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Written Answers to Questions
Monday 24 May 1993
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Public Defender Service
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proposals he has for a public defender service.
Medical Negligence
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what information he has on the average duration of court cases involving claims for compensation for medical negligence affecting children born with disabilities, during each year since 1987.
Mr. John M. Taylor : The information is not available and could be collected only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps have been undertaken by his Department to date to speed up the process of dealing with claims for compensation for medical negligence in the courts affecting children born with a disability.
Mr. John M. Taylor : Over the last two years a number of jurisdictional, procedural and administrative changes have been introduced with the aim of reducing delay in case progress. These were not designed specifically for medical negligence cases, but such cases will have benefited from new regulations which include the early exchange of more information, including medical reports and other witness' evidence, serving proceedings within four rather than 12 months and allowing courts to deal with the question of liability in advance of the question of quantum.
Select Committee Recommendations
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many Select Committee recommendations have been made about his Department since April 1989 ; and how many have been accepted.
Mr. John M. Taylor : Of those Select Committee reports which have been wholly or significantly addressed to my Department, the 21st report of the Committee of Public Accounts for the Session 1991-92, on expenditure on criminal legal aid, made eight conclusions and recommendations, which were in general accepted. The third report of the Home Affairs Select Committee- -HASC--for the Session 1992-93, on domestic violence, made 42 recommendations some of which were wholly or in part directed at the Lord Chancellor's Department. The fifth report of that Committee, "Legal Aid : The Lord
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Chancellor's Proposals", made 10 recommendations. The Government have not yet responded to either of the HASC reports.AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Flood Defence Committees
Mr. Morley : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) on what date the current term of office on National Rivers Authority regional flood defence committees expires for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the National Rivers Authority and local authority appointments, respectively ;
(2) on what date the current period of service on National Rivers Authority local flood defence committees expires for the appointees of regional committees and local authorities.
Mr. Curry : The appointment to regional flood defence committees of the National Rivers Authority made by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food are due to expire on 30 June 1994. Information about the end dates of appointments to these committees by other bodies is not held centrally, but, according to the NRA, its appointments are due to end on 31 August 1994 and in a majority of regions those for local authorities are due to end on 31 May 1993.
The end dates for appointment to local flood defence committees vary in different regions and, according to information provided by the NRA, range from 31 May 1993 to 30 June 1994.
Mr. Morley : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what written guidance or instructions he has given to the chairmen of National Rivers Authority regional flood defence committees regarding the experience and interests of the appointments made to local flood defence committees under section 13 of the Water Resources Act 1991 ; and if he will place a copy in the Library ; (2) what written guidance or instructions he has given to the levy-paying local authorities on the financial, commercial or personal interests of the members whom they appoint to regional flood defence committees of the National Rivers Authority ; and if he will place a copy in the Library.
Mr. Curry : The broad criteria to be taken into account in appointing members to regional or local flood defence committees are set out in sections 10(4) and 13(6) of the Water Resources Act 1991. Schedule 4 to that Act sets out more detailed provisions regarding the membership and proceedings of the committees, including declarations of interests. While the NRA and local councils are encouraged to appoint members representing a broad range of local interests, no supplementary written guidance or instructions have been issued.
Departmental Officials
Mr. David Porter : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) how many offcials were employed by his Department to administer, inspect, regulate and advise the fishing industry either directly, in agencies or on special contracts (a) in 1992 and (b) at the latest available date ; how many professional fishermen are in full or part-time employment ; and if he will make a statement ;
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(2) how many officials were employed by his Department to administer, inspect, regulate and advise the farming industry either directly, in agencies or on special contracts (a) in 1992 and (b) at the latest available date ; how many farmers are engaged in full or part- time professional farming ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Curry : Information on the numbers of staff in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, its agencies and the Intervention Board is set out in the "Ministry's Departmental Report on the Government's Expenditure Plans 1993-94 to 1995-96" which was issued in February, and which is available in the Library of the House. Although it is not possible to isolate the staff resources devoted to the specific activities listed by my hon. Friend, the report does contain detailed information on the functions performed by the Ministry and the resources consumed. Numbers of fishermen are set out on page 38 of the report, and numbers of farmers are set out in the latest version of "Agriculture in the United Kingdom"--also in the Library.
EC Beef (West Africa)
Mr. Lidington : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about supplies of EC beef in west Africa.
Mr. Curry : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the hon. Member for Newham, South (Mr. Spearing) on 19 May, Official Report, column 174.
Seismic Surveys
Mr. Barry Field : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to publish the report into the effects of seismic surveys in shallow waters on (a) fish in general and (b) bass stocks and spawning grounds.
