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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 21 April 1993
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Duty Solicitors (Northern Ireland)
Mr. McNamara : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what consideration he has given following the debate on the Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order on 17 July 1989, Official Report, column 171, to introduce a statutory duty solicitor scheme in Northern Ireland.
Mr. John M. Taylor : Following the introduction of the Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order, the Law Society of Northern Ireland established panels of solicitors in all police divisions throughout the Province, who were prepared to offer their services to persons detained or attending voluntarily at police stations.
In recognition of the PACE provisions and in order to ensure access to solicitors, regulations were made by the Lord Chancellor to coincide with the commencement of PACE, providing that persons detained or attending voluntarily at a police station should have legal advice and assistance without reference to their financial means and without contributions.
In co-operation with the police and the Law Society, a survey was carried out by the Northern Ireland court service over the second six months of 1991, in respect of the availability of legal representation for persons detained or attending at police stations. The results of the research indicate that 34 per cent. of persons detained or attending police stations requested legal advice. Of these, 87 per cent. asked for a solicitor known to them ; only 9 per cent.--or some 3 per cent. of the total--sought the services of a panel solicitor.
This survey produced no evidence to suggest that there is a significant unmet demand for access to solicitors under the PACE Order. There is no present indication that a statutory scheme is required.
High Court Judges
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proportion of the recently proposed 10 new High Court judges will be women.
Mr. John M. Taylor : Once the necessary parliamentary approval has been obtained, the Lord Chancellor will make his recommendations on individual appointments to the Queen. He will be recommending those who are best qualified to fill each post regardless of sex. Women candidates are among those under consideration.
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TRANSPORT
Slough-Windsor Railway Line
Mr. Watts : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he is considering for privatisation of the Slough to Windsor railway branch line ; and what steps he can take to protect the railway triangle at Slough for future rail use.
Mr. Freeman : It is our intention that all British Rail's passenger services will be franchised to private sector companies, including the Slough to Windsor branch line. We expect to make an announcement within the next few months about the form in which the remaining parts of the passenger rail network in Great Britain will be prepared for franchising. The area of land known as the Slough railway triangle is owned by British Rail. I understand that BR's plans for development on the triangle will not preclude possible future use if necessary in connection with a franchise of the Slough to Windsor line. A corridor of land will remain which would be sufficient for such purpose.
Consultants
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those consultants currently engaged by his Department on projects related to rail privatisation, the nature of the projects and the cost thereof.
Mr. Freeman : The consultants and the nature of their work are : Linklaters and Paines--Legal issues
Samuel Montagu and Co--Merchant Banking
KPMG Peat Marwick--Accountancy
Richard Ellis--Property matters
Dewe Rogerson--Marketing
Coopers and Lybrand--Access charges
PJR--Management and organisation
Most of these consultants are retained on hourly rates which must remain confidential for commercial reasons. The total costs, including completed and expected projects, for the financial years 1991-92, 1992-93 and 1993-94 were given in my answer to the hon. Gentleman of Wednesday 24 February, Official Report, column 587. The final outturn for 1992-93 was £5.7 million.
Aston Down
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what work is currently being carried out by the Civil Aviation Authority at the former Royal Air Force station Aston Down ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Norris : The Civil Aviation Authority facilities at Aston Down are used for the storage of air traffic control equipment.
London Travelcard
Mr. Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects his Department's working group on the future of the London travelcard to complete its deliberations ; and if he will publish the results.
Mr. Norris : The working group is exploring with transport operators in both the public and the private sector how the London travelcard is most likely to adapt over the next few years to changes in the provision of
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public transport services, including the franchising of rail services and the privatisation and deregulation of bus services. The conclusions will no doubt be reflected in the announcements which will in due course be made, in the usual way, about changes in the operators' fares.NATIONAL FINANCE
Charities
Mr. Jon Owen Jones : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) pursuant to his answer of 17 February, Official Report, column 210, what consideration was given to the Charities Tax Reform Group proposals regarding the introduction of a value added tax refund scheme ;
(2) what plans the Government have to introduce a value added tax refund scheme for charities.
Sir John Cope : We considered this proposal very carefully. We concluded that it is better to foster a more favourable tax regime for charitable fund raising and charitable giving rather than introduce more reliefs based on charity spending. This policy provides the greatest benefit to charities perceived by givers to deserve most support rather than to those which happen to spend most on taxable goods and services in the United Kingdom. Total tax reliefs to charities now amount to almost £1 billion a year.
Oil Taxation (Budget Confidentiality)
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what evidence he has of breaches of Budget confidentiality in relation to changes to the oil taxation regime ; and if he will make a statement.
