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Mr. Morley : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will announce details of individual days at sea allocation transfer and any possible licence aggregation.
Mr. Curry : The Government will shortly be laying before Parliament an Order which will set out principles governing the allocation of days at sea. This order will clear the way for the issue of provisional allocations to fishermen, and subsequently for the attachment of days at sea conditions to licences. Such conditions will not be retrospective.
Conifer Plantations
Mr. Cynog Davis : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to amend guidelines on conifer plantations in the United Kingdom relating to (a) siting, (b) species composition and (c) felling regimes.
Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 29 January 1993] : I have been asked to reply.
The Government have no plans at present to amend the existing guidance on the establishment and management of conifer plantations.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Lone Parents
Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many successful claims were made for family credit since April 1992 by lone parents who are employed between 16 and 24 hours a week.
Mr. Burt : Between 7 April and 30 September 1992, the latest date for which information is available, about 35,000 family credit awards have been made to lone parents working between 16 and 24 hours a week.
Mr. Bradley : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many lone parents in receipt of income support in March 1992 became ineligible, following the changes to the definition of full-time work from 24 to 16 hours a week in April 1992 ; and what is this figure as a proportion of the total number of lone parents claiming income support.
Mr. Burt : No one who was working between 16 and 24 hours a week and receiving income support at the point of change has had that benefit withdrawn simply as a consequence of the change in the hours threshold. Many lone parents will be better off because of their decision to claim family credit. Those who chose not to claim family credit may remain on income support under special provisions giving them indefinite protection.
State Pensions
Mr. Churchill : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security on what grounds British subjects who retire to one of the old dominions do not receive the annual uprating of their state pension.
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Miss Widdecombe : Regulations prevent the payment of annual pension increases to United Kingdom pensioners living abroad. There are exceptions to this rule under social security agreements with some countries. Our agreements with Australia, Canada and New Zealand do not alter this. We have no social security agreement with South Africa. In view of the substantial additional cost--about £275 million at April 1992 rates-- involved in paying pension increases to all United Kingdom pensioners abroad, there is no prospect of allowing further unfreezing in the present financial climate.
PRIME MINISTER
India
Ms. Walley : To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he had during his visit to India concerning human rights abuses in Kashmir ; and if he will make a statement.
The Prime Minister : I raised British concerns about human rights in Kashmir with the Indian Prime Minister. He assured me of his Government's commitment to respect human rights and determination to take firm action against wrongdoers.
Democracy
Mr. Allen : To ask the Prime Minister if he will bring forward proposals for an elected second chamber.
Mr. Allen : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the Government's progress towards improving democracy in the United Kingdom since 1979.
The Prime Minister : We have implemented policies approved by the electorate in four general elections.
Lord Chancellor's Powers
Mr. Allen : To ask the Prime Minister if he will bring forward a transfer of functions statutory instrument under the Ministers of the Crown Act 1975 to transfer the legal powers of the Lord Chancellor to a Secretary of State for Justice in a Department of Justice ; and if he will make a statement.
Transfer of Functions Orders
Mr. Allen : To ask the Prime Minister on how many occasions since 1975 Her Majesty's Government have used transfer of functions orders to abolish, create or amalgamate Government Departments.
The Prime Minister : Twelve. They are :
1976/1775 Established the Department of Transport
1979/907 Created the Office of Arts and Libraries
1979/1451 Dissolved the Ministry of Overseas Development 1981/207 Office of Arts and Libraries merged with Department of Education and Science
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1981/1670 Civil Service Department changed into Management and Personnel Office1983/879 Office of Arts and Libraries became a separate Office 1983/1127 Departments of Trade and Industry amalgamated into Department of Trade and Industry
1987/2039 Management and Personnel Office changed into Office of the Minister for the Civil Service
1988/1843 Department of Health and Social Security split into Department of Health and Department of Social Security
1992/1311 Department of National Heritage established
1992/1314 Department of Energy dissolved
Family Policy
Ms. Walley : To ask the Prime Minister what action he proposes to co -ordinate family policy across those Government Departments actively concerned with family policy.
