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Claims made to tribunals under
Sex Discrimination Act 1975 in Wales<1>
|1991-92|1992-93
---------------------------------------------------
Applications registered |78 |106
Number of respondents<2> |70 |58
Number of successful cases |4 |0
Average award |£3,535 |-
<1> Provisional.
<2> The number of firms or individuals named in a
case. There may be more than one per claim.
Source: Central Office of the Industrial
Tribunals.
Head Injuries
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many deaths have occurred in each year since 1979 in Wales where the underlying cause of death was recorded as being from a head injury.
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Mr. Gwilym Jones : The number of deaths to residents of Wales in each year since 1979 where the underlying cause of death was recorded as being from a head injury are shown in the following table :
|Number
---------------------
1979 |295
1980 |276
1981 |231
1982 |232
1983 |210
1984 |223
1985 |242
1986 |252
1987 |227
1988 |191
1989 |236
1990 |230
1991 |218
1992 |225
Source:-Office of
Population Censuses
and Surveys
ICD 800-804 Fracture
of skull
ICD 850-854
Intracranial injury,
excluding those with
skull fracture
International
Classification of
Diseases (9th
Revision)
Hepatitis C
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many cases of hepatitis C have been recorded (a) amongst registered drug users and (b) in total in Wales in each year since 1989.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The information requested is not available. Cases of hepatitis C are not separately notifiable.
Infant Mortality
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish figures showing (a) the infant mortality rate per 1, 000 live births and (b) the perinatal mortality rate per 1,000 total births in (i) Wales and (ii) each district health authority in Wales.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The information requested is published for the years 1986 to 1991 in the Welsh Office publication "Health and Personal Social Services Statistics for Wales", No. 19 1992, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.
Council of Ministers
Mr. Denzil Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list, together with the respective dates, those meetings of the EC Council of Ministers which were attended by ministers in his Department in the latest 12 months.
Mr. Redwood : Over the last year Welsh Office interests have been represented at EC meetings by ministerial colleagues from the lead department in the subject area concerned, and where relevant by senior officials from the Welsh Office to advise those Ministers. I will be visiting Commissioners in Brussels soon to pursue Welsh interests.
NHS Staff
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will give details of the number of unqualified NHS nursing staff joining the NHS in 1990,
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1991 and 1992, who were (a) joining directly after completing full-time education, (b) aged under 21 years, (c) joining from other NHS units, (d) joining from other care sector employment, (e) joining from other employment, (f) joining from non-activity in the labour market or (g) joining from unemployment ; (2) if he will give details of the number of qualified nursing or midwifery staff joining the NHS in 1990, 1991 and 1992 who were (a) newly qualifing student nurses with employment status, (b) newly qualifying Project 2000 students, (c) registered nurses entering the NHS after a period of non-employment, (d) joining NHS units directly after being employed by another NHS unit or (e) joining NHS units directly after being employed in other nursing ; (3) how many qualified, unqualified and learner nursing staff joined the NHS in 1991 and 1992.Mr. Gwilym Jones : The information requested is not held centrally.
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will give details of the distribution of average gross weekly earnings per person for each of the NHS clinical nursing and midwifery grades, listing the percentages of each grade earning under (a) £140, (b) £150, (c) £170, (d) £180, (e) £190, (f) £200, (g) £210, (h) £220, (i) £230, (j) £240, (k) £250, (l) £275, (m) £300 and (n) those earning £300 and over, in 1991 and 1992 ;
(2) what were the average gross weekly earnings and make-up of pay by type or allowance for each of the clinical grades for nursing and midwifery staff in 1991 and 1992.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The information requested is not held centrally.
Mr Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many qualified NHS nurses and midwives, unqualified NHS nursing staff, nursing learners there were in 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1992 in (a) numbers and (b) as a percentage of the total NHS nursing and midwifery staff.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The information requested is in the following table :
Nursing and midwifery staff in post (whole-time equivalents
(WTE)) as at 30 September
Qualified Unqualified Learners
Year |WTE |Per cent.|WTE |Per cent.|WTE |Per cent.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1989 |17,850 |63.7 |7,069 |25.2 |3,118 |11.1
1990 |17,986 |64.0 |7,031 |25.0 |3,075 |10.9
1991 |18,010 |64.4 |7,019 |25.1 |2,934 |10.5
<1>1992 |18,096 |65.8 |7,355 |26.7 |2,069 |7.5
<1>Unqualified staff are staff paid as grade A, B or nursery nurses. The 1992
figures exclude about 64 whole-time equivalent nursing and midwifery staff
employed by Pembrokeshire NHS trust for whom details of grade are not known
centrally. In addition there are about 1,000 student nurses who have been
reclassified as students following the introduction of Project 2000 nursing
education reforms.
