expenditure.
Mr. John M. Taylor : The financial limits for legal aid are reviewed annually. Most limits were uprated by 7 per cent. in April. Financial eligibility is being considered more generally in the review of financial conditions.
Mr. Bermingham : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proposals he has to limit admissibility of applications for legal aid for less serious charges ; and what criteria he proposes to apply.
Mr. John M. Taylor : It is for the courts to decide whether to grant criminal legal aid in a particular case in accordance with the statutory criteria laid down by section 22 of the Legal Aid Act 1988.
Mr. Bermingham : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department by what amounts he proposes to make alterations in the level of legal aid expenditure ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. John M. Taylor : Future plans for legal aid expenditure are set out in the report on the Government's expenditure plans 1992-93 to 1994-95 for the Lord Chancellor's and Law Officers' Departments (Cm 1910) published in February 1992. The Lord Chancellor will if necessary seek additional provision for legal aid in the current financial year.
EDUCATION
Toxic Shock Syndrome
Ms. Richardson : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what guidelines are available for school governing bodies on the content and organisation of sex education ; and whether they include information on tampon-related toxic shock syndrome.
Mr. Forth : The Department's circular 11/87 includes advice to school governing bodies on their responsibilities for determining their policy both on sex education and on the content and organisation of any sex education to be offered. The National Curriculum Council has issued guidance to all maintained schools in England, offering advice on how schools might incorporate topics about sex education and personal hygiene into their wider programmes of health education. Neither of the
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documents discusses the detailed content of the curriculum, which is for school governing bodies and teachers to decide.Departmental Staff
Dr. Liam Fox : To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many civil servants and educational advisers work for his Department.
Mr. Forman : The Department employs 2,471 civil servants. That figure includes 460 in Her Majesty's inspectorate, of whom the majority, together with their support staff, will transfer to the Office of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, which is to be constituted as a separate non- ministerial department from 1 September 1992.
Parents Charter
Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what progress has been made in implementing the parents charter commitments regarding the annual publication of comparative information about school performance ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Patten : I am today publishing regulations and a circular that begin to implement our commitment in the parents charter to provide improved information for parents and the wider community about the performance of all local schools. In particular, they set out the arrangements under which I will publish this November comparative tables of public examination results for schools in the area of each local education authority.
As a result, from autumn 1992, parents choosing among local secondary schools will be sent comparative tables showing school by school the latest public examination results and will find in each maintained school's prospectus, and in that of each city technology college, improved information on public examination results and truancy rates.
Secondary schools are also being asked to include in their prospectuses and governors' annual reports details of the routes that their pupils take at ages 16, 17 and 18, showing staying-on rates and the destinations of those who leave school.
Independent secondary schools are being asked to join in these arrangements voluntarily in 1992, and I expect that most will wish to do so.
The new arrangements were the subject of consultation with local authorities and others in January this year. As a result of that consultation, I have decided not to impose the requirement to publish comparative tables on local education authorities this year, but to arrange central publication and distribution through primary schools myself.
From 1993, further regulations to be made under the Education (Schools) Act 1992 will cover the complete parents charter commitments, securing by law the inclusion in comparative tables of all schools, including independent ones, and extending their scope to cover truancy rates, national curriculum assessment results and the routes taken by older pupils.
Parents and the wider community have a right to know what is being achieved by our schools for our children. I hope that schools will make every effort to meet our requirements and requests this year. Informed choice by
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parents is a valuable force for good in education, and we should make sure that choice is based on the best possible information. Copies of the regulations and circular will be placed in the Library.AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Fisheries Byelaws
Mr. Onslow : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what draft sea fisheries byelaws are currently awaiting his approval ; and when these were first submitted to his Department.
