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Duty imposed on imports into EC : 10.5 to 14 per cent.Turkey
Import duty imposed on United Kingdom exports : 7.6 per cent. Additional duties : 21 per cent. of CIF value for housing fund Duty imposed on imports into EC : 10.5 to 14 per cent.
India
Import duty imposed on United Kingdom exports : 65 per cent. Additional duties : None
Duty imposed on imports into EC : 10.5 to 14 per cent.
Pakistan
Import duty imposed on United Kingdom exports : 90 per cent. but banned
Additional duties : 12.5 per cent.
Duty imposed on imports into EC : 10.5 to 14 per cent.
Thailand
Import duty imposed on United Kingdom exports : 100 per cent. Additional duties : None
Duty imposed on imports into EC : 10.5 to 14 per cent.
Malaysia
Import duty imposed on United Kingdom exports : 25 per cent. Additional duties : 10 per cent. sales tax and 5 per cent. surtax Duty imposed on imports into EC : 10.5 to 14 per cent.
Overseas Trade
Mr. Nicholas Winterton : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the net total direct expenditure in terms of assistance to exporters made by the Overseas Trade Board in the latest year for which figures are available ; what was the net cost of the provision of overseas trade services in that year ; and what percentage the latter figure represents of the former.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 2 March 1993] : The total cost of the overseas trade services export promotion programme in 1991-92 was £173.4 millions gross, £127.3 millions of which was the cost (including overheads) of the staff involved (including FCO commercial staff overseas and export sections of Territorial Departments). Direct expenditure on export promotion schemes and services was £46.1 millions gross (£27.9 millions net of receipts). Details are given in the annual report of the British Overseas Trade Board.
Takeover Bids
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many formal recommendations he has received from the current Director General of Fair Trading since his appointment ; and how many have concerned hostile takeover bids for publicly quoted companies.
Mr. Heseltine [holding answer 2 March 1993] : The Director General of Fair Trading has made recommendations in respect of 95 merger cases since his appointment. There is no agreed definition of a hostile takeover bid. However, I understand that there have been five cases involving publicly quoted companies where the management of the target company has recommended rejecting the bid.
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Radioactive Substances
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what requests have been made by Her Majesty's Government to the European Commission to provide the economic assessment of COM(92) 520 final on transport of radioactive substances in the European communities, as mentioned at paragraph 12 of explanatory memorandum 11035/92.
Mr. McLoughlin : I have been asked to reply.
As stated in the explanatory memorandum, the European Commission has been asked to provide an economic assessment. Its response has been that this is not a significant proposal which requires a cost compliance assessment.
NATIONAL FINANCE
EC Structural Funds
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what action his Department is taking to ensure that the United Kingdom complies with the additionality criteria for European Community structural funds ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) what efforts his Department is making to account for European Community structural funds receipts transparently ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir John Cope : Article 9 of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 4253/88 requires that the
"increase in the appropriations for the Funds provided for in Article 12(2) of Regulation (EEC) No. 2052/88 has a genuine additional economic impact in the regions concerned and results in at least an equivalent increase in the total volume of official and similar (Community and national) structural aid in the Member State concerned".
Accordingly, our public expenditure arrangements take account of Community receipts from the structural funds when departmental programmes are set.
From the beginning of the next financial year, the Government will implement new arrangements agreed with the Commission to improve the transparency of the public expenditure treatment of European regional development fund receipts. Details of these new arrangements were set out in a written answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Industry on 30 June 1992 at column 526.
British Telecom (Shares Sale)
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the names of advisers appointed to advise on the forthcoming sale by the Government of shares in British Telecom, specifying for each adviser the area of work and date of appointment.
Mr. Dorrell : The table shows the appointments made to date for the forthcoming BT share offer.
BT share offer-advisers appointed
Date of appointment |Company |Role(s)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
30 November 1992 |Ernst & Young |Financial consultant
8 December 1992 |S. G. Warburg |Financial adviser
|Global co-ordinator
|Lead UK broker
15 December 1992 |Linklaters & Paines |Legal advisers
15 December 1992 |Brunswick Public |PR/Marketing adviser
| Relations
3 January 1993 |Addison Design |Design consultants<1>
| Company
11 January 1993 |Solid Solutions |Financial consultant
| Associates
25 January 1993 |MORI |Market research
24 February 1993 |WCRS |Advertising agency
<1> Appointed by Brunswick.
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in what month of 1993-94 he expects to offer for sale British Telecom shares currently held by the Government.
Mr. Dorrell : No decisions have yet been taken on either the timing of the next sale of shares in BT or the number of shares to be offered for sale.
