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Trainees
Ms. Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security where a local authority or voluntary sector training provider who is running a training course supported by the European social fund wishes to reimburse the expenses of his or her trainees who are in receipt of income support (a) what is the maximum value of a daily luncheon voucher that can be paid to the trainee without affecting his or her entitlement to income support and (b) under what circumstances a trainee who has to pay his or her daily travelling expenses to and from his or her place of training in cash can have them reimbursed without affecting his or her entitlement to income support ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Burt : In calculating entitlement to income support, the value of any regular payment in kind is ignored. As long as a daily luncheon voucher is not redeemable for cash, there is no limit to the value of such vouchers which can be given without affecting entitlement to income support.
Any contractual payment to reimburse the fares of a person undertaking training on a course supported by the European social fund will be taken fully into account in calculating entitlement to income support. However, any non-contractual, voluntary payment intended and used for fares will be fully disregarded.
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Benefit Statistics
Mr. Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give the total number, and the proportion of (a) single pensioners, (b) pensioner couples and (c) all pensioners who receive (i) income support, (ii) housing benefit, (iii) community charge benefit or (iv) one or more of income support, community charge benefit or housing benefit.
Mr. Burt : The available information is given in the tables :
|Number in receipt of|Percentage of
|IS (000's) |population over 60.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(i) Income support
Single people 60 or over |1,362 |11.72
Couples (at least one aged 60 or over) |213 |See Note 3
All cases |1,575 |See Note 3
(ii) Housing benefit
Single people 60 or over |1,517 |13.06
Couples (at least one aged 60 or over) |493 |See Note 3
All cases |2,011 |See Note 3
(iii) Community charge benefit
Single people 60 or over |2,296 |19.75
Couples (at least one aged 60 or over) |983 |See Note 3
All cases |3,278 |See Note 3
(iv) Combined IS/HB/CCB (In receipt of one or more benefit)
Single people 60 or over |2,800 |24.09
Couples (at least one aged 60 or over) |1,069 |See Note 3
All cases |3,869 |See Note 3
Notes:
1. Source Income Support Annual Statistical Inquiry May 1991.
Housing Benefit and Community Charge Benefit Management Information System, May 1991.
Office of Population Censuses and Surveys 1990.
2. All figures rounded to the nearest thousand.
3. Population figures are not available for the number of couples, one or both of which are aged 60
or over.
4. Population figures relate to 1990 (latest available information).
5. There is considerable overlap within the benefits. Most recipients of IS also receive CCB. Some
recipients of IS also receive HB.
Welfare Benefits
Ms. Lynne : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to end the Government's statutory duty to maintain the value of welfare benefits in line with the cost of living ; and if he will make a statement.
Miss Widdecombe : The plans for the uprating of benefits will be announced to the House in due course.
Unemployment Benefit
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give the number of (a) claims and (b) successful claims for unemployment benefit made by those paying the special class II national insurance contribution rate for share fishermen in the most convenient available years before and after the introduction of the weekly earnings rule.
Mr. Burt : The information requested is not available.
Mr. Jack Thompson : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what further changes are being considered in the level of unemployment benefits.
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Mr. Burt : The level of unemployment benefit, with other benefits, is kept under review. We shall be making a statement to the House in due course on the uprating of social security benefits.
Invalidity Benefit
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people are currently receiving invalidity benefit in each standard planning region of England and in Scotland and Wales ; and what is in the expected expenditure for 1992-93 in each such region.
Mr. Scott : Information is not available in the form requested. Available information about the numbers of recipients of invalidity benefit, by standard region, is in the table . Planned expenditure on invalidity benefit for 1992-93 is £5,695 .
Regions |Numbers
---------------------------------------------
Scotland |181,400
Wales |146,600
England
Northern |126,300
Yorkshire and Humberside |124,500
East Midlands |74,200
East Anglia |28,800
South East |219,200
South Western |71,900
West Midlands |105,900
North Western |219,800
Overseas |7,400
Total |1,306,000
Notes:
<1> Information from a 1 per cent. sample of
claimants as at 30 March 1991.
<2> The Government's Expenditure Plans
1992-93 to 1994-95.
SCOTLAND
National Testing
Mr. Raymond S. Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he has taken to implement national testing in schools in Scotland.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : We consulted widely in May on new proposals for national testing in Scottish schools. Responses have been carefully considered, and the Scottish Office Education Department is today sending to education authorities in Scotland a circular, which sets out how we now intend to proceed.
