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Forensic Science Service
Sir John Wheeler : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the annual report for the forensic science service ; and if he will make a statement about the financial targets for 1992-93.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : I have today placed copies of the forensic science service's annual report and accounts for 1991-92 in the Library of the House. Further copies can be obtained from FSS headquarters.
I announced on 14 May at column 207 financial and service level targets for the forensic science service for 1992-93 based on a forecast out-turn for 1991-92. The actual out-turn for 1991-92 was better than originally forecast, meaning that the unit cost and associated unit cost efficiency targets were not sufficiently challenging. I have, therefore, agreed that the unit cost target should be £456.86, with a unit cost productivity gain of 1.8 per cent. These targets are more exacting than those originally set. The other performance targets remain the same.
Criminal Welfare
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions were brought by the police relating to criminal welfare ; and how many were successful.
Mr. Jack : The information is given in the table. Provisional 1991 data will be available by the end of 1992.
Number of prosecutions brought by the police for offences relating t
animal welfare by result, 1990
England and Wales
Offence |Police prosecutions|Convictions
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cruelty to animals |502 |374
Animals (Scientific Procedures)
Act 1986, Sec 22(3), 23 and
25(3) |4 |4
Protection of Animals Act, 1911
(as amended) |388 |290
Wildlife and Countryside Act,
1981, Sec 8 |5 |5
Performing Animals (Regulation)
Act 1925 |- |-
Protection of Animals (Cruelty to
dogs) Act, 1933 |16 |11
Protection of Animals Act, 1934 |1 |1
Pet Animals Act, 1951 |2 |2
Protection of Animals
(Amendment) Act, 1954 |5 |5
Animal Health Act, 1981, Secs 40-
42, 46, 49 and Orders under
Secs 8, 9, 37, 38, 39 and 43 |13 |11
Slaughterhouses Act 1974 |2 |-
Abandonment of Animals Act,
1960, Sec 1 |19 |13
Animal Boarding Establishments
Act, 1963 |2 |1
Riding Establishments Acts, 1964
and 1970 |- |-
Agriculture (Miscellaneous
Provisions) Act, 1968, Secs 1, 2
and 6 |3 |2
Badgers Act, 1973 |35 |22
Wildlife and Countryside Act,
1981, Sec 9 |3 |3
Wildlife and Countryside Act,
1981, Sec 11 |1 |1
Other |3 |3
Diseases of animals Act |50 |47
Wild Birds Protection Acts |74 |49
Vehicle Marking
Mrs. Chaplin : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police forces have adopted vehicle marking schemes.
Mr. Jack [pursuant to his answer, 22 October 1992, column 374] : I wish to advise that vehicle watch schemes--some force-wide, some more local--are now operating in 27 police force areas in England ; the four Welsh force areas are covered by the all-Wales vehicle watch scheme. A proprietary scheme called "Match Up" has been introduced in five police force areas in England ; two of these forces also operate vehicle watch schemes.
LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL
Green Issues
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Lord President of the Council who in his Department has been appointed to oversee and develop green issues ; how many civil servants have been allocated new or additional responsibilities to deal with the management and development of green issues ; and what additional allocation of resources has been made to support programmes related to green issues in his Department.
Mr. Newton : The Privy Council Office participates in initiatives on recycling and energy conservation. Given its size (32 staff), it would be inappropriate to devote particular posts or resources to issues of this kind.
Public Record Office
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Lord President of the Council how many papers his Department has currently withdrawn from the Public Record Office ; if he will list their titles ; and when he estimates that they will be returned.
Mr. Newton : The Privy Council Office currently holds three volumes of Council papers dating from the early 18th century and a small number of papers relating to chartered corporations founded in the 19th century, for purposes of research. All will be returned to the Public Record Office in due course.
DEFENCE
Trident
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when testing of the warheads for missiles on the Trident submarine will be complete.
Mr. Aitken : The underground testing programme for development of our Trident warhead is complete, and the warhead is now in production.
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Nuclear Tests
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many nuclear tests have been allocated to Britain in the new limited programme in the United States for 1993 to 1996 ; and what financial arrangements now exist between Britain and the United States of America to enable tests to continue.
Mr. Aitken : United States legislation provides for the United Kingdom to carry out three tests between 1 July 1993 and 30 September 1996. United Kingdom nuclear tests are carried out at the Nevada test site under the 1958 agreement between the United Kingdom and United States Governments for co-operation on the uses of atomic energy for mutual defence purposes.
