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Written Answers to Questions

Thursday 14 January 1993

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Matrix Churchill

Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Attorney-General what consideration is being given to bringing charges of perjury against civil servants who gave evidence in the Matrix Churchill case.

The Attorney-General : As a result of the submission to the Crown prosecution service by Her Majesty's Commissioners of Customs and Excise, of papers touching upon evidence given at the trial of three employees of Matrix Churchill, a police investigation is currently being carried out. Any decision as to the prosecution of an individual or individuals, arising out of evidence given at that trial, will be made by the Director of Public Prosecutions at the conclusion of the police investigation, and after she has had the opportunity of studying the findings of that investigation.

ENVIRONMENT

Local Structure Plans

Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received over the need for agreed local structure plans to be amended, and future structure plans to be drafted, so as to allow for the effects of the recession in the south of England on the likely growth of the working population there ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Baldry : None, but I would expect such representations to be made to county councils. There is a statutory requirement for them to prepare structure plans that take account of economic and social considerations, and to keep all matters under review that may be expected to affect the development of their areas or the planning of development there.

Derelict Land Grant, Walsall

Mr. George : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much derelict land grant expenditure there has been in the Metropolitan borough of Walsall council district in each year since 1984.

Mr. Baldry : Derelict land grant expenditure in the metropolitan borough of Walsall council district since 1984 is as follows :


                |Expenditure (£)                

------------------------------------------------

1984-85         |1,416,000                      

1985-86         |1,339,000                      

1986-87         |3,026,566                      

1987-88         |3,117,492                      

1988-89         |3,474,318                      

1989-90         |3,778,999                      

1990-91         |3,738,123                      

1991-92         |4,222,623                      

<1>1992-93      |3,838,000                      

                |-------                        

Total           |27,951,121                     

<1> Forecast.                                   

A further £22,655 derelict land grant has been paid towards reclamation schemes carried out by non-local authority applicants in the metropolitan borough of Walsall council district.

Housing, Walsall

Mr. George : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many new homes will be provided by Walsall metropolitan borough authority in 1993-94 ; what is the total provision from central funds which will be received by the authority in support of capital expenditure on housing ; and what capital expenditure he expects the authority to incur next year.

Mr. Baldry : The level of local authority housing capital expenditure in Walsall in 1993-94 is a matter for the borough council to decide in the light of the available resources. The authority's proposed programme for housing capital expenditure in 1993-94, included in their housing investment programme--HIP--submission, indicates no expenditure on new housebuilding by the council. Walsall's HIP allocation for 1993-94 is £10,474,000.

Urban Programme

Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made of the amounts spent by (a) local authorities and (b) other organisations preparing bids for urban programme funding for 1993-94.

Mr. Robin Squire : It is not our practice to make such estimates. The work will have informed authorities' consideration of what projects to put forward for support from the urban partnership fund ; and what to support from their own usable capital receipts.

Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library copies of all letters and other material sent out by his Department during 1992 dealing with bids for urban programme funding for 1993-94.

Mr. Robin Squire : No. This material could be assembled only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will break down the extra spending power that he forecasts the urban programme authorities will have as a result of the relaxation of the rules governing the use of capital receipts, by authority ; (2) if he will make a statement on how he calculated the figure of £500 million as the extra amount that the urban programme authorities would raise as a result of the relaxation of the rules regarding capital receipts.

Mr. Robin Squire : We estimate that authorities will have £1.75 billion of extra usable capital receipts as a result


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of the relaxation in receipts rules based on authorities forecasts of their receipts in 1992-93. Historically, the urban authorities have had about 30 per cent. of the national total of usable receipts. If this proportion applied to the extra usable receipts, it would provide the urban authorities with about £0.5 billion of extra usable receipts. We have not made any estimates of these receipts at the level of individual local authorities. Local authorities have provided their own forecasts of the receipts they expect to receive during 1992-93 and this information is in the Library of the House.

Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total amount of private sector funding given to schemes supported by the urban programme in the current and last three years.