Public Expenditure
Mr. Jenkin : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what additional provision for annual recurring public expenditure has been made as a result of rulings of the European Court of Justice in each year since the implementation of the Single European Act.
Sir John Cope : Information is not available on the financial consequences resulting from the rulings of the European Court of Justice or of any annual recurring public expenditure resulting from such rulings.
Postal Services (VAT)
Mr. Bowis : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue he estimates would be raised if (a) Parcelforce and (b) the Royal Mail were subject to value added tax.
Sir John Cope [holding answer 20 April 1993] : Businesses may reclaim VAT charged. On this basis, the estimated revenue effects are :
(a) negligible.
(b) £180 million.
Mr. Bowis : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration he has given to permitting the Post Office to reclaim value added tax, following the imposition of value added tax on intra-Community transport costs ; and what is his estimate of the cost to the Post Office of value added tax on these costs.
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Sir John Cope [holding answer 20 April 1993] : The Post Office is registered for VAT purposes and is able to reclaim VAT incurred on its purchases subject to the normal rules. On the ground of commercial confidentiality, it would be inappropriate for me to comment on the additional costs incurred by the Post Office as a result of the recent VAT changes in the treatment of intra-EC freight transport service.
Domestic Fuel (VAT)
Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much extra a family with two children on half average earnings will pay per week, when value added tax on domestic fuel is increased to 17.5 per cent.
Sir John Cope : A family with two children on three quarters average earnings would pay about £2.30 per week additional tax, assuming 1993- 94 levels of real earnings. Estimates outside the range of 75 to 150 per cent. of average earnings are not available because of the large margins of error associated with small sample sizes and large variations in spending patterns.
Ms Harman : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the increase in annual expenditure due to the introduction of 17.5 per cent. VAT on fuel assuming no behavioural changes for (a) someone on mean earnings, (b) someone on 75 per cent. of mean earnings, (c) someone on 50 per cent. of mean earnings, (d) someone on 150 per cent. of mean earnings, (e) each income decile of the population, (f) each income decile of households and (g) each income decile of families.
Sir John Cope [holding answer 1 April 1993] : The available information is given in the tables. The figures make no allowance for changes to expenditure patterns due to the introduction of VAT on domestic fuel and power.
Table 1: increase in expenditure on fuel and power by a single person due to imposition of VAT at 17.5 per cent. in 1993-94 prices Percentage of |£ per week average earnings --------------------------------------------------- 75 |1.75 100 |1.90 150 |2.30 Notes to table 1: 1. The estimates are based on an equation relating expenditure on fuel and power to total spending derived from the 1991 Family Expenditure Survey and applied to 1993-94 price earnings levels and the 1993-94 income tax and NICs systems on the illustrative assumption that 10 per cent. of disposable income is saved. 2. Average earnings are taken to be average gross weekly earnings of all full time males on adult rates. This is assumed to be £359.80 per week in 1993-94, based on the illustrative earnings growth assumption of 4 per cent. in 1993-94. 3. Estimates are not available outside the earnings range shown due to the large margin of error associated with small sample sizes and large variations in spending patterns.
Table 2: increase in average household expenditure on fuel and
power due to imposition of VAT at 17.5 per cent. in 1993-94
prices
Deciles of household |£ per week
income
---------------------------------------------------------------
1st |2.00
2nd |1.95
3rd |2.10
4th |2.25
5th |2.35
6th |2.40
7th |2.35
8th |2.40
9th |2.45
10th |2.70
Notes to table 2:
1. Figures are based on the last three Family Expenditure
Surveys, 1989 to 1991, uprated to 1993-94 prices in line with
the growth in consumers' expenditure.
2. Households have been allocated to deciles on the basis of
their net income in the survey period adjusted to take account
of differences in family composition.
3. Data on expenditure on fuel and power is only available at
the level of the household.
Ms Harman : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the total amount paid into the Treasury in VAT on domestic fuel in 1994-95 and 1995-96 by each income decile of (a) the population as a whole, (b) households and (c) families.
Sir John Cope [holding answer 1 April 1993] : Table 4.1 of the 1993-94 Financial Statement and Budget Report estimates the projected yield in 1994-95 and 1995-96 from applying VAT to domestic fuel and power as £950 million and £2,300 million respectively. These figures take into account changes in expenditure patterns. They are not available at a decile level.
VAT
Ms Harman : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the total amount paid into the Treasury in VAT in 1987-88, 1992-93 1994-95 and 1995-96 (a) by the whole population, (b) by each income decile of the population, (c) by each income decile of households and (d) by each income decile of families.
