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Miss Widdecombe : This is one of the issues which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will be addressing in his consideration of the equalisation of state pension age.
Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total number of dependent children aged under 16 years who are living in families receiving regular weekly payment of income support in April 1991 and April 1992 ; and how many of these dependent children were living in (a) one-parent families and (b) unemployed families.
Mr. Burt : The latest available figures are for May 1991. There were 2.37 million dependent children under 16 in families receiving income support, 1.49 million were in lone parent families and 0.64 million were in the families of claimants who were receiving income support on the grounds that they were unemployed.
Source : income support statistics, annual inquiry 1991. Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will make it his policy to ensure that the value of benefits for children of war widows, other widows and invalidity pensioners, is increased in real terms in the 1993 benefit uprating.
Miss Widdecombe : The policy of successive Governments has been to take account of child benefit when setting the rates of benefits for children. We have no plans to alter this long-standing principle.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will publish tables similar to those in his answer of 11 May, Official Report, columns 43-44, showing the combined value of child benefit and child dependency increases, including figures for April 1992 and showing equivalent values at April 1992 instead of 1991 prices.
Mr. Burt : The information is in the tables.
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War widows ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- November 1979 |14.00 |32.25 |114.10 |12.3 |79.90 |17.5 |83.60 |16.7 November 1980 |15.35 |30.66 |135.10 |11.4 |93.40 |16.4 |97.80 |15.7 November 1981 |16.10 |28.73 |149.50 |10.8 |101.00 |15.9 |105.40 |15.3 November 1982 |17.10 |28.71 |160.60 |10.6 |107.40 |15.9 |112.50 |15.2 November 1983 |17.45 |27.95 |172.40 |10.1 |115.50 |15.1 |121.30 |14.4 November 1984 |17.90 |27.32 |187.40 |9.6 |125.90 |14.2 |132.50 |13.5 November 1985 |18.55 |26.84 |199.50 |9.3 |134.40 |13.8 |141.60 |13.1 July 1986 |18.65 |26.55 |210.90 |8.8 |143.80 |13.0 |151.20 |12.3 April 1987 |18.85 |25.70 |224.00 |8.4 |155.90 |12.1 |163.00 |11.6 April 1988 |19.25 |25.25 |245.80 |7.8 |174.80 |11.0 |182.00 |10.6 April 1989 |19.85 |24.10 |269.50 |7.4 |191.30 |10.4 |198.90 |10.0 April 1990 |20.65 |22.91 |295.60 |7.0 |212.80 |9.7 |221.10 |9.3 April 1991 |<1>21.90|22.84 |318.90 |6.9 |230.00 |9.5 |238.30 |9.2 October 1991 |<2>22.90|23.53 |330.00 |6.9 |237.20 |9.7 |245.50 |9.3 October 1991 |<3>22.15|22.76 |333.00 |6.7 |237.20 |9.3 |245.50 |9.0 April 1992 |<2>23.40|23.40 |337.50 |6.9 |235.30 |9.9 |301.30 |7.8 April 1992 |<3>22.65|22.65 |337.50 |6.7 |235.30 |9.6 |301.30 |7.5 <1> Where the new higher rate of child benefit for the eldest qualifying child applied, the war widow's child's allowance was adjusted so that the total level of support remained the same for all children. <2> Rate for the eldest or only child. <3> Rate for each other child.