Mr. Robin Squire : The information is available for three years only, as follows :


-

Private sector funding of     

urban programme projects      

Year      |£ million          

------------------------------

1990-91   |35.4               

1991-92   |22.2               

1992-93   |42.4               

Source: Local authority       

annual urban programme        

submissions.                  

Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total number of jobs that have been created and preserved by the urban programme since its inception.

Mr. Robin Squire : The urban programme has created and preserved 230,990 jobs between 1985-86, the first year for which information is available, and 1991-92.

Source : Local authority annual reports and annual urban programme submissions.

Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations he has received (a) in favour of an (b) against his decision not to consider bids for urban programme funding for 1993-94.

Mr. Robin Squire : My Department will be supporting in 1993-94 substantial urban programme--UP--commitments amounting to £156 million and considering bids for support for new projects from the £20 million uncommitted UP resources which form the urban partnership fund.

Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much of the urban programme funding planned for 1992-93 related to on-going commitments ; and how much was to be made available for new bids.

Mr. Robin Squire : We expect around two-thirds of the urban programme resources allocated to local authorities in any year to relate to continuing commitments, with the balance for new projects.

Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of state for the Environment how many schemes supported by the urban programme he has visited.

Mr. Robin Squire : Department of the Environment Ministers visit the urban priority authorities on a regular basis and have been pleased to see a wide range of schemes supported by the urban programme.


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Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will state the planned urban block expenditure for 1992-93, 1993-94, 1994- 95 and 1995-96 by his Department, together with the figures in real terms, allowing for projected inflation, and the percentage increase/decrease each year.

Mr. Robin Squire : The planned urban block expenditure figures for 1992-93, 1993-94, 1994-95 and 1995-96 are shown in the table ; these incorporate the autumn statement changes, including the increase of over £90 million in the resources planned for 1993-94.

The planned expenditure figures, converted into real terms using latest GDP deflator figures, are in the table, along with the percentage year on year increase/decrease :


£ million                                                                   

                     |<1>1992-93|1993-94   |1994-95   |1995-96              

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Urban Block                                                                 

   planned                                                                  

   expenditure       |1,017     |955       |820       |806                  

Planned expenditure                                                         

   expressed in real                                                        

   term figures      |1,017     |929       |773       |739                  

Percentage                                                                  

   increase/decrease |-         |-8.6      |-16.7     |-4.4                 

<1> Provision based on winter supplementary estimates.                      

Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total EC funding received by schemes supported by the urban programme in the current and last three years.

Mr. Robin Squire : European Community funding of local authorities' urban programme schemes is as follows :


Year                |£ million (rounded)                    

------------------------------------------------------------

1990-91             |9                                      

1991-92             |26                                     

<1>1992-93          |11                                     

Source: UP claim forms from local authorities.              

Note: Figures for 1989-90 are not available.                

<1> To date.                                                

Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many (a) jobs, (b) training places and (c)schemes are currently supported by the urban programme in each of the urban programme authorities; and what was the allocation for 1992-93 for each of the authorities.

Mr. Robin Squire : I refer the hon. Gentleman to my reply to his question on Wednesday 13 January, Official Report, column 656. It is not our policy to publish output data for each individual authority under the urban programme.

Merseyside Fire and Civil Defence Authority

Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what his response has been to the representations made by the Merseyside fire and civil defence authority for a review of its standard spending assessment for 1993-94 ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Robin Squire : I met a delegation from the Merseyside fire and civil defence authority on 12 January


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to hear their representations on our proposals for the 1993-94 revenue support grant settlement. We shall carefully consider their representations before taking decisions on the settlement.

Housing Refurbishment, Liverpool

Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what his response has been to the letter sent to him on 17 December 1992 by Liverpool city council in respect of additional funds to provide for the refurbishment of houses ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Baldry : My right hon. and learned Friend has asked his officials at the Merseyside task force to reply direct.

