| Previous Section | Home Page |
Mr. John M. Taylor : The political balance of magistrates for the Sunderland petty sessional division is as follows :
|Numbers
---------------------------------
Conservative |65
Labour |48
Liberal Democrat |17
Independent |2
|-------
|132
Legal Proceedings
Dr. Goodson-Wickes : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he proposes to implement provision allowing no -win-no-fee arrangements for legal proceedings.
Mr. John M. Taylor : The Lord Chancellor and I are now considering the matters which should be included in an order to be made under the provisions of section 58 of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990. We hope to issue a draft order for consultation in the autumn.
Community Charge
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps he has taken to satisfy himself that the returns which make up the community charge enforcement statement are an accurate report of the number of people jailed for non-payment of community charge ; and if he will make a statement.
Column 880
Mr. John M. Taylor : The information about community charge enforcement proceedings in the magistrates' courts which is collected by the Lord Chancellor's Department includes the number of warrants issued each quarter committing non-payers to prison. These statistics are based on returns by justices' clerks. They are not routinely checked for accuracy although queries are followed up with the justices clerk concerned on an individual basis. The information collected does not purport to show the number of non-payers received into prison since in some cases payment is made following issue of a warrant.
Magistrates, Walthamstow
Mr. Gerrard : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the number of magistrates at the Walthamstow magistrates court resident in each electoral ward of the London borough of Waltham Forest and the number resident outside the borough.
Mr. John M. Taylor : The question cannot be answered without disproportionate cost.
When seeking suitable candidates for appointment the Lord Chancellor expects all advisory committees to achieve a bench which is representative of the community it serves. To this end, he expects them to take into account geographical as well as other factors.
Mr. Gerrard : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the names of the members of the committee responsible for the selection of magistrates for the Walthamstow magistrates court.
Mr. John M. Taylor : The members of the advisory committee responsible for recommending candidates for the magistracy for north-east London are as follows :
Chairman :
E. J. Huxtable Esq. OBE JP
Members :
M. P. V. Leigh Esq JP
Mrs. J. C. Barnett JP
R. C. Jeffries Esq JP
A. S. Dowley Esq JP
R. Bryant Esq JP
Dr. J. P. Barker JP
His Honour Judge Owen Stable QC
Mrs. M. Froud JP
Mrs. D. M. Everitt JP
Miss M. D. Churchill JP
Miss C. M. Mather JP
Mrs. D. J. Carradice JP
Top Salaries Review Body
Mr. Head : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what decisions the Government have made about the Top Salaries Review Body recommendations concerning the regrouping of senior circuit judges and others in group 5.
Mr. John M. Taylor : The Government have accepted the TRSB's recommendations for regrouping. Some of the posts in the existing group 5 will be moved to a new group 5, at the same level as official referees ; others will be reclassified in group 6 with a salary lead, although existing incumbents will be paid the new group 5 rate. As announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 10 July 1992, Official Report, column 288, the Government have not accepted the other recommendations affecting the judiciary.
Column 881
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Deregulation
Mr. Sproat : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 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's presidency of the EC.
Mr. Waldegrave : Deregulation is primarily the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade. However, the aims of the citizens charter are relevant to deregulation. During the United Kingdom presidency, our European partners will have an opportunity to learn how the charter is helping to raise standards of public service in this country. In particular, on 3 and 4 December there will be a major conference in London on service for the citizen.
Departmental Objectives
Mr. Sproat : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will set out the objectives of each division and branch of his Department.
Mr. Jackson : I regret that it has not been possible to provide an answer before the summer recess. I shall therefore write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of the letter in the Library.
Treaties
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make it his policy to include in his plans for developing the citizens charter a right for citizens to be informed of the effect of the more important treaties.
Mr. Waldegrave : I regret that it has not been possible to provide an answer before the summer recess. I shall therefore write to the hon. Member and place a copy of the letter in the Library.
Researchers
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what consideration he is giving to taking steps to help British researchers, who have recently completed PhDs, to stay in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Jackson : The Government provide substantial funding to maintain a healthy science base in this country and to ensure continuing opportunities for our scientists. We are consulting on our longer-term strategy for science and technology, including the career structures available to scientists.
