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much interest overseas and created opportunities for business follow-up. This should be facilitated through the three year follow-on initiative.Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many companies from (a) Wales, (b) England, (c) Northern Ireland, (d) Scotland, (e) other nations of the European Community and (f) other nations outside the European Community were represented at the global technology partnership conference in Birmingham, from 23 to 25 March ; what revenues were raised from the participation of these companies ; and what benefits accrued from their attendance.
Mr. Eggar : I have been asked to reply.
Representatives of companies from all areas of the United Kingdom were invited to the United Kingdom's global technology partnership conference. In addition, key individuals from businesses in 44 developing countries were invited.
There were 189 participants from the United Kingdom, including speaker/participants. Most were present for the three days of the conference, although a number exercised the option to attend for one day only. There were three participants from Wales, 178 from England, one from Northern Ireland and seven from Scotland. A total of 106 key business men and women attended from non-EC countries overseas. In addition, there were four speakers from EC member states. Revenue raised from these delegates was approximately £26,000 with further sums raised through industrial sponsorship.
There are both potential commercial and environmental benefits for all businesses involved. United Kingdom participants were able to learn first hand of the environmental problems faced by businesses in developing countries and to discuss the solutions available in the United Kingdom. The conference also discussed sources of help and funding available to United Kingdom and developing country businesses to assist technology co- operation.
Sellafield
Mr. Page : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the weekly cost to BNFL of the thermal oxide reprocessing plant remaining idle.
Mr. Eggar : I have been asked to reply.
British Nuclear Fuels plc has said that it assesses the reduction in profit arising from the delay in the THORP project at about £2 million a week.
Electrolysis and Massage
Sir John Hunt : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the fees charged by each of the local authorities in the United Kingdom for licences to operate premises offering special treatments such as electrolysis or massage for which a licence is required by law.
Mr. Charles Wardle : I have been asked to reply.
The information requested is not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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WALES
Radiation
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the health effects of radioactive discharges from (a) Amersham International plc in Cardiff and (b) the atomic weapons establishment at Llanishen.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : Discharges of radioactive wastes may only be made in accordance with the terms and conditions of authorisations under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960.
Authorisation is dependent upon the operators demonstrating that discharges will be below levels set by the Government to ensure that the public is not exposed to any significant radiological risk. Regular monitoring by the regulatory authorities has consistently shown that the discharges are made within such levels.
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he has taken to increase radiation protection measures for members of the public in Wales following the details of radioactive contamination in the Principality included under each of tables 4.01 to 4.06 and 4.08 to 4.35 of the Environmental Digest for Wales 1992.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The environmental monitoring exercises detailed in the digest form part of a routine monitoring programme which provides an additional check that members of the public are not being exposed to unsafe radiation levels. The data show that radioactivity levels from artificial sources are generally very small and declining, are in total substantially less than the levels resulting from natural sources and present no significant risk to public health. It is not therefore necessary to take steps to increase radiation protection measures for members of the public in Wales.
Contaminated Land
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to the answer of 24 March by the Secretary of State for the Environment to the hon. Member for Halesowen and Stourbridge (Mr. Hawksley), Official Report, column 633-34 on the creation of registers of potentially contaminated land under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, how he will update table 1.48 on potentially contaminated sites by district in the Environmental Digest for Wales 1992.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The information in table 1.48 of the Environmental Digest for Wales 1992 is based on a survey of potentially contaminated land undertaken in 1988 on behalf of the Welsh Office. The survey information continues to provide a helpful guide to local authorities in undertaking their statutory duty to identify and tackle sites which pose a public health or environmental hazard ; and the need to update it will be kept under review.
General Practitioners
Mr. Martyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much and on what basis general practitioners are paid per head in Wales.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The independent Doctors and Dentists Review Body has responsibility for making
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recommendations to Government on the level of remuneration it considers appropriate for doctors and dentists in the national health service in Great Britain. Specifically, it is responsible for : (i) the provision to be made for estimated practice expenses for the average GP ;(ii) intended average net income per GP ;
(iii) the application of a balancing correction where appropriate ;
(iv) a scale of fees and allowances designed to deliver the sum of (i), (ii) and (iii) (intended average gross income) to the average GP.
