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Mr. Sproat : There are no staff employed in the automatic data processing functional specialism in the Department of National Heritage or its agencies.
Victoria County History
Mr. Alan Howarth : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what steps he is taking to ensure that sufficient financial support for the continuation of the Victoria county history.
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Mr. Sproat : I am aware of the concerns about funding for the Victoria county history (VCH) and I know that my hon. Friend visited the Secretary of State for National Heritage with colleagues last December.
Funding for the VCH does not fall to the Department of National Heritage, but rests with the university of London and the county councils. However, my Department recognises the valuable work being done by the VCH and has identified some possible sources of additional funding, details of which have been passed to the Institute of Historical Research, which manages the project.
Blind and Partially Sighted People
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) what arrangement his Department makes to ensure that blind and partially sighted people have access to information produced by his Department where it has not been published in alternative media such as Braille, large print or tape ;
(2) what is his Department's policy on which information produced by his Department is published in alternative media to standard print such as Braille, tape or large print.
Mr. Brooke : The Department of National Heritage keeps under review the need to make information available to blind and partially sighted people.
Last year, the Department made available Braille copies of the popular version of the BBC consultation document issued by the Department.
Royal Parks
Mr. Raynsford : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when the next stage of the review of the royal parks will commence.
Mr. Sproat : Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Royal Parks Agency under its chief executive, Mr. David Welch. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Mr. R. Boyce to Mr. Nick Raynsford, dated26 July 1993 :
In the absence of the Chief Executive, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for National Heritage has asked me to reply to your Written Parliamentary Question asking :
When the next stage of the Review of the Royal Parks will commence.
The Review group chaired by Dame Jennifer Jenkins have recently completed their report on St. James's Park, The Green Park and Regent's Park. The programme for future reviews is still to be decided.
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Church of England
45. Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will make it his policy to review the amount of time given by Parliament to, and the cost to Parliament of, the consideration of Church of England matters.
Mr. Newton : I have no plans to do so.
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Sittings of the House
46. Mr. Skinner : To ask the Lord President of the Council whether he is now in a position to respond to the report from the Select Committee on Sittings of the House (House of Commons Paper 20 of Session 1991-92).
50. Mr. Ian Bruce : To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will make a statement on the progress of amending the hours of sittings of the House.
Mr. Newton : In the light of further discussions I have had with the right hon. Member for Derby, South (Mrs. Beckett) I will want to consider how we might take this forward. I regret that we have been unable to make more progress before the recess.
Parliamentary Questions
47. Mr. Jacques Arnold : To ask the Lord President of the Council what proposals he has to implement the recommendations of the Procedure Committee's report on parliamentary questions, first report of 1992-93 (HC 687).
Mr. Newton : The Government are presently considering its further response to the Procedure Committee report in the light of that Committee's revised recommendations following the Government's original response.
Departmental Staff
48. Mr. Purchase : To ask the Lord President of the Council what is the total number of staff employed in his office ; and how many are men and how many women.
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Mr. Newton : The total number of staff employed in the Privy Council Office is 33 of which 16 are women. In my private office the figures are seven and four respectively.
Iraq
49. Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will set up a Select Committee to consider whether the House should be consulted before further military action is taken against Iraq.
Mr. Newton : No. Ample opportunity already exists for discussion of these issues and, in fact, I understand the hon. Member has one of the Consolidated Fund debates later this evening on matters relating to Iraq.
Nursery Facilities
Mrs. Helen Jackson : To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee if he will make a statement on the progress of the survey of possible users of nursery facilities within the Palace.
Mr. Michael J. Martin : The Administration Committee has reached agreement on which company should conduct the survey of potential demand for child care facilities. Arrangements are being made for the preparation of a questionnaire which will be circulated in the autumn to Members, their staff, staff of the House, and others employed on the parliamentary estate.
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PRIME MINISTER
Japan (Visit)
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Prime Minister what specific representations he received from Japanese non-governmental organisations on (a) nuclear non-proliferation, (b) international trade in plutonium and other nuclear explosives and (c) nuclear waste management assistance for Russia, during his visit to Japan for the recent G7 summit.
The Prime Minister : I did not receive any representations from non- governmental organisations on these issues during my recent visit to Japan.