Framework Research Programme
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what new ground rules he is proposing for the £4 billion framework research programme.
Mr. Jackson : I regret that it has not been possible to provide an answer before the summer recess. I shall therefore write to the hon. Member and place a copy of the letter in the Library.
Column 882
Benevolent Fund
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) of 15 June, Official Report, column 359, if he will list the total amount transferred to the Duchy of Lancaster benevolent fund in each year since 1981-82 ; and what proportion transferred in each year resulted from the value of intestate estates.
Mr. Waldegrave : Amounts transferred to the Duchy of Lancaster benevolent fund in each year since 1981-82 were :
|£
------------------------
1981-82 |NIL
1982-83 |150,000
1983-84 |150,000
1984-85 |150,000
1985-86 |200,000
1986-87 |250,000
1987-88 |400,000
1988-89 |494,701
1989-90 |335,981
1990-91 |531,715
Amounts paid to the duchy of Lancaster by the duchy solicitor, which are represented by devolutions in the duchy's accounts, include accrued interest and unclaimed assets of dissolved companies. The greatest single element is represented by intestate estates. From these sums deductions are made to cover the duchy's palatinate and special costs. The balance is then paid over to the benevolent fund. It is not possible to calculate the proportion attributable to intestate estates which is transferred to the fund.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Dioxin
Mr. Skinner : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether his Department intends to analyse garden soil in the area surrounding the Coalite plant in Derbyshire ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Soames : The results of analyses of soil samples taken by the Department on farms near to the Coalite plant have been published. In addition, the results of a soil survey conducted by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution in the Bolsover area are expected to be published in due course. These analyses will give a comprehensive picture of dioxing levels in soils in the area and therefore it is not necessary to analyse garden soils.
Mr. Skinner : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether his Department intends to carry out analyses of the garden vegetables in the areas surrounding the Coalite plant in Derbyshire ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Soames : I refer the hon. Gentleman to my reply to him on 15 July 1992. The Department has no plans to analyse garden vegetables.
Mr. Skinner : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will release the full analyses done on the soil samples from the farms near the Coalite plant in Derbyshire, including the concentrations of individual dioxin and furan congeners ;
Column 883
(2) if he will release the full analyses done on milk and animal tissues taken from farms near the Coalite plant in Derbyshire, including the concentrations of individual dioxin and furan congeners.Mr. Soames : Yes. The data are voluminous and I will arrange for copies to be placed in the Library of the House when these have been compiled into a suitable form.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the results of the dioxin analyses of herbage samples from Woodhouse farm, Bolsover including toxic and dioxin furan isomers, as well as the total toxic equivalents ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : Further samples are being obtained and the full results published along with other data derived from the research work carried out on the farm.
Feedstuffs
Mr. Whittingdale : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will report on progress on the review of animal feeding stuffs regulations being carried out by the expert group on animal feeding stuffs.
Mr. Gummer : The expert group on animal feedingstuffs started its review of animal feedingstuffs legislation in February 1991. I am pleased to be able to say that it has completed this task and that the report is published today together with the Government's response. Copies of both are being placed in the Library of the House.
EC Policies
Mr. Cash : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what reforms he will propose to the trade and agricultural policies of the European Community in order to conform with the objectives established in proposed articles 130u(1) and 130v of the treaty of Rome.
Mr. Curry : Suggestions for changes to existing policies should follow ratification of the treaty on European union by all member states. However, the Government, in determining their approach to European Community proposals, already take account of the implications for developing countries.
Moorings, Kingswear
Mr. Steen : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will now confirm the approval in principle given by his Department on 13 February to the Dart harbour and navigation authority and subsequently submitted by it on form FHG2 with updated tender prices and site investigation and design supervision fees for the upgrading of the commercial fleet moorings at Kingswear, south Devon.
Mr. Curry : Officials from this Department wrote to the consulting engineers co-ordinating the grant application for the Dart harbour and navigation authority on 10 July, seeking further information on the terms of the proposed leasing agreement and on the anticipated level of fisheries use. Once these queries have been resolved, a final decision on the grant application will be made.
