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Written Answers to Questions
Friday 27 November 1992
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Company Debts (Writs)
Mr. Onslow : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps he is taking to monitor the rate of progress through the courts of cases involving writs for non-payment of debts owed by one company to another.
Mr. John M. Taylor : The conduct of cases for non-payment of debts issued in the Queen's Bench division of the High Court is largely a matter for the parties themselves. Where cases are disputed, waiting times for trial are monitored.
High Court
Mr. John Morris : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many deputy High Court judges sat in the High Court during the week commencing 16 November ; and of these how many were circuit judges.
Mr. John M. Taylor : There were 313 sittings in the High Court in London during the week commencing 16 November. Of these, 66 sittings were undertaken by deputy High Court judges, and 52 by circuit judges.
Mr. John Morris : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many High Court judges were available for sitting, and sat, in the High Court in the week commencing 16 November.
Mr. John M. Taylor : It has not been possible to obtain the information requested in the time available. I will write to the right hon. and learned Gentleman.
Mr. John Morris : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proposals he has for the appointment of more High Court judges.
Mr. John M. Taylor : In recognition of the importance of ensuring that there are sufficient judges, the Lord Chancellor and the Lord Chief Justice have asked a group of senior judges, with officials of the Lord Chancellor's Department, to advise them on the work, deployment and numbers of High Court judges. Until that advice has been received, it would be premature to reach a view about the size of the High Court bench in present circumstances.
PRIME MINISTER
Wild Birds
Mr. Sweeney : To ask the Prime Minister if he will bring forward proposals for making the power to impose licensing regulation over the shooting of wild birds, including pigeons, crows and sparrows, a matter for individual member states of the EC.
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The Prime Minister : We shall continue to seek the support of member states for an amendment to the EC directive on the conservation of wild birds (79/409/EEC), to recognise specifically the need for member states to exercise year-round control of pest. Member states may, under the provisions of the directive, derogate from the general prohibition on the killing of birds by issuing licences for controlling species which cause damage or threaten public health or safety. We intend to amend the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to enable us to bring in a licensing system. The other member states have already introduced licensing systems.
Matrix Churchill
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Prime Minister what account he took of the minute of August 1990, about the implications of the invasion for trade with Iraq, referred to in his letter of 23 November to the hon. Member for Linlithgow, in making statements in 1992 relating to legal proceedings involving the directors of Matrix Churchill.
The Prime Minister : In all my correspondence and other replies I have taken into account the advice and information which was available to me.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Asylum and Immigration Appeals Bill
Mr. Madden : To ask the Attorney-General if he will attend sittings of the Standing Committee on the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Bill.
The Attorney-General : I have no intention at present to attend sittings of this Committee.
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Computers
Mr. Tracey : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps he is taking to encourage procurement from the private sector in the field of computer software and information systems for the provision of functions currently carried out in-house.
Mr. Robert Jackson : The citizens charter White Paper (Cm 2101), published on 25 November, gives details of Departments' plans for market testing to September 1993. A number of Departments list all or part of their information systems/information technology functions as candidates for market testing to September 1993.
Through the market-testing process, Departments will buy in support services wherever they offer better value for money.
Agencies
Dr. Wright : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what guidelines are issued to next steps agencies on the distinction between policy and administration in relation to the delegation of responsibility to chief executives of executive agencies.
Mr. Robert Jackson : The allocation of responsibilities between a Minister and the chief executive of an agency is set out in the agency's framework document and varies in
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each case. This does not necessarily provide an absolute distinction between policy and administration. In its reply to the seventh report from the Treasury and Civil Service Committee, session 1990-91 (Cm 1761), the Government noted that managers"should contribute to the formulation of the policy which they have to execute, just as those offering policy advice to Ministers need to appreciate the practicalities of policy delivery."