War widows ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- November 1979 |14.00 |32.25 |114.10 |12.3 |79.90 |17.5 |83.60 |16.7 November 1980 |15.35 |30.66 |135.10 |11.4 |93.40 |16.4 |97.80 |15.7 November 1981 |16.10 |28.73 |149.50 |10.8 |101.00 |15.9 |105.40 |15.3 November 1982 |17.10 |28.71 |160.60 |10.6 |107.40 |15.9 |112.50 |15.2 November 1983 |17.45 |27.95 |172.40 |10.1 |115.50 |15.1 |121.30 |14.4 November 1984 |17.90 |27.32 |187.40 |9.6 |125.90 |14.2 |132.50 |13.5 November 1985 |18.55 |26.84 |199.50 |9.3 |134.40 |13.8 |141.60 |13.1 July 1986 |18.65 |26.55 |210.90 |8.8 |143.80 |13.0 |151.20 |12.3 April 1987 |18.85 |25.70 |224.00 |8.4 |155.90 |12.1 |163.00 |11.6 April 1988 |19.25 |25.25 |245.80 |7.8 |174.80 |11.0 |182.00 |10.6 April 1989 |19.85 |24.10 |269.50 |7.4 |191.30 |10.4 |198.90 |10.0 April 1990 |20.65 |22.91 |295.60 |7.0 |212.80 |9.7 |221.10 |9.3 April 1991 |<1>21.90|22.84 |318.90 |6.9 |230.00 |9.5 |238.30 |9.2 October 1991 |<2>22.90|23.53 |330.00 |6.9 |237.20 |9.7 |245.50 |9.3 October 1991 |<3>22.15|22.76 |333.00 |6.7 |237.20 |9.3 |245.50 |9.0 April 1992 |<2>23.40|23.40 |337.50 |6.9 |235.30 |9.9 |301.30 |7.8 April 1992 |<3>22.65|22.65 |337.50 |6.7 |235.30 |9.6 |301.30 |7.5 <1> Where the new higher rate of child benefit for the eldest qualifying child applied, the war widow's child's allowance was adjusted so that the total level of support remained the same for all children. <2> Rate for the eldest or only child. <3> Rate for each other child.
Young People (Hardship Payments)
Mr. Watson : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many severe hardship claims were submitted by 16 and 17-year-olds in Scotland, Wales and each region of England in the last full year for which figures are available ; and what percentage were successful.
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Mr. Burt : The information is not available in the form requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
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|Scotland |North East|North West|Midlands |Wales and |London |London |Success
|South West|North |South |Rate
|Per cent
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1991
July |1,263 |1,008 |673 |687 |730 |576 |624 |80
August |1,320 |979 |625 |684 |609 |528 |553 |80
September |1,189 |932 |671 |695 |685 |579 |657 |80
October |1,349 |1,044 |710 |697 |687 |617 |677 |80
November |1,153 |936 |640 |700 |710 |542 |608 |82
December |927 |709 |497 |579 |512 |420 |449 |84
1992
January |1,656 |1,434 |1,100 |1,158 |1,007 |823 |958 |85
February |1,593 |1,283 |956 |1,030 |927 |797 |882 |83
March |1,676 |1,231 |1,125 |1,094 |967 |875 |964 |83
April |1,988 |1,292 |1,082 |1,093 |1,000 |877 |888 |82
May |1,905 |1,222 |1,132 |1,088 |954 |824 |901 |82
June |2,157 |1,404 |1,265 |1,126 |1,077 |991 |974 |81
Occupational Pensions
Mrs. Gillan : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when provisions in the Social Security Act 1990--section 11 and schedule 2--on inflation-proofing of occupational pensions will come into force ; and if he will make a statement.
Miss Widdecombe : The implementation of limited price indexation for occupational pensions was postponed because of the financial uncertainties for schemes caused by the Barber judgment. This has still to be clarified.
Social Fund Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the number of grants made and the number of loans provided, together with the number refused since the social fund was introduced.
Mr. Scott : The information was published on 8 July in the Secretary of State's annual report on the social fund--Cm 1992--which is available in the Library.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what increase in social fund allocations for 1992-1993 would be needed to enable monthly average expenditure to reach the levels of expenditure in March 1992.
Mr. Scott : Annual social fund allocations enable expenditure to be managed flexibly and effectively throughout the year. An increase of £37.6 million would be required if the initial annual allocation for 1992-93 had been based solely on expenditure levels for the single month of March 1992. For a variety of reasons, expenditure in March has traditionally been heavy. Over 10 per cent. of last year's annual expenditure was made in March 1992.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 8 July, Official Report , column 224 , to the hon. Member for Hertford and Stortford (Mr. Wells), when he received the university of York report on the social fund ; when examination of the report by Ministers started and was completed ; and for what reasons it was decided that such examination was necessary before publication.