Mr. Nigel Griffiths : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which investment banks and brokers were invited by the Treasury to tender as advisers in the forthcoming sale by the Government of shares in British Telecom.
Mr. Dorrell : S. G. Warburg has been appointed as financial adviser, global co-ordinator and lead United Kingdom broker for the forthcoming BT share offer. The names of companies invited to tender for an appointment, but not subsequently appointed, are treated as commercially confidential.
Value Added Tax
Mr. Betts : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what calculations he has made or plans to make to estimate the effect on (a) purchases of books and newspapers, (b) consumption of food and (c) purchase of children's clothes, by families on a regional, socio-economic and income basis of the imposition of VAT at various percentage rates.
Sir John Cope : Work carried out by the Institute for Fiscal Studies commissioned by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise and Her Majesty's Treasury and completed in 1991 suggests an own price elasticity of 0.657 for leisure goods, which include books and newspapers ; 0.856 for food ; and 0.754 for clothing. These elasticities suggest that applying the standard rate of VAT to goods which are presently zero-rated would reduce the volume of sales by 9.8 per cent., 12.7 per cent. and 11.2 per cent. respectively. We are not aware of any reliable estimates of how these price elasticities vary according to region, socio-economic status or income.
Retail Prices Index
Mr. Burns : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the recent recommendations of the retail prices index advisory committee.
Mr. Lamont : I have decided to accept all the recommendations made by the committee in its report Cm 2142 on the treatment in the RPI of council tax and holidays as extended by the addendum Cm 2153 on the treatment of transitional relief. The report and the
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addendum were presented to the House and published on 21 January and 24 February 1993 respectively. The Central Statistical Office will implement the changes with effect from the RPI for February 1993.Gross Domestic Product (Cornwall)
Mr. Tyler : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated per capita GDP figure for Cornwall for the latest available year ; what is the comparable per capita GDP figure for areas of the United Kingdom which have been granted objective 1 status for EC support ; and what is the latest available average per capita GDP figure for the whole European Community.
Mr. Nelson [holding answer 2 March 1993] : The European Commission has proposed that Northern Ireland, Merseyside and the Highlands and Islands region of Scotland be granted objective 1 status for the period 1994 to 1999, but the final decision is to be taken by the Council of Ministers in the context of the review of the structural funds regulations. GDP per head figures for Cornwall and the above regions are given below for the year 1989, the latest available on a consistent basis. Also provided is an index comparing these areas with the European Community average for the period 1988-90, on a "purchasing power" basis.
Gross domestic product per head
|£ per head 1989<1>|PPS/head, EC=100
|1988-89<2>
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cornwall |5,739 |76
Northern Ireland |5,747 |76
Merseyside |5,721 |79
Highlands and Islands |5,934 |79
EC average |n/a |100
Sources:
<1> Central Statistical Office
<2> Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Communities
WALES
Waste Incineration
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many inspections have been undertaken in Wales (a) in total and (b) to waste incineration plants by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution during each of the last three years.
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Mr. Gwilym Jones : The inspectorate carried out 338 inspections in 1990-91, 657 in 1991-92 and 588, to date, in 1992-93. Of these, 13, 20 and 15, respectively, were undertaken at waste incineration plants.
Care and Repair Cymru
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the capital allocation for Care and Repair Cymru in each of the last two financial years ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The Care and Repair home improvement agency initiative provides help and advice on home improvements, maintenance and repairs for elderly and/or disabled owner-occupiers. There is no capital investment programme associated with the initiative. The Department provides revenue funding to the initiative. Care and Repair Cymru received revenue support of £141,751 in 1990-91 and £111,429 in 1991-92.
Research
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has made to the Research Council to secure improved representation of academics from Welsh institutions on research students awards committees.
Sir Wyn Roberts : None. Each of the research councils has its own mechanism for distributing awards to students. My right hon. Friend has, however, asked the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales to establish effective working relations with the Advisory Board for the Research Councils and the individual research councils to ensure that the interests of the higher education sector in Wales are taken fully into account at all stages.
Primary School Classes
Mr. Dafis : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what has been the average class size in primary schools in Wales within each local education authority area during each of the last five years, expressed in average numbers and teacher-pupil ratios.
