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Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy not to agree to an increase in the United Kingdom contribution to the EC budget under the treaty on European union.
The Prime Minister : The draft treaty on European union does not of itself provide for an increase in the European Community budget. In the review of Community future financing now in progress, the Commission has proposed significant increases in Community expenditure and in the own resources ceiling. As my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has indicated, these increases are not acceptable.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Prime Minister if he will invite Lord Mackenzie Stuart, the retired President of the EC Court of Justice, to discuss with him the effect of article 3b of the treaty on European union.
The Prime Minister : No. As I told the hon. Gentleman on 20 October, Official Report, column 326, I share the Lord Chancellor's view that subsidiarity is a principle enforceable by the European Court of Justice.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Prime Minister within what period it is his policy to achieve (a) full employment and (b) a sustainable rate of growth.
The Prime Minister : The Government's policies are designed to achieve sustained non-inflationary growth. This is the best means of promoting sustainable, long-term growth in employment.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his plans to return to member states some of the power which the EC institutions at present exercise over them ; and if he will list the provisions of the Maastricht treaty which he will use for this purpose.
The Prime Minister : The Community exercises only those powers conferred on it by the Community treaties, signed and ratified by all member states. The principle of subsidiarity, as expressed in article 3b of the Maastricht treaty, is designed to ensure that the Community does not go beyond those powers, and that where the treaty allows a choice between Community level action and action at the level of the member state there will be presumption in favour of the latter.
Mr. Kaufman : To ask the Prime Minister if he will protest to the Prime Minister of Jamaica about the number of Jamaicans held on death row for long periods.
The Prime Minister [holding answer 22 October 1992] : We have told the Jamaican Government of our concern about the prisoners on death row. I understand the legislation on the death penalty is at present before the Jamaican parliament.
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Mr. Kaufman : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the next steps agencies established by this Government since 1979.
The Prime Minister [holding answer 22 October 1992] : The information requested is set out.
Next Steps-executive agencies established since 1979 Agency |Launch date ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Accounts Services Agency |1 October 1991 ADAS Agency |1 April 1992 Building Research Establishment |2 April 1990 Cadw (Welsh Historic Monuments) |2 April 1991 Central office of Information |5 April 1990 Central Science Laboratory |1 April 1992 Central Statistical Office |19 November 1991 Central Veterinary Laboratory |2 April 1990 Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment |2 April 1991 Civil Service College |6 June 1989 Companies House |3 October 1988 Compensation Agency |1 April 1992 Customs and Excise (30 Executive Units) |1 April 1991 Defence Analytical Services Agency |1 July 1992 Defence Operational Analysis Centre |1 July 1992 Defence Postal and Courber Services |1 July 1992 Defence Research Agency |2 April 1991 Directorate General of Defence Accounts |1 April 1991 Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency |2 April 1990 Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency |1 April 1992 Driving Standards Agency |2 April 1990 Duke of York's Royal Military School |1 April 1992 DVOIT |1 April 1992 Employment Service |2 April 1990 Fire Service College |1 April 1992 Forensic Science Service |1 April 1991 Historic Royal Palaces |1 October 1989 Historic Scotland |2 April 1991 HMSO |14 December 1988 Hydrographic Office |6 April 1990 Inland Revenue (34 Executive Offices) |1 April 1992 Insolvency Service |21 March 1990 Intervention Board |2 April 1990 Laboratory of the Government Chemist |30 October 1989 Land Registry |2 July 1990 Medicines Control Agency |11 July 1991 Meteorological Office |2 April 1990 Military Survey |2 April 1991 National Engineering Laboratory |5 October 1990 National Physical Laboratory |3 July 1990 National Weights and Measures Laboratory |18 April 1989 Natural Resources Institute |2 April 1990 Naval Aircraft Repair Organisation |1 April 1992 NHS Estates |1 April 1991 Occupational Health Service |2 April 1990 Ordnance Survey |1 May 1990 Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland |1 April 1992 Patent Office |1 March 1990 Planning Inspectorate |1 April 1992 Public Record Office |1 April 1992 Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre |6 July 1989 Queen Victoria School |1 April 1992 Radiocommunications Agency |2 April 1990 RAF Maintenance |2 April 1991 Rate