Mr. Scott : Research reports commissioned by the Department are routinely submitted for ministerial clearance prior to publication, as required by the Department's standard research contract. We received the final draft of the report in April.
Income Support Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the scale rate for supplementary benefit and income support for a couple with two children aged under 11 years for each year from 1979 to 1992 at (a) constant prices and (b) as a proportion of the median disposable income of a couple with two children.
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Mr. Burt : I will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security on what assumption he bases the viability of income support for a husband and wife with two children at primary school.
Mr. Burt : I refer the hon. Member to paragraphs 2.1 to 2.5 of the memorandum on benefit levels and a minimum income, dated 18 October 1989, and submitted to the House of Commons Social Services Committee. A copy of the complete memorandum is in the Library. Income support has been uprated each year by the retail prices index less housing costs.
Resettlement Units
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give further details on the plans to transfer Camden and Newbury resettlement units.
Miss Widdecombe : The Resettlement Agency is taking forward the plans announced on 5 February 1992 at column 210 to transfer two resettlement units.
A number of well-established housing associations and voluntary bodies have expressed an interest and will be submitting detailed proposals to the Resettlement Agency.
These will be evaluated and a final decision will be made on 29 September 1992 and the successful organisations will be informed shortly thereafter. Negotiations with these organisations for the handover of operations on 31 March 1993 will commence immediately.
Research
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list all the research currently in progress which is being undertaken by, or has been commissioned by, his Department ; if he will indicate in each case when he expects to receive the report and whether it is his intention to publish it ; and if he will make a statement.
Miss Widdecombe : A list of all research currently in progress, with the expected timing of the first draft report, is in the table. Reports about pieces of research are normally published, either in the Department's own research series or by the contractor.
Project |Anticipated timing
|of first draft report
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Study of invalidity benefit (IVB) |Early 1994
Study of statutory sick pay (SSP) |Summer 1993
Comparative study of financial provision
for carers |End of 1992
Survey of the impact of family credit
(FC) |Received
Family credit and the self employed |Spring 1993
The use of Department of Social Security
(DSS) administrative records to
produce panel data |End of 1992
Comparative study of child support in
the European Community |Spring 1993
Further econometric analysis of data
| from the survey of incomes in and out
| of work
Impact of family credit-lone parent
extension project |Summer 1993
"Relate" information database |End of 1992
Study of persons abroad legislation |Early 1993
Econometric analysis of the OPCS
retirement survey |Spring 1993
Pensioners' assets |Received
Personal pensions survey |Received
The effects of benefits on housing
decisions |Early 1993
Study of direct payments |Early 1994
Staff attitudes survey
(DSS and agencies) |Summer 1992
Staff exit survey (DSS and agencies) |Early 1993
Modelling the potential yield of national
insurance contributions |Spring 1993
Research to test the language and design
of forms and integrated leaflets |Autumn 1992
Hard to place residents of resettlement
units (phase II) |Autumn 1992
Customer opinion of resettlement units |Received
Survey of admissions
to resettlement units |Received
Access to service and information needs
of people with disabilities |Autumn 1992
Access to service and information needs
of minority ethnic groups |Summer 1992
Information needs of informal advisers |Received
Benefits Agency 1992 national customer
survey |Early 1993
Preliminary research into the information
and advice needs of local offices and
advice agencies |Received
Information needs of lone parents
(consultancy work) |Interim report received
Investigation of alternative campaign
strategies (for Child Support Agency
launch publicity) |Summer 1992
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National Insurance
Mrs. Gordon : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what is the amount of national insurance contributions outstanding from self-employed individuals ;
(2) what is the amount of national insurance contributions outstanding from companies with more than five employees ; (3) if he will list the staffing levels for the departments concerned with collecting outstanding national insurance contributions for each of the past five years.
