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Secure Units
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his oral statement of 2 March, Official Report, column 139, (1) what plans he has for the reintegration of young people into family and community after a period in his proposed secure units ; (2) who will have operational oversight of the proposed secure units.
Mr. Jack : As my right hon. and learned Friend indicated in his statement on 2 March, Official Report, columns 139-42, we are now working up detailed plans for the introduction of a new secure training order for persistent juvenile offenders between the ages of 12 and 15. At this stage, before the completion of discussions with those who will be involved, it is not possible to provide details of the aftercare provision which will be necessary as an integral part of the secure training order. It is similarly premature to go into detail about such matters as operational oversight of the custodial part of the new order, but as my right hon. and learned Friend indicated in his statement, it is intended that there should be independent inspection of both the care and social work activities and the educational provision that will be part of the regime provided to an offender made subject to such an order.
Juvenile Crime
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research has taken place into the connection between food additives and juvenile crime ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Jack : We are not aware of any reliable British research on the relationship between food additives and juvenile offending. The Department's research and planning unit is currently considering the possibility of funding a small-scale study on links between diet and crime as part of a wider programme of research on juvenile offending.
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Special Constables, Dorset
Mr. Paice : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether an interim evaluation has been made of the pilot bounty payment scheme for special constables in Dorset which started in October 1991 and is due to finish in October 1993 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Charles Wardle : When this pilot scheme was set up, it was decided that two years was a sensible period over which to assess its usefulness. A full evaluation will be made when the scheme ends next autumn.
Notifiable Offences
Mr. Winnick : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the percentage change in the total number of notifiable offences recorded by the police between 1979 and the latest available year.
Mr. Jack : The number of notifiable offences recorded by the police in England and Wales increased by 108 per cent. between 1979 and 1991.
Greyhound Racing
Sir John Wheeler : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for consulting interested parties about the deregulatory proposals put forward by the greyhound racing industry.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : We have today issued two consultation documents which seek views on a number of deregulatory measures suggested by the greyhound industry.
The first covers possible changes to section 19 of the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963 which currently prevents track owners from having an interest in the bookmaking at their own tracks. The second covers a number of proposals for change : inter-track betting, advance betting, changes to ticket restrictions, changes to pool display, restrictions and abolition of the requirement for public auditors to attend tracks whilst racing is taking place. I have arranged for copies of the consultation documents to be placed in the Library of the House. Respondents are asked to reply by the end of April.
Racehorses (Drugs)
Mr. Meale : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is the Government's policy on the illegal administering of drugs to thoroughbred racehorses ;
(2) if he or his Department will meet representatives of the Jockey Club to discuss the problem of the illegal doping of racehorses ; (3) when he was informed about the circumstances surrounding the illegal doping of the thoroughbred racehorse Flash of Steel ; when the doping took place ; when it was made public ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Lloyd [holding answer 4 March 1993] : The administration of horseracing, including security measures to prevent doping, is a matter for the horseracing authorities. I understand that the Jockey Club has recently introduced additional security measures.
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NORTHERN IRELAND
Planning Appeals
Mr. Clifford Forsythe : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many planning service decisions were reversed on appeal in 1990-91 and 1991-92 in each planning division in Northern Ireland ;
(2) how many planning service decisions rejected by district councils were subsequently reversed on appeal in 1990-91 and 1991-92 in each planning division in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Atkins : Planning decisions in Northern Ireland are taken by the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland after consultation with district councils.
The information requested is set out in the table :
Year and Division |Number of decisions|Number of decisions
|reversed on appeal |where District
|Councils disagreed
|with Department's
|decision which was
|subsequently
|reversed on appeal
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1990-91
Londonderry |21 |5
Ballymena |38 |19
Omagh |6 |3
Craigavon |9 |3
Downpatrick |36 |5
Belfast |34 |3
|--- |---
Total |144 |38
1991-92
Londonderry |16 |3
Ballymena |15 |6
Omagh |8 |5
Craigavon |5 |3
Downpatrick |17 |7
Belfast |22 |1
|--- |---
Total |83 |25
Minority Languages
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received regarding the European charter for regional or minority languages.
Mr. Hanley : The chairman of the Community Relations Council, Dr. James Hawthorne, wrote to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on 25 June 1992 to convey the council's desire that the Government ratify the convention in due course.
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with the Government of the Irish Republic regarding the European charter for regional or minority languages.