Mr. Curry : Twenty-three formally made sea fisheries committees' (SFCs) byelaws are awaiting ministerial confirmation, which cannot be given until the necessary legal, technical and EC Commission considerations have been completed. Eight concern shell fisheries, of which five were submitted this year and three in May 1991 ; six, received in the last six months, deal with the extension of sea fishery districts from three to six miles ; three are concerned with fixed engines, two of which were submitted in the last month ; two byelaws on minimum landing sizes of fish were submitted in May 1991 and January 1992 and two on length of vessels in May 1991 and April 1992 ; one byelaw on areas where fishing for bass is allowed was submitted in May 1991 and one on gear type in January 1992. A further seven made byelaws are awaiting SFC confirmation on certain technical points.
Bird Culls
Mr. Onslow : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many applications for licences to cull (a) cormorants and (b) goosanders and mergansers in England and Wales were submitted to his Department in each of the past five years ; and how many of these were granted.
Mr. Soames : The agriculture Departments in England and Wales do not issue licences to cull the species of bird in question. Licences are issued only to shoot a limited number of birds as an aid to scaring.
With regard to licences for the killing or taking of cormorants, the requested information on the number of applications received is not yet available for the Ministry's north-east regional service centre. Details for the rest of England and Wales are as follows :
Year |Applications|Licences
|received |issued
----------------------------------------------------
1987 |6 |3
1988 |4 |2
1989 |3 |2
1990 |9 |4
1991 |8 |3
A completed table including the missing information will be provided as soon as possible.
On mergansers and goosanders, only one application has been received for a licence to shoot these species in the last five years, in Wales in 1988, and no licence was granted.
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Salmon
Mr. Onslow : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take steps to ensure that annual salmon catch statistics are collated and published more quickly.
Mr. Curry : The collation and publication of salmon catch statistics in England and Wales are the responsibility of the National Rivers Authority. It is already taking steps to publish these statistics more quickly, and this is welcome.
Gill Nets
Mr. Onslow : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what studies he has made of the effect of the ban on the carriage and use of monofilament gill nets in Scottish waters under the Inshore Fishing (Salmon and Migratory Trout) (Prohibition of Gill Nets) (Scotland) Order 1986 and the Inshore Fishing (Prohibition of Carriage of Monofilament Gill Nets) (Scotland) Order 1986 ; and if he will now use his powers under the Sea Fish (Conservation) Act 1967 to apply similar restrictions in English and Welsh waters.
Mr. Curry : The ban in Scottish waters was primarily introduced to protect salmon. The Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975, as amended by the Salmon Act 1986, provides for control of nets in English and Welsh inshore waters.
Set-aside Scheme
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the figures on a county basis in England for 1991-92 of (a) the number of serious irregularities of the set-aside scheme, (b) the number of minor breaches of the scheme and (c) the number of cases where payments were withheld in full or in part ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : The 1991-92 set-aside year runs from 1 October 1991 to 30 September 1992, with payments being made in the last quarter of 1992. Consequently, it is not yet possible to provide this information for the current set-aside year.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the amount of payments under the set-aside scheme that have been recovered or withheld in each county in England in 1991-92 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : Set-aside payments for 1991-92 will be made in the last quarter of 1992. Consequently it is not yet possible to provide this information.
Clenbuterol
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will outline the measures in force to stop the import of beef cattle fed with the drug clenbuterol.
Mr. Soames [holding answer 11 June 1992] : Under European Community rules, primary responsibility for ensuring that beef cattle fed with clenbuterol do not move between member states rests with the member states of
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origin. Thereafter, animals imported into Great Britain from other member states are subject to surveillance at the port of entry and to ante mortem inspection at the slaughterhouse. All animals, including imported animals, are also subject to the routine Great Britain residue surveillance programme on farm and at slaughterhouses as required under Community rules.DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Agencies
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which executive agencies have had their framework document amended since their establishment.
Mr. Waldegrave : This is primarily a matter for departmental ministers and the chief executives of the agencies for which they are responsible. However, our records show that four agencies have had their framework documents amended since their establishment.
NATIONAL HERITAGE
Press Complaints
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what proposals he intends to publish concerning a statutory press complaints commission.