Testing is a key part of the five to 14 curriculum and assessment development programme for schools in Scotland. In future, national tests are to be given when the class teacher judges that a pupil is ready to move from one stage of the five to 14 curriculum in English and Mathematics to the next--up to five times for each pupil in the nine years of schooling between the ages of five and 14. Pupils will be able to take the tests informally, in small groups ; their individual results will be known only to their class teacher and parents. A summary showing how many pupils had been tested, and at which levels, will be included as appropriate in the head teacher's report on attainment to the school board, where this can be achieved without
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breaching the confidentiality of individual results. The primary assesssment unit of the Scottish Examination Board will sample each year, for moderation purposes, a number of completed but unidentified test papers. There will be no collation or publication of test results by the Scottish Office Education Department or the primary assessment unit.We are asking education authorities to introduce the new arrangements for testing in primary schools from January 1993 but have accepted in the light of concerns expressed on behalf of secondary schools, which have not hitherto been involved in testing, that testing should be introduced in SI and S2 a year later, that is, in January 1994.
Regulations currently require pupils in primary 4 and primary 7 to be tested. We would like the new testing arrangements to proceed by agreement. To that end, we are asking authorities to confirm by 15 December that they will implement and monitor the new arrangements, in line with the circular, as a prelude to the withdrawal of regulations.
Copies of the circular have been placed in the library of the House.
Development Grants
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what government assistance was provided to Gripparod plc or its predecessors, in respect of the Carpet Systems factory in Glengarnock ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Stewart : Carpet Systems Ltd. of Glengarnock, Ayrshire, received assistance in 1986 and 1988 under the now terminated regional development grants scheme.
The conditions attaching to these grants were met. No assistance has been provided to any successor company.
Borders Regional Council
Sir David Steel : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will approve as a matter of urgency the Borders regional council structure plan, submitted in February, and enable Borders regional council to approve and implement its local plans.
Mr. Lang : The Borders regional council structure plan is currently under consideration and I expect to be able to make known my initial views on it shortly. Allowing for the completion of the statutory procedures, it is unlikely that the final approval stage will be reached before mid-1993. At that stage, it will be for the regional council to ensure that its local plans reflect the policies contained in the approved structure plan before submitting them to me, prior to local adoption.
Euthanasia
Sir David Steel : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made on the implications for voluntary euthanasia in Scotland of the case of Dr. Cox ; and what plans there are for legislative guidelines concerning voluntary euthanasia in Scotland.
Mr. Lang : The Government have no plans to amend the law of Scotland in the light of the case of Dr. Cox. It is a criminal offence to kill another, whether or not that person has consented to the action taken.
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Montrose Community Hospital
Mr. Welsh : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what is the completion date for the new Montrose community hospital ; (2) how much expenditure has been committed by Tayside health board to the purchase of the Old Bond at Marine avenue ;
(3) what budget has been allocated by Tayside health board to the construction of the new Montrose community hospital ; and what sums have been legally committed.
Mr. Stewart : Tayside health board has no firm timetable for the development of a replacement community hospital in Montrose. In 1989, when suitable land became available for the site of a new hospital, the board was allocated £170,000 for its acquisition. Further allocations of capital by the Scottish Office are dependent on the board submitting detailed proposals for the development of the new hospital.
Renewable Energy
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what planning guidance he has issued to local authorities regarding renewable energy developments, including windmills ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Stewart : No such guidance on this has yet been issued but a draft national planning policy guideline (NPPG) on renewable energy and a planning advice note (PAN) on windpower developments are currently being prepared. These will be issued for consultation to all interested bodies before final guidance is published next year.
European Community
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of civil servants in his Department whose main task is work related wholly or mainly to the European Community.
Mr. Lang : At present, around 98 Scottish Office civil servants are engaged on work related wholly or mainly to the European Community.
Executive Agencies
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list, for the last 12 months, the titles of papers published by the chief executive of each executive agency for which he is responsible.
Mr. Lang : I have passed the hon. Member's question to the chief executives of each of the agencies for which I have responsibility and asked them to reply to him directly.
Letter from J. W. Barron to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated26 October 1992 :
Publication of Papers-- The Secretary of State for Scotland has passed to me for my interests your question regarding publication of papers by this Agency.
We have published no papers in the last twelve months within the strict meaning of your question. We have, of course, published our Annual Report for 1991-92 and copies are already available to the Library.
