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Column 333
Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 22 October 1992
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Legal Aid
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will state the hourly rates for all types of legal aid over each of the last 20 years and also give the figures in real terms.
Mr. John M. Taylor : The available figures are as follows. Prescribed hourly rates for solicitors undertaking criminal legal aid work in the magistrates courts and the Crown court were introduced in October 1982. The paying authority has the power to allow fees higher than the prescribed hourly rates where these rates would not reflect
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the exceptional competence and dispatch with which the work was done, or the exceptional circumstances of the case.In 1988 standard fees replaced hourly rates for the majority of Crown court criminal work. Prescribed hourly rates were introduced for legal advice and assistance in police stations in 1986 and for matrimonial work in 1988. Non -matrimonial civil work is not covered by prescribed rates.
The duty solicitor scheme providing legal advice and assistance in magistrates' courts is based on an average of the prescribed hourly rates for advocacy and preparation before April 1992 travelling and waiting--for criminal legal aid work in the magistrates' courts. Since 1989 separate hourly rates have been prescribed for care proceedings, for mental health review tribunal work and for non-care proceedings under the Children Act.
The prescribed hourly rates from 1982-92 for criminal work, for matrimonial work and for legal advice and assistance in police stations are set out in the tables. The tables give basic rates only and do not include London weighting. Each table is followed by a table giving the figures in real terms.
The figures have been uprated to 1992-93 prices using the GDP deflator.
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Advice and assistance at police stations hourly rates (£) 1986-92 expressed at 1992-93 prices
Type of work Year
|<1>1986|<2>1986|1987 |1988 |1989 |1990 |1991 |1992
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Availability during duty period (standby payment) |3.76 |3.79 |3.94 |3.74 |3.57 |3.52 |3.54 |3.5
Advice and assistance:
duty solicitor unsocial hours |54.18 |55.37 |59.42 |57.99 |58.64 |58.42 |58.38 |57.5
duty solicitor all other hours/own solicitor |40.63 |41.52 |44.91 |44.46 |44.13 |43.88 |43.78 |43.5
Travelling and waiting:
duty solicitor unsocial hours |54.18 |55.37 |59.42 |57.99 |58.42 |58.42 |58.38 |57.5
duty solicitor all other hours |40.63 |41.52 |44.91 |44.46 |44.13 |43.88 |43.78 |43.5
own solicitor |25.58 |26.23 |26.26 |25.13 |24.79 |24.6 |24.5 |24.25
<1> January to April.
<2> From April.
Advice and assistance at police stations hourly rates (£) 1986-92 expressed at 1992-93 prices
Type of work Year
|<1>1986|<2>1986|1987 |1988 |1989 |1990 |1991 |1992
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Availability during duty period (standby payment) |3.76 |3.79 |3.94 |3.74 |3.57 |3.52 |3.54 |3.5
Advice and assistance:
duty solicitor unsocial hours |54.18 |55.37 |59.42 |57.99 |58.64 |58.42 |58.38 |57.5
duty solicitor all other hours/own solicitor |40.63 |41.52 |44.91 |44.46 |44.13 |43.88 |43.78 |43.5
Travelling and waiting:
duty solicitor unsocial hours |54.18 |55.37 |59.42 |57.99 |58.42 |58.42 |58.38 |57.5
duty solicitor all other hours |40.63 |41.52 |44.91 |44.46 |44.13 |43.88 |43.78 |43.5
own solicitor |25.58 |26.23 |26.26 |25.13 |24.79 |24.6 |24.5 |24.25
<1> January to April.
<2> From April.
Advice and assistance at police stations hourly rates (£) 1986-92 expressed at 1992-93 prices
Type of work Year
|<1>1986|<2>1986|1987 |1988 |1989 |1990 |1991 |1992
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Availability during duty period (standby payment) |3.76 |3.79 |3.94 |3.74 |3.57 |3.52 |3.54 |3.5
Advice and assistance:
duty solicitor unsocial hours |54.18 |55.37 |59.42 |57.99 |58.64 |58.42 |58.38 |57.5
duty solicitor all other hours/own solicitor |40.63 |41.52 |44.91 |44.46 |44.13 |43.88 |43.78 |43.5
Travelling and waiting:
duty solicitor unsocial hours |54.18 |55.37 |59.42 |57.99 |58.42 |58.42 |58.38 |57.5
duty solicitor all other hours |40.63 |41.52 |44.91 |44.46 |44.13 |43.88 |43.78 |43.5
own solicitor |25.58 |26.23 |26.26 |25.13 |24.79 |24.6 |24.5 |24.25
<1> January to April.
