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Column 707
Written Answers to Questions
Friday 3 July 1992
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Serious Fraud Office
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Attorney-General how many officers of police forces are presently seconded to the Serious Fraud Office ; from which police forces they are drawn ; and on which inquiries they are employed.
The Attorney-General : Ninety-three police officers from six police forces are presently seconded to the Serious Fraud Office. In addition, the Serious Fraud Office receives assistance from a number of officers from provincial forces who are investigating cases for the SFO, but who are not actually seconded to that office. For operational reasons the Director of the SFO does not identify the police forces providing assistance to his office at any particular time or their deployment.
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Ministerial Correspondence
Mr. Paice : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will publish the latest figures, by Department, showing the volume of ministerial correspondence from hon. Members, the targets set for reply and the percentage of replies sent within target.
Mr. Waldegrave : The 1991 figures are set out in the table.
|c|Ministerial correspondence from MPs - 1991|c|
Department, and target set for |Number of |Percentage
reply |letters |replies within
|received |target
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7 working day target:
Northern Ireland Office<1><2> |<3>719 |46
10 working day target:
Central Statistical Office |36 |92
Department of Trade and Industry |<1><4>16,180 |92
Welsh Office<5> |<1>8,018 |89
Department of Energy |2,075 |<6>74
Cabinet Office (OMCS) |49 |71
Ministry of Defence<7> |895 |70
Office of Arts and Libraries |462 |69
Treasury<8> |<9>2,268 |64
Scottish Office<5> |9,605 |<10>24
Foreign and Commonwealth Office |<9>11,378 |<12>
13 working day target:
Inland Revenue<8> |<9><13>2,345 |78
Customs and Excise1,8 |<9>1,673 |66
15 working day target:
Overseas Development
Administration |4,001 |83
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries
and Food |9,984 |76
Legal Secretariat to the Law Office |662 |75
Northern Ireland Office<1><2> |<14>588 |66
Ministry of Defence<7> |6,776 |58
Department of the Environment |21,818 |54
Crown Prosecution Service |100 |<15>39
Department of Transport |<16>1,398 |26
17 working day target:
Department of Employment |7,330 |84
18 working day target:
Inland Revenue<8> |<9><17>514 |33
20 working day target:
Lord Chancellors Department<5> |4,130 |82
Department of Social Security |<18>13,699 |68
Department of Education and Science<19> |<1>17,295 |62
Department of Health |15,359 |60
Other
Home Office<20> |21,939
<1>Includes all Ministerial replies, not only letters from MPs.
<2>Figures for NI Departments cover October-December; those for NIO cover November-December.
<3>Replies signed by Minister.
<4>Includes correspondence for Export Credits Guarantee Department.
<5>Target for officials to submit draft reply to Ministers Private Offices.
<6>Estimated figure based on sample of correspondence received.
<7>MOD uses two target periods, which is a reflection of the different volume of Ministerial correspondence handled by the offices involved.
<8>Target for officials to submit draft reply to Treasury Ministerial Correspondence Unit.
<9>Figures only available for period June-December.
<10>60 per cent. of letters received by The Scottish Office received replies within 20 working days.
<11>Includes some letters signed by officials.
<12>FCO did not monitor performance against target in 1991.
<13>All cases where local office reports are not required.
<14>Replies signed by Private Secretary to Minister.
<15>71 per cent. of letters received from the Law Officers received replies within 20 working days.
<16>Figures for 1991 are only available for period mid-November to end December (which includes the Christmas recess) and are not thought to be representative of
the Departments performance over the whole year.
<17>All cases where local office reports are required.
<18>Includes replies by Chief Executives of Agencies.
<19>Represents 1992 target.
<20>No single target for 1991. Monitoring showed average time taken to be 29-42 working days. New arrangements are being considered for 1992-93.
EDUCATION
Higher Education Corporations
Dr. Twinn : To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how many individuals, shown by gender, received part-time hourly contracts of employment in each Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council-funded higher education corporation in the most recent year for which statistics are available ;
(2) how many lecturers were employed in each PCFC-funded higher education corporation on each salary grade at lecturer level or above in the most recent year for which statistics are available, shown by gender ;
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(3) how many academic staff, at the level of lecturers or above, in each PCFC-funded higher education corporation left the employment of such an institution in 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1991 for reasons of (a) early retirement or (b) health breakdown ; and if he will provide the figures by gender.Mr. Forman : This information is not available centrally.