Tactical Weapons
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether work has started at the atomic weapons establishment at Aldermaston on the design of a new tactical warhead ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Aitken : Preliminary work has begun on the design of a warhead that could be suitable for a replacement for the WE177 free-fall bomb.
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what options, other than a tactical air-to-surface missile, are being studied for the replacement of the WE177 free-fall nuclear bomb.
Mr. Aitken : We are continuing to study a range of possible options for the eventual replacement of the WE177. No decision has yet been taken.
Challenger II
Mr. Colvin : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will authorise the release by his Department of a Challenger II prototype to take part in the contest for the Swedish requirement of 200 tanks.
Mr. Aitken : It is a matter for Vicker's commercial judgment to decide the allocation of priorities for the Challenger 2 prototypes.
Defence Research Agency
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his oral answer to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) of 27 October, Official Report, column 852, if he will make a further statement on the links between the Chilean military and the British Defence Research Agency.
Mr. Aitken : The Aberporth range referred to by the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) in his question of 27 October is no longer the responsibility of the Defence Research Agency (DRA). It was transferred to the newly-formed directorate general of test and evaluation (DGT&E) on 1 April 1992. Neither whilst Aberporth belonged to the DRA, nor since then, has the DRA had any formal or direct links with the Chilean military. One Chilean officer visited the site two years ago.
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Radioactive Waste
Mr. Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on procedures used in the measurement and categorisation of radioactive waste at the atomic weapons establishment Aldermaston.
Mr. Aitken : The procedures used in the measurement and categorisation of radioactive wastes at AWE Aldermaston are very similar to and of equivalent quality to the procedures used elsewhere in the United Kingdom nuclear industry.
Public Record Office
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many papers his Department has currently withdrawn from the Public Record Office ; if he will list their titles ; and when he estimates that they will be returned.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : As at 6 November 1992, some 1,697 pieces were on loan to the Ministry of Defence. It is not possible to list the title of each without disproportionate cost.
The MOD, like all Government Departments, has a statutory right, under the Public Records Act, to retrieve records temporarily from the Public Record Office for its own administrative use. Records which are in the public domain but on loan to the MOD are returned as soon as departmental action has been completed. There are well established procedures to ensure that the public continues to have access whilst the records are on loan.
RAF Bands (Sponsorship)
Mr. Bill Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the sponsorship by Superkings cigarettes of the recent concert tour of the massed bands of the Royal Air Force.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The concert tour--which this year was held between 24 October and 1 November--is organised and sponsored annually on behalf of the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund by the fund's commercial arm, the international air tattoo. Neither the fund nor the tattoo have any formal links with the Ministry of Defence, and make their own sponsorship arrangement for the concert tour. The international air tattoo has negotiated with 11 commercial firms for financial and other assistance to offset their costs in arranging the concert tour, which provides excellent public relations for the RAF and makes an invaluable contribution to the RAF Benevolent Fund's charitable efforts.
Amphibious Forces
Mr. Ward : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on the provisions for amphibious forces announced by the Minister of State for Defence Procurement in the House on 13 February.
Mr. Aitken : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for South Shields (Dr. Clark) on 11 November, Official Report, column 823.
Fleet Maintenance and Repair Organisation
Mr. Martin : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has yet reached a decision on the future of the fleet maintenance and repair organisation, Portsmouth.
Column 881
Mr. Archie Hamilton : As part of our continuing efforts to find the most cost-effective arrangements for the support of the Fleet, we propose to cease all ship refits at the Fleet Maintenance and Repair Organisation (FMRO) in Portsmouth. Such work will in future be undertaken in the Royal dockyards and industry. The FMRO will continue to undertake repair, maintenance and enhancement work for ships based at Portsmouth, and unprogrammed work in respect of defects in operational ships. We expect that some 400 civilian staff would be affected by this proposal. Every effort will be made to find alternative employment in the Ministry of Defence or other Government Departments, but some redundancies may be unavoidable. Where that is the case, staff will be eligible for compensation under the relevant pension scheme and for counselling on alternative employment prospects.
This proposal is the subject of consultation with the trade unions and final decisions will be taken in the light of any representations made by interested parties. A copy of the consultative document has been placed in the Library of the House.
We also plan to market test the FMRO. This will be the subject of separate consultation with the trade unions.
