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Vehicle Clamping
Sir John Wheeler : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement concerning the immobilisation of vehicles improperly parked on private land.
Mr. Jack : The Government are today publishing a consultation document on wheel-clamping on private land in England and Wales. It describes the current legal position as we understand it and canvasses a number of options for tackling the problems which have been brought to our attention. It indicates no preference for any of the options listed, but rather solicits as wide a range of opinions as possible, so that a proper balance my be struck between the interests of the landowner and those of the motorist. The document also seeks information on the extent and nature of wheel-clamping on private property and the problems associated with it.
Copies of the paper have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses and are being sent direct to right hon. and hon. Members, individuals and groups that have already expressed an interest, and to others with an identifiable interest in any of the options. Copies of the document may also be obtained free of charge by writing to C4 Division, Home Office, Room 339, 50 Queen Anne's gate, London SW1A 9AT.
The document requests that observations of both fact and opinion should reach the Home Office no later than the end of May.
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WALES
Commons
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many areas are designated as commons in each local authority area of Wales ; and what were the equivalent numbers in (a) 1975, (b) 1980, (c) 1985 and (d) 1990.
Sir Wyn Roberts : The information is not held centrally. However, the project "The Common Lands of Wales", undertaken for the Countryside Commission by the rural surveys research unit at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth in 1988 indicated that the number of areas shown as common land in that year in each local authority area was :
6 County |Number of commons ------------------------------------------------------ Clwyd |323 Dyfed |488 Gwent |70 Gwynedd |279 Mid Glamorgan |53 Powys |290 South Glamorgan |24 West Glamorgan |67
At the time of the survey some of the areas may not have been finally registered or may have been subject to deregistration.
Consultants
Ms. Mowlam : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many contracts for consultancies were awarded by his Department (a) over the last 12 months and (b) in 1991-92.
Mr. David Hunt : My Department has awarded 88 consultancy contracts over the last 12 months and 75 in 1991-92.
One-stop Shops
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to establish a series of one-stop shops to advise and support local community initiatives in each of the current district council areas in the south Wales valleys.
Sir Wyn Roberts : A working group has been established to consider how to improve the delivery of enterprise and business support services across Wales. The group will report to the Department in May.
Local Government Finance
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish figures showing the estimated amounts to be collected in community charge within each local authority area in Wales for (a) 1991-92 and (b) 1992-93 ; and what are the estimates for the collection of council tax in each local authority area in the first year of its operation.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The information requested for 1991-92 and 1992-93 is given in the following table. Comparable information is not available for 1993-94 since local authorities are still in the process of setting their budgets.
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Amount of community charge budgeted to be collected
by local authorities when the charge was set<1>
£ million
|1991-92 |1992-93<2>
-------------------------------------------------------
Alyn and Deeside |5.8 |8.0
Colwyn |4.6 |5.4
Delyn |5.1 |6.7
Glyndwr |2.6 |3.4
Rhuddlan |4.8 |5.4
Wrexham Maelor |6.8 |10.5
Carmarthen |2.2 |4.6
Ceredigion |2.9 |6.2
Dinefwr |1.6 |2.9
Llanelli |3.8 |7.4
Preseli Pembrokeshire |3.1 |6.2
South Pembrokeshire |2.1 |3.5
Blaenau Gwent |2.7 |2.8
Islwyn |3.2 |4.6
Monmouth |5.8 |8.3
Newport |9.9 |11.7
Torfaen |6.2 |7.7
Aberconwy |4.1 |5.4
Arfon |2.7 |3.5
Dwyfor |2.1 |2.7
Meirionnydd |2.8 |3.6
Ynys Mon |4.7 |6.7
Cynon Valley |2.3 |4.2
Merthyr Tydfil |2.4 |4.6
Ogwr |6.3 |9.7
Rhondda |1.3 |3.6
Rhymney Valley |5.4 |8.0
Taff Ely |5.6 |8.8
Brecknock |2.5 |3.5
Montgomeryshire |2.7 |4.4
Radnorshire |1.4 |2.1
Cardiff |18.6 |22.9
Vale of Glamorgan |7.8 |10.0
Port Talbot |2.1 |3.8
Lliw Valley |2.5 |4.9
Neath |3.2 |5.4
Swansea |12.4 |17.4
|------- |-------
Total Wales |166.4 |240.3
<1> Net of deductions on community charge bills: ie
community charge reduction scheme (CCRS), community
charge benefit (CCB) and community charge grant (
1991-92). Excludes arrears for earlier year(s).