Collection Agency |1 April 1992 Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency |2 April 1991 Registers of Scotland |6 April 1990 Royal Mint |2 April 1990 Scottish Agricultural Science Agency |1 April 1992 Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency |12 April 1991 Service Children's Schools (North West Europe) |24 April 1991 Social Security Agency (NI) |1 April 1992 Social Security Benefits Agency |2 April 1991 Social Security Contributions Agency |2 April 1991 Social Security Information Technology Services Agency |2 April 1990 Social Security Resettlement Agency |24 May 1989 Teachers' Pensions Agency |1 April 1992 The Buying Agency |31 October 1991 Training & Employment Agency (NI) |2 April 1990 Transport Research Laboratory |2 April 1992 United Kingdom Passport Agency |2 April 1991 Valuation Office |30 September 1991 Vehicle Certification Agency |2 April 1990 Vehicle Inspectorate |1 August 1988 Veterinary Medicines Directorate |2 April 1990 Warren Spring Laboratory |20 April 1989 Wilton Park Conference Centre |1 September 1991
Ms. Harman : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he will be making to the EC to curb the activities of speculators in the currency market.
Mr. Nelson : I have no plans to propose controls aimed at curbing the activities of speculators in the currency market.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will reduce value added tax to 15 per cent.
Sir John Cope : No. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor has no plans to do so.
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to ensure that day care and domiciliary care services provided under contract to statutory bodies are not liable to value added tax charges.
Sir John Cope : No. My right hon. Friend has no plans to extend the current relevant exemption which is for supplies of welfare services if they are supplied by a charity or public body otherwise than for profit.
Mr. Sedgemore : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if any officials from the Bank of England supervision department have been suspended pending investigations by the Serious Fraud Office into allegations of bribery in relation to the BCCI affair.
Mr. Nelson : The allegations have, at the request of the Bank of England, been investigated by the Serious Fraud Office which announced on 20 October that its investigations had revealed no evidence to substantiate any of the claims made.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration he has given to Senator John Kerry's report into the supervision of BCCI ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Nelson [holding answer 22 October 1992] : My right hon. Friend has seen Senator John Kerry's sub-committee's report of its investigation of BCCI, which goes a good way beyond the supervision of the bank. He
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notes, that unlike Lord Justice Bingham, Senator Kerry's sub-committee had no access to the Bank of England's documents, took no evidence from the bank or BCCI's auditors, and failed to check any conclusions or findings with either of them.Mr. Spearing : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the revenue lost from (a) income tax, (b) value-added tax and (c) other revenues to the Exchequer for a reduction in employment of 20,000 employees, for a range of different assumptions of average income of such employees.
Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 22 October 1992] : The effect of job losses on tax revenues will depend on a large number of factors in addition to the level of income of the employees affected and cannot therefore reliably be calculated.
Ms. Liz Lynne : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans there are for the taxation of invalidity benefit ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 22 October 1992] : I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Garscadden (Mr. Dewar) on 19 October, Official Report, column 190.
Mr. David Howell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the operation of catering, sanitary and medical facilities, and so on at bail hostels are subject to the normal inspection of health and safety officers.
Mr. Sackville : Local authorities are responsible for normal inspection of hostels including sanitation facilities, and catering facilities where food is provided to bail hostel residents rather than self catering.
Health and Safety Executive inspectors are responsible for enforcing provisions on the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974 at bail hostels. These premises are subject to the same considerations as others for which HSE has enforcement responsibility and may be visited for a variety of purposes, including planned inspection and the investigation of incidents and complaints.
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women in the national health service have agreed to their names being put on a confidential list to be used by her Department to assist NHS managers in a drive to get more women into top positions ; and if she will make a statement.
Dr. Mawhinney : A total of 973 women have requested that their names be placed on the NHS women's national career development register.