Sustainable Development
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 19 May 1992 to the hon. Member for Harlow (Mr. Hayes), Official Report, column 113, if he will list the members of the new ministerial committee on the environment, referred in paragraph 4.5 of the consultation paper "UK Strategy for Sustainable Development"; how often it intends to meet ; and if he will provide details of its remit.
The Prime Minister : The remit and membership of the ministerial committee on the environment remain as stated in my answer of 19 May 1992, Official Report, column 113. Meetings take place as necessary.
Drug Misuse
Mr. Rathbone : To ask the Prime Minister if he is satisfied with the present arrangements for co-ordinating Government action on drug misuse between the different Departments of State ; and what proposals he has to improve them.
The Prime Minister : The Government are committed to bringing forward proposals to improve further the co-ordination of the control of drug misuse. Options are currently under consideration.
Top Salaries Review Body
Mr. Wolfson : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the Top Salaries Review Body.
The Prime Minister : The name of the Top Salaries Review Body (TSRB) has been changed to the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB). At the same time the Review Body's terms of reference have been revised. Both these changes have been introduced at the Review Body's request, and have been agreed with it. The revised terms of reference are as follows :
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"To advise the Prime Minister on the remuneration of holders of judicial office ; senior civil servants, senior officers of the armed forces ; and such other public appointments as may from time to time be specified.The Prime Minister may also ask the Review Body to advise from time to time on the pay and pensions of Members of Parliament and their allowances ; Peer's allowances ; and on the pay, pensions and allowances of Ministers and others whose pay is determined by a Ministerial and other Salaries Order.
Procedures The Review Body will make other recommendations as it sees fit
in order that the level of remuneration for the groups covered by its remit is sufficient to ensure, over time, the recruitment and retention and motivation of suitably able and qualified people to exercise their different responsibilities ;
to ensure that, as appropriate, the remuneration for the remit groups relates coherently to that of their subordinates, encourages efficiency and effectiveness, and takes account of the different management and organisational structures which may be in place from time to time ;
to relate reward to performance where appropriate ;
to maintain the confidence of those covered by the Review Body's remit that its recommendations have been properly and fairly determined ; and
to ensure that the remuneration of those covered by the remit is consistent with the Government's equal opportunities policy. In making recommendations, the review body shall consider any factors which the Government and other witnesses may draw to its attention. In particular it shall have regard to :
differences in terms and conditions of employment between the public and private sector and between the remit groups, taking account of relative job security and the value of benefits in kind ; changes in national pay systems, including flexibility and the reward of success ; and job weight in differentiating the remuneration of particular posts ; and
the need to maintain a broad linkage between the remuneration of the three main remit groups, while allowing sufficient flexibility to take account of the circumstances of each group.
The Review Body will take account of the evidence it receives about wider economic considerations and the affordability of its recommendations."
Overseas Visits
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Prime Minister how many overseas visits he has made since he assumed office ; and if he will list the venue, the duration, the purpose and the cost to public funds of the visits.
The Prime Minister [holding answer 22 July 1993] : The information requested is as follows :
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Venue |Duration |Purpose |Cost (£)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Italy |13-15 December 1990 |European Council |60,805.00
USA |20-22 December 1990 |Bilateral |33,871.00
Saudi Arabia |6-8 January 1991 |Bilateral }
Oman |8-9 January 1991 |Bilateral } |45,098.00
Egypt |9 January 1991 |Bilateral }
France |14 January 1991 |Bilateral |1,857.00
France |20 January 1991 |Bilateral |1,165.00