Race Relations
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received from the Fair Employment Commission regarding future race relations legislation in Northern Ireland.
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Roads
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures will be taken to increase the budgetary allocation to the roads infrastructure ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Atkins : Expenditure allocations for roads in 1993-94 have now been determined and in real terms will be maintained at much the same levels as in 1992-93 with increased emphasis being given to minor works and bridge strengthening schemes. Every effort will be made to ensure that future expenditure levels for roads are sufficient to meet identified needs, taking into account the many competing demands on public expenditure in Northern Ireland.
Hospital Budgets
Dr. Hendron : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what degree of flexibility there is for a hospital if, during the financial year, that hospital has overspent its budget.
Mr. Hanley : Under the rules of Government accounting, HPSS boards must contain expenditure within the allocation made to them for any year, and a board has the primary responsibility to ensure that units of management within the board also live within their budgets. Boards, individual units and hospitals within units have freedom to take management decisions to curtail expenditure in order to achieve this.
A certain amount of flexibility is available to a unit of management in that, with the approval of its board, it may transfer funds from capital to revenue to cover a temporary overspend. In addition a board can make use of underspendings in other budget heads to cover overspendings within a unit of management.
Dr. Hendron : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to what extent the budget available for any hospital in any coming year is based on the number of deaths and discharges from the previous year.
Mr. Hanley : The budget available for a hospital in any year will be based on its anticipated income which will be earned from contracts to provide health and personal social services. These contracts will be made with boards, and GP fundholders and will be related to agreed activity levels measuring in-patient, day-patient and out-patient activity. Previous years activity levels do form a baseline for contract negotiations.
Royal Victoria Hospital
Dr. Hendron : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of the total amount of moneys spent at the Royal Victoria hospital during each of the last five years was spent on administrative duties.
Mr. Hanley : The information is not available in the form requested. Total revenue expenditure at the Royal Victoria hospital for the last five years was as follows :
Year |£ million ------------------------------ 1987-88 |39.4 1988-89 |42.4 1989-90 |43.3 1990-91 |47.5 1991-92 |49.5
The Royal Victoria hospital is part of the Royal group of hospitals unit of management within the Eastern health and social services board, and the cost of administration is gathered on a unit of management basis. The Royal group of hospitals unit of management was created on 1 April 1990, and the following table shows the percentage of the total revenue expenditure spent on administration duties during 1990-91 and 1991-92.
The Royal Group of Hospitals Unit of Management
|Total revenue |Unit of management|Percentage
|expenditure |administration
|£ million |£ million
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1990-91 |87.7 |2.2 |2.5
1991-92 |94.5 |3.4 |3.6
The increase in administration expenditure during 1991-92 was partly caused by the recharge to units of management of certain finance and supplies administration costs formerly absorbed in board headquarters administration.
Dr. Hendron : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of the total amount of moneys spent at the Royal Victoria hospital during each of the last five years was spent directly on patient care.
Mr. Hanley : The information requested is as follows :
Z
Royal Victoria hospital
|Total net revenue|Expenditure on |Percentage
|expenditure |Direct treatment
|£ million |£ million
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1987-88 |39.4 |25.6 |64.97
1988-89 |42.4 |29.4 |69.34
1989-90 |43.3 |30.7 |70.90
1990-91 |47.5 |34.2 |72.00
1991-92 |49.5 |35.9 |72.53
Direct patient care is taken as direct treatment and ancillary departments' revenue expenditure, together with specialists remuneration and expenses.
Dr. Hendron : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money was spent at the Royal Victoria site in 1992 on (a) administration and (b) patient care.
Mr. Hanley : The information is not available in the form requested.
Expenditure figures are not produced for calendar years, the latest figures available being those for the financial year ended 31 March 1992.
The following figures relate to the Royal group of hospitals unit of management, and patient care is taken as direct treatment and ancillary departments revenue expenditure, together with specialists remuneration and expenses.
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Royal group of hospitals unit of management
|Revenue expenditure|Unit of management
|on direct treatment|administration
|of patients
|£ million |£ million
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1991-92 |65.6 |3.4
Electricity
Mr. Stott : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress he is making in establishing the electricity interconnector between Scotland and Northern Ireland ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Atkins : This is a matter for Northern Ireland Electricity plc. I understand from the chairman of NIE plc that satisfactory progress is being made in planning the project.