This programme is an innovation, not just for the NHS but for other public and private sector employers. In this respect the NHS is leading the field in women's
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employment and development by providing a programme of positive action and career development at this level of the organisation.Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the number of possible, probable and confirmed (a) new cases of and (b) deaths from Creuzfeld-Jakob disease in each year since 1986.
Mr. Yeo : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Torridge and Devon, West (Miss Nicholson) on 23 June at columns 155-56.
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she has made a section 64 grant for the current year to the national incontinence helpline operated by the Newcastle Dene centre ; and what similar grants were given in previous years.
Mr. Yeo : A section 64 grant has not been paid to the Dene centre incontinence helpline for 1992-93. Previously £20,000 was awarded over two years from 1988-89. This service has now been secured with the help of the Continence Foundation, which also receives our financial support.
Ms. Janet Anderson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information she has on the number of dentists in the Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale health authority withdrawing national health service treatment from their existing patients ; and if she will make a statement.
Dr. Mawhinney : Since 3 July 1992, the Lancashire family health services authority, which covers Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale, has not reported any dentists asking for their names to be removed from the family health services authority list. Over the same period, nine dentists in the Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale area have notified the family health services authority of their intention to remove 68 adult patients and one child from their patient lists. I am informed by Lancashire family health services authority that there are no patients who have contacted it for assistance in obtaining national health service dental treatment for whom such treatment could not be arranged.
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make available a summary of the funding and levels of activity agreed for 1992-93 with centres designated to provide supra-regional services.
Mr. Sackville : A summary of this information has been placed in the Library as an addendum to the document "Supra regional services 1992-93 : announcement by the Secretary of State for Health".
Mr. Nigel Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she proposes to issue guidance on the development of services for people with learning disabilities.
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Mr. Yeo : I will be issuing guidance on 26 October to health and local authorities on the development of services to meet the health and social care needs of people with learning disabilities. Copies will be placed in the Library.
Mr. Gunnell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what criteria are used to decide whether a full-time student is eligible to receive full financial assistance with dental and other national health service charges ;
(2) if it is Government policy to include a national student loan in their calculations concerning full financial assistance to full-time students for health care.
Dr. Mawhinney : Dental treatment and other national health service services are provided free to patients, including full-time students in higher education, who are eligible for charge exemption on grounds of health or status, or who qualify for full charge remission under the national health service low income scheme. Full or partial help from this scheme is income related taking account of all resources available to individual patients, including student loans.
Mr. Wicks : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the retirement pension for a single person and a couple would be in April 1993 if it had continued to be uprated with earnings or prices, whichever was the higher, since the link was broken.
Miss Widdecombe : Figures for April 1993 are not yet available. The current--April 1992--rates of basic retirement pension would be £71 for a single person and £113.65 for a couple. This would cost a man on average earnings and his employer an extra £11.20 per week between them in national insurance contributions.
Note :
There are no "single" or "couple" rates of Retirement Pension. The standard pension is calculated on the basis of individual contribution records or, in the case of some married women, on the basis of their husbands' contributions. Adult dependency additions may be awarded where the wife of a pensioner is under pension age. The rates quoted are those which would be payable (a) on the basis of a person's own contributions (assuming the contribution conditions were fully satisfied) and (b) the total of (a) plus a pension based on a husband's contributions or an adult dependency increase.
Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the rules surrounding the treatment of therapeutic earnings in (a) the income support regulations and (b) the housing benefit regulations ; and what discretion is available to DSS officers and housing benefit officers, respectively, when assessing income from therapeutic earnings.
Mr. Burt : Neither income support nor housing benefit has specific rules about therapeutic earnings.
In income support, both disabled and able-bodied people may work part time- -under 16 hours a week--and £5 or £15 a week of their earnings will be disregarded. In
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the case of a person who is entitled to, or has an underlying entitlement to, the disability premium, the higher, £15, disregard applies.In addition, certain disabled people--those whose earning capacity is reduced to 75 per cent. or less of what it would be but for their disability, and people in residential care--can work for more than 16 hours a week and still be entitled to claim income support. Unlike income support, housing benefit is payable irrespective of the number of hours worked. In housing benefit, a person who is entitled to, or has an underlying entitlement to, a disability premium will similarly receive the £15 earnings disregard. Otherwise, the amount of earnings disregarded will generally be £10 in the case of a couple, or £5 in the case of a single person.
Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many women were in receipt of the housewives non-contributory invalidity pension ; how many men were in receipt of the non-contributory invalidity pension from the date of their introduction until 1983 ; and how many people were in receipt of severe disablement allowance broken down into men and women since 1983.
Mr. Scott : The information requested is given in the tables.
Table 2 Severe disablement allowance beneficiaries ( in 1000s) Date |Male |Female|Total --------------------------------------------- 30 March 1985<2> |100 |152 |252 5 April 1986 |103 |158 |261 4 April 1987 |102 |158 |260 2 April 1988 |103 |160 |263 1 April 1989 |109 |166 |275 31 March 1990 |112 |172 |285 30 March 1991 |116 |178 |293 <1> Figures not available for 1977. HNCIP was introduced on 17 November 1977. <2> Figures not available for 1983. SDA was introduced on 29 November 1984. Figures for 1991-92 not yet available. Numbers rounded to nearest thousand.
Table 2 Severe disablement allowance beneficiaries ( in 1000s) Date |Male |Female|Total --------------------------------------------- 30 March 1985<2> |100 |152 |252 5 April 1986 |103 |158 |261 4 April 1987 |102 |158 |260 2 April 1988 |103 |160 |263 1 April 1989 |109 |166 |275 31 March 1990 |112 |172 |285 30 March 1991 |116 |178 |293 <1> Figures not available for 1977. HNCIP was introduced on 17 November 1977. <2> Figures not available for 1983. SDA was introduced on 29 November 1984. Figures for 1991-92 not yet available. Numbers rounded to nearest thousand.
The total number of beneficiaries is shown at a point in time for each year from the introduction of the benefit. Beneficiaries in each year are not necessarily the same people.
Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Coventry, North-East (Mr. Ainsworth), of 6 July, Official
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Report, columns 85-86, if he will make an estimate of the cumulative spending and savings made on the various national insurance benefits since 1979.Miss Widdecombe : Reliable estimates are not possible because there have been significant changes in the number and characteristics of beneficiaries, and in general economic circumstances, since the measures were introduced.
Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish figures based on the households below average income statistics which show the numbers and proportions of people living below 50 per cent. of average income before and after housing costs in each region of the United Kingdom.
Mr. Burt : A reliable regional breakdown of the numbers and proportions living below half average income could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Statistics for the United Kingdom as a whole are available in "Households Below Average Income", copies of which are available in the Library.
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment has been made by his Department of the number of stations on the British Rail network that can be safely operated without staff during hours when the stations are open.
Mr. Freeman : Staffing levels are a matter for British Rail and it is for BR to assess, on a station-by-station basis, which stations can be operated without staff. Before reaching a decision to operate a station without staff BR takes full account of any possible implications for safety. A code of practice for unstaffed stations has also been agreed between BR and the Central Transport Consultative Committee, which provides for prior consultation between BR and the relevant area committee before a station is destaffed.
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the locations of (a) the motorways and (b) the trunk roads on which his Department is inspecting bridges with tensioned steel reinforcing that may be suffering from corrosion from de-icing.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : All bridges and other structures on the truck road and motorway network in England are inspected at least once every two years. In addition to these regular inspections, each of the post tensioned structures on the network, of which there are approximately 600, will be given a special, more detailed inspection in the course of the next five years.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what evaluation he has made of the employment implications for road haulage and rail freight of Her Majesty's Government's decision to contract the coal mining industry with pit closures.
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Mr. Freeman : The demand for haulage of coal by road and rail depends on the amounts, types and sources of coal required by power generators and other users. It is for British Rail to assess the impact of changes in the scale and pattern of demand on its operations and staff requirements. No comparable assessment can be made for the road haulage industry because of the great number of flows and operators concerned.