Germany |11 February 1991 |Bilateral |1,388.00
Soviet Union |4-5 March 1991 |Bilateral |50,352.00
Germany |11 March 1991 |Anglo-German Summit |3,153.00
Bermuda |15-16 March 1991 |Bilateral |24,670.00
Luxembourg |8 April 1991 |Informal European Council |8,107.00
France |24 June 1991 |Anglo-French Summit |10,422.00
Luxembourg |28-29 June 1991 |European Council |45,323.00
Spain |2-13 June 1991 |Holiday |9,560.00
USA |27-30 August 1991 |Bilateral |53,951.00
China/Russia |1-6 September 1991 |Bilateral |196,844.00
France |11-12 September 1991 |Bilateral |10,325.00
Netherlands |18 September 1991 |Bilteral |962.00
Zimbabwe |14-22 October 1991 |Commonwealth Heads of |199,488.00
| Government Meeting
Italy |7-8 November 1991 |NATO Summit Meeting |54,600.00
Germany |10 November 1991 |Bilateral |1,340.00
Italy |27 November 1991 |Bilateral } |7,947.00
Germany |27 November 1991 |Bilateral }
Netherlands |1 December 1991 |Bilateral |1,736.00
Republic of Ireland |4 December 1991 |Bilateral |2,684.00
Netherlands |8-10 December 1991 |European Council |64,371.00
USA |30-31 January 1992 |United Nations Security Council |58,928.00
| Meeting
Poland |25-26 May 1992 |Bilateral }
Czechoslovakia26-28 May 1992 |Bilateral } |53,757.00
Hungary |28-29 May 1992 |Bilateral }
Germany |5 June 1992 |Bilateral |1,012.00
USA |6-9 June 1992 |Bilateral }
Colombia9-10 June 1992 |Bilateral } |318,146.00
Brazil |10-12 June 1992 |United Nations Conference on }
| Environment and Development }
Portugal |25-27 June 1992 |European Council |64,458.00
Germany |6-8 July 1992 |G7 Economic Summit |140,908.00
Finland |9-10 July 1992 |CSCE Summit |41,612.00
Spain |7-9 August 1992 |Olympic Games |79,469.00
Spain |16-17 September 1992 |Bilateral |2,293.00
France |30 September 1992 |Bilateral |4,346.00
Egypt |23-25 October 1992 |50th Anniversary Commemoration |74,616.00
| of El Alamein
Belgium |23 November 1992 |Bilateral |7,041.00
Italy/Greece |27-28 November 1992 |Bilateral |14,512.00
Luxembourg |30 November 1992 |Bilateral }
Spain |30 November to |Bilateral } |14,908.00
|1 December 1992 | }
Portugal |1 December 1992 |Bilateral }
Denmark |2 December 1992 |Bilateral |9,570.00
Netherlands |6-7 December 1992 |Bilateral } |8,148.00
Republic of Ireland7 December 1992 |Bilateral }
France |15-16 December 1992 |European Parliament Plenary |7,910.00
Canada |17-18 December 1992 |EC/Canada Talks } |120,775.00
USA18-20 December 1992 |EC/United States Talks }
Bosnia |22 December 1992 |Visit British Forces |10,828.00
India |23-28 January 1993 |Republic Day Celebrations
Oman28 January 1993 |Bilateral |179,512.00
Saudi Arabia |28 January 1993 |Bilateral
USA |23-25 February 1993 |Bilateral |46,696.00
Switzerland |5-6 April 1993 |Bilateral |n/a
Austria |6 April 1993 |Bilateral
France |27-28 May 1993 |Bilateral |n/a
Denmark |20-22 June 1993 |European Council |n/a
Japan |5-9 July 1993 |G7 Economic Summit |n/a
n/a=Not yet available.
Deregulation (Construction Industry)
Mr. Chris Smith : To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the outcome of the meeting held on 20 July with representatives of the deregulation task force on the construction industry.
The Prime Minister [holding answer 23 July 1993] : On 20 July I chaired a progress meeting on deregulation attended by Ministers and permanent secretaries from regulatory Departments, Lord Sainsbury and all the task
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force chairmen. We welcomed progress on specific deregulation measures to reduce the burden on business. Ministers agreed to address changes requiring primary legislation as soon as parliamentary time permits. Ministers also agreed to publish "Working with Business : A Code for Enforcement Agencies" and a report on the operation of European Community law in the United Kingdom ; to review how duplication between enforcement agencies might be eliminated ; to require a small business litmus test of the impact on them of any new regulations ; and to set up an eighth task force focusing on charities and voluntary organisations.Column 563
HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION
Health and Safety Training
34. Mr. Spellar : To ask the right hon. Member for
Berwick-upon-Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission, what representations he has received about health and safety training for staff of the House.
POLIS
35. Mr. Fabricant : To ask the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon- Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission, what measures are being taken to facilitate the provision of POLIS within Members' offices via the parliamentary data and video network ; and when the network will be extended to the Norman Shaw buildings.