<2> From April.
Advice and assistance at police stations hourly rates (£) 1986-92 expressed at 1992-93 prices
Type of work Year
|<1>1986|<2>1986|1987 |1988 |1989 |1990 |1991 |1992
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Availability during duty period (standby payment) |3.76 |3.79 |3.94 |3.74 |3.57 |3.52 |3.54 |3.5
Advice and assistance:
duty solicitor unsocial hours |54.18 |55.37 |59.42 |57.99 |58.64 |58.42 |58.38 |57.5
duty solicitor all other hours/own solicitor |40.63 |41.52 |44.91 |44.46 |44.13 |43.88 |43.78 |43.5
Travelling and waiting:
duty solicitor unsocial hours |54.18 |55.37 |59.42 |57.99 |58.42 |58.42 |58.38 |57.5
duty solicitor all other hours |40.63 |41.52 |44.91 |44.46 |44.13 |43.88 |43.78 |43.5
own solicitor |25.58 |26.23 |26.26 |25.13 |24.79 |24.6 |24.5 |24.25
<1> January to April.
<2> From April.
Advice and assistance at police stations hourly rates (£) 1986-92 expressed at 1992-93 prices
Type of work Year
|<1>1986|<2>1986|1987 |1988 |1989 |1990 |1991 |1992
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Availability during duty period (standby payment) |3.76 |3.79 |3.94 |3.74 |3.57 |3.52 |3.54 |3.5
Advice and assistance:
duty solicitor unsocial hours |54.18 |55.37 |59.42 |57.99 |58.64 |58.42 |58.38 |57.5
duty solicitor all other hours/own solicitor |40.63 |41.52 |44.91 |44.46 |44.13 |43.88 |43.78 |43.5
Travelling and waiting:
duty solicitor unsocial hours |54.18 |55.37 |59.42 |57.99 |58.42 |58.42 |58.38 |57.5
duty solicitor all other hours |40.63 |41.52 |44.91 |44.46 |44.13 |43.88 |43.78 |43.5
own solicitor |25.58 |26.23 |26.26 |25.13 |24.79 |24.6 |24.5 |24.25
<1> January to April.
<2> From April.
Advice and assistance at police stations hourly rates (£) 1986-92 expressed at 1992-93 prices
Type of work Year
|<1>1986|<2>1986|1987 |1988 |1989 |1990 |1991 |1992
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Availability during duty period (standby payment) |3.76 |3.79 |3.94 |3.74 |3.57 |3.52 |3.54 |3.5
Advice and assistance:
duty solicitor unsocial hours |54.18 |55.37 |59.42 |57.99 |58.64 |58.42 |58.38 |57.5
duty solicitor all other hours/own solicitor |40.63 |41.52 |44.91 |44.46 |44.13 |43.88 |43.78 |43.5
Travelling and waiting:
duty solicitor unsocial hours |54.18 |55.37 |59.42 |57.99 |58.42 |58.42 |58.38 |57.5
duty solicitor all other hours |40.63 |41.52 |44.91 |44.46 |44.13 |43.88 |43.78 |43.5
own solicitor |25.58 |26.23 |26.26 |25.13 |24.79 |24.6 |24.5 |24.25
<1> January to April.
<2> From April.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what investigations he has made into the numbers and proportions of solicitors' firms that accept legal aid work ; and if he will state the findings of such investigations.
Mr. John M. Taylor : No statistics are available on the number of firms of solicitors undertaking legal aid work at any one time. The Legal Aid Board does, however, publish a figure showing the number of offices receiving payment. For the last five years these were as follows :
Year |Number ---------------------- 1987-88 |11,617 1988-89 |11,558 1989-90 |11,455 1990-91 |11,125 1991-92 |11,060
The Legal Aid Board also publishes statistics which show that although the number of offices receiving payment has fallen, the number of legal aid payments made to solicitors has risen.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what provision he intends to make in the legal aid fee structures for listening to tape recordings of police interviews with suspects.
