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Mr. Portillo : The figures are set out in the table. The "Financial Statement and Budget Report" contains forecasts of the PSBR for only the current year and for the year ahead. PSBR estimates for 1991-92 and 1992-93 given in successive FSBRs prior to 1991 were projections, rather than forecasts, based on illustrative assumptions about the medium-term path of the economy.
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£ billion
|1991-92|1992-93
----------------------------------
Forecast made in:
1991 FSBR |7.9 |n.a.
1992 FSBR |13.8 |28.1
1993 FSBR |n.a. |35.1
Outturn |13.8 |36.5
Ms Harman : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish a table setting out the value of the public sector borrowing requirement as a proportion of gross domestic product at market prices for each financial year from 1963-64 onwards together with the value of public sector capital expenditure, including capital grants to the private sector, as a proportion of GDP at market prices over the same period.
Mr. Portillo : The figures requested are set out in the table. The size of the public sector has been reduced significantly over the past decade as a result of the privatisation programme.
|Public sector |PSBR<2>
|capital
|expenditure<1><2>
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1963-64 |7.9 |3.4
1964-65 |8.4 |2.7
1965-66 |8.4 |2.6
1966-67 |9.4 |3.0
1967-68 |10.7 |5.0
1968-69 |10.0 |0.8
1969-70 |9.7 |-1.3
1970-71 |10.0 |1.5
1971-72 |9.2 |1.7
1972-73 |8.7 |3.7
1973-74 |9.6 |5.9
1974-75 |10.4 |9.1
1975-76 |10.3 |9.4
1976-77 |9.2 |6.5
1977-78 |7.5 |3.6
1978-79 |7.0 |5.4
1979-80 |6.8 |4.8
1980-81 |6.3 |5.4
1981-82 |5.4 |3.4
1982-83 |5.7 |3.2
1983-84 |5.8 |3.2
1984-85 |5.3 |3.1
1985-86 |4.5 |1.6
1986-87 |3.9 |0.9
1987-88 |3.4 |-0.8
1988-89 |3.1 |-3.1
1989-90 |3.9 |-1.5
1990-91 |3.7 |-0.1
1991-92 |3.7 |2.4
<1> On a national accounts basis. Comprises gross domestic fixed
capital formation-net of receipts from asset sales-increase in stocks,
and capital grants to the private sector.
<2> As percentage of GDP at market prices adjusted for the abolition of
domestic rates.
NATIONAL HERITAGE
Departmental Contracts
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list the duration, value and nature of contracts awarded by his Department to Arthur Andersen, Kleinwort Benson, Denton, Hall, Begrie and Warren.
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Mr. Key : My Department has not awarded any contracts to these firms.
Foundation for Sport and the Arts
Mr. Pendry : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will set out the precise criteria governing organisations' eligibility for receiving grant from the Foundation for Sport and the Arts.
Mr. Brooke : The Foundation for Sport and the Arts trust deed states that the main and primary purpose for which the foundation can give grant aid is for
"the promotion, support, encouragement or assistance in such manner of such athletic sports or athletic games in the United Kingdom as the Trustees may from time to time in their absolute discretion think fit".
The secondary purpose for which the trustees are able to give grants with absolute discretion is for the promotion, encouragement or assistance of the arts in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Pendry : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will make a statement on the eligibility of angling to receive grant from the Foundation for Sport and the Arts.
Mr. Brooke : It is for the trustees to decide whether or not an activity is eligible for support under the terms of the trust deed.
TRANSPORT
Chlorine
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what safety regulations govern the transportation of chlorine by road tanker ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : The regulations for the transport of dangerous goods by road are made under the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974. They include the Dangerous Substances (Carriage of Dangerous Substances in Road Tankers and Tank Containers) Regulations 1992 and the Road Traffic (Training of Drivers of Vehicles Carrying Dangerous Goods) Regulations 1992.
Among other things, these regulations require that road tankers carrying dangerous goods such as chlorine meet the appropriate construction standards and are regularly inspected, and that the dangerous goods carried are accompanied by information in writing to indicate the nature of the danger to which they could give rise. Vehicles must display a hazard warning panel and drivers must be properly trained and hold a valid vocational training certificate.
Rail Freight
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the tonnage of goods and materials transported by rail in each year since 1979 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : This information is contained in "Transport Statistics", Great Britain, 1992, tables 9.3 and 1.9 and in British Rail's annual reports and accounts for the years in question, copies of which are in the Library.
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Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will bring forward legislation to enable him to control British Rail charges to freight customers.
Mr. Freeman : No. Charges are set by negotiation with customers in the light of market pressures.
