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PRIME MINISTER
Engagements
Sir Peter Tapsell : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 2 March.
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 2 March.
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Sir Peter Tapsell : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 2 March.
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.
Catering
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Prime Minister how much was spent on catering at 10 Downing street and Chequers in 1991-92 and 1992-93 to date.
The Prime Minister : The information is not available in the form requested. The cost of official hospitality met by my office was £40, 976 in 1991-92 and is £25,835 in 1992-93 to date.
Higher and Further Education
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Prime Minister what has been the effect on the estimates for (a) the Department for Education and (b) the Welsh Office as a result of functional changes in higher and further education.
The Prime Minister : The supply estimates for 1993-94, due to be published on 9 March, for the Department for Education's higher and further education vote, class X, vote 2, will show provision totalling £2,806,458,000 for grant-in-aid to the Higher Education Funding Council (England) which, from 1 April 1993, will be responsible for the distribution of grants to all publicly funded higher education institutions in England. This will replace provision formerly shown separately in the estimates for expenditure on universities in Great Britain distributed by the Universities Funding Council ; for the former polytechnics and colleges of higher education in England distributed by Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council ; for the Open university ; for the Royal College of Art ; and for Cranfield institute of technology. The 1993-94 estimates, class X, votes 2 and 3, will show provision totalling £2,705,411,000 for grant- in-aid to the Further Education Funding Council in England which from 1 April will be responsible for distributing grant to further education establishments and sixth form colleges in England currently under local authority control. Similarly, the relevant supply estimate for the Welsh Office, class XV, vote 5, will show grant-in-aid provision for further and higher education institutions in Wales to be distributed by the Further Education Council in Wales--£143,846,000--and the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales--£178,975,000--including in the latter case provision for universities in Wales which in 1992-93 are supported by the Universities Funding Council. The supply estimates for 1993-94 are subject to parliamentary approval in due course.
DEFENCE
Bands
Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 11 February, Official Report, column 777, what is the current establishment and annual running costs of (a) the Household Division piping school, (b) the Guards Depot piping school, (c) the piping and drumming wing of the Scottish Division
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and (d) the Army school of piping ; what are the particular tasks of each unit ; who is responsible for training Gurkha pipers ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Archie Hamilton : The current establishment of the schools is as follows :
|Staff
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Household Division Piping School |1 Pipe Major
(also known as the Guards |3 Pipe Instructors
Depot Piping School):
The Piping and Drumming Wing of |1 Pipe Major
the Scottish Division: |1 Drum Major
|5 Pipe Instructors
|3 Drum Instructors
The Army School of Bagpipe |1 Director of Bagpipe Music
Music: |1 Pipe Major Instructor
The annual running costs of these schools are not identified separately from their parent establishments.
The task of the Household Division piping school is piper training for the Household Division. From 1 April 1993 this school will close and training will be carried out at the piping and drumming wing of the Scottish Division.
The task of the piping and drumming wing of the Scottish Division is the piper and drummer training from elementary to advanced levels of the Scottish Regiments, the Royal Irish Regiment, the Scots and Irish Guards, and Gurkha and Royal Armoured Corps Regiments established for pipes and drums.
The task of the Army school of bagpipe music is to improve the standard of piping, drumming and bugling in the Army.
Class 3 (elementary) Gurkha Pipers and Drummers are trained at the piping and drumming wing of the Scottish Division. Other pipers are trained at the Army school of bagpipe music.
Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 11 February, Official Report, column 777, how pipe bands are found from within the peacetime establishment of (a) Scottish infantry regiments and (b) the Royal Irish Regiment.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The pipe and drums in Scottish infantry regiments and the Royal Irish Regiment are primarily infantry trained soldiers. When not training or on operational duties they are made available on order of the commanding officer to pipe and drum.
Mr. Trotter : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the non-medical support roles fulfilled by Royal Marine musicians and buglers ; and what are the non-musical peacetime tasks of the personnel of each of the six RM bands.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Apart from the medical orderly role, the purpose of the personnel of the Royal Marines band service in the event of war or other emergency is to provide disciplined bodies of men capable of assuming responsibility for the physical security of military establishments.
When not undertaking their musical duties the most important peacetime role of RM bands personnel is to train for their wartime medical orderly role. In addition, they have miscellaneous messing responsibilities.
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RAF Dambusters
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what aircraft will participate in the 50th anniversary flight of the RAF dambusters 617 squadron when they fly over the Derwent Dams, Derbyshire on 19 May ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : This year's programme of displays and flypasts by RAF aircraft has not yet been finally agreed. My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence will inform the hon. Member once a decision has been taken.