Mr. Curry : A study was made of the movements of bass in shallow waters during and after the seismic survey which was undertaken in Poole bay last year. The preliminary report of this work will be available this summer. The area in question does not include any bass spawning grounds.
Beef Imports
Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportions of United Kingdom beef consumption are imported from sources in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela, Chile and Peru.
Mr. Curry : The proportion of beef consumed in the United Kingdom in 1992 imported as fresh, chilled or frozen beef from Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay was 1.3 per cent. No beef was imported from Venezuela, Chile or Peru.
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Market Testing
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the cost to date and the expected future cost of his Department's market- testing programme ; how many staff are engaged full-time in work relating to market
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testing ; which firms of consultants have been used in connection with the market-testing programme ; and how they were selected.Mr. Waldegrave : The cost of market testing in the Office of Public Service and Science and its agencies and Her Majesty's Stationery Office and the Central Office of Information from November 1991 to date have been £916,000. The estimated cost for the remainder of the current financial year is £1,102,000. There are eight staff currently engaged full-time on market testing.
The consultants who have been used by OPSS, its Agencies, HMSO or COI in connection with the market testing programme, and the method of their selection, is as follows :
CDL Associates (competitive tender)
Chris Goodall Associates (competitive tender)
DMW (competitive tender)
Ernst & Young (competitive tender)
Ernst & Young (call-off contract)
OSI (competitive tender)
PA Consulting (competitive tender)
Price Waterhouse (competitive tender)
Shreeveport (single tender)
Symonds Facilities Management (competitive tender)
Touche Ross (competitive tender)
ENVIRONMENT
Polar Bears, Chessington
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations were held with his Department about the sale and removal of the polar bears, Bonnie and Clyde, from Chessington world of adventure to a zoo in Zagreb ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean : An application to export the two bears to Zagreb zoo was lodged with the Department in January. The rules governing such exports are set out in EC regulation 3626/82 which implements the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora throughout the European Community.
The application was considered very carefully, in conjunction with our scientific advisers, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee. It was decided that export should be allowed and the appropriate permit was issued on 28 January.
Compulsory Competitive Tendering
Mr. Duncan Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about compulsory competitive tendering for white collar services.
Mr. Robin Squire : I refer my hon. Friend to my right hon. and learned Friend's answer on 10 November, Official Report, column 743 , and to my answer on 19 April Official Report, column 42.
Data Protection
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment to what investigations his Department has been subject by the Data Protection Registrar in relation to a suspected breach of a data protection principle ; if he will summarise the nature of each complaint and state when the complaint was made ; and what remedial action was taken by his Department to ensure future compliance with the principle subject to the investigation.
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Mr. Howard : My Department was notified in November 1991 that the Data Protection Registrar was investigating a complaint made against the Department in relation to the disclosure of personal data held under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. The outcome of the investigation is awaited.
Redundant Refrigerators
Mr. Robert Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the number of redundant refrigerators retrieved for the extraction of chlorofluorocarbon gas during the last full year.
Mr. Maclean : The Department does not hold these figures. However, we are keen to promote CFC recovery and encourage local authorities to set up recovery schemes. We gave priority to schemes for CFC recovery when distributing supplementary credit approvals for investment in recycling facilities for 1993-94. Twenty-six schemes have been allocated SCAs for 1993-94.
Nichols Institute Diagnostics
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the prosecution of the Nichols Institute Diagnostics for breach of the Radioactive Substances Act 1960.
Mr. Maclean : Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution prosecuted Nichols Institute Diagnostics for breaches of the Radioactive Substances Act 1960 on its premises at Newport, Essex. At the hearing at Saffron Walden magistrates court on 6 April 1993, the company pleaded guilty to four charges of accumulation of radioactive waste without authorisation, holding radioactive material without a certificate of registration and exceeding the limit for holdings in their registration. The company was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay full prosecution costs of £2,726.
Environmental Networks
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assistance his Department provided to the National Council for Voluntary Organisations in the preparation of its recent report on the establishment of environmental networks.
Mr. Maclean : The report on the establishment of environmental networks has been produced as part of an environmental project undertaken by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations and supported by the Department's environmental action fund. The NCVO received £44,000 in 1992-93 towards the project and a sum of £52,000 has been offered to it in 1993-94.
Lambeth Services
Mr. Fraser : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what response he has received from the London borough of Lambeth in relation to the five notices serviced on Lambeth on 24 March under the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 and the Local Government Act 1988 ; and if he will take into account the quality of service currently being given in relation to refuse collection in the London borough of Lambeth.