My office has issued guidance from time to time on the arrangements for dealing with parliamentary questions and letters from Members of Parliament on matters delegated to agencies, with the suggestion that the allocation of responsibilities in the agency's framework document should normally be used as the basis for deciding whether the chief executive or the Minister should reply.
EDUCATION
Special Needs Education
Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list the average time taken by each local education authority to assess a child as special needs from the initial application to the issue of a statement of special needs.
Mr. Forth : Information for each authority is not available centrally. However, the Audit Commission/HMI study "Getting in on the Act", published in June 1992, presented data for a sample of 12 local education authorities, and discovered that the median length of time taken to complete an assessment in these authorities is 12 months. The new Education Bill envisages that regulations may provide that, where a local education authority is under a duty to make an assessment, the duty must, subject to prescribed exceptions, be performed within a prescribed period.
Examinations League Table
Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what action he is taking to correct errors in the list of examination results obtained in secondary schools published by his Department ; and what discussions he has held with schools whose results have been adversely reported.
Mr. Forth : All allegations of incorrect information in the comparative tables are being investigated individually. Where significant errors have been proved to be the fault of the Department or its contractors, amendment slips have been issued. To date, only six such errors have been found--two errors in school names and four errors in examination results. In each case, an amendment slip has been issued. All schools alleging errors will receive notification in writing of the results of the Department's inquiries into their cases.
Special Schools (Examination Results)
Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make it his policy for future years not to publish the examination results obtained in special schools.
Mr. Forth : The decision to publish the examination results of special schools in the comparative tables was
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reached after detailed consultations with representatives of special needs organisations. It is entirely right that special schools, as all other schools, should receive credit for the results they achieve.Swimming
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make the teaching of water safety compulsory in all schools.
Mr. Forth : The statutory order for physical education in the national curriculum requires that, from August 1994, all pupils should, by the age of 11, be able to swim unaided at least 25 m and demonstrate an understanding of water safety.
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Education which schools (a) have swimming pools on site and (b) employ (i) swimming instructors and (ii) specialist teachers to teach swimming, life-saving and water safety ; what hours are worked ; and what information he has about the award of swimming proficiency certificates at each school.
Mr. Forth : This information is not collected centrally.
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the implications of local management of schools and grant-maintained status on the ability of schools to maintain current levels of swimming instruction ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Forth : Local management of schools and grant-maintained status do not affect the ability of schools to maintain current levels of swimming instruction. It is open to local education authorities in their local management of schools schemes to decide whether to delegate provision for swimming to school level or to retain it centrally. Annual maintenance grant for a grant-maintained school replicates the local management of schools formula of the local education authority in which that school is located, as well as including a share of the funds local education authorities spend centrally on their schools.
Environmental Education
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make a statement on the provision of training for teachers for the delivery of cross-curricular themes, with particular reference to the theme of environmental education.
Mr. Forth : A number of national curriculum subjects include studies relevant to environmental education. My right hon. Friend seeks to ensure, through his criteria for the approval of courses, that initial training gives thorough preparation for teaching the national curriculum. He also provides specific grant to support national curriculum-related training for serving teachers. It is essentially for schools and local education authorities to determine what priority to give to particular subject areas.
Pupil Exclusions
Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the Government's policy towards pupil exclusions ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Forth : The Government are concerned that too many children are being excluded from school, either permanently or temporarily. My right hon. Friend is anxious to remedy this situation and will shortly be publishing a discussions paper on exclusions, inviting comments from interested parties. Copies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
EMPLOYMENT
Training
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will list all current employment training schemes currently available to those out of work ; what is the rate of allowance in each case ; and how many male and females were taking part in each scheme at 1 November.
Mr. McLoughlin : Employment training is the training programme for unemployed people. At October 1992, the latest date for which information is available, there were about 122,000 people in training in Great Britain. The allowance paid to trainees is equivalent to their benefit entitlement immediately before joining the programme plus £10 a week. During April -July 1992, the latest period available, 68 per cent. of employment training entrants were men and 32 per cent. women.