Miss Widdecombe : The amount of unpaid national insurance contributions due for self-employed individuals is a matter for Miss Ann Chant, the chief executive of the Contributions Agency. She will write to the hon. Member and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.
Mrs. Gordon : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the effect on employees' pension rights of non-payment of national insurance contributions by their employers.
Miss Widdecombe : Regulations provide that where a primary class 1 contribution payable by a secondary contributor on an employee's behalf is not paid, the contribution can nevertheless be treated as paid on the due date so as not to affect the employee's pension rights, providing certain conditions are met. It must be shown to the Secretary of State's satisfaction that the failure to pay the contribution has not been with the consent or connivance of the employee, nor attributable to any negligence on his part.
Unemployment Benefit
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the expected saving at 1992 prices, in total and per 100,000 claimants, from the extension of the unemployment disqualification period to 13 weeks in 1986 and 26 weeks in 1988, respectively, and the cumulative saving from the two extensions ; and what are his latest estimates of the actual savings.
Mr. Burt : I will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available as soon as possible.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will update the estimate of the cost of reducing the unemployment disqualification period to six weeks, given in his reply to the hon. Member for Nottingham, North (Mr. Allen) on 21 January, Official Report, column 180 ; whether that estimate took into account the resulting savings in income support and housing benefit ; what would be the net cost, taking these savings into account ; on what assumption about the proportion of disqualified unemployment benefit claimants receiving income support his estimates are based ; and what would be the net cost if that proportion fell to its May 1986 and November 1987 levels, respectively.
Mr. Burt : The estimate given in my reply to thehon. Member for Nottingham, North on 21 January remains at £35 million per annum at 1992 prices. This takes account of the resulting savings in income support and housing benefit.
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The estimate is based on the assumption that 75 per cent. of those disqualified due to their misconduct or voluntarily leaving their employment without just cause receive income support.The net costs, assuming May 1986 and November 1987 levels of disqualification, would be £40 million and£35 million respectively.
Appeal Tribunals
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received from the Independent Tribunal Service regarding the payment of fees to members of social security appeal tribunals ; and how he has responded to those representations.
Mr. Scott : The President of the Independent Tribunal Service, His Honour Judge Holden, has made representations to the department about payment of fees to members of social security appeal tribunals. Our policy on fees for tribunal members is to pay a fee where membership requires specialist skills or knowledge. This is not the case for SSAT members.
Maxwell Pensions
Mr. Leighton : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps he is taking to obtain donations to the trust headed by Sir John Cuckney to compensate Maxwell pensioners ; and what success he has had.
Miss Widdecombe : I understand from Sir John Cuckney that he and his fellow trustees will sign the trust deed on 17 July and that they have formally launched their appeal for contributions to the Maxwell pensioners trust. Pending the formal establishment of the trust, £170,000 has been paid into the holding account opened by the Department. This will be transferred to the trust's account when it is open. Donations to the trust are, of course, completely separate to any funds or assets recovered.
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the total sum of money so far recovered by the trust fund set up within his Department, headed by Sir John Cuckney, to recover assets lost by the Maxwell pension funds ; if he will give a breakdown of the various sums recovered by source and amount of income.
Miss Widdecombe : I refer the hon. Member to the replies to the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Mr. Kirkwood) on 6 July at columns 88 -89 and to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West (Mr Leighton) today.
Claimants (Relocation)
Mr. Harvey : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) whether he will review the rights of benefits claimants to relocate to areas of high unemployment without forgoing entitlements ; (2) if he will monitor the migration of benefits claimants to seaside resorts over the summer.