Column 884
Rabies
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals have been agreed or are due to be agreed with regard to rabies controls on pet animals being imported into the United Kingdom other than those which are commercially traded ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : The Commission is understood to be considering a proposal for rabies controls on pet animals. The Commission and the Council have agreed that any arrangements for pet animals must provide at least the same level of protection as have been agreed for commercially traded cats and dogs.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the current status of the agreement reached on rabies control ; and if he will outline the steps to be taken before it can be implemented.
Mr. Gummer : The directive covering commercial trade in rabies- susceptible animals was adopted formally at the Council of Ministers on 13 July. Detailed implementing rules need to be decided by standing veterinary committee procedure before the necessary amendments to national regulations can be made.
Organic Food
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what analysis has been carried out as to the effect of the introduction of the United Kingdom register of organic food standards on the sale of (a) organic fruit and vegetables and (b) organic bread ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : The United Kingdom register of organic food standards was established in 1987. Since then, UKROFS has been defining organic standards and establishing mechanisms for enforcement. A proper record of the sales of organic produce is only now possible because UKROFS has created standards that define organic produce. UKROFS standards provides an assurance to consumers as to the reliability of the organic produce that is being purchased. This can only be good for the sales of organic produce, such as organic fruit and vegetables and organic bread.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on his reasons for deciding that trading standards officers should not be involved in the monitoring, certification and enforcement of organic food standards.
Mr. Gummer : Trading standards officers are involved in the enforcement of organic food standards at retail level. Monitoring and certification at production level is the task of the United Kingdom register of organic food standards together with the various private sector organic bodies. A trading standards officer is a member of the board of UKROFS.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received from the producers of organic food stuffs about the introduction of the United Kingdom register of organic food standards ; and if he will make a statement.
Column 885
Mr. Gummer : The United Kingdom register of organic food standards was established in 1987. Its board includes members of the major organic sector bodies in the United Kingdom as well as consumer, trading standards, food processing and retail interests. I have received no recent representations from producers regarding the introduction of UKROFS standards.Bovine Tissues
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has concerning experiments with bovine tissues from which the infectious agent has not been capable of experimental transfer to test animals ; which tissues are used ; which test animals were challenged and how many ; what were the ages of these animals ; and what was the length of the experiment.
Mr. Soames : Transmission studies of a variety of tissues from confirmed BSE cases are in progress. The information in respect of terminated experiments in which no signs of a scrapie-like disease have been observed are as follows :
Mice challenged parenterally at 4-8 weeks of age
Tissue |Number of |Duration of experiment
|mice |(days)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Muscle semitendinosus |24 |870
Muscle diaphragma |24 |888
Placenta |24 |774
Buffy coat (of blood) |24 |916
Semen |24 |925
Bone marrow |24 |793
Spleen |235 |918
Mice challenged parenterally at 4-8 weeks of age
Tissue |Number of |Duration of experiment
|mice |(days)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Muscle semitendinosus |24 |870
Muscle diaphragma |24 |888
Placenta |24 |774
Buffy coat (of blood) |24 |916
Semen |24 |925
Bone marrow |24 |793
Spleen |235 |918
More than 50 other tissues are currently being tested by parenteral challenge of susceptible mice, but none of these experiments has yet reached its end point.
Farm Woodland Scheme
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether farmers are entitled to a free visit when applying for a grant under the farm woodland scheme ; whether approval from the Forestry Commission is necessary before grants under this scheme are paid out ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gummer : General advice about woodland establishment and management, and detailed advice on the grant aid available for these activities, is available to farmers free of charge from ADAS in England and Wales and from the Scottish agricultural colleges in Scotland. Entry into the farm woodland premium scheme, which
Column 886
offers annual payments to farmers to offset income forgone when trees are planted on agricultural land, is conditional upon the proposed planting having been approved by the forestry authority for establishment grants under the woodland grant scheme.Whales
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to raise the issue of the protection of whales through international forums other than the International Whaling Commission.
Mr. Gummer : It is the policy of this Government to work for effective measures for the conservation and protection of whales and other cetaceans through the International Whaling Commission and other relevant international forums.
Small Cetaceans
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 24 June, Official Report, column 241, whether the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development discussed the International Whaling Commission's report on small cetaceans.