RAF Aston Down
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current establishment for Royal Air Force Aston Down, near Stroud ; what is the current work and purpose of the station ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Aston Down ceased to be a Royal Air Force station in 1961 and is now a stores depot for the Ministry of Defence procurement executive. It has three roles--the storage of aircraft jigs and tools, the processing of used ammunition containers and, finally, the disposal, by auction, of vehicles and other equipment. In addition, both the Civil Aviation Authority and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food have a small presence at the depot as lodger units. The depot has a strength of six Ministry of Defence civil servants, but the main part of the operation on the site is carried out under contract.
Merchant Shipping
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Southampton, Itchen (Mr. Denham), 22 February Official Report, columns 477-78, if he will list the occasions and cost of conversion of merchant shipping for specialist naval use ; and what was the nationality of ownership and registration, if not British, in each case.
Mr. Aitken : Conversions of merchant ships for naval use during the last 10 years were :
HMS Endurance-- formerly MV Polar Circle, a Norwegian ship, conversion completed 1992.
RFA Argus-- formerly MV Contender Bezant, an Italian ship, conversion completed 1988.
Costs are commercially confidential.
Details of conversions of merchant ships carried out more than 10 years ago would be available only at disproportionate costs.
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the tonnage of merchant shipping hired during the Gulf war, the number of ships involved, the cost to the Exchequer, and the nationality of ownership and registration.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : A total of 162 dry cargo ships, with a total dead-weight of 1.8 million tonnes, were chartered for the movement of men and equipment to and from the Gulf at a total cost of £138 million. A number of ships undertook more than one voyage. In addition, 10 tankers, with a total dead-weight of 209,000 tonnes, were chartered at a total cost of £4.76 million. The numbers of vessels chartered by flag, is as follows : Antigua and
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Barbuda (16), Bahamas (9), Belgium (1), Cyprus (16), Denmark (27), Egypt (1), Finland (2), France (2), Germany (10), Greece (1), Honduras (1), Hong Kong (1), Iceland (1), India (1), Italy (4), Malta (2), Netherlands (2), Netherlands, Antilles and Aruba (2), Norway (15), Panama (7), Qatar (1), Spain (1), St. Vincent and Grenadines (2), Sweden (7), United Kingdom (11), Union of Myanmar (1) and Vanuatu (1). The ultimate ownership of these vessels is not generally known to my Department as the charter is with the operator, who is not necessarily the owner.Aldermaston
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to make public the results of the inquiry into the incident at AWE Aldermaston on 8 December 1992.
Mr. Aitken : We are considering in the light of national security interests whether a useful unclassified version of the report can be made available.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress in commissioning the A91 building at AWE Aldermaston.
Mr. Aitken : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen) on 6 November 1992, Official Report, column 530. Commissioning work associated with building A91 at AWE Aldermaston is in abeyance and will not resume until the necessary remedial work has been completed satisfactorily.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all work that is at present being carried out by specialist radiological protection staff at AWE Aldermaston.
Mr. Aitken : The radiological protection specialist staff at AWE Aldermaston are responsible for advising on all radiological safety aspects of the work carried out there. They also give advice on radiological safety in other areas of the nuclear weapons programme and provide a comprehensive radiological monitoring service for Aldermaston personnel, for the Aldermaston site and for the local environment.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the recommendations of the Pochin inquiry into AWE Aldermaston ; and how AWE Aldermaston has implemented each of them.
Mr. Aitken : A total of some 73 detailed actions were identified following the review by Sir Edward Pochin of radiological health and safety at Aldermaston, which did not make formal recommendations. Many of these actions were minor and were completed immediately. The short and medium- term measures involved changes to working practices, increases in health physics staff numbers, provision of improved monitoring and other equipment and safety management restructuring, all of which were put in place some years ago. Longer-term measures, involving procurement of completely new facilities for plutonium work and for processing of radioactive wastes have also been implemented in that new facilities have been constructed and are now being commissioned. These actions were taken in full consultation with the relevant trade unions.
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The hon. Gentleman may wish to note that the Pochin report commented that the industrial accident history and incident record at Aldermaston bore comparison with the best industrial concerns and that recent figures confirm that this record has been maintained.Trident
Mr. Foulkes : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will now set out the criteria against which the bids for Trident refitting from Rosyth and Devonport will be judged.
Mr. Aitken : In considering future arrangements for warship refitting, all relevant factors will be taken into account, including operational, strategic, technical, safety, commercial, programme and financial issues.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Housing Benefit
Mr. Hendry : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in what proportion of housing benefit claims claimants receive a determination within (a) two weeks, (b) two to three weeks, (c) three to four weeks and (d) more than four weeks.
Mr. Burt : I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to him on 19 January 1993, at column 211, which gives the latest available information on the proportion of claims determined within 14 days. Data on the proportion of claims which are determined after two weeks is not collected.