Mr. Beith : The parliamentary data and video network is at present available to Members on the lower floors of Millbank and a small number of Members outside via a telephone link. The network has been authorised only as a pilot phase and is currently being reviewed by the Information Committee, which hopes to report later this year. Any plans to extend the network, including POLIS, to the Norman Shaw buildings or elsewhere will need to await approval of the service by the House, following the report from the Information Committee and the provision of the necessary funds in the estimates.
Members' Children (Recess)
39. Mr. Hanson : To ask the right hon. Member for
Berwick-upon-Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission, what recent representations he has received about providing additional facilities for Members' children during the parliamentary recess ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Beith : The Commission itself has received no such representations on this issue. Details of the Westminster holiday play scheme, in which the children of Members, their staff and staff of the House may participate, were publicised in the all-party notice and circulated to staff. In addition, progress is being made in the preparation of a questionnaire, which will be circulated in the autumn, as part of a survey to determine potential demand for child care facilities.
Costs
40. Mr. Flynn : To ask the Chairman of the Finance and Services Committee what new proposals he has to reduce the costs for which the House of Commons Commission are responsible.
Mr. Channon : As part of its responsibility to improve the financial management of House Departments and to prepare the draft estimates for the House of Commons votes, the Finance and Services Committee continually seeks to improve the value for money of services provided to the House. Recent initiatives by House Departments which it has supported include revised arrangements for
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the telephone operator service and the introduction of least-cost routing ; and the use of desk-top publishing in the Refreshment Department. The Committee has asked the Administration Committee to study the provision of documents, stationery, and office supplies to hon. Members with a view to reducing costs, and looks forward to receiving its recommendations. Other areas of expenditure will be examined in due course in consultation with the relevant domestic committees, Heads of Department and the internal auditor. The level of expenditure on House services is affected by the degree of activity of the House, its Committees and individual Members. This matter is reviewed in more detail in the Fifteenth Annual Report of the Commission, to be published on 6 September as House of Commons Paper No. 820.Terrace Dining Rooms
41. Mr. Pickthall : To ask the Chairman of the Finance and Services Committee what representations he has received about the use of the income from the use of the Terrace Dining Rooms.
Mr. Channon : None, although the use of income derived from banqueting services in the Terrace Dining Rooms was included in the Committee's review of the Refreshment Department trading fund.
SCOTLAND
Police Authority
Mr. McFall : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what method of election or appointment he will introduce for members of the new Police Authority arising from the proposed changes to local government in Scotland.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : All new councils in Scotland will be police authorities and their members will be elected in the usual way. Where police force areas cover more than one council area there will be joint police committees for those forces made up of representatives from the councils in the force area.
Transport Responsibilities
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has held with regional councils in Scotland relating to the transfer of their transport responsibilities following the move to single- tier authorities.
Mr. Stewart : My right hon. Friend has discussed a range of subjects related to local government reform, including transport issues, with a number of regional councils and other local authority interests. In addition we have paid careful attention to the many responses to our consultation paper, "Shaping the New Councils", from regional councils and others, which discussed transport arrangements under the new single-tier structure.
Community Care
Mr. Gallie : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he proposes to take to ensure that full use is made of the independent sector in the development of community care policy.
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Mr. Lang : Two of the key objectives of our community care policy are the development of a flourishing mixed economy of care, alongside good quality public services, and securing better value for money. In order to achieve this I issued a direction on choice of residential care and I have asked all social work authorities to provide information about how this is implemented. I also consider it necessary that social work authorities should be aware of the full cost of their own provision and that this information should be publicly available. Under my powers under section 199 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 I am asking all authorities to let me have a statement of the full costs of their homes and will emphasise the need to have full regard to value for money when making decisions on the purchase of residential care places.
I am monitoring closely, through statistical returns made to my Department, the level of use of the independent sector by local authorities and in the light of this will consider whether any further action is needed.
Hospital Re-admissions
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish rates of re-admission to hospital following discharge.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 23 July 1993] : As I indicated in reply to the hon. Member's question on outcome measurements on 14 July 1993 at column 519, pilot outcome measures including 28-day emergency re- admission rate after discharge from medical specialties were included in the discussion document "Clinical Outcome Measures" issued on 7 July 1993, a copy of which has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Yugoslavia
Mr. Elletson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions took place at the meeting of the EC Foreign Ministers on 19 July regarding economic and diplomatic sanctions against the Republic of Croatia ; what proposals on this issue were tabled by the United Kingdom ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Foreign Ministers of the European Community agreed in Brussels on 19 July to consider withdrawing Croatia's preferential trading benefits with the European Community, in view of Croatia's continued involvement in the conflict in Bosnia. Croatia will have to change its ways if it wishes to have the kind of relationship that it seeks with the European Community.