Sir Wyn Roberts : Information on the average class size and pupil- teacher ratios in primary schools within each local education authority during each of the last five years is given in the following tables :
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Table 1: average size of registered classes
|1987-88|1988-89|1989-90|1990-91|1991-92
----------------------------------------------------------------
Clwyd |25.5 |25.8 |25.7 |25.0 |25.8
Dyfed |21.4 |21.8 |21.0 |21.6 |21.7
Gwent |25.7 |26.4 |26.9 |27.1 |27.5
Gwynedd |21.1 |21.6 |22.1 |21.8 |22.2
Mid Glamorgan |26.0 |26.2 |26.2 |27.2 |26.9
Powys |20.2 |20.3 |20.6 |22.1 |22.2
South Glamorgan |27.0 |26.7 |26.4 |26.5 |26.6
West Glamorgan |24.2 |24.8 |25.1 |25.8 |26.0
Wales |24.5 |24.8 |24.8 |25.2 |25.4
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Table 2: pupil-teacher ratios
|1987-88|1988-89|1989-90|1990-91|1991-92
----------------------------------------------------------------
Clwyd |24.0 |24.7 |24.6 |24.2 |24.1
Dyfed |20.8 |20.2 |19.9 |19.9 |19.7
Gwent |22.5 |22.8 |23.1 |23.4 |23.6
Gwynedd |20.3 |20.8 |21.0 |20.8 |21.2
Mid Glamorgan |22.9 |23.2 |23.4 |24.0 |23.5
Powys |19.3 |19.7 |20.0 |20.5 |20.5
South Glamorgan |22.7 |22.7 |22.2 |21.6 |21.8
West Glamorgan |21.3 |21.6 |21.4 |21.5 |21.5
Wales |22.1 |22.3 |22.3 |22.3 |22.3
Coronary Heart Disease
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the latest estimate of the annual cost of treatment for coronary heart disease in Wales ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The requested information is not available centrally.
Public Libraries
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many public libraries have been open and operational in Wales in each year since 1979 ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir Wyn Roberts : The number of public library service points, which include mobile libraries, provision in hospitals and residential houses etc, as well as public library buildings are :
|Number
----------------------
1979-80 |807
1980-81 |923
1981-82 |966
1982-83 |948
1983-84 |968
1984-85 |1,005
1985-86 |978
1986-87 |1,156
1987-88 |1,218
1988-89 |1,242
1989-90 |1,267
1990-91 |1,318
1991-92 |1,386
Source: The Chartered
Institute of Public
Finance and
Accountancy Public
Library Statistoics.
I am pleased to note the steady increase in the number of library service points in Wales.
Forestry
Mr. Richards : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has for promoting the future development of forestry in Wales.
Sir Wyn Roberts : The forests and woodlands in Wales, and the industries they support, play a valuable role in maintaining rural communities. More than 4,700 people work in the forests, in the downstream industries and in the haulage of timber. Many hundreds more earn a living from associated services and tourism. Forests also make their contribution to a better environment and provide opportunities for countryside leisure and recreation.
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I want to ensure that we manage our forests and woodlands well, that we find the most suitable locations to expand the forest area, and that we look at ways of adding value to our home-grown forest products.I have therefore decided to set up a group of experts to examine these issues and to promote the future development of forestry in Wales. The group will bring together forestry, farming, environmental and development interests, under the chairmanship of the Forestry Commission's chief conservator for Wales. The terms of reference for the group--and a list of its members--have been placed in the Library of the House. The group will begin work shortly and I have asked it to report to me on its conclusions and recommendations by the spring of next year.
Roads
Mr. Richards : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he intends updating the information given in the 1992 supplement to "Roads in Wales : Progress and Plans for the 1990s."
Sir Wyn Roberts : I have today published the 1993 supplement to "Roads in Wales : Progress and Plans for the 1990s". Copies have been placed in the Library of the House.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Royal Mail
Mr. Kaufman : To ask the Attorney-General what recourse or protection is available against a person who, contrary to the repeatedly expressed wishes of the recipient, persists in sending letters to that recipient through the Royal Mail.
The Solicitor-General : I have no responsibility for the substance of the law relating to the use or abuse of the Royal Mail. An individual experiencing a problem should seek legal advice directed at the circumstances of the particular case.
HEALTH
Organ Donations
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many organ donations have been made in (a) each regional health authority and (b) each district health authority in (i) 1982, (ii) 1987 and (iii) the last 12 month period for which figures are available.
Mr. Sackville : The table shows the numbers of cadaveric solid organ donors in 1982, 1987 and 1992 in
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England by regional health authority. Figures for individual district health authorities are not held centrally. The numbers of organs donated are considerably higher as many donors supply more than one organ.Column 167
Region |1982 |1987 |1992<1>
|(kidney donors only) |(provisional)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern |26 |40 |51
Yorkshire |22 |49 |58
Trent |43 |58 |72
East Anglia |22 |36 |33
North West Thames |29 |45 |43
North East Thames |36 |56 |53
South East-West Thames<2> |50 |102 |100
Wessex |29 |42 |33
Oxford |26 |37 |39
South Western |31 |46 |48
West Midlands |52 |64 |70
Mersey |25 |29 |38
North Western |29 |41 |61
|-- |-- |--
Total |420 |645 |699
<1> Figures supplied by the United Kingdom Transplant Support Service Authority.