Mr. Robin Squire : The London borough of Lambeth has made an interim response to the notices served on the
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authority on 24 March. It has requested an extension of time until 4 June 1993 to make a considered final response, and this has been granted. My right hon. and learned Friend, in deciding whether to take further statutory action, will take into account all the relevant information put before him, including the authority's response.Public Bodies
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish (a) the number of hours worked and (b) the total amount of money earned by each chairperson of the non-departmental public bodies appointed by him and his predecessors in each year since 1987.
Mr. Howard : Information about the remuneration of chairmen appointed to non-departmental public bodies for which my Department is responsible is contained in the annual HMSO publication "Public Bodies". Copies for each year since 1987 are available in the Library of the House. Information on the numbers of hours worked in each year since 1987 is not held centrally.
Environmental Protection
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what initiatives he has planned to encourage the involvement of children in environmental protection.
Mr. Maclean : On 29 April my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State announced an initiative to encourage children to protect the environment. The first project will be a summer competition to select participants for a children's summit in Manchester on 18 September. The summit will discuss future projects for the campaign. Every competition entrant will receive an environmental summer activity pack. My Department also supports a number of projects involving children through the environmental action fund.
Negative Equity
Mr. Clappison : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made of the number of households where the value of the property is less than the amount of the mortgage.
Sir George Young : Based on changes in house prices measured by the Department's house price index, the number of owner occupiers with mortgages larger than the value of their properties in the first quarter of 1993 is estimated to be about 1 million, the same as in the previous quarter.
Chlorofluorocarbons
Mr. Salmond : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to seek a derogation from EC measures implementing the terms of the Montreal agreement banning CFCs ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maclean [holding answer 18 May 1993] : Under the EC regulation on ozone-depleting substances, CFC production and consumption will be phased out by 1 Janauary 1995, subject to any exemptions for essential uses which may be agreed. My Department issued a consultation paper on possible exemptions in March, and we are now considering carefully the bids we have received.
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We have no plans to seek derogations from the regulation. We may have nominations for continued production for essential uses.Local Government Finance
Mr. Frank Field : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will publish the scheme used in calculating the transitional council tax reduction for 1992-93 for each local authority in England ;
(2) if he will publish the amount of other adjustments which formed part of the personal community charge in 1992-93 for each local authority in England ;
(3) if he will publish the amount of the collection fund deficit at the most recent available date for each local authority in England.
Mr. Robin Squire [holding answer 21 May 1993] : I am arranging for the available information to be placed in the Library of the House.
County Councils
Mr. Nigel Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for the Isle of Wight, Cornwall, Somerset and each county council where no political party has overall control, (a) the population, (b) the capital budget for 1993-94 and (c) the revenue budget for 1993-94.
Mr. Robin Squire [holding answer 21 May 1993] : The available information is as follows :
County councils with no political party in overall control
|Total population<1> |Total capital budget|Total revenue budget
|1993-94 |1993-94<2>
|£ million |£ million
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Avon |962,037 |39.830 |570.767
Bedfordshire |534,276 |20.179 |352.125
Berkshire |752,471 |46.558 |465.589
Cambridgeshire |669,898 |31.262 |389.217
Cheshire |966,590 |79.857 |587.400
Cumbria |489,673 |27.694 |310.634
Devon |1,040,021 |44.238 |594.059
Dorset |663,091 |n.a. |353.565
East Sussex |716,077 |40.929 |416.519
Essex |1,548,329 |64.256 |925.046
Gloucestershire |538,779 |33.880 |316.889
Hampshire |1,576,295 |110.035 |875.267
Hereford and Worcester |686,039 |17.151 |372.260
Hertfordshire |991,515 |39.450 |594.557
Kent |1,538,943 |121.700 |964.833
Leicestershire |890,832 |37.525 |554.413
Lincolnshire |592,556 |47.999 |357,829
Norfolk |759,363 |41.617 |442.260
North Yorkshire |720,626 |43.408 |396.419
Oxfordshire |579,650 |37.310 |325.369
Shropshire |412,534 |25.905 |241.354
Suffolk |661,853 |36.850 |373.373
Surrey |1,033,611 |75.512 |535.000
Warwickshire |489,850 |23.864 |288.312
West Sussex |715,617 |47.549 |403.100
Wiltshire |577,399 |22.813 |324.509
Notes:
n.a.=information not yet returned by the authority.
<1> Resident population at 30 June 1991 (provisional estimate, as used in the 1993-94 Settlement).
<2> Net revenue expenditure as returned by authorities on the Budget Requirement (BR) return.