Mr. John M. Taylor : Listening to tape recordings of police interviews forms part of the preparation of a criminal case, and is remunerated as such under the present arrangements. Under the proposed system of standard fees for solicitors' criminal legal aid work in the magistrates' courts, it is intended that payment for listening to tape recordings should be included in the standard fee, since it forms part of the normal preparation of a case.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what account he has taken of representations made to him by the Law Society concerning the question of fixed fees for legal aid.
Mr. John M. Taylor : Fixed fees have not been proposed. The consultation period on the proposed
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standard fee system for solicitors' criminal legal aid work in the magistrates courts is planned to continue until the end of October. Discussions with the Law Society on standard fees began in July 1991. As a result, the Lord Chancellor has made several changes to his proposals. These include a fee structure based on the amount of work done, rather than hearing time as originally suggested, and allowing waiting time to be claimed separately.Immigration
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the current backlog of appeals for (a) the immigration tribunal and (b) the immigration appeal tribunal in each of the appeal centres.
Mr. John M. Taylor : As of this month 23,000 cases were outstanding before immigration adjudicators and 322 before the immigration appeals tribunal. In order to break down the first figure regionally it is necessary to consider cases listed, cases awaiting instructions from one of the parties and the balance which, alone, is in the control of the administration/judiciary and to employ some apportionment. This approach produces the following figures :
|Numbers
-----------------------------
Thanet House |13,730
Birmingham |2,230
Leeds |1,010
Harmonsworth |3,510
Manchester |1,860
Glasgow |660
Legal Advice
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the rates have been for green form legal advice for each of the last 10 years ; and if he will give the figures in real terms.
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Mr. John M. Taylor : Before 1989, solicitors' bills for legal advice and assistance were assessed by the Law Society. The hourly guideline rates from 1982 to 1988 were :
Year |Rate |Rate expressed at
|1992-93 prices
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1982 |24.00 |41.89
1983 |25.00 |41.70
1984 |26.00 |41.31
1985 |27.00 |40.65
<1>1986 |28.50 |41.54
<2>1986 |30.50 |44.46
1987 |32.50 |44.93
1988 |34.50 |44.48
<1> April
<2> October
Since 1989 the rate paid to solicitors for legal advice and assistance is the same as that for work in criminal proceedings in the magistrates court. The prescribed hourly rates since 1989 have been :
Year |Rate
------------------------------------------------------
1989 |36.50
1990 |39.25
1991 |42.00
1992 |43.25
Figures have been uprated to 1992-93 prices using the
Equal Opportunities
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what action he has taken and intends to take to increase the proportion of blacks and Asians in the judiciary.
Mr. John M. Taylor : The Lord Chancellor's policy is to appoint to judicial office those best qualified, regardless of sex, ethnic origin, political affiliation or religion. Without prejudice to this overriding principle, the Lord Chancellor has stressed publicly, and will continue to do so, that he would like more black and Asian practitioners who are suitably qualified to be appointed to the judiciary. A major factor has been the lack of such candidates in the legal profession in the relevant age groups. There are now more ethnic minority practitioners within the legal profession who the Lord Chancellor hopes will come forward for consideration. To encourage this, he has made the booklet on the judicial appointments system widely available to ethnic minority practitioners and representative groups. Particular consideration is given to reviewing ethnic minority candidates in the field for particular appointments and ethnic recording arrangements were introduced for applications for judicial appointment made after 1 October 1991. The Lord Chancellor and his officials also have periodical meetings with groups representing the interests of black and Asian practitioners where matters relating to the judicial appointments system are discussed.
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Law Centres
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what amount of central Government funding has been given to law centres for each of the last 20 years ; and if he will give the figures in real terms.
Mr. John M. Taylor : The information is as follows :
Year |Grant £'000 |At 1992-93 prices ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1974-75 |50 |254 1975-76 |100 |405 1976-77 |150 |535 1977-78 |225 |706 1978-79 |273 |773 1979-80 |381 |923 1980-81 |445 |911 1981-82 |535 |1,000 1982-83 |583 |1,017 1983-84 |618 |1,030 1984-85 |649 |1,031 1985-86 |675 |1,016 1986-87 |695 |1,013 1987-88 |712 |984 1988-89 |730 |941 1989-90 |768 |929 1990-91 |822 |919 1991-92 |841 |877
This Department made no grants to law centres before 1974-75. The figures from then to date are set out in the table. At various times during the past 20 years some law centres have recieved central government funding from sources other than the Lord Chancellor's Department. These figures do not include income from the legal aid fund.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Hong Kong
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement in respect of the governor of Hong Kong's emergency meeting held on 25 September, in connection with threats to the colony's marine police officers by Chinese security officials in the colony's waters.