HOME DEPARTMENT
Police (Housing)
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 11 November, Official Report, column 781, if he will list by location how much revenue his Department expects to
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raise for each of the five prison officer houses in south Yorkshire that have been identified as being put on the housing market ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Peter Lloyd : The five remaining properties, formerly prison officers' houses, are in Brierholme close, Hatfield, south Yorkshire, and are on the market for sale with a local agent. Four of the houses have asking prices of £37,500 and one house has an asking price of £40,000.
Alcohol Sales (Minors)
Mr. Nigel Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures are being taken to halt the sale of alcohol to minors.
Mr. Charles Wardle : I refer my hon. Friend to my reply on 30 October to a question from the hon. Member for Clwyd, North-West (Mr. Richards) at columns 908-9.
Victim Support
Mr. Shersby : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish details of the funding provided to victim support in each year since public funds were provided for this purpose together with any information he has concerning the number of persons employed (a) full time and (b) part time by this organisation for each year.
Mr. Jack : The table shows Home Office grant to victim support since funding began in 1979. Many local schemes also receive support from their local authority, but details are not recorded centrally. The figures for staff numbers relate to posts, not persons, and it is not now possible to distinguish between full and part-time employees for earlier years.
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Home Office Grant
(£)
Year |HQ |Local schemes<1> |HQ staff |Project staff |Scheme co-ordinators|Volunteer visitors
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1979<2> |5,000 |- |- |- |- |-
1980 |10,000 |- |- |- |- |-
1981 |17,850 |- |- |- |- |-
1982 |16,075 |- |- |- |- |-
1983 |37,933 |- |- |- |- |-
1984-85<3> |62,124 |- |- |- |- |-
1985-86 |126,000 |- |- |- |- |-
1986-87<4> |150,000 |136,000 |- |- |- |-
1987-88 |163,000 |1,600,000 |17 |6 |180 |5,900
1988-89 |190,000 |2,550,000 |18 |6 |227 |6,300
1989-90 |210,000 |3,700,000 |21 |12 |292 |6,700
1990-91 |235,000 |4,500,000 |23 |12 |388 |7,200
1991-92 |270,000 |5,400,000 |27 |7 |427 |8,260
1992-93 |352,000 |6,908,000 |- |- |- |-
<1> A small proportion of the local schemes grant is used to support the work of the national office.
<2> 1979 to 1983 are calendar years.
<3> 1984-85 ran from 1 January 1984 to 5 April 1985.
<4> In its first year the local funding grant covered contingencies only.
Underground Emergency Facilities
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the uses that would be permitted or encouraged in underground facilities for use in wartime or emergency.
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Mr. Peter Lloyd : Since the sites are to be disposed of we have no plans to permit their use for other purposes.
Bosnian Refugees
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what financial resources are being made to provide support, maintenance and accommodation to the 150 Bosnian refugees and their dependants to
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arrive in the United Kingdom ; from which departmental budgets resources are being provided ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Charles Wardle : The Home Office is providing funding for the reception and initial accommodation in this country for the 150 Bosnian refugees. They and any dependants who join them will then be found accommodation in the community where they will be entitled to the range of statutory benefits and services available to the rest of the population. The Home Office will also provide funds for some continued support.
Mr. Madden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the 150 Bosnian refugees and their dependants to arrive in the United Kingdom ; what arrangements he has made for them to be received into the United Kingdom ; what organisation is responsible for their support, maintenance and accommodation ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Charles Wardle : I am awaiting arrival details from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
I have asked the Refugee Council and the British Red Cross to make arrangements for their reception and initial accommodation. More permanent accommodation in the community and further support will be arranged by the Refugee Council.
Visitors (Absconders)
Mr. Bernie Grant : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many visitors from (a) Jamaica, (b) Columbia, (c) Australia, (d) New Zealand, (e) India, (f) Pakistan, (g) Sri Lanka, (h) Nigeria, (i) Ghana, (j) Guyana, (k) Trinidad and Tobago, (l) Canada and (m) the United States of America have absconded after having been given leave to enter the United Kingdom as visitors in each year since 1986.