Mr. Burt : The Employment Service checks that unemployed people, including itinerants, are entitled to benefits in respect of unemployment, in accordance with social security legislation ; in particular that they are available for work and actively seek it. Every effort is made to ensure that benefit is paid only where the conditions of
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entitlement are satisfied. The Government have no plans to restrict the movement of unemployed people : mobility of labour is essential for the efficient operation of the labour market and job creation.Students
Mr. Harvey : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will seek to amend legislation so as to enable students to claim benefits during the summer vacation if prevented by ill health from seeking work.
Mr. Burt : We have no such plans ; the educational maintenance system is designed to provide for the needs of students. Vulnerable students, including those who are disabled or who are long-term sick, retain eligibility for housing benefit and income support throughout their course and may qualify for those benefits during the summer vacation if they are unable to work.
Housing Benefit Mr. Harvey : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will review the obligation on local authorities to meet their share of the costs of housing benefits for unemployed persons moving in from other areas, where benefits are already being paid by relevant local authorities.
Mr. Burt : We have no plans to review the current arrangements which allow housing benefit to meet the commercial rent liability on a property occupied as the main home, providing the level of rent is reasonable. Local authorities are reimbursed for their benefit expenditure through subsidy arrangments. FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS Raoul Wallenberg Mr. Amess : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to request the authorities of the former Soviet Union to publish their records relating to Raoul Wallenberg.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We understand that a Swedish-Russian commission has been set up to investigate the disappearance of Raoul Wallenberg : and that Russia has granted Sweden access to Soviet MFA and KGB files. We assume that the Swedish Government will publish any further details about Wallenberg's fate which are uncovered.
European Union Mr. Cash : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy that no notification shall be given that the United Kingdom assents to the amendment of any part of any protocol annexed to the treaty on European union unless a draft of the notification has first been approved by an Act of Parliament.
Mr. Garel-Jones : All the protocols associated with the treaty on European union will be annexed to the treaty of Rome and would form an integral part of that treaty. The protocols--and any later amendments-- therefore require ratification by member states. In the United Kingdom
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ratification does not require approval by an Act of Parliament but would only occur once any necessary domestic legislation was in place.Maastricht Mr. Cash : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the position of the United Kingdom as a signatory of the North Atlantic treaty will be affected by the implementation of a common foreign security and defence policy, pursuant to article B, title I of the Maastricht treaty.
Mr. Garel-Jones : The position of the United Kingdom as a signatory of the North Atlantic treaty will not be affected by a common foreign and security policy.
The Maastricht treaty--article J. 4.4--makes it clear that the foreign and security policy
"shall respect the obligations of certain member States under the North Atlantic Treaty and be compatible with the common security and defence policy established within that framework".
Mr. Cash : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government will lay before Parliament a consolidated text of the treaties establishing the European Economic Community, the ECSC and Euratom, as amended by the treaty of Maastricht.
Mr. Garel-Jones : There will be no official Community publication of this nature until after the treaty on European union has been ratified by all 12 member states and has entered into force. However, in view of the interest expressed in this House and elsewhere, the Government will be producing their own consolidated text of the treaty establishing the European Economic Community as amended by the treaty on European union. This text will be laid before the House in the normal way in good time for the consideration in Committee of the European Communities (Amendment) Bill. The text will inevitably be informal at this stage and may differ in some minor respects from that produced by the European Community official publications office in due course.
Fissile Materials
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards a multilateral, verifiable fissile materials cut-off.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Her Majesty's Government welcome the US decision on 13 July to end production of weapons grade fissile materials. It is in response to a bilateral initiative from the Russians and does not depend on United Kingdom agreement. United Kingdom production will continue to be kept at the minimum level necessary to satisfy our deterrent and naval reactor requirements.
EC Decision-making
Mr. Cash : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to undertake a study into the decision-making structure of the European Community with reference to economic convergence and allocation of resources.
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Mr. Garel-Jones : There are no plans to undertake any such study. Under the convergence decision of 1990, individual member states are putting forward convergence programmes for discussion within the Council of Ministers as part of the regular process of multilateral surveillance. The Maastricht treaty would carry forward that process of multilateral surveillance, but economic policy would remain, as now, a responsibility of member states.