Sea Training
Mr. Ian Bruce : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future of operational sea training for the Royal Navy and Portland naval base.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : As part of our continuing work to achieve the best balance between the front line and support we are proposing to transfer the Royal Navy's operational sea training (OST) base from Portland to Devonport and to close Portland naval base by April 1996.
This proposal will save some £70 million over the next ten years and some £11 million per annum thereafter. Some 550 service and 475 civilian personnel will be affected by the proposal. While every effort will be made to redeploy civilian staff within the Ministry of Defence or with other Government Departments, some redundancies may be unavoidable. Where that is the case, staff will be eligible for compensation under the relevant pension scheme and for counselling on alternative employment prospects.
Some 1,200 naval personnel and 200 MOD civilians will continue to be based at the royal naval air station at Portland, which will remain in operation.
This proposal is the subject of consultation with the trade unions and final decisions will be taken in the light of any representations made by interested parties. A copy of the consultative document has been placed in the Library of the House.
PRIME MINISTER
Maastricht Treaty
Mr. Gordon Prentice : To ask the Prime Minister what consideration has been given to publishing an explanatory booklet on Maastricht for general distribution to all United Kingdom households.
The Prime Minister : The Government's pamphlet on the European Community and the Maastricht treaty was published on 10 November. It will not be sent to every
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household, but copies are being distributed to all right hon. and hon. Members, public libraries and other institutions and are available free on request. Freepost and freephone facilities are being provided.The freepost address is PO Box 1992, Burgess hill, West Sussex. The freephone number is 0800 778866.
Government Publications
Mr. Gordon Prentice : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list for each of the past 20 years the booklets or leaflets published by the Government and distributed free of charge to all households in the United Kingdom giving the publication costs in each case in 1992 prices.
The Prime Minister : This information is not available centrally.
Pay Fixing
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Prime Minister what statutory bases there are for pay fixing, other than wages councils ; and what plans there are for their abolition in each case.
The Prime Minister : The Agricultural Wages Board (AWB) has statutory powers under the Agricultural Wages Act 1948 to set wages for agricultural workers in England and Wales. Separate legislation and boards exist for Scotland and Northern Ireland. Wages orders made by the AWB enable the United Kingdom to fulfil two conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and these cannot legally be reviewed until the second half of next year and 1994. Decisions on the future of agricultural wages legislation will be taken when we are able to review our ILO commitments.
Engagements
Dr. Wright : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 12 November.
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 12 November.
Sir Peter Tapsell : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 12 November.
The Prime Minister : This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today.
Cash Limits
Mr. Wilshire : To ask the Prime Minister what proposals there are to change the 1992-93 cash limit or running costs limit for the Cabinet Office : other services vote.
The Prime Minister : Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit for the Cabinet Office : other services vote (class XIX vote 2) will be increased by £2,000,000 from £23,647,000 to £25,647,000. This increase reflects take-up under the end year flexibility arrangements for capital expenditure as announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 15 July 1992 ( Official Report, columns 698-702). Also, the
Column 883
running costs limit for this vote will be reduced by £120,000 from £20,410,000 to £20,290,000, reflecting the transfer of certain administrative functions following the machinery of Government changes announced after the general election. All the changes are within the forecast outturn for the planning total included in the Chancellor's autumn statement today.Meetings
Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Prime Minister what advice he gives to Ministers in respect of the time within which a request from an hon. Member for a meeting should be acknowledged and replied to.
The Prime Minister : It is for Ministers in each Department to decide how such requests are handled.
Political Parties (Funding)
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to make funding available to political parties for security costs associated with the annual party conferences.
The Prime Minister : Central funding for this purpose has been available to all parties since 1986. The scheme, which was extended this year to include part of the cost of issuing photographic security passes, provides for political parties to be reimbursed for specified security costs, where the chief constable concerned certifies that the expenditure was incurred on security measures which were necessary and in line with the assessed threat.
WALES
Clinical Scientific Services
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish an information guide for area health authorities and fund- holding general practitioners on the availability of specialist clinical scientific services outside their own geographical boundaries.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : I have no plans to do so.
Warrant Sales
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many warrant sales have been conducted in each of the last five years in each of the borough and district councils of Clwyd.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The information requested is not available centrally.
Animals (Transport)
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to improve the welfare of live animals transported (a) within the United Kingdom and (b) to the rest of the European Community.