EC Environment Inspectorate

Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions have taken place about the establishment of an EC environment inspectorate within the European Commission ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Maclean [holding answer 11 January 1993] : All member states attended a meeting of national experts chaired by the Commission in March 1992 to discuss issues relating to the enforcement of EC environmental legislation, including the establishment of a network of enforcement agencies and the possible creation of an audit-type inspectorate. Subsequently, the Government have continued to press the Commission to bring forward proposals, as originally suggested by the United Kingdom, for a Community body to audit the application of EC environmental legislation, and has secured growing support from other member states for this idea. We will continue to argue its merits.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Royal Household

Mr. Alan Williams : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what is the organisational structure of the press facility provided to the royal household by the Central Office of Information ; and what is its remit ;

(2) what was the cost in 1991-92, and what is the provision for 1992-93, of the press facilities provided to the royal household by the Central Office of Information ; how many personnel are involved and in what capacities ; and how much of the expenditure relates to salaries and staff costs ;

(3) who recruits the personnel who make up the press facility supplied to the royal household by the Central Office of Information ; to whom they are accountable ; and what is their relationship to the head of the Government press service.

Mr. Waldegrave : Responsibility for the subject of these questions has been delegated to the chief executive of the Central Office of Information. I have asked him to write to the right hon. Gentleman direct.

Letter from Mike Devereau to Mr. Alan Williams, undated :


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You recently tabled three Parliamentary Questions to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster concerning press services provided by COI to the Royal Household. The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has asked me to reply.

The press facility for the Royal Household is provided by staff employed in COI's eight regional offices in England. The staff are COI employees managed by their regional director but working to the brief of the Royal Household. The remit is to make arrangements for press attendance at visits by senior members of the Royal Family while carrying out their official duties in England.

The cost of work undertaken for the Royal Household by COI in 1991-92 for press facilities totalled £318,260 excluding VAT. The estimated spend for the same services in 1992-93 is some £350,000 excluding VAT. Normally one or two members of COI staff are involved in providing services for each Royal visit. Approximately 50 per cent. of the expenditure relates to salaries and associated staff costs.

The personnel who make up the press facility are, as members of the staff of the Central Office of Information, fully accountable to me. Their recruitment, training and career development is arranged with the support of the Information Officer Management Unit which provides similar support to all Information Officers working for Government and for which I am also responsible as the Head of Profession for information staff.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

Livestock Farms

Mr. Jopling : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what were the average amounts of capital employed excluding land, on livestock farms within the less-favoured areas at the most recent convenient date.

Mr. Curry : The 1992 edition of "Farm Incomes in the United Kingdom" contains estimates based on sample surveys of the level of assets employed on livestock farms in the less-favoured areas. The following table shows the average value of total assets, excluding land and buildings, on LFA livestock farms in 1990-91.


                 |£'000 per farm               

-----------------------------------------------

England          |102.2                        

Wales            |92.1                         

Scotland         |105.4                        

Northern Ireland |57.7                         

Mr. Jopling : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what were the average farm incomes for livestock farms in the less-favoured areas for each of the last five years up to 1992, using the notional figures which his Department have used of increases of 29 per cent. for last year and 16 per cent. for this year, split between severely disadvantaged and disadvantaged areas.

Mr. Curry : Estimates, based on sample surveys, of the levels of nominal net farm incomes on the various types of livestock farm in the less -favoured areas for the past three years are contained in table 14 of the data prepared for the 1992 autumn review of the economic conditions in the hills and uplands, a copy of which has been deposited in the Library of the House.

Year by year comparisons can best be made by reference to results from a constant sample of farms. The following table shows indices of net farm income for each year from 1986-87 to 1992-93 and estimated income levels for the latest available constant sample.


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Average Net farm income on LFA livestock farms                                                                          

                Severely                      Disadvantaged                 All LFA                                     

                Disadvantaged Area            Area                                                                      

               |<1>Index      |£'000 per farm|<1>Index      |£'000 per farm|<1>Index      |£'000 per farm               

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1986-87        |80            |-             |113           |-             |82            |-                            

1987-88        |118           |-             |218           |-             |125           |-                            

1988-89        |145           |-             |293           |-             |154           |-                            

1989-90        |103           |-             |152           |-             |106           |-                            

1990-91        |87            |8.3           |58            |2.8           |85            |7.1                          

1991-92        |110           |10.4          |91            |4.3           |109           |9.1                          

1992-93<2>     |128           |12.2          |102           |4.9           |127           |10.6                         

<1> 1989-90-1991-92=100                                                                                                 

<2> (forecast)                                                                                                          

Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowance

Miss Emma Nicholson : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the rate of the hill livestock compensatory allowance to be paid on eligible sheep in the disadvantaged areas within the less favoured areas of the United Kingdom.