Following the decision that it would not be appropriate for the review body to make recommendations for 1993-94, announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health on 3 December 1992, and in line with the announcement by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his autumn statement that public sector pay settlements for 1993-94 will be restricted to no more than 1.5 per cent., the intended average net income for general medical practitioners in England and Wales from 1 April 1993 is £40,610.
Council Tenants (Welfare Services)
Mr. Richards : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he has taken to consult on the future funding arrangements and powers for local authorities to provide welfare services to council tenants in Wales.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The Welsh Office issued a consultation paper to local authorities, their associations and other interested bodies on 5 April. I have placed copies in the Library of the House. The paper sets out proposals for the longer-term funding and provision of welfare services for tenants of local housing authorities. It proposes that housing authorities should retain powers to provide these services, which are being considered as part of the Housing and Urban Development Bill, until after local government re-organisation. The paper also sets out options for the exclusion of welfare services from the housing revenue account and the possible timing of such changes.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment is consulting separately on these matters in England.
EMPLOYMENT
Travel-to-Interview Scheme
Ms Short : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what is the maximum financial assistance that can be claimed for overnight subsistence by unemployed people under the travel-to-interview scheme ; and if she will make a statement ;
(2) what are the maximum travelling expenses that can be claimed by unemployed people who are given assistance under the
travel-to-interview scheme when they travel by (a) public or (b) private transport ; and how many interviews they can claim assistance for.
Mr. McLoughlin : Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service Agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
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Letter from Mr. M. Fogden to Ms Clare Short, dated 15 April 1993 :As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to write to you direct to respond to your Parliamentary Questions to her about the Travel to Interview Scheme (TIS). This is something which falls within the responsibilities she has delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.
It may be helpful if I explain the background to the scheme. TIS was introduced in 1986 to help with travel costs for unemployed people to attend job interviews in the United Kingdom but beyond daily travelling distance of their home area, thus widening the applicants' jobsearch, improving their chances of obtaining work and encouraging labour mobility. During 1991-92 the scheme helped 31,000 applicants at a cost of some £950,000. A few basic conditions must be met before assistance can be granted, to ensure that the limited funds available are concentrated on those unemployed people in most need. A leaflet outlining the scope of the scheme is enclosed. People who are eligible for help with fares may also qualify for the cost of up to two nights stay which is unavoidable. The actual cost of the overnight accommodation is reimbursed up to a fixed limit which is currently £27.20 per night.
Eligible applicants may choose to travel by public transport or private vehicle. If they choose public transport the full costs of the cheapest convenient service are met by the scheme. Travel by private vehicle is reimbursed at a fixed rate of 16p per mile (increased from 15p on 5 April 1993). However the amount is limited to what it would have cost by convenient public transport. You also asked about the maximum expenses which may be claimed. There is no ceiling as such on the total expenses which may be paid but any applicant failing to get a job after 20 interviews using TIS assistance would be counselled. Each subsequent interview which required TIS assistance would be considered carefully and assistance refused unless it was felt the applicant had a reasonable chance of getting the job.
I hope this is helpful.
As agreed in the Government's reply to the 1990 Treasury and Civil Service Committee Report "Progress in the Next Steps Initiative", I will place a copy of this letter in the Library of the House and in its Public Information Office.
ACAS
Mr. Burns : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when she expects to receive the annual report of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service.
Mr. McLoughlin : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has received the ACAS report for 1992, which will be laid before both Houses of Parliament on Tuesday 20 April. The report is also to be published on that day and copies will then be available from the Vote Office.
NATIONAL FINANCE
Iraqi Students
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration he has given to making direct payments from frozen Iraqi Government accounts to Iraqi students and their host academic institutions in the United Kingdom for fees and support.