European Community
Mr. Cash : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs under what circumstances Her Majesty's Government are prepared to apply to the European Court of Justice for a ruling on the validity of a Commission proposal before it has been referred for deliberation by the Council of Ministers or other Community institutions.
Mr. Garel-Jones : There is no legal basis to challenge a Commission proposal for Community legislation before the court until that proposal has been adopted as a formal act.
Treaty of Rome
Mr. Cash : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to what extent the proposed article 8c of the treaty of Rome will require a harmonisation of diplomatic practices among member states of the Community.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Consular protection services offered by the member states of the European Community to their respective nationals do not differ greatly. Some administrative changes will be necessary to give formal effect to article 8c of the treaty of Maastricht, and procedures need to be established. The details are being worked on at the regular meetings of the EC consular affairs working group.
Mr. Cash : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the effect on the personnel, work load, organisation and financing of Her Majesty's foreign service in respect of obligations imposed by the proposed article 8c of the treaty of Rome.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : An informal arrangement made in 1985 provides for the diplomatic missions of EC member states to give consular protection to the nationals of unrepresented EC states in non-Community countries. Article 8c of the Maastricht treaty is a move towards formalisation of this arrangement. We do not expect it to cause significant extra work for our posts.
Civil Servants
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what guidance, other than the civil service pay and conditions of service code and the establishment officers' guide, his Department provides relating to civil servants' shareholdings ; if he will list the number of occasions within the last five years on which civil servants have reported shareholdings to establishment officers in his Department ; what regulations apply to the staff of the next steps agencies within his Department ; what mechanisms are in place to prevent potential conflicts of interest ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Goodlad : The conduct of staff in the diplomatic wing of the Foreign and Commonwealth office is governed by diplomatic service and home service regulations. The latter also apply to staff at Wilton park, the diplomatic wing's next steps agency. They require staff to disclose in writing to the Department's administration full details of any personal business interests which might conflict with the Department's interests or general principles of conduct. The diplomatic wing does not maintain a central record of staff who have reported shareholdings. The conduct of staff in the aid wing is governed by the code and guide. In addition staff rules are issued individually to all members of staff in the ODA headquarters and its next steps agency, the Natural Resources Institute. The rules require individual officers to consult the principal establishment officer about the desirability of acquiring and retaining any shareholding which might raise a question of possible conflict with the interests of the Department. No such conflicts of interest are recorded in the last five years.Departmental Objectives
Mr. Sproat : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out the objectives of each division and branch of his Department.
Mr. Goodlad : All the individual departments of the diplomatic and aid wings of the Foreign and Commonwealth office, and all our posts abroad- -more than 200--set objectives annually. These objectives are framed in the light of the overall objectives for both wings, which are set out in the annual departmental report on the Government's expenditure plans. The report also contains more detailed objectives on the various FCO functions. A copy of the report is available in the Library of the House.
European Union (Public Information)
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will state his policy in respect of the proposals in each substantive clause of the European Union (Public Information) Bill.
Mr. Garel-Jones : The Government have made information on the Maastricht treaty readily available to the public. The treaty was published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office on 7 May. Before publication, copies were supplied to Parliament in large numbers, and to the public on demand from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Memoranda were produced by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Her Majesty's Treasury outlining the content of the treaty. These are also available from Her Majesty's Stationery office. The Government are considering whether to issue additional information about the treaty and its benefits.