Junior Doctors
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the number of junior doctors working an average of more than 83 hours a week in Wales on 1 April.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : No junior doctors were contracted to work more than 83 hours per week on average, on 1 April 1993.
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River Pollution
Mr. Richards : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures are being taken to ensure that disused coal and metal mines do not leak dangerous chemicals into Welsh rivers ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The National rivers Authority has been reviewing the extent of the problem of pollution from abandoned mines in England and Wales. The Government are, at the same time, considering the framework of legal responsibility for this pollution. Separately the authority's Welsh region is undertaking a survey, to which the Welsh Office is contributing, the objectives of which are to identify all ferruginous discharges emanating from or connected with abandoned coal mines in the region and to determine their impacts on the water quality, biological quality and fishery status of the receiving waters.
Disused Quarries
Mr. Richards : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures are being taken in Wales to encourage the owners of disused quarries to restore them to a natural state ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood : Advice on the reclamation of mineral workings is given in the joint Department of the Environment/Welsh Office minerals planning guidance note 7 (MPG7). MPG7 refers to the derelict land grant scheme, administered by the Welsh Development Agency, which encourages the reclamation of derelict land to bring it back into beneficial use or to improve its appearance. The grant is available to private individuals and others.
Council Tax
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will estimate the average council tax payment due in each district council area in Wales in the current financial year.
Mr. Redwood : The average council tax set in each district council area in 1993-94 is given in the following table. The average amount due to be paid in each area will be reduced by the average council tax benefit granted for that area. Information on district benefit levels is not held centrally.
|£
------------------------------
Alyn and Deeside |366
Colwyn |352
Delyn |370
Glyndwr |355
Rhuddlan |354
Wrexham Maelor |343
Carmarthen |342
Ceredigion |356
Dinefwr |327
Llanelli |334
Preseli Pembrokeshire |326
South Pembrokeshire |315
Blaenau Gwent |230
Islwyn |254
Monmouth |363
Newport |285
Torfaen |268
Aberconwy |322
Arfon |283
Dwyfor |301
Meirionnydd |308
Ynys Mon |319
Cynon Valley |218
Merthyr Tydfil |214
Ogwr |261
Rhondda |203
Rhymney Valley |235
Taff Ely |277
Brecknock |322
Montgomeryshire |296
Radnorshire |301
Cardiff |283
Vale of Glamorgan |316
Port Talbot |291
Lliw Valley |311
Neath |325
Swansea |334
Total Wales |301
Mr. Murphy : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what local authorities in Wales he intends to cap in respect of council tax.
Mr. Redwood : I have today laid before the House a draft order, under section 57 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, setting out my decision on the final cap for Aberconwy borough council. On 26 April my predecessor announced that he proposed to designate Aberconwy borough council for capping. He proposed a cap of £8,566, 950, a reduction of £167,745 on the authority's budget of £8,734,695. On 21 May, Aberconwy wrote to challenge the proposed cap and suggested an alternative amount of £8,734,695--the same as its original budget.
In taking my decision, I have considered all the available relevant information, including the case made by
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the authority in support of a higher cap, and the impact of the flooding in the borough as a result of the severe weather between 10 June and 12 June 1993.As a result, I have decided that in the current circumstances of the authority it would not be reasonable to proceed with the cap proposed by my predecessor and I have therefore decided to set the cap at £8,734,695- -the level of Aberconwy borough council's original budget.
My decision arises from wholly exceptional circumstances in Aberconwy because of the flooding and the substantial unforeseen costs which the authority will have to bear, even allowing for assistance under the Bellwin scheme which I announced on 14 June. In the absence of the flooding, I would have proceeded to cap the borough council's budget at the proposed level and on the basis of the estimates it has given me, I still expect the council to draw on its reserves and make savings on its original budget to pay for the extra expenditure and revenue loss caused by the floods. The council and other authorities in Wales should be clear therefore that I am determined to ensure that all local authorities in Wales budget in line with my plans in future years.