Mr. Elletson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will expel the Croatian ambassador to London and recall Her Majesty's ambassador to Zagreb in protest at the Croatian Government's support for the Bosnian-Croat regime.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Such measures are not under consideration. But as Heads of Government made clear at the Group of Seven economic summit in Tokyo, the Croats and the Serbs risk placing themselves beyond the pale of the international community and stronger measures cannot be excluded. European Community
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Foreign Ministers also agreed in Brussels on 19 July to consider the withdrawal of Croatia's preferential trading benefits with the European Community, in view of Croatia's continued involvement in the conflict in Bosnia.Mr. Elletson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of conditions at Fojnica children's hospital in central Bosnia ; how many children were found abandoned in the hospital ; how many children have either died or are in a critical condition ; what representations Her Majesty's Government plan to make to Alija Izetbegovic concerning the actions of his forces at Fojnica ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We share the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' concern about the desperate plight of the patients in the hospital in Fojnica. This is a further example of how innocent civilians have suffered as a result of the conflict in Bosnia. We have repeatedly urged all parties to respect the rights and interests of civilians.
Mr. Wareing : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the relationship between United Nations Security Council resolution 820 and World Health Organisation resolutions 41.31 and 42.24 ; what restrictions there are on the importation of medicines and medical equipment into the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : United Nations Security Council resolution 820 negro under United Nations Security Council resolution 820. Supplies intended strictly for medical purposes are permitted to enter Serbia and Montenegro under United Nations Security Council resolutions 757 and 820 following notification to the Sanctions Committee established pursuant to resolution 724.
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment has been made of the effect on the economy of (a) Romania and (b) Hungary of the economic sanctions applied against the former Yugoslavia ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The economies of Romania, Hungary and other neighbouring countries have suffered damage from sanctions against former Yugoslavia. It is difficult to quantify this, particularly given the problem of isolating the effects of sanctions from the other factors influencing these economies. In our view, the international financial institutions, especially the International Monetary Fund, are the best placed to make this assessment. This they are already doing as part of their regular activities and programmes with these countries. We have been active in encouraging the IMF's efforts in this area.
We have also strongly supported action by the Yugoslav Sanctions Committee under the provisions of article 50 of the United Nations charter. The Committee, and subsequently the Security Council, has endorsed Romanian, Hungarian and other requests for assistance under article 50. Their recommendations have included a request that the international financial institutions be invited to consider how their assistance programmes and facilities might be helpful to affected states.
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Mr. Elletson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the total number of detainees in Bosnia-Herzegovina held in (a) Serbian prisons or camps, (b) Muslim prisons or camps and (c) Croat prisons or camps ; and what is his estimate in each case of the number of detainees who are civilians.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) regularly visits 1,098 prisoners held by Bosnian Serbs in detention camps in Bosnia, 951 held by Bosnian Muslims and 398 held by Bosnian Croats. No figures are available as to how many of these are civilians.
Mr. Elletson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees regarding the establishment by Bosnian-Croat forces of a detention camp for Muslim males at the Mostar heliodrome ; how many are estimated to be detained ; what requests have so far been made to visit these prisoners by UNHCR or the International Committee of the Red Cross ; what response such requests have had ; and if he will publish the reports he has received regarding this detention camp ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We have received no reports on this centre from UNHCR. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) regularly visits 15 prisoners held by the Bosnian-Croats in a detention centre at Mostar Rodoc, but we have received no details of ICRC's findings, in accordance with its rules over confidentiality.
Mr. Elletson : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the total number of prisons and camps currently operating in Bosnia-Herzegovina ; how many are under the control of (a) Muslims, (b) Croats and (c) Serbs ; and to how many such camps or prisons in each case international organisations have been denied access.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) regularly visits six places of detention under the control of Bosnian Croats : 15 places of detention under the control of Bosnian Muslims ; and 13 places of detention under the control of Bosnian Serbs. ICRC suspect that further places of detention in unknown locations may exist.
Bougainville
Dr. Marek : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy towards the conflict in Bougainville.
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