Mr. Charles Wardle : Comprehensive reliable information on the total number of persons from these countries given leave to enter the United Kingdom as visitors who have then remained here after their leave has expired is not available.
Mr. Colin Wallace
Mr. Livingstone : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 24 November relating to the conviction of Mr. Colin Wallace, Official Report, column 544 ; what consideration was given to the submission made by his solicitor, Mr. Jim Nichol, and delivered by hand to his Department on 14 November.
Mr. Jack : I can now confirm that the Secretary of State has received the submission delivered by hand to this Department on 14 November and it is now being considered in order to see whether it discloses grounds for any action by the Secretary of State in connection with Mr. Wallace's conviction.
Fact Finding Visits (Cost)
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 3 November, Official Report, columns 129-30, what has been the cost to the Exchequer of (a) the chief executive of the Fire Service College's visits to (i) the United States and (ii)
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the Netherlands and (b) the deputy commandant of the college's visits to (i) Europe, (ii) the middle east, (iii) the far east and (iv) Africa, during the last 12 months.Mr. Peter Lloyd : This is a matter for which the Fire Service College is responsible and I have asked the chief executive to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Mrs. H. Kinsey to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 26 November 1992.
Cost of Fact Finding Visits The Secretary of State has asked the Fire Service College to write to you directly in reply to your Parliamentary Question about the cost to the Exchequer of the fact finding visits which the Commandant Chief Executive and the Deputy Commandant have made during the last twelve months. I am replying on the Commandant Chief Executive's behalf because he is currently on holiday.
There has been no cost to the Exchequer arising from these visits since April because the College now operates as a trading fund. We cover our expenditure from the income we earn. However, the cost to the Exchequer of the Commandant's visit to Europe last year was £417 and the cost to the College of the visits to America and Europe since April have been £3,335 and £4,129 respectively.
The costs to the Exchequer of the Deputy Commandant's visits to the Middle East and Europe prior to April were £7,043 and £187 respectively. The cost to the College of his visits to the Far East and Europe since April have been £3,609 and £1,285 respectively. I hope this is helpful.
As decided by the Administration Committee of the House of Commons, Chief Executive replies to written Parliamentary Questions will be published in the Official Report. I will now place a copy of this letter in the Library of the House.
WALES
Dolphins
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received about the welfare of dolphins off the Welsh coast.
Sir Wyn Roberts : Thirty-two representations have been received in the last 12 months from a number of sources, including Members of the House, the general public and conservation bodies.
Cardiac Services
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the originally expected date for publication of the Touche Ross report into cardiology and cardiac surgery in Wales ; when he now expects the report to be published ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : My right hon. Friend originally anticipated the appraisal being completed by mid-1992, but this has been extended in the light of the considerable amount of work and extensive consultation necessary to ensure a comprehensive assessment. My right hon. Friend now expects the report to be with him before the end of the year.
General Practitioners
Ms. Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the average number of applicants for vacancies for general practitioner posts in Wales every year since 1989.
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Mr. Gwilym Jones : The combined figures for England and Wales are shown in the table. Separate figures for Wales are not available. The figures are based on records kept by the Medical Practices Committee only in relation to GP vacancies advertised by the family health services authorities, which are 11 per cent. of the total. These relate only to new practices or to vacancies for single-handed GPs. The selection of candidates to fill other vacancies arising in established practice partnerships is a matter for the partnership concerned. Statistics in relation to these are not collected centrally.
Date |Average number of
|applicants for each
|vacancy
------------------------------------------------------------
30 October 1989 |32
30 October 1990 |33
30 October 1991 |25
Tourist Information Centres
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many tourists visited tourist information centres in Wales each year since 1989 ; and what were the numbers of such tourists who came from outside the United Kingdom.