Sir John Cope [holding answer 1 April 1993] : Total net receipts of VAT in 1987-88 were £24,066 million--HM Customs and Excise annual report 1991-92--and are estimated to be £37,400 million in 1992 -93--table 1.2, Financial Statement and Budget Report 1993-94. Estimates of total VAT receipts for 1994-95 and 1995-96, consistent with published estimates for 1992-93, are not available. Figures giving a breakdown of total VAT payments in 1987 by decile group are published in the article on the effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in the May 1990 edition of Economic Trends. Similar figures for 1992-93 and later years are not available.
Postal Services (VAT)
Mr. Bowis : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 29 October 1992, Official Report, c. 789 if he has yet held discussions with EC Finance Ministers or the Commission about the value added tax exemption for public postal services ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir John Cope [holding answer 20 April 1993] : There have been no such discussions and the reply of 29 October remains appropriate.
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PRIME MINISTER
Iran and Iraq (Weapons)
Mr. Rogers : To ask the Prime Minister what was the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards export of lethal weapons for Iran and Iraq from 1979 to 1985 ; and if he will list each occasion on which changes in the policy were announced to the House.
The Prime Minister : Restrictions on the export of lethal weapons to Iran were introduced following the seizure of the American hostages in 1979. Restrictions were introduced on Iraq following the outbreak of the Iran/Iraq conflict in 1980. Guidelines applying to all deliveries of defence equipment to Iran and Iraq were introduced in December 1984. They were announced to the House on 29 October 1985 by my noble and learned Friend, Lord Howe of Aberavon, then Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. The guidelines were as follows :
(i) we should maintain our consistent refusal to supply any lethal equipment to either side ;
(ii) subject to that overriding consideration, we should attempt to fulfil existing contracts and obligations ;
(iii) we should not, in future, approve orders for any defence equipment which, in our view, would significantly enhance the capability of either side to prolong or exacerbate the conflict ; (
(iv) in line with this policy, we should continue to scrutinise rigorously all applications for export licences for the supply of defence equipment to Iran and Iraq.
Liverpool
Mr. Parry : To ask the Prime Minister what plans he has to visit Liverpool in the near future.
The Prime Minister : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave him yesterday at column 178.
WALES
Community Care
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many copies of his Department's report, "Community Care--Information Pack for the Voluntary and Private Sectors", have been published ; to which organisations it has been distributed ; and at what cost.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : Three thousand copies of the Welsh Office information pack for the voluntary and private sectors have been published. Packs have been distributed to social services departments, health authorities, family health services authorities, voluntary organisations, and residential and nursing homes in Wales. The total costs of producing and distributing the pack have not yet been finalised, but are expected to be around £22,000.
EDUCATION
Further Education (Special Needs)
Sir John Hannam : To ask the Secretary of State for Education what arrangements there are to ensure that (i) support needs, (ii) transport needs and (iii) maintenance costs of students with disabilities and learning difficulties in further education will be met.
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Mr. Boswell : The duties on the further education funding councils and local education authorities to secure further education provision for students with disabilities and learning difficulties require them to take acount of their additional learning support needs. LEAs' duties and powers concerning the provision of transport now include students at colleges in the new further education sector. Students attending courses of further education may apply to their LEA for a discretionary award in respect of their maintenance costs, and full-time and sandwich students aged 19 or over may also seek assistance from the further education access funds.
Sir John Hannam : To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many specialist independent colleges for students with disabilities and learning difficulties in England and Wales make further education provision.
Mr. Boswell : This information is not held centrally.
Sir John Hannam : To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much was spent in England on provision for students with disabilities and learning difficulties in maintained further education colleges in 1992-93 ; and how much he estimates will be spent by (i) the Further Education Funding Council for England, (ii) training and enterprise councils, (iii) local education authorities and (iv) social services departments on such provision in 1993-94.
Mr. Boswell : It is for the various agencies involved in securing provision for students with learning difficulties and disabilities to determine what resources they should allocate to further education colleges for this purpose. It is not possible to estimate expenditure on such provision, given the discretion generally available to colleges over the use of resources.
Sir John Hannam : To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much was spent on further provision for students with disabilities and learning difficulties from England in specialist independent colleges in 1993 ; and how much he estimates will be spent by (i) the Further Education Funding Council for England, (ii) training and enterprise councils, (iii) local education authorities and (iv) social services departments on such provision in 1993-94.