Lecturers
Dr. Twinn : To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many lecturers are employed in each further education college and adult education institute in England and Wales on each salary grade in the most recent year for which statistics are available, shown by gender.
Mr. Forman : These data are not collected centrally.
Truancy
Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will give the latest annual statistics on the number of school days lost because of truancy ; and what manpower and resources are available to deal with the problem.
Mr. Forth : Information on the number of school days lost due to truancy is not collected centrally. Some 3,000 education welfare officers are employed by local education authorities in England and Wales to work with schools and parents in promoting regular school attendance. The Department is also currently supporting 31 local projects designed to improve school attendance under the grants for education support and training (GEST) programme.
Religious Education
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he has taken to satisfy himself that in the circumstances of local management of schools and grant-maintained status, the resources for support of religious education in schools associated with the responsibilities of the Standing Advisory Committee on Religious Education will be sufficient to enable them to fulfil their statutory obligations.
Mr. Forth : It is the responsibility of local education authorities to allocate the resources at their disposal to ensure that they, their schools and standing advisory councils on religious education are able to meet their statutory responsibilities in respect of religious education and collective worship.
Students
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment the Government have made of the need for additional student financial support this summer.
Mr. Forman : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 25 June, Official Report, column 273, which described the substantial increases already announced in student support. We do not consider that additional provision is required.
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Jamborees
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what public funds are available to assist members of the scouting movement and other youth organisations from eastern and central Europe to attend jamborees and similar gatherings being held and organised by their counterparts in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Forman : My Department has no funds available for this purpose.
Euroform
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make a statement on the EC scheme Euroform, and its aims, funding and achievements to date.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : I have been asked to reply.
EUROFORM is one of three human resource initiatives under the European social fund. It funds transnational partnerships between organisations in two or more member states and is designed to develop and promote new occupational qualifications, new skills and new employment opportunities responding to the single market and technological change.
The central aim of the initiative is the transfer of knowledge and expertise between member states. The objectives of EUROFORM are to provide a Community dimension for vocational training and employment promotion projects, to foster the convergence of occupational skills and qualifications and promote the occupational and geographical mobility of workers.
The EUROFORM programme in Great Britain was allocated 31.3 mecu--£21.8 million--for a three-year period 1991-93. Approximately £13 million was allocated to projects submitted under the first round of applications in November 1991, and 92 projects were approved in principle for funding. A second round took place in April 1992 and a further 83 projects were selected, thereby committing virtually all remaining funds.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
Mozambique
Mr. Hunter : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what account has been taken in United Kingdom policy towards Mozambique of the 1991 EEC report concerning appropriation of international aid to Mozambique by the Frelimo Government and officials.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The report concerned the provision of EC food aid to the market sector. Following pressure from the EC, the Mozambique Government have tightened up their procedures and introduced new regulations for the handling of such food aid.
Our bilateral food aid programme for Mozambique is for free distribution to those most in need, not for the market sector. It was in the market sector, and related to the payment of counterpart funds, that the problem identified in the EC report arose. Furthermore, the procurement and close monitoring by British-based non-governmental organisations of all our food aid for Mozambique further reduce the possibility of our aid being misappropriated.
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Madagascar
Mr. Donald Anderson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contribution he will make via the World Food Programme, the EC or bilaterally to the famine relief effort in Madagascar ; and what estimate he makes of the number of people who will be fed, and for how long, by the British contribution.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : So far this year, the European Community has provided over 13,000 tonnes of food aid for Madagascar, worth £1.3 million, including 12,000 tonnes of cereals delivered in April. The United Kingdom share of the cost of this food aid is £235,000. In addition, the Commission is planning an early contribution to a World Food Programme (WFP) project aimed at feeding 700,000 people in the south of Madagascar.
In parallel with this initiative, the WFP--to which the United Kingdom is a significant contributor--will be launching a new programme for early delivery of 27,000 tonnes of food. This programme, to be spread over eight months, is expected to feed a further 320, 000 people. Finally, Her Majesty's Government have just approved a bilateral grant to the WFP of £25,000 for local purchase of maize and beans in Madagascar.
PRIME MINISTER
Subsidiarity
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Prime Minister if he plans to convene any meetings in Scotland to discuss the subsidiarity principle during his presidency of the European Community ; and if he will make a statement.
The Prime Minister : The Lisbon European Council invited the Commission and the Council to undertake urgent work on the procedural and practical steps to implement the principle of subsidiarity and to report to the European Council in Edinburgh on 11 and 12 December. This will be an important priority during our presidency.