Mr. Hendry : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his Department's target for the number of days taken to provide payment for housing benefit claims ; and what proportion of payments are made, from the date when the claim is received, within (a) two weeks, (b) two to three weeks, (c) three to four weeks, (d) four to six weeks and (e) more than six weeks.
Mr. Burt : Local authorities are statutorily required to make the first payment of any housing benefit--rent allowance--within 14 days of the receipt of a claim or as soon as reasonably practicable thereafter. Where authorities are unable to do this, interim payments should be awarded.
Data on the proportion of claims where the target is met and on the proportion where it is exceeded are not collected. However, monitoring is to commence in 1993-94 with the introduction of the Audit Commission's citizens charter indicators in local authorities.
Income Support
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will provide a table showing (a) the number of income support claimants and (b) the value of total payments made to them for residential and nursing home costs by region for each year from 1982-83 at (i) cash prices and (ii) 1982-83 prices.
Mr. Burt : Such information as is available is in the table.
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Income support expenditure-Residential care and nursing homes
Year |Total numbers |Annual equivalent|Annual equivalent
|(thousands) |expenditure (£ |expenditure (£
|million)<1> |million)<2>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
December 1982 |16 |39 |39
December 1983 |26 |104 |99
December 1984 |42 |200 |182
December 1985 |70 |348 |300
February 1986 |90 |459 |396
May 1987 |117 |671 |531
May 1988 |147 |878 |649
May 1989 |176 |1,105 |766
May 1990 |189 |1,270 |814
May 1991 |231 |1,872 |1,121
May 1982 |270 |2,460 |1,409
<1> Current prices.
<2> 1982-83 prices.
Notes:
1. The date in the year column is the enquiry point on which the actual figures are
based.
2. The 1982-83 prices figures have been calculated by adjusting the actual figure by the
average GDP deflator index for the year in which the enquiry fell.
3. The figures have been rounded to the nearest million.
Reliable data on a regional basis are not available.
Mr. Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many redundant workers have been refused income support within the past year under the deprivation of capital regulations after paying off part or all of their mortgage.
Mr. Burt : I understand from Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency, that the information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Byers : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what plans he has to reduce the amount of income support or unemployment benefit received by a young person or adult if they begin full time education ;
(2) what plans he has to allow unemployed young people and adults to attend full-time education in the course of their choice and still receive income support or unemployment benefit.
Mr. Burt : We continue to be receptive to proposals to enable unemployed young persons and adults to receive education or training to enable them to take up employment. However, the social security system is not intended as a means of funding full-time education. Most full-time students are ineligible for income support, unemployment benefit and housing benefit. Students should look to the educational maintenance system of grants, top-up loans and access fund payments for their financial support.
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the maximum weekly deductions from income support for water, overpayment, fines, poll tax arrears and fuel debt, expressed as deductions from income support rates for a single person aged over 25 years and a married couple, both over 25 years.
Mr. Burt : Regulations provide for a standard amount to be deducted from income support to repay arrears of housing costs, fuel, water, or fines. This is set at 5 per cent. of the personal allowance for a person aged 25 or over, currently £2.15 a week.
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The standard deduction for recovery of an overpayment of benefit is set at three times 5 per cent. of the personal allowance for a person aged 25 or over--currently £6.45 a week--or, where fraud has been established, four times 5 per cent.--currently £8.60 a week. The total amount which may be deducted to recover debt, including overpayments, may not exceed three times 5 per cent.--four times 5 per cent. where fraud has been established--of the income support personal allowance for a person aged 25 or over.An additional £2.15 may be deducted for community charge debt or, where the court order is against a couple, 5 per cent. of the income support allowance for a married couple aged 18 or over--currently £3.35.
In addition, deductions may be made to cover current charges for fuel and water where, of course, the amount may vary from case to case.
Mr. Byers : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what additional costs would be incurred in allowing young people and adults to continue to receive income support or unemployment benefit whilst they are attending full-time education.
Mr. Burt : This information is not available. Changes in the benefit arrangements for full-time students made in 1990 were accompanied by enhanced support for students made available through the educational maintenance system. It is not, therefore, possible to provide reliable estimates of the cost of reintroducing income support or unemployment benefit.
Benefit Entitlement
Mr. Hendry : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what entitlements to benefits persons aged 16 and 17 years have during the period between a training place being offered and the start of the training period.
Mr. Burt : Subject to meeting the qualifying conditions, the benefits listed in my reply to the hon. Member for St. Helens, North, (Mr. Evans) on 9 June 1992 at column 386 may be payable to or in respect of young people waiting to commence a youth training placement.