The Prime Minister : We already have proper and adequate co- ordination of family policy across Government Departments. There is frequent consultation between Departments about a range of issues which touch upon the family. In addition an interdepartmental working party--the family law and administration working party--oversees a rolling programme of work directed at improving family law and business.
Moscow (Communications)
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the discussions between his security officials and Russian officials over the installation of a secure communications line to Moscow during his recent visit to India.
The Prime Minister : Given the close proximity of the two visits and the fact that we were both staying in the President's residence, it was necessary to discuss Mr. Yeltsin's communications requirements with both the Indians and the Russians. Arrangements acceptable to all concerned were agreed.
Intergovernmental Conference
Mr. Allen : To ask the Prime Minister what proposals he has for submission to the 1996 intergovernmental conference.
The Prime Minister : It is too early to say. The first priority is to ratify the Maastricht treaty and put itinto practice. Then we will be able to build on the gainswon at Maastricht--subsidiarity, inter- governmental co-operation, codification of competences--in the years between now and the next treaty revision.
Engagements
Sir Peter Tapsell : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 2 February.
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 2 February.
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The Prime Minister : This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Financial Assistance
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list, by industrial sector, the firms and projects which applied for financial assistance under section 8 of the Industry Development Act 1982 in (a) 1991-92 and (b) the current financial year.
Mr. Sainsbury : A number of assistance schemes, including assistance for exceptional projects, are operated under the powers of section 8 of the Industrial Development Act 1982. Only in the case of AEP is comprehensive information recorded centrally.
AEP applications by industrial sector have been submitted as follows :
Sector |Number
----------------------------------------------
1991-92
Engineering |2
Newsprint recycling |1
Pharmaceuticals |1
1992-93 (to end January)
Computer hardware/software |3
Waste disposal |2
Metal manufacture |2
Newsprint recycling |1
Medical research |1
Entertainment/leisure |1
Commercial property development |1
Details about the individual firms and their projects is commercially confidential.
Teaching Company Partnership Scheme
Mr. Cousins : To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many projects have been established under the teaching company partnership scheme in each region ; and how many students will be placed under the scheme in the financial year 1992-93.
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Mr. Leigh : The regional and territorial distribution of live teaching company scheme programmes is :
|1 April 1992 |31 December 1992|+/-
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern Ireland |28 |38 |+10
Scotland |35 |30 |- 5
Wales |24 |27 |+ 3
North West |57 |50 |- 7
North East |64 |90 |+26
West Midlands |48 |54 |+ 6
East Midlands |30 |41 |+11
South West |29 |37 |+ 8
South East |65 |78 |+13
London |13 |17 |+ 4
|---- |---- |----
Total |393 |462 |+69
Two hundred and twenty-nine graduates began participating as teaching company associates between 1 April and 31 December 1992. By the end of March 1993 a total of about 300 new associates will have been placed in this financial year.
News Distribution
Mr. Cousins : To ask the President of the Board of Trade when the Monopolies and Mergers Commission was asked to report on news distribution ; and when he expects it to report.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : The Director General of Fair Trading referred the supply of newspaper distribution in England and Wales to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission in August 1992. The commission was asked to report back to my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade within 12 months.
Denim Cloth
Mr. Gordon Prentice : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the quantity and value of denim cloth imported into the United Kingdom from (a) the United States of America, (b) India, (c) Hong Kong, (d) Italy, (e) Germany, (f) Belgium, (g) Ireland and (h) other European Community countries for each year since 1987.
Mr. Needham : The available information on quantity and value of denim imports is given in the table.