Local Government Finance
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish figures showing (a) the budget requirement, including parish precepts of all local authorities in Wales, (b) the income per council from non-domestic rates as a total figure and as a percentage figure and (c) the income in respect of council tax.
Mr. Redwood : The information requested is given in the table :
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Local Authority Budget Requirements, Non-Domestic Rates and Council Tax Income, 1993-94
Budget requirement Income<1> from Income<1> from
non-domestic rates Council Tax
|as a percentage of
|Budget requirement
|£000 |£000 |£000
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alyn and Deeside |10,240 |2,256 |22 |1,784
Colwyn |7,709 |1,769 |23 |1,056
Delyn |9,016 |2,066 |23 |1,653
Glyndwr |5,347 |1,306 |24 |731
Rhuddlan |8,795 |1,721 |20 |1,226
Wrexham Maelor |16,453 |3,530 |21 |2,616
Carmarthen |7,818 |1,737 |22 |1,108
Ceredigion |10,063 |2,101 |21 |1,611
Dinefwr |5,675 |1,211 |21 |753
Llanelli |13,807 |2,331 |17 |2,471
Preseli Pembrokeshire |10,844 |2,161 |20 |1,157
South Pembrokeshire |7,034 |1,286 |18 |529
Blaenau Gwent |15,004 |2,339 |16 |988
Islwyn |11,133 |2,026 |18 |967
Monmouth |9,725 |2,351 |24 |1,932
Newport |22,929 |4,068 |18 |2,664
Torfaen |13,811 |2,742 |20 |1,594
Aberconwy |8,890 |1,709 |19 |1,434
Arfon |9,519 |1,713 |18 |1,117
Dwyfor |5,958 |859 |14 |613
Meirionnydd |6,175 |1,029 |17 |1,086
Ynys Mon |11,490 |2,117 |18 |1,954
Cynon Valley |12,992 |1,983 |15 |909
Merthyr Tydfil |11,986 |1,785 |15 |754
Ogwr |20,603 |4,056 |20 |1,988
Rhondda |17,225 |2,406 |14 |914
Rhymney Valley |15,707 |3,079 |20 |1,437
Taff Ely |14,977 |2,960 |20 |2,157
Brecknock |6,279 |1,282 |20 |1,123
Montgomeryshire |6,863 |1,638 |24 |1,136
Radnorshire |3,346 |744 |22 |506
Cardiff |45,949 |8,809 |19 |6,153
Vale of Glamorgan |15,981 |3,482 |22 |2,988
Port Talbot |8,817 |1,567 |18 |688
Lliw Valley |8,638 |1,923 |22 |914
Neath |10,693 |2,030 |19 |1,578
Swansea |32,839 |5,774 |18 |3,267
Clwyd |278,044 |54,972 |20 |42,305
Dyfed |254,100 |47,060 |19 |36,586
Gwent |298,182 |58,790 |20 |35,172
Gwynedd |166,715 |32,285 |19 |23,310
Mid Glamorgan |384,800 |70,710 |18 |36,533
Powys |91,966 |15,927 |17 |11,031
South Glamorgan |271,855 |53,424 |20 |31,576
West Glamorgan |255,681 |49,089 |19 |34,847
Total Districts |460,330 |87,944 |19 |57,556
Total Counties |2,001,343 |382,256 |19 |251,360
Total Wales |2,461,673 |470,200 |19 |308,916
<1>Including community council precepts.
Housing Management
Mr. Murphy : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales by what date he plans to implement compulsory competitive tendering of local authority housing management in Wales.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given by my right hon. Friend to the hon. Member for Clwyd, North-West (Mr. Richards) on 17 December 1992, Official Report, columns 313-14.
Toxic Waste
Mr. Murphy : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what further representations he has made to the German Government over the proposed transport of toxic waste from Germany to the ReChem incineration plant at Pontypool.
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The Government have made no further representations.
NHS Trusts (Chief Executives)
Mr. Gareth Wardell : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place in the Library a copy of the advertisements placed in the press by his Department for each of the positions of NHS trust chief executives in Wales.
Column 52
Mr. Gwilym Jones : The responsibility for the placing of any such advertisement rests with the individual NHS trust.
Local Government Reorganisation
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to assess the views of the public on the extent of the historical and community links between Blaenau Gwent and Merthyr in relation to the proposed new unitary authority combining the two district boroughs.
Mr. Redwood : I shall give very careful consideration to all the views that have been received.