<2> As reported by local authorities on form DAP3, but
after deduction of CCRS and estimated CCB.
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish the estimated standard spending assessment levels for (a) 1992-93 and (b) 1993-94 in each local authority area in Wales (i) prior to and (ii) following the announcement of capping criteria.
Mr. David Hunt : The standard spending assessment for 1992-93 for each local authority in Wales is shown in tables 1.3 and 1.6 of the Welsh Revenue Support Grant Distribution Report (No. 4) (HC 241). Assessments for 1993-94 are shown in tables 1.3 and 1.6 of the Local Government Finance Report (Wales) 1993-94 (HC 412). Copies of both reports are available in the Library of the House. Standard spending assessments are not altered by capping criteria.
Community Development
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to issue guidelines to (a) the private sector and (b) the voluntary sector concerning their involvement in community development work in Wales.
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Mr. Gwilym Jones : We have no plans to do so at present. The Welsh Office supports community development work through a variety of grant schemes ; guidance to potential applicants is issued on each of these schemes.
County Council Assets
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish figures showing the worth of assets in pounds sterling held by each county council in Wales in each year since 1988.
Mr. David Hunt : This information is not held centrally.
National Curriculum
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what measures he proposes to improve work in the foundation subjects of the national curriculum ;
(2) if he will make a statement on standards in the national curriculum in foundation subjects.
Sir Wyn Roberts : In its review of educational provision in Wales for 1991-92, HMI (Wales) reported that teachers have responded to the challenge of the national curriculum with resilience, personal effort and commitment. HMI found that in 1991-92--a year in which two of the foundation subjects were introduced for the first time--work in the core subjects was satisfactory or better in three quarters of classes and there was satisfactory work in the foundation subjects in two thirds of classes. I congratulate teachers on this substantial achievement. I am also naturally concerned by those classes where performance needs to improve. As teachers become more familiar with the requirements of the orders and planning appropriate schemes of work, I have every confidence that standards will improve further.
Reading Skills
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how he proposes to improve the progressive development of reading skills.
Sir Wyn Roberts : The teaching of English under the national curriculum places considerable emphasis on the development of reading skills. There is already evidence of improvement. Last year's national curriculum tests for seven-year-olds showed a higher proportion of pupils had achieved level 2 or above--77 per cent.--in reading compared with the previous year--74 per cent. Level 2 is the level expected of a typical seven-year-old. In July last year I approved specific grant expenditure of £348,000 for innovative projects which are designed to improve primary reading standards in five local education authorities. The projects are being closely monitored and there will be a full evaluation in order that the gains can be passed to other LEAs in Wales.
Pharmacists
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how much his Department owes community pharmacists for periods of up to (a) 60 days and (b) 90 days ;
(2) on how many occasions, and to what extent, in each year since 1990-91 community pharmacists received payment in respect of NHS pharmacy services within (a) 30 days, (b) 60 days or (c) 90 days of the provision of these services.
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Mr. Gwilym Jones : Pharmacists receive some 80 per cent. of their NHS fees and payments within a month of submitting the prescriptions they have dispensed to the prescription pricing division. The balance is paid a month later when the authority has calculated the exact payment due.
Anthrax
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many cases of anthrax were treated in each of the health authorities in Wales in each year since 1980 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : There were no notifications of anthrax in Wales in the years 1980 to 1992. This information remains subject to verification for 1991 and 1992.
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Hepatitis
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many cases of hepatitis B were treated in each of the health authorities of Wales in each year since 1980 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : Information available from hospital activity analysis data, given in the following table, relates to the number of discharges and deaths from NHS hospitals in each health authority with a recorded diagnosis of hepatitis B. These data relate only to cases for which patients were treated as in-patients or day cases in hospital. Most cases of hepatitis B, however, are managed in the community and do not involve an admission to hospital. Information on the number of cases managed in the community is not identifiable from centrally held data.