Mr. David Hunt : A new EC directive on the protection of animals during transport is due to be implemented across the Community by 1 January 1993. The Commission is to table proposals for further detailed rules to supplement the directive and during negotiations the Government will be seeking the highest possible safeguards for all animals.
Column 884
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received on the transportation of live animals.
Mardy Hospital, Merthyr Tydfil
Mr. Rowlands : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what his estimate is of the captial cost of establishing the elderly mentally infirm unit at the Mardy hospital, Merthyr Tydfil ; and under what budget this expenditure was incurred.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The capital cost of establishing the elderly mentally infirm unit at Mardy hospital, amount to £456,000, was met by Mid Glamorgan health authority from its discretionary allocation.
Home Helps
Mr. Richards : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the percentage change in the number of home helps in Wales from 1979 to 1992.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The number of home helps--whole-time equivalent-- increased by 51 per cent. from 1979 to 1991, the latest date for which information is available.
Local Government
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he proposes to make a statement on the future organisation of local government in Wales.
Mr. David Hunt : I refer the hon. Gentleman to my statement on 3 March 1992, at column 171.
Emergency Ambulances
Mr. Jon Owen Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of emergency ambulances in Wales, since April 1992, arrived within (a) 14 minutes in an urban area, (b) 18 minutes in a rural area or (c) 21 minutes in a sparsely populated area.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The latest available information relates to the quarter ended 30 June 1992 and is as follows :
Urban areas--91 per cent. arrived within 14 minutes
Rural areas--97 per cent. arrived within 18 minutes
Sparsely populated areas--92 per cent. arrived within 21 minutes
Health Promotion Authority
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales for what remaining period he expects his grade 7 official to remain on secondment with the Health Promotion Authority for Wales.
Mr. David Hunt : The grade 7 official referred to is expected to complete his agreed period of secondment in March 1993.
Fluoride
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what powers he has to require the fluoridation of water supplies.
Column 885
Mr. Gwilym Jones : None. Section 87(1) of the Water Industry Act 1991 provides only that water undertakers may increase the fluoride content of water supplies at the request of a health authority.
NHS Trusts
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what guidelines he has issued to hospital managers to cover their operations in the period between approval as NHS trusts and commencement of actual operations as trusts.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : A wide range of advice has already been issued to support the preparation for formal operation as an NHS trust. The order establishing each NHS trust specifies the functions of the trust, both before and after its operational date.
Wrexham Maelor Hospital
Dr. Marek : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many representations he has received relating to the establishment of an opt-out trust at the Wrexham Maelor hospital.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : Up to and including 29 October, the number of representations received are as follows :
|Number
-------------------------
In support |9
Opposed |10
Undeclared |10
|--
Total |29
NHS trusts are, and will remain, an integral part of the national health service.
Deeside Industrial Park
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 29 October, Official Report, column 778, and his speech of 21 October, Official Report, columns 527-28, what was the source of the figure of 10,000 people employed on the Deeside industrial park.
Mr. David Hunt : Census of employment figures.
Cardiff Bay Opera House
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total cost of the Cardiff Bay opera house feasibility study ; and how much and what percentage of the total cost was spent on each of the studies by (a) Comedia on the demand, size and scope plus artistic profile, (b) Symonds and Co. on quantity surveying, (c) Ahrends, Burton and Koralek on the architectural brief, (d) Veryard and Partners on civil engineering, (e) KPMG management consultancy on economic appraisal, (f) Cooke and Arkwright on the betterment analysis, and (g) AEA on project funding.
Mr. David Hunt : The total cost of the Cardiff Bay opera house feasibility study was £105,225.72, broken down as follows :
|£ |per cent.
---------------------------------------------------------
Comedia |21,824.02|20.7
Ahrends Burton and Koralek |2,460.00 |2.3
Veryard and Partners |7,550.00 |7.2
KPMG Management Consulting |31,244.40|29.7
AEA |37,297.30|35.4
A sum of £4,850--4.6 per cent.--was paid to Grant Thornton as commissioning costs for the inception study. Symonds and Cooke and Arkwright supplied information direct to the Comedia and KPMG Management Consulting ; they received no direct payment from Cardiff Bay development corporation.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place in the Library a copy of the engineering and infrastructure study carried out under paragraph (b) of the terms of reference of the feasibility study on the proposed Cardiff Bay opera house.
Mr. David Hunt : I arranged for the executive summary to be placed in the Library of the House on 4 November. I have no plans to publish any further documents relating to the feasibility study on the proposed opera house.
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