Letter from M. J. Richardson to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 23 October 1992 :
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I refer to your Question to the Secretary of State for Scotland asking if he will list for the last 12 months, the titles of papers published by the Chief Executive of each executive agency for which he is responsible.In the Director's absence on leave I list below the papers published by Dr. R. K. M. Hay in the last 12 months.
Hay, R. K. M. and Kemp, D. R. (1992). The prediction of leaf canopy expansion in the leek from a simple model dependent on primordial development. (Ann. appl. Biol., 120, 537-545).
Hay, R. K. M. and Offer, N. W. (in press). Helianthus tuberosus as an Alternative Forage Crop for Cool Maritime Regions : A Preliminary Study of the Yield and Nutritional Quality of Shoot Tissues from Perennial Stands. (J. Sci. Food Agric).
If you require any further information, Dr. Hay will return from leave on Wednesday 28 October.
Letter from G. Munro to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 30 October 1992 :
The Secretary of State for Scotland has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question which asked if he would list the titles of papers published by Historic Scotland during the last 12 months. In that period the agency published its Annual Report and Accounts of 1991-92, and its Corporate Plan for the period 1992-95. Copies are available in the House of Commons Library.
In addition, Historic Scotland published the following papers and reports related to its activities :
(i) "Maintaining Scotland's Archaeological Heritage"
(ii) "Forestry and Archaeology in Scotland"
(iii) "Historic Scotland Education Packs"
(iv) The quarterly magazine "Welcome"
(v) Five volumes of reports relating to research into stonecleaning in Scotland, and the proceedings of a related international conference held in Edinburgh.
A wide range of other leaflets, guidebooks, etc. were also produced and distributed as part of our objectives, and open access was made available to the lists of historic buildings, the schedule of monuments, and the reference information maintained by the Scottish Conservation Bureau.
Letter from A. Macleod to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 27 October 1992 :
Publication of Papers-- The Secretary of State for Scotland has passed to me your question regarding publication of papers by this Agency.
The only document which the Agency has published in the last 12 months has been its Annual Report for 1991-92. Copies of this are available in the Library.
Fact-finding Visits
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the fact-finding visits made in the past 12 months by the chief executive of each executive agency for which he is responsible ; and what were the findings resulting from each visit.
Mr. Lang : I have asked each of the chief executives of the agencies for which I am responsible to reply the hon. Member directly.
Letter from M. J. Richardson to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 26 October 1992 :
I refer to your Question to the Secretary of State for Scotland asking if he will list the fact finding visits made in the last 12 months by the Chief Executive of each executive agency for which he is responsible ; and what were the findings resulting from each visit.
In the absence of the Chief Executive of SASA only a provisional answer can be provided. I am not aware of any specific fact finding visits undertaken by Dr. Hay in the last 12 months. Any visits made to other Institutes or Agencies have been in connection with his normal duties as Director of SASA.
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If you require any further information, Dr. Hay will return from leave on Wednesday 28 October.Letter from J. W. Barron to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 26 October 1992 :
Fact finding visits-- The Secretary of State for Scotland has passed to me for my interests your question regarding fact finding visits by me during the last twelve months.
While I have paid a number of courtesy calls on professional bodies in Scotland and on others, including the Land Registry in Dublin, I do not think these fall within the catgegory of fact finding visits. Letter from Mr. A. Macleod to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 27 October 1992 :
Fact Finding Visits--
The Secretary of State for Scotland has passed to me your question regarding fact finding visits during the last 12 months.
I have not over this period undertaken any fact finding visits outside the Agency. I have of course in performing my duties as Chief Executive undertaken regular visits to SFPA ships and offices at fishing ports in Scotland to meet staff and to keep myself informed about the quality of fisheries enforcement and developments within the fishing industry. I do not believe these fall into the category of fact finding visits.
Letter from G. Munro to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 30 October 1992 :
The Secretary of State for Scotland has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question which asked if he would list the fact finding' visits that I have made in the last 12 months, and my findings.
I have made a number of visits in the last 12 months to monuments, archaeological sites, and historic buildings in Scotland as part of my responsibilities as Director and Chief Executive of Historic Scotland. These have included visits with the Historic Buildings Council and the Ancient Monuments Board, statutory bodies which advise the Secretary of State on matters affecting the built heritage. Information obtained during these visits has been used to further the work of the agency and to establish improved working relationships with others involved in the care and protection of the built heritage in Scotland.
Sheriffs
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the rate of remuneration of temporary sheriffs.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The rate of remuneration is at present under review. The current rate, where applicable, is £230 per day.