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Deaths and Discharges with a diagnosis of Hepatitis B (ICD9 70.2 70.3): Hospital Activity Analysis 1980-90<1>
Year
DHA of treatment |1980 |1981 |1982 |1983 |1984 |1985 |1986 |1987 |1988 |1989 |1990
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clwyd |4 |2 |2 |20 |8 |12 |10 |7 |1 |10 |12
East Dyfed |1 |1 |1 |1 |0 |0 |0 |1 |4 |2 |3
Gwent |4 |4 |2 |0 |5 |16 |10 |5 |6 |3 |5
Gwynedd |0 |0 |0 |5 |1 |3 |1 |2 |1 |2 |1
Mid Glamorgan |2 |1 |1 |1 |0 |1 |1 |2 |0 |2 |1
Powys |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0
South Glamorgan |2 |3 |4 |10 |3 |5 |2 |5 |2 |3 |6
West Glamorgan |3 |3 |3 |3 |4 |7 |1 |2 |4 |7 |3
Pembrokeshire |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |0 |1 |0 |0
Not known |1 |0 |0 |0 |0 |1 |1 |1 |0 |1 |2
|-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |-- |--
Total |17 |14 |13 |40 |21 |45 |26 |25 |19 |30 |33
<1>The figures may understate the true position in that not all hospitals provide medical details relating to patient discharges and deaths. A patient admitted more than once in a year will be recorded each time he or
she is admitted. Data for years after 1990 are not yet complete.
Rural Roads
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much has been spent on the maintenance of rural roads in Wales in each year since 1979 ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Wyn Roberts : Expenditure on the maintenance of roads is given in the following table. It is not possible to show separately spending relating to rural roads.
Current expenditure on roads maintenance
£ million
Financial Year |Local Authorities<1>|Central
|Government<2>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1979-80 |62.9 |6.5
1980-81 |70.0 |6.1
1981-82 |89.3 |12.6
1982-83 |83.0 |10.9
1983-84 |88.1 |11.7
1984-85 |89.0 |11.9
1985-86 |89.7 |13.6
1986-87 |96.8 |14.6
1987-88 |109.1 |13.6
1988-89 |115.7 |15.0
1989-90 |123.8 |15.3
1990-91 |<3>134.4 |18.6
1991-92 |n.a. |20.9
<1> Includes all highways and bridge maintenance, street cleaning for highways
purposes, lighting and associated professional and technical services. Includes net
expenditure incurred on behalf of other local authorities under agency agreements.
<2> Expenditure on trunk roads and motorways. Figures from 1979-80 to 1982-83 are
estimates.
<3> A new definition of current expenditure was introduced in 1990-91 and this
figure is not therefore strictly comparable to those for earlier years.
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people were employed in the maintenance of rural roads in Wales in each year since 1979 ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Wyn Roberts : The information requested is not available centrally.
EDUCATION
Business Names
Mr. Bayley : To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his answer of 15 February, Official Report, column 51, (1) what steps he took, before approving the name Somerset University under the Business Names Act 1985, to satisfy himself that the degree-level courses provided met levels of educational quality recognised through validation by universities, the Council for National Academic Awards or other educational institutions ; (2) what consultations he had with the Committee of
Vice-Chancellors and Principals, or other educational interests, before approving the name Somerset University under the Business Names Act 1985 ;
(3) when he responded to the owner of the business wishing to trade under the name Somerset University under the Business Names Act 1985 ; what British
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educational bodies or public representatives supported the application ; and if he will publish his response to the request from the owner.Mr. Boswell : The President of the Board of Trade approves names under the Business Names Act 1985. The appropriate regulations, requiring consent under the Act, do not apply to names in use before 1 January 1983. Since there was evidence that "Somerset University" was in use before that date, the opinion of the Secretary of State for Education and Science was not sought.
Mr. Bayley : To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his answer of 15 February, Official Report, column 51, if he will list those business names, including either of the words university or polytechnic on the use of which his opinion is currently being sought.
Mr. Boswell : The opinion of my right hon. Friend is currently being sought on "Eastern International/Huron University, Inc." and "EIEA/Huron University, Inc." as the proposed business name of Lansdowne University Ltd., a South Dakota corporation.
Mr. Bayley : To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his answer of 15 February, Official Report, column 51, if he will publish his criteria for approving the use of the word university under the Business Names Act 1985.