Mr. Stott : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what study his Department has made of the disparity in the price of electricity between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom ; what plans he has to bring prices in Northern Ireland into line with electricity prices in the rest of the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Atkins : Domestic, agricultural and small business electricity prices are lower than some parts of the United Kingdom, although there is a disparity for consumers with a peak demand in excess of 1MW. Since the price of electricity for industrial consumers in Great Britain is governed by commercially confidential contracts it is not possible to undertake such a study.
Mr. Stott : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to re-establish an electricity interconnector between the south and the north of Ireland ; what study his Department has made of the effect of such an interconnector on electricity prices in the north ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Atkins : The question of restoration of the interconnector with the Republic of Ireland is kept under regular review.
Re-establishment of the interconnector with the Republic of Ireland would have a beneficial effect on energy prices in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Actively-Seeking-Work Test
Ms Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what benefit penalties can be applied to unemployed claimants who are found not to be actively seeking work ; what procedures are followed before those penalties are applied ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hanley : Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Social Security Agency under its chief executive, Mr. Alec Wylie. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given. Letter from Mr. A. Wylie to Ms Clare Short, dated 12 March 1993 :
As I am responsible for Social Security operational matters
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your recent Parliamentary Question on the benefit penalties applied to unemployed claimants who are found not to be actively seeking work and the procedures which are followed before the penalties are applied has been passed to me for reply.The position on penalties is that if an unemployed claimant is found not to be actively seeking work, any Unemployment Benefit or Income Support that is in payment can be withdrawn for the period in question up to a maximum of two weeks.
The procedures operated before the penalty is applied are that, at the initial claim stage, unemployed claimants are fully advised about the actively seeking work conditions and that failure to meet them could result in the withdrawal of benefits. If, subsequently, the Adjudication Officer decides that sufficient efforts have not been made to find work then the Unemployment Benefit and any Income Support in payment are withdrawn.
However, in some cases where the claimant's job search has been considered inadequate but the person genuinely did not understand what was required, a warning letter would be issued and an interview arranged to ensure that the person was taking adequate steps to seek employment.
I hope you find this information helpful. A copy of this reply will appear in the Official Report and copies will be placed in the Library.
Income Support Claimants
Ms Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to change the 21 hour rule enabling unemployed income support claimants to take up part time education courses ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hanley : Regulations governing social security are maintained on a United Kingdom-wide basis.
English Language Teaching
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on provision of teaching of English as a foreign language in primary schools and post-primary schools in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Hanley : There is no provision for teaching English as a foreign language in either primary or post-primary schools in Northern Ireland.
In the case of pupils whose mother tongue is not English and who have little command of English, schools are often able to make additional remedial provision from within their existing resources to meet their needs. Where needs are so significant that they cannot be met from within the school's existing resources, education and library boards can provide extra help, either in terms of additional tuition, for example through their peripatetic remedial service, or by the provision of additional resources.
Community Care
Ms Rachel Squire : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what form his proposed alterations to existing legislation will take to enable community care trusts to be formed.
Mr. Hanley [holding answer 11 March 1993] : The Government intend to publish a proposal for a draft Order in Council later this year to enable boards to delegate certain statutory functions to health and social services trusts. The precise form and content of the order are still being considered.
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Health Service
Ms Rachel Squire : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the Eastern health and social services board's acute services proposals in relation to the criterion of clinical effectiveness for providing and purchasing acute services.
Mr. Hanley [holding answer 11 March 1993] : In formulating its proposals for purchasing acute services the Eastern health and social services board used clinical effectiveness as one of its fundamental criteria. In doing so the board was guided by the Department of Health and Social Service's regional strategy for 1992-1997, which emphasised the importance of clinical effectiveness. The board also took account of a number of reports from various professional bodies in the United Kingdom on the provision of acute hospital care.
Community Care Trusts
Mr. William O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he intends to take to review Government policy on the creation of community care trusts in Northern Ireland from 1 April 1994 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hanley [holding answer 9 March 1993] : The Government have no plans to review their policy on the creation of health and social services trusts, which it sees as the natural organisation model for all provider units in the health and personal social services in Northern Ireland, offering significant benefits to patients and clients and also to staff.
My noble Friend Lord Arran has already approved 10 applications for trust status, including four from community units and recently invited three further units which had expressed an interest to submit applications.
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Radioactive Material
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures have been taken to protect the people of east Antrim and Northern Ireland in the event of an accident in the north channel involving shipments of radioactive material.