Mr. Nelson : We have always considered applications to debit Iraqi accounts for living and educational expenses of residents of Iraq in the United Kingdom. Reasonable amounts are normally permitted. However, the permission of the account holder must also be obtained before accounts can be debited.
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Data Protection Act 1984
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many certificates have been signed under the terms of section 27 of the Data Protection Act 1984 for each year since 1987.
Mr. Nelson : I am aware of none so far as the Treasury is concerned.
Research Institutions
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current practice on the effect of the receipt of grant income to Government research institutions from EC research programmes on the available resources of those institutions ; and what arrangements are made for research institutions which are "next steps" agencies.
Sir John Cope : Payments from EC research programmes are available in full to add to the resources of Government research institutions. The precise level of resources available to a Government research institution is a matter for decision by the departments which are responsible for them. This is so whether or not the research institutions are "next steps" agencies.
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what income the Government derived from EC research framework programme grants placed in Government research institutions and agencies in each year since 1990-91.
Sir John Cope : The bulk of EC research framework programme grants coming to the United Kingdom are paid directly to the private sector, including universities. Details of receipts to the private sector are not held centrally. Expenditure in relation to contracts with Government departments, agencies and research councils, which count as public sector receipts, was as follows :
Year |£ million ------------------------------- 1990-91 |5.0 1991-92 |9.5 <1>1992-93 |8.6 <1> estimated outturn
EDUCATION
Assisted Places
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his answers of 29 March to the hon. Member for Wallsend (Mr. Byers), Official Report, columns 66-75 , if he will list the payments made and the average payment per student under the assisted places scheme to (a) Dame Allans Boys, (b) Dame Allans Girls, (c) Central Newcastle High, (d) Kings, Tynemouth, (e) La Sagesse Convent School, (f) Newcastle upon Tyne Church High and (g) the Royal Grammar, Newcastle.
Mr. Forth : The information requested is as follows :
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School name |Payments made in |Average payment per
|academic year |assisted pupil
|1991-92
|£ |£
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dame Allans Boys |207,082 |1,755
Dame Allans Girls |251,519 |2,096
Central Newcastle High |218,220 |1,898
Kings, Tynemouth |27,533 |2,753
La Sagesse Convent |352,868 |2,352
Newcastle upon Tyne Church
High |33,586 |2,239
Royal Grammar, Newcastle |487,375 |1,853
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
North Korea
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received regarding the security implications for the Korean peninsula and south-east Asia of North Korea's announcement of its intended withdrawal from the non-proliferation treaty.
Mr. Goodlad : There is widespread concern about the North Korean announcement of its intention to withdraw. We are working actively with other concerned Governments to encourage North Korea to retract its announcement.
Sri Lanka
Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the representatives of the civil community which the British high commissioner met during his visit to Jaffna on 18 February ; and what issues were discussed at these meetings.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The high commissioner did not meet
representatives of the civil community during his visit to Jaffna on 18 February.
Falkland Islands
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure the maximum economic independence of the Falkland Islands from the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Garel-Jones : Apart from the costs of defence, the Falkland Islands are economically independent of the United Kingdom.
Data Protection Act 1984
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many certificates have been signed under the terms of section 27 of the Data Protection Act 1984 since June 1992.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : I am aware of none so far as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is concerned.
Channel Islands
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress made with the German Government
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concerning the claims for compensation by Channel Island detainees deported to German internment camps during world war II ; if he will make it his policy to raise also the position of merchant seamen from elsewhere in the United Kingdom who were similarly detained ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Garel-Jones : Representatives of the British and German Governments have, since German unification, been discussing the settlement of our claim in respect of the Channel Islanders illegally deported by the German occupation authorities. We have raised this with the Germans on many occasions and at many levels, including that of Foreign Secretary.
The German Government have told us definitively that they are not prepared to give the Channel Islanders any form of compensation or settlement. We are disappointed by the decision, but I regret that we see no realistic prospect that their claims can be met.