Power Station, Humberside
Mr. Tipping : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received about traffic problems arising from the construction of a gas-fired power station at Keadby, Humberside ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : A petition to the Prime Minister with over 150 signatures was received by my Department on 20 April. The petition calls for action mainly by the construction contractors and also the local highway authority.
Railways Bill
Mr. Adley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish notes on each of the amendments made and the new clauses added to the Railways Bill by Standing Committee B in the same form as the notes printed on clauses relating to the Bill as committed.
Mr. Freeman : Revised notes on clauses for the Railways Bill will be prepared for the introduction of the Bill in the House of Lords in the normal way. The record of proceedings in Committee record the reasons I gave in Committee for Government amendments.
Jubilee Line
Mr. Beith : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport further to the answer to the hon. Member for Cardiff, West (Mr. Morgan) of 20 April, Official Report, column 70, what guarantee or underwriting has been undertaken by the Government in respect of the loan from the European investment bank to Canary wharf in connection with the Jublilee line project ; and whether he will make a statement.
Ms Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Government or any other public body has incurred a contingent liability as a result of the agreement by the European investment bank to provide £98 million to finance the extension of the Jubilee line.
Mr. Norris : Detailed arrangements for funding the Jubilee line extension are for agreement between London Transport/London Underground Ltd. and the parties involved in the financing of Canary wharf. These arrangements are currently under discussion and are subject to the normal rules of commercial confidentiality.
Dounreay
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what notification his Department receives of (a) dates, (b) route and port or airport of arrival and (c) transport mode of nuclear fuel rods imported from continental Europe for treatment or storage at the nuclear power establishment at Dounreay.
Mr. Norris : Notification is given to the Department under the requirements of the International Atomic Energy Agency
regulations--paragraph 456--for the safe transport of radioactive material.
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Plutonium Flights
Mr. Salmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what statutory or voluntary arrangements are made for the operators responsible for the plutonium flights from Carlisle to inform his Department of the timing and routing of the flights ; what is the date and route of the next plutonium flight from Carlisle ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Norris : Notification is made to the Department under the requirements of the International Atomic Energy Agency
regulations--paragraph 456--for the safe transport of radioactive material.
The date and route of the next plutonium flight are matters for the operators.
Family Railcard
Mrs. Mahon : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will ensure that the family railcard will be available throughout the rail network after privatisation.
Mr. Freeman : BR's current range of railcards have proved successful in attracting more passengers to off-peak services. Private sector operators will clearly wish to achieve the same result and there is every reason to believe that they will introduce new initiatives in order to increase this market still further. The Government, therefore, see no need to impose specific requirements on operators to offer particular types of discount facility, with the exception of the disabled persons railcard which is provided voluntarily by British Rail and does not make a profit.
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Cutlery
Mr. Cryer : To ask the Chairman of the Catering Committee when was the last occasion that House of Commons cutlery was sold off by auction ; what was the revenue gained ; what was the reason for the sale ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Colin Shepherd : This is a matter for the Director of Catering Services and I shall ask her to write to the hon. Member.
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Natural Environment Research Council
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which component body of the Natural Environment Research Council carries out its geological activities ; and which other bodies carry on geological activities of a substantially similar kind to those carried on by the Natural Environment Research Council.
Mr. Robert Jackson : The British Geological Survey, within the Natural Environment Research Council,
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undertakes geological activities. There is no other comparable organisation in the United Kingdom, although there are equivalent bodies in various other countries.DEFENCE
M3 BR90 Bridging Equipment
Mr. Frank Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made with procurement of M3 BR90 bridging equipment ; which companies are the principal contractors and subcontractors ; what is the timetable for development and production ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Aitken : The Anglo-German development programme of the M3 amphibious bridge has now been completed. An invitation to tender was issued in February 1993 for the production of bridges to meet United Kingdom and German requirements. Following completion of the tender exercise we plan to take a decision on production in mid-1994. A number of European companies have been invited to tender, including ALVIS and GKN from the United Kingdom and EWK, the German contractor which carried out the development. Interested subcontractors have been advised to approach the potential prime contractors. The BR90 development contract with Thompson Defence Projects (TDP), part of the Rolls-Royce Industrial Power Group, is approximately 75 per cent. complete. Negotiations are now taking place with the company for the production phase of this family of bridges. If these are successful, production is planned to commence in 1993. The principal subcontractor is Unipower, which supplies the common bridge carrying vehicles for the project.
Mr. John Anderson
Mr. Rogers : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to investigate the arrest of Mr. John Anderson by MOD police in February 1992.