Disability
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Prime Minister what plans he has to establish a ministerial committee on disability.
The Prime Minister : I have no such plans. Officials of the interdepartmental group on disability regularly provide advice to the Minister for Social Security and Disabled People.
Lockerbie
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister when he will discuss with the Government of Spain the Lockerbie-related issues arising from legal proceedings against Monzer-el-Kassar.
The Prime Minister [holding answer 2 July 1992] : I refer the hon. Member to the reply the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office--my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Grantham (Mr. Hogg) --gave to him on 24 June at column 211.
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ENVIRONMENT
Flue Gas Desulphurisation
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make representations to the power generating companies to ensure that flue gas desulphurisation equipment and scrubbers are fitted to all power stations in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Maclean : Implementation of integrated pollution control under part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, for power stations and other prescribed processes, is a matter for the chief inspector of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution, subject to any directions or other requirements laid on him by the Secretary of State. These include the Secretary of State's national programme and plan for implementation of the EC large combustion plants directive. The plan includes a commitment to the retrofitting of 8,000 MW of electricity generating capacity with flue gas desulphurisation.
Football Grounds
Mr. Gordon Prentice : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will consider introducing legislation to allow local planning authorities to designate football grounds as metropolitan open space or green belt.
Mr. Baldry : Metropolitan open land is found only in London and has the same status as green belt. Under existing legislation, it is open to local planning authorities in their development plans to designate land, including playing fields, as open space or green belt where the area concerned meets certain criteria. In respect of playing fields, the criteria are set out in paragraphs 41 to 44 of planning policy guidance note 17. In respect of green belts, the criteria are set out in paragraphs seven to 11 of planning policy guidance note 2.
Orimulsion
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what scientific evidence his Department has on the percentage content of heavy metals in orimulsion ; and what assessment he has made of the implications for the ecosystem of burning this fuel at power stations in the United Kingdom ;
(2) what scientific evidence his Department has requested from other countries in which orimulsion is burnt ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : The environmental effects of burning orimulsion at power stations are being considered by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution in respect of applications made to it under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. In considering these applications, I understand HMIP has requested and received information both from the United Kingdom and from abroad, including information about the heavy metal content of orimulsion.
This includes an independent analysis of orimulsion carried out for my Department which showed the following percentage of heavy metals : vanadium 0.035 per cent. and nickel 0.007 per cent. chromium, manganese, copper, arsenic, cadmium and lead are all less than one 10,000th part of 1 per cent.
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Second-hand Car Sales
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he proposes to prohibit the use by organisations of the highway outside residential properties for displaying second-hand cars for sale.
Mr. Baldry : Use of the highway to sell vehicles commercially may constitute a business activity and require specific planning consent. The responsibility of controlling breaches of planning control rests with local planning authorities, which must decide in each case whether it is in the interests of good planning in their areas to take action against development in breach of planning controls. The Planning and Compensation Act 1991 has provided planning authorities with a range of new enforcement measures for dealing effectively and speedily with such breaches.
Energy Efficiency
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many households in Glasgow, Maryhill, qualify for grant aid under the home energy efficiency scheme ; and how many houses have been improved under the scheme since its inception in 1991.
Mr. Maclean : In order to be eligible for grant under the home energy efficiency scheme, an applicant or his or her spouse must be in receipt of one of five passportable benefits : housing benefit, income support, family credit, community charge benefit and disability working allowance. In addition, his or her property must meet certain criteria concerning existing levels of insulation and receipt of a grant for similar work under previous schemes. Data on numbers of households eligible in any particular area at a particular time are not available.
Figures for the number of homes treated under the scheme are not collected on a constituency basis. Within the network installer area which contains the hon. Member's constituency, 3,734 homes have benefited from HEES grant since 1 January 1991.
Mr. McCartney : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many households in the Makerfield constituency qualify for grant aid under the home energy efficiency scheme ; and how many houses have been improved under the scheme since its inception in 1991.
Mr. Maclean : In order to be eligible for grant under the home energy efficiency scheme, an applicant or his or her spouse must be in receipt of one of five passportable benefits : housing benefit, income support, family credit, community charge benefit and disability working allowance. In addition, his or her property must meet certain criteria concerning existing levels of insulation and receipt of a grant for similar work under previous schemes. Data on numbers of houselolds eligible in any particular area at a particular time are not available.