Mr. Gummer : I am pleased to announce that following the green pound devaluation with effect from 1 January 1993 the headage payment rate for eligible ewes in disadvantaged areas has been increased by 41p to £2.86 per ewe. A statutory instrument will shortly be laid before Parliament giving effect to the proposed new headage rates that will apply under the 1993 scheme. Payment of claims will start as soon as possible.

EDUCATION

Higher Education

Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what percentage of students in higher education left their courses before completion and sought employment in (a) 1982 and (b) 1992.

Mr. Boswell : Destinations of students who leave courses before completion are not collected. Details of leavers in the old universities are given in table 10 of "University Management Statistics and Performance Indicators", 1992 edition, a copy of which is in the Library. Available data for the former polytechnics and colleges are shown in DFE statistical bulletin 9/92, which is also in the Library. The next departmental report will also contain a table of estimated wastage rates ; it shows wastage at 13.1 per cent. in 1982-83 and 15.3 per cent. in 1990-91.

GCSE Grade Changes

Mr. Nigel Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many candidates in 1990, 1991 and 1992, in the Southern examining group area, had their grades altered due to a year-on-year change in standards of more than 3 per cent.; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Forth : New GCSE awarding procedures were introduced by the Southern examining group in 1992. To ensure that these did not result in a change in standards, awarding officers' judgments were reconsidered in those cases where there was a significant change in the proportions of candidates achieving particular grades. The awarding officers' judgments were endorsed in all but two


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subjects ; in these, 329 grades out of 19,374--1.7 per cent.--were revised. These procedures were not in operation in 1990 and 1991.

GCSE

Mr. Nigel Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what guidelines his Department has issued to examining groups on changes to GCSE statistical standards ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Forth : The Department has given no guidelines to the examining groups on this or any other matter relating to the conduct of school examinations. My right hon. Friend will, however, shortly publish a mandatory code of practice which all groups will be required to follow as a condition of his continuing approval of GCSE qualifications.

Examinations (Criterion Referencing)

Mr. Nigel Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) when the Schools Examinations and Assessment Council gave permission for examination groups to move from full criterion referencing to norm referencing ; and if he will make a statement ;

(2) what was the original timetable for GCSE grades to be fully criteria referenced ; when it was revised ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Forth : The national trend in the development of school examinations has been in the opposite direction to that implied by the hon. Member's questions. The introduction of the GCSE in 1988 marked a move to a more criterion-referenced examination system. The alignment of the GCSE with national curriculum requirements progressively from 1994 will mark a further move in that direction, since assessment in each of the foundation subjects will be related to clearly defined statements of attainment. The timetable for this alignment has not been altered : it will begin in summer 1994 with English, mathematics and science.

Teacher Education Units

Mr. Pickthall : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make a statement about the future of teacher education units and the tutors involved in them in existing higher education institutions.

Mr. Boswell : I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my right hon. Friend gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, South (Mr. Hawkins) on 17 November 1992, Official Report, column 123.


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WALES

Operation Wizard

Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will make a statement on the commissioning of Touche Ross by the Welsh Development Agency as part of the team of consultants working on the Operation Wizard exercise ;

(2) if he will make a statement on the commissioning of consultants Outram Cullinan and Co., Villiers street, London WC2, as part of the Operation Wizard exercise ;

(3) what ministerial approval was given for expenditure by the Welsh Development Agency on merchant banking consultancy advice on a wholesale or retail management buy-out of WDA operations in 1989-90 ; what consultations were undertaken ; and what guidelines were set for the Operation Wizard exercise.