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Mr. Boswell : It is for the various agencies involved in securing provision for students with learning difficulties and disabilities to determine what resources they should allocate to specialist independent colleges for this purpose. Information on their funding of these institutions is not available centrally.
Sir John Hannam : To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many further education students with disabilities and learning difficulties from England in 1992-93 were attending (i) maintained colleges and (ii) specialist independent colleges ; and how many of each of these are expected in 1993-94 to be the responsibility of (a) the Further Education Funding Council and (b) local education authorities.
Mr. Boswell : In 1991-92, the latest year for which data are available, there were 42,000 further education students classified as having special educational needs attending maintained further education colleges. It is not possible to specify the proportion that will be the responsibility of the Further Education Funding Council or local education authorities from 1993-94.
Information about specialist independent colleges is not available centrally.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Traffic Density
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the traffic density revealed in the latest traffic surveys for roads which will benefit from (a) the Comber bypass, (b) the Balloo road stage 3 Bangor, (c) the A5 Burndennett, (d) the Ann street/Thomas street, Dungannon, (e) the A5 Magheramason, (f) the A5 Leckpatrick, (g) the Antrim/Ballymena stage 2, (h) the Greenmount link, Coleraine, (i) the Omagh throughpass stage 2, (j) the Belfast urban area plan roads (95/96) and (k) the Belfast urban area plan roads (96/97) road schemes.
Mr. Atkins : The information is as follows :
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Road scheme |Roads which will |Typical daily
|benefit from each |traffic figure
|scheme
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(a) Comber By-Pass |A22 Killinchy Road, Comber |4,100
|A22 Belfast Road, Comber |9,525
|A21 Newtownards Road, |14,700
|Comber
(b) Balloo Road, Bangor |Balloo Road (Gransha end) |14,925
Stage 3 |Balloo Road (Rathgael end) |10,300
(c) A5 Burndennet |Route A5 |7,100
(d) Anne Street/Thomas Street Dungannon |Market Street, Dungannon |8,400
(e) A5 Magheramason |Route A5 |7,100
(f) A5 Leckpatrick |Route A5 |7,100
(g) Antrim/Ballymena Stage 2 |Route A26 |18,500
(h) Greenmount Link, Coleraine |Dunhill Road |15,325
|Castlerock Road |5,400
|Strand Road |10,500
|Laurel Hill/Killowen Street |7,000
(i) Omagh Through-Pass Stage 2 |Derry Road |15,000
------- |------- |-------
(j) Purdysburn Road Stage 1 |Purdysburn Road |9,000
(k) (1) Ballymachonaghy Road |Ballymaconaghy Road |1,600
(2) Forster Green Junction |Total traffic using junction|50,000
(3) Balmoral Avenue/Malone Road |Total traffic using junction|39,400
Junction
Unemployment Schemes
Mr. Peter Robinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the schemes operated by Government Departments in Northern Ireland which are designed to alleviate unemployment amongst school leavers ; how many benefited from each scheme since its inception ; and how many obtained permanent employment as a result.
Mr. Atkins : Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Training and Employment Agency under its chief executive, Mr. J. S. Crozier. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from J. S. Crozier to Mr. Peter Robinson, dated 16 April 1993 :
You asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he would list the schemes operated by government departments in Northern Ireland which are designed to alleviate unemployment amongst school leavers ; how many benefited from each scheme since its inception ; and how many obtained permanent employment as a result. The Secretary of State has passed your questions to me, as Chief Executive of the Training and Employment Agency, for reply.
I take it that your question refers to labour market measures. The relevant schemes are the Youth Training Programme (YTP), the Job Training Programme (JTP) and the Action for Community Employment Programme (ACE). Through YTP, all 16 and 17 year olds who leave school and are unable to find employment are guaranteed a structured programme of directed and workplace training, lasting up to 2 years, to enable them to compete for available jobs. I have detailed below the average number who each year have benefited from YTP since its inception in 1982 and the number whose destinations are known and who left to take up employment.
|Average occupancy|Leavers to
|employment
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1982-83<1> |8,035 |214
1983-84 |7,242 |3,168
1984-85 |7,381 |5,017
1985-86 |8,079 |5,500
1986-87 |,658 |5,686
1987-88 |,776 |5,787
1988-89 |,880 |6,428
1989-90 |9,818 |6,767
1990-91 |12,914 |4,223
1991-92 |15,480 |5,754
1992-93 |13,793 |6,672
|------- |-------
|109,056 |55,216
<1> September-March.
Progression into full-time education is also considered a positive outcome for young people. In 1992-93 11 of trainees entered full-time education immediately after leaving YTP.
