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Disability
Mr. Robert Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the latest figure of the number of people who are registered disabled in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Yeo : The latest figures for England are given in the table. Information on people who are registered as disabled is collected triennially from the registers maintained by local authorities. Information relating to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales and Scotland and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
|Number |(as at 31 March)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
People registered as:
Deaf or hard of hearing |108,000 |(1989)
Handicapped (General Classes)<1> |1,259,000 |(1990)
Blind or partially sighted |230,000 |(1991)
<1>Primary handicap is neither visual or auditory
NHS Trusts
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements she proposes to make for the national health service management executive to oversee the work of NHS trusts ; and where the NHS management executive will base its work of overseeing trusts in the Northern region.
Dr. Mawhinney : National health service trusts account to the NHS management executive, NHSME, through the six NHSME outposts which became operational in April as an interim measure, pending the management executive's review of options for the longer term. The north-east outpost, which deals with trusts sited within the northern region, is based in Leeds.
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Food Safety
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to ensure that opportunities for children in residential care to share in cooking and catering are not unduly constrained by the terms of the Food Safety Act 1990 or regulations made consequent on that Act.
Mr. Sackville : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 19 June at column 708.
Hayley Slennett
Mrs. Bridget Prentice : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with Guy's hospital trust on behalf of Hayley Slennett and her parents ; and if she will make a statement.
Dr. Mawhinney : None. Hayley Slennett's treatment was the responsibility of Guy's Hospital Trust, and the doctors concerned.
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Mrs. Bridget Prentice : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total bill paid by the Slennett family for treatment to Hayley Slennett at Guy's hospital trust ; and how much of it will be received by the national health service.
Dr. Mawhinney : The terms on which Hayley's treatment was carried out is a matter between Hayley's parents and Guy's hospital. Any private patient income received by the hospital is retained locally.
Paediatric Cardiology
Mrs. Bridget Prentice : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average waiting time for paediatric cardiology in each of the regions in England.
Mr. Sackville : Waiting time information on paediatric cardiology is not collected centrally.
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SOCIAL SECURITY
Pensions Equality
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the saving to the British pensions industry of the protocol on the Barber judgment restricting equality of pensions to new claimants after 17 May 1990, expressing this saving as an annual amount ; and what is the basis on which the calculation was made.
Miss Widdecombe : The Government Actuary has estimated that the costs for United Kingdom industry could amount to around £50 billion, using his 1987 survey of occupational pensions and interpreting retrospection as meaning equal treatment for all periods of pensionable service before 17 May 1990, including the recalculation of existing benefits in payment, and equalisation is based on the better terms available to either sex. Allowing for the normal practice of spreading the costs over a period of up to 15 years, the annual cost would be about £4 billion. In addition to the protocol, the Government are a party to supporting the Coloroll case to seek confirmation from the European Court of Justice that the Barber judgment does not apply to pensionable service before the date of that ruling, 17 May 1990.
Mr. Robert Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the timing of the discussion period relating to the equalisation of the pension age for men and women ; and when a decision is expected.
Miss Widdecombe : I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish (Mr. Bennett) on 8 June at column 53 .
War Disability Benefit
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people receiving war disability pension are also in receipt of each other benefit, including state retirement pension.
Miss Widdecombe : The information is not available.
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people received war disability pension in 1962, 1972, 1982 and 1992.
Miss Widdecombe : The information is in the table.
Date |War
|disablement
|pensions
|in payment
-----------------------------------------
31 December 1962 |487,341
31 December 1972 |357,750
31 December 1982 |247,420
1 May 1992 |197,764
International Agreements
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list all the bilateral and multilateral agreements directly or indirectly negotiated by his Department or a body acting on behalf of his Department with (a) Switzerland and (b) Liechtenstein.
Mr. Scott : The Government have a bilateral social security agreement with Switzerland but not with Liechtenstein.
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A multilateral agreement covering all countries in the European economic area--EEA--including the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, is expected to come into effect on 1 January 1993. Under this agreement, the European Community social security regulations for migrant workers will be extended throughout the EEA.Disability Living Allowance
Mr. Kaufman : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applicants for disability living allowance are currently awaiting a decision ; and if he will explain the reasons for the time taken.
Mr. Scott : The administration of disability living allowance is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the right hon. Member and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.
Income Support
Dr. Goodson-Wickes : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what arrangements are made for the payment of benefits to those of no fixed abode.
Mr. Burt : The administration of benefits is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to my hon. Friend and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.
Social Fund
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 15 June, Official Report, column 385, what stage arrangements for publication of the York university report on the social fund have reached ; and whether he will place a copy in the Library pending full publication.