Sir Wyn Roberts : Between January and the end of September 1992, 2, 970,000 tourists visited tourist information centres in Wales. Of these, 401,970 came from outside the United Kingdom. Information was not compiled on a comparable basis prior to 1992.
National Parks
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to implement the recommendations of the national parks review panel ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. David Hunt : A statement outlining the Government's proposals for implementing relevant recommendations made in the report of the national parks review panel was issued in January 1992. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House.
Discarded Car Tyres
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what surveys his Department has carried out into the number of tyres discarded from cars in Wales in the latest year for which figures are available ; and what estimate he has made of the number that were (a) remoulded and (b) dumped.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : A 1990 report commissioned by the Department of Trade and Industry estimated that around 30 million used tyres are removed annually from vehicles in the United Kingdom ; of these, around 10 per cent. are retreaded, and 70 per cent. landfilled, dumped or stockpiled. No separate figures are available for Wales. The Department of the Environment has commissioned a survey of existing dumps of tyres throughout the United Kingdom, and the results will be available in the new year.
Drug Abuse
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures he proposes to limit drug abuse in Wales.
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Mr. Gwilym Jones : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Clwyd, North-West (Mr. Richards) on 2 November 1992 at column 8.
Mr. Richards : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what support is available to local authorities in Wales for anti-drug and drug awareness campaigns.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : Resources totalling some £3 million are allocated annually to meet the costs of drug prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, of which £450,000 is allocated to local education authorities and £200,000 for the employment of health
education/promotion officers (drugs) in each health authority. Other projects also undertake prevention work, but it is not possible to separate costs.
Road Schemes
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list (a) the wildlife sites, (b) sites of special scientific interest, (c) ancient woodlands, (d) archaeological sites and (e) National Trust areas that are threatened with damage by the targeted road improvement and road building schemes put forward by his Department from now until the year 2000 indicating both the location of the site affected and the road improvement or road building scheme involved.
Sir Wyn Roberts : In order to protect the species concerned, it is not departmental policy to disclose the location of wildlife sites. The remaining information applicable to proposed major road schemes in Wales where a preferred route has been announced is as follows :
Scheme name |Site affected |Location
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Short term
M4 Second Severn |Site of special |Gwent Levels
Crossing approach |scientific |Severn estuary
road, Gwent |interest
|Archaeological |Caldicot
A5 Bethesda Bypass |Ancient |Bryn Meurig
|woodlands
A5 Glyn Bends |Site of special |Pont Glyn
| scientific |Diffwys
| interest
A465 Glynneath- |Ancient |Wern-y-Gared
Aberdulais |woodlands
|National Trust |Aberdulais Falls
Medium Term
A470 Blaenau Ffestiniog |Site of special |Fairy Glen
-Betws y Coed | scientific
| interest
|Ancient |Pont-y-Pant
| woodlands
Long Term
A5 Anglesey Stage III |Site of special |Inland sea east of
|scientific
|interest
Every effort will be made to minimise and mitigate the effects of road schemes on such sites.
Time bands and schemes indicated are those which accord with the 1992 supplement to "Roads in Wales : Progress and Plans for the 1990s".
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list (a) the designated wildlife sites, (b) sites of special
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scientific interest, (c) ancient woodlands, (d) archaeological sites and (e) National Trust areas that have been damaged by road improvement and road building projects in Wales during the last five years, indicating the location of the site and the road scheme involved.Sir Wyn Roberts : In order to protect the species concerned, it is not departmental policy to disclose the location of wildlife sites. The remaining information for major road schemes carried out in Wales in the last five years is as follows :
Scheme name |Site affected |Location
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A483 Welshpool |Archaeological |Sarn-y-Bryn Caled Castle Mound
bypass
A494 Mold bypass |Ancient Woodlands |Trebeirdd Woods
| Bryn Coch Bach
Every effort is made to minimise and mitigate the effects of road construction on such sites.
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