Travellers
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list for each district the number of sites available for travelling people and the pitches on each such site.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The travelling people's sites run by local authorities in Scotland are listed in the table. In addition, it is estimated that around 190 pitches are available privately.
Water
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what response his Department has made to the May 1992 report by County NatWest on privatisation of water services in Scotland ; if he will list the dates of all meetings
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between representatives of his Department and representatives of County NatWest within the last six months, stating for each what subject was discussed and at what level his Department was represented ; if he will list the dates of all meetings between representatives of his Department and representatives of County NatWest planned to take place within the next six months, stating for each what subject will be discussed and at what level his Department will be represented ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Lang [holding answer 29 October 1992] : A meeting was held between a representative of County NatWest, at his request, and senior officials of the Scottish Office on 3 June this year to discuss matters arising out of the report in question. No other response was made to the report and no further meetings are planned at present.
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the dates of all meetings between representatives of his Department and representatives of (a) the Office of Water Services, (b) the National Rivers Authority, (c) the drinking water inspectorate, (d) the Water Services Association and (e) the Water Companies Association within the past six months and planned for the next six months, stating for each what subject was discussed and at what level his Department was represented ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Lang [holding answer 29 October 1992] : There have been no departmental meetings with representatives of the Office of Water Services, the Water Services Association or the Water Companies Association within the past six months nor are there any meetings planned at present with these organisations. Meetings with officials from the National Rivers Authority take place frequently in the course of normal business and will continue to do so. It is not practicable to list dates and locations of all such contacts. On 18 May 1992 senior officials from the Scottish Office met representatives of the drinking water inspectorate to discuss matters within the inspectorate's competence. No further meetings are planned at present.
TRANSPORT
European Community
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the number of civil servants in his Department whose main task is work related wholly or mainly to the European Community.
Mr. Norris : Due to the diverse nature of their work it is difficult to give a precise figure. I estimate that the main task of about 100 civil servants in my Department is work wholly or mainly related to the European Community.
Coastguard Service
Mr. Viggers : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many sorties were undertaken by Her Majesty's coastguard aircraft stationed at Lee-on-the-Solent in 1991 ; and how many lives were saved.
Mr. Norris : The coastguard S61N search-and-rescue helicopter currently based at Lee-on-Solent undertook 188 sorties and rescued 106 people during 1991.
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Second Severn Crossing
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what contracts in the construction or supply of the second Servern crossing are held by foreign companies ; what countries are represented ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The letting of contracts relating to the second Severn crossing is entirely a matter for the concessionaire for the project, Severn River Crossing plc, and its contractor for the design and construction of the new bridge, the John Laing-GTM Entrepose Joint Venture. However, I understand from the latter company that the majority of contracts let to date have been awarded to British companies, and that over 90 per cent. of the construction materials to be used in the bridge is expected to come from the United Kingdom.
Freight
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will instigate a full investigation into ways of shifting freight away from the roads and on to ships.
Mr. Norris : Following a seminar last year, and subsequent discussions with interested organisations, the Department is sponsoring two studies in this area. The first is a general overview designed to identify where potential for a road to water shift of freight traffic might exist and what measures might help to encourage such a shift. The second is looking specifically at the scope for using the planning system to encourage use of water, as an alternative to road, where this is economically and geographically viable. We expect to have reports from both studies early in the new year.
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School Buses
Mr. Paice : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to conclude his consultations regarding (a) the compulsory provision of seat belts for school buses and coaches and (b) a reduction from three to two children allowed to travel on a double seat ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle [holding answer 2 November 1992] : We are continuing to press the European Commission to amend the directives on seat belt and anchorages to allow us to require belts on all seats in minibuses and coaches, irrespective of their use.
There are no plans at present to reduce from three to two the number of children under 14 allowed to travel on a double seat.
Road Improvements
Sir Keith Speed : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the proposed starting dates and estimated costs for road improvements to (a) the A21 trunk road and (b) the Folkestone to Honiton trunk road.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle [holding answer 2 November 1992] : There are currently six schemes in the national programme for improving the A21 trunk road, and 31 schemes for improving the Folkestone to Honiton trunk road. Starting dates for each scheme will depend on the progress that can be made with the design, statutory and other procedures and the availability of funds.
The table shows our current forecast year for the next key stage in each scheme and its estimated cost.
In addition, there are a number of smaller-scale works in the regional programme, mostly aimed at improving safety and traffic flow.
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