Merchant seamen detained by the Germans during the second world war fall into an entirely different category. Their detention was proper according to the rules of war. There is no question of claiming compensation.
Iraq
Mr. Anthony Coombs : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that, either through the United Nations Secretary-General or unilaterally, monitors are sent into northern Iraq under resolution 688, to verify the human rights situation throughout the country.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We have consistently supported the proposal, put forward by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Iraq in his report of February 1992, for the positioning of human rights monitors throughout Iraq. With our European Community partners we co-sponsored the resolution passed at the Commission on Human Rights on 10 March 1993 which called on the Secretary General to take the necessary measures to send human rights monitors to Iraq. We will continue to do all we can to support him in carrying out this mandate.
Northern Ireland
Mr. Clifton-Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps British diplomatic staff in the United States are taking to inform the people there, and in particular the incoming Congressmen, of the true situation in Northern Ireland and of the activities of members of the IRA.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Our diplomatic staff in the United States, in close conjunction with the Northern Ireland Office and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, make every effort to ensure that key opinion-formers in the United States, including Congressmen, are aware of the true situation in Northern Ireland. Our information activities there include written and oral briefings, interviews and speeches by British officials, and visits to Northern Ireland by selected American opinion-formers.
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China
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent communications Her Majesty's Government have had with the People's Republic of China on (a) nuclear testing and (b) nuclear non-proliferation.
Mr. Garel-Jones : We have recently had discussions with Chinese authorities about the announcement by North Korea of her intention to withdraw from the non-proliferation treaty. We have had no recent bilateral communications with the Chinese on nuclear testing, but both subjects are discussed regularly in United Nations and other multilateral forums.
South Korea
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his recent visit to the Republic of Korea.
Mr. Goodlad : My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary paid a successful visit to the Republic of Korea last week. He had full and useful exchanges with, among others, the President, the Foreign Minister, and the Defence Minister. As well as bilateral matters, their discussions covered regional and international issues including North Korea, market access, trade, technology co-operation, investment and the European Community. This was a very good opportunity to establish contact with the new South Korean Administration. My right hon. Friend also met and had useful discussions with representatives of the British business community.
PRIME MINISTER
South Africa (Arms Shipments)
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Rhondda (Mr. Rogers) of 18 March, Official Report, column 357, if he will list the appropriate authorities to whom evidence on unlawful shipments of arms to South Africa should be submitted.
The Prime Minister : Her Majesty's Customs and Excise.
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Engagements
Sir Peter Tapsell : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 15 April.
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 15 April.
The Prime Minister : This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this House I shall be having further meetings later today.
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Bail
Mr. Stephen : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many applications were made for bail to (a) the Crown court, (b) the High Court and (c) the Court of Appeal, during the last two years for which figures are available by persons whose application for bail had been refused by a lower court.
Mr. John M. Taylor : This information is not collected.
NATIONAL HERITAGE
Data Protection Act 1984
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many certificates have been signed under the terms of section 27 of the Data Protection Act 1984 since April 1982.
Mr. Key : My Department was formed in April 1992 and I assume that the question relates to the period since then. No certificates have been issued so far as the Department of National Heritage is concerned.
Tourism
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what percentage of holidays were undertaken by British domestic tourists in the United Kingdom in each year since 1985 (a) at the seaside, (b) in a small town, (c) in a large town, (d) in London, (e) in the countryside and (f) other.