Mr. Mellor : The Government have made it clear that they intend to review the effectiveness of press self-regulation over the period from 1 January 1991 to 30 June 1992. The proposals and the form of their publication will be decided in the light of that review. I shall make a further announcement about the nature of the review shortly.
British Library
Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage whether he plans to review the British Library St. Pancras project.
Mr. Mellor : Yes. I am commissioning consultants : to establish whether the current budget for stage 1A and the completion phase of the St. Pancras project is adequate and whether the strategy and organisation for procurement of the completion phase are likely to be the most effective means of ensuring the timely and successful conclusion of the project ; to audit the status and quality of the design information for the completion phase ; to review the status of the British library's projects for the occupation of the new building, including the reliability of cost estimates for the work ; to formalise the role of the British library in relation to the building project ; and subsequently to audit the status of documentation for the procurement of the completion phase to ensure that it is unambiguous, precise and comprehensive.
HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION
Computer Services
Mr. Page : To ask the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission, what progress is being made
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towards implementing the proposals in the fourth report from the Select Committee on House of Commons (Services) of Session 1989-90 on computer services for Members (HC 614).Mr. Beith : The Services Committee report, which was generally welcomed in an Adjournment debate on 8 July last year, proposed the installation of a new broad-band cable system throughout the parliamentary estate capable of carrying television channels, the annunciator system, and data traffic, and recommended that appropriate studies be made to identify the specifications of such a system and the information technology services which might be provided for Members, their staff and staff of the House. In the light of the debate, the House of Commons Commission gave immediate authority for the initial studies proposed by the Services Committee to be undertaken by consultants. In December 1991, the Commission authorised further expenditure, of up to £200,000 in financial year 1991-92, and up to £180,000 in financial year 1992-93, for further investigative and exploratory work towards the possible introduction of two parallel networks--one to carry television communications, and the second to carry data traffic--as recommended in the consultants' initial report. The Commission also invited the newly appointed Information Committee to liaise with the consultants, the relevant Officers of the two Houses, and the appropriate committee in the House of Lords, in the further development of plans for such a system.
The Commission is grateful to the former Information Committee, to the joint working party established by them, and to the Officers concerned, for the progress which has been made during the early part of this year.
At its meeting on 18 May, the Commission approved expenditure of about £720,500 in the current financial year to facilitate the installation of a pilot network project, as recommended by the Information Committee, in the new temporary accommodation to be provided in the autumn of this year at No. 7 Millbank. The Commission understands that this pilot scheme will assist the Information Committee--and the appropriate committee of the House of Lords--in reaching final conclusions about the nature of any network which they would wish to see installed in the parliamentary estate as a whole. Any network for the House as a whole is likely to be expensive to install and thereafter to operate. For this reason, the Commission is concerned to ensure that no final decisions are taken until a clear picture of the likely commitments has emerged and the full costs have been carefully and expertly scrutinised. It therefore intends to invite the new Finance and Services Committee to assess and make recommendations to the Commission about the financial implications of any scheme which may be proposed by the Information Committee, in accordance with the consultative arrangements provided under Standing Orders Nos. 125 (Domestic Committees) and 125A (Finance and Services Committee).
Finally, in accordance with long-established practice, the Commission will not feel able to seek estimate provision for a major new service of this kind until the service itself has been specifically approved by the House. This stage cannot be reached until the Information Committee has had an opportunity to evaluate and report on the complex issues involved, and until the Finance and
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Services Committee has had an opportunity fully to evaluate the financial implications of any proposed scheme.PRIME MINISTER
India
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Prime Minister when he next expects to visit India ; and what matters he plans to discuss.
The Prime Minister : I look forward to visiting India when dates can be agreed. The issues for discussion would be decided nearer the time.
Expo '92 Fair
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Prime Minister what has been the cost of the British pavilion at the Expo '92 Fair in Seville ; which Minister was present at the opening ceremony ; and what consideration in regard to the local ecology were taken into account in the preparation and construction of the United Kingdom pavilion.