Mr. Scott : The report will be published following examination by Ministers. A copy of the report will be placed in the Library at the same time as it is published.
British Pensioners
Mr. Waterson : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list those countries where (a) British pensioners are not in receipt of annual increments and (b) British pensioners are in receipt of annual increments, giving in each case the number of such pensioners thought to be currently resident in each country.
Miss Widdecombe : The tables show the numbers of pensioners in overseas countries where United Kingdom retirement and widow's pensions were paid at 31 December 1991. Table (A) lists the countries where annual pension upratings are not paid, and table (B) lists the countries where they are.
|c|Table (A): Number of retirement pensioners and
widows benefit|c|
|c|beneficiaries in overseas countries where
annual pension increases are|c|
|c| not paid|c|
|Number
--------------------------------------------------
Albania |6
Algeria |5
Andorra |165
Angola |1
Anguilla |83
Antigua and Barbuda |208
Argentina |198
Ascencion Island |3
Australia |144,381
Bahamas |148
Bahrain |27
Bangladesh |3,856
Belize |29
Benin |2
Bolivia |8
Botswana |73
Brazil |276
Brunei |17
Bulgaria |8
Burma |3
C.I.S. |748
Cameroon |3
Canada |108,385
Cayman Islands |50
Central African Republic |3
Chile |75
China |18
Colombia |24
Cook Islands |3
Costa Rica |16
Cote DIvoire |1
Cuba |1
Czechoslovakia |59
Djibouti |82
Dominica, Commonwealth of |552
Dominican Republic |157
Ecquador |12
Egypt |60
El Salvador |2
Ethiopia |33
Falkland Islands and Dependencies |14
Faroe Islands |6
Fiji |41
Gambia |30
Ghana |99
Grenada |659
Guatemala |7
Guinea |2
Guyana |198
Haiti |1
Honduras |6
Hong Kong |616
Hungary |209
India |3,637
Indonesia |27
Iran |3
Iraq |1
Japan |68
Jordan |11
Kampuchea |1
Kenya |504
Kiribati |5
Kuwait |5
Lebanon |17
Lesotho |9
Liberia |2
Libya |4
Liechtenstein |2
Macau |2
Madagascar |2
Malawi |78
Malaysia |101
Maldive Islands |2
Mali |1
Mauritania |2
Mexico |102
Monaco |220
Mongolia |1
Montserrat |296
Morocco |51
Mozambique |3
Namibia |23
Mauru |1
Nepal |14
Netherlands Antilles |6
New Caledonia |1
New Zealand |31,308
Nicaragua |2
Nigeria |206
Norfolk Island |14
Oman |25
Pakistan |6,975
Panama |6
Papua New Guinea |21
Paraguay |4
Peru |51
Poland |2,312
Qatar |8
Romania |15
Rwanda |1
St. Helena and Dependencies |50
St. Kitts-Nevis |405
St. Lucia |746
St. Vincent |436
San Marina |2
Saudi Arabia |63
Senegal |10
Seychelles |43
Sierra Leone |57
Singapore |103
Solomon Islands |8
Somalia |61
South Africa |32,491
South Korea |4
Sri Lanka |182
Sudan |6
Swaziland |80
Syria |5
Taiwan |8
Tanzania |26
Thailand |128
Togo |4
Tonga |3
Trinidad and Tobago |419
Tunisia |13
Turks & Caicos Islands |9
Tuvalu |2
Uganda |16
United Arab Emirates |90
Uruguay |17
Vanuatu (New Hebrides) |3
Vatican City |1
Venezula |43
Virgin Islands, British |31
Western Samoa |13
Yemen Arab Republic |1,692
Zaire |4
Zambia |185
Zimbabwe |5,069
|c|Table B:|c|
|c|Number of retirement pensioners and widows benefit beneficiaries in|c|
|c|overseas countries where annual pension increases are paid|c|
|Number
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alderney |457
Austria |3,311
Barbados<1> |1,585
Belgium |4,298
Bermuda |373
Cyprus |4,103
Denmark |488
Finland |100
France (including Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique and Reunion Island) |9,081
Germany |17,693
Gibraltar |461
Greece |1,262
Guernsey |5,134
Iceland |33
Irish Republic |66,196
Israel |2,772
Italy |15,263
Jamaica |16,388
Jersey |7,137
Luxembourg |94
Malta |1,988
Mauritius |187
Netherlands |3,778
Norway |297
Philippines |129
Portugal (including Madeira) |2,581
Sark |85
Spain (including the Balearic and Canary Islands) |23,979
Sweden |276
Switzerland |2,253
Turkey |355
United States of America |67,630
Yugoslavia |927
<1>Increases will be paid from April 1992.