Mr. Key : The available information is contained in the following table :
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Domestic tourists in the United Kingdom/Great Britain Percentage figures for type of location stayed at on all holidays trips are shown below: Type of location |1985 per cent. |1986 per cent. |1987 per cent. |1988 per cent. |1989 per cent. |1990 per cent. |1991 per cent. stayed at --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seaside |34 |35 |31 |36 |- |40 |40 Small town |18 |17 |17 |18 |- |17 |18 Large town |12 |14 |14 |14 |- |18 |18 London |7 |7 |8 |6 |6 |5 |5 Countryside |26 |25 |27 |22 |- |23 |23 Unspecified |6 |6 |5 |7 |- |* |* Sources: 1985 to 1988 figures-British Tourism Survey Monthly. 1989 to 1991 figures-United Kingdom Tourism Survey. Notes: 1. The British Tourism Survey Monthly (covering the period 1985 to 1988) refers to holidays in Great Britain. 2. The United Kingdom Tourism Survey (covering the period 1989 to 1991) refers to holidays in the United Kingdom. 3. London is not included in the category "Large Town". 4. Holidays by location type were not covered by the 1989 United Kingdom Tourism Survey. 5. The symbol (*) is used to indicate a percentage of less than 0.5 per cent. 6. An individual year's percentages may sum to more than 100 per cent. This occurs because on any single holiday, it is possible to stay at more than one type of location.
Advisory Agencies
Mr. Gordon Prentice : To ask the Secretary of State for National heritage if he will list the membership of the heritage advisory agencies ; what were the dates of appointment and terms of office for each individual ; and what qualification was required for appointment.
Mr. Brooke : I have two bodies to advise me on issues relating to the built heritage : the Historic Buildings and
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Monuments Commission, commonly known as English Heritage, and the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England. The members of these two bodies and their terms of office are listed in the tables.Details of the qualifications for appointment to these bodies are contained in schedule 3 to the National Heritage Act 1983 for English Heritage, and in the royal warrant issued in 1992 for the royal commission. Copies of both documents are held in the Library of the House.
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Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England (RCHME) Commissioners |Appointed |End of appointment --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Baroness Park of Monmouth, CMG (Chairman) |1 October 1989 |30 September 1994 Professor Richard Bradley |3 February 1987 |2 February 1994 Dr. Derek Keene |3 February 1987 |2 February 1994 Professor Geoffrey Martin, CBE |3 February 1987 |2 February 1994 Bridget Cherry |2 September 1987 |1 September 1994 Dr. Richard Gem |2 September 1987 |1 September 1994 Professor Martin Biddle |<1>1 December 1984|31 December 1995 Trevor Longman |14 March 1989 |13 March 1996 Anne Riches |23 September 1991 |22 September 1996 Robert Yorke |23 September 1991 |22 September 1996 Professor Charles Thomas, CBE |<1>30 March 1983 |29 March 1997 Professor Gwyn Meirion-Jones |<1>3 June 1985 |2 June 1997 <1> Indicates second term of appointment. Note: Appointments made by the Prime Minister.
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Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England (RCHME) Commissioners |Appointed |End of appointment --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Baroness Park of Monmouth, CMG (Chairman) |1 October 1989 |30 September 1994 Professor Richard Bradley |3 February 1987 |2 February 1994 Dr. Derek Keene |3 February 1987 |2 February 1994 Professor Geoffrey Martin, CBE |3 February 1987 |2 February 1994 Bridget Cherry |2 September 1987 |1 September 1994 Dr. Richard Gem |2 September 1987 |1 September 1994 Professor Martin Biddle |<1>1 December 1984|31 December 1995 Trevor Longman |14 March 1989 |13 March 1996 Anne Riches |23 September 1991 |22 September 1996 Robert Yorke |23 September 1991 |22 September 1996 Professor Charles Thomas, CBE |<1>30 March 1983 |29 March 1997 Professor Gwyn Meirion-Jones |<1>3 June 1985 |2 June 1997 <1> Indicates second term of appointment. Note: Appointments made by the Prime Minister.
National Transcommunications Ltd.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many people applied and signed for the information memorandum for the sale of National Transcommunications Ltd.
Mr. Brooke : Fifty copies of the confidential information memorandum were sent out.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many competitive bids were (a) considered and (b) investigated for National Transcommunications Ltd.
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Mr. Brooke : Three indicative bids were shortlisted ; two continued preparation for bidding up until the final deadline.
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