Shipbuilding
Ms. Quin : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will make a statement on the Government's attitude to the Commission's proposal for a Council directive providing for changes to the seventh Council directive on aid to shipbuilding of 2 December 1990 SEC 92 (991)--final ; (2) if he has given consideration to designating as an agenda B point at the Council meeting scheduled for 20 July the Commission's proposal for a Council directive
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providing for changes to the seventh Council directive on aid to shipbuilding of 2 December 1990, SEC (92) 991--final ;(3) what evaluation his Department has made of the effect of the United Kingdom and EC shipbuilding industries of the Commission proposal for a Council directive providing for changes to the seventh Council directive on aid to shipbuilding of 2 December 1990, SEC (92) 991--final ;
(4) what account he has taken of the European Parliament's view on current EC proposals to aid shipyards in east Germany ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Garel-Jones : The Government support the Commission proposal which will help alleviate the severe economic difficulties facing eastern Germany. The proposal contains safeguards which should ensure that the United Kingdom and other EC shipbuilding industries are not adversely affected. The European Parliament opinion on the Commission proposal will be discussed at a meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives today. The dossier would then normally go to a Council meeting for final adoption.
British Diplomatic Spouses Association
Mr. George Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what is the employment status of the chairman of the British Diplomatic Spouses Association ; and if he will publish the job description as agreed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and specify the duties that are laid down towards the trustees of the association ;
(2) what is his policy on charging organisations to which public employees are seconded, including ones which are wholly funded by Government, the full staff costs of the seconded employees ; and what policy is followed in respect of the British Diplomatic Spouses Association ;
(3) for what reasons his Department advertised the job of family welfare officer in its medical and welfare unit as carrying ex officio membership of the executive committee of the British Diplomatic Spouses Association ;
(4) what is the value of support given by his Department to the British Diplomatic Spouses Association in (a) contributions to salaries, (b) staff secondments, (c) office and other facilities and (d) other support.
Mr. Goodlad : I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
Serbia
Mr. Gunnell : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken to ensure that the sanctions on Serbia do not affect supplies of food and medicines.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : United Nations Security Council resolution 757 specifically exempts from the sanctions regime foodstuffs and supplies intended strictly for medical purposes. Exports of both categories have to be notified to the sanctions committee. To date approximately 70 per cent. of all applications received by the committee have been for foodstuffs and medicines and all have been passed without objection.
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South African Security Personnel
Mr. Robert Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what protests Her Majesty's Government have made to the South African Government on the activities of South African security personnel Captain Pamela du Randt and Mr. Leon Flores.
Mr. Robert Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what protests Her Majesty's Government have made to the South African Government about the activities of South African security personnel Captain Pamela du Randt and Mr Leon Flores.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The South African Government were informed of the suspected activities of these individuals in this country and we received the full co-operation of the SAG in our pursuit of this matter.
Departmental Staff
Mr. Steen : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff his Department currently employs ; what are the total personnel costs ; and what were the staffing levels and personnel costs in 1970.
Mr. Goodlad [holding answer 14 July 1992] : The Foreign and Commonwealth Office expects to employ an average of 10,085.5 staff in 1992- 93 at an estimated total personnel cost of £369.877 million. In 1970- 71, 12,421 staff were employed ; a comparable figure for total personnel costs for that year is not available. Actual salary costs for 1970-71 were £52.592 million and £186.6 million in 1992-93.
Subsidiarity
Mr. Sproat : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what visits he has made to his EC counterparts in each member state to discuss deregulation matters since 18 April ; what agreements came out of such meetings ; and what plans he has for making further progress in deregulation matters during the United Kingdom presidency of the EC ;
(2) what representations have been made by British embassies in the member states of the EC about the removal of unnecessary regulations affecting United Kingdom interests at a national and Community level in the last year ;
(3) whether, during the United Kingdom presidency of the EC, he will arrange for a European Council of Ministers meeting to consider how the European Commission's deregulation efforts can be improved.
Mr. Garel-Jones : The Lisbon European Council noted the importance of the principle of subsidiarity and invited the Commission and the Council to undertake urgent work on procedural and practical steps to implement the principle. It also called for a re-examination of existing legislation in order to adapt it where necessary to the principle of subsidiarity. We intend to take this work forward during the United Kingdom presidency. There will be an initial discussion in the Foreign Affairs Council on 20 July. The Government intend to ensure that the principle of subsidiarity is respected in all its aspects, including its presumption against over- regulation.
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