Unemployment Benefit (Disqualifications)
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of unemployment benefit claims were disqualified under section 20(1) of the Social Security Act 1975 in each quarter since 1980 ; and what proportion of disqualified claimants were receiving supplementary benefit and income support in each half-yearly survey of unemployed claimants over the same period.
Mr. Burt : The information requested is in the tables.
|c|Table 1|c|
|c|Percentage of claims to
unemployment benefit disqualified
by|c|
|c|adjudication officers 1980-91|c|
Quarter |Percentage
|disqualified
|by
|adjudication
|officer
---------------------------------------
1980
Q1 |23
Q2 |16
Q3 |17
Q4 |21
1981
Q1 |20
Q2 |19
Q3 |15
Q4 |19
1982
Q1 |19
Q2 |18
Q3 |16
Q4 |21
1983
Q1 |21
Q2 |19
Q3 |16
Q4 |21
1984
Q1 |22
Q2 |19
Q3 |14
Q4 |19
1985
Q1 |23
Q2 |19
Q3 |14
Q4 |22
1986
Q1 |21
Q2 |20
Q3 |17
Q4 |25
1987
H1 |23
H2 |22
1988
H1 |24
H2 |19
1989
Q1 |21
Q2 |21
Q3 |15
Q4 |18
1990
Q1 |19
Q2 |21
Q3 |16
Q4 |19
1991
Q1 |18
Q2 |23
Q3 |18
Q4 |23
Source: Departmental statistics.
Sample: 100 per cent.
Notes:1.Numbers of disqualifications
are based on quarter years derived
from three calendar months, while
numbers of claims are derived from
whole weeks.
2.In any particular quarter year a
number of the disqualifications could
relate to a claim made in a previous
quarter.
3.For the duration of 1987 and 1988
statistics were produced half yearly
rather than quarterly.
|c|Table 2|c|
|c|Percentage of disqualified claimants in
receipt of|c|
|c|Supplementary Allowance/Income Support
1980-91|c|
|Percentage in
|receipt of
|Supplementary
|Allowance/
|Income Support
---------------------------------------------
May 1980 |46.0
November 1980 |50.1
May 1981
November 1981
February 1982 |41.2
May 1982 |43.5
November 1982 |44.7
May 1983 |64.2
November 1983 |61.1
May 1984
November 1984 |65.0
May 1985 |61.8
November 1985 |60.8
May 1986 |61.4
November 1986 |58.6
May 1987 |67.3
November 1987 |67.9
May 1988 |69.6
November 1988 |71.0
May 1989 |76.8
November 1989 |77.0
May 1990 |79.4
November 1990 |77.6
May 1991 |79.6
November 1991 |78.0
Source: Half Yearly Analysis of Unemployed
Claimant. Sample size: 5 per cent.
Notes:
1.The numbers of disqualified claimants used
in this calculation include a small number
of disallowed claims. The available
statistics do not provide separate figures
for these claims.
2.Figures for May 1981 and November 1981,
and May 1984 are not available due to
industrial action. Figures are available for
February 1982, however, and these have been
given above.
3.Income Support replaced Supplementary
Allowance from April 1988.
9313
Maxwell Pensions
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will detail each item of the funds so far received by the unit set up within his Department to repossess assets belonging to the Maxwell pension funds.
Miss Widdecombe : The special unit announced on 8 June is now established. Further details of its work will be given shortly.
Mr. Clapham : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will review his commitment to the Maxwell pensioners.
Miss Widdecombe : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State remains committed to the positive measures he announced on 8 June which are intended to ease the exceptional short-term pressures on some Maxwell pension schemes and their pensioners while frozen assets are being released and progress is made in restoring and obtaining other funds. The Department keeps in close touch with trustees of Maxwell pension funds and others concerned with these pension schemes.
SCOTLAND
Haddington Sheriff Court
Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the suitability of the present accommodation at Haddington sheriff court ; and if he will consider acquiring Tenterfield house from Lothian regional council to provide a new location for the court.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : Considerable efforts have been made in recent years to improve facilities at Haddington sheriff court. Courtroom accommodation is now fully adequate to meet the current workload of the court. However, there are still some shortcomings in the provision for witness and other ancillary accommodation, and further improvements at the courthouse are in hand.
The Government do not propose to acquire Tenterfield house or any other alternative location for the courthouse at this stage. The position at Haddington as at all other courthouses will, however, be kept under review.