Mr. Nicholas Winterton : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance is given by his Department to local planning authorities about planning applications for the creation of accesses from trunk roads.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : Circular Roads 4/88 "The Control of Development on Trunk Roads", dated November 1988, to chief executives of local authorities sets out the policy and principles which guide the Department in exercising its powers under the Town and Country Planning General Development Order 1988 and in offering views on planning applications. The guidance covers creation of accesses. The circular is also widely available to developers along with Circular Roads 6/91, "Development in the Vicinity of Trunk Roads, Agreements under Section 278 of the Highways Act 1980", dated October 1991. Copies of both circulars are in the Library.
New proposals for developers' contributions to highway works were announced on 14 August and are currently the subject of public consultation.
Mr. Raynsford : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the expenditure which has been incurred to date (a) on planning and design work, (b) on preliminary works currently being undertaken in the vicinity of Westminster station and (c) on other preliminary works which have been undertaken to date, in preparation for the extension of the Jubilee line to Stratford.
Mr. Norris : To 10 October 1992, expenditure of (a) some £79 million has been incurred on planning and design ; (b) some £2 million on the preliminary works at Westminster station ; and (c) some £62 million on other preliminary works, in preparation for the extension of the Jubilee line to Stratford.
Mr. Raynsford : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to be able to approve the construction of the Jubilee line extension.
Mr. Norris : Talks are continuing on the promised £400 million contribution from the private sector. I cannot speculate on the future of the Jubilee line extension in advance of the conclusion of those talks.
Mr. Nicholas Winterton : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received concerning access to side roads from the north circular road.
Mr. Norris : A large number of representations concerning access to side roads from the north circular road are currently being considered by the Department in relation to proposed major road improvements.
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Sir Nicholas Fairbairn : To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee (1) what sum has been expended on the refurbishment on 6-7 Old Palace Yard since 9 April ;
(2) what is the present cost of the refurbishment and alterations at 6-7 Old Palace Yard.
Mr. Ray Powell : The expenditure on refurbishment of 6-7 Old Palace Yard since 9 April 1992 was £4,700. In addition £7,200 was spent on replacement furniture and essential routine maintenance continued as necessary.
As a consequence of the transfer of the buildings to the other place, the cost of any future conservation and restoration will be the responsibility of that House.
Sir Nicholas Fairbairn : To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee what is the estimated cost of refurbishment and alteration to the premises at 7 Millbank to receive the secretaries who presently work at Old Palace Yard.
Mr. Ray Powell : As plans for the refurbishment of relevant accommodation at 7 Millbank have not yet been finalised, it is not possible to provide this information.
Sir Nicholas Fairbairn : To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee what sums were spent on the Palace of Westminster and its associated offices during the summer vacation.
Mr. Ray Powell : The cost of the 1992 summer works programme in the Palace of Westminster and its associated buildings was some £5 million.
Mr. Spring : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when the report of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art, 1991-92, will be published.
Mr. Brooke : The reviewing committee's annual report, 1991-92, has been published today, and copies have been laid in the Libraries of both Houses.
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans he has to increase the funds available to local authorities for the maintenance of listed buildings owned by themselves ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Brooke : My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment will be announcing details of the local government finance settlement in November, which will take into account the pressures falling on local authority expenditure in 1993-94.
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Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is the current position in respect of the listed crescent in Buxton, Derbyshire which his Department has ordered should be repaired or face compulsory purchase ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Brooke : Following the visit of my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State to Buxton in September, there have been discussions between English Heritage and the owners of the former St. Ann's hotel. But the owners have not so far put forward convincing plans for carrying out restoration work to an acceptable timetable. Work is therefore in hand on the preparation of a repairs notice under section 48 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.
On 19 October, I met a delegation from Buxton who handed me a petition signed by many local residents. I assured them of my determination to see the crescent restored.
Mr. Raynsford : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to publish the consultation paper on the future arrangement for the voluntary transfer of tenanted houses from local authorities to other landlords.
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