Figures for the number of homes treated under the scheme are not collected on a constituency basis. Within the network installer area which contains the hon. Member's constituency, 1,502 homes have benefited from HEES grant since 1 January 1991.
Ms. Lynne : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many households in Rochdale qualify for grant aid under the home energy efficiency scheme ; and how many houses have been improved under the scheme since its inception in 1991.
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Mr. Maclean : In order to be eligible for grant under the home energy efficiency scheme, an applicant or his or her spouse must be in receipt of one of five passportable benefits : housing benefit, income support, family credit, community charge benefit and disability working allowance. In addition, his or her property must meet certain criteria concerning existing levels of insulation and receipt of a grant for similar work under previous schemes. Data on numbers of households eligible in any particular area at a particular time are not available.
Figures for the number of homes treated under the scheme are not collected on a constituency basis. Within the network installer area which contains the hon. Member's constituency, 447 homes have benefited from HEES grant since 1 January 1991.
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many households in the Dundee, East constituency qualified for grant aid under the home energy efficiency scheme ; and how many houses have been improved in the constituency under the scheme since its inception in 1991.
Mr. Maclean [holding answer 2 July 1992] : In order to be eligible for grant under the home energy efficiency scheme, an applicant or his or her spouse must be in receipt of one of five passportable benefits : housing benefit, income support, family credit, community charge benefit and disability working allowance. In addition, his or her property must meet certain criteria concerning existing levels of insulation and receipt of a grant for similar work under previous schemes. Data on numbers of households eligible in any particular area at a particular time are not available.
Figures for the number of homes treated under the scheme are not collected on a constituency basis. Within the network installer area which contains the hon. Member's constituency. 3,136 homes have benefited from HEES grant since 1 January 1991.
Leases
Mr. Fraser : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to introduce legislation to enable the lessees of flats under long leases to extend their leases.
Mr. Baldry : We plan to introduce in this Session, after the recess, measures to enable long leaseholders of flats either to acquire the freehold collectively or, if the building does not qualify for collective enfranchisement, to extend their leases.
EC Bathing Water Directive
Mr. Godsiff : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about compliance with the European Community bathing water directive.
Mr. Maclean : Seventy-six per cent. of identified bathing waters complied with the directive's mandatory coliform standards in the 1991 bathing season. This compares with 51 per cent. in 1986. A £2 billion programme of improvements is under way to bring virtually all the waters up to standard by 1995.
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Disabled People
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out the test of resources that applies to renovation grants and disabled facilities grants for works required by people with disabilities, what assessment he has made of the effect the means test on whether disabled people obtain the adaptions they need ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Baldry : The details of the test of resources for house renovation and disabled facilities grants are set out in the Housing Renovation Etc. Grants (Reduction of Grant) Regulations 1990--S.I. 1990 No. 1189. They are also summarised in the Department's circular 12/90, on house renovation grants, issued on 20 June 1990. Copies of these documents are available in the Library. The Department's monitoring shows that over 80 per cent. of recipients of mandatory disabled facilities grants receive 100 per cent. grants for the full cost of adaptations. On average, disabled people contribute only 5 per cent. of the cost of grant-aided works. The effect of the means test on grant applicants, including the disabled, has been considered as part of the recent review of the grant system. We hope to make an announcement shortly.
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out the conclusions of the review of the renovation and disabled facilities grants scheme ; what changes were introduced as a result of the review ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Baldry : The findings of the review of the house renovation grant system, including disabled facilities grants, are currently under consideration. We hope to make an announcement shortly.
Local Government Commission
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he proposes to announce further appointments to the Local Government Commission.
Mr. Redwood : When I announced the initial appointments to the Local Government Commission on 15 June, I indicated that we would be making further appointments shortly. We are now appointing three further members to the commission :
Professor Malcolm Grant
Howell Harris Hughes
David Thomas
These appointments broaden the range of interests and experience on the commission while maintaining the balance and independence which will be essential to it in formulating its recommendations. We have no plans to make further appointments in the near future.
Inheritance Tax (Exemptions)
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether his Department will reduce the level of payments under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 management agreements where the land involved is exempted from inheritance tax ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean [holding answer 2 July 1992] : Matters of taxation are primarily for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Paragraphs 47 to 49 of DOE
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circular 3/84--"Financial Guidelines for ManagementAgreements"--contains provision for agreements to be terminated if conditional exemption from inheritance tax is granted, for annual payments to cease and for partial recoupment from the landowner where a lump sum has been paid.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Job Centres
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) whether job centre staff in Larne or any other job centre in Northern Ireland can be selective regarding the issue of application forms to applicants ; and if he will ensure that all sections of the community have equality of access to application forms for job vacancies ; (2) if he will list the regulations that relate to the requirement on applicants to a job centre for an application form to provide the job centre staff with information regarding the first school attended before receiving an application form.