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Teachers (Stress)
Mr. Salmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many teachers, upon leaving the profession, have cited stress as a reason ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) if he will give details of the number of teachers who have retired early, over the last five years, due to stress related illness.
Mr. Allan Stewart : The information sought is not available.
Disabled Employees
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of the total work force in his Department is registered as disabled ; what steps he is taking to encourage the employment of disabled people within his Department ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang : A total of 1.3 per cent. of the work force of the Scottish Office are registered disabled persons. The work force includes, in addition, an unrecorded number of staff who have chosen not to register.
The Scottish Office policy is positively to encourage people with disabilities to apply for posts. A number of initiatives have been taken to ensure that disabled people are aware of vacancies and ensure that the Scottish Office is an equal opportunities employer. These initiatives make use of the fact that the Scottish Office set up its own recruitment unit in 1990, and include the issue of recruitment literature and application forms to disablement resettlement officers in advance of press advertisements, and discrimination in favour of disabled people where possible under the code of practice published by the Cabinet Office. Recruitment literature bears the employment services disability symbol and states clearly that the Scottish Office is an equal opportunities employer. These initiatives have led to the employment of 25 disabled people in the past two years--4.2 per cent. of the total number of staff recruited in that period.
It is the Scottish Office's intention to continue to make every effort to encourage people with disabilities to seek employment in its ranks, and to this end it has just completed a revision of its recruitment literature, making it more user-friendly to disabled people and giving even greater prominence to its commitment to employ them.
Land Registration
Mr. Bill Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he intends to extend registration of title under the Land Registration (Scotland) Act 1979 to further areas of Scotland ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang : The former Minister for Home Affairs at the Scottish Office made an order on 14 March 1992 making the county of Clackmannan an operational area for the registration of title in the land register of Scotland with effect from 1 October 1992. This is the first stage in the implementation of a revised programme proposed by the keeper of the registers to extend the land register to cover the remaining counties of Scotland, to which I recently gave my approval. The progressive extension of land registration will bring the benefits of guaranteed title and quicker and streamlined conveyancing practices to the whole of Scotland.
Column 315
The counties of Renfrew, Dumbarton, Lanark and the Barony and Regality of Glasgow are already in the land register. The timetable for the remaining counties is as follows.
County |Operational date
-----------------------------------------------------
Stirling |1 April 1993
West Lothian |1 October 1993
Fife |1 April 1995
Aberdeen
Kincardine |1 April 1996
Ayr
Dumfries |1 April 1997
Angus
Perth
Kinross |1 April 1998
Midlothian |1 April 2000
Argyll
Berwick
Bute
East Lothian
Kircudbright
Peebles
Roxburgh
Selkirk
Wigtown |1 April 2002
Banff
Caithness
Inverness
Moray
Nairn
Orkney and Zetland
Ross and Cromarty
Sutherland |1 April 2003
NORTHERN IRELAND
Tourism
11. Mr. Jacques Arnold : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many tourists he estimates will visit the Province in 1992 ; and if he will make a statement.
16. Mr. Simon Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the value of tourism in 1992.
Mr. Atkins : Figures are not available for 1992, but the value of tourism in 1991 was £216.6 million, comprising £162 million from visitors from outside Northern Ireland and £54.6 million domestic. The Northern Ireland tourism board is estimating this year a 5 to 10 per cent. increase on the 1991 figure of 1.18 million visitors to Northern Ireland.
Roads
12. Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland why the proposed new road junction scheme at Forster Green hospital has been removed from this year's roads programme ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Atkins : It has been necessary to postpone the start of this scheme until the 1995-96 financial year due to pressures upon available funds.
Column 316
Cross-border Co-operation
13. Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he next expects to meet the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Ireland to discuss cross-border co-operation.
Sir Patrick Mayhew : The timing of my next meeting with Mr. Andrews will depend on the progress of the political talks. There continues to be a good deal of contact between Northern Ireland Ministers and officials and their Irish counterparts across a wide range of issues of mutual concern.
18. Mr. Townsend : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on cross-border security co-operation.
Mr. Mates : Cross-border security is a constant topic of discussion at Anglo-Irish intergovernmental conferences. At the conference of 27 April both Governments reaffirmed their determination to enhance and strengthen security co-operation.
Sewage Treatment Works
14. Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to prohibit the erection of dwellings within a specified distance of a sewage treatment works.
Mr. Atkins : The Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland as planning authority, has guidelines for dealing with planning applications for proposed housing developments within specified distances of sewage treatment works and for proposed new sewage treatment works or extensions to existing works adjacent to other existing developments. There are no plans to amend these guidelines.
National Music Day
15. Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what support his Department is giving to National Music Day.