Mr. Boswell : The President of the Board of Trade, who approves names under the Business Names Act 1985, consults the Privy Council where it is proposed that "university" is included in a business name. The Privy Council normally seeks the advice of my right hon. Friend, who is concerned to protect the status of United Kingdom universities and their interests and to avoid any confusion which might arise in the minds of the public.
Autism
Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will give an estimate of the number of children classified as autistic in the United Kingdom who attend schools run by (a) local education authorities and (b) voluntary or charitable organisations.
Mr. Forth : I refer the hon. Member to the replies that I gave to him on 8 February, Official Report, column 454. Under the Education Act 1981 it is the responsibility of LEAs to identify and make provision for children with special educational needs, including those with autism. The Department for Education and the Department of Health are currently sponsoring a research project into the education and treatment of children with autism in England and Wales. The researchers, applying European prevalence rates to this country, estimate that there are in the region of 7,800 children with autism in England and Wales. Of these, approximately 1,000 children attend schools or units which specialise in teaching children with autism. About 400 specialist places are provided by the voluntary sector. I have today placed a copy of the report of stage 1 of the research in the Library.
Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the amount of resources and manpower that has been made available for the education and treatment of children with autism.
Mr. Forth : This information is not available centrally. It is the responsibility of LEAs and schools to ensure that
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individual autistic pupils receive the special education they require. The Department for Education and the Department of Health are currently sponsoring a research project into the education and treatment of children with autism in England and Wales. The second stage of the research aims to evaluate the main types of provision for young autistic children.School Meals
Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list the local education authorities who have contracted out their school meals service to private companies ; and what has been the change in employment as a result.
Mr. Forth : The Department does not collect this information. It is up to LEAs to decide whether they wish to delegate the funds for this service to schools. LEAs providing school meals directly are subject to the competition provisions of the Local Government Act 1988. A survey by the Local Government Management Board, published in November 1992, showed that local authorities' direct service organisations have won 91.6 per cent. by number of school catering contracts and 97.2 per cent. by value.
NATIONAL HERITAGE
Consultants
Ms. Mowlam : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many contracts for consultancies were awarded by his Department over (a) the last 12 months and (b) 1991-92.
Mr. Key : (a) My Department, which was formed in April 1992, has funded 25 contracts for consultancies awarded in the last 12 months ; its executive agency, the Historic Royal Palaces Agency, has awarded 29 contracts.
(b) As my Department was not in existence in 1991-92, this part of the question does not apply.
Ms. Mowlam : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list the contracts awarded by his Department to (a) Coopers and Lybrand management consultants, (b) Touche Ross management consultants, (c) Price Waterhouse management consultants, (d) Ernst and Young management consultants, (e) Chrichton Roberts Ltd., (f) KPMG management consultants and (g) Leopold Joseph management consultants, with the total cost of the contracts with each contractor, for (i) the past 12 months and (ii) 1991- 92.
Mr. Key : (i) My Department which was formed in April 1992, has funded the following contracts in the past 12 months :
(a) Coopers and Lybrand Management Consultants : nil.
(b) Touche-Ross Management Consultants : two contracts have been awarded, one for a management review of the National Film and Television School and one for a market testing consultancy for catering operations at the British Film Institute. Total cost : £24, 720.
(c) Price Waterhouse Management Consultants : two contracts have been awarded, one to look at financial systems and controls for the British Library St. Pancras project, and one to undertake an investment appraisal for my Department's headquarters project. Total cost : £120,000.
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(d) Ernst and Young Management Consultants : four contracts have been awarded ; a report on market testing in the British Library, a feasibility study into the computerisation of the listing of historic buildings, which is ongoing, and two consultancies for the BFI, to look at computer facilities management and front-of house security at the National Film Theatre and Museum of the Moving Image. Total cost : £105,915.(e) Chrichton Roberts : nil.
(f) KPMG Management Consultants : a contract was awarded to review British Screen Finance Ltd. Total cost : £38,000.
(g) Leopold Management Consultants : nil.
(ii) As my Department was not in existence in 1991-92, this part of the question does not apply.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Nuclear Reprocessing
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will place in the Library an example of the contract signed by British Nuclear Fuels and its foreign customers for the reprocessing of irradiated spent fuel at the thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield.