M4
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the latest figures of traffic flows on the M4 from (a) New House roundabout to Coldra, (b) Coldra to Malpas interchange, (c) Malpas to Tredegar park and (d) Tredegar park to Tongwynlais ; and what they were for the previous four years.
Sir Wyn Roberts : Traffic flows on the M4 between Newhouse and Coryton are as follows :
Column 51
|Annual average daily
|flows
Road |Section |1988 |1989 |1990 |1991 |1992
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
M4 |Newhouse to Magor |39,200 |44,000 |44,300 |43,400 |45,100
M4 |Magor to Coldra |- |45,900 |45,800 |45,200 |47,000
M4 |Coldra to Caerleon |- |64,650 |71,600 |66,700 |67,500
M4 |Caerleon to Malpas |67,200 |74,900 |76,900 |76,950 |77,500
M4 |Malpas to Tredegar Park |- |78,900 |81,100 |81,000 |81,800
M4 |Tredegar Park to Castleton|- |66,000 |71,400 |68,500 |74,200
M4 |Castleton to Coryton |35,000 |38,000 |43,000 |40,850 |42,700
Note: All flows 24 hour annual average daily flows.
DEFENCE
RAF Flying Hours
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the figures for the average number of hours flown by RAF crews indicating time spent at (a) low-level flying and (b) medium-level flying in each year since 1985 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hanley : The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Nuclear Test Veterans
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many representations he has received on the subject of compensation for members of the British Nuclear Test Veterans Association ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hanley : About 40 representations have been received on this matter from hon. Members since the beginning of the year.
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his Department's policy to compensate those veterans who were exposed to damaging levels of radiation during testing between 1952 and 1967 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hanley : The Government would consider sympathetically a claim for compensation on behalf of any ex-service man who suffered illness from radiation through participation in the British atmospheric nuclear test programme. Not a single case of illness, however, has ever been shown to have been so caused. Almost all the personnel involved received little or no radiation from the nuclear tests. There is no evidence of increased mortality or of increased overall cancer incidence among British nuclear test veterans.
Crown Proceedings (Armed Forces) Act 1987
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to amend the Crown Proceedings (Armed Forces) Act 1987 so that claims would be permissible for accidents that occurred before 15 May 1987 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hanley : The Government have no plans to amend the Crown Proceedings (Armed Forces) Act 1987.
The question of whether the change made in 1987 should be retrospective was fully debated in the House at the time. It was decided that the new Act would not be retrospective. I see no reason to take a different view now.
Intellectual Property Rights
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what response he has made to requests to protect intellectual property rights after contractorisation.
Mr. Aitken : Any information transferred to a contractor is subject to a standard obligation of confidence which limits the use of the information to the purposes of the contract.
Column 54
Anti-Missile Systems
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what projects he is engaged in, and with which partners, to explore the possibility of theatre anti-missile protection systems.
Mr. Aitken : We are currently engaged in a NATO ballistic missile defence (BMD) study based on a postulated risk of accidental or deliberate ballistic missile attack against NATO in the post-cold war era. We are also defining an internal pre-feasibility study into possible BMD systems to counter potential threats against the United Kingdom and our forces deployed overseas.
Upholder Submarine
Mr. Viggers : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence upon what date it was decided not to proceed with the planned expenditure of £3.5 million on moving the Upholder class of submarine from Gosport to Devonport.
Mr. Hanley : No such decision has been taken, but no further expenditure will be committed until the future of the Upholder class has been decided.
Apprenticeships
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many officially recognised apprenticeships have been completed by persons employed by his Department in each of the past 10 years.
Mr. Aitken : The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, over the past 10 years the Ministry of Defence has recruited some 8,300 civilian apprentices into disciplines recognised by the national trade unions.
The intake numbers were as follows :
|Number
---------------------
1983 |1,257
1984 |1,260
1985 |1,034
1986 |1,025
1987 |674
1988 |691
1989 |683
1990 |708
1991 |574
1992 |393
Aircraft Incident (Taunton)
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will ensure that the hon. Member for Taunton is sent a report on the outcome of the inquiry into the incident over the Taunton area on 15 June, when a Royal Navy aircraft dropped its fuel tanks; and if he will make an interim statement.
Mr. Hanley : I can confirm that a Navy Sea Harrier operating in the Taunton area on 15 June suffered an electrical fault which caused its two external fuel tanks to be released. The tanks landed in fields. There were no injuries. An investigation is currently in hand and my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence will write to the hon. Member when this has been completed.