County councils with no political party in overall control
|Total population<1> |Total capital budget|Total revenue budget
|1993-94 |1993-94<2>
|£ million |£ million
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Avon |962,037 |39.830 |570.767
Bedfordshire |534,276 |20.179 |352.125
Berkshire |752,471 |46.558 |465.589
Cambridgeshire |669,898 |31.262 |389.217
Cheshire |966,590 |79.857 |587.400
Cumbria |489,673 |27.694 |310.634
Devon |1,040,021 |44.238 |594.059
Dorset |663,091 |n.a. |353.565
East Sussex |716,077 |40.929 |416.519
Essex |1,548,329 |64.256 |925.046
Gloucestershire |538,779 |33.880 |316.889
Hampshire |1,576,295 |110.035 |875.267
Hereford and Worcester |686,039 |17.151 |372.260
Hertfordshire |991,515 |39.450 |594.557
Kent |1,538,943 |121.700 |964.833
Leicestershire |890,832 |37.525 |554.413
Lincolnshire |592,556 |47.999 |357,829
Norfolk |759,363 |41.617 |442.260
North Yorkshire |720,626 |43.408 |396.419
Oxfordshire |579,650 |37.310 |325.369
Shropshire |412,534 |25.905 |241.354
Suffolk |661,853 |36.850 |373.373
Surrey |1,033,611 |75.512 |535.000
Warwickshire |489,850 |23.864 |288.312
West Sussex |715,617 |47.549 |403.100
Wiltshire |577,399 |22.813 |324.509
Notes:
n.a.=information not yet returned by the authority.
<1> Resident population at 30 June 1991 (provisional estimate, as used in the 1993-94 Settlement).
<2> Net revenue expenditure as returned by authorities on the Budget Requirement (BR) return.
Minerals Planning Guidance
Mrs. Peacock : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to publish the consultation draft on the review of MPG 3 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Baldry [holding answer 21 May 1993] : I intend to publish the consultation draft of the revised MPG 3 as soon as possible.
PRIME MINISTER
Special Advisers
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Prime Minister if civil service (a) terms and conditions and (b) codes of conduct apply to special advisers attached to Ministers in Government.
The Prime Minister : Special advisers have generally the same conditions of service as other civil servants, except that their salaries are negotiated individually in relation to previous earnings and are confidential. Different arrangements apply to severance pay. They are, however, normally paid on a special advisers' salary spine of 30 points.
Special advisers are subject to the same rules of conduct as other civil servants, with the exception of the rules on the acceptance of outside appointments after resignation or retirement and certain aspects of the rules on political activities.
European Parliament (Elections)
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the Government's policy regarding the de Gucht report on elections to the European Parliament.
The Prime Minister : We are ready to discuss the issue in Council when the presidency decides to table the report. If the council were to reach a consensus, which remains to be seen, it would certainly need to respect different national traditions. We acknowledge the attempt made by the de Gucht report to take these considerations into account.
Nuclear Test Veterans
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Prime Minister if he will sympathetically consider any request to meet representatives of the British Nuclear Test Veterans Association ; and if he will make a statement.
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The Prime Minister : Studies so far have shown that the incidence of death and malignant disease has been no greater among British nuclear test veterans than among the general population. If, however, the British Nuclear Test Veterans Association has any new evidence to change the position, I should be pleased to examine it and will readily consider any subsequent request for a meeting in that light.
British Coal Superannuation Scheme
Mr. Tipping : To ask the Prime Minister if he wil list the correspondence he has received about the British Coal staff superannuation scheme.
The Prime Minister : I have received a substantial number of representations on a wide range of coal issues.
Crossrail
Mr. Nicholas Winterton : To ask the Prime Minister if he will list all those organisations and companies, other than the Manufacturing and Construction Industries Alliance, from which he has received recent representations concerning the crossrail project.
The Prime Minister : I have received representations in recent weeks from the following organisations and companies :
Aylesbury Vale District Council
Buckinghamshire County Council
Grosvenor Estates
London Chambers Network
London First
MEPC plc
Residents' Association of Mayfair
Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce and Industry
The Corporation of the City of London
Yugoslavia
Mr. Elletson : To ask the Prime Minister what is the total cost of Britain's contribution to the peace process in the former Yugoslavia.
The Prime Minister : The costs cannot be precisely calculated but are considerable in the military, political and humanitarian fields. Up to 31 March 1993, the United Kingdom's contribution to UNPROFOR operations in Croatia and Bosnia has amounted to £93,835,679. Further expenditure of £2,576,831 has been incurred as a result of the airlift of humanitarian supplies to Sarajevo. We expect to recover a proportion of these costs from the United Nations in due course.
EC Additionality
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Prime Minister when he last met representatives of the European Commission to discuss the application of the additionality principle by (a) the United Kingdom and (b) other member states ; and if he will make a statement.
The Prime Minister : I last discussed additionality with the Commission and other EC Heads of State and Government at the European Council in Edinburgh. We agreed that the basic principles laid down in 1988 --concentration, programming, partnership and
additionality--should continue to guide the implementation of the structural funds. Financial control more generally will be
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