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The Job Training Programme and Action for Community Employment also provide training and employment opportunities to school leavers who are 18 years of age or over and who have been unemployed for 6 months or more. Total participation in these programmes and employment placements were as follows :
H
Job Training Programme
Year |Average Occupancy|Leavers to
|Employment
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1988-89 |517 |119
1989-90 |1,743 |600
1990-91 |2,341 |1,543
1991-92 |2,912 |1,813
1992-93 |<1>3,930 |<1>1,940
<1>These are estimated outturn figures based on February 1993 figures.
Action for Community Employment
Year |Average Occupancy|Leavers to
|Employment
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1981-82 |430 |<1>-
1982-83 |1,270 |<1>-
1983-84 |2,525 |<1>-
1984-85 |3,090 |<1>-
1985-86 |3,890 |<1>-
1986-87 |6,150 |<1>-
1987-88 |6,200 |<1>-
1988-89 |8,600 |2,494
1989-90 |10,000 |3,420
1990-91 |10,000 |2,750
1991-92 |10,000 |2,800
1992-93 |9,600 |<2>-
<1>No figures prior to 1989.
<2>Not yet available.
Unfortunately our records do not differentiate between school leavers and other adult participants of these programmes and I am therefore unable to give you a breakdown of these figures. I hope that this information is of help.
Water Executive
Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what consultations took place about the establishment of the Water Executive ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Atkins : The establishment of the Water Executive was simply an administrative change of title introduced following the Government's announcement of their intention to privatise water and sewerage services in Northern Ireland. Consultation was not therefore necessary.
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Disability (Grants) Bill
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how he intends to fund the Independent Living (Extension) Fund, the Independent Living (1993) Fund and Motability before the enactment of the Disability (Grants) Bill.
Mr. Hanley : The Disability (Grants) Bill currently before Parliament will allow the Department of Health and Social Services in Northern Ireland to make grants to certain named organisations that help disabled people lead a more independent life in the community. These organisations are the Independent Living (Extension) Fund, the Independent Living (1993) Fund and Motability.
Parliamentary approval of expenditure on grant in aid to the Independent Living Funds will be sought in the 1993-94 main estimate for centrally administered social security (Department of Health and Social Services, vote 5).
Approval for expenditure on a grant to Motability will be sought in the 1993-94 main estimate for administration and miscellaneous services (Department of Health and Social Services, vote 3). Pending approval, urgent expenditure estimated at £3,100,000 will be met by repayable advances from the Northern Ireland civil contingencies fund.
ENVIRONMENT
Waste Management
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he win : This paper was issued in draft as part of a second package of consultation documents concerning the new waste management licensing system to be introduced by regulations under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. When published, it will give guidance to waste regulation authorities on how to determine whether to accept the surrender of a licence for a landfill site. Responses to the draft focused on three main issues : the criteria against which the degree of completion of a site should be judged ; the amount of analysis required to assess whether a site is complete and the consequent cost to industry ; and problems related to liability after a completion certificate is issued by the authority. In the light of the responses, the Department is revising the paper prior to publication.
Hazardous Chemicals
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the conditions under which planning consent for the storage of hazardous chemicals under the Planning (Hazardous Substances) Act 1990 may become unnecessary if the responsible party managing the chemicals deems them to be a waste material.
Mr. Baldry : The controls in the Planning (Hazardous Substances) Act 1990 do not apply to the presence of
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substances which are controlled wastes, as defined in section 75(4) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, or radioactive wastes, as defined in section 18(4) of the Radioactive Substances Act 1960. This is to avoid an unnecessary duplication of statutory control.Environmental Sustainability
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what studies on environmental sustainability he has commissioned since the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development.
Mr. Maclean : Much of my Department's research programme relates to questions of environmental sustainability. In addition, we commissioned six background studies for a recent seminar on sustainable development at Green college, Oxford. I shall place copies of these studies, together with the record of the seminar, in the Library.
Sewer Pipes
Mrs. Helen Jackson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to make water companies liable for flood damage from sewer pipes.
Mr. Maclean : Following proposals made by the Director General of Water Services, the Water Supply and Sewerage Services (Customer Service Standards) (Amendment) Regulations 1993, SI.1993 No. 500, which came into effect on 1 April 1993, extended the scope of the water industry's guaranteed standards scheme to provide, among other measures, for the refund of annual sewerage charges, up to a maximum of £1,000, paid by customers who suffer foul flooding of their property. I welcome these improvements to the generally good services that the water companies provide for their customers.
Nuclear Power Industry
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what role his Department will be playing in the planned review of the nuclear power industry.
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