Column 55
Gulf Trust Fund
Mr. Hanson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much money has been released to date from the Gulf Trust fund ; and to how many recipients.
Mr. Hanley : Total expenditure to date from the Gulf Trust is £753, 857, some of which has been in the form of loans on beneficial terms. Recent payments made by the benevolent funds have yet to be reimbursed from the Gulf Trust. 161 beneficiaries have so far been provided with assistance from the trust together with four charitable bodies and three charitable funds.
EMPLOYMENT
Training
Mr. Mike O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to review the supervision of the advice given on training to clients of his Department by departmental offices and by agencies to whom clients are recommended for training.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Employment Service (ES) advisers are trained in techniques to diagnose client need so that they may suggest a suitable job or training opportunity. If a client feels they have been misinformed, the ES operates an easy to use complaints system. Someone who is interested in training and enterprise council (TEC) provided training will be given more detailed guidance by the training body or an independent guidance agency appointed by the TEC. TECs are required to operate quality control procedures and will take up any complaint made to them by a client.
I have been advised that these procedures are working in a broadly satisfactory way and there is no need for a fundamental review. Guidance can, however, be a complex area and clients are occasionally misinformed. Where these cases are brought to our attention the matter is always investigated.
Mr. Byers : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to increase the allowances paid to young people on the youth training scheme ; and if he will make a statement.
Miss Widdecombe : There are no plans to increase minimum youth training (YT) allowances. Minimum YT allowances are set at levels which reflect the fact that trainees are involved in the learning process and I believe current levels are sufficient to meet the normal requirements of trainees living in the parental home. Trainees who live independently may apply for income support if they consider their income is insufficient to meet their needs. Employers are the main beneficiaries of the Government's investment in training and are strongly encouraged to supplement trainee incomes--an estimated 30 per cent. of YT trainees are employed and receive wages.
Training and Enterprise Councils
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take steps to ensure that representatives of district and borough councils are appointed to the boards of the TECs ; and if he will make a statement.
Column 56
Miss Widdecombe : It is for TECs themselves to decide the membership of their boards within the broad framework set out in their contract with my Department. I am satisfied that TEC boards have adequate representation of their local authorities.
Apprenticeships
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Warley, West (Mr. Spellar), of 14 June, Official Report, column 452 , what definition of apprenticeships was used in in his answer ; and if he will make a statement.
Miss Widdecombe : Respondents to the Labour Force Survey self- classify themselves when answering appropriate questions about apprenticeships. However, if clarification is needed interviewers are provided with the following guidance note :
Normally an apprenticeship commences at the age of 16 or 17 and is usually completed by the age of 21 after a minimum of three years.
Include :
Indentured apprenticeships ;
Those registered with a national body, eg. National Joint Council for the Building Industry ;
Persons with an employer's certificate of completion ;
Those recognised by an industrial training board or by a trade union for membership purposes ;
Articled clerks--those serving a period of training as accountants, solicitors etc ;
Hairdressers who are undergoing a planned training programme. Exclude :
Persons who have been upgraded through informal (or formal) training and/or experience ;
Architectural draughtsmen.'
Apprenticeships are only part of the system of delivering vocational training. The 1980s saw the introduction, and expansion, of training for young people through the youth training initiatives. In addition, many young people opt to acquire vocational training through the further education system.
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many fully indentured apprentice-ships have been completed in each of the past 10 years ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) how many of those persons who are recognised by the labour force survey as having completed an apprenticeship in 1992 had taken in excess of two years' training to achieve it.
Miss Widdecombe : The information is not available.
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment in what circumstances TECs finance apprenticeships which take in excess of two years to complete ; and how many such apprenticeships were funded by TECs during 1991.
Miss Widdecombe : Training and enterprise councils (TECs) provide training opportunities under youth training (YT) for young people leading to approved qualifications at or above national vocational qualification level 2 standard. A TEC may support a young person undergoing apprenticeship training for the duration of the apprenticeship period, subject to the trainee remaining under 25 years of age. The Labour Force Survey shows that some 52,000 apprenticeships were operating under YT in the spring of 1991.
Column 57
Federation of Economic Development Authorities
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has now replied to the letter dated 20 May to his Department from the Federation of Economic Development Authorities in relation to each of the points raised with him in that letter ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : Yes. I replied on 3 June.
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