<2> For operational reasons South East Thames and South West Thames are treated as one region.
Community Care
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will meet representatives of the King's Fund to discuss funding levels for community care.
Mr. Yeo : We have no plans to do so.
Food Safety
Mr. Clifton-Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what specific formal training environmental health officers are given in regard to food safety regulations.
Mr. Sackville : The most common route to qualification as an environmental health officer is a four-year honours degree in environmental health which has received accreditation from the Institution of Environmental Health Officers and which includes integrated practical training. The content, interpretation and application of food safety legislation is covered in detail, and a central theme on all courses is risk assessment, so that environmental health officers are able to assess whether action under the Food Safety Act 1990 and associated regulations is necessary to protect public health. In addition the Department of Health runs seminars for environmental health officers on risk assessment and the implementation of European Community legislation.
Abused Children
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will set up a monitoring unit in respect of abused children as advocated by the Warner committee ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Yeo : We will be considering this recommendation from the Warner report in the light of the responses to the consultative process which ended on 28 February 1993.
Smoking-related Diseases
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the annual cost of treating patients suffering from smoking-related diseases and ailments in each year since 1989-90 ; and if she will make a statement.
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Dr. Mawhinney : Information is available only for the costs of hospital admissions in 1988-89 and is taken from the Health Education Authority's report, "The Smoking Epidemic". This estimates the annual hospital costs for smoking-related disease in England and Wales to be £351 million (at 1990-91 prices).
Complementary Therapists
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what efforts are being taken by regional health authorities and family health service authorities to encourage awareness among general practitioners and the public of the availability of complementary therapists on the national health service.
Mr. Sackville : None. General practitioners are already aware that, under their terms of service, they are able to employ a wide range of staff, including complementary therapists where necessary, to assist them in the provision of general medical services. The range of services they provide are contained in the information leaflets they are required to make available to their patients. Family health services authorities are also required to make available local directories of the general practitioners in their area and the services they provide.
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her Department's latest estimate of the annual numbers of the public paying to see an alternative health practitioner.
Mr. Sackville : No information is held centrally on which to base such an estimate.
Social Workers
Mr. Alan Howarth : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of social workers currently practising are unqualified.
Mr. Yeo : This information is not held centrally.
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Redbridge Healthcare Trust
Mr. Gapes : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will announce the names of the chairman and non-executive directors of the Redbridge Healthcare Trust, the hours they will be required to work and the salaries they will be paid.
Dr. Mawhinney : The information is as follows :
Chairman : Mr. Mike Smith.
Non-executive directors : Mr. Michael Faraway ; Mr. Ismail Simjee ; Mrs. Louise Hyams ; Mr. Rod Budgett ; Mrs. Mary Springham. Trust chairmen are expected to devote between three and three and a half days a week and non- executive directors between two and three days a month to trust business.
They will receive annual remuneration of £19,285 (chairman) and £5, 000 (non-executive directors).
Gene Patents
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is the policy of national health service laboratories about entering into agreements to pay fees in respect of gene patents ;
(2) what advice she is giving in response to patent claims in relation to biotechnology intellectual property, with particular references to the cystic fibrosis gene ;
(3) what is her policy in relation to licence fees for the use of polymerase chain reactions.
Mr. Sackville : The subject of intellectual property rights, including those for polymerase chain reaction and gene sequences, is under review.
Haemoglobin Testing
Ms. Lynne : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what studies have been undertaken in relation to inner city areas of routine haemoglobin estimation by capillary sampling of children under five years using a haemoglobinometer.
Mr. Sackville : The Department of Health has not undertaken or funded any such studies. An expert sub-group of the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy is currently reviewing all aspects of the weaning diet including the incidence and prevention of iron-deficiency anaemia in children in this age group.
The national diet and nutrition survey of pre-school children is at present collecting data on the dietary intakes and nutritional status of children in Great Britain aged 1 -4 years, including haemoglobin levels.
Secure Units
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much capital money her Department (a) has available and (b) has allocated for the provision of secure units for young people in England in 1992-93 ; and if she will provide a list of the establishments concerned and the sums allocated in each case ; (2) how much capital money her Department (a) made available and (b) spent on the provision of secure units for young people in England in 1992-93 and each of the previous 10 years.
Mr. Yeo : We have made available £2 million in capital money for 1992-93 to fund new provision and upgrading
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