Mr. David Hunt [holding answer 13 January 1993] : The then Secretary of State considered possible options for the future of the WDA's functions in 1988 and 1989. This consideration included professional advice commissioned by the agency on a range of options for increasing private sector involvement. It was decided that the WDA's range of functions should remain unchanged subject to regular review from time to time under the cycle of financial management and policy reviews.

Dental Health

Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures he will take to improve the dental health of pupils in the schools of Wales.

Mr. Gwilym Jones : It is the responsibility of health authorities, in conjunction with family health services authorities, to procure adequate dental health services for their area based on their assessment of local need.

The Welsh Office has circulated an "Oral Health Gain Protocol for Wales" which should assist health authorities in this process.

Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list in order of dental health the health districts of Wales according to United Kingdom dental surveys ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Gwilym Jones : The decannial United Kingdom child and adult dental health surveys do not provide data in the form requested.

Schools

Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) Welsh medium schools and (b) English medium schools have been (i) opened and (ii) closed since 1979 ; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Wyn Roberts : The Department does not collect information in the form requested. The provision of both Welsh and English medium schools is the responsibility of the local education authority.

Health Education

Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what initiatives he will take to improve health education in Wales (a) overall and (b) in respect of dental health.


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Mr. Gwilym Jones : (a) The Health Promotion Authority for Wales has published a series of strategic documents entitled "Plans for Action". The latest document in this series, published in July 1992, presents specific health targets, many seeking improved lifestyles and enabling progress to be measured against the extensive health surveys undertaken throughout Wales.

Under the new GP contract health promotion arrangements, GPs are required by their terms of service to provide health promotion advice to their patients. New arrangements from 1 July 1993 will ensure that their advice will be delivered within a framework of national and local priorities.

The Health Promotion Authority for Wales has appointed an oral and dental adviser with responsibility for dental health education in Wales.

The Welsh Office's recently issued oral health protocol laid down a number of major service targets relating to dental health education including the provision that dentists offer advice to patients on these issues.

Dyslexic Children

Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what policy initiatives he will take concerning the needs of dyslexic children in the schools of Wales ; and what is his policy concerning dyslexic children in Wales.

Sir Wyn Roberts : It is the responsibility of local education authorities to identify, assess and make appropriate provision for children with special educational needs, including those who are dyslexic. The Welsh Office supports expenditure by local education authorities for the training of designated teachers of special educational needs in ordinary schools and the initial training of educational psychologists, both of which can help children with dyslexia.

Our proposals in the Education Bill to provide new rights and improve the assessment and statementing process will be of benefit to all children with special needs.

English Texts

Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the texts by English language Welsh authors proposed for particular study by 14-year-olds in schools ; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Wyn Roberts : The first statutory assessments of 14-year-olds in the subject of English, planned for June 1993, will include a test of reading against prescribed texts.

A booklet for study by 14-year-old pupils who are at levels 3 to 4 of the national curriculum was announced in November 1992. Based on books which are widely available in secondary schools, the list includes "Illustrated Poetry Broadsheets : Poetry from Wales" which is a thematic collection of poetry by Welsh authors. The wider recommended anthology for all abilities was announced on 4 January 1993 and includes extracts from Dylan Thomas's "A Child's Christmas in Wales" andR. S. Thomas's "Cynddylan on a Tractor".

The booklists were drawn up by the School Examinations and Assessment Council in consultation with the Curriculum Council for Wales and the National Curriculum Council. The texts are suitably demanding for pupils of this age, and reflect the requirements of the reading attainment target in English.


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SCOTLAND

Mr. Thomas Adleigh

Mrs. Adams : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if the Lord Advocate will direct that a fatal accident inquiry be held into the death of Mr. Thomas Adleigh of 27 Glencairn road, Paisley.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : The death of Mr. Adleigh was reported by Strathclyde police to the procurator fiscal, Paisley who has sought further information as to the circumstances. A decision on whether a fatal accident inquiry will be held into Mr. Adleigh's death will be taken at the conclusion of the procurator fiscal's inquiries.


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