Mr. Goodlad : On 25 September, a Hong Kong fishing vessel was boarded by Chinese security officers within Hong Kong territorial waters. This was a serious incident and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs raised it with the Chinese Foreign Minister on the same day. On 29 September, Chinese officials made clear to the Hong Kong Government that the action of the Chinese officers concerned had been incorrect, and offered apologies for the incident. This response underlines the shared interest of Hong Kong and China in effective cooperation to combat smuggling.
UN Assembly Speech
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out in the Official Report the main points he made in his speech to the General Assembly of the United Nations in September ; and what was the response he received from his counterparts.
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Mr. Douglas Hogg : The main purpose of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs' speech, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House, was to offer a response, on behalf of the European Community and its member states, to the Secretary -General's report "An Agenda for Peace". In the subsequent debate in the general assembly there was widespread agreement that the report was welcome, and that it provided a quarry of ideas to be followed up on a case -by-case basis and in the relevant UN bodies.
Test Ban Talks
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to discuss with his French counterpart the resumption of multilateral nuclear test ban treaty talks.
Mr. Garel-Jones : We have regular discussions with the French Government on a range of nuclear defence issues, including nuclear testing. We have always accepted a comprehensive test ban as a long-term goal, but we continue to believe that nuclear testing is the best means of ensuring the safety and credibility of our nuclear deterrent.
Immigration
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current backlog in each of the queues at the following posts (a) Bombay, (b) New Delhi, (c) Islamabad, (d) Karachi, (e) Dhak, (f) Nairobi and (g) Dar-es-Salaam ; and what is the average length of time in each queue from application to interview.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : As at 31 August the number of people waiting for interviews for entry clearance were :
|Q1|Q2|Q3|Q4
-------------------------
Bombay |- |4 |9 |10
New Delhi |- |3 |7 |10
Islamabad |3 |3 |6 |10
Karachi |2 |2 |3 |7
Dhaka |3 |6 |7 |9
There are no queues in Nairobi or Dar-el-Salaam.
The estimated waiting times, in months, are :
|Q1|Q2|Q3|Q4
-------------------------
Bombay |- |4 |9 |10
New Delhi |- |3 |7 |10
Islamabad |3 |3 |6 |10
Karachi |2 |2 |3 |7
Dhaka |3 |6 |7 |9
Yugoslavia
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Walsall, North of 19 October Official Report, columns 34-35 , on war crimes in former Yugoslavia, if Her Majesty's Government will consider submitting information to the United Nations on the actions of Slobodan Milosevic and Radovan Karadzic in connection with crimes against humanity ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer that I gave to him on 19 October, at columns 34-35.
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NATIONAL HERITAGE
Clenbuterol
Mr. Spellar : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage whether he will introduce legislation to ban the possession of the drug Clenbuterol for sporting purposes.
Mr. Brooke : The Government have no plans at present to do so.
Sports Sponsorship
Mr. Pendry : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage by what date the pound-for-pound business sports sponsorship incentive scheme announced on 19 December 1991 will be established ; how much funding will be allocated to the scheme ; over what time scale it will operate ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Brooke : The Government remain firmly committed to Sportsmatch. I shall soon make an announcement on its launch date and funding. It will be to the benefit of the scheme and all those involved in it if Sportsmatch can be launched with a secure future. No time scale has been set for the operation of the scheme. This will depend very largely on its success.
EDUCATION
Grant-maintained Schools
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will give the approximate costs arising in his Department from the direct administration of grant-maintained schools for the year 1992, or 1991-92, and the estimated costs he expects to arise either in 1993, or the financial year 1993-94, stating the actual or expected number of schools in respect of each period.
Mr. Forth : The running costs of staff employed on the direct administration of GM schools and associated policy were £706,000 in 1991-92. Estimated outturn for 1992-93 is £1,450,000. Budgets for 1993 -94 have not yet been set. In March 1992 there were 143 GM schools operating. There are currently 278 GM schools operating, with 30 more approved or minded to approve.
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what arrangements he has made for allocating costs of the national fund for in- service training of teachers in grant-maintained schools for the year 1992- 93 ; and what is the approximate expenditure for this purpose which he expects to allocate in the year 1993-94, expressed as an aggregate sum, and as the amount per teacher eligible for such training.