Mr. Gummer : The report on significant direct and incidental catches of small cetaceans by the scientific committee of the International Whaling Commission was submitted by the IWC to the UNCED secretariat in July 1991. The report was not discussed at the UNCED conference. However, papers before the conference recognised the work of the International Whaling Commission in conserving and managing whale stocks, its studies on other cetaceans and the role of other relevant organisations--for example, those established under the Bonn convention.
NATIONAL FINANCE
Finance Bill
Mr. William Powell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what extra costs were incurred by his Department as a result of the Standing Committee considering the Finance Bill sitting after the House adjourned on 16 June, 23 June and 30 June.
Mr. Dorrell : It is not possible to give a precise figure for the extra costs involved to Her Majesty's Treasury as a result of the Finance Bill Standing Committee sitting after the House adjourned on 16, 23 and 30 June. However, the total overtime and allowances entitlement for staffing costs would be in the region of £1,000 if they were claimed.
Inland Revenue Investigations
Mr. Luff : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to review the powers of the Inland Revenue when conducting investigations into the tax affairs of private individuals and small businesses ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : I have no plans to review the powers used by inspectors of taxes in their normal investigation work. I would, however, refer my hon. Friend to my remarks during Standing Committee B's consideration of the Finance Bill, at columns 431-32.
Column 887
Treaty of Rome
Mr. Cash : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what degree of convergence of economic performance among the member states of the European Community Her Majesty's Government plan to seek under the terms of the proposed amendment to article 2 of the treaty of Rome.
Mr. Nelson : The United Kingdom believes that all member states should take the necessary steps to achieve sound public finances, price stability and flexible labour markets. These are the necessary conditions for non-inflationary growth and the reduction of unemployment.
Mr. Cash : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the power granted to the Council to enforce its recommendations for broad guidelines of the economic policy of member states as defined by the proposed article 103(2) of the treaty of Rome.
Mr. Nelson : Under article 103, the Council may formulate a draft for the broad guidelines of the economic policies of the member states and the Community. The Council's action towards member states deemed not to be complying with the guidelines is, however, limited to non-binding recommendations.
Mr. Cash : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how the requirement that the economic policies of member states be regarded as a matter of common concern in the proposed article 103(1) of the treaty of Rome will affect the management of the Government's economic policy.
Mr. Nelson : Article 103 develops existing procedures for multilateral surveillance of member states' economic policies. It provides for economic policy guidelines to be recommended by the Council, but these guidelines will not be binding upon member states. The Government do not expect the management of the United Kingdom's economic policy will be affected as they are already committed to sound fiscal and monetary policies and to achieving permanently low inflation.
Mr. Cash : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the criteria for convergence of economic performance among the member states of the European Community as required by the proposed amendment to article 2 of the treaty of Rome.
Mr. Nelson : The criteria are set down in article 109j of the Maastricht treaty. They include a high degree of price stability, convergence of long-term interest rates, no "excessive" budget deficit and membership of the narrow band of the exchange rate mechanism.
Mr. Cash : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures the Government propose to take in order to achieve (a) the high level of social protection, and (b) the high level of employment required by the proposed amendment to article 2 of the treaty of Rome.
Mr. Nelson : The Government's policies are directed to the achievement of sustained non-inflationary growth. This is the best means of promoting employment growth and social protection.
Mr. Cash : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans the Government have to alter its policies of indirect taxation as part of the harmonisation of legislation in this area under the proposed article 99 of the treaty of Rome.
Column 888
Sir John Cope : The Government have no plans to alter their policies on indirect taxation in the context of the provisions of article 99 of the treaty of Rome. This article, as the legal base for fiscal matters, provides for unanimity in decision making, and is not materially altered by the draft Maastricht treaty.
Pension Plans
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to bring deposit-based insurance and pension plans within the scope of the Financial Services Act 1986.
Mr. Nelson : I have no plans to bring deposit-based personal pension plans within the Financial Services Act 1986. Personal pension plans constructed as long-term insurance contracts already fall within the definition of investments under the Financial Services Act.
Deregulation
Mr. Sproat : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 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's presidency of the EC.
| Next Section
| Home Page |