Mr. Norris : I have been asked to reply.
Nuclear fuel flasks are designed to international standards to withstand severe accidents. The transporters of radioactive material have in place appropriate plans in the case of marine accidents for the recovery of flasks.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Sellafield
Mr. Cohen : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the role and function of building B203 at British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. Sellafield ; when it was first declared operational ; and what is the expected cost of decommissioning it.
Mr. Eggar : This is a matter for the company.
Gas-powered Electricity Generation
Mr. Alan W. Williams : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list all the gas-powered stations that are operational, under construction and that have been planned, giving the capacity of each station in megawatts and the date when it is expected to start generating electricity.
Mr. Eggar : I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Wentworth (Mr. Hardy) on 10 November 1992, Official Report, columns 734 -36. The following information reflects the change in status of a number of projects since then.
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Station |Proposer |Status
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Killingholme (2nd unit) |PowerGen plc |Commissioned
Charterhouse Street |Citigen Ltd. |Under construction
Deeside |Deeside Power Development Co. Ltd.|Under construction
Little Barford |National Power plc |Under construction
Medway |Medway Power Ltd. |Under construction
Spondon |Derwent Cogeneration |Under construction
There are 13 applications made under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 for gas-fired generating stations with a capacity greater than 50MW which have not yet been determined.
The dates when these stations are planned to come into operation are a commercial matter for the companies concerned.
Power stations in Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland respectively.
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Utilities (Pension Schemes)
Ms Estelle Morris : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the surplus in the pension schemes of (a) British Telecom, (b) British Gas and (c) electricity boards in the three years prior to privatisation.
Mr. Leigh : British Telecom did not have an independent pension scheme prior to privatisation in 1984. Employee contributions were made into the Post Office staff superannuation scheme. It is not possible to attribute surpluses or deficits separately to British Telecom employees and former employees within this scheme, but the overall Post Office staff superannuation scheme did not show a surplus in this period.
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Valuations of the electricity supply pension scheme are normally carried out once every three years. The last valuation prior to privatisation took place on 31 March 1989 and revealed a surplus of £89 million.There was no surplus in the British Gas staff pension schemes in the three years prior to privatisation.
Radio Amateurs
Mr. Redmond : To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what consideration he has given to allowing radio amateurs to use a "for sale" facility on pocket radio ; and if he will make a statement ; (2) when the radio investigation service last carried out a site inspection of GB3NA and GB3SY at Barnsley ; what abuse was found ; and what action he is taking ;
(3) how many repeaters used by amateur radio operators have on-air remote control providing for immediate shutdown ;
(4) what plans he has to change the repeater franchise scheme presently held by the Radio Society of Great Britain ; and if he will make a statement ;
(5) what consideration he has given to the introduction of a no-code high frequency licence for licensed radio amateurs ; (6) how many amateur radio licences have been revoked or modified in the last 12 months ;
(7) what action he is taking to prevent yachtsmen using pirate call signs on 14313 MHz and conducting illegal phone-patch traffic back to the United Kingdom ;
(8) what consideration he has given to abolishing the requirement for log- keeping by amateur radio operators using low-power FM ; (9) how many inspections of repeater sets in respect of radio operators have been carried out in the last 12 months ; how many licence violations were found ; what was the most common violation ; and what action he is taking to reduce violations ;
(10) what representations he has received regarding the abuse of repeaters by amateur radio operators in London ;
(11) what regulations govern the fees for amateur radio licences ; (12) how many people have been prosecuted for amateur radio related offences in each of the last five years ; what has been the budget of the radio investigation service in each of the last five years ; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the monitoring and enforcement activities of the service.
Mr. Leigh : These questions concern operational matters which are the responsibility of the Radiocommunications Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Mr. B. Maxwell to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 12 March 1993 :
You recently tabled a series of questions concerning the regulation of amateur radio. As you know, the Chief Executive of the Agency has been asked to write to you with the information requested as the questions relate to operational matters for which this Agency is responsible. I am replying in his absence. The questions and the information are as follows.
Question 172 tabled on 9 March 1993 : To ask the President of the Board of Trade, what consideration he has given to allowing radio amateurs to use a for sale facility on pocket radio ; and if he will make a statement.
Packet messages should reflect the purpose of the amateur licence, that is self-training in wireless telegraphy. It is not felt
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