The Prime Minister : The British pavilion at Expo '92 cost £14 million to construct. Its design is environmentally sensitive, using sails and water as shields from the sun, thus reducing its energy consumption substantially. Sir John Ure, United Kingdom Commissioner General, repre- sented Britain at the Expo '92 opening ceremony.
Earth Summit
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Prime Minister if he will set out for each Government Department represented at the Earth summit in Rio de Janeiro, the number, grade and role of the 24 officials and eight junior support staff in the United Kingdom delegation ; if he will list the title of each document submitted to the Rio de Janeiro conference ; and what responses were made to each document.
The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Environment and Countryside gave on 9 June 1992, column 147.
The Government submitted the following documents to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development secretariat : "This Common Inheritance" : 1990 Environment White Paper. "This Common Inheritance" : first-year report.
United Nations Environment Programme United Kingdom's non-governmental organisation Agenda 21 report.
Local government statement on United Nations Conference on Environment and Development.
International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources' "Caring for the Earth" report ; and
Inter-Agency Committee on Global and Environmental Change report on United Kingdom research.
No formal response has been received to any of the documents as they were submitted for information only.
Peace Dividend
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Prime Minister what level of peace dividend he expects the United Kingdom to achieve over the next five years on current Government policies.
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The Prime Minister : The Government's expenditure plans for the next three years were set out by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Autumn Statement (Cm 1729). These show the underlying cost of the defence programme being reduced significantly in real terms. No decisions have yet been taken on expenditure in later years. The Government remain committed to the maintenance of a strong and effective defence for the United Kingdom and its interests.
NATIONAL FINANCE
Public Expenditure
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the long-term target for public spending as a proportion of gross domestic product compared to present levels and those of 1982.
Mr. Portillo : The Government's objective is that public spending should take a declining share of national income over time. The ratio of public spending to GDP is expected to be 43 per cent. this year. This compares with a ratio of 47 per cent. in 1982-83.
Maxwell Group
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will meet the chairman of the Securities and Investments Board to discuss publication of the Investment Management Regulatory Organisation report on the Maxwell affair.
Mr. Nelson : I intend to meet the chairman soon to discuss a range of issues.
Mortgage Tax Relief
Sir Thomas Arnold : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current cost to the Exchequer of mortgage interest tax relief.
Mr. Dorrell : The cost of mortgage interest tax relief for 1992-93 is provisionally estimated at £5.8 billion.
Income Tax
Mr. Nicholas Brown : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing the reduction in income tax in 1992-93 compared with the 1978-79 indexed regime broken down into the top 1 per cent., 5 per cent., 10 per cent. and bottom 50 per cent. of taxpayers showing the total reduction and the average gain.
Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 18 June 1992] : Latest estimates of the annual change in income tax liability resulting from the changes in tax rates, allowances, and thresholds are in the table. The 1978-79 income tax regime has been indexed to 1992-93 levels by reference to the statutory formula, and allowing for independent taxation.
For the purposes of these calculations, the indexed regime of 1978-79 has been applied directly to the income base of 1992-93. In practice, retention of the 1978-79 regime, indexed as appropriate, for the intervening years would have led to changes in the income base.
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Reductions in income tax per individual<1> in 1992-93 compared with
the 1978-79 indexed regime
Quantile group of |Total reduction at |Average reduction
individual taxpayers|1992-93 prices |at 1992-93 prices
|£ million |£
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Top 1 per cent. |8,700 |33,300
Top 5 per cent. |13,100 |10,000
Top 10 per cent. |15,200 |6,000
Bottom 50 per cent. |4,800 |400
All taxpayers |31,400 |1,200
<1> Individuals liable to income tax under the 1978-79 indexed regime.
TRANSPORT
Network SouthEast
Lady Olga Maitland : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will require British Rail, when reporting on its compliance with the quality of service objectives for Network SouthEast, to specify the reasons for late running or cancellations of services.
Mr. Freeman : I expect Network SouthEast to tell passengers the reasons for delays and cancellations as they happen.
Orange Badge Scheme
Mr. Gordon Prentice : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will review the criteria for eligibility for the orange badge scheme.
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