Mr. Eggar : No. The reprocessing contracts in question are a commercial matter for British Nuclear Fuels plc and its customers.
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will place in the Library a copy of the Touche Ross report on the economic feasibility of the thermal oxide reprocessing plant commissioned by British Nuclear Fuels plc.
Mr. Eggar : This is a commercial matter for the company.
Small Firms
Mr. Steen : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what amount of funding his Department provided in each of the last three years for development work which aimed to benefit small firms and individual traders.
Mr. Leigh : The Department funded small firms development schemes at a cost of £89.3 million in 1990-91 and £90.8 million in 1991-92 with a forecast cost of £91.2 million for 1992-93.
Other small firms guarantee and support schemnes costing approximately £24.2 million in 1990-91, £34.4 million in 1991-92 and an expected £29.4 million in 1992-93 were, prior to their transfer to this Department in May 1992, funded by the Department of Employment. The training and enterprise councils provide business counselling and advice to small businesses from funds provided by the Department of Employment. These TEC activities will be funded by this Department from 1993-94.
Misleading Prices
Mr. McFall : To ask the President of the Board of Trade when his Department intends to legislate against misleading price indications.
Mr. Leigh : Part III of the Consumer Protection Act 1987 makes it an offence to give a misleading price indication to consumers by any means.
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Fridges
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the production of domestic fridges by United Kingdom manufacturers, for both national and overseas markets, from 1986 to 1991.
Mr. Sainsbury : Figures for United Kingdom manufacturers' production of domestic fridges are not available separately for the United Kingdom and overseas markets. Figures for manufacturers' sales of these items in total may be found in Business Monitor PAS3460 (Domestic Electrical Appliances), a copy of which is available in the Library.
Insolvencies
Ms. Harman : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the number of (a) personal insolvencies and (b) company insolvencies in 1992 and in 1991 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : The relevant information was published on my Department's behalf by the Association of British Chambers of Commerce in the 5 February issue of "Business Briefing", a copy of which is available in the Library.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade who regulates insolvency practitioners in Britain.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : Under the Insolvency Act 1986 only authorised persons may act as insolvency practitioners. Authorisation may be granted either by a professional body recognised by the Secretary of State or by the Secretary of State himself. The professional conduct of a person so authorised is regulated by the professional body or by the Secretary of State.
In addition, the insolvency legislation contains a number of provisions under which those interested in a particular insolvency may have control over the actions of an insolvency practitioner, including power to make application to court for relief where there is dissatisfaction with any act, omission or decision of the practitioner.
Company Inspectors
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade on which dates inspectors were appointed for investigation into Maxwell, BCCI, Polly Peck and Levitt Group of companies.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : Apart from the inspections into the Maxwell companies in the early 1970s, the only appointment of inspectors in respect of the cases mentioned by the hon. Member is the appointment of inspectors announced on 8 June 1992 to investigate and report on the affairs and on the membership of Mirror Group Newspapers plc.
Auditor Regulation
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will invite the public to submit evidence before completing his review of the auditor regulation regime introduced by part II of the Companies Act 1989.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : I will bear in mind the hon. Member's suggestion.
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Department of Trade Inspectors
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what checks he makes on the fitness of individuals to act as inspectors for his Department before appointing such individuals.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : My Department makes such checks as are necessary and takes all relevant information into account.
Auditing Practices Board
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade when his Department was first informed of the plans to form the Auditing Practices Board.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : In November 1990.
Auditing Firms
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will propose legislation under which the recognised supervisory bodies would be required to publish the names and addresses of all auditing firms whose standards are considered to be low.
Batteries
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will include reference to the possibility of recycling batteries by using chargers in his Department's planned consultation document on the safe disposal of batteries.
Mr. Eggar : Rechargeable batteries, or accumulators, are among those covered by directive 91/157/EEC--batteries and accumulators containing certain dangerous substances--the implementation of which will be the subject of public consultation by my Department in due course. The directive encourages the separate collection, for controlled disposal or recycling, of batteries and accumulators which contain specified amounts of lead, mercury and cadmium. Implementation of the directive in the Community has been delayed by the lack of an agreed marking system for batteries caught by the directive, but resolution of this matter is expected shortly, and a United Kingdom implementation date of 1 January 1994 for the directive is now planned.
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