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United Kingdom imports of denim<1>
Value (£000)
|1988 |1989 |1990 |1991 |<2>1992
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
United States of America |1,581 |916 |722 |846 |678
India |434 |214 |307 |786 |2,187
Hong Kong |1,453 |655 |572 |343 |409
Italy |5,507 |3,275 |2,499 |1,564 |2,603
Germany |8,218 |4,775 |2,971 |4,636 |4,348
Belgium/Luxembourg |3,914 |817 |564 |1,146 |1,524
Irish Republic |684 |2,229 |5,654 |423 |70
Other European Communities |7,963 |8,699 |6,565 |5,484 |6,832
United Kingdom imports of denim<1>
Quantity
(thousand square
metres)
|1988 |1989 |1990 |1991 |<2>1992
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
United States of America |929 |574 |472 |592 |372
India |496 |220 |311 |667 |2,426
Hong Kong |1,625 |834 |835 |414 |322
Italy |1,842 |1,156 |813 |483 |949
Germany |3,971 |2,174 |1,225 |1,950 |1,687
Belgium/Luxembourg |1,590 |392 |243 |540 |669
Irish Republic |566 |1,485 |3,416 |424 |47
Other European Communities |5,105 |5,568 |3,034 |2,308 |2,600
<1>Denim is defined as headings 652.42 and 652.63 of the Standard
International Trade Classification (revision 3).
<2>January to November.
Source: Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom.
Ship Building
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to introduce new legislation or proposals to stimulate investment in new ship building to augment the United Kingdom register of merchant ships.
Mr. Sainsbury : I have no plans for additional assistance to shipbuilders. The shipbuilding intervention fund and the home shipbuilding credit guarantee scheme are already available to help shipbuilders construct vessels for any register.
Methyl Bromide
Mr. Dafis : To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many tonnes of methyl bromide have been (a) produced within the United Kingdom and (b) imported in each of the last five years.
Mr. Sainsbury : The information is not available. Methyl bromide is not separately identified in United Kingdom statistical classifications.
EC Regional and Social Funds
Mr. George Howarth : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will discuss with the European Commission the possibility of upgrading Merseyside from objective 2 to objective 1 status within the framework of EC regional and social funds.
Mr. Sainsbury : The Government are currently considering which regions, including Merseyside, should be put forward, for special reasons, for eligibility under objective 1 of the EC structural funds.
State Aid for Industry
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what consultations he has had with the Competition Commissioner Karl van Miert about the proposed softer line on state aid for industry in EC countries ; and what representations he has made.
Mr. Sainsbury : My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade has met Mr. van Miert to discuss the coal review. He is looking forward to discussing other issues with Mr. van Miert over the coming months.
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make it his policy to make representations to the GATT to secure that clear and explicit commitments to (a) the environment, (b) the promotion of sustainable development and (c) to raise incomes of the poor in third-world countries are written in to the preamble and articles of the Multilateral Trade Organisation.
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Mr. Needham : It is not open to the United Kingdom to negotiate directly on the text establishing the proposed Multilateral Trade Organisation (MTO). The European Commission, which negotiates in the Uruguay round of GATT on behalf of the European Community and the member states, has made proposals to include language on sustainable development, including environmental protection, in the preamble of the proposed MTO text.
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what recommendations have been made by his Department to GATT concerning (a) revisions to the disputes procedures of the Multilateral Trade Organisation and (b) the accountability of MTO panel members.
Mr. Needham : It is not open to the United Kingdom to negotiate directly on the text establishing the proposed Multilateral Trade Organisation (MTO), which is being negotiated in the Uruguay round in GATT. The European Commission acts as sole negotiator on behalf of the EC and the member states. Dispute settlement is not, in any case, part of the MTO proposal, but is covered by a separate draft understanding. No proposals have been made to change this understanding since the draft Final Act was tabled in December 1991. Under the terms of this understanding, dispute settlement panel members would act for, and be accountable to, the Governments who are members of the MTO, acting collectively through a special dispute settlement body.
Assisted Areas
Mr. Vaz : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what criteria he has used in reviewing the assisted areas map.
Mr. Sainsbury : The criteria to be used in the review of the assisted areas map were set out in the consultation paper issued in June last year.
Regional Selective Assistance
Mr. Morgan : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proposals he has for a capital moratorium on payments of regional selective assistance.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proposals he has to adjust the cost-per-job limits on maximum regional selective assistance in line with inflation ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sainsbury : There are no such proposals. The scheme is kept under continuous review to ensure the scope for encouraging worthwhile and efficient investment in the assisted areas remain unimpaired.
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Regional Development Fund
Mr. Milburn : To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much European regional development fund expenditure there has been in the United Kingdom in each year since 1984-85 at (a) current prices and (b) 1984 prices.