Mr. Atkins : The Training and Employment Agency is committed to delivering all its service in a way which promotes equality of opportunity for all its customers regardless of religion, gender, disability or marital status. All agency offices issue application forms to job seekers who meet the criteria for the post as laid down by the employer. Primary school data is used to monitor the agency's equality policy, but it is not a condition for the issue of application forms that this information is provided by an applicant.
Maghaberry Prison
Mr. McNamara : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, following his reply on 30 June to the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull, North (Mr. McNamara), Official Report, column 475 , if he will indicate the results of the charges made against those prisoners in Her Majesty's prison Maghaberry, female section, who were charged with (a) disobeying a lawful order, (b) offending against good order of the prison and (c) committing an assault, indicating how many of the prisoners were dealt with summarily, how many were legally represented and what were the punishments which were inflicted.
Mr. Mates : All 22 prisoners charged were adjudicated on by the governor in accordance with Prison Rules (NI) 1982. Twenty-one of these prisoners were found guilty as charged and were given awards as listed below. None was legally represented.
(a) Twenty-one were found guilty of refusing to obey an order to undergo full search and awarded seven days' loss of remission, 14 days' loss of afternoon yards and 14 days' loss of evening association. Those prisoners on remand had loss of remission contingent upon conviction.
(b) Seven prisoners were also found guilty of erecting barricades and were awarded 14 days' loss of remission consecutive to the seven days lost at (a) above with 28 days' loss of afternoon yards and 42 days' loss of evening association concurrent to (a). They were also awarded three days' cellular confinement.
(c) Seven were further charged with assaulting staff. Six have their charges still to be heard. One was found guilty and awarded 14 days' loss of remission, consecutive to (a) above with 28 days' loss of evening association plus three days' cellular confinement.
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Fifteen of the prisoners were granted judicial review of the governor's adjudications and 12 were granted interim relief in the High Court on 20 charges. The cases were heard on 12 June, but judgment has been reserved.Irish Republic
Mr. Peter Robinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will seek the removal of those elements of the constitution of the Irish Republic that lay claim to part of the territory of the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Patrick Mayhew : The Government believe that there should be a place in strands 2 and 3 of the talks for a discussion of constitutional issues. My predecessor's statement of 26 March 1991 made it clear that it would be open to each of the participants in the talks to raise any aspects of the relevant relationships including constitutional issues. The Government will seek, as a product of the talks process as a whole, an unambiguously expressed consensus on the constitutional issues and a framework for relationships which will be genuinely acceptable to all. We believe that such an outcome should thereby enable all participants to acknowledge Northern Ireland's present status as a part of the United Kingdom, and to recognise that there will be no change in that status without the consent of a majority of the people who live there, that the present wish of a majority of the people of Northern Ireland is for no change but that, if in the future a majority of the people of Northern Ireland clearly wish for and formally consent to the establishment of a united Ireland, both Governments will introduce and support legislation to give effect to that wish. In so far as this is considered to have implications for articles 2 and 3 of the Irish constitution, I welcome the Taoiseach's public assurance that they are among the constitutional matters which the Irish Government envisage would be "on the conference table" during the talks.
Human Rights Commission
Mr. Dykes : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he has received the 17th report of the Standing Advisory Commission on Human Rights ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Patrick Mayhew : The report, for the period 1 April 1991 to March 1992, was published on 2 July and copies have been laid before Parliament. Copies of the report an my response to it were placed in the Library yesterday.
EMPLOYMENT
Lantex, Linwood
Mr. Graham : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many former workers at Lantex at St. James business centre, Linwood, Renfrewshire, have yet to receive redundancy pay.
Mr. McLoughlin : All but six former employees of Lawtex Babywear Ltd. have received their full entitlement, and these outstanding payments will be received very shortly.
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Training Credits
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if it is her policy that training credits for young people should be for training that would not otherwise have been given.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : I refer the hon. Member to the training credit prospectuses, issued in 1990 and 1991, which can be found in the Library.
Long-term Unemployment
Ms. Glenda Jackson : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans she has to introduce unemployment and training schemes aimed specifically at people aged 40 years and over, among the long-term unemployed.
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