Mr. Forth : In 1992-93 each grant-maintained school is eligible for a special purpose grant (development) allocated at the rate of £42.50 per pupil. Schools are expected to spend at least half of this grant on staff training and development. Grant-maintained schools may also meet such costs out of their annual maintenance grant. Decisions have not yet been taken about special purpose grant (development) allocations for 1993-94.
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University Research
Mr. Burden : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of gross domestic product is devoted to research in universities ; and what information he had for the comparative figures in other EC countries.
Mr. Forman : Data in the 1992 annual review of Government-funded research and development indicate that in 1990 0.3 per cent. of United Kingdom GDP was spent on research and development in higher education, compared with 0.4 per cent. in Germany, 0.3 per cent. in France and 0.25 per cent. in Italy.
Mr. Burden : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of research in British universities is funded by charities ; and what information he has on the comparable figures in other European countries.
Mr. Forman : United Kingdom charities provided 22.3 per cent. of the income from research grants and contracts of United Kingdom universities in 1990-91. Comparable information for other countries is not available.
Universities (Clerical Staff)
Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he plans to take to ensure comparability in the rates of pay and conditions of work of the clerical staff of universities ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Forman : The pay of clerical staff employed by the universities is entirely a matter for their employers. The Government have no intention of becoming involved in the negotiating arrangements.
Defence Research
Mr. Burden : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of Government-funded research in British universities is devoted to defence issues.
Mr. Forman : Data in the 1992 annual review of Government-funded research and development show that in 1990-91 research and development spending by the Ministry of Defence accounted for 6.5 per cent. of all specific Government funding for research and development in higher education institutions.
University Staff Pay
Mr. Burden : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what role the trade unions will have in the operation of new pay structures for university staff at university and college levels.
Mr. Forman : The Government expect employers in higher education to settle their own future negotiating arrangements including any arrangements for trade union involvement.
Non-maintained Special Schools
Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he has received from St. Vincents school for blind and partially sighted children in Liverpool in respect of the consultative paper on special
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educational needs ; what his response has been ; and if he will make a statement on the future of such non-maintained special schools.Mr. Forth : I have replied to several Members about the future of non-maintained special schools under our proposed legislation. Schools such as St. Vincent's should continue to offer high-quality special education. Their future is not threatened by our legislative proposals.
Child Care and Nursery Education
Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list the relative positions of each member state of the European Community in respect of the provision of child care and nursery education.
Mr. Forth : It is not possible to offer comprehensive comparisons across the European Community but statistical comparisons of educational and group day care provision in a majority of EC states are available for 1987. Figures for participation in public and private sector provision in that year are as follows :
Percentages<1>
Education Day Care
|3-4 |3-5 |3-4 |3-5
----------------------------------------------------------
Belgium |96 |97 |<5>- |<5>-
France |98 |99 |<5>- |<5>-
Germany |56 |66 |<5>- |<5>-
Ireland |30 |<3>54 |n/a |14
Italy (Estimated) |78 |81 |<5>- |<5>-
Luxembourg (Estimated) |49 |65 |<6>n/a|<6>n/a
Netherlands |51 |67 |25 |<4>17
Spain |53 |70 |<5>- |<5>-
United Kingdom |45 |64 |<2>41 |<2>27
<1> Percentages of population, aged at 1 January.
<2> Estimated (avoiding double counting with education).
<3> For 1985.
<4> For 1983.
<5> -nil or negligible.
<6> n/a not available.
Only the United Kingdom and the Netherlands have compulsory full-time education from the age of five; in the other countries quoted this begins at six.
TRANSPORT
Buses, London
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what surveys or investigations he has made concerning the location, capacity, and management of bus stands in central London after the proposed deregulation and privatisation of its bus services.
Mr. Norris : This is a matter for which the London Bus Executive will be responsible. The Government do not anticipate that deregulation will cause any significant changes in the provision and usage of bus stands. However, this is a point which can be considered further by the Department's consultative forum, whose first meeting I announced on 13 May, as part of its remit to advise on the practical aspects of implementing deregulation in London.