Mr. Aitken : Mr. Anderson was arrested by the Ministry of Defence police not in February 1992 but in April 1990. He was detained in connection with a possible case of corruption, interviewed and released without charge. Subsequently, he made a number of complaints concerning the circumstances of his arrest. These have been investigated in accordance with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and the report currently rests with the Police Complaints Authority whose decision is awaited.
Al Yamamah Contract
Mr. Rogers : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the countries, other than Saudi Arabia, which received materials under the terms of the Al Yamamah 1 contract.
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Atomic Weapons Establishment
Dr. Lynne Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will now order an independent safety investigation into the AWE.
Mr. Aitken : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 3 February 1993, Official Report, column 182.
RAF Wittering
Mr. Livingstone : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the incident on Thursday 15 April at RAF Wittering involving threatening action by a soldier towards women protesters ; what was the position of the women relative to the barbed wire perimeter fence at the time ; and what instructions are given to soldiers in such circumstances.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The women protesters were about 60 yd inside the station perimeter fence when they were challenged. I am satisfied that the action taken by the RAF and MOD police in removing them from the station was in accordance with MOD regulations.
Unoccupied Dwellings
Mr. Jamieson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many dwellings owned by his Ministry in Plymouth are currently unoccupied.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : As at 31 March 1993 the Ministry of Defence owned 250 vacant houses and flats in Plymouth, of which 243 were service married quarters and seven were Ministry of Defence civilian houses. Of these properties, 116 were either undergoing or awaiting major maintenance work or modernisation and 63 were already allocated to service families who were due to move in shortly. In addition, some 277 vacant service married quarters were in the process of being sold.
Yugoslavia
Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what instructions have been given to British participants in the European Community monitoring mission to Yugoslavia on the receipt and wearing of medals presented by the European Community ; what rules apply to the receipt and wearing of medals awarded by the United Nations for peacekeeping duties ; whether British participants in current operations in Croatia, Bosnia, the Adriatic and in enforcing the no-fly zone qualify for British campaign or gallantry medals ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : British participants in the European Community monitoring mission in the former Yugoslavia have been advised that they should not accept the medal awarded by the European Community. Decisions on the acceptance and wearing of medals instituted by other countries are a matter for the sovereign, who is advised by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Permission is not normally granted if the award is offered more than five years after the event it commemorates, or if an official British award has been instituted for the same period of service. The question of British awards for service in the former Yugoslavia, the Adriatic and in enforcing the no-fly zone is currently under consideration.
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The approval of the sovereign is required for British personnel to accept and wear medals awarded by the United Nations for peacekeeping duties. Her Majesty the Queen has recently agreed that British personnel who meet the qualifying criteria may receive the United Nations medal for service in the former Yugoslavia.Queen Victoria School, Dunblane
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what investigation was made by service personnel or persons employed by his Department into allegations of bullying at the Queen Victoria school, Dunblane, made by Mr. G. Harrison in December 1991 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : This is a matter for the chief executive of Queen Victoria school, and I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Julian Hankinson to Mr. James Wallace, dated April 1993 :
I have been asked to answer to you directly the following Parliamentary Question regarding Queen Victoria School.
Date of Order Paper : 21 April 1993
"6. Mr. James Wallace (Orkney and Shetland) : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what investigation was made by service personnel or persons employed by his Department into allegations of bullying at the Queen Victoria School, Dunblane, made by Mr. G. Harrison in December 1991 ; and if he will make a statement."
Answer :
As a result of the allegations of bullying at Queen Victoria School made by Mr. G. Harrison in December 1991, Central Region Police carried out an immediate investigation and concluded that there was no cause for further action on their part. At the same time, the Chairman of Her Majesty's Commissioners called for an independent enquiry which took the form of a full pastoral inspection carried out by the Scottish Schools Inspectorate. No investigation was made by Service personnel or persons employed by the Department for the very reason that all enquiries were to be completely independent and impartial.
I trust this answer is satisfactory. I would be happy to supply any further information if you require it.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Pit Closures
Mr. Nicholas Winterton : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the total projected cost of the package of aid which is to be made available to the coal communities affected by his pit closure programme.
Mr. Eggar : As indicated in "Prospects for Coal", £200 million of additional measures has been available to English areas affected by major job losses in mining. There is a separate package of £43 million available to corresponding areas in Wales.
Mr. Clapham : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will guarantee that coal miners working at a mine scheduled for closure, mothballing or development under the Government's review who elect to put the colliery into the modified review procedure do not suffer any financial loss over the period whilst awaiting the decision of the review.
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Mr. Eggar : Decisions on the future of individual collieries, including consultation arrangements, and the remuneration and redundancy terms for its work force, are a matter for British Coal.