Water Charges
Mr. O'Neill : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what elements of water charges were included in the Rossi index during the period April 1988 to April 1992 ; and what account these amounts took of variations in the cost of water, sewerage and environmental charges.
Mr. Burt : Water charges were not included in the Rossi index used to uprate income-related benefits between April 1988 and April 1992. During this period the index was based on the RPI excluding all housing costs.
Retirement Pensions (Emigration)
Mr. Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what advice is issued to British citizens considering emigrating on the potential effects of such a step on their future state retirement pensions, in particular where emigration is contemplated to a country with which there is no reciprocal social security agreement.
Miss Widdecombe : The administration of benefits is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will reply to the hon. Member and a copy will be placed in the Library.
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Letter from Michael Bichard to Mr. Andrew Bowden, dated 1 March 1993 :As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency, it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security asking what advice is issued to British citizens considering emigrating on the potential effects on their future state retirement pensions, in particular where emigration is contemplated to a country with which there is no reciprocal social security agreement.
A person considering emigrating should seek advice from their local Benefits Office. They will be issued with leaflet NI38 "Social Security Abroad", a guide to National Insurance contributions and Social Security benefits outside the European Community and reciprocal agreement countries. The leaflet gives general guidance on the social security arrangement in both countries with, and without, reciprocal arrangements. However, because of the complex nature of contributions and benefits for those going abroad the leaflet also explains that the customer can get further help and specific advice on individual circumstances, or problems, from the Department's Overseas Branch at Newcastle upon Tyne. This branch specialises in contributions and benefits involving periods abroad.
A copy of the leaflet is enclosed for information.
There is also a series of 22 leaflets containing information about the reciprocal social security arrangements with individual countries and the European Community which are available on request. I hope you find this reply helpful. A copy will appear in the Official Report and a copy will also be placed in the Library.
EDUCATION
Student Incomes
13. Mr. Bryan Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if the forthcoming survey of student incomes will include part-time students.
Mr. Boswell : No. The survey is one of a series targeted at students already within the scope of support fixed by central Government, which comprises awards, loans and access funds. Other forms of support are available for part-time students.
Grant-maintained Schools
16. Mr. Nigel Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he has received regarding grant-maintained school budgets for 1993-94 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Forth : We have received a number of representations from a range of bodies including LEAs, schools and local authority associations. On 9 February we announced our final decisions, which were taken in the light of the representations received.
English Testing
17. Mr. Burns : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make a further statement with regard to the proposal to test English in secondary schools.
Mr. Forth : We need tests to measure pupils' performance in this key subject. My right hon. Friend announced on 19 February that the English tests for 14-year-olds will be going ahead in June this year. The
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results will be reported to parents and national totals will be published. Results will be reported in school performance tables for the first time in 1994.Teacher Training
18. Mr. Clappison : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make a statement about the Government's plans for teacher training.
Mr. Forth : Last summer, my right hon. Friend introduced a reform of initial teacher training for secondary teachers which required a decisive shift to more school-based training. We have said that we shall be announcing proposals for reform of training for primary teachers around Easter. Our object is to make training more relevant to the needs of schools and the national curriculum. We shall keep the question of further reform under review to that end.
Parental Choice
19. Mr. Ancram : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what measures he proposes to promote parental choice in education in rural areas.
Mr. Forth : The Government's reforms since 1980 have ensured that parents in all areas now have the widest possible choice among available schools, and the information on which to base that choice.
English (Key Stage 3)
20. Mr. Don Foster : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make a further statement on the trials conducted prior to the implementation of key stage 3 SATS in English.
Mr. Forth : Trials of tests for 14-year-olds in English started in 1990. Since then the trials have involved some 45,000 pupils and 500 schools. Further trials of the papers for this summer's tests will take place over the coming weeks.
22. Mr. Hall : To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many representations he has received from school governing bodies in respect of the key stage 3 English tests ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Forth : I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my right hon. Friend gave earlier to the hon. Members for Delyn (Mr. Hanson) and for Plymouth, Devonport (Mr. Jamieson).
Middleton Park High School
21. Mr. Gunnell : To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he has plans to visit Middleton Park high school to discuss those factors which influenced its standing in his league table.
Mr. Forth : My right hon. Friend has no plans to visit Middleton Park high school at present. The public examination results published by the Department last November for each local education authority area were produced alphabetically as indicators of the performance of schools and pupils and not as league tables.
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Personal Responsibility
23. Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to foster a sense of personal responsibility and responsibility towards the wider community amongst children at school.
Mr. Forth : Section 1 of the Education Reform Act 1988 requires the curriculum of every maintained school to promote pupils'
"spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development", and to prepare them for the
"opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life". My right hon. Friend has made clear his expectation that all school activities should be underpinned by a clear ethos which governs behaviour and practice in the school.
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