Mr. Hanley : The hon. Gentleman will know that National Music Day is intended to be self-financing. The Department of Education has therefore not been directly involved, but the Arts Council of Northern Ireland issued publicity material to district councils, to promote National Music Day and there will be a number of events throughout the Province.
Constitutional Talks
17. Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the progress of his talks with the constitutional parties in Northern Ireland.
19. Mr. Hain : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the current state of the inter-party talks on Northern Ireland.
22. Mr. Riddick : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the progress of the inter-party constitutional talks.
23. Mr. Andrew Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in the inter-party talks ; and if he will make a statement.
Column 317
Mr. Canavan : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about his discussions with political parties about the future of the constitutional position of Northern Ireland.Sir Patrick Mayhew : I refer the hon. Members and my hon. Friends to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Chingford (Mr. Duncan-Smith).
Community Relations
20. Mr. Jenkin : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many district councils for Northern Ireland have introduced policies for promoting community relations.
Mr. Hanley : Twenty-two out of 26 district councils have now introduced policies and programmes on a cross-political basis aimed at improving community relations.
Planning Applications
21. Rev. Martin Smyth : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received over the granting of planning applications.
Mr. Atkins : As there are 16,000 applications granted each year and a significant number of representations are received in relation to applications, the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Schools (Academic Selection)
24. Mr. Anthony Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion of schools in Northern Ireland base entry upon academic selection.
Mr. Hanley : Six per cent. overall. No primary schools base entry upon academic selection, but 30 per cent. of the schools which provide secondary education base entry on a pupil's ability as indicated by the grade obtained in the transfer procedure tests.
Common Agriculture Policy
25. Mr. Burns : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the impact upon Northern Ireland of the reform of the common agricultural policy.
Mr. Hanley : Reform of the common agriculture policy is expected to have a favourable impact on Northern Ireland.
Making Belfast Work
26. Mr. Raymond S. Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made with Making Belfast Work since 1988 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Atkins : Under Making Belfast Work job creation, enterprise development and improving residents' ability to compete effectively for employment opportunities have been identified as priorities, but the programme also addresses poor educational achievement and the quality of life in terms of the social and physical environment. There are encouraging signs of progress in all these functional areas.
Column 318
Overseas Investment
27. Mr. Hunter : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a further statement on the measures he is taking to encourage overseas investment into Northern Ireland.
Mr. Atkins : Our efforts will continue to be concentrated on those markets which offer the best chances of attracting mobile investment, with a geographical emphasis on Asia Pacific, North America and continental Europe. We will, in particular, seek opportunities in sectors such as information technology, medical technology and automotive components but we will also respond positively to any inward investment opportunities outside those sectors.
RUC Stations
Mr. A. Cecil Walker : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals the Government have to compensate persons whose amenities are affected by security measures at Royal Ulster Constabulary stations.
Mr. Mates : There is provision for compensation in the Land Compensation (Northern Ireland) Order 1982, the Land Acquisition and Compensation (Northern Ireland) Order 1973 and the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1991. No further proposals are planned.
CHURCH COMMISSIONERS
Property Development Schemes
Sir James Spicer : To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, as representing the Church Commissioners, (1) which property development schemes identified in the 1990 report and accounts do not yet have planning consent ; and what is the total value of the commissioners' investment in these schemes ;
(2) how much the commissioners have invested in property development schemes being undertaken in partnership with other developers which have not yet received planning consent ; and if he will list such schemes.
Mr. Michael Alison : In answer to the first question, there are two such schemes ; Ashford Great Park, Kent and Easton lane, Winnall, near Winchester, which are together valued in the commissioners' books at £17.25 million, or 1.67 per cent., of their total property portfolio, without planning permission.
In answer to the second question, Ashford Great Park is the only such scheme. The commissioners have a current equity stake of £30 million and have supported the partnership with loan finance.
EMPLOYMENT
International Agreements
Mr. David Shaw : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will list all the bilateral and multilateral agreements directly or indirectly negotiated by her Department or a body acting on behalf of his Department with (a) Switzerland and (b) Liechtenstein.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : There are no bilateral or multilateral agreements directly or indirectly negotiated by
Column 319
the Employment Department or a body acting on behalf of the Department with (a) Switzerland and (b) Liechtenstein.Training
Mr. Bayley : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many 16 and 17-year-olds are currently on waiting lists for youth training and how many were on waiting lists six, 12 and 18 months ago in (a) North Yorkshire and (b) York.
Mr. McLoughlin : The information requested is not available.
Mr. Ralph Howell : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is her latest estimate of the average annual cost of each Government-funded training place on training schemes.
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