Mr. Sainsbury : European regional development fund allocations to the United Kingdom since 1984 are as follows :
£ million
|(a) Current prices|(b) 1984 prices
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1984 |367 |367
1985 |344 |326
1986 |342 |308
1987 |445 |386
1988 |373 |311
1989 |343 |273
1990 |330 |253
1991 |410 |301
1992 |482 |332
Coal Industry
Ms Walley : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will ensure that coal production is resumed in the 10 pits currently subject to the court judgment detailing that the modified colliery review procedure should be followed.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 1 February 1993] : The resumption of coaling at the 10 pits is a matter for British Coal. However, I do not understand there to be anything in the judgment which either makes the cessation of coaling in these pits unlawful or requires this to re-commence while consultation takes place.
The judgment does not require the modified colliery review procedure to be followed. It requires that British Coal shall not reach a final decision on the closure of any of the 10 pits until a procedure substantially to the same effect as the modified colliery review procedure, including some form of independent scrutiny, has been followed.
I have placed a copy of the approved transcript of the Lord Justice Glidewell and Mr. Justice Hidden's judgment of 21 December 1992 in the Library of the House.
Mr. Cash : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will bring forward proposals for a statutory extension of the redundancy payment scheme for the miners in the 10 pits scheduled for closure until the consultation and review procedure has been completed.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 1 February 1993] : My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade assured the House on 21 October that no miner at these pits will be disadvantaged as regards redundancy terms. That holds good both during and at the end of the current consultation process, and both before and after the end of March.
Insolvency
Mr. David Porter : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received concerning the application of the insolvency laws to Gallidoro Trawlers of Lowestoft.
Column 144
Mr. Neil Hamilton [holding answer 1 February 1993] : My hon. Friend the Member for Waveney (Mr. Porter) wrote about this matter on 22 September 1992 ; I replied on 18 October 1992.
Mr. David Porter : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will review the insolvency laws ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Neil Hamilton [holding answer 1 February 1993] : No. Officials in the insolvency service continue to monitor the operation of the insolvency legislation.
Warship Builders
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Liverpool, West Derby (Mr. Wareing), 10 December, Official Report, column 752, if he will now make representations to the European Commission that agreement be modified to permit subsidy to those companies which were privatised as warship builders.
Mr. Sainsbury [holding answer 1 February 1993] : Not at present, but I am keeping the situation under review.
Export : Import Ratios
Mr. Nicholas Winterton : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what information he has concerning the export : import ratios in each member country of the European Community in the latest year for which figures are available.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 26 January 1993] : The figures required are shown in the following table.
EC countries ratios of exports to imports 1991
Country |Export:Import ratio
|1991
------------------------------------------------------------
Belgium/Luxembourg |0.98
Denmark |1.11
France |0.93
Germany |1.03
Greece |0.40
Ireland |1.17
Italy |0.93
Netherlands |1.06
Portugal |0.62
Spain |0.64
United Kingdom |0.88
Source: OECD series C.
Note: Export:import ratios relate to total visible trade.
EDUCATION
English
11. Mrs. Roche : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will meet the National Association of Teachers of English to discuss key stage 3 of the national curriculum.
Mr. Forth : The National Association of Teachers of English has not asked to meet my right hon. Friend.
12. Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he has received concerning standard attainment tests in English at key stage 3.
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16. Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he has received on the implementation of key stage 3 of the national curriculum in English.
Mr. Betts : To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many representations he has received complaining about or asking for changes in the key stage 3 English tests.
Mr. Forth : I refer the hon. Members to the oral answer that my right hon. Friend gave earlier to the hon. Members for Manchester, Withington (Mr. Bradley) and for Cambridge (Mrs. Campbell) and to my hon Friend the Member for Eastleigh (Mr. Milligan).
Mr. Betts : To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools have indicated that they will not carry out the key stage 3 English tests in the current year.
Mr. Forth : Head teachers and school governors are under a statutory duty to implement the national curriculum and its assessment arrangements. I expect all maintained and grant-maintained schools with 14-year-old pupils to administer the English tests to their pupils in June this year as they are required to do.
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