British Coal Pension Scheme
Mr. Nicholas Winterton : To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he last met representatives of (a) British Coal and (b) the General, Municipal, Boilermakers and Allied Trades Union to discuss the future of the British Coal staff superannuation scheme ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : There have been no such discussions.
Mr. Nicholas Winterton : To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what representations he has recently received concerning the proposal by British Coal to withhold from the British Coal staff superannuation scheme the payment of the £500 million which had been previously agreed for the funding of enhanced redundancy pensions ; (2) what recent representations he has received concerning the British Coal staff superannuation scheme ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : I ha-9 T Mr. Nicholas Winterton : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his policy on the decision of British Coal to withhold from the British Coal staff superannuation scheme the payment of the £500 million which had been previously agreed ; when that policy was communicated to British Coal ; and what assurances he has given to British Coal relating to legal or other costs which might be incurred in resisting moves to force the release of the funds to the superannuation scheme.
Mr. Eggar : The management of British Coal's staff superannuation scheme is a matter for the corporation and the scheme's trustees. British Coal is seeking a court direction on the application of its share of the surplus in the scheme before it proceeds. No indemnity has been given or offered to the corporation in respect of its legal other costs. The Department will make grant payments for additional contributions that are made by British Coal.
Methane
Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the ownership of methane within coal seams in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Eggar : The Petroleum (Production) Act 1934 vests all petroleum in the Crown. For the purposes of this Act the definition of petroleum includes any natural gas--such as methane--existing in its natural condition in strata.
Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to clarify the rights of British Coal in relation to the coal bed methane industry.
Mr. Eggar : The Government announced in their White Paper "The Prospects for Coal" (Cm 2235) that when the coal industry is privatised, it is intended that there will be a new coal authority. The authority's powers and duties
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would be set out in the relevant legislation. Meanwhile, as the owner of the coal, British Coal's consent is required before any coal bed methane operations can take place.Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether methane extracted under a methane drainage licence under schedule 8 of the Petroleum (Production) Regulations 1982 may be commercially exploited by the holder of that licence.
Mr. Eggar : Methane drainage licences are granted incorporating the model clauses in schedule 8 of the Petroleum (Production) Regulations 1982 for the purposes of making and keeping mines safe. The terms of the licence do not prohibit the commercial exploitation of the methane obtained in this way.
Dr. Kim Howells : To ask the President of the Board of Trade on what basis British Coal assesses the value of coal that has been damaged by methane extraction.
Mr. Eggar : This is a matter for British Coal.
Offshore Oil Industry
Mr. Ainger : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what conditions have been attached to oil exploration licences granted to the oil company for blocks 102/10, 103/1, 103/6, 106/27, 106/18, 106/19 and 106/23.
Mr. Eggar : The conditions attached to the oil and gas production licences granted to a consortium led by Marathon Oil for blocks 102/10, 103/1, 103/6, 106/27, 106/18, 106/19 and 106/23 are not significantly different from those shown in the indicative conditions circulated in October 1992. A copy of this document was placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Ainger : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the shortest distance in nautical miles between (a) RAF Chivenor and (b) RAF Valley and blocks 102/10, 103/1, 103/6, 106/27, 106/18, 106/19 and 106/23.
Mr. Eggar : The shortest distances are approximately 70 nautical miles from RAF Chivenor to block 103/6 and 53 nautical miles from RAF Valley to block 106/19.
Sir Michael Grylls : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he treats licences granted by his Department to oil companies under previous United Kingdom continental shelf licensing rounds as contractually binding agreements.
Mr. Eggar : Yes. Licences granted to oil companies offer specified rights, subject to conditions where appropriate, over the areas comprised by the licence, for a period stipulated in the licence. In return, companies undertake to obeserve the terms of the licence and to perform any programme of work agreed with my Department.
Credit
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will bring forward proposals for legislation to prevent companies sending credit offers to minors ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Leigh : My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Consumer Affairs and Small Firms has asked the Director General of Fair Trading to
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review consumer credit legislation and the proposals for amending it. The need to tighten up the existing provisions which prohibit the sending of credit circulars to minors will be reassessed in the light of the Director General's advice.Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to review the current laws relating to credit ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Leigh : I refer the hon. and learned Gentleman to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Ashford (Sir K. Speed) on 12 March 1993, Official Report, columns 777-78.
Packaging
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he has any plans to introduce legislation designed to reduce the amount of materials and energy used, and the by-products generated in the manufacture of packaging for goods ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : I have no plans to introduce legislation along the lines described. There has been a move towards lightweighting of packaging in recent years for both environmental and commercial reasons. This has been achieved without compromising the essential functions of packaging including protecting and preserving food, which itself reduces waste.
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