Cannon Street Collision
Sir John Stanley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to implement the recommendations in the report on the collision of 8
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January 1991 at Cannon Street station that legislation should be introduced making it an offence for railway employees with safety responsibilities to be impaired by the consumption of alcohol or drugs.Mr. Freeman : The Transport and Works Act, which received Royal Assent on 16 March 1992, contains new comprehensive provisions to deal with drink and drugs offences on the railways. The offences, penalties and police testing powers are similar to those under the Road Traffic Act. The new provisions will come into force on 7 December 1992.
Rail Services
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will request the British Railways Board to report on the practicality of introducing a rail service between Clapham and Willesden junctions on the west London line, calling at appropriate intermediate stations, subsequent on the completion of its electrification.
Mr. Freeman : This is being examined by a working group of officials representing British Railways, London Transport, the Department of Transport, four London boroughs, and the local business community. I expect its report shortly.
Akatsuki Maru
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has received from his Japanese counterpart in regard to safety and security arrangements made for the voyage of the Akatsuki Maru carrier-ship between Japan, La Hague in France and Sellafield transporting plutonium.
British Rail Freight
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what fee was ageeed by Mercer Management Consulting to advise his Department and British Rail on the sale of British Rail's freight operations ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : This information is commercially confidential.
Mr. Lester : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to take external advice on the privatisation of British Rail's freight operations.
Mr. Freeman : The Department of Transport and the British Railways Board have jointly commissioned Mercer Management Consulting to provide detailed advice on structural options for the transfer to the private sector of British Rail's domestic and international freight services, including the rail express systems parcel business. Work on the study commenced on 28 September.
Safety Schemes
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the expected average rate of return from the £31 million transport supplementary grant earmarked for local safety schemes in the financial year 1991-92.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Returns provided by local authorities indicate that the sum earmarked for local
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safety schemes in the transport supplementary grant settlement for 1991-92 produced an average first year rate of return of 76 per cent., and over the first three years a rate of return of 213 per cent.ENVIRONMENT
National Rivers Authority
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made of staff changes in each of the National Rivers Authority regions as a result of the proposed environment agency ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : The number and distribution of staff within the environment agency will be matters for its management.
Recycling
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to ensure that the United Kingdom meets its recycling target of 25 per cent. of household waste by 2000.
Mr. Maclean : We are undertaking a wide range of measures to ensure that we reach our recycling target. In particular, we are setting a legislative and economic framework designed to make recycling the preferred choice when it is the best environmental option. The Environmental Protection Act 1990 introduces the most favourable legal framework for recycling ever provided in this country. To help authorities in England to implement their recycling strategies, we have introduced a programme of supplementary credit approvals. In order to assist industry to overcome technical and market barriers to recycling, the Government provides funding for research and development through the ETIS scheme, operated jointly by my Department and the Department of Trade and Industry, and the DEMOS and EUROENVIRON schemes, administered by the Department of Trade and Industry. We have introduced an economic incentive in the form of recycling credits ; my noble Friend Lord Strathclyde announced on 30 September that the value of credits will double from 1 April 1994.
Ozone-destroying Chemicals
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received concerning the continued production of ozone-destroying chemicals.
Mr. Maclean : My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State has received many representations on this issue.
Chlorofluorocarbons
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the quantity of (a) chlorofluorocarbons, (b) halons and (c) methyl chloroform produced in (i) 1990-91, (ii) 1991-92 and (iii) proposed for 1992-93.
Mr. Maclean : An estimated 681 kilotonnes of CFCs were produced world-wide in 1991. Figures are not yet
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available for 1992, but are expected to show a sharp decline. Figures are not available for world-wide production of halons or methyl chloroform.Montreal Protocol
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultation he has undertaken with industry prior to the Montreal protocol renegotiation in Copenhagen from 17 to 25 November.
Mr. Maclean : Officials from this Department and the Department of Trade and Industry meet representatives from the relevant industry sectors on a regular basis to discuss issues related to the Montreal protocol.
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultation he has undertaken with environmental groups prior to the Montreal protocol renegotiation in Copenhagen from 17 to 25 November.
Mr. Maclean : My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State receives many communications from such groups. He met representatives of Greenpeace on 21 September when the Montreal protocol, together with various other environmental issues, was discussed.
Hydrochlorofluorocarbons
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has for an increase in the production of the use of hydrochlorofluorocarbons as transitional substances.
Mr. Maclean : The United Kingdom Government support the tightest possible limits on the use of HCFCs consistent with achieving the fastest possible elimination of the consumption of CFCs. The details of these controls will be worked